Chapter 2 The Bird that Can't Fly Away
Damian's POV

The school day had come to an end. However, I couldn't go home yet, because there was going to be an after school assembly.

As annoyed as I was with this, I didn't want to get into trouble by skipping the assembly, so I reluctantly attended.

As students sat down in the assembly hall, the principal walked onto the stage and stood behind a podium.

"Good afternoon, students", she greeted. "Thank you all for gathering here. As you may know, our literary program held a short story contest, and the winner won a scholarship to attend the school. And now, that winner will be reading her short story for us. Students of Gotham Academy, please give a warm welcome to the winner of our short story contest, Rachel Roth!"

As the assembly hall was filled with the sound of applause, the winner of contest walked onto the stage. And to my surprise…it was the girl from the library.

So the girl from the library won the short story contest? And it looks like I was right about her practicing public speaking.

I finished this thought just as the girl (who I now knew was named Rachel) made it to the podium.

She seemed very nervous. In fact, she seemed like she didn't want to be there at all.

"Um…", she started nervously. "Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Rachel Roth. Um…I'm very grateful and honored that my short story was chosen as the winner, and that I get to attend this school because of that."

"Poor girl", I heard someone whisper to her friend from behind me. "She seems so nervous."

"Agreed", the friend said. "Also, what's with her skin? And the jewel on her forehead?"

"Anyway", Rachel started. "I'll start reading my short story now. It's called 'The Bird that Can't fly away."

With this, Rachel cleared her throat, and began reading her story.

"A bird is born, and is put into a cage almost immediately as it is. The bird spends the majority of its life in this cage, its only purpose being to follow its owner's orders and bid to their will. But the bird longs to know more than the cage it has lived its whole life in. It longs be free."

Eventually, the bird's owner grows bored of it. So it opens the door to its cage, and says that it can leave.

Finally, the bird can have the freedom it has wanted for so long. But there's a problem. The bird was never taught how to fly. It doesn't know what it's supposed to do now.

And so, the bird remains in its cage. It's door is open, but the bird doesn't know how to leave it."

With this, Rachel finished her story, and everyone in the auditorium broke into an applause.

"Um…", she started nervously. "Thank you, everyone."

With this, Rachel quickly rushed off the stage.

"That was an interesting story", I heard a student say.

"It was", another one agreed. "But I have no idea what's it's about."

I wasn't sure what the story was about either. And yet, after listening to it…I started feeling something that I couldn't explain.

…

I walked into the courtyard, and soon spotted the familiar sight of Alfred waiting for me by a car.

"Good afternoon, Master Damian", he greeted me as I walked up to him.

"Good afternoon, Alfred", I greeted, before he opened the car door.

I was about to get into the vehicle, but before I could…I noticed Rachel walking out of the school.

She began walking my way, but before she reached me, I quickly got into the car and shut the door.

I then looked out the window, and watched as Rachel walked past it.

"Who was that girl, Master Damian", Alfred asked as he entered the car.

"She's a new student who won a scholarship by winning a short story contest the literary program held", I revealed. "She read her story today in an after school assembly."

"Was it a good story", Alfred was.

"It was…an interesting story", I replied. "I'm not sure what it's exactly supposed to be about, and yet…"

I can't stop thinking about it. Especially that last line. "The bird remains in its cage. It's door is open, but the bird doesn't know how to leave it."