Ginger groaned as she opened her eyes. Looking around, she saw that she'd been put back in the hollow and was sitting in the nest. Her parents were nowhere to be seen. Confused as to why the hollow was empty, Ginger stood up and listened for any familiar voices. Nothing but silence. Still feeling a bit dazed, she looked down at her talons, noticing that the black claws on their ends appeared to be tipped with red. Was she hallucinating? She picked up her starboard foot and licked the red substance. She immediately recognized the taste: blood.
Everything came back to her much more clearly, a bit too clearly. In her enraged state, she had slashed her father right across the face and fainted at the sight of his blood. How badly she'd injured him, she had no idea, but she did know that she was beginning to lose her sanity. How would she control herself from doing this again? Her thoughts were cut off when she heard the voices of her parents-and Felix-drawing near. She eavesdropped on their conversation.
"Does it look bad?" Ethan asked.
"It could be much worse, dear."
Oh, thank heaven he's not badly injured.
"Well, that's good. I'm kind of worried about it getting infected."
"The Barred Owl told me that it probably won't. We have a very clean environment, and unless we do anything particularly dirty within the next few days, those scratches should be perfectly fine."
"How exactly did Dad get those scratches on his face, anyway, Mom?"
Silence.
"It...It's best you not know, Felix," Nutmeg told him.
"Yeah, it's a long story, son. One I'm sure you don't want to hear."
"What do you think we should do with Ginger, Ethan?"
"I believe she had no control over what she did, and couldn't have controlled it even if she wanted to. She'd never lash out at me like that on purpose, I'm sure.
"Ginger lashed out at you!?" Felix almost screamed.
"Darn it, I let it slip, didn't I? Oh well, I suppose he would have found out sooner or later."
"So what exactly are you going to do, Ethan?"
"Same thing I tried before: conversation."
"Are you sure that's going to work?"
"As long as I don't raise my voice like last time. I feel as though I'm the one who provoked Ginger into doing that, anyway, and it's my responsibility to set things straight between us. No yelling, no scolding, nothing like that. Just sweet conversation."
By the time they had finished, they had reached the hollow branch. Still shaken by what she'd done, she feared the worst. The owl flinched at the sight of her father's face, three red lines running diagonally across it.
"Ginger," Ethan almost whispered, his tone soft and soothing as it had been shortly before Ginger had placed those ugly slash marks on his face. She stumbled as she backed away into the furthermost part of the hollow.
"Stay back," she rasped. "Please..."
"It's alright." Ethan drew nearer. Ginger tried to back up even more, but there was no place to back into.
"Stay away...I don't want to hurt you again."
"Aw, Ging', you don't-"
The owl let out a sharp, short scream, a method Barn Owls often used when in danger or when they felt threatened. Ethan jumped and stepped back, startled by the crisp noise. Ginger was breathing heavily.
"I see...You need some time alone."
Saying that, he exited the hollow and began talking with his family again. Ginger didn't bother eavesdropping.
What's become of me? the owl asked herself. I can't live the rest of my childhood as a danger to my family. I need to do something!
Tears streaming from her eyes, she went back to the nest and tried to think up a solution to this mess. For two hours she sat there, her head throbbing with thoughts on how to possibly fix the situation. Looking outside, she saw that the shy had turned from deep indigo to pale periwinkle. A tiny sliver of the sun was peering over the horizon.
It's dawn. Maybe if I call it a night and get some sleep I'll come to my senses and think up a solution.
Ginger shut her tired eyes and lowered her head into the nest, the soft sounds of her parents entering the hollow to do the same flowing through her earslits.