This story is by Aliyah Pathway and was part of our 2021 Spring Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here.
Where’s My Nest
My name is Alfred and I’ve been displaced. My home was up in the trees. Humanity ruined my life. Again.
Please allow me to share my narrative.
As the male bird in the midst of providing for my family, I had searched for the necessary twigs to complete my lover’s nest.
This had been difficult to find, as humanity created cement instead of preserving trees.
“Hey, Alfred!” I hear my friend Jason call.
“Hey bud! Are you trying to find twigs too?” Jason had found his mate, Dorothy, and was in the same position as me.
“Well yeah, but humans are destroying this area. They cut the trees around my area so I need to scavenge anywhere still green,” he bemoaned.
“I’m really sorry to hear that! Hopefully your tree stays safe though! Thanks for sharing. I better hurry up to try to complete Ingrid’s and my nest. She says our eggs will come in soon!” I say.
“Hey Alfred, congrats in advance! See you later!” I hear him call out to me, as I fly toward a bush with twigs nearby.
Gathering the few twigs that could be found, I headed toward my nest. Unfamiliar loud noises were coming from that direction though and I started thinking of what Jason said.
Fear crept in and chilled my bones once I reached my tree. Or what was left of the giant green, leafy tower I’d called home.
A very large machine with a saw had chopped it from the base to fell the whole tree!! My nest was destroyed!!
I didn’t know what to do except stay at the tree remains. My lady bird was gone! I called out for Ingrid all day every day for what would become weeks, begging her to please come back.
I didn’t blame her at all for keeping her safety and my eggs priority. Maybe she’d come back to me.
So I stayed there for weeks waiting and hoping until it became obvious that she had settled somewhere else.
The weather was getting colder and the once sprawling forest had become a shopping mall.
This was extremely sad and disheartening. How could humanity be so cruel? And they were not going to stop being selfish nor were they going to be proper stewards of the earth.
I had the choice to wait until my dying breath, but I took the risk and flew. Maybe I could reach green trees or maybe even Ingrid and our babies.
Who knows, but only one way to find out! That was my life or death choice!
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