The little bird alighted on the window, its red feathers moving as it rested temporarily on the sill of the decrepit house. Occasionally small pieces of peeling paint would fall onto the little bird’s head in time with the banging going on inside the house. Deciding that this was not a good place to rest the little bird flew up once again into the clear blue sky flashing off his feathers for the world to see. Catching an updraft the little bird continued on towards its destination.
*****

From inside the house I watched as the bird flew up into the sky, it’s wings flashing a bright red in the sunlight. I sighed, the small distraction was gone and now i had nothing to keep me from thinking about the continuous banging coming from downstairs. Paired with Father’s drunken shouting, it was the scariest thing I could imagine.

I stayed curled up in a ball in the corner of my room just like I always did when he got on like this. As long as I stayed quite, and didn’t move he won’t think of me. He won’t bother me. He won’t hurt me.

I squeezed my knees tighter to my chest my long brown hair falling over them as I imagined that I was getting smaller and smaller until I no one could see me, and no one could hold onto me. Small enough so that I could float around seeing and hearing everything, but no one could touch me and no one would bother me. I would be like the wind, going wherever I wanted to, and nothing could hold me back! I would go to all of those places that mother had told me about, the sea, the mountains I would see the great big forests and visit the deepest darkest caves!

A particularly loud noise, followed by a string of profanities broke me from my thoughts. I was back in my room now, I was still here, and so was He.

I didn’t cry. A slight sniffle might have alerted Him to my presence. I didn’t cry then. Instead I stored the memory away for safe keeping along with dozens like it and I waited for the day that it would come true.
*****
A little bird alighted on a window, rustling its feathers trying to get comfortable on the sill. Occasionally small pieces of peeling paint would fall on the birds head in time with the banging going on inside the house. Finally giving up on the window being a nice place to rest, the little bird shot up into the sky, its blue feathers flashing in the sunlight.