Roberto frantically tried to stop himself panicking. He wanted to open his beak and breathe deeply, but he couldn't because of the band. His heart was beating dangerously fast as he realized that he was totally helpless. Calm down! He told himself, placing a wing over his heart, trying to slow it down. Roberto felt it's frantic pace slow, but it was still fast. He closed his eyes, finding comfort in the darkness. Roberto opened them again, running his wingtips through his crest feathers and trying to think.
He desperatedly looked at his claws, but the tips were gone, still. They wouldn't grow back fast enough - but he needed them now, more than ever. His only other option was his beak, so he reached up, trying to ease his useless claws underneath to get a grip on the band. His heart lurched with hope as he felt it slide a little - but then his attention was drawn away, for a female human and two children were now talking to Lacey and Patricio. He stiffened.
Lacey seemed to know the woman - she was hugging her, and smiling widely. "Clarice, it's wonderful to see you! Are you back for your holiday? Oh, look at these two!" Lacey bent down, sweeping the two children into a cuddle. The boy, a miserable, bored-looking child with dark blonde hair, shoved Lacey away, embarrassed, while the brunette little girl hugged Lacey back. "Grace and Toby have gotten so tall! How much changes in a year?" Lacey began talking excitedly with Clarice, who was smiling, the little girl in one arm and trying to hold onto the boy with the other. He was straining against her hand, trying to get away. Patricio didn't look up - he had grunted a vague greeting, but he still had his nose in a newspaper.
"Do you want a photo to take back to California?" Lacey offered. Clarice, a woman with unnatural crimson hair, looked doubtfully at the pricing - noticing this, Lacey laughed. "Don't be silly - this one's free." Patricio looked up, looking annoyed at this, but said nothing.
"Thank you, Lacey, but I'm not sure... isn't a bird dangerous?" Clarice was frowning at Roberto, scanning him with critical, concerned hazel eyes. Roberto stiffened, too paralyzed with fear to move.
Lacey chuckled. "You have nothing to worry about. His claws have been cut, he can't bite you, and he's on a chain - there's no risk, I assure you, Clarice."
"Well, if you're sure..." to Roberto's horror, Clarice nodded, and the boy's interest seemed to have been captured, for he stopped pulling on Clarice's arm, turning to see Roberto. Patricio put down the newspaper, and approached the cage, pulling on some recently-purchased gloves. Roberto looked around, looking for a possible way out of his situation, but then he realized he was out of options. This was happening.
Roberto froze as Patricio's gloved hand entered the cage, took hold of the chain that had already been attached to the ring on his leg. Roberto was dragged toward the entrance, his claws scrapping across the floor - then Patrico seized him, lifting him out. Roberto's brain stopped working as his claws instinctively wrapped around the glove, as he was held closer to Clarice and the two children.
"That's unusual - he's not usually this well behaved." Lacey said, looking surprised.
Clarice looked uncomfortable as the bird, as small as he was, was held close to her children's faces. The little girl reached out with a small hand, and ran her fingers lightly across Roberto's wing feathers. He stiffened at her touch, before he began flinching at the feel of the human hand on his wing. It was like having a large, horrible insect crawling on him, and he began to shake. The girl frowned, and pulled her hand back.
"He seems scared..." She mumbled, looking up at her mother with uncertainty, and then at Patricio and Lacey. Patricio had a face like stone, while Lacey coughed.
"He's just a little shy." Lacey tried to assure the little girl, but she looked unconvinced, keeping her hand back, not reaching out to stroke him again. Roberto couldn't help but admire the human child - she was so young, and she could tell that she was being lied to. Did she respect his emotions and well-being, unlike every other human he had encountered?
"Let me stroke him, Grace!" Interrupted an unpleasant voice. The boy pushed forward, reaching up to drag his hand across his feathers - he was much more rough, no where near as gentle as his sister had been. Roberto glared down at the boy, recovering from his initial shock - then the boy's hand dropped, and Roberto felt something against his tail feathers. He looked down with a frown; Patricio's gaze followed.
A silver thing dropped simply through the air, straight through the gap in the wooden blanks that made the deck. The chain that had once been attached to the ring on his leg dropped into the river below with a tiny splash. The chain must not have been attached properly, for the boy's hand had caused it to come loose. As it dawned upon him, Roberto was sure he heard his parents' voices in his head. Run!
Lacey dived toward him, hands outstretched, and Patricio's free hand rose - but Roberto's brain and muscles sprung to life. He leapt off Patricio's arm, tumbling through the air, trying to dodge Patricio's flailing hands. "Grab him!" Patricio shouted, and tourists and stall owners turned at the commotion. Roberto landed hard on the wooden deck, and he immediately leapt to his feet. Roberto's first instinct was to flee, but then he turned back, not caring at the risk. He sprang, seizing the bottom of Patricio's trousers and scrabbling upwards.
Roberto ducked under Patricio's hands, latching his claws onto the human's arm - he reached up with his wings, pushing the band with all his strength. Then his beak was free, and, blinded by rage, he sank his beak onto Patricio's skin. Patricio let out an ear-splitting screech as Roberto tasted blood.
"Get him off! Get him off!" Roared Patricio, waving his arm frantically. Lacey picked up a wooden plank, and swung it wildly toward the bird - Roberto immediately let go, dropping to the floor as the plank hit Patricio in the stomach, instead. Patricio bellowed, doubled over in pain. Lacey gasped, dropping the piece of wood.
"Sorry, Patricio! I was aiming for him!" she insisted, trying to help him to his feet, but Patricio glared at her and pushed her away from him, stumbling to his feet and looking up. His furious expression found Roberto, who was standing on the deck. Recovering from the blow, Patricio lurched forwards, running toward him. Roberto looked around wildly, looking for an escape - people had stopped to stare, and some were laughing, probably from Lacey's mistake. Roberto made a break for it, dashing through a gap in the humans while Patricio followed.
As Roberto ran for what likely was his life, dogs barked at him, straining on their leads, while the Plumbeous Pigeons perched upon the top of stalls, laughing and looking on, as humans leapt out of the way as the bird ran through the crowd. Some humans were actually cheering him on - some young males were punching the air, shouting "Go bird!"
Roberto was panicking - he couldn't hide from Patricio, and he couldn't fly. Where was he supposed to go? Then he saw green in the distance, across the water. The rainforest, just across the river. Roberto skidded as he made the adrupt turn, and ran straight for it, madly flapping his wings, but he felt no flight come to him. Work, wings! Please! Roberto was getting so close to the edge, but he still wasn't lifting. But he couldn't stop - Patricio was hot on his tail, shouting at tourists to stop the runaway bird. He had to jump, before the other humans actually did try to stop him.
Roberto leapt, flapping his wings, tumbling down toward the rushing water, which ran a few feet below him. Roberto let out a shriek of panic - he would drown. But then he felt the wind catch under his wings - then he was swept from his fall. His talons just skimmed the water surface as he was suddenly airborne.
Roberto gasped, but didn't feel the joy he should have felt on his first flight. All he could think about was flying away, getting as far away as possible. His young, weak-muscled wings were already tiring, but Roberto didn't care. He couldn't believe it.
He was free.
