The Third Floor Bedroom
The wind was cold on our wings; every gust felt like a thousand butcher's knives piercing our bodies, but we didn't give a care. It raked bitter icicles through our feathers, sending shivers down our spines, and yet we didn't notice. We were free, free. Behind me I could hear the steady rhythm of light wings catching the wind. My fellow doves.
We spread our white gliders as we swept around our winter's meadow, not taking to notice that there was a small, rather shabby three storied house that wasn't there yesterday, or the day before that.
From the corner of my beady eyes I could see someone leaning out of the third floor window; breathing deeply, as if the sharp winter's wind brought her peace. The lady jerked her head of oily black hair up, narrowing her eyes on us. Her strange, strange yellow eyes. With a sudden, toothless smile, she swiftly ducked back into the house.
And it all began when someone left the window open.
If only she hadn't left the window open.
Shan't she be afraid of catching a chill? The lead turned around to look at me, swooping low to land on the frozen dew. So he'd noticed too. I didn't have time to answer. The sunlight had made it hard to see the blooming dark object hurtling towards him. Rather, the dark object he was hurtling towards.
I widened my eyes. Don't- But it was too late. With a single, sickening crash, his flight was stopped by an evergreen tree. The spell tying us to our leader melted away, like the spring sun does to the old man of winter.
His lifeless form dropped to the ground, leaving us groggy and unsure of what to do. We didn't have time to mourn the loss; our formation was lost, and it was my mistake to lead us across the open window once more.
Mistake.
Quite an understatement.
Emitting from the room was a sweet, warm breeze, irresistible in this harsh weather. But there was certain magic in it. I could smell it. Pure, dark magic.
It locked us, numbed our senses, and pulled us in.
So warm, so sweet, the others murmured, dazed, as we inched closer and closer to the window. The sweetness was getting stronger, stronger. A little too strong.
It's a trap, I said, but it was no use. I couldn't help them. I couldn't even help myself.
The sweetness in the air turned undeniably sticky as we were pulled through the frame, frozen.
Maybe it'll let us go, one said hopefully.
But it was false hope. The spell was coming from the bright blue walls. Three of the four were patterned with white creatures. Only one was left blank. There were butterflies on the wall closest to us, bees patterning the farthest, and the middle was adorned with geese.
Where's the rest of the wallpaper? The one beside me asked.
Any colour left on my bright white feathers drained away as it dawned on me, leaving them a pale grey.
Wallpaper.
Wallpaper.
We are the wallpaper, I managed to choke out before the spell changed.
It turned into icy droplets, not unlike the weather outside. It swept from the tip of my beak to my claws, freezing me in place on the bright, bright blue wall.
I tried to lift my wing as the spell seeped the life out of me, turning me into anotheruseless section of wallpaper.
Around me, I could see the others, all already looking much like they belonged there; white pattern on the bright blue wall.
Beside me was a blank space where our lead should be.
Where he should be.
Lucky him. I would take death by a thousand trees any day than to this cursed torture.
The sight infuriated me; I tried fruitlessly to keep the tip of my left wing off of the wall.
The lady entered the room once more, flashing us another one of her toothless smirks.
"I've got you now, my pretties."
With every last ounce of my strength, I fixed her with a final glare, and slumped back against the blue wall.
Her smirk only became more pronounced.
"You have completed my collection."