It’s Wednesday and that means WORDS for #1lineWed, this time from a future book. Birds of a feather, bird brains, bird in hand? Chick magnet? Jail bird, lame duck, legal eagle, night owl, or a mother hen. These things all appear in our books at some point, whether we use their avian term or not. I’m deep in writing mode so I just did a quick search for “bird” and came across this bit of flash fiction that will appear in Ariel’s book–when I get around to writing it. You can pretty much guess the context from the story.
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Ariel stared into her dulled eyes, red-rimmed and rheumy with age. Her gnarled fingers plucked at the softly woven blanket covering legs bent and twisted by the years of her lifetime. With a hand shaking from the need to be gentle, he smoothed listless gray locks from her face.
“Are you ready, sweetheart?”
Her eyes lifted to his and for an instant, he saw the lively, funny girl who’d once lived inside this withered husk. Then she blinked, and the girl he’d once loved was replaced by the old woman with no memory of their time together.
His heart hurt, as if such a thing was even possible for someone like him.
“Ready?” She formed the word with great concentration.
“It’s time to go.”
Hands fluttering like nervous birds, she gestured around the small room in the nursing home. “Don’t understand…” Her frail voice was as soft as snowflakes drifting on the wind.
“It’s moving day.”
“Oh.”
Just as he picked her up and settled her easily in his arms, a nurse appeared in the doorway.
“What are you doing? Who are you? Put her down! I’m calling security!”
He ignored the woman’s tirade. Gold sparkles swirled around them. “Close your eyes.” Moments later, they appeared in the Summerlands, met by both the Goddess and his Queen.
“Where am I?”
“Your forever home, love. As I promised.”
Titania’s lip curled into a disdainful smile. “This is why fae don’t fall in love with humans, Ariel. They die too soon.”
And took a piece of his heart each time.
****
So…don’t be (or play) chicken! Share a bird from your WIP or, if you’re a reader rather than a writer, tell us your favorite book that has a bird theme. 🤔
Silver James 
:sniffle:
After that, I’ve got nothing. Thanks for sharing it, though.
Awww. Sorry. That was written quite awhile ago but shows a side of Ari that isn’t often seen so it will definitely show up in his book. 🙂
The only series I can think of with birds.
Is the Crow Series by Shelly Laurenston which, has crows(women who have been done wrong as in murdered and they are brought back) and ravens(descendants Vikings) It makes my sense if you read the series. =/
I asked when I saw her at RWA when she was gonna continue the series, she said it was up to her publisher. Granted I know how popular her shifter series( honestly I cant get into the badger shifter series) bears, wolves and dragons, Badgers?? We’ve been left in limbo on what is happening now?
Well that is my bird book entry. 😉
Happy Hump Day Ladies
I’ve read a few of her “Gathering” series with the Crows. Pretty cool. I love her shifter series and I’ll admit I crack up with the badgers and bears. I’ve read a couple of her G.A. Aiken dragon books and they were okay but didn’t grab me like the shifters. That’s what’s fun about books. Everybody can find something they love to read! 😀
Oh how this passage reminds of one of my favorite movies, TV shows, and books: The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. The original book written by R. A. Dick (later revealed to be a woman). Rex Harrison’s portrayal of Capt. Gregg was spot on.
Wow, Fran! Thank you. I hadn’t thought of that book/movie in years. Loved the movie when I was a kid. So bittersweet and romantic. 🙂 (And while I enjoyed the TV show, the movie is the best!) ❤