Crummy Day

It was small. Hopefully too small for the others to see. Hopefully.

I twist my head to the side, blinking, staring at the crumb amongst the shiny wrappings.

Have to be careful. Can’t risk the others knowing.

I turn my head to the other side, eyeing the flock dancing about, skirting around the loping giants stomping about, making the hard stone beneath my clawed toes quake.

Should be good. They were still preoccupied with the offerings given by the littlest giant, who had been squatting on the floor with its parent, giggling and clapping.

Ugh! Troublesome things. Just makes me wanna…. I ruffle my feathers, shaking off the thoughts of those pink wiggly, snake-like appendages coiling around me.

Enough of that. Time to move. Right. Be cool. Be. Cool.

I put my full focus on the crumb and walk, claws ticking, head bobbing.

That’s it. Slowly now. Slo….Ah!

I hop out the way of a heaving giant sprinting by, nearly crushing my prize under rubber feet.

That was close. Too close. Had to be quick. Swift as a swift.

A gust of wind came from my left.

I pause.

Oh no. I spot him, purple plumage rippling with a shine as bright as the shiny wrappings.

He blinks an orange eye at me then looks in the direction of my prize before beginning his strut towards it.

No. Mine. Mine.

I quicken my pace, cooing loud.

He ignored my warning, increasing his pace, not even stopping for the giants who danced out of his way.

No! Get away. Get away!

I hop, flap my wings until the crumb is in my reach.

Mine!

I peck at it, managing to get in a nip before he springs forward, beating his wings at me.

Ow!

I spring back, shaking my head, watching as my rival jabbed his beak over and over into the crumb, making it smaller and smaller.

Greedy guts. I beat my wings at him, threw in a few scratches too.

It did the trick. For a moment. Made him circle. Made me circle. And circle and circle. Until a giant stomped through, disrupting our dance.

We hop back, watching as the giant kicked the crumb onto the rumbling road.

I know what happens when you land on the rumbling roads.

But he didn’t.

With a flap of wings he took the bait, landing on the rumbling road beside the crumb. Just as one of the many of metal monstrosities that ruled the rumbling roads appeared.

A loud roar and an explosion of feathers was enough for me to take off, to flap my wings and fly, up and up until the metal towers below were as small as the crumb I had left behind.

Well that was…hope no one saw.