A/N: This is the end result of four days of grueling work, repeated editing, and many spells of "How should I continue this?" Putting this piece together was a massive challenge, but it was also greatly rewarding. Just after the quote is the good stuff!

I sincerely hope you enjoy it!

"Madness need not be all breakdown. It may also be break-through. It is potential liberation and renewal as well as enslavement and existential death." - R. D. Laing

Happy Birthday!

Rio de Janeiro is a city infamous for its brilliantly sunny days, clear skies, and tantalizing breezes.

One would think that such a festive atmosphere would grow boring over time, but the magic of Rio always injects a fresh current of excitement into every single day. Festivals, celebrations, and parties are made grand and attractive, so that they may be worshiped by locals and tourists alike.

Such dazzling events were never in short supply for the human population, but on this day, a very special feathered individual would take part in one of her own.

While on the way to her hollow, her family was overtaken with a sense of pride and pleasant anxiety at announcing the occasion to her personally.

The lead bird, a strikingly-colored Spix's Macaw by the name of Blu, guided his daughter and two sons cheerily through the heavenly early-morning sky.

Without slowing his flight, he said warmly, "We're almost there, kids. Put some energy into your voices, but try not to give your mother a heart attack, alright?"

Three fluid voices replied, "Sure thing, Dad. We'll make Mom feel special as only her own children can!"

Blu performed a strong nod and asked, "Matthias, how are the orchids doing? They're not crumpled, are they?"

The macaw in question bent his head strongly downwards, surveying the pair of tangerine flowers cradled in his claws. They seemed just as stout and lively as when he had first picked them, slightly after sunrise.

Whipping his head back to its former position, he declared, "They're still perfect, Dad. Mom is going to look so wonderful once she puts them on."

Don't I know it, Blu thought amorously, the image of his angel manifesting in his mind. She was the one he couldn't live without, the one he would die for, the one who had given him everything he could ever ask for.

His heart pumping rapidly from the desire to see her, he flapped his wings even harder, threatening to leave his children behind. As they raced to catch up with him, he burst through a wall of foliage, only to spy the ancient tree that housed the love of his life less than fifty feet away.

His blood churning with his hormones, he streaked across the clearing in 5 seconds flat, braking fiercely to avoid a painful collision with the solid cannonball tree. He went into a hover to the left of the hollow, praying that his wing-beats lacked the volume to rouse her from sleep.

His children soon joined him, their triple stares bloated with positivity and restrained excitement. Being as it was but an hour past sunrise, he knew in his heart she was still dreaming, but the combined flapping of their wings could spoil their secret arrival.

Knowing they had to act fast, Blu spoke in a clipped tone.

"Remember, tell her 'Happy Birthday,' and then give her hugs. Matthias, I'll call you in so you can give her the gifts. You can take a rest on that branch right there."

"Dad, you've gone over this a thousand times! We know what to do!" chided Renato softly.

"I'm just making sure," Blu countered defensively. "This opportunity only comes once a year. Now let's get in there!"

Blu wheeled around to the hole in the trunk and alighted with the stealth of a ghost, carefully scooting away to make room for his son and daughter. Just as he expected, his mate was snoozing in her nest, but her appearance was well beyond usual.

There was not an out-of-place feather anywhere, and they seemed to have been repeatedly combed and straightened. Her tail was luxurious and smooth, graced with a very attractive curve. Her head feathers were stout and sleek, arranged in a heart-fluttering way.

To top it all off, her entire body glistened, as if she had disintegrated a star and showered herself with the fragments.

Blu was nearly melted into a pool of plume-coated slag at the sight, infinitely thankful that such a remarkable creature was forever his.

Oh Jewel, why must you torture me like this? You're so beautiful, so charming... why do I deserve you?

In the wake of the euphoria, threads of suspicion wound into Blu's mind, trailed by waves of good-hearted humor.

She wasn't like this last night. How did she... oh, she must have woken up after I left to round up our children! Knowing today was a big day for her, she must have visited a pond to modify her appearance, in the hopes that I would be overtaken by her divine beauty...

It was then that he realized she was merely pretending to be asleep; he could practically feel her heart buzzing with upbeat agitation due to his proximity.

Chuckling lightly, he mused, You sly angel, you! Always one step ahead of me...

He turned around to study his offspring's expressions, and judging by their bemused masks, they had arrived at the exact same realization as he. Blu motioned silently with his wing for them to stay put, and then he spun around and trudged up to his gleaming mate.

He leaned in close, nudging her head ever-so-slightly with his own.

He then cooed, "The jig is up, my love. The rest of your family has something to tell you..."

Jewel lifted her head, blinking rapidly, a mischievous smile on her face.

"Good morning, handsome. I see you and the kids have figured me out. So, what brings you here on this lovely day?"

As soon as her honey-sweet voice faded, Renato and Carmen hopped forwards and exclaimed, "Happy Birthday, Mom!"

"Why thank you-oh!"

Brother and sister grasped Jewel by her wings and pulled her briskly from the nest, enveloping her in a dual hug. Jewel felt twin rivers of love flowing into from her offspring, truly touching, uplifting sensation.

She gave each of them a peck on the tops of their skulls and said amorously, "Thank you so much, my darlings. Despite all the hard times I had while raising you, you make me feel so proud to be a mother."

They scooted away from her as Blu advanced, planting a tender kiss on her beak and augmenting it with his own meaningful hug. He trained his hazel eyes on her teal ones and smiled his deep smile.

"Happy Birthday, Jewel. You're twenty years old now, and just as gorgeous as ever. When I saw you in the nest, you were like my personal sleeping angel..."

"So you already know I went out and cleaned myself up, just for you?"

Blu nodded sincerely in response, at which point she kissed him again, more deeply than before.

"I knew you would. You've got as much brains as two of me combined, and maybe more. But still, am I really that beautiful?"

"Of course you are, Jewel. Don't ever doubt yourself in my presence."

His tone was not harsh, but encouraging, and her heart did a flip inside her chest.

He drew in a breath and continued, "I don't care how much Rafael talks about Eva being the most beautiful bird in the world. In my book, she's second place compared to you."

Jewel would have blushed if she possessed the ability to do so. The next best thing she could do to make her feelings known was affect a sheepish grin and turn away.

"Oh Blu, stop it! You're making me feel all mushy inside..."

Eager to change the subject, she peered past her son and daughter, finally noting the absence of her second male child.

"Where's Matthias? Did he not make it? Is he sick or something?"

As if to answer her curious questions, a deep blue shape popped into the hollow, sending a gust of wind throughout the confined space.

"Happy Birthday, Mom!" he shrieked, launching himself at Jewel with unnecessary force.

"Oof! Thanks so much, son! But I have to ask, did you have a sugary breakfast this morning?"

He pulled back and countered, "No, I haven't. I'm just happy to see you! Dad was right, you look marvelous."

She revolved halfway and looked at Blu, who shrugged and stated, "It seems that he's more like me than we think..."

She faced her exuberant son again as Blu said, "Matthias, I believe you have on your person something belongs to your mother."

Matthias nodded in agreement and said, "Mom, close your eyes, please,"

She did so while asking, "Did you bring me food?"

"Patience, Jewel. You shall see soon enough."

When Jewel felt her head feathers being tousled with, she formulated a solid conclusion as to why.

"Just a few more seconds... there! Open your eyes, honey!"

Jewel obeyed Blu's orders, and much to her delight, observed the petals of not one, but two orchids dangling just inside her field of vision. They were both tinted a bright orange hue, akin to the fiery color of the sea during a Rio sunset.

Without a mirror, she could not truly see the extent of the flowers' arrangement, but her gut told her that they only added to the glory of her appearance. She whirled around to her mate, bubbling with internal joy.

"Are these presents... for me?" she queried brightly.

"Correct, Jewel. It's not much, only a prelude to the more substantial gifts that await you at the sanctuary."

Shaking her head to denounce him, she replied, "Come on, Blu, don't be so modest! I admire them so much. Really, I do. But the best birthday present you can give me is not something you can hold, if you know what I mean..."

Puzzled, Blu rubbed his cranium with his wing, confusion laced in his words.

"Uh, I'm not following you, honey. Surely you aren't talking about... you know..."

Always one to jump to that conclusion. For being such a nerd bird, he really does have his blond moments...

"No, Blu, I'm not. You think I would mention that in front of the kids? Come on, think... less deep than that. What gave us the strength to create them? Hm?"

Emboldened by her clues, Blu seemed to catch her drift.

"Oh, I understand now!"

Blu recovered from his burst of enlightenment and declared, "I love you, Jewel."

"That's what I like to hear. I love you too, Blu..."

They engaged in a sultry kissing session, much to the dismay of the younger macaws.

Renato gruffly cleared his throat and stated, "Mom, Dad? Uh... sanctuary, presents, party! Do you want to keep them waiting?"

His convincing pleas served to end Blu and Jewel's oral union quite effectively. While Blu sighed in the afterglow, Jewel glared at him seriously.

"Snap out of it, Blu! Matthias is right. We do need to get going."

She pressed her beak up against his ear and muttered stealthily, "Tonight, when we have more free time... and privacy, we can pick up where we left off. Sound good?"

Blu returned back to a state of normalcy at her enticing offer.

"Very well, my love. You are the birthday girl, so lead the way!"

Blu gave her a string of pats on her back, albeit closer to her tail than her neck.

Grinning coyly, she meandered past her children and launched herself out of the tree. Blu was the second to leave, while the three youngest macaws exploded from the hollow in unison.

Jewel had decelerated so that her mate could catch up, and once he was by her side, she increased her pace once more. Blu spent nearly as much time navigating as he did staring at his mate, entranced by how much more complete and youthful she looked in flight, compared to her former state in the hollow.

"I dare say that Linda and her family are going to be quite surprised by how splendid you look."

"If it helps me receive more presents, then I'm all for it!"

Tickled by the thought, they shared a hearty laugh.

Blu was indeed excited for the coming celebration, but his mate even more so. The presents and delicious food were part of the reason she yearned to go, but the other reason was much more important.

In the five years that she and Blu had been together as fabled chained-together-birds, the humans at the sanctuary had become her second family. Though they would never be able to replace her flesh-and-blood parents and sister, who vanished all those years ago, she had willingly developed a soft spot for them.

They all truly loved her – even Tulio, who she had grown to appreciate, despite her questionable opinions of him – and it was now part of her nature to return their honest love for her.

With a human family on one end, and a family of her own species on the other, she was truly happy, and would remain that way until she breathed her last breath.

Discovering the ivory facade of the sanctuary rather quickly, they hurriedly slipped inside through a retracted window solely for their use. Just inside the front door they touched down, their landings muffled completely by the lush gray carpet.

While the monotone floor was quite dull, the walls and ceiling were anything but.

Twisted crepe paper criss-crossed the living room – the only room they could fully observe from their vantage point, given the layout of the building. Loose balloons pressed against the ceiling here and there, their hues ranging from navy blue to aquamarine.

All the lights were off in the building, though the natural sunlight streaming in was more than an adequate substitute.

Rather unnerving, however, was the cloak of silence that draped the interior. Save for the dissonant breathing of the five macaws, nothing else was audible.

"Blu," Jewel whispered cautiously, "I just know they're here somewhere. I can feel them. What do I do?"

Blu gave her a telling nudge and replied, "Ah, but that is for you to figure out, my dear. An American birthday harbors many rituals and traditions. Being as this is your first, I shall not ruin the... experience."

Jewel hopped once, twice, but froze when she did not sense Blu beside her. She turned around hastily, trying to keep herself from shaking.

"Blu, I'm nervous. Will you at least come with me? Please?"

Blu rolled his eyes in displeasure, but ultimately relented, skipping over to her.

"If you insist, Jewel. But everything is going to be fine. Now walk."

Blu took hold of her left wing with his right, leading her slowly and steadily towards the kitchen. Their children padded along less than a foot behind, raking the room with apprehensive gazes.

Blu guided his antsy mate to within 6 inches of the living room/kitchen boundary and halted.

"And now... we wait," he said stoically.

Not ten seconds after his gentle chirp, the kitchen was rapidly brought into sharp detail by a burst of golden light from overhead. Immediately following the visual assault, a four-strong group of humans charged from the far end of the kitchen and shouted, "Surprise!"

The double whammy of abrupt stimulation sent Jewel over the edge, causing her to shriek loudly and skitter away from Blu.

Her chest puffing from the shock and her pupils dilated, she narrowed her eyes at Blu.

"What... was that? Talk about... giving me a heart attack! You Americans are crazy!"

Their children, amused by the affair and Jewel's rash reaction, could only snicker. Blu trotted up to her and attempted to placate her with his wings.

"It's all over, Jewel. You can calm down now. That's just how we do things back in the States!"

She managed to control her frenzied muscles, but her harsh expression did not fade. She lifted a wing and pointed at Tulio judgmentally.

"What about him? He's not American! Why would he, the studious ornithologist, agree to this?"

"Because he's married to Linda, that's why. I don't think he liked it either, but for her sake, he went along with the idea. They didn't mean to frighten you, but I can tell them to tone it down for next time. Do you want me to do that?"

True, she was displeased at the shock and awe the maneuver induced in her, but Blu's words rang true just the same. They had not meant to harm her – not physically, at least – and her mate's embrace had worked well in restoring her calm persona.

"No... it's alright. I see your point. But, it may take me a few years to get used to this."

"I'm glad to hear that. Now, is the birthday girl ready to experience the true fun of her party?"

"Why wait?" was her simple response.

She pried herself away from Blu and approached the humans, who created a living path for her to follow as they stood aside. She popped into the air and landed on the table, her gaze landing on a large white rectangle bordered on three sides with a small bunch of ornately wrapped boxes.

Blu dropped in moments later and slid her aside to make room for the remaining three macaws. Once all five birds were accounted for, Linda patted Jewel cheerfully, then moved on to the rest of her feathered family.

Once she was done, she smiled and asked, "So, Jewel, would you like to try some cake and ice cream, or would you rather open your presents first?"

Naturally, all Jewel saw was her mouth moving, streaming out unintelligible noises in the process.

"Uh, a little help here, Blu. What did she say?"

"She asked whether you want to eat first, or open your presents first. It's your call, honey," he said pointedly.

Her eyes darted back and forth between the singular white box and the ring of carefully-wrapped gifts hemming it in. Needless to say, she was cast into a bout of heavy indecision.

Though she had no clue what "cake" and "ice cream" were, except that they were American creations, she was in the dark about the presents as well.

"I uh... just don't know! Give me a minute, okay?"

"Take all the time you need, honey."

Blu faced his owner and released a short squawk, causing her to reply with an understanding nod.

The style of cake that lay concealed in the box was tempting, but so were the hidden prizes, inedible, but still enthralling in their own right.

Her pre-sunrise cleanup session had robbed her of a significant amount of energy, and knowing that Blu would show up not much later, she had skipped breakfast. She felt a small void in her gut, a void that could only be filled with tangible nourishment.

"I haven't eaten since yesterday, so now would be a great time to nourish myself."

"Good choice, honey. Let me tell Linda."

Blu raised his wing and tapped the rectangular cake container several times, a motion that Linda promptly decoded.

"I admire your thinking, Jewel. As a matter of fact, I am in the mood for some sugar too! Tulio, get Vanessa seated while I get the lighter, would you?"

"Sure thing, Linda," replied her husband.

While Linda fished around in the drawers beneath the sink for a decent lighter, Tulio guided his daughter over to a chair to the right of the presents.

Fernando plunked himself down to their left, while Tulio sat down between the two on Blu and Jewel's side of the table.

Linda soon returned to her former spot, brandishing a black and red object in her right hand.

She flipped the lid of the container open, filling the air with a cloud of sugary goodness. Linda struggled to produce a flame, to which Jewel paid no attention to at the moment.

Beneath the powerful, strange overtones, Jewel detected a scent that had been known to her from a very young age. She sniffed the air a few times before locking eyes with her mate.

"Blu, I smell mangoes!"

Blu sucked in a few bursts of air and replied, "So do I! Tulio and Linda must have put them in the cake just for you. They-"

"Sorry to interrupt, handsome, but what is cake? And what about ice cream?"

"Oh, cake is a dessert confection composed of a central bread core surrounded by flavored, sugary toppings and icing, but they can be much more complicated than that. Ice cream is just a semi-solid foam made from milk and cream, and just like cake, has lots of sugar."

"Sounds delicious!"

"Trust me, it is, but sugar rushes are common. I've had many of those back in Minnesota, much to Linda's irritation. Ah, those were the days. Anyways, why don't we watch Linda light the candles?"

He wordlessly eased her over to the left side of the box as Linda was finally able to procure a flame from the decrepit lighter.

Twenty short sticks emerged from the surface of the cake, tipped with small white wicks. But that was not all.

In a hue identical to Jewel's feathers read the words: "Para araras ameaçadas só!" {For endangered macaws only!}

Beneath the humorous sentence was another that read: "Feliz Aniversário, Perla!" {Happy Birthday, Jewel!}

Amazed by the simplicity, Jewel said enthusiastically, "Wow, that's so neat! A little note for me in Portuguese. And twenty candles, for all twenty years I've been alive. You Americans sure are clever!"

"That we are, honey..." said Blu in agreement.

Once Linda was done, both adult macaws could plainly feel the heat flooding the local area, but it did not deter them.

Linda tapped her macaw on the shoulder and declared, "See if Jewel can blow out the candles. Oh, but she has to make a wish first."

He complied, translating the statement to her: "Make a wish, and then blow out the candles, Jewel. Those are the last rituals standing in the way of our dessert."

"What should I wish for? Is it ever going to come true?"

Rolling his eyes, Blu replied, "You may wish for anything you desire, my love. It may or may not come true, but it doesn't hurt to try!"

He capped off his statement with a wink.

Closing her eyes and squinting, she set her silent decree loose on the wings of a dove, sighing once the deed was done. Moving on to the next stage, she faced the glowing candles, briefly mystified by how they weren't melting.

Try as she might, she could only force a petty stream of air from her. After nearly a minute of trying, she turned to her mate, discouraged.

"I can't do it! It's my biology, isn't it?"

"Correct, Jewel. Our air sacs do not store air like human lungs. We basically inhale and exhale simultaneously. I suppose you'll have to use your wings."

Jewel scanned the faces of Fernando, Linda, Tulio, and Vanessa, seeing only four upbeat, anxious expressions. Facing her cake, she lifted her wings and flapped them once.

The rolling disturbance smothered all twenty flames, at which point all the humans clapped and hollered with glee.

While Linda began plucking the burnt-out sticks from their turf, Jewel chuckled and declared, "This 'candle ritual' sure is weird! All this applause makes me feel like... a chick."

Blu laid his wing upon her back and replied, "That's part of the legacy, Jewel. It teaches you to embrace your youthfulness, rather than worry about your age."

"That sounds like a solid reason. Gosh, American culture is way more interesting than I originally imagined."

"Indeed it is, Jewel. If you are keen to learn about it in the future, I'll always be here to teach you."

"I'll be sure to let you know..."

After laying the sticky candles out on a napkin, Linda scurried over to the dish-drainer and plucked up a fearsome knife.

Returning to the dessert, she asked the most important question that could be asked at a party such as this: "Who wants cake?"

Both the macaws and humans alike professed their desires, whether by speaking or squawking.

She proceeded to cut the dessert into both human-sized and macaw-sized squares, finishing by the time the cacophony died down.

All five macaws were given a three inch by three inch piece on a paper plate, each square fully coated with strawberry icing – and much to Jewel's pleasure, studded with moist mango slices.

Jewel noticed all eyes on her before she bit into her piece, sowing seeds of curiosity in her soul.

"Why is everyone staring at me?" she asked to no one in particular.

Blu obliged her by answering, "We're waiting for you to take a bite. Go ahead, it's not poisoned!"

She leaned down and carved out a small chunk with her beak, but before she could pull back, she felt a shove from behind.

Her entire face was driven into the cake, and when she stood back up, small patches of blue could be seen through her strawberry makeup. All the humans gasped in shock, which devolved into restrained laughter.

Matthias and Carmen glared at their brother, the culprit, and then their father.

Everyone except Jewel was drawing humor from the event, and so, after swallowing, she turned to the bird she deemed responsible: Blu.

With a swift motion, she drove his head into the waiting dessert in front of him without a hint of regret.

He jerked back in shock and stuttered, "J-Jewel, I d-didn't do it! It w-was Renato!"

"Oh really? My apologies..."

In a strong voice, she ordered, "Carmen, Matthias, would you please take care of your brother?"

"Yes, Mom, we will."

She turned around after her second son let out a "Hey!" to find his face splatted with icing. She praised them with a nod before dunking them into their cakes with her wings, thus completing the set.

Rich bubbles of laughter swelled from the humans, and the macaws were not far behind.

Linda, Tulio, and Fernando all gulped down two slices of the sixteen inch by sixteen inch delicacy each, along with one scoop of vanilla bean ice cream per person. Five year old Vanessa only consumed half of her square and one scoop of frozen custard as well.

Its exceedingly rich composition dissuaded any of the macaws from wholly consuming their squares, and so they filled their bellies the rest of the way by sharing the remainder of the ice cream tub.

Blu, who was wary and ate in moderation, avoided the dreaded brain-freeze, while the rest of his family suffered. He assured them that the chilling sensation would eventually pass, defending himself by using the phrase: "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!"

Being as the macaws' – and especially Jewel's – sugar rushes had yet to take over, the time came for Jewel to unwrap her gifts.

Four randomly-shaped packages beckoned to the delighted female macaw, one from each member of Linda's family.

Jewel first ripped open Linda's present using her beak and claws – a very entertaining sight for those around her. Out of the squat container emerged a plushy crimson scarf patterned with macaw-like shapes.

Linda had knitted the scarf entirely by hand, admitting that forming the delicate bird shapes was a healthy challenge.

Tulio's package held a small green blanket, a rose-colored pillow, and for what it was worth, a sizable oval mirror, to be used for outfitting their bland, featureless hollow.

Fernando's ran along the same lines, being a spherical golden bell akin to the one Blu so enjoyed back in Minnesota.

Vanessa's surprise for Jewel – which was purchased on her behalf by her parents – turned out to be small bowl for holding food and/or water.

Jewel poured much praise on her grateful companions for the enticing, down-to-earth provisions, but taped to the underside of the bowl was a folded slip of paper.

Vanessa carefully peeled it off and handed it to Jewel, who was deeply curious as to who it belonged. Carefully unfurling it, she rested it down on the table in front of her, realizing that it was a poem of some sort. Blu had graciously taught her how to read over that past five years, a skill she would put to good use now.

Focusing her vision, she studied the lines one by one.

We are two birds, chained together. Will you stay beside me? Can we make it forever?

You told me once, only the strongest survive. So by the end of it, will I be alive?

The only thing that makes me weak, is the love I feel and the words I speak. The only thing that makes me strong is knowing that, in my heart, there's somewhere you belong.

You'd say that I could make it, you'd tell me to fly. But if one has to go, I'll be the one to die.

If trapped, I won't breath. You'd choke once, then leave.

We are two birds, and I'd try to make it through, just to fly towards heaven and spend my time with you...

She was nearly brought to tears by the poem, somehow finding the strength to look up at Blu, her eyes damp.

"Blu, this is... so magical! Thank you so much. I... love you..."

She squeezed Blu in a tight hug, and even as he informed her he needed to breath, she was reluctant to release her hold.

When she finally scooted away, Blu inhaled mightily and said, "I love you too, Jewel, and I mean everything that said. Trouble is, I... can't finish it. Not yet at least. I've been working on it for a week, but a proper ending has eluded me."

"Don't worry about that right now, handsome. It'll come to you in time. Those words mean a lot to me, but you, you mean so much more..."

Jewel's eyes had begun to leak tears, and so Blu pulled her close with his wings.

Linda's family let out a collective "Awww" at the endearing sight.

Blu, cradling Jewel like a mother with her newborn child, stared into her rich teal eyes and then kissed her...

Since the indoor celebrations had come to a heartfelt conclusion, the nine-strong group of beings trekked out the back door and proceeded to burn off some energy frolicking about behind the sanctuary.

While Linda, Tulio, Fernando, and Vanessa romped in a game of tag, the macaws did the same, albeit in three dimensions.

The volcanoes of energy gifted by the macaws' well-timed sugar rushes increased their endurance greatly, and it was past high noon before their bodies grew fatigued.

As the humans and the younger macaws filed back inside to recuperate, Blu and Jewel remained on the shaded back porch to spend some quality time together.

Halfway through a mildly-detailed discussion about how they planned to spend their evening, Jewel fell under the spell of a terribly upset stomach.

At first, Blu attributed it to the humid atmosphere, and so he ushered Jewel inside. The refreshing change of environment did little to ease her plague. Spikes of pain ran up her spine every few seconds, and her stomach would not stop gurgling.

She attempted to revive the conversation and ignore her symptoms, but her body refused to hide its ailments. Clutching her midsection, she fought back a dry heave.

"Blu... I think I'm... gonna be sick..."

With a hard mask of worry on his face, he swaddled her with his wing and asked, "Do you want Tulio to treat you? I am sure he has a variety of medicines capable of arresting your-"

Shaking her head weakly, she countered, "No. Can you... escort me to... the toilet?"

Her choice of venue confounded Blu, but he shoved his confusion away, for her sake.

"Whatever you say, Jewel. I'll walk slow, okay?"

Holding back another dry heave, she could only nod pathetically.

The humans were too engrossed with the TV to even hear Jewel's plight, but their three children weren't. Even so, Blu refused their help, informing them that he could handle the situation by himself. They returned to their former spots, eying their parents solemnly.

Once they reached the bathroom, finding the door cracked open enough to where they could squeeze their way in, Blu led Jewel to the toilet. She clambered up onto the seat and threw a pitiful look at her mate.

"Do you want me to leave? I have no problem with-"

"No, you're fine. I'll be done... in a minute..."

Subjecting herself to the whims of her insides, she vomited repeatedly into the bowl, coughing up a reddish-white slurry of half-digested cake and ice cream.

Blu cringed repeatedly every time she did so, depressed that his mate was in such a disastrous state.

After five cycles of puking her stomach out, she half-fluttered, half-fell to the floor, weary, but minutely relieved. Blu took the liberty of flushing the toilet before sailing down to her.

"How are you feeling, Jewel?"

"Ugh... better than I was two minutes ago..."

"You know, vomiting can lead to dehydration and depletion of electrolytes. It would be wise for you to drink some water," he said urgently.

"I'd like that," she replied weakly.

The bathroom offered a readily-accessible source of the vital fluid, and so he grasped her with his wings and hoisted her up to the sink. He dutifully turned the handles to release a tepid mix of hot and cold water, which Jewel carefully sucked up.

Once she had replenished herself, he ferried her down back to level ground and began the journey back to the living room.

Little did he or Jewel know, Vanessa had other plans.

They had not hobbled one foot down the hall when Linda's daughter stomped up to them, giggling loudly. Having an American mother and a Brazilian father allowed her to soak up the language of each respective territory, though her Portuguese accent was respectable.

"Hi Blu! Hi Jewel! I want to play with you!"

Jewel was in no condition to be potentially manhandled by Vanessa, who lacked the restraint and control that maturity bestowed. Jewel began to tremble with fear as the towering child stepped closer and closer.

"Blu... get Linda... or Tulio. There's no telling what... she'll do to us!"

"But Jewel, I can't leave you here! She could really hurt you!"

Jewel slowly pushed him away, saying, "If you're fast enough... Linda will come and take her away!"

Compelled to carry out her wishes, he turned and lifted his wings for flight. By then, it was already too late.

Vanessa snatched him up, plastering his wings against his body with her iron grip. She shoved him under her arm to muffle any audible protests, starving him for oxygen in the process.

Seconds after his capture, however, he was thrown to the ground, skidding across the tile floor of the bathroom he had recently exited. Now angered with Vanessa's uncouth actions, he dashed for the exit, his rage turning to horror as he realized she was closing it.

His feet could not find purchase on the cold surface, and so he ended up colliding with the already-sealed door. He had a flawless idea of who her next target was: his sickly mate.

"Oh no! Jewel, she trapped me in the bathroom! Linda! Tulio! Get me out of here!"

He frantically searched for an escape route, but sadly, there were none. He resumed pounding the door and squawking, but his owner and her family were so far down the hall, his cries went unanswered.

Jewel was plucked up by the rogue child moments later, her acid-scorched throat nullifying any efforts she made to squawk.

She was carried just down the hall to an alien room, one she didn't even know existed. After her captor walked inside, Jewel was brusquely tossed into a steel cylinder bearing three plastic fins.

Due to the jostling, both of her orchids had been dislodged, drifting to the ground a foot in front of the machine.

Vanessa abruptly slammed the hatch as she tried to squirm out, then peered in at her past the convex glass.

"You are a turkey, Jewel. Just like Mommy did, I am going to cook you! Make you nice and tasty!"

Jewel could only watch as she reached up and fiddled with something on the outside of her prison. The monster child then dashed off, and Jewel was able to detect the dull thud of the nearby door being shut.

Did she say she was going to "cook me?" What did she put me in?

Jewel glanced around, spying bits of colored fuzz caked to the white plastic shapes.

A startling realization literally robbed her breath away: Oh no, she put me in the... dryer! Oh God, please, help me!

Before she could fully grasp her predicament, the cylinder began to rotate at a fair speed.

Jewel was knocked off of her feet by a fin, carried halfway up the side, and then dropped back to the bottom of the space, only to be struck again as the drum revolved.

She could already feel a sore bruise developing on her back as she was knocked around, and only seconds later, another manifested on her side.

Desperate to avoid the barrage of blows, she fought her way to the back of the drum, noting the perforated rear wall. With one faithful jump, she fastened her claws into the holes, infinitely thankful that her perch remained stationary.

This can't be happening! Not to me! What did I ever to to that girl? If I make it out of here alive, God forbid I get my claws on her...

The persistent ache of her numerous bruises, coupled with the energy drain the vomiting placed upon her, was nearly too much for Jewel. She felt her grip on the metal slipping, but she forcefully summoned up the will to remain attached.

She locked on with her beak as an added measure of ensuring she didn't fall back down into the revolving pit of abuse.

She felt a seed of hope take hold in her mentality as she realized she could just wait out the terrible ride. In the midst of her revelation, she had forgotten the second ability of the dryer, the main technique it used to sap the moisture from clothing: heat.

True to form, as she stared at the rear of her prison, she was soon buffeted by a stream of desiccating wind. It was not like the humid stickiness that frequented Rio; it was a parching river of bone-dry air that one would encounter in a desert.

With her core temperature rising by the minute, Jewel found herself trapped between an evil she could avoid, and an evil she could not.

It's so hot in here, I feel like I'm baking in my feathers! What do I do? Please, anybody, what do I do? Am I going to die in here, on the very same day I was born? No no no, I can't die! I can't leave my children, and I can't leave my mate...

Her survival instincts shifted into overdrive as a last-ditch effort to assist in her breakout.

She glided over to the glass window and perched precariously on the rubber seal. Jewel could see the latch that connected with the outside handle through a slit next to the hatch.

Reaching her foot up, she worked her talon into the gap and wiggled it around. Her talon would catch and tug on the metal tongue, but it wasn't thick enough to impart the required force.

On her fourth try, her talon became pinched by the tongue, and when she wrenched it back, its entire length was torn from it bed. As a bolt of white hot pain surged up her leg, she screamed in agony.

As an endless chain of scarlet globules stained the interior, she began ramming her beak against the clear window, the two healthy orchids beckoning to her from down below.

Freedom is... only but a few... inches away, and here I am... being cooked alive... with no way out!

The cranial blows were sucking away her consciousness with each strike, coercing her into bashing the barrier that much harder. A small spider-like crack appeared after her tenth strike, spreading out minutely every time she connected.

The material was unyielding, however, only allowing the fissures to spread without the substance breaking apart. By the time the sinuous cracks extended a third of the way across the window, Jewel was beginning to momentarily black out.

This is... unreal! Shatter, damn you! I can't keep this up... much longer...

Jewel defended herself against the black sea that was inching over her vision long enough to cast off two more blows, and then her resistance collapsed.

She lost her grip on the rubber strip, falling to the floor in a crushing, agonizing daze. As the fins battered her body rhythmically, she was unable to hang on to her consciousness.

As her head swam sickeningly, her sense of vision vanished into a dark void, never to resurface.

The last thought that ran through her tortured brain was: Blu, kids, I am sorry, but I can't take anymore. I am going to die... in a dryer... murdered by Linda's own daughter... at only twenty years of age. If there is a heaven for birds... I'll wait for you there. If not, then... this is goodbye. I love... you... all...

The adverse effects of her highly-elevated temperature slowly worked their deadly magic on her system.

Most of her internal organs were being degraded at a sluggish pace, but her most important one was not faring as well.

By the thousands, the neurons in her brain were shriveling up and shutting down, damaged beyond repair by the heat waves bouncing around inside her skull...

Blu and Jewel's children were pleasantly distracted by the Portuguese news on the TV, but inklings of worry were present in their minds. Their parents had been gone for some time, longer than they thought necessary.

Surely their mother couldn't be that sick, but what if her condition had worsened?

Also an oddity was the fact that, shortly after their parents had entered the bathroom, Vanessa emerged from the hall and claimed she was playing "Cook the turkey."

They could not deduce the meaning of the obscure statement, but since she was only five, they failed to take her seriously. Tulio and Linda had asked her to clarify what she had done, but she seemed coy, responding with a sweet, "Nothing, Mom and Dad!"

The young macaws tried to shake their suspicion away in the wake of her confession, but to no avail. With each passing minute, their suspicion only grew in magnitude.

During a commercial, Carmen happened to be the one who voiced her concerns.

Gathering the attention of her brothers, she stated, "I think we need to check up on Mom and Dad. I can sense in my mentality that something just isn't right with them."

"I agree," chimed Matthias. "Let's check the bathroom."

They hopped from the edge of the couch and sought out the hall, plodding on towards it nervously. By the time the rounded the corner from the living room and into the carpeted stretch, they could plainly hear a thumping noise ahead of them.

"What's that?" asked Renato simply.

"It could be Dad. We need to investigate!" responded Carmen.

The trio of macaws traced the thumping to a closed beige door, unsure of what could be lurking behind it that could make such a racket.

Renato knocked on it with his beak, only to hear a strained – yet familiar – voice.

"Kids, is that you? Please, get Linda and Tulio, now! Vanessa locked me in here, and she did something with your mother!"

A train of dizzying thoughts ran through their heads as they tried to figure out why Vanessa had done this to him, and where their mother could have been taken.

"Dad, are you alright? How long-"

His sharp tone interrupted her mid-query: "This is no time for idle talk, Carmen. Do as I say!"

Silently complying, they dashed back over to the leather couch, squawking and flapping their wings. The commotion seemed to jar the humans from their reverie, and they sprang from their seats moments later.

Tulio knelt down in front of them and asked, "What is going on with you three? Is something wrong?"

Being as their pleading shrieks were meaningless to him, he turned to his wife for help.

"Do you know where Blu and Jewel are?" Linda queried.

The macaws merely raised their wings and pointed to the hall before hopping off convincingly.

"I think we better follow them, dear," said Linda. "I think they're trying to warn us that something is wrong."

All four bipedal beings trailed the frenzied birds, clueless as to why they were acting so riled up. As they came to a stop in front of the bathroom, the macaws squawked strongly, to which a creature behind the door responded meekly with his own.

Linda could recognize that tenor din anywhere.

"Tulio, Blu's behind the door!"

The ornithologist straightened his glasses at the sound of the outlandish statement.

"Why on Earth would he trap himself in there? Better yet, how?"

Grasping the bronze handle, she replied, "We're about to find out, dear."

She eased the beige partition open slowly, giving Blu ample time to back away. The comet-blue bird stuck out like a sore thumb on the drab white floor, and needless to say, his owner abducted him before anyone could blink.

Cradling his disheveled body, she asked strongly, "Blu, what happened? Who did this to you?"

He squirmed out of her grasp and perched on her arm, pointing an accusatory wing at Vanessa. Her face twisted into a scowl, finding it hard to believe that her sweet daughter was capable of such mistreatment.

"This is no time to play games, Tyler Blu Gunderson. She would never do such a thing! Now come on, who really stuffed you in here?"

Blu grew very angry, releasing a guttural squawk that somewhat frightened his owner. He broke away from her and sailed to the ground, where his children were waiting with irritated expressions.

"Ugh, she doesn't believe me! No matter, we have to find your mother. Perhaps then she'll see I'm telling the truth."

"We saw Vanessa come running into the living room after you dealt with Mom. She claimed she was playing 'Cook the turkey.' Does that help you in any way?"

"Hmmm, I don't know, daughter. But in this hall is the best place to look. Spread out and search!"

"You got it, Dad. Don't worry, we'll find Mom in no time."

"I sure hope so..."

At the far end lay Fernando and Vanessa's bedroom, opposite of Tulio and Linda's. Matthias and Renato volunteered to scour those rooms, but after five minutes of calling Jewel's name, they realized she wasn't in either.

Going out of order, Blu took it upon himself to inspect the control room and aviary, soon realizing it was a fruitless one.

The bathroom had obviously only contained Blu, and so the only space left to check was behind the door to the right of it and left of the aviary entrance.

His insides laden with apprehension, Blu slipped inside the washroom, the rest of the group poised at the threshold. His heart twisted as he caught sight of Jewel's flowery gifts resting innocently in front of the silent dryer.

What the? Why would she take them out? Oh no, Vanessa... she must have sequestered Jewel away in this very room!

His heart racing, he rose into the air, scouring every nook and cranny he could find for signs of his mate. He checked in the laundry baskets filled with clothes, and she wasn't there. He scanned the closet that held the central cooling unit, still no dice. He pried open the washer and peered into the tub, leaving empty-winged a third time.

The dryer was the final place she could be hiding, but that seemed as ludicrous as Vanessa chucking her into the washer.

Perhaps Vanessa carried her off to another location. But where? If Jewel forged a means to escape, why hasn't she returned? God, could you please grant me the strength to find my mate? I am deeply worried about her well-being...

Not wanting to leave any stone unturned, Blu touched down on top of the old-style machine and leaned over, but not so far as to jeopardize his grip.

Had he been hooked up to an EKG, he would have flat-lined.

Though the interior was distorted due to the convex shape of the glass, the still form inside the dryer was tinted unlike any other bird on Earth.

In that instant, one menacing phrase ate away at his brain: "Cook the turkey."

Vanessa did... honor her word. But in place of a turkey, she roasted... my mate...

As Blu's physical and emotional states came crashing down like collapsing monuments, he tumbled to the chilled tile with a muffled smack. His head swam viciously, devouring his will to stand, and he felt like vomiting.

"Blu, are you okay? What did you see?"

Linda pounded over to him, sending rhythmic vibrations up into his body.

Fearing the absolute worst, she reached out and grasped the latch, knowing that the cause of her pet's reaction lay nestled inside. She swung the glass lid open as far as it would go, shut her eyes, and searched aimlessly with her hands.

Her left hand contacted a soft shape pulsing with heat, prompting her to establish a hold on the feathery form. She slowly guided her hands out of the machine, and as astounded gasps filled her ears, she blinked open her eyes.

There, cupped in her hands, lay none other than Jewel.

The female was polka-dotted with bruises from head to tail, and no matter how hard Linda stared, she never twitched or squawked. Adding another layer of despair to the sight was that Jewel's body was overheated to an alarming degree.

As she inspected the limp macaw's lower body, she noticed that her right foot only bore two talons, as the right front one was non-existent. Her foot was covered with crimson, and as Linda rubbed it, flakes of dried blood cascaded from Jewel's foot.

"No... please no..." she moaned, her internal floodgates bursting and releasing torrents of tears.

Linda laid Jewel's marred body next to Blu, then covered her face with her hands, sobbing loudly. The male macaw struggled to his feet, unable to peel his eyes from his mate's dilapidated appearance.

He nudged her once, but she did not react. He nudged her again, imbuing the act with more force, but the results were the same.

"Jewel, honey, please wake up... please..."

He propped her head with his wings, his tears pattering onto her black-and-blue chest. Her eyelids were tightly sealed shut, her beak minutely open, and the notion that they would never move again turned him inside out.

Jewel, don't tell me you're dead. You can't be dead... I need you...

As Blu's consciousness began to lose power, he sensed light puffs of air tickling his face. He craned his head down to investigate, and he could just make out the whispers of her breathing. Resting his face upon her damp chest, the faint pulsing of her meekly-beating heart was picked up by his ears.

Despite these discoveries, the little hope Blu conjured was short-lived.

Judging by how dangerously high her body temperature was, coupled with her idol-like unresponsiveness, persuaded him she was in a coma.

My poor Jewel... she might as well be dead. She may never extricate herself out of her comatose state. May the Lord rest your soul...

His own soul could no longer bear the mortifying sight his eyes channeled to it, and Blu lapsed into a state of unconsciousness. As he and Jewel slumped to the floor, Tulio strode sadly over to them and scooped up the sweltering female.

Detecting his footfalls, Linda revealed her salt-stained face to the others.

"Vanessa... Anne... Monteiro! Do not... lie to me. Did you... or did you not... do that to Jewel?"

The toddler, her way barred by her family's bodies, stared at the floor, utterly defeated.

Sniffling, she whimpered, "Y-yes, Mommy. I'm so... sorry! I was just... playing..."

As the gravity in her words pressed heavily upon everyone's souls, the distraught mother rose to her feet and approached her daughter.

"I... can't believe you! Go to your room. You have no clue how much... trouble you are in!"

Linda spun her daughter around and roughly urged her past the others. In a clipped voice, Tulio asked, "Linda, don't go easy on her..."

"I won't. You just... focus on... treating Jewel..."

Mother and daughter vanished into Fernando's room, sealing themselves off via a forceful door slam.

The trio of macaws at Tulio's feet hobbled over to their father and prodded him until he awoke. By the time his vision cleared, Tulio was already gone.

"Dad, what's going to happen now?" asked a heartbroken Renato.

"For all my intelligence, I... don't have an answer. Your mother... may never see the light of day again. But even if she's the recipient of a miracle, she'll never be the same. Her organs... her brain... were bombarded with so much heat..."

As Blu cried madly into his wings, Matthias, Renato, and Carmen swaddled him in a hug, the only power they could wield to assuage their father's trauma.

They, too, joined him in the lachrymose affair, but their plight was nowhere near as stifling as his.

Minimally comforted by their fuzzy wings, Blu felt like his soul had been shoved into a blender, lit on fire, and eviscerated. He was drowning in a lake of despair so vast, he could hardly breathe enough to force out his cries.

Less than an hour ago, my Jewel was celebrating one of the happiest snapshots in her life, and now... battered and broken, she is barely clinging to life. Why did this have to happen? Will somebody please answer me? Jewel, you are my everything and I can't live without you! Promise me you'll keep fighting. Promise me you won't die...

Tulio wandered into his vacant lab like a zombie, all but convinced that the female macaw had endured systemic atrocities even his skilled hands could not repair. She had cooled off considerably by the time he had collected the necessary artifacts to diagnose her properly, but that was of little consolation to him.

He knew not how long she had spent in the mechanized hell-hole, but her time in there was apparently sufficient to cast her into a coma. It was impossible for her brain to not have suffered some sort of permanent degradation, and possibly her organs as well.

As he plopped her peacefully down onto the stainless-steel table, he glanced at the clock on the far wall. It was barely 3:40 in the afternoon.

The air in the lab seemed so pristine, the sunlight filtering in through the skylights so uplifting. It was a direct conflict to how Tulio felt inside, weary and lost.

Sighing regrettably, he cleared his mind and focused his full attention on the bird before him. Donning his stethoscope, he laid it gently on her chest. The light pulsing of her heart signaled that she was still alive, but he was unable to discern how long it would keep beating.

Her comatose state presented the greatest risk to any ornithologist who meddled with her, and the expert Tulio was no exception. One wrong move, one miscalculation, and her already-frail life-force would cave under the stress, leading to her death.

Tulio's only option was to call upon all his years of training to preserve her life. If he failed in his task, the death-knell for the Spix's Macaw would resound, and their fate would be sealed.

I cannot let her succumb to her silent injuries. I cannot stand idly by and watch her slip away in my care. Jewel, I will work myself to exhaustion before I allow you to die in my care! I swear upon my honor as an ornithologist that, no matter how you turn out, I will make sure you survive...

Despite his courageous sermon, this was clearly the most daunting task Tulio imagined he would ever face.

Directly observing her innards would help him better formulate an intensive treatment plan, but exploratory surgery was an abominable course of action at the moment. No, he would have to rely solely on the assumption that her organs had suffered significant damage.

The smattering of bruises patterning her skin only further strengthened his uneducated hypothesis.

She could have broken bones, and moving them out of position any more than they possibly are could lead to internal bleeding...

Very gently, he stroked Jewel's body, testing every inch of her skeleton for any fractures. He exhaled a minuscule sigh of relief, having found not a single splintered bone.

He then cautiously examined her eyes with an LED flashlight, testing them for any reaction to the intense beam it put out. Her dilated pupils made no effort to shrink, a common symptom of cerebral damage.

Hiding her eyes once again, he came to the conclusion that he had done all he could.

The rest was up to Jewel, for her body could only heal itself.

Tulio was determined to speed that process along by any means necessary. He walked with elongated strides through the house, gathering the blanket and pillow from the table.

He was just about to head back to the lab, but he detoured into the washroom, nearly stepping on a cluster of macaws in the process. As he knelt down and gathered the tangerine orchids from the floor, he tapped Blu lightly on the shoulder.

His voice sopping with depression and foreboding, he muttered, "Blu, if you want to come see your mate, you can. Your children can come too. I'll fill you in on her condition in the lab..."

The ragged-looking macaw turned around and chirped pitifully, but motioned that he would accept the offer. A bright smile erupted on Tulio's face, only to sour into a mask of leaden regret. Tulio languidly marched back to the lab, all four macaws pattering along behind sullenly.

Once they entered the austere laboratory, Tulio ushered them onto a counter before wheeling Jewel's makeshift bed to within a foot of their position.

Maintaining his hold on the gift items, he declared, "Jewel's brain has been affected by her prolonged exposure to the high temperature in the dryer. Her organs may have been injured as well, but to a lesser extent. Since I can't perform exploratory surgery, I can't say for sure. But, thankfully, she has no broken bones, which is the only positive facet of this tragedy.

The bruises are the least of her problems, and they can't be taken away by anything I can do. Aside from all that, the sad truth is that she is in a coma, and for her to make any sort of recovery, she has to stay in it. I am going to give her some medicine that will lock her in her sleep, and I will pray that her invisible injuries will mend as much as possible. I doubt she'll be the same bird she was before this nightmare, but that cannot be helped. She's your mate, Blu, the mother of your children, and you have to be strong for her. Believe in her, all of you, and one day, she just might wake up. She will be forever scarred, but at least she'll be alive..."

As a last safeguard to ensure her recovery, he brought over a refined machine bearing a few hoses and small tanks.

Noting their mildly-piqued expressions, he explained, "This is how I will steadily deliver oxygen and isofluorane anesthetic to Jewel, by inserting a tube into her airway. It will minimize the strain on her lungs and air sacs, as well as ensuring her comatose state is carefully controlled."

He clicked on the device and prepped it for operation.

Using one hand to pry open her beak and another to handle the hose, he worked the tube inch by inch down her throat. Once it extended halfway in, he used the LED light to highlight his progress. He then navigated the tube down to her syrinx and then released it, congratulating himself on performing the two-man procedure solo.

He manipulated the various knobs for a minute straight before feeling comfortable with the flow rate.

Wordlessly, he ferried the blanket and flowers over to her, intending to boost her comfort level. He weaved the flowers into her head feathers, double-checking that they were firmly installed, and then slid the blanket under her, followed by the pillow.

After folding the plushy cloth over her – leaving her wrapped up like a newborn – he turned her onto her right side and sighed. Running his hands through his hair and checking the clock, he faced the low-spirited bunch on the counter.

"I'll be back in one hour to take some preliminary notes. If that machine makes any odd sounds, you are to alert me at once. I'll be dealing with Vanessa for now. You can stay in here, but only if you promise not to disturb her. Understood?"

Four feeble nods assured him that they would obey his orders. Tulio exited the room, his hands in his pockets, his gait reserved.

The machine filled the air with a treble buzzing, a constant drone that irritated their ears. To the children – and certainly to Blu – it did not matter. Blu yearned madly to stroke her, whisper to her, but her incredible frailty was a barrier that he could not breach.

He could only observe her at length, his gaze cemented to her face, desecrated by the hose that plunged into her neck. The frozen frown she wore leeched away his composure, but he battled fiercely the subconscious desire to turn away.

Wherever your soul may be, my love, I hope it is bathed in nothing but peace. Grasp it tightly, and do not let it go. Your system will mend its wounds, and your soul will return to give you life. Whether that mystical process takes seven days or seven months, I will be right here... waiting...

Staying true to his promise, Tulio swung by every hour, on the hour, to jot down information on his clipboard. Since Jewel was so recently inducted into the sensation-less land of dreams, Tulio expected little to no change in her condition.

Lounging around the lab while checking for new developments was as mundane a chore as waiting for an egg to hatch. Nonetheless, too much rode on Tulio's shoulders for him to skip out on his duties, and so he persevered.

He, the seasoned ornithologist, was impressed by the macaws' endurance just the same.

Except to relieve themselves, they remained rooted in the lab, taking short naps in-between his visits.

With his experience governing her physically and their ceaseless watch uplifting her spiritually, flares of hope burned brightly within him. No matter how small the chance was that she would be restored, he had a feeling that it would be enough.

By the time the sun relinquished its vigil over the Earth, heralding the onset of night, a sweaty, exhausted Tulio was ready to call it quits.

He popped in for one last visit, and as usual, her condition had neither tanked or improved.

The macaws were incredibly reluctant to abandon her in her time of need, but the blocky contours of the stark enclosure made for lousy sleeping. As such, they exited the sorrowful arena with Tulio, leaving the door open just a hair so that the machine's alarms would echo and rouse him, should they be activated.

Tulio purified himself with a late-night shower, changing out of his fetid lab attire and into snug-fitting pajamas.

He bid a melancholy good-night to the macaws, who were already snoozing serenely in the living room.

He switched off all the lights in the sanctuary, save for the bulbs Jewel's resting ground, which he dimmed considerably.

Climbing into bed beside his wife, his entry rocked the mattress, rousing her.

"How's she doing, dear?" Linda asked ruefully.

Rolling over so that he faced her, he said flatly, "There's been no change in her condition, I'm afraid. There are only two paths her rehabilitation is allowed to trace, and only time will reveal to us which path her struggling body chooses. If she can survive tonight, her prognosis will improve. Now that's no guarantee that she won't destabilize tomorrow, but it's an encouraging sign."

Draping her arm around him, she declared, "I'll be praying for her."

"As will I, dear. As will I..."

Tulio's nonstop slavery had fully ensnared him by that late hour, acting to push him into a deep sleep in time with his wife.

The sanctuary had morphed into a nesting ground of tortured souls, with Jewel incontestably the most afflicted of them all. Sinuous bands of apprehension choked the healthy beings from within, tormenting them with the possibility of waking up to find Jewel forever gone.

The chance that her body had even begun the healing process seemed farfetched, given the amount of sheer abuse dealt to her by the dryer.

As if to contest that assumption, the billions of cells tucked away beneath the female's horrid outer shell were actively multiplying, growing, and reforming...

Due to Tulio's sweaty hands and his running-on-empty mind during Jewel's ten o'clock checkup, he had failed to replace the isofluorane tank and accidentally disabled the alarms while re-adjusting the flow rate.

As the minutes ticked by in the wake of his errors, the concentration of the anesthetic in her bloodstream casually descended. By twelve o'clock, the level of numbing gas in the tank had dropped below ten percent.

With the alarm muted, a red warning light flashed on and off, yet no one was around to see it.

By three o'clock – a full twelve hours after the time of the tragedy – her internal state had improved by a relatively modest amount. Her furiously dividing cells, once denied the opportunity to revive Jewel gradually, now took advantage of the lack of anesthetic tainting her system.

Be that as it may, the changes taking place under her skin and muscles were plain compared to the flurry of activity in her brain.

While several areas were dark and shriveled, the living neurons compensated by enlarging others, forming millions of healthy connections in the process.

Half an hour later, a biological switch was flipped, ordered to do so by sequences of dedicated coding in her genes.

As her altered cortex buzzed with nerve impulses, it scrounged up an all-encompassing charge of electricity and fired it off, all at once.

Like the bolt from the heavens that resurrected the beast, it raced down her spine, discharging as it went. Her body's response was delayed for several seconds as it was jump-started out of its dormant state.

Then, in one momentous, stunning movement, the eyes of the slumbering macaw shot open.

When I came to, my field of vision was remarkably obscured by impenetrable black patches. As I blinked them away, an entirely new background awaited me, stark and cold.

My best guess was that I was in some sort of experimental lab.

I tried to move, to re-orient myself, but a clammy numbness gripped me from head to tail. I could barely swivel my eyes to study a small fraction of the alien room, and no more. Frustrated at my inability, I realized all I could do was wait for my motor control to return.

As I stared unendingly at the distant clock, brief questions galloped through my head, which felt strangely bloated and hazy: Where am I? What happened to me? Who am I?

That last question frightened me the most; no matter how hard I tried, I could not dredge up my own identity from my swollen brain.

As the clock's minute hand ticked past the four, I opted to gauge how much my motor skills had recovered. Being as I needed them to stand and walk, I tried flexing my feet.

Balloons of joy popped within me as I felt them curl and uncurl, brushing against the blanket that enfolded me.

The next logical step is for me to test my wings. Here goes nothing...

The flying appendages at my sides only twitched, incapable of extending as much as I needed them to. Growing frustrated for a second time, I tried again, squinting tightly as if that would miraculously help.

My left wing slowly rose, pushing against the cloth and forcing it off of me. My right wing followed suit, and since it was folded beneath me, I rolled over onto my back as it stretched out.

A great pulse of relief coursed through me, and for over a minute, I relaxed there, my wings hanging lazily at my sides.

Okay, now I know I'm not paralyzed. If I could just... move my head, I can finally get to my feet!

This was the most challenging maneuver so far. Attempting to lift my head was like trying to raise a mountain. My neck muscles tensed up from the effort, but my skull felt like it weighed a ton.

After four failed attempts, I consigned myself to defeat, only to be overtaken by an appalling sensation. Something flexible and warm was firmly buried in my throat, inciting my gag reflex and causing me to choke.

As my body heaved in time with my spluttering coughs, I flailed my feet around wildly. None too soon, they knocked against a tube-like object, and without hesitation, they latched on and began pulling.

The offending tube began to crawl out of my throat, grinding against my airway and provoking even more desperate coughs.

The tube seemed to go on forever, intent on suffocating me for an extended period of time.

As my body fatigued from the effort of my gags, I jerked the end of the plastic hose from my beak.

Holding the hose above me to better study it, I repulsively cast it aside due to the large globules of saliva – my saliva – dripping from the tip.

I repeatedly swallowed, hoping that the raw feeling in my airway would be washed away.

It was five minutes later before I truly felt ready to stand. After releasing a great sigh, I rolled over and pushed up with my wings, forcing myself into a standing position.

Man, what an ordeal that was! But I still don't have a clue where I'm at. Come to think of it, I can't even remember how I got here-ahhh!

In that instant, a wave of dizzying pain came down upon me, mostly concentrated in my brain.

Struggling to remain upright, I pressed my wings against my skull in a futile endeavor to quell the agony. Before I collaps onto the table in a heap, the wave evaporated from my tissues.

When I pried my eyes open, I felt profoundly... different, mutated in some fundamental way.

Before the affliction, I felt determined and serene. Now, I felt vulgar and agitated, as if a hot, inextinguishable flame burned in my soul.

Not only that, the edges of my field of view were blurred and hazy.

What the hell just happened to me? And why the hell is my memory blank? Will someone please answer my damn questions?

My internal shouts were not heard by anyone but me, and so the answers I needed never came.

My past had been erased at some point prior to my awakening, and I decided then that I would not waste my energy repainting it. The present was where my focus lay.

First things first, I have to bust my way out of this disgusting place.

My gaze shot to the steel door across the way, and I observed that it was open ever so slightly. Without thinking, I flapped my wings vigorously, smirking as I realized I still retained the power of flight.

Three-quarters of my way towards the exit, however, a metallic glint snagged my attention.

I wheeled about and landed perfectly on the large central island, which was topped with empty cages and odd-looking machines. The object that had piqued my interest sat not ten paces away. As I hopped up to it, I realized it was a scalpel, highly polished and bearing an attractively-curved blade.

Interesting! I can just imagine it slicing into a wounded bird's skin, slitting tissue, drawing blood...

I shivered with dark delight as the images flashed in my head.

Clutching it with my right foot, I was amazed by how comfortable it felt. It weighed very little, and the indentations on the handle molded snugly to my claws.

I twirled it around and slashed at the air before tossing it up and catching it, concluding the display. I had formed an invisible bond with the knife then and there, and I would not travel without it.

I think I've found myself a new toy! I wonder if I'll ever get to use it? Perhaps some in-depth exploration of this bland structure will reveal the answer.

I departed from the table with the blade facing forwards, tracing out an illusory path as I glided for the door. It would be quite difficult for me to shove the bulky wall of steel aside while in flight, so I landed and wedged my wing into the gap.

I turned my body while keeping it stiff, eventually moving enough to where I could squeeze past. Glancing around, I found myself in a shadowy environment, illuminated meekly by a shaft of pale light pouring down from a recess in the ceiling.

I marched straight for the light, the bouncy carpet beneath me ruffling softly as I went. Upon passing the mercurial glow, a much larger enclosure revealed itself to me, interspersed with several of the silver beams.

I was soon mesmerized by a dark blue shape perched motionless atop what resembled a couch.

What is that? Am I in luck after all?

I warily crept closer like a boa stalking its prey, dreading what would occur if the sleek form discovered my presence. I drew to within one foot of the creature, deducing that it was a bird of some unknown species.

Who is this? What would a random bird be doing snoozing here?

The bird appeared to be a very mature male, judging by the stoutness of his outline and rather large beak. As I rounded the couch to achieve a better vantage point, a second azure blob caught my eye. It was resting peacefully on the ground next to the television, bathed fully in a silvery beam.

What an amazing find this is! I do believe I have struck a gold mine of beings that my scalpel will enjoy...

I slogged over to the slumbering bird, who was this time plainly female. The familiar tint of her coat struck a chord in my mind, urging me to turn around. I did so, stupefied due to the fact that the male's feather hue matched hers perfectly.

Could they be related? A father-daughter duo, perhaps? If that is so, where is the mother?

I pored over a variety of explanations while strutting past the right side of the couch, nearly jumping out of my feathers when a sharp snort flooded into my ears.

Going into cover behind the leather monolith, a third ecstatic discovery sent me for a loop.

Huddled together under an end table were two more cobalt-tinted male birds, their wings draped over each other.

While studying them in silent wonder, the bird on the left quivered and whispered, "Mom... it'll be okay. You'll survive this... tragedy..."

Who is this "Mom" they are referring to? And what sort of tragedy was she subjected to? So many grueling questions, and yet nobody is here to answer them! Of course I can't consult the askers. That would be detrimental to my entire mission of stealth!

Backing away expertly from the pair, I brought myself to a stop near the edge of the leather structure, below the elder male's spot. Crossing my wings, I contemplated the further courses of action available to me.

Hmmm, how should I spend my time in this vast villa of mysteries? Perhaps I could engage in some enriching activities with my scalpel. I could involve those four unsuspecting birds, but how?

My soul flickered and crackled in response, sending smoldering embers of possibility into my buzzing brain: I could practice this blade's effectiveness on them, strain it to its limits! But if I plan to do that, they must be restrained, held captive. Once they decipher my intentions, they will strive to escape, out of fear for their puny lives. I must search for a cell capable of containing them...

The mundane, sloth-inducing area I was in would not do, and so I set out to locate an enclosure better suited for my goal. I jogged away from the couch and in the direction of the shadowed corridor, only to be diverted to the right as I traced a wafting, sweet odor to its source.

Shafts of square light raked across the kitchen I was led to. I ushered myself up onto the table as quietly as possible, the dark wood slick to the touch. The remnants of a particularly festive gathering littered my landing pad.

Shredded bits of decorated paper, an empty cardboard container, a small bell, a thick plastic bowl, and a pristine mirror.

Disregarding my lack of knowledge of how these things came to be, I approached the mirror and stared forcefully at it. I gasped at the sight of my reflection, as I was able to grasp a significant part of who I was – outwardly, at least.

My alluring aquamarine feathers glowed in the moonlight, made even more positive by the twin orange flowers nestled behind my head. My rich turquoise pupils stared back at me, yet the whites of my eyes were bloodshot, an unnerving feature on my otherwise divine face.

This is how I look? Well, I am most surprised! The more I stare at myself, the more normal my scarlet eyes appear to be. They seem to represent the color of my inner fire...

Leaning side to side, I was captivated by the rhythm with which the orchids jiggled around. I felt modestly attracted to my own reflection, swearing that I would do my best to maintain my stunning appearance.

Ah, such a vain female I am. I will ensure that I remain this way for an indefinite period of time. But today, I may be able to utilize my features to better lure those napping idiots into my trap.

Seeing that there was nothing else of interest in this trash pile, I fluttered from the table and skipped over to my premier destination. Making my way down the aisle, I could plainly make out the glaring faces of the doors on either side.

Two lay on the left, four on the right. All were firmly shut, save for the lab door I had recently pried open. A flat wall blockaded the end, forcing me to retrace my steps.

I sensed an urge to methodically gain entry into the five unexplored rooms, which was rapidly denied since I could not figure out a way to do so.

Nearing the end of the aisle closest to the kitchen, the first door on the right was not like the others, as I soon found out. Very mellow golden light peeked at me along the edges of the frame, slightly stronger at the bottom.

The rest of this building is mostly darkened. What is responsible for bringing illumination to this sole entrance? There must be something of worth waiting for me in there!

The gray wall stood before me staunchly, a repressive obstacle in my path. I lacked the strength to turn the handle while in flight, so that option was scrapped. I would have been able to slip under the door had I been a mouse, which was no consolation either.

Just below the ceiling, a slotted grate sat, eying me suspiciously. A burst of intuition from my smoldering seat of spirituality informed me that that was my ticket past the door.

Propelling myself up to the grate and latching on – skilfully holding my blade in the process – I scanned the perimeter of the metal carefully. True to form, each corner was fastened to the wall by a screw that bore a cross-shaped etching on its head.

Perfect! I may not have a screwdriver, but this knife should work juuust fine.

Repositioning the scalpel in my right foot, I slid the sharp end into the upper right screw. Extracting the fastener was painstaking work, since I didn't want to have to pick up the scalpel each time I dropped it. After fifteen revolutions, the screw tumbled silently from its tunnel.

One down, two more to go...

I lowered myself a few slots and repeated the precise unwinding of the lower right one, growing fatigued for the umpteenth time since my revival.

The upper left one was my final target, and a fanciful idea for subduing the aftermath of its removal enlightened me. As soon as it tumbled from its recess, I whipped my foot up and dug the blade into the sheetrock as the grate swung down in an arc.

The scalpel bit into the wall nicely, spitting out fine dust as it actively slowed my descent. The deafening shriek that would have resounded had been muffled to a dull whimper, and I knew I was in the clear.

With the litheness of a snake, I hauled myself into the ventilation duct, passing the scalpel to my beak to avoid making any unnecessary noise. The aluminum channel simply flowed in a straight path for about seven feet, partially blocked by a thankfully dormant fan.

Now this is more like it! While challenges serve to keep me sharp, finding the easy way out now and then never hurt...

I twisted my body this way and that to avoid the lacerating edges of the fan, floating my way down to the cement floor below. Twirling a full 360 degrees, a verdant paradise was revealed to me, something I never recalled seeing until now.

The more I scrutinized the boughs and vines, however, the more... unnaturally their surfaces shone in the sallow photon rain. I slapped a nearby over-sized leaf, which swayed up and down as if spring-loaded. Seizing a dangling vine closer to the trunk, I skimmed its surface with my knife, perplexed by the material's resistance.

Releasing the rubbery strand, I thought scathingly, What is this fake shit? There are companies out there who actually market this garbage? I guess this jungle isn't so verdant after all.

As my heated musings faded away, the trickling din of rushing water strummed my eardrums. I waddled to the west of my current position, tripping over a stray branch and nearly careening face first into a meandering waterway.

Dipping my left foot in, the cool fluid was legitimately water.

What do you know, a facet of reality in this faux fun house...

Taking into account the scope of the commodities strewn in every direction, my sacred fire granted all of them a higher, darker purpose: With these various objects, my reign of terror over those four defenseless guests can finally begin! Now, to select my first slave and lure it into my chamber...

Using my trusty slicing tool, I meticulously sawed the branch that had previously tripped me down to size. I lashed a sizable stone to one end with a trimmed stalk of rubber vine, whittling the opposite end into a cone that culminated in a sharp point.

Abandoning my mini-sword for the moment, I kept the modified bough in my left foot as I clung to the fan's exposed housing. Using the blunt end of my creation, I rapped with moderate force on the wall of the duct once, transmitting my thunder-like, reverberating summons in the direction of my victims...

An echoing drone rattled my dream world, shaking it until it splintered into meaningless slivers and shards. Groggily surfacing from my sleep, I forcibly blinked my eyes open, examining my surroundings.

Oh yeah, I remember falling asleep here. I wonder what that noise was. It was probably... oh, I don't know. Well, I'm up now, might as well check on the kids...

A short journey to the opposite arm of the couch allowed me to survey all three of my offspring at once. Carmen snoozed alone next to the TV stand, while Matthias and Renato napped humorously beneath an end table.

They're all so peaceful, I mused serenely.

The parched dryness in my throat signaled that I needed to drink, and so I hopped from the couch, en route to the kitchen.

Halfway there, that bass metallic rumble again assaulted my ears, stopping me cold. It persisted for several seconds, as if being channeled down a passage or tunnel, before restoring the silence.

Okay, that is definitely not thunder! There has to be a rational explanation of its origins. I suppose I should seek out its source and dispel this acoustic myth.

I edged closer to the kitchen, anxiously awaiting the third tolling of the rolling noise. When it reverberated again, I gave a small start, then hastily pinpointed its location. It seemed to be raining down from the ceiling via a white grate high on the wall.

Wait a minute... who or what undid the grate? Was it always dangling like that? I never paid much attention to it until now. What if there's an animal stuck in the duct, like a rat or a... snake?

Despite my insatiable curiosity, fortuitous bolts of skepticism fought back against my exploratory desire.

I'm not so sure I want to find out what's causing it, but what if it continues? How will I fall asleep? How will my kids stay asleep? For their sake, I must put a stop to it.

Donning a heroic veil of intention, I took off towards the disturbed grate, landing rather loudly on the flexible duct floor. A boringly linear path stretched out before me, a still circulation fan situated at the far end. Immense was my relief when I deduced I was the only being in the duct, and so I waddled on, quiet as a mist.

The blades had ample spacing for me to slip through, and so I cautiously wormed myself past, perching on the stable frame with all but my tail still in the duct.

I was then blindsided by a lilt that I never imagined I would hear ever again: "Hello, stranger. I must give you a proper welcome to Hell..."

A stunning blow to my skull induced an instant migraine as I plummeted to the floor, too dazed to even flail my wings. The wind was knocked clear out of me as I drilled into the floor, my sternum and furcula absorbing the brunt of the force.

I greedily sucked in oxygen, a hacking cough punctuating my inhalations. I tried to stand, only to stagger around like a wasted zombie, my chest still wracked with pain.

The graceful whispers of a pair of wings descended to a point behind me, and I inevitably turned around.

The sight of her so irrevocably blew my mind, I began to think this was all a twisted nightmare. Before I could even put a talon on the notion, my migraine clamped down on me for a second time.

I fanned myself nonstop, all the while keeping my gaze on her, unsure if she was truly tangible.

"Did I hit you too hard? Oh, I'm sorry!" she said with impish sarcasm.

The next words to scrape their way out of my beak were: "J-Jewel? Is t-that you? You w-were in a c-coma!"

Her eyes narrowed my proclamation, as if she was deaf.

"Coma? Jewel? Are you just spouting bullshit?"

By the gods, she has somehow awoken from her slumber, but she has no clue what I'm talking about! Oh no...

"Jewel, I don't know what happened, but you were in a coma, and now you're not. The truth is, I can tell you have brain damage. Your memory is gone. Don't you know that I'm your mate, Blu? You're not yourself anymore..."

Twirling the menacing staff in her left foot, she replied scathingly, "You're my mate? Oh damn, that's a good one!"

Her insane laughter clawed at my mentality, unlike anything I had ever heard her produce.

Like an azure assassin, she swung the branch and struck me square in the forehead, throwing me violently backwards. My head swam as I felt warm liquid run down my face.

Jewel then towered over me, her bloodshot eyes sending me into a lake of fear.

Barely clinging onto my consciousness, I moaned, "Jewel, what t-the hell a-are you d-doing? Get a g-grip on y-yourself, p-please! I'm your m-mate!"

She then pressed a cold, hard tool against my neck, a black fire burning in her terrifying orbs.

"I don't tolerate lies, asshole. You're nothing to me, except for my pathetic, childish plaything! When you wake up, you'll truly witness all I am capable of..."

Transfixed by her sinister gaze, I could only watch as she slammed her club into my throat, blacking me out instantly.

When I returned to my senses, I prayed with all my might that I would find myself still dozing on the leather couch. My heart turned inside out when I noticed I was still in the aviary.

I tried to speak, but my tongue kept rubbing up against a fetid plastic shape. When I gazed around, a wave of sickening nausea threatened to put me out again.

Down below were my three children, all tied up in various ways with vine.

Matthias' extended wings were bound to a pair of massive rocks left of the stream, only allowing him to stand with no range of movement.

Carmen was resting against a tree about six feet away, wings and feet rendered useless.

Renato mirrored his brother's predicament, but he was on my side of the stream, less than three feet away.

My attempts to free myself were futile, no matter how hard I kicked and jostled. My feet were grasping short wooden supports, and my wings were splayed out on either side of me, lashed to the trunk of an artificial tree.

The pegs that held me upright wound their way up and to the left of me, and I realized I was bound to the very tree Jewel and I inhabited while her wing healed.

My gut screamed at me that I needed to break out, warn the humans, but I could not heed its call.

One by one, the frightened stares of my children bore into me, as if begging me to free them.

Suddenly, their gazes – as well as mine – were magnetically attracted to Jewel as she drifted in and alighted closest to my position.

Working my tongue feverishly, I pushed the crumpled fake leaf out of my beak, its waxy aftertaste still poisoning my mouth.

With me and my offspring in this condition, what was I to say to her?

She had been warped into an evil being, a hellish spirit, for that was how her twisted brain now operated.

Scooping up all the courage I could muster, I asked, "Jewel, do you know what you're doing? You're enslaving your mate and your kids! This is atrocious!"

She pierced my soul with a demonic gaze, one that reeked of unspeakably malign intentions.

"Do I look blind to you, asshole? Of course I know what I'm doing! However, this is only a taste of what is to come."

"You should have just stayed in the coma! You're a demon..."

"Is that so? If you don't stop mentioning that coma shit, you're going to regret it!"

Oh God, she's ruined for life! I can't be with her anymore. I need Tulio's help!

I opened my beak, and instead of speaking, I let loose a powerful chain of squawks.

With a righteous fury, Jewel launched herself into the air and perched above me. My screeching ceased as she wrapped her foot around my throat, constricting it tightly.

As I gasped for oxygen, she warned, "Do that again, and I will rip your tongue out, followed by theirs as well! I can't afford to have my cover blown. Understood, asshole?"

As I choked and gagged, I rapidly nodded, causing her to release her hold. She returned to her former spot, clutching a honed steel scalpel in her right foot.

"I... hate... you," I squeaked. "You're a lunatic..."

With a controlled fierceness, she replied, "You want to know why I'm a lunatic? Whatever happened after I emerged from this 'coma' of yours screwed up my brain. No, wait, that's not a strong enough word. It actually fucked up my brain."

She pointed the scalpel at her head and rotated it in a circle.

"Call me what you want: a psychopath, a murderer, whatever. Nothing you can ever say will stop me from doing what I want. I am going to deal with each one of you in which ever way I see fit!"

The truth in her words coerced me into thinking the most dreaded thought in existence: She's... she's going to kill us...

My insides scrunched up as she held the blade in front of her, eying it maliciously.

"This little knife here has many uses, some more vile than others. Since all this back-and-forth arguing has left my throat dry, I need something to drink, and fast. Before I get to that, let me remove my precious flowers. Things are going to get sadistic, and they are very fragile and hard to clean."

She slid them out carefully and piled them at the base of a tree behind her, far away from her staging ground.

She then trotted over to Matthias pointedly, driving him backwards the few steps he could take, until his back met the boulder. She then tore the folded leaf from his beak, clutching it in her unused foot.

Touching the scalpel to his neck, she demanded, "Tell me your name!"

Shivering, he replied, "M-Matthias!"

"Well, Matthias, what can you offer me to quench my thirst?" she asked harshly.

"N-nothing, Mom! Leave m-me alone..."

"That's where you're wrong!"

In one calculated swipe, she teased the honed knife edge across his skin, forming a horizontal line just below his beak.

"Ahhh! It burns! Plea-"

No sooner had he screamed did she jam the leaf back in his mouth, stifling his protests.

Smiling grimly, she waited until threads of blood dripped from the laceration. What she did next made me want to vomit.

Squeezing herself up against him, she caressed the slit with her tongue, licking up his blood. He could only tremble in horror, unable to retreat as she swallowed his leaking life-fluid.

Eventually, her saliva sealed the wound, and she pulled back a few inches.

Swabbing her bloodstained beak, she moaned, "That was wonderful, Matthias. You taste very delectable. I can't help but drink from you again!"

She placed the scalpel a half inch lower and drew another lateral slit on his neck, greedily sucking the wound dry. As my son's tortured, near-silent yells poured into my eardrums, my heart sank clear to my tail.

She was methodically bleeding him out, drawing untold amounts of pleasure from the taste of his scarlet fuel.

I so wanted to avert my eyes, but the pleading hopelessness in his prevented me from doing so.

She made a third slit, and then a fourth, arriving at the junction between his neck and his body.

He was now slumping against the stone, cowering beneath her, no doubt incredibly weakened by the gradual draining of his red ichor.

As she began to trace out another slit, he twitched sharply, jarring her body. A spray of red painted her face, momentarily shocking her. As she glanced down at at him, her eyes narrowed in fury.

"Damn it, you idiot! You messed up my handiwork!"

Indeed, his random jerk had caused the scalpel to tear into him, leaving a jagged, canyon-deep rift.

Blood cascaded from the wound like a curtain, drenching his chest feathers. She extracted his leaf and asked, "Why did you do that? Is your pain tolerance that low?"

His gurgled reply was, "Please... d-don't... urgh... kill... m-me..."

As air struggled to make it up his throat, it found another outlet via the gash. As he spoke, the blood bubbled and foamed, pushing it out even faster.

"I think it's too late for that..." she said with mock regret.

Jewel then leaned over and probed the wound with her tongue, sucking up copious amounts of blood. As violated noises seeped from the victim's beak, his pupils dilated as his bloodstream was being emptied.

"Ohhh, mmm, yesss..." groaned Jewel hotly.

After a diabolical eternity, the macaw-turned-vampire stepped away.

A look of pure dread was frozen onto my son's face, and as he gave one last jerk, his eyelids sank down over his eyes.

Jewel extended a wing and shoved him with moderate force, and he simply fell over onto his side, motionless.

"You were a most sufficient beverage, Matthias! Too bad you succumbed so soon. I could have drank from you for hours on end..."

The cruel vampire known as Jewel faced me, scarlet dripping from the bottom of her beak.

"Did you know him?"

"He... was my son. He was your son too..."

"Are you sure? Oh, now that's a pity. No matter. I still have three samples left. Who's next?"

She whirled around and made a beeline for Renato, but a subdued cry of effort drew her focus away.

I watched with frail glee as Carmen tore the vines from her wings, having already freed her lassoed feet. She charged for the aviary door, not caring about the wadded frond in her mouth.

"Go, Carmen! Bang on the door! Hurry!"

"What are you doing, you bitch? Now you've enraged me!"

Jewel dropped the scalpel, streaking for Carmen with the club in her talons as the latter rapped on the steel with her beak. She had not drummed five times when Jewel tackled her, carrying her out of my line of sight.

The sounds of a fight echoed around the room, and I prayed dearly that the pounding had roused at least one of the humans.

The tackle had left Jewel pinned under Carmen, who proceeded to constrict the former's throat.

"Ack... get... off... me!"

"Make me, you murderer! You killed my brother, so I am going to kill you!"

Jewel rotated her head, spying her club painfully close to her right foot.

I will not be dethroned so soon! My exploitative regime has only just begun!

Bucking her back like a bull, she succeeded in closing the gap between her foot and the club, despite Carmen's weight. She arced the club like Mjolnir, bashing her assailant smack on the beak with a disastrous crunch.

She went reeling off of Jewel, a large fissure imprinted on the black surface. As filamentous signals of pain raced into Carmen's cortex, she remained paralyzed, trying to drive them off.

Jewel forcefully replenished her oxygen level before seizing the opportunity. She flew at Carmen, mace poised for another treacherous strike.

Performing a rapid pirouette, boosting the mace's velocity, she drove it full-on into Carmen's back.

A small jet of blood emerged, accompanied by a sharp pop. She fell on the ground, a sliver of bone jutting up through her back feathers.

Her feet now paralyzed, she shouted, "Arrgh! My back... it's broken! Somebody... please help!"

Determined to silence the overly-brave female, Jewel raised her mace in the air, targeting Carmen's cranium.

Over and over the club brutalized bone while Jewel commanded, "Shut up, damn you! Shut up! Shut up!"

After the third blow, Carmen's pleas disappeared, yet Jewel was still not satisfied.

Counting off twenty-five savage pummels, a fatigued Jewel relented.

Carmen's entire face was a pancake, a bloody, mushy mess of bone and tissue. The jelly-like humor that resided in her eyeball was now slathered all over, including a sticky glob on Jewel's bludgeon. Gray brain matter crawled from the top of her head, nearly in a liquid form.

Her chest huffing rapidly, Jewel whispered, "That will teach you to betray me. Such an insolent female! You got what you deserved! Let's see how that Blu character takes it..."

Grasping her tail, the shameless macaw dragged Carmen's dead body back to where Blu could see it. A snaking smear of various body fluids marked Carmen's grisly path.

Jewel pointed an accusatory wing at my daughter's flattened head and warned, "You see what happens when you threaten me? This is the only warning I will give you!"

The disgusting, vile, spirit-breaking sight pushed me over the edge. My stomach knotted up and forced the remnants of my afternoon meal out of me in one thick stream.

Salmon-colored vomit erupted from my beak, splatting on the concrete not two feet below me.

"That is quite a show, Blu. Don't have the 'stomach' for bloodshed? Ha ha ha!"

The river of acid eventually thinned out, leaving my airway inflamed and raw.

"If I ever get out of here... I will KILL you... just like you killed... MY daughter!"

My tone carried real venom, but the heartless female seemed unfazed.

Flicking her vicious knife at me, she retorted, "You know what, I don't think that's going to happen. You will not leave this cube-shaped enclosure alive. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must grant you the honor of watching your second son die!"

Replacing her club with a much less improvised stick, she began filing off the exterior, forming a tiny pile of shavings.

No no no... she can't do that! Is there no end to her vulgarity, her thirst for violence? God, please give me the ability to save my soul. I've already lost two children...

As she methodically scraped off shavings, the stick began to grow slightly narrower.

Keeping her focus on her crafting, she stated mundanely, "These branches are composed of actual wood, and they are very dry to the touch. A few well-placed sparks should do the job. The trees may be flammable, but I will be extra careful to not set them on fire."

At that point, I gave up all hope of ever seeing the sunrise again. My and my now-vanquished daughter's attempts to wake the bipeds had failed, all because of the birthday party and Jewel's death trap at the hands of Vanessa.

The very reason we are paying the ultimate price is because she had been allowed to live. How is that in any way fair? The deaths of many for the sake of one...

These bullet-like thoughts blew holes in my spirit, an endless barrage that could only be cured by my execution. What was the point of me resisting, whether by word or deed, when I was going to die anyways?

It was such a simple truth, and yet it pressed down upon me like the weight of Mount Everest. I slumped in place, the rubber cords that held my wings elongating due to the added stress.

By the time my depressing reverie came to a conclusion, Jewel had formed a sizable mound of ivory kindling.

"That's stage one complete," she proclaimed to me and Renato. "Stages two and three occur simultaneously. My feet are killing me and my blood is pounding, so let's get this over with, shall we?"

She aimed the stony end of her mace at the pile, using her right foot to whisk her blade across it. A shrill clink erupted as metal met stone, sending volleys of red and orange embers onto it.

Despite the low moisture content, the embers were not hot enough to ignite them, and she was now on her ninth repetition.

This could take a quarter hour, but she's merely prolonging the inevitable. They will ignite soon enough...

"I can't believe this shit! How hard is it to start a tiny fucking fire?"

Her muscles were visibly wound up, driving her to scour the stone even harder. Her pupils as narrow as a serpent's, she practically dug the knife into the rock, chipping off bite-sized chunks.

This last round of sparks accepted its calling, birthing a wavering tongue of orange fire. As a wave of blackened matter crept down the slopes of the mini-mountain, the tongue rose higher, morphing to an intense yellow.

"At last, the means for him to meet his doom have been procured to me!"

She lifted the surprisingly narrow branch and held it in the fire, spinning it like a rotisserie chicken. The wisps of smoke above the main flame grew more voluminous as the stick ignited as well.

Carefully backing away, she examined the flickering point like a child would observe an insect, inquisitively and without fear.

"Ah, the boon of fire. It is capable of performing great deeds, be they noble or ignoble..."

Treading carefully around the dying main fire, she made her way over to her intended target.

She removed the leaf and said, "Give me one solid reason why I should spare you, and I will."

"Because, when you go to Hell, I, Renato, will be there to torture you eternally, along with Matthias and Carmen!" he replied staunchly.

"Guess what, Renato... game over!"

With a flick of her talon, she lowered the flaming bough to his tail feathers, which were spread out in front of him.

A brief flash of light went off, and inexorably, his sleek plumes blackened and curled as the fire proceeded towards his belly.

His weak attempts to snuff it out reminded me of Jewel's inability to blow out her candles, and that that was the end of him.

Hastily, she rolled the bough away from her and into the stream, dousing the flame. Turning back to Renato, she folded her wings in front of her as his stomach provided a fresh plain of fuel to the blaze.

"Ahhh! I can't... deal with this! You... damn... monster! Water! Splash water..."

His walking appendages crackled and popped at the rough skin burned, but that was nothing compared to what was occurring above them.

As his coat combusted, his skin melted and dripped off of his body in gooey gray patches.

Pleasantly amused, Jewel smirked and said, "Wow, I never knew feathers burned so well! I inherited valuable info that will benefit me in the future. Many thanks to you, Renato..."

The putrid stench of roasting protein and skin permeated the air, spreading from its source like an invisible cloud. His shouts devolved into croaking as his chest turned into sludge and his wings added to the conflagration.

For a few brief snippets of time, as his head was engulfed, he resembled the mythical phoenix on its funeral pyre. If it was any closure, Renato had died slightly before his face had lit up.

His eyeballs melted from their sockets like waxy goo, still burning as they plopped onto the floor. His beak cracked and splintered from the heat, sending showers of smoldering protein all around him.

His destabilized frame then toppled over as his internal organs fed the blaze, upping the intensity of the putrid stench even more.

Thick, odd-colored smoke poured upwards, fanning out upon reaching the ceiling.

Once his malleable tissues were liquefied, his bones were the last to be scorched.

His skeleton, visible in many places under the goo, morphed to black powder, crackling like a fireplace. When there was nothing left to burn, tiny sprites of flame danced upon the surface of the amorphous, grayish-black mud that was Renato.

Once those sprites puffed out, Jewel fanned away the odors sarcastically, not at all offended.

Facing me, she declared, "Why the long face, friend? His death was quick, if anything. Be proud he only suffered for less than a minute!"

I fixed my eyes on my stomach, so immeasurably traumatized I felt numb.

"Just... kill me, okay? Play out one more of your fantasies at my expense. My life has been over since long before now..."

"I congratulate you on your acceptance of your doom, and also on your offer. Here's the catch: their deaths were quick. I intend to make yours slow, rewarding, and pleasurable. All for my gain, of course. Fair?"

"Does it really matter?" I moaned flatly.

"Hmmm, good point. Just let me find my knife... here we are!"

A series of vibrations tickled my skin as she landed on the pegs to my upper left, elevated above my position.

After a slight pause, I heard her say, "It seems that it will be quite difficult for me to explore you in this manner. I need to construct better footholds..."

She zoomed off to exchange her knife for her mace, then zoomed back and alighting on the pegs to my lower left.

Exerting herself without speaking, she snapped off a peg with her mace and retrieved it with her beak.
Lining it up with the dowel my right foot rested on, she hammered it back into the trunk.

She copied the maneuver once more, resulting in two even footholds.

Touching down on her creations after swapping out weapons, she forced my head up by pricking the underside of my beak with the newly sharpened tip.

"I can't have your face blocking my canvas, asshole. Now keep your chin up, or I'll allow you die that much slower!"

Jabbing my chest, she asked rhetorically, "Should I cut you here?"

She then prodded my gut, adding, "Or here?"

A blistering seam of agony heralded the answer as she buried the knife in the spot between my legs, dangerously close to my cloaca. My muscles seized as she pushed the blade vertically, albeit at a snail's pace.

"Unh! Please... stop!"

Jewel, mere inches from me, inspected her wound and smiled grimly.

"What luck, Blu. The slice is the perfect size... for my talons! Do you have a sixth sense?"

The answer I concocted in my mind was quickly swamped by a grotesque, anguished feeling inside of me. She had shoved her whole foot into the vertical laceration, moving my insides about a she searched for a particular organ.

It was many orders of magnitude more violating than it was painful.

The scene in Alien where Sigourney Weaver is being internally blended by the creature was a remarkable comparison to my situation.

After an eternity of searching, I felt her talons encircle something small and oval in the middle of my innards.

"There's only one way to see what I've got a hold of. This is going to hurt... a lot!"

In one swift motion, her foot burst from the incision in a spurt of blood. Gnashing my beak halves together to hold back a grief-laden yell, my blurry eyes distorted the view of her prize.

"What in the hell? Can you explain what this is?"

I ruefully studied the shape in her talons, having no choice but to answer the traitorous question.

She had torn out the source of my masculinity, my testosterone, my fathering capability.

"It's... my testicle..."

"Being as I'm going to slaughter you, it's not like you'll be having sex ever again..."

Dropping it nonchalantly, she dug around inside of me again, ever wary of the blood seeping from the wound. Another arrow of pain pierced my mind as she detached my other testicle, disposing of it just like the first.

In the wake of their removal, scarlet began to drain out of my cloaca via the severed pair of vas deferens. She glanced at the new development, blinking in cautious acknowledgement.

"I didn't think that would happen. At least it's a slow drip. You still have plenty of life left in you."

Flicking her knife around tauntingly, she then added an inch of length to my incision, prompting a renewed leakage of blood.

Fishing around ritually, she came across a muscular bag that was actively sloshing around in her grip.

"Ah ha, this must be your stomach!"

Her voice gained an inflection as she tugged on the organ, bringing it into full view. My sinuous esophagus and intestines remained attached to both ends of the pouch, their natural flexibility granting them added strength.

"Jewel... ugh... no!" I begged as she laid the pulsing bag against my chest, staining my feathers with my warm inner juices.

"Shut up, you're distracting me. Do you want to endure what Matthias did?"

Her brutal separation of my stomach from my intestines blocked my reply.

"Ohhh... it hurts!"

Ignoring me fastidiously, she hacked my esophagus as well, spilling the contents that I had not puked out previously.

As the sour odor of acid and bile rocked my nostrils, she slid my severed stomach off, watching it plop on the ground with a gory squish.

More crimson liquid exited via my cloaca, collecting on my tail feathers like cinnabar-hued dew.

My bone marrow was constantly pumping out new blood, but it was being divinely wasted as time rolled on.

My lowered oxygen content negatively affected me, drowning me in a state of wooziness.

She seemed to catch on to my afflicted condition, giving me a look of fake concern – which actually mirrored hatred.

"Really? You have to start tripping out now? Damn you! I'll be right back..."

Fighting to stay upright, I was oblivious to where she went or what she was gathering.

When she lofted back to me, I felt a rubber cord compress my neck, though not enough to restrict my airflow. My head was now permanently stilled thanks to the winged demon's ingenuity.

Returning to her post, she clarified her actions for me: "That fake-ass vine should keep it out of my way. I tied a thick knot in it on the rear of the trunk, so it'll never come loose."

"Ohhh, my cranium. It's killing me! I can't see straight..."

Affecting a stoic gaze, she said, "My my, you are in terrible shape. I think our time together is drawing to a close. Out of all four of my experiments, I have to say you were the most fun, not to mention the most resilient. Now, to engineer a fitting demise for you."

She focused on the ceiling for a brief period of time, orchestrating the act that would send me to my death.

She gave a shiver as she faced me for the final time, her expression bloated with regret.

Hollow regret.

"If it would help you find peace in death, I need you to know that I love you. Not for who you are, but for what you've allowed me to experience. You, most of all, have given me exquisite practice for when I broaden my horizons."

She nudged me twice, hammering home the hidden revelation in her words. Drawing lightly upon my ribs with the handle of her dagger, she teased, "It will be sad to see you go, don't get me wrong. All good things must come to an end, as they rightfully say."

A scarce veil of tears dribbled over my face, composed of more salt than water.

In a flash, her melancholy facade was corrupted by the demons within her, resulting in the dagger being plunged into my chest.

Too dehydrated and oxygen-starved to protest, I could only watch her carve out a mysterious figure, what little blood I had left deserting me.

As the knife returned to it starting position, she abandoned her scalpel and peeled a large chunk of skin away from my frame.

Wiggling the blue, heart-shaped slice in front of me, she cooed, "You see, Blu, I do love you. Now and forever, this is goodbye..."

The gaping, amorous hole revealed all of my organ systems to her, a marvelous glimpse of all that kept me alive.

As my life-force was slowly deserting me, a pang of broken-down intuition bloomed in my cortex. Taking heed of the being who was murdering me, I remembered the unfinished poem I read to her, when I could call her my love.

The last three paragraphs I was too short-sighted to concoct showed up in my brain, solemn and disparaging: Since we can't, since one will be left behind, I'll be the one days later they'll find.

For the difference, my love, is easy to see. I'm weak because I don't know if you've ever loved me.

Though we are two birds, only the strongest will survive.

You'll be the one who will make it through, but I won't be alive...

Molesting me tenderly, her curved talons shoved my lungs and air sacs aside, for she craved the treasure that lay behind them.

Caging her trophy, she ripped it from me in one fell swoop.

Now a hollow being, I stared at my heart, still beating and slick with gore.

Like a child deep-throating a lollipop, she crammed my heart into her mouth, swallowing it whole.

"I never..." was the last utterance I spoke as the scythe of death sealed me off from the world of the living, forever...

His slippery heart moved down my throat with ease, the rush of tangy flavor a wallop to my sense of taste.

I looked upon him with great pity, for I would never have the chance to butcher another so eloquently.

I hurled myself to the ground and picked up my substance-caked club, trying to figure out how to combine it with the scalpel to ease my burden. Much to my surprise, as I eased the handle underneath the strands that held the stone, I found that it remained snugly in place.

There! Now I don't have to drop one tool to perch. This will save me tons of energy in the future.

I spun around in a slow circle, admiring the sadistic beauty of my quadruple slaughter. The one oddity, however, was Blu.

I am going to bring him down to Earth, where the rest of his family lies.

Ditching my amalgamation, I snipped the rubber that held his wings and neck to the tree with my beak. Gravity obliged me, pulling him down to the concrete with a heavy thud.

I landed and delivered a swift kick to his flaccid side, rolling him onto his back.

Even though I had caused it, the aperture marring his frontal area irked me. The sweet outlines of my flowers manifested in my head, a perfect solution to my problem.

I scurried over to them and checked them for damage, relieved that there was none.

Tucking one back in its rightful place, I ferried the other over to his dead body. His blank gaze greeted me, his eyelids having failed to draw closed.

Sighing, I mused, They say that's what you get when you die with your eyes open.

I then set the orchid in the wound, making sure its recurved petals obscured it well.

That will be my mark, to let others know I was here, and that this is my crime scene. It lacks background now, but once I make a name for myself, that will completely change!

After returning to gather the instrument of my takeover, I exited the fun house via the duct and wound up back in the lonely, carpeted room.

Though doors were beyond my league, glass panels hardly were.

Flying at top speed, I smashed through one such panel with my staff. Emerging into the lush, mild atmosphere of a moon-brightened night, I alighted on the roof of the brick building proudly. Whirling around, an endless sea of living, thriving rainforest glowed in the mercurial light.

There must be hundreds, thousands of creatures in there, feathered or otherwise. I have committed four murders so far, but that number will continue to rise as long as I am alive. In a few short months, the populace will cower in fear at the mention of my name! It is but an innocent, defenseless paradise begging to be plundered!

With valiant wings, I blasted off in a northbound direction, initiating the start of my never-ending search-and-destroy quest...

Errant rays of sunshine swept over Tulio's exposed face, heating it patchily. So disturbing was the sensation that he rolled over, only to bump into his wife.

Groaning, she wriggled about and mumbled, "T-Tulio? Be s-still... let me r-rest..."

Dragging his hands up to his eyes, he rubbed them open, silently cursing his premature awakening.

In a lilting voice, he muttered, "I am sorry, dear. I'm going to go check on Jewel..."

A short string of mumbles issued from her mouth in response, tainted by the veils of sleep. Giving her a calming pat on the shoulder, he eased out of the covers and hopped to his feet.

Still half out of his wits, his walk to the lab was more of a stumbling trip. Entering the chilled room, he shot his gaze over to where he had left Jewel the previous night.

He was promptly jarred in to full alertness when he saw that her bed was disheveled and unoccupied.

Dashing over to the machine, its warning light blinking rapidly, he soon dug to the root of the grave problem.

Oh no, the isofluorane tank is completely empty! I must have forgotten to replace it last night! And the alarm, I must have shut it off due to my exhaustion! Damn it! Jewel could be anywhere!

Sweat beading on his forehead as he powered off the machine, he whirred out of the lab, his pajamas flapping as he ran.

Bursting into their bedroom, he said hotly, "Linda, Jewel's gone! Don't ask me how, but she is! We have to find her, before..."

As if a cannon went off under the bed, she flew out of it, throwing her glasses onto her face.

"What? Is this a miracle or a nightmare?"

His tone dread incarnate, he replied, "The worst nightmare ever... and it's real..."

Tulio and Linda immediately set about scouring the entire building while Vanessa and Fernando remained asleep.

Their voices sharp whispers, they started their search in the living room, working their way east. Adding another layer of puzzlement and insane worry to the situation was that Blu and his children were also nonexistent.

Sure enough, tears welled in Linda's and Tulio's eyes, a visual manifestation of the hopelessness thrashing about inside them.

They reached the main hall of the building, and despite their frenzy, an out-of-place feature near the ceiling caught their gazes.

"Tulio, s-something found a w-way past that grate! Could it h-have been Blu... or J-Jewel?"

"That duct leads to the aviary. My instincts are telling me that something important is in there..."

They slipped into the control room, which was naturally vacant. Their hearts dropped that much lower as they realized this.

Transitioning from there to the actual breeding chamber, the remnant odors of dead animals permeated the air. Their noses wrinkled profusely at the stench, and they used their clothing to screen out the odors.

"It smells like decaying rats in here! Do you think some got in and died?" Linda asked, her voice muffled.

"I don't think so. It would taken longer than one night for them to starve. No, it has to be... something else. Come on, we'll search together."

As they brushed aside the leaves on a tree near the entrance, their sense of normalcy exploded like the Big Bang.

Three mutilated bird carcasses littered the ground by the stream, accompanied by a pool of gray pudding sprinkled with black powder.

The form he recognized as Blu was reclining on his back, a delicate orchid blooming from his chest.

"Tulio... it's them. And they're dead!" Linda choked.

No sooner had the words escaped her lips did she irrevocably faint, falling hard against her husband.

On the verge of puking, he slumped down onto the floor in a sitting position, his spirits murdered by the carnage.

Amidst his dry heaves, twin versions of the Nile erupted onto his face.

Blu... his children... all slaughtered! The flower... could it have been Jewel? How am I even supposed to contemplate that? A ravenous creature must have slipped in during the night, and Jewel miraculously awoke, only to find them dead. She must have flown off, heartbroken, never to return...

Too crushed by the unspeakable horror, his fears regarding Jewel's locations were shoved away.

He need not inspect their massacred forms to clarify the brutality of their deaths.

The Spix's Macaw as I know it is finished. Oh God... this is unreal...

Burying his head in his arms, he turned away from the bloodstained arena, sulking uncontrollably. The haunting image was permanently seared onto his cortex, a mental scar that would torment him until his final breath.

One of the darkest periods in his life had been irreversibly vilified, the suffocating loss and agony increased a million fold...

In a rich grove laden with passion fruit, two Hyacinth Macaws were dining happily, their backs painted vermilion and gold by the gorgeous sunset.

Shoving the last of his portion into his beak, the male stared lovingly at the female.

Swallowing the tangy pulp, he commented, "Nathalia, are you full? If you want, we can head back home. I've already eaten my fill."

In an accent as attractive as his, she countered, "Just one more for me, dear. I'll need to eat more than usual, now that we have two miracles on the way,"

She patted her belly for emphasis, then plucked a spherical fruit from the tree and consumed it.

The male inched his way over to her, a proud smile on his face.

"Of course, my love. Take all the time you need. Can you predict when you will lay them?"

Pausing thoughtfully, she meditated for a few seconds before replying, "Maybe another... three or four days. Tomorrow, we will have to start thinking up some names for them. Oh Florencio, I'm so excited! Our own pair of chicks!"

"I am no more excited than you, my sweet Nathalia. I never imagined I would find love, and yet here I am, a mate and a father..."

Sighing in wonderment, his senses were titillated as she placed an angelic kiss on his beak.

"I love you," she added harmoniously.

Locking his navy eyes with her emerald ones, he replied, "I love you too."

They made their way to the perimeter of the grove and snuggled up against one another, orienting themselves towards the dazzling setting sun.

Without a doubt, they knew their future together was as marvelously bright as that blazing orb, a ball of uplifting energy that would never waver in its intensity.

By the time three-quarters of the sun was swallowed by the sea, Nathalia and Florencio had ventured back home, eager to indulge themselves in an extensive nap.

As they touched down in their hollow – a quite large space situated high up in a banana tree – they spied a heartwarming sight.

Curled up peacefully in their nest was an aquamarine female macaw, her back squarely to them.

Florencio hurled a telling gaze at his mate, who nodded and walked over to the at-rest vagrant.

Nathalia leaned in close and greeted, "Hello, who might you be? I've never seen such a unique bird as you around here. If you don't mind, we would like our nest back."

Ruefully, the female rose from the nest, snapping to attention as if she had never been asleep. When she whirled around, husband and wife flinched back in unrestricted shock.

"Whoa!" shrieked the male.

"Ahhh!" added the female, hopping away a few paces.

"What? Why are you so scared of me?"

Reigning in her emotions, Nathalia asked concernedly, "Are you feeling ill? Your eyes are quite... red. Did you get splashed by seawater?"

"No, I'm just fine. Who are you two?"

The female shook away her doubt and pulled Florencio to her side.

"This is Florencio," she began, "and I am Nathalia. We're two happily mated Hyacinth Macaws, and I am soon to lay our first pair of eggs," she stated gleefully.

A dark flicker crossed the visitors' eyes, intrinsically warning the macaws that she was not who she appeared to be.

"My name is Jewel, and I am a Spix's Macaw. The very last one, I might add."

Stunned and puzzled by her confession, both macaws looked at each other for several silent moments.

"Oh, I am truly sorry to hear that. Where there any others like you? Did you have a mate?"

The downtrodden Jewel turned her back to them angrily, as if their mentioning brought back bad memories.

"I used to. I had three children with him. Sadly, they all perished in a horrible accident. Now, I am doomed to live alone, my species all but finished."

"Oh my, I didn't know," Florencio said depressingly, "please forgive me! I didn't mean to-"

Harshly, Jewel cut him off: "There is no reason for me to mourn. I can never bring them back. They are in Heaven, where they deserve to be. I, however, will end up in Hell."

"Uh, okay," Nathalia said, exasperated and confused.

She conveyed a look to her husband that seemed to say, "There is something deeply wrong with this macaw."

He returned a grave expression, one tinted with curiosity overlaid by strong apprehension and suspicion.

Facing Jewel's back, he asked, "Can you please leave now? This has been a tiring day for my mate and I, and since she's expecting, she needs her rest."

Twitching strangely in the bundle of twigs and moss, she replied stoically, "Florencio, I can't do that."

"Uh, pardon me? We don't even know you. Is there something you want from us?"

Jewel stepped from the nest and spun around rapidly, a short branch in her right foot. One end carried a stone, while the other was carved into a cone. Attached to the side of the tool was a shiny metallic object.

Jewel's calm persona was whisked away in an instant, replaced by cold, intimidating fury.

"There is something I want from you, but it comes at a remarkably high price. Oh, and here's the catch: I'm not the one paying!"

Raising the double-ended bough in the air menacingly, she concluded, "I want your blood, your flesh, your souls, and there's not a fucking thing you can do that will prevent me from devouring them!"

The serenity outside the banana tree was splintered as a double scream of terror flayed the sky...

A/N: This may be the most important author's note I may ever write! If you managed to survive the web of carnage, I ask that you please, please leave a review!

Here is my last request: If you feel that, deep in your heart, this surpassed Cupcakes in its goriness, and you would like to share this outside the Rio community, be my guest. I do not expect this work to gain much popularity, but if you feel inclined to spread the word about it, that just might change.

Heck, some authors may even be willing to write some sequels!

I wish my readers a Merry Christmas, for this is my sadistic gift to all! I hope the nightmares don't spoil your holidays...