Stuck Inside

      *****

      I was in my room, reading one of my favorite books. I was just going to get to the last chapter when suddenly my sister burst in. Her Kacheek eyes were wide as ever, and her jaw was open like a door. In her paw she carried a fistful of crumpled paper pieces. They each had a picture on them that seemed to fit together, like a puzzle. I used my wings to hover me back up so I could see her better.

     "Flap! Flap! You're never going to believe this!" she hollered, waving her arm with the pieces of paper around.

     "What is it, Bianca?" I sighed, rolling my eyes at her hyperactivity.

     Bianca jumped up and down as she held the paper pieces in front of her. They all contained snapshots of a picture, and when put together reveals a beautiful picture of an underwater scene with the sea creatures swimming to and fro as two islands rested in the distance. I recognized it quickly: this was the puzzle map said to have directions to the Lab Ray, a terrifying device that can turn you into anything you could ever dream of. It could turn you young, old, red, blue, and even a ghost! As exciting and rare it was, I had no intentions of changing my own appearance. I was happy the way I am.

     "Come on, we have to go!" my sister squealed, stomping and fuming simultaneously. "We might not get this chance ever, ever again!"

     "I know that," I growled grumpily, closing my novel. "It's just that I'm not going."

     Before I knew it, Bianca was pulling off one of her famous "begging eyes". Tears welled up, her lip quivered, her tail drooped. I could feel my naivety giving in. I also remembered that the last time I disagreed with Bianca, she nearly tore the house apart. Finally, I reluctantly accepted, and her happiness was restored again. Our owner, Alice was already packing, beaming like crazy. You couldn't blame her; she wasn't the type you'd call "a winner". This is the first time she had won a contest, and I would feel terrible if I refused to go.

     After an hour of packing, we were off. Alice hitched us a ride in an Eyrie Cab in no time flat. Despite costing a lot, the trip was kind of worth it. We were driven, or in other words, flown to a small remote island that looked similar to the islands in Krawk Island. It was mostly empty with a giant metal tower smack in the center of it. There was only a door for an entry, which Alice carelessly knocked on. The door opened a crack, and a white-haired, crazy-eyed Scorchio with a lab coat peeked out.

     "We don't want what you're selling! Go away!" he babbled, his voice dry and raspy.

     "We're not salespeople, we're winners. For the Lab Ray?" Alice explained as held up the map pieces, which were haphazardly taped together to reveal the image.

     The Scorchio's eyes softened, and he opened the door completely, welcoming us in. Inside was like something out of a movie. There were rows and rows of control panels studded with multicolored buttons and beeping black screens. The tile floor was icy cold and dusty, like someone hadn't cleaned it in a long time. The ceiling was very high, with only a few rows of lighting to provide some light in the dimness. The glowing of the machine buttons also helped. Finally, right in front of the Scorchio and us, was the infamous Lab Ray. Its base was a shiny metal platform with a fence circling it. Above it was the giant ray, a cannon-like device speckled with wires and blinking buttons, with the point a red orb surrounded by a few futuristic spirals. Supporting the massive machine was a small control panel, with only a giant lever being the only contraption stuck on it. It was so quiet in the laboratory the only sound was Alice's, Bianca's, and my own breathing.

     "Now," the Scorchio scientist croaked deviously. "Who would like to go first?"

     Bianca yelped and shoved me forward. I guess I was first.

     I flapped my wings a little and flew onto the platform. It was bitterly cold, and made a shiver run up my spine. I looked up helplessly as Alice and Bianca stood near the door, with Bianca clinging to Alice's T-shirt. The Scorchio snickered evilly and walked slowly up to the panel with the lever. He raised one arm and closed his fingers around the handle. My muscles tightened; this was not going to end well. I should've just bailed while I still could, Bianca tantrum or not. Then, when there was nothing but utter silence, the Scorchio scientist smiled insanely and pulled on the giant level with a huge clank. The ray's orb-like end crackled as it glowed a white light. The ray's body beeped and buzzed as streams of electricity snaked around it. I closed my eyes tightly as I heard it charge up with a piercing shrieking noise. Then came the zap.

     When the bolt of scientific energy hit me, I felt like I was electrocuted and punched in the gut at the same time. The blue electricity circled me, went inside me, and made my outer body ripple like water. The lab began to slowly grow around me, for I was shrinking. The question was: what was I becoming? Suddenly, my vision blurred as a curved wall jagged up around me. It went under my feet, around my head and finally closed at the top. The last of the laboratory light winked out right before my eyes and everything was black. My heart raced; have I gone blind?! No, I could still see a very, very faint silhouette of my wings, which were somehow shrunken and stubby.

     "Flap! Flap, no!" I heard Bianca's voice wail near me. I could hear, but I couldn't see her. I tried to reach out to her, but I was stopped by the wall that trapped me. I felt warm arms embrace around the wall cage as I heard Bianca's voice mutter, "I'm sorry, this is all my fault! I should've let you stay home..."

     "What's happened to him? What's going on?!" Alice's voice shrieked, her tone cracking with anxiety.

     "You got what you asked for: I zapped him!" I heard the elderly Scorchio scientist snap nearby. "He's now a Baby Pteri. Enjoy!"

     My heart stopped as I heard the scientist's reply. It all made sense: the darkness, the walls, the shrinking. I was now a Baby Pteri, trapped in an egg.

     And so began my miserable life as a Baby. Never again have I finished any of my books. Never again will I see the light of day or take a whiff of fresh air. Even worse, I wasn't able to see Bianca or Alice ever again. All day I just sat miserably, as I strained to listen to my dear sister's and owner's voices as they tried to comfort me. I heard them eat, which strangely not made me hungry. In fact, ever since the zap, I wasn't hungry at all. I slept, but that was probably the only thing I could do. I attempted to hatch and break out of the egg, but the shell wall was hard as stone. I wept woefully as I failed to free myself from my prison. My life was utterly ruined, all because of one little zap.

     Things became worse after that. I was taking a nap one day, I didn't remember which, and I heard strange new voices around me. I could faintly smell some sort of new scent. I smelled wet Lupe and dust. There was a grouchy male voice and I felt myself, or my egg at least picked up. I heard Bianca and Alice weeping and crying quietly behind me as I felt the air get colder. Finally, I felt the ground underneath the eggshell floor and I heard something like a gate shut and locked. That was when the answer to where I was hit me like a punch. I was at the Pound. I couldn't believe it. Why was my family, that I loved so dearly abandoning me to wherever I'll go next?

     "We're so sorry, Flap. We promise to pick you back up once we find a paintbrush, okay?" I heard Alice's voice sigh as I heard her hand pat the top of my egg.

     I felt two arms embrace the shell. I heard Bianca's voice whispering, "I'm sorry, Flap. I didn't mean for this to happen. I thought you were going to turn stronger or something..."

     Bianca's arms left the shell and I heard three pairs of footsteps leave the snarling chaos that was the Pound. The third pair of footsteps probably was the Pound "Abandoning" advisor. His voice was icy as he talked to Alice. Finally, I heard the door shut and I was alone with all the other abandoned pets. In my egg, I tried not to give up hope as days went by. All I could ever do was sulk, sleep, and sulk some more. My heart felt heavier each day. I tried not to hate Bianca and Alice the whole time for getting me into this mess. It wasn't their fault. It was just bad luck... or at least, that's what I thought. Now and then I prayed for some sort of miracle, or even a new home. Anything to get me out of the Pound.

     One day, I forgot which, I was awakened from my sleep from a warm embrace around my egg. It dissipated quickly and I heard a sweet, young female voice talk to somebody. I heard my cell cage door open and was picked up abruptly.

     "Hey, little guy. I'm Jewel," I heard the female voice say. "Do you have a name?"

     I swallowed dryly. "I'm Flap."

     "Jewel" giggled. "That's a cute name. Hey, you won't mind if I had you painted, right?"

     My heart skipped a beat or two from those words. I was getting painted with a color paintbrush. If that was the case, with whatever new color I had, I would be out of my egg and free. I would finally see the outside world again. I beamed and said yes. After a while of walking, the air changed and there was a scent of fresh water nearby. I was lowered to the ground and I felt a watery cool sensation around me. It was scary, but exciting at the same time. Then, I saw a spot on the outer eggshell became coated in a material I couldn't see clearly. All I saw was a stripe of a shadowy silhouette. It was like a streak of paint.

     That was when everything changed. The spot where the silhouette was shown began to melt, revealing a piercing white hole. I reached up my wing to cover it, and was surprised to see it sparkling and gleaming like a fine gem. More of the beaming holes opened, and soon the egg around me began to dissolve. Being able to see clear once again, I saw that icy cold water was filling up in the disappearing egg. I flapped my now normal-sized wings to keep from falling in as the egg finally fell apart and I was surrounded in a blinding light. The first thing I saw after my vision cleared was a blond-haired, blue-eyed girl with freckles and a big smile on her face. She was wearing a white T-shirt and light pink capris. I looked around me to see sunlight, and the great blue sky above me. I looked down and saw clear water glimmering in the sun. And my reflection.

     It was stunning. The reflection showed a light yellow Pteri with small amber eyes and pluming pink, red and sunset orange feathers on its tail, wings, and head. It had a peach-colored beak and stubby toes. It was me. I was a Faerie Pteri. I was so happy to see the world and myself again I cried, and my tears fell in the water, creating rippling in my watery image.

     "Alright, let's go meet your new owner," the girl, who I guessed was Jewel chirped, standing up.

     I looked at her, baffled. "I thought you were my new owner."

     Jewel giggled cheerfully. "No, silly. I was just picking you up for another owner. She's my sister."

     Jewel then pointed to a spot behind her, far from the lake where I came out of. In the distance I squinted to see a small light blue figure next to a human. I recognized them at first sight. There, in the distance, was my family. Bianca and Alice. With tears finding its way to my cheeks I flew to them, winding rushing through my brand new wings. They came running to me as well, shouting my name on the top of their lungs.

     It was then I believed in miracles, and have ever since.

The End