Mommy's actually written several stories pondering what adventures we have while she and daddy are at work every day. This is the fourth story in what she calls "The Avian Adventures Series." She's considered putting them together into one volume when she has enough stories to do that. Now, pray tell, how many stories would that be? Given that these silly adventures average 3-4 pages a piece, I'd say a lot.
Well, I'm proud of us having worked together on this one and now I proudly bring you an early draft of Avian Aliens!
Luv,
Chloe
Avian Aliens!
“Zack, can you keep it down?” Chloe asked from the back of her cage, where she snuggled against her cozy corner. “I’m trying to get in a power nap before mommy and daddy get home from work.”
“I’m almost there!” Zack said, continuing his voracious chewing. “Soon, we shall behold the secrets that lie within the wooden toy.”
Ollie emitted a series of chirps that sounded like laughter. Zack gave Ollie a warning glare. Ollie squawked and resumed his preening.
“Have at it, big brother,” Chloe said, resting her head against her back for a midafternoon nap.
Zack resumed his chewing and was soon surprised when a piece of wood broke off, exposing the center of the toy. He peered inside and saw what looked like a lever in the center of the toy. Curious, Zack grabbed the lever and pulled it with all of the power in his mighty conure beak. A pink light erupted in the room followed by a bang. Zack disappeared and a large, pink parrot with blue eyes appeared in the center of the room.
“Well, I’ll be darn,” Chloe said. “So that’s what happens when you get to the center of the wooden chew toy!”
“Greetings, Earth birds!” the pink bird said, raising his foot in a standard salutation. “My name is Eeagor. I am from the planet Orthea.”
“It sounds like a pesticide,” Ollie said.
Eeagor turned to stare at Ollie. “Ah, a budgie! And a green and yellow too! Those are the finest specimens. You’ll make a fine addition to our budgie-bot brigade.”
“The budgie-bot brigade? What’s that?” Chloe asked.
“We assimilate our finest budgies into a cybernetic avian lifeform that serve as our defenders and protectors. The one you call ‘Ollie’ is the best specimen we’ve seen in all the worlds we’ve visited.”
“Thank you,” Ollie said, “it’s good to be best at something. I’m the littlest one here.”
“Young friend, you will soon behold power beyond your wildest dreams,” Eeagor said, lifting his foot. Their cage doors opened and Ollie flew into Eeagor’s foot. A metallic talon ejected from Eeagor’s foot and he poised to poke Ollie with it.
“No! Leave my brother alone!” Chloe screamed. Chloe leaped from their cages in a coordinated attack. Chloe grabbed Eeagor from behind with her wickedly-sharp beak, drawing green blood from his neck.
“Ouch! You wicked little hen!” Eeagor yelled, dropping Ollie and turning to Chloe. She stood tall, her beak open and poised for another strike.
“Wow, I haven’t seen her that mad since Zack stepped on her tail!” Ollie said. “Go Chloe! Sock it to him!”
“Come on, pinky! Meet the beak! Say hello to my little friend!” Chloe screamed, her eyes pinpointing and her feathers flaring. Eeagor stared in shock as she charged him, launching across the floor in a blur and jumping headlong into Eeagor. He pounded against the back wall with the force of her hit. They rolled on the floor in a blur of yellow, orange and pink feathers until Chloe pinned Eeagor, pounding him with her beak and breaking open green oozing wounds in his pink feathers. It looked like the battle was won until he emitted a shriek and swung at Chloe with his talon. She knocked against the wall.
“Nobody hurts my sister!” Ollie shouted. “And I’ll never be a budgie-bot!” He grabbed Eeagor’s foot with his beak and lifted him off the floor, slamming Eeagor against furniture and the floor until the metallic talon broke off.
“No, stop! I yield!” Eeagor screamed as blood dribbled from where the talon broke out of his leg.
Chloe ran back to Eeagor, pinning him to the floor with her foot again. “Who do you think you are, coming here and threatening to turn my baby brother into a cyborg bird?”
“I’m trying to free you from the tyranny of those ugly, wretched bipeds!” Eeagor said, staring at the picture on the wall next to Chloe’s cage.
“Those are our parents,” Chloe growled as Ollie climbed into Zack’s cage, studying the toy for the lever.
Eeagor’s blue eyes widened in shock. “But how? You’re birds. They’re human. That’s impossible!”
“We’re adopted, you idiot,” Ollie said from Zack’s cage. “And your time here is over.” He pulled the lever in Zack’s toy. The pink light erupted again with a flash. Eeagor and his talon were gone, along with the green blood and mess on the floor. Zack reappeared in his cage, looking shocked.
“Oh, thank goodness!” Chloe said, climbing back into her cage and pulling the door closed.
“What just happened?” Zack asked. “I was in the strangest place that had pink birds with blue eyes. They had a horde of cybernetic budgies that tied me with something that looked like mommy’s cross stitch yard and carried me through their streets. They said they were taking me to their leader. I was so scared.”
“Are you alright?” Chloe asked.
“I’m fine,” Zack said, breathing heavy. “Are you both okay?”
“We’re fine,” Ollie said. "One of their birds got through. He wanted to make me a budgie-bot, but Chloe and I put up a great fight.”
Zack cackled. “I’ve taught both of you well. Thanks for pulling that lever and bringing me back. Zack gave the toy a punch, sending it swinging. The bottom portion of the toy broke off, severing the switch. “Remind me not to pull any switches inside my toys anymore!”
"I don’t think we’ll have that problem anymore,” Ollie said, climbing out of Zack’s cage and returning to his own.
They were silent as the garage door lifted, signaling that mommy and daddy had returned home from work. “Hi guys! Did you have a good day?” mommy asked, pulling them from their cage.
“Oh, it looks like Zack finished another toy,” daddy said, reaching in to take out the broken wood chew toy. “Goodness, you destroyed that thing! Are you ready for a new toy now, buddy?”
Zack cackled and winked at Chloe and Ollie, who cackled in return. Yes, they were ready for him to have a new toy. One with more fun and fewer surprises this time!