Fly Away Home

"Do you believe in spirit animals?" she had asked him one day. It was unexpected and unprovoked; just popped into her head amid their conversation.

He chuckled at the prospect. "Not overly. Which I know is a tad ironic, considering I'm Native." His grin disappeared before adding, "Why do you ask?"

The two of them had been discussing the topic of change for the past few months now. Something big was in the works, and although she couldn't say with certainty what it was, she knew that it was necessary. A change of scenery, a new crowd, a different hobby -- something. And although that big change hadn't made its arrival just yet, something had recently hinted at its existence...

She took a drag off her cigarette before finally letting her thoughts settle. "Y'know the forest that's sitting behind the abandoned asylum?"

He nodded. "The one where we saw the family of deer?" Before she had the chance to answer: "Yeah, what about it?"

"I went out for a walk over there the other day." She didn't feel the need to bore him with unnecessary details, like how she thought a peaceful walk would help clear her mind, considering that she hadn't slept properly in 3 days. No, she got right to the point. "And I happened to see a Cardinal while I was out there."

(Image created using an AI art generator on Night Cafe)

"Okay. And?" It wasn't that he was trying to be rude; he just liked getting from Point A to Point B as painlessly as possible.

So she continued: "And I started whistling to it... y'know, as I usually do." They both exchanged swift smiles at the thought of her favorite pastime. "But this time was different. Todd -- I kid you not, this bird followed me through the woods for 20 minutes."

It was true; for as long as she had been in the forest, the Cardinal had not been far behind. Every so often while she walked through the woods, the bird would chirp his cheerful tune to her, and she would whistle it back. A playful exchange that had left her mind reeling.

A sly look crossed his face this time. "Well, that's pretty cool, but it isn't really anything to write home about."

She huffed. "Then maybe this is!"

The experience had left her so frazzled that she had done some research, so to speak. Ever since the encounter with the raccoon that had randomly approached her on its hind legs, begging for food, she had began to delve into the spiritual meaning of nature's signs.

"...so the Cardinal, for example," she went on, "the Cherokees associated it with positive change. They believed that seeing a Cardinal was a sign to take action, the 'go-ahead' to get things going. A bird of new beginnings..."

Thankfully he was able to catch on without her explicitly having to say it. "Hey, that's neat, considering we've been talking about change over the past couple of weeks." She beamed in response. "Does it symbolize anything else?"

She fidgeted. "Of course! Everything is open to interpretation, after all. Some associate Cardinals with the loss of loved ones, of someone saying 'hello' from beyond the grave. In fact they're very symbolic in the Catholic faith; when European settlers first arrived here, they connected the red feathers with the red garments of their bishops."

His expression was one of warm understanding as he simply stated, "That's awesome, Alice."

A pause. A break in the conversation. She couldn't afford to let it slip away now.

"It does symbolize one other thing..." Her voice grew quiet while her eyes searched for his. "Cardinals are a sign of love." This time he did not say anything. "Cardinals are monogamous and mate for life," she continued. "They are a sign that a relationship could be on the horizon, and to select your partner only after much care and consideration." He still didn't speak; his expression didn't change. "We haven't known each other for awfully long, but I know that you're someone special to me." Her voice was starting to tremble.

He picked up on this, and in turn picked up where she had left off. "So what are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying," she exhaled heavily, "that no matter which future I choose to make, I don't want to do it on my own. I want you to be there with me."

The words had somehow made their way out of her. One after another, they simply flowed out. Finally the truth was in the open, hanging in the air, tainting the atmosphere with a thick, tense tone. Everything would change now. Regardless of his answer, things would never be the same.

His hands had been clasped together up until this point. When he finally released them, a long breath came with it. He pondered his words carefully. "When you first mentioned that you wanted to leave, I didn't know how to bring it up. I was terrified that it might make you leave sooner if I did..." His eyes wandered off, as though he were recollecting the memory. "I didn't know how to tell you that I don't want you doing this by yourself. Without you taking it the wrong way," he quickly added. "I know how capable you are."

Another pause. Was the ball in her court now? Did he have something more to say?

His jaw was tense as a free hand passed through his hair. "I don't want you to do it alone... because I want to be there with you..."

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I debated whether or not to give this story a "proper" ending, but I decided that I much rather like the cliffhanger ending better 😄 I love leaving a bit of imagination to the reader. Curious to see how you thought it ended 😄

Anyway, thank you for reading! Enjoy the week