A New Chance At Life

Awakening with the rosy dawn, the bird extricated her head from the fluffy mass of feathers surrounding her neck. She ruffled her feathers, shaking her head to rid her vision of the sleepiness that clouded them. She stretched her Cornforth-white wings, spreading them in the morning light. The tips of her pinions brushed the surface of refined columnar metallic bars and, her wings lay arched, unable to surpass the boundaries of metal that entrapped her. A flicker of untamed rage flashed in her carmine irides, vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. 

Her wrath extinguished from her scarlet eyes, the same eyes that had earned her name, Ruby. She retracted her wings, turning to face the sunrise. Her keen vision made out the edges of the fiery ball of light, not in the least deterred by the galvanized metal blockades encompassing her. Blinding white light streamed into the cage, sliding through the gaps between the wrought iron bars and pooling on the polished floor. 

The only object of interest was the gilded wooden perch. Years of use had marred its polished surface, scars revealing the handsome, rich mahogany beneath the layers of gold. Perched on the same, Ruby stared into the distance, her gaze unflinching. Burning flames of longing stirred in the depth of those blazing irises. Longing for a taste of freedom, for another chance to soar into the skies with the wind propelling her towards the great unknown, for a free life outside the cage. Suddenly overwhelmed with these emotions, she screeched at the bars of iron that cruelly kept her separated from the rest of the world, confining her to a limited space with no liberty.

A second later, the bird sharply turned and swallowed her wrath at her confinement. As one of the precious few left of the endangered passenger pigeon species, her monetary worth was high enough for the humans to condemn her to a life of captivity. Even if she escaped, she would have nowhere to go. With the numbers of her species dwindling rapidly, she would be in danger without a flock to protect her.

She would never see the sun outside of the metal cage, never stretch her wings again, never soar the infinite expanse of the tranquil sky. Her vision blurred with the ghost of a tear, making the approaching figure in the horizon barely discernible. Ruby squawked, edging closer to the metallic bars. A passenger pigeon was flying towards the cage, swiftly slicing through the air, its abalone feathers shining in the morning light. As it neared, the ornate, silver key clasped in its beak glinted in the sunlight. The passenger pigeon glided down with the grace of a swan landing on a quiet lake, careful not to attract unwanted attention from the human ensnarers a few miles away. As it perched on the branch nearest to the cage, it cocked its head as if waiting in anticipation. 

Ruby assessed the bird holding the key to her freedom, a spark of recognition lighting her fiery rubescent eyes. The two had been acquaintances, caged in similar gilded prisons next to one another. The freed bird, named Feather due to its impeccably perfect feathers, had escaped with the help of the same girl who had christened him. The girl was the merchant's daughter, who had observed the white-winged birds caged since her childhood, had been overcome with pity for the confined birds. Choosing to face her father's wrath at his discovery of her actions, she stole the keys to the cages and attempted to free both the birds, succeeding in liberating only Feather before her enraged father dragged her away from the area. 

Ruby had seen neither the girl nor Feather since that unfortunate episode. She blinked unbelievably, relieved to see her friend safe and sound. A light patter of footsteps sounded on the gravel behind them and, Ruby whirled around in terror of the merchant finding and capturing Feather again. However, it was the merchant's nimble-footed daughter that met his gaze instead. She crept along the pathway, glancing around the area, wary of being watched. When she reached the cage, the passenger pigeon seated on the branch flew down and dropped the silver key onto her outstretched hand. Not allowing herself to do more than smile at the bird, she hurriedly put the key into the lock, twisting it to unlock the cage. 

Ruby had been frozen with shock, unable to wrap her mind around the possible chance of freedom. But when she heard the sound of the key clicking into place, she understood the urgency of the situation and arced her wings to ready herself. As soon as the cage opened, Ruby tumbled out into the open air, refraining from squawking out in joy. She glanced back at the girl, gratitude flashing in her eyes. The girl nodded understandingly and offered her a tentative smile. 

Ruby saw no more as she streaked into the pale blue sky, testing out her wings for the first time. She rose into the limitless expanse of the sky, steadying her wings and following Feather out of the compound. Her white wings stretched out, harnessing the wind and slicing through the air. She tested her pinions, flapping them to rise higher into the sky. Her heart raced with excitement and was churning with emotions, thankfulness for the chance to be able to live her life outside of a cage, happiness upon finding her friend again and of course, the overwhelming feelings of joy and rapture at finally finding freedom. 

She had no definite plans for the future, no strategies for survival in the wilderness or even a specific destination. 

But she was free. And somehow, that was all that mattered.