She wasn't that dirty, was she?
The little bird looked down at her bright yellow dress. Maybe if she put a sunflower patch on it, it wouldn't look so dirty. So she did.
The little bird looked in the mirror and smiled her widest smile. She's a clean bird.
- - - -
"You're so dirty, little bird," the man said gruffly. "Go wash up."
Tears nearly sprung into the little bird's eyes. "But I'm a clean bird now."
"Not to me, you aren't. Get cleaned up, you look disgusting."
The little bird's head dropped in shame and she turned to trot back upstairs into the bathroom. So she wasn't a clean bird yet. She'll be clean this time, though.
- - - -
The little bird gazed longingly at the other birds that chittered together. She smoothed out the yellow dress and bit her beak, beginning to hobble over to the other birds.
She was a nice bird.
She was a kind bird.
They would like her, right?
Yes. She was a good bird.
- - - -
The man grabbed the little bird's arm and forcefully dragged her away from the other birds. Stumbling behind the man, the little bird tried her best to blink away tears.
"Can I not go with the other birds?"
The man spat at her not caring about the tiny frown marring her little beak and the sprinkles of tears on her eyelids. "You can't be with those birds. You're not good enough to be with those birds."
She wasn't good enough?
Then she would have to try harder next time.
She would be the perfect little bird.
- - - -
The little bird clasped the necklace around her neck, grinning widely. Look. She was clean and beautiful. What a pretty bird she was. She should go show the man.
Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech.
The stairs were too loud.
A clunk of a beer bottle dropping onto the counter rang throughout the house. "Shut up, you damned bird!" the man shouted. The little bird froze. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to show him-
The man got up from his recliner and stalked towards her. The little bird stood awkwardly at the end of the staircase, feathers ruffled slightly.
He stopped and looked at her in...awe? Amazement? Whatever it was, the little bird's chest puffed proudly.
Then the man's eyes turned dark.
"You little slut," he hissed. "Take that off right now."
The little bird's wings locked in place. She couldn't - she couldn't move -
"If you won't take it off, I'll make you take it off!" he shrieked shrilly, grabbing the front of her dress and ripping it off. Tatters of cloth drifted off of her feathers.
Tears welled in the little bird's eyes, and paint ran down her feathers. Her beak twitched for a moment before she lowered her gaze and bounded back up the stairs.
- - - -
The little bird looked at the other birds that surrounded her, with prying gazes and scrutiny in their looks. She trembled violently and looked around to the man to take her away from these birds. The bird's eyes met with the man but he only stared back coldly.
"She's not clean enough."
She didn't want to be here with his eyes on her.
Please don't look at me.
"She's not pretty enough."
She didn't like being the center of attention anymore.
Please stop talking about me.
"Her feathers aren't soft enough."
They were all judging her.
Please stop judging me.
"She's not good enough."
She wanted to leave.
Please let me leave.
She wanted to fly away.
Please let me fly, even for a little bit.
Let me be me.
- - - -
Her throat was constricting and her body began to tense up. Words were stuck in her throat as she choked and tried to spit out anything that she could.
But she couldn't.
She couldn't utter a single chirp.
Chest trembling, and limps shaky, she tried to curl up into a ball as the probing eyes glared at her, picking apart every detail about her. She felt naked and cold as they yelling mocking words towards her.
She felt like she was drowning. Clutching her throat, she struggled to get choppy breaths through.
Stop staring at me.
Stop it.
Stop it.
"STOP IT!"
- - - -
She sat on her perch, gingerly swinging her legs as she hummed a soft tune. The small bird froze when the door cracked open. Small eyes darting left and right, she began to tremble as she heard heavy footsteps enter the room.
It was the man.
The little bird shook violently as the man grew closer. She felt afraid, she felt like something bad was going to happen.
She was scared.
Cold fingers wrapped around her throat and her feathers ruffled up from fear. Her words were trapped in her throat as she tried to choke out pleas to the man to stop.
She didn't want to die.
She felt her body shut down as a numbing sensation ran rampant through her body, her skin tingling and her blood running frigid.
Eyes flitted frantically across the room and landed on the deathly calm eyes of the man. The bird felt like she was convulsing and her joints stopped working.
He stared at her with grim and remorseful eyes and in one fluid motion-
Snap.
The little bird fell limp.
