Page 333 of Nobody's Girl

“This is Leo,” I say, introducing him. “This is my wife, Alyssa and one of our guardians, Kyle.”

The man smiles at us. “It’s good to meet you. I’m really interested to see if you two can communicate with Lucy and Ricky.”

“Those are their names?” I ask.

“Yeah, and I want to be really clear that we have to get this done tonight. I can’t have these guys away for long. I’m supposed to be taking them to the vet. They have to be back by tomorrow evening,” Leo tells us as he lowers the wooden door on the crate, revealing a large metal cage with two massive black birds in it.

Alyssa sucks in her breath and says, “They’re so large and a little scary looking.”

I reach out my hand to touch the cage. “Hi guys,” I whisper.

The larger bird comes towards my hand. “That’s Ricky, the male,” Leo whispers.

To my amazement, the bird leans its head to touch my hand. I release my breath. Then I reach my other hand out behind me, gesturing for my mate to take my hand. She does and giggles quietly, then says, “I immediately felt the fast pace of the bird’s heartbeat.”

The female bird comes closer to us. Alyssa puts her hand out for the bird to come touch if she wants to. The bird presses her face against the cage. Alyssa touches her face and says, “Her face is bumpy. I can feel the bird’s anticipation of what’s going to happen.”

“They will work with us,” I say quietly.

“This is amazing,” Leo says. “Let’s get them out of the cage then.”

Leo opens the cage door slowly. I stand in front of Kyle, just to be sure they don’t find him a threat in any way. They walk out of the cage cautiously, looking at their surroundings.

I look at Kyle. “Time to go get the sheriff.”

Kyle backs out of the barn slowly. I can hear the truck start outside, then he drives off. I say a little prayer that this farce works. Then my attention is drawn back to the large birds as they walk in a circle around us.

I slowly hold both of my hands out and begin to turn the opposite direction they’re going in. They turn around to go in the same direction we are.

“Amazing,” Leo mutters.

I stop and so do they. I turn Alyssa and myself to walk away from them and they follow us.

“They’re ready to go outside and fly,” I tell Leo.

I see Leo make the sign of the cross over himself. “I hope you have them in control. I’ll be killed if I lose these birds,” Leo tells us.

I smile at him. “Don’t worry.”

Leo walks back to the large barn doors and opens them. Alyssa and I walk toward the open doors as they follow us. I feel the cool night air on my face as we leave the security of the barn. The birds are feeling a little confused by the freedom we’re allowing them.

“They’ve never flown freely?” Alyssa asks.

“No, they haven’t,” Leo answers.

“How sad to be a bird and never get to use your power of flight,” she says.

“Well, they get to fly tonight,” I say as I raise my free hand up high over my head. “Raise your hand, Alyssa.”

She does as I do and we continue to walk forward into the dark night. The birds take off running past us, one on each side of us. Then they pull up into the air. Both of them shriek at the same time. I find I’m smiling like a child.

I look at my mate. “This is cool.” I begin to turn us around slowly. “Keep your arm raised until we want them to land.”

They follow our movements up in the air. I see car lights coming down the dirt road. “Here they come. I pray this works,” I mutter, mostly to myself.

Kyle’s truck pulls up, followed by another truck. Kyle gets out of his truck as the sheriff and two of the guys from the other night get out of the other one.

“You have to be really quiet,” Kyle tells them.