The Caged Bird Read online

  Something I could have never imagined happens. Lyra wraps her arms around my neck and squeezes me into a hug. She then pulls back to look into my eyes and kisses me. It’s a quick peck, but she kissed me. I’m stunned until I realize we could be permanently separated. Sliding my hand up from her neck to the back of her head, I lean toward her and, in the midst of chaos, I kiss her. The kiss is gentle at first, but firm. She relaxes into me and I start having a vision of floating through our field. It’s a common scene for her visions of us. We explore each other and I’m getting weaker by the moment. Her influence consumes me, and I love every second of it.

  The kiss ends when something loud booms, and it sounds like a bumblebee zooms by my ear. We both jump and I’m snapped back into our reality.

  “Run, Lyra!” I shout, and push her away to get her feet moving.

  One of the men runs toward me. The adrenaline from kissing Lyra and trying to protect her takes over my body. Before I realize what I’m doing, I’ve grabbed the barrel of his shotgun, and pulled him to me. Elbowing him in the face, he falls to the ground as I take the gun away from him. I’ve only ever fired shotguns when hunting with my family as a teenager. That was a lifetime ago, but I’m confident when I draw the gun up to my shoulder, pain and all, and cock it to fire. When I look down the barrel, my sights are on Jared.

  He’s a large target and he’s got a gun pointed at me too. The fierce determination to protect Lyra won’t let me hesitate. I pull the trigger. Kickback from the gun sends pain through my injured shoulder all over again, and I fall to my knees, dropping the gun in front of me. As the men coming for me get closer, they slowly lower their weapons as their faces soften. It’s as if the fight has gone out of them. Eerie silence surrounds us as a cold sensation in my stomach spreads out to my legs.

  When I look down, all I can see is a flood of red across my body. I gingerly move my fingers around my midsection and realize I’ve got a hole where my stomach used to be. I’ve been shot, and I feel my very life being drained from me. I look up to see Bud, who’s got tears brimming in his eyes. I shrug.

  “I had to. Someone had to…it was the right thing,” I mutter my final excuses before falling to my back to rest.

  Lyra

  Coen tells me to run, but I can’t get far. I hide so they can’t find me, and I can get my fear under control. When I’m emotionally compromised, I can’t seem to influence anyone. It’s like I’m broken. I’m desperate to influence any of them and create an illusion. It might be enough to create a distraction and give Coen a chance.

  When I finally get my breathing calmer, I hear it. A gunshot. I jump. When I turn to look, I hear another shot. My brother is standing close to my hiding spot and he’s frozen. I see red spread across his shirt on the left side of his chest. He falls backward and doesn’t move.

  My brother, the only family I’ve ever known, is hurt. I’m paralyzed as I watch the blood continue to spread. He gasps for breath and makes a gurgling sound. Running from my hiding place to check on him, I kneel beside him. I put my hand on his chest and shake him.

  “Wake up, Jared. Wake up.”

  I repeat this over and over, trying to get him to move. He doesn’t. A cold feeling rolls over me, and I know he’s not going to get up. Standing, I start looking for Coen. I see a circle of men around him, just standing there. I run to him in time to see him fall to his back. I shove my way through the crowd.

  “Why isn’t anyone helping him?” I yell. “Help him! Someone!” The faces that look back at me are stunned. They’re as shocked at what happened as I am.

  I fall to my knees and pull his face to me as I look into his eyes.

  “Please don’t leave me, Coen! Please,” I beg, but he doesn’t answer. Tears are stinging my cheeks. I have never felt such relief and such loss at the same time. If this is what love can do, I don’t want it. I never want it again.

  Someone puts their hands on my shoulders to calm me, and before I know what’s happening the hands shift under my arms to lift me. I turn and see Bud. He’s gentle when he says, “He’s gone. But you’re free. He made sure you got free from Jared.”

  I interrupt him, saying, “Jared is dead, too.”

  Bud nods. “I know. There’s a price for freedom. It’s been paid. What happens to you now is up to you.”

  A price for freedom. Bud’s words replay in my mind. He’s right. It was naive to think this would end like a fairy tale. Gathering my courage, I wipe the tears from my eyes and straighten my back. I pull away from Bud as realization dawns on me—Jared can’t chase me and Coen can’t help me.

  For the first time in my life, I’m on my own. I tell Bud about the plans Coen made for us. He pulls his wallet from his back pocket and hands me some money.

  “Go to the hotel. In the morning, get on the bus and go. Start over somewhere. If you can’t find a way to make a living, come back to the show. You’ll always have a home here.”

  I look around the scene once more, committing every detail to memory. Suppressing the fear and ache in my heart, I stash the money Bud gave me and walk away.

  I vow to never return to the Carnivale Mystique.

  If you enjoyed this novella, learn more about Meg and her books on her Amazon page or on her website: www.FarrellWrites.com.

  Meg Farrell was born and raised in Mississippi where she and her husband, Jason, still make their home. The Farrells have three children and a host of other non-human lifeforms.

  Most of the time Meg can be found running between softball fields, hockey rinks, band concerts, and choir performances. Meg is an avid reader and enjoys books from nearly every genre.

  In February 2016, Meg received an award from the readers of the DeSoto Times Tribune naming her as DeSoto County Mississippi’s Best Author 2015.

  Meg’s books are available on Amazon for purchase as a paperback or e-book.

  Learn more about Meg and how to connect with her on social media by going to www.FarrellWrites.com

  Other Books by Meg

  Contemporary Romance

  Children’s Humor

  The Caged Bird is a short story originally published as part of

  an anthology by the Twisted Scribes in 2017.

  Read more thrilling stories from the Carnivale Mystique

  on Amazon, Nook, iTunes, or Kobo.