Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2019 19:56:50 GMT -5
TALA GREENE
The bird on the branch moved its head from side to side like it was clockwork, like there was a switch in its brain that flicked to choose the direction to look but not the speed of the motion. Every turn was rapid, almost too fast to see. But in the moments it was still Tala could see the glossy black eyes set in the plumage of an impossibly bright blue. It was the kind of blue that belonged on an artist's palate, yet better than that, it was so brilliant as to almost look like a source of light rather than a reflection of the sun's rays. The bird was small too, no bigger than a navel orange but far from round. It was shaped like an English robin, with the wide chest, but the tail feathers and wings elongated the body, giving it an elegance. It had a short beak, but curved and strong like a wolf claw. After singing a few notes it spread its wings and in a flurry of blue, it ascended into the morning sky and out of view. Tala sighed and retrained her eyes to the path that was riddled with puddles and slushy mud.
The dawn sky was a brightening somber grey, save for the band of salmon pink that hovered over the mountains. The grey peaks gave the bottom a jagged edge, whereas the clouds above soothed it with ivory swirls. Sunlight started to fill the atmosphere, pure scattered light; its hue illuminating each crevice of the land. Sparrows and other avians chirped an explicit background melody. With breath paused in Tala's lungs, she wished time would halt. The few trees shone as if they were wearing golden crowns. Instead of continuing her adventure around the cliffs, she decided to plop down in the cooling mud, her sage colored eyes glazed over and filled to the brim with sorrow.