Black Bird

1

"Hello, Phoebe. " My father says looking down from his paper. I had stopped walking down the stairs and smiled.

"Father, looking ravishing today." I replied.

"As do you." He said. My father and I have this ritual, every reaping morning we pretend to be old brittish people to lighten the mood, it sort of helps but not entirely. Toby and I finished eating off the last of the bread, just as the loud siren went off. My brother held my hand tightly, even though he was only four years old he knew exactly what was happening. My father took my other hand and took us outside, I noticed the circle, where I was once whipped for yelling outside after curfew, it was only twice but it hurt.

I was around 11 years old and I was woken up by the sound of a coyote, at this point in my life I was a super curious child and I had never seen a coyote so I went outside and there it was, its back facing me, it was big and furry, then it turned to me and I saw that it had a face resembling a cat, that's when I realized it wasn't a coyote but something I had never seen before. I started to move but it turned its full body towards me and started growl. I ran, I ran as fast as my small legs could take me, then I started to scream. scream and scream as loud as I could, hoping it would scare the animal. Then I ran into something big, I fell on my back and looked up, it was a peacekeeper, I suddenly felt safer, but then he grabbed me and took me to the mayor. Even though he was like family to me he couldn't show favoritism and not punish me.

"She was running ans screaming after curfew sir, shall I take her to the circle nect thing tomorrow? " The peacekeeper said.

"Is this true, Phoebe? " The mayor asked.

"Well yes, but this thing was chasing me an-"

"I think you have your answer sir." The peacekeeper interrupted me.

"Uncle?" A small voice asked coming into the room.

"Not now Brandon." The mayor said. I knew this boy, he used to be one of my best friends now we hate eachother. I dont even know what happened, we just hated eachother.

"What is she doing here?" Brandon asked pointing at me.

"Brandon not now!" The mayor said raising his voice.

"No tell me what she's doing here?" He demanded.

"I did something bad, now listen to your uncle and go." I reply. Brandon gives me a smirk.

"Fine, you bad girl." He laughs then leaves the room.

"Now, Phoebe,  you know I can't shoe favoritism I have to punish you," The mayor says after Brandon leaves, " Two whips in the circle tomorrow morning."

"Yes sir." The Peacekeeper says and takes me out of the room and into a cell. I sat there on the bench out looking the cold cement box.

"What did you do?" I hear Brandon say. I see his head through the bars of the door. I say nothing however and just cross my arms.

"I know we've had our differences but I wanna know, please talk to me?"  He asks by it sounded more of a plea.

"I was yelling outside curfew and I got in trouble." I say

"You said you were running from something." He said.

"I dont know what it was, it was big like a wolf but had the face of a cat." I tell him.

"A cougar?" He asks.

"A cougar?" I reply.

"Yeah, there's not many around here but some do get into town and many stupid curious children like you go outside and at chased down then whipped."  He informs me

"Stupid?" I scoff

He just chuckles, "I should go, night Phobes. "

"Don't call me that." I say.

Brandon laughs, and I hear him walking away.

"Night." I call.

The next morning I was awaken by the same peacekeeper, he grabbed my wrist tightly and took me to the circle he chained my frail hands up to a big rock and lifted my shirt revealing my back. By this time everyone was surrounding us, I saw my dad he looked nervous and shamed. I also saw Brandon he looked broken. Thats when I felt the first whip, it felt like a million needles stabbing into my back. The second one hurt less, but I couldn't walk straight after. No one really talked to me much after that, mainly because they didn't know what I did and they were scared, I couldn't tell them either. The only person who knew other then the mayor and the peacekeeper was Brandon, I trusted him for some unknown reason even though we hated eachother when we talk I forget everything and just think about him, and the memories we had together as children.