A Heart Full of Love// Kurt Wagner

Little Bird

 "Hey, half pint." Logan greeted in a raspy voice.

"Hello, Logan."

"Can't sleep?" he asked.

"Nope."

"Any idea why?" he turned around with two bottles of Coke. "Got anything to do with the elf?"

"Elf?"

"Wagner."

"Oh, no..." she shook her head. "Well, I don't think so. It's just... when you sleep in a concrete corner for fourteen years, it's kinda hard to sleep on a bed. Plus, I'm riddled with nightmares, I can't close my eyes without... without..."

"I get it." Logan nodded and sat in the barstool beside her. "You wanna talk about it?"

"You don't want to listen."

"I know... I know I don't look like a Care Bear or anything but if you need help, I'm here."

"Thanks, Logan."

"Sure thing." he tipped the Coke bottle to his lips. "I mean it."

"You don't want to hear what happened to me."

"It'll help me understand."

"It's a long story."

"Well, we got about... four hours 'til the sun comes up. I've got a little time." he said. She got up and walked to the cushioned window seat, pulling her knees to her chest. Logan pushed himself away from the bar and followed her to sit at her feet with his back to the wall.

"My parents were... addicts." she began. "They'd do anything for money to get high, I mean anything. I had a dog once, I loved that dog more than anything, Logan." She sighed, remembering the small, shaggy dog. "My mom had friends who... who ran puppy mills and had dog fights." Logan shook his head, realizing where the story was going. "They sold my dog for twenty-five dollars and, because they couldn't find a baby sitter, they took me to watch the fight. The other dog was huge... Bigger than I was. It ripped my dog's throat out."

"Damn."

"Then my mom beat me for crying about it." she croaked.

"God, I'm sorry, Will."

 "About three weeks before my ninth birthday, I got my wings so my parents pulled me out of school because they didn't want anyone to know." she shook her head. "They locked me in the bathroom and fed me a couple times a day. One day this... man..." she shuddered at the thought. She was afraid to admit he was just a man. "Showed up at our house. He was in a suit, he his hair looked nice, I thought he was a cop. He handed my parents..." she swallowed hard. "Five hundred dollars..."

"Will..."

"They sold me for five hundred dollars. He took me to that tunnel and chained me up. When I asked why, he just shook his head and told me it didn't matter because I wasn't human. So he kept me there alone for a while, fed me every few days. One day, he brought another man with him..." she sniffled. "And they made me strip down to my underwear..." she started hiccupping and salty tear-drops began to fall. "I'm sorry."

"Hey..." Logan shushed her. "C'mere, half pint." Logan pulled her arm until she was beside him. He put his arm around her, avoiding her wings, and hugged her close to him. Her small body shook. He kissed her head and smoothed out her hair, holding her face in his hands. "Hey, look at me, nobody's going to ever lay another finger on you, alright? I promise. He can't hurt you."