Sometimes there is only one option. Only one. And that option is not always the right one...
Chapter 1 Tobias Alone in my meadow. I needed my lunch, but my wing hurt in my shoulder an ache hurt. Thats when I saw it. A field mouse. Perfect, or so I thought I dismounted swiftly from my perch. I flew over my prey, circling it. Then, I went for my kill. I swope down to catch my prey. Less then three feet away, the pain in my wing grew stronger. Suddenly the ache was all over, and it was strongest in my heart. Everything went blurry. I fell from the sky and hit the ground hard. My wings were sprawled out on the grass. The pain was unbearable. My vision was now equal to that of a shrew.
Pain. Ache. Pain. Ache. Pain. Ache. Everything just stopped from nowhere all of a sudden no pain. No Ache. No Anything.
Chapter 2 Tobias
"AAAAAHHHH!!! Tobias!!! Oh My GOD!!! breath!!!! Tobias!" a voice, Rachel's? Ax's?"TOBIAS! please!" Rachels! Why was she here? Why was she yelling? I felt droplets of water hitting my feathers, my vision was still horrible. I felt wind blowing past me now, I was being carried and my carrier was running. "Rachel! What happned to him?!" So I was being carried by Rachel, and that was Cassie yelling right then."Bring him here!"Cassie yelled. Rachel rushed over carrying me. She placed me down on an operating table that Cassie's dad uses. "Cass whats wrong with him?!?!"Rachel screamed. Cassie examinded me with her Father's medical tools in the barn. "I'm not sure. His heart rate is weak. I think maybe just maybe he had a seisure. What condition was he in when you found him?"Cassie said trying to stay very calm. "Well I was going to surprise him and go flying with him. When I got there he was sprawled out on the ground barely moving." Rachel was going to surprise me with some fun, instead she found me nearly dead. Wait I hadn't said anything to them yet. Could I say anything? < I think I'm alright.> I said in thought to Rachel and Cassie. "He can Talk!!!"cried Rachel happily."Cassie go get your dad. Tell him that we found a hawk on the ground outside the barn." "O.K."Cassie replied as she left to get her father. "Tobias what happened?" < My wing was aching. Then my whole body was in pain. Then my heart. My heart felt like it exploded into hurt. My vision dulled out, which it still is, and you showed up. You saved me Rachel, thank you. > I heard Cassie and her Dad come rushing in. At least my hearing was still good. "A Red-Tail. This looks just like on we had almost a year ago." Cassie's Dad said. He examned me like Cassie has with the tools. Poking and such."Very slow heart beat. Hmm. I think that this poor hawk suffered from a heart attack. Well, thats always a possibility with Red-Tails of this age. I'd say this one is about 16 their maximum life span is around 18 years. So I'd say he's on his death bed around 2 weeks to a month left of life for him. Meaning we should just releas him into the wild. He'll be mobile again in close to 12 hours. Just feed him and give him some pain relief medication, Cassie. O.K.?" Though my vision was bad I saw the look of horror crawl across both their faces. Rachel's eyes watered, then she ran out of the barn."Its very upsetting when such beautiful creatures die. Are you going to feed him or not Cassie?" "I'll-I'll feed him, Dad. Theres nothing we can do to help it?" "Nope, Cass. Nothing, but some food and pain relief for the time being." "Alright then..." Cassie finished off the conversation and went off to get me my food. Her father left the barn.
Chapter 3
I morphed human. My feathers melted into skin and my eyes went to that of humans. My mouth formed,then my teeth. My arms and legs grew from my wings and talons. I heard internal squishing sounds and everything. I s hot up and was fully human. Rachel's face was expressionless. Although I new she was experience true joy that I would always be human. Always human. Hah. I looked at Cassie and Rachel,"Well this is goodbye."I went over to Rachel and gave her a kiss and hug goodbye. "Haveta act normal" I thought. "Good bye Tobias...send us word once your wherever you are going"said Rachel. I walked out of the barn, waving goodbye. The two of them walked out behind me. I walked down to the road, they followed. I headed down the road. Not looking back. They didnt follow that time. Once I was almost three miles from Cassie's House I morphed hawk and flew back to my perch and my meadow. For the last time ever.
Chapter 4
Nearly a week later now. I was in a new meadow. In the next town. I sat on my new perch. Thats when I saw my new hope. A female Red-Tailed Hawk sitting ata perch across from me. On the other side of the meadow. Much younger. Probably 2 years at the most. Why not I thought? So I approuched the female. I flew to her perch. Landing softly a meter or so away. She tilted her head. Then, she walked towards me. Exceptance. Now, ... I had know clue what to do. "Let the hawk take over" I thought. Not as easy as it sounds when you've been hawk so long. I let my hawk mind take over... I would not be spending my dying weeks alone...I'd spend it with this female hawk...and a few smaller surprizes.
Chapter 5 I was scurrying about getting the final pieces of our nest. Then I saw a good wad of grass and mud. I swooped down and pulled it up. I placed it on the side of our nest. There the nest was now finished. The "Female", thats what I decided to call her, plopped down upon the nest. Moved about. Then, she was comfortable. It was my job to then go recieve our food. I flew above our meadow, circling, then I saw two mice scurrying about. I soared down. A spasm of pain shrilled through my body. I grabbed the mice. The pain was immense. I flew back to the nest and dropped the two mice on the branch. I didn't land on the branch. By then, I was in true pain. I fell to the ground. My body lied facing up, I saw Female looking down at me. My vision was blurring. It was time. My eyes and hearing went out. I could still feel. Now I am laying here and dying quickly. A small drop of water just landed on me... a tear?
