The Songbird

Chapter 5: Only The Beginning

Wakefulness came to Mina in a two-note whistle, cleaving her time spent floating and falling through oblivion.

She eased herself upwards from where she'd lain on the floor, squinting to make out the source of the sound in the low light. The sight of a black and white songbird soon came with clarity, perched on her windowsill and chirping its oblivious little tune, a creature once beloved to her mother and the source of Mina's nickname. She sat transfixed for a moment, gazing at the bird's beady eyes and supposed indifference at her presence, her dishevelment, every ounce of space she took up.

But when memory began to scratch at her mind, Mina's focus was quickly stolen away.

The explosion. The yellow eyes. That last look. The pain in her body, stinging unbearably, a prickling feeling that was strangely absent now...

With a furrowed brow, Mina lifted the hem of her dress to find scratches and bruises still littered across her legs, but when she pressed on them, no pain came forth, no hint of agony or soreness despite the brunt of being knocked backwards and then sleeping punishingly for who knew how long.

Mina decided to count it as good fortune before she held up her right wrist, eyes beholding the red cloth that now looked quite different.

She usually kept the fabric tied in a singular knot, leaving the two ends to dangle with their extra length in a way that made her cloth stand out from the rest. However, it seemed the explosion had blackened a good portion of the longer ends. They were now frayed and brittle, quite close to being burned off. With as much carefulness as she could muster, Mina tucked the ends into the portion at her wrist that remained unscathed, hiding the blackened bits from view.

If the damage to her cloth was discovered, she'd be required to get a new one and dispose of the old. And no matter how the years might try to break it down, she'd never part with it. Refused to do so. Couldn't entertain the thought. Better to let it lose its distinction than lose it in its entirety.

Black edges now hidden, it looked much like anyone else's now. Mina told herself this was good. Ordinance kept it safe.

Looking back to the window and gazing past the bird, Mina judged it to be extremely early in the morning. The sky was still dark, although faint signs of purple seemed to bleed over the distant treetops. With everything that happened, she wasn't sure if Enid would be conducting itself as normal, but memory of losing her tin cup of coins was enough to convince her that she needed to retrieve it. Mina was sure any money she'd made the day before had likely been stolen, but the cup could still be in The Square. At least, Mina hoped so. The last thing she could afford was to buy a new one.

Feeling strangely invigorated by her lack of pain, Mina rose from the floor in a manner quick enough to scare away the songbird at her window. She then gingerly opened her door to the dark morning, wondering what sort of state she'd find Enid in that day.

* * * * *

The streets rang with silence, almost as if nothing living had ever inhabited them. Mina crept alone in the direction of The Joiner's Square, sticking to the shadowed alleyways as she went. Although there was no one out, she couldn't explain the sense of safety by staying out of view.

The walk didn't take long, but had she not made her living in that square for the past fifteen years, Mina wouldn't have recognized the sight before her.

Entire pieces of wood lay strewn everywhere from stand-up shops that had been blown to bits, along with various trinkets sold in the space. Much of the debris was blackened and still smoldered. The air smelled of smoke, and fruit stalls had their produce littered about and forgotten. A mess if she ever saw one, but beyond all of it, she couldn't stop staring at the small circles of silver that dotted the ground.