poppy brooks d12 . cb

"Mum! Mum!" My knees pressed into the wet dirt as I reached for the bird. With the softest touch, I brought it to my chest, cradling it against me as I ran into the house tucked behind the small Apothecary shop. "Its wing... it's broken!" I cried, finding Mum by the kitchen sink, washing her long, thick hair. It was the color of dirt on a summer's evening, identical to my own. "We have to help it!"

"Oh, sweetie, did you bring home another stray?" She asks as she wraps a worn-out piece of cloth around her hair. Kneeling in front of me, she peeks down at the small creature pressed to my chest. She gently takes its wing, and the chick chirps wildly in my arms. The sounds pierce my heart, and a small whimper escapes my lips as I look helplessly at my mother. Instantly, my mother lets go, making small soothing sounds.

"It's broken, isn't it?" I ask quietly. "But we can help him, right?" I ask hopefully, following my mother over to the kitchen sink where she lays a dry cloth against the cool stone. Placing the bird in the sink, I rummage through the cupboard beneath it, searching for seeds. "Aha!" Pulling them out, I pour them into a cracked mug before offering it to the chick. "We can help him, right?"

Mum frowns for a moment before she wraps an arm around my shoulder, and she smiles, cradling my crown. "We will do our best. Your father's going to kill us for bringing another one home."