Author's Note: This is my first fan fiction so it probably sucks. Review so I know what to improve for chapter 2.
Nightmares
My name is Leaf, and I am a peregrine falcon. I live in Rio with my adoptive parents, Blu and Jewel. I had real parents, once, before humans killed them with their guns. My mom shoved me into a box before they could get me. The box ended up going on a plane to Rio de Janeiro, and I was very fortunate that Jewel found me. So they've kept me under their wing ever since.
"Leaf! Get to bed and stop staring at the poor mice!" my mom called. I sighed wistfully, I hadn't eaten mice since Jewel and Blu decided to keep me. Spix macaws only ate fruit, and fruit wasn't even close to how mice tasted. "Eww…" Carla had said, earlier today when I said mice were my favorite. "It's true," the brainiac, Bia had said, "Leaf's a peregrine falcon, they love mice." "But we're spix macaws." Tiago, the other child said, "Why do we live with a falcon?" I hated when other birds asked why I was there, and I still do. "Hey! I didn't ask to be here! For your information, your parents aren't dead!"
"Leaf!" Jewel's impatient call jolted me out of my thoughts, "Sleep, now." "Okay," I replied, giving in. I tucked myself into my small nest at the top of the tree hollow we called home. Carla, Bia, and Tiago all slept in one big nest together. Jewel always sang bedtime songs to them until they fell asleep, she never even bat an eye at me, sleeping cold and alone. It was obvious that she didn't care for me as much as her own children, but I couldn't blame her, I wasn't really hers anyway, and I never would be.
Blu cared for me, he would always come and say goodnight to me and give me a little kiss on the head. After all, it was his decision to keep me. He would give me little lessons; I was his little star student. He gave me tips on how to survive in the wild if I ever got separated, and he taught me human things like how to write and escape from cages. "Hey Leaf," Blu called, "Goodnight, sweet dreams." He came closer and gave me a small kiss. "Thanks Dad," I smiled, drifting off to sleep.
"Leaf! Run! Fly away!" my mom cried. I flew away as quick as I could. Another gunshot. My dad was gone. "Sky!" my mother screamed, flying down to my dead father. "Mommy!" I wailed, "I'm scared!" My mother flew back to me, "It's okay, my little leaf, I won't let them hurt you." She wrapped me in her wing and soared away.
"There!" a hunter's harsh voice rang out, "There they are!" "Let's get'em!" a man hollered. My mother looked around at our surroundings. "I'm sorry Leaf, but this is where I say goodbye." She cried, hugging me close. She shoved me into a box and flew in the opposite direction. A gunshot, and I knew my mother was dead. She had died to save me. The men hollered in victory, "We got the bird!" "Hey! Where's the baby?" a man asked. I sunk lower into the box. "Eh! Who cares, the baby wasn't gonna be much money anyway, let him go. We'll kill him when he grows up." A man called to his companions. The men yelled their agreement. "We're gonna be rich!" a man cried, "Let's load the truck boys." I peeked out of the box, just to see them throw my mother's lifeless body into a box and speed away.
I woke up, sweating. I noticed that my nest was all messed up and I quickly cleaned it up, knowing Jewel would not be pleased. Another thing, she didn't care if her children had messy nests. She would just kiss them and say to not do it again. Last time my nest was messy, she yelled at me and slapped me with her wing. I preened my ruffled feathers and flew down. Jewel was waiting, not looking pleased, with Tiago, Carla, and Bia. They all had their wings folded crossly, but Jewel was the most frightening. "So," she snarled, "We have something to talk about." I glanced at Tiago, and he glared back. I gulped, I knew exactly what she was talking about.