1. First Impressions

I couldn't keep my wings from trembling as the maniacal laughs reverberated in the room. I wasn't the only one affected, the entire room, once filled with noise, now only echoed with the silence of fearful birds. The Sulpher Crested Cockatoo's song stuck to my mind, giving me chills, as I examined the poster of him on the grungy cement wall. Surely my Linda would find us, surely she would. Nigel's words however still clung to my heart, filling it with dread. What if she didn't? Would we be killed? Could I survive this? What about Jewel? The last question stuck with me longer but I shook it from my mind, wishing I had never allowed Linda to talk me into coming here. A soft voice broke the silence.

"Blu?" The female macaw looked at me with concern in her blue eyes. "We'll make it out of this."

I nodded, looking back at her in agreement "Linda will find us." I tried to make myself sound hopeful, but I couldn't help but realize the odds were stacked against her.

Jewel's face turned from concern to one of disgust. "What do you even see in this Linda? Surely she can't be much greater than the people we've met so far!" Her voice rose until she was nearly shouting at me.

"S-she took care of me." I blurted out shying away from the sudden anger in Jewel's voice.

"You live in a cage! She stole your freedom!"

"What do you mean she stole my freedom?" Now I had raised my voice. Realizing this I backed away again and nearly whispered "I've been freer with her than any other point of my life. She loves me, cares for me, she accepts me. It was my first impression of her and it is the one that has stuck and proven itself true time and again."

I closed my eyes in an effort to recall what took place nearly fifteen years ago…

"She is not my first memory per say, but she is the first one that truly mattered to me. I remember darkness and the intense chill that can only be experienced in the north. In the past few days this dark box and the near useless bedding had become my entire world. I had repeatedly tried burying myself within the torn towel that lined the bottom of my box. No matter how much I snuggled into it, I could still feel the chill seeping into my young bones.

The only changes to my surrounding were the occasional draft of cold air that ripped any heat out from the confines of my prison, and the periodic stall in the noise produced by the trucks tires gripping the pavement. The only option that rose in my young mind was to sleep and hope everything turned out ok.

I was shaken from my miserable sleep by the brief weightless feeling of falling and what I've now decided is the best crash I've ever had. After the deafening crack of my prison hitting the ground, I began to come to my senses. Whatever had just happened, I had survived. This small joy was quickly taken from me as I realized how much colder it was now. Even the light pouring in from the hole in my crate had no warmth to it. It only made the absence of heat more visible. Even at my young age I knew deep down that I would die out here.

Linda rescued me from that. She found me on the side of the road, near the corner of 3rd and Cedar Avenue I believe. I remember the anxiety, another human reaching for me, grabbing at me, but something was different about her, she had warmth the others didn't have. The girl grabbed me and-and she spoke, I didn't understand it, but it was soft, like a mother's should be. She tucked me into her jacket and whisked me back to her house. She brought me upstairs to her room, speaking quietly to me the entire time.

Linda ensured I was safe and well, wrapping me in her blankets and giving me some water and a walnut which she cracked for me. I don't remember falling asleep, but I remember the dream I had that night.

I was in my hollow, the morning sun and the music had woken me. I loved to watch the birds dance and sing. I looked at my wings, my first feathers were almost in; I was so excited to finally join them in a few weeks. That's when it happened, the traps, my balance, and the fall. Horrified I watched as birds just vanished. I was confused, where were my parents. I lost my balance and began to fall. It seemed as if it took a lifetime, I just couldn't open my wings. The worst part was, even in my dream, I knew it was all real.

Before my eyes were open, Linda had me in her arms and was whispering to me, I don't remember the song she whispered, but it was soothing. The fear melted away. I fell asleep in her arms soon after and experienced no more nightmares.

She has always been there for me, whether it was her parents asking to get rid of me or the time I got sick, she always made sure I was taken care of and loved. She even called me Tyler Blu Gunderson, using her last name. She is not my owner, she never was, she is my family."

I opened my eyes, and the details faded, I hadn't meant to go on that long. I looked over, noticing Jewel staring at me with a blank expression before shaking her head.

"Sounds to me like a little girl found a bird and kept it as her pet!" she replied, the anger still in her voice.

"I-I said, I'm not a pet" I tried to reply in defense, but the sentence sputtered before I got to the word "pet". Jewel wasn't even listening anymore. She was eyeing the cage we had found ourselves in. Did this bird even have feelings?

The sudden movement startled me as the cage lurched forward. Jewel had thrown herself into the bars. "Woh! Woh! Woh! Wait! Wait! What are you doing?" I squawked as I tried to regain my balance.

"Getting out of here! Are you going to help me or what?" Jewel replied frantically as she swung herself back into the cage. Everything was swinging wildly now, and I was beginning to feel sick. I tried to reason with her.

"A-actually all the survival guides say to sit and wait. And-and help will come."

"No one is coming!"

My eyes dropped to the floor. I really hoped she was wrong, I really did, but something deep down told me she may be right.

"We're on our own and if we just sit here, we're going to die!" Jewel continued as she swung the cage ever closer to the window and the open sky beyond.

As the cage swung back towards the window, Jewel desperately grabbed for the window bars, ignoring the door completely.

"Stop. Stop! Why don't you just open the door?" I replied, deciding I would help her for now. There was no need for her to hurt herself.