FirstLineFiction beta

from Contest #5

            A boy with a parrot on his shoulder was walking along the railway tracks.  He had no idea where the parrot came from.  He was just walking, minding his own business, lost in his thoughts when this bright red and green parrot landed on his shoulder.  He tried to shoo it away but the parrot just dug his claws deeper into the boys flesh.  The parrot begins to feel heavy as the minutes go by and is starting to slow the boy down.  What’s worse is now the parrot is starting to talk and the only thing it can say is “I see what you’re doing”.

            This makes the boy paranoid, because this boy is cutting class yet again.  He has been doing this for almost two weeks now and today was no different.  He just doesn’t like school, or at least the other kids who are there.  He is a small, frail looking boy who constantly gets picked on by the other kids.  He has complained to his mother and the teachers but that has made no difference.  The other kids continue to tease and torment the boy especially when the teachers aren’t looking. 

            The boy decided that the only thing he can do is to stop going to school all together.  He is going to forge his own path, blaze new trails, and change the world.  That way the kids won’t pick on him; they will then want to be his friend.  He had wild fantasies of what he could do and where he would go.  He will travel the world and everyone was going to know his name.  But, these past two weeks have been nothing like the adventure he has imagined. 

            He has to be home by half past three every day or his mother would be suspicious as to where he was, and every day he has to lie to her about what he has learned in class.  He doesn’t like to lie but he has no choice; he simply cannot return to school.  So now here he is walking along the railway tracks with a parrot that just won’t go away.  He has to go home soon and he has no idea how he is going to explain this parrot to his mother.    

            “I see what you’re doing” the parrot squawks.

            “I’m not doing anything!” the boy yells back.

            “I see what you’re doing”

            “Oh shut up” the boy says exasperated.  He continues on his way home, still not knowing what he is going to tell his mother.  But to his surprise his mother doesn’t seem to notice the bird as the boy walks through the door.  When she sees the boy she smiles and asks how is day went.  But before the boy can answer the parrot digs his claws into the boys shoulder. “Ow my shoulder!” the boy yells in pain.  His mother not knowing what to do sends the boy to his room and tells him to lie down.

            The boy can’t believe it.  His mother said nothing about the bird.  She acted as if everything was normal.  Didn’t she see the bird?  Didn’t she want to know where it came from? He thought that she wouldn’t even let him in the house with the parrot.  But here he is, still sitting on his shoulder.  Not moving, just blinking.  What’s worse is that this parrot is getting heavier.  The weight on the boy’s shoulder is becoming too much for the boy.  Oh can’t his mom come in and shoo this bird away.  Won’t this weight be lifted from his shoulder?  The boy decides to get up and walk around where his mom can see him.  Surely once she sees the parrot more she will say something and get rid of it, right? 

            The boy paces around the living room; up and down, up and down.  But his mother says nothing.  She just continues making dinner, and barely glances up at her son.  The boy knows he has to get her attention so he begins to stomp.  That doesn’t work.  So he starts to sing, loudly.  His mother doesn’t move from the spot and the bird is feeling heavier with every minute that goes by.  The boy picks up a book and throws it across the room; still no movement from his mother.   Frustrated, the boy picks up a glass and throws it against a wall.  The glass shatters to pieces but finally his mother stirs.  She comes running into the room.

            “What is going on here!? What…did you break the glass?” his mother screams, confused.

            “Yes I did.”  The boy yells back.

            “But…why?”

            “Why?  Can’t you see why?  Don’t you see my shoulder?  Don’t you see me?!”

            “I see you honey.  I see your shoulder.  I see you.”

            “No you don’t!”  the boy is screaming louder than his mother has ever heard before. “If you saw me then you would know I haven’t been going to school.  I haven’t been going to school for two weeks!  And you don’t see.  You don’t even see this stupid parrot on my shoulder!”

            “What parrot? What are you talking about?” his mother asks, trying to make sense of anything her son was saying.  But as soon as the boy confesses to his mother, the parrot spreads his wings and flies out the window. 

            “That parrot!” the boy points to the window.  “He just flew out the window.”  He says in his normal voice.  He rubs his shoulder as his mother looks at him with a look of worry on her face.  But the boy didn’t care.  He was relieved that both the parrot and the weight have been lifted from his shoulder.

back to Contest #5