AN: This idea has been in my mind for awhile. I think it may have ended up there as a result of my conversations with the wonderful Doc M (read her Noah fic, Out of the Woods!). That and an awful sight I saw today that made me really want to write this.
Disclaimer: Characters belong to M. Night Shyamalan.The title and ending come from (what else?) a Tori Amos song.
Black Dove
There was a bird with a broken wing next to Resting Rock, and when Noah Percy saw it, he cried out in shock.
The way it was flopping about in the grass, its beady eyes nervous- the way it could not fly. Noah was disturbed. He liked to see animals and birds alive. He squealed in happiness and chased rabbits until they reached Covington Wood and Ivy Walker or Lucius Hunt would then chase him so he would go no further. He liked to lie on his back and watch crows flock in the trees and then become a black cloud in the sky. But this-
This was terrible.
Noah jumped back and grabbed onto Ivy's shoulders. She held him and said quietly," What is there?"
"Bird- and," Noah hid behind Ivy's shoulder, trying not to look but fascinated at the same time.
"Noah, a bird? Is it dead, then?"
Noah turned to her and shook his head. He walked cautiously over to the creature and bent down.
Ivy hurried toward him, feeling around with her polished cane. "No touching, Noah!" she warned, and knelt down beside him, grabbing his hands. She was silent for a moment. Noah knew she was listening, gathering information.
"It is hurt," she concluded.
"Yes." Noah hated the way the bird would right itself, then hop into the air, and fall right back down again. He squeezed his eyes shut and shuddered into Ivy's neck. "I don't like it," he told her in a whisper.
"Me either. It isn't fair, but sometimes it happens. Bad things happen. There is nothing we can do, really." She changed the tone of her voice. "What do you say we race back to your house? I'll bet your mother is nearly finished baking!"
"I don't know." Noah was not quite ready to go back. This event was really upsetting to him, and he wanted to stay here longer. To mourn, in a way, as he'd heard it called, when everyone dressed up nicely and cried. Perhaps he should go home and get his good jacket. But he did not want to leave the bird.
"Hello, Ivy. Noah."
A new voice came from behind them. Noah turned around.
It was Joshua Parks. He had a friendly voice that Noah liked. He was around Ivy's age, maybe younger. Samuel and Jack followed him. They were a bit older then Joshua, but he was their ringleader. Sometimes they made trouble. Ivy always tsked at them.
"Ivy- Mr. Walker said he needed you," Samuel told her.
Ivy did not budge. "For what?"
The boys exchanged glances that Noah could not read.
"Well, he said it was private," Joshua said loudly.
Ivy sighed. "Come along then, Noah. Let's go see what Father wants." She stood up, but Noah stayed, kneeling on the gorund, eyes fixed upon the bird. He couldn't leave it!
"I can stay," Noah informed her. He rarely let her out of his sight, but he needed to stay here to work out how he felt.
"No. Come along, now," she said, and held out her hand. Noah ignored her. Sometimes he liked being difficult. Other times (like this), he had no choice in the matter.
Joshua smiled. He had a nice smile. "Don't worry, Ivy. We're here."
"Noah- please-"
"No."
"Your father really needs you," Jack put in.
Ivy sent Noah a glare, said she'd return quickly, and went huffily on her way. Noah wasn't sure why, so he just continued watching the bird. He wanted so badly to stroke its tiny head, however Ivy had said not to touch it. He wanted to cry. He wished Ivy hadn't left. He glanced behind himself and saw that she was half-way to the houses. He thought about following her, but then Joshua sat down beside him.
"So, you've found the poor birdie," he said sluggishly, as though Noah could not thoroughly grasp what he was saying. Noah nodded, wondering if other people found it annoying that Joshua Parks spoke so slowly.
Samuel and Jack chuckled. Noah shot a look at them and declared,"Not funny!"
Joshua bit his lip. "What are you two thinking? Noah is right. How horrible of you to laugh."
"I'm so sorry!" Samuel cried.
"Don't you wonder what happened to it, Noah?" inquired Jack, squatting beside them.
"Ivy- Ivy said bad things happen."
The three chuckled. "She's so queer," one of them muttered.
Noah watched the bird as it tried to hop away from the boys. There were too many of them to watch it now. They'd have to leave. Noah stood up.
Joshua did the same. "Don't leave, Noah. We're having fun, aren't we?"
"It doesn't like it," Noah explained, pointing.
"How do you know? I think it likes people. Why don't you pick it up?"
"No," Noah said flatly.
"Come, now! It likes to be pet."
Noah folded his arms and shook his head. "Ivy said no touching."
"You listen to her much too often. What if she is wrong?" Samuel questioned.
Noah's insides boiled. "You shut up!" he yelled.
"I don't think your mother would like to hear that you said that. She doesn't tolerate bad words at all," Jack pointed out.
Noah felt sick. He backed up slowly, and then broke into a run.
"Get him!"
One of them had Noah in a tight grip. Noah shrieked and tried to get away.
"Cover his mouth!"
It was done.
"Now, you be good and you'll be set free. Do you understand that, Noah?"
Noah did not nod. This was all too familiar. Why hadn't he followed Ivy?
"Do...you...under-stand?"
Noah moved his head up and down and was let go. Jack was behind him, so he couldn't run.
Joshua went back to where the bird was flopping about and he seized it.
"NO!" Noah screamed. "NO TOUCHING!" He made a move toward Joshua.
Jack grabbed him. "Be still, you idiot!"
Joshua dangled the bird from its feet. It looked so distraught. It began to screech repeatedly in a high-pitched note, as if to say let me go! Noah wanted them to tell it that if it was good, it would be set free.
They never did.
Joshua turned the bird around, and held it by the neck. "Throw something at it," he laughingly told Samuel, who obeyed by pelting the thing with stones until its wings no longer flipped about. Only he eyes looked around.
Quickly, Joshua snapped the bird's neck and pounded it against Resting Rock one time. Dead, it fell back into the grass.
Noah howled, and threw Jack backward. He hit Joshua so hard that he knocked him down, and then grabbed onto his shirt, crying.
"Look what you did!" Joshua cried. "Bad Noah! Look what Noah did!"
"No!" Noah yelled. "No." Tears rolled down his face as one of the others grabbed him off of Joshua and repeated the very same thing:
Bad Noah. Look what you did.
Noah growled and tried to tackle them while still crying. The bird was dead! Why had they done such a thing?
"What is going on here?" yelled a voice. It seemed muffled. Noah ignored it, holding Samuel's head onto the ground.
"Noah Percy." This was a different voice. Ivy's. Noah let go of Samuel and closed his eyes, crying even harder.
"Why has this occured?" It was the first voice, which Noah now recognised as Mr. Walker's patient articulation.
"Mr. Walker! Noah was killing that bird over there! We tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen and he killed it anyway. Then he attacked us!"
"No, no. No touching," murmered Noah.
Ivy sat down in front of him, her face defiant. "Noah Percy, what happened?"
"There is no need to ask him, my daughter. We have heard of what violent acts Noah has performed."
Noah sobbed, burying himself into her chest.
"He didn't do it. He wouldn't have done it. I told him not to touch it- he wouldn't have done this."
"You think he understands you?" Joshua declared. "He's stupid! He can't!"
"Now, now," Walker said disapprovingly. "But there is a point, Ivy. Where is this bird?"
They walked over to examine it.
"Noah, I am so sorry. I shouldn't have left you alone, I was-" Ivy trailed off. "I knew something like this would happen and I should have stayed."
Noah did not reply. He knew he shouldn't have disobeyed her. But there was nothing either of them could do now.
Mr. Walker pulled Noah off of the ground. "It was awful what you did. Harming defenseless creatures is a wicked act. Come with me, Noah. You must now tell your mother of what you have done."
It was a new rule that had recently come into play. Noah now had to say why he was in trouble. He'd much rather just get into trouble.
The lot of them tramped down the hill and toward the Percy home. Ivy held Noah's hand. At least she believed him. Mr. Walker knocked on the door. A few moments later, it opened. There was Vivian Percy, Noah's mother. Her plump cheeks were dotted with flour and her sleeves were rolled up.
"Excellent timing. The biscuits are nearly finished, just-" Her eyes fell upon Mr. Walker. "Is there something wrong?"
There was an awful silence. Finally, Mr. Walker said," Samuel, Joshua, Jack, you may leave. I am so sorry."
"Don't forget what you said, Noah!" Joshua called, and smirking, they ran off.
"Please! What has Noah done now?" Vivian inquired tiredly.
"Nothing," spat Ivy. "Not a thing, and he's going to be blamed for it. You know how they are, Father! You have them in class! They are liars. They are always trying to get Noah into trouble and you let them! Stop believing them!"
"Let go of his hand, ivy. You spoil him. In fact, please go home. Your mother could use a hand with supper."
"Vivian, please listen to Noah!"
"Now, Ivy!"
When she had gone, Mr. Walker led Noah inside. It would have smelled delightful any other time, but Noah felt nauseous.
"I apologise, Mrs. Percy, for the way my Ivy encourages him."
"She is not at fault. Please, sit."
"Thank you. Noah, would you like to tell Mama what has happened today?"
Noah was silent. No, he wouldn't like to.
"Noah," Vivian pleaded. "What have you done?"
Noah shuffled his feet. "No touching."
Vivian looked perplexed. "What?"
"Tell her what you did to the bird."
"I didn't!"
"Stop lying," muttered Mrs. Percy. "How many times have I told you that lying is a sin?"
"No touching."
Mr. Walker sighed, impatient. "He broke the wings of a bird, snapped the neck, and then dismembered it."
Vivian nodded slowly, horror written upon her face.
"He then proceeded to attack three boys."
"No!" Noah wailed. "BAD NOAH!"
"Noah, we do not yell in this household," Vivian told him quietly, staring from the table.
"No, no, no!"
"Stop lying." Vivian told him quietly. "God may forgive you if you tell the truth."
"I didn't, Mama! I didn't!" He held out his hands for her.
"Noah Robert Percy, tell the truth."
"I didn't! Mama!"
Vivian stood up and smacked Noah across the face. He sank down to the floor.
"Oh my- I am so sorry! Oh my..." she murmered quietly, looking alarmed. "Mr. Walker- I did not mean it, I-"
"There, there, Vivian," he said calmly, standing as well and putting a comforting hand upon her arm.
"Sometimes I get so frusterated, and I-"
"Do not fret. What happens here stays here, I know this," Mr. Walker told her, smiling.
She was quiet. Smiled back, even. "I think I'll tend to my biscuits. I'm dreadfully sorry about those boys. And that poor animal."
"For what amount of time, do you think?"
"I'm never very good at punishment, you know that. Robert is over at Mrs. Clack's home. He always knows better than I."
Walker nodded. "Get up, Noah. Let us go."
Noah got up and followed. He felt as though he'd been hung upside down and torn apart.
She was a January girl
She never let on how insane it was
in that tiny kinda scary house
By the woods.
Black dove, black dove
you're not a helicopter
you're not a cop-out, either, honey
Black dove, black dove
You don't need a spaceship
They don't know you've all ready lived
on the other side of the galaxy.
-end-