"Oliver," She said, concern in her voice. "Please, please, never want such a thing. It's not right. Promise you won't?" She said, Oliver nodding. He loved his mother, and he'd do whatever he could to make her happy.
"Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye." He smiled. After having agreed, Oliver was sent out to play. Of course though, he went barefoot. He was never one for wearing shoes, and he always got dirty.
His mother gazed out the window only to see before her a beautiful American Gold Fench, perched and chirppig on the tree outside. He seemed focused on her, as if he had heard every word she spoke...Every word her son did. Though she payed no mind.
The bird spread it's wings and before she realized it, it flew away. A beautiful bird, she thought. She'd never seen such a bird with as much grace as this one! It was truely a sight to see.
A story down, Oliver was running around happily, paying no mind to what he stepped on. A couple rocks here and there, not a one lego, and...Luckily for him there wasn't one piece of glass. Though he was having fun, he stopped dead in his tracks when suddenly, a silhouette; one of a bird, appeared over his feet. He quickly looked up.
The bird that had a moment before been in a branch, was now diving down at him. Oliver closed his eyes and ducked, only to find that the bird had landed softly on his shoulder...Was that normal?
"U-uh...'Ello, there!" Oliver said, smiling at the animal. He'd normally been terrible with animals, most of them hated him! Especially dogs. Oliver had no fondness for them, they constantly attacked him out of nowhere, anyways.
"I can grant you immortality," Coo'd the bird mischieviously.
"...Y-you can what?" Asked Oliver in disbelief...Did this bird just talk to him!
"You know as well as I that this is what you want. It's what you need, Oliver," The creature whispered. "I can give it to you. You won't have to fear death anymore. Doesn't that sound absolutely wonderful?"
Oliver hesitated. "...My mother has told me not to want such a thing, and I certainly will not want it!" He hissed, nervously.
"Now, now, do you really think you can simply not want something?"
Oliver frowned. "W-well, no, of course not...Don't you want something for it?" He knew that he should not ask such questions, but he also had his doubts. This little bird had a trick up it's sleeve.
"You're a smart one!" The bird exclaimed. "Yes," It said, "I want something. You see, I am growing very weak, and I need to fly in order to live. Tell me, have you ever heard the expression 'An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth'?"
Oliver nodded, opening his mouth to speak only to be interrupted.
"Good, good...Well, you see, I need two wings in order to live. You can live with one eye, can you not?" The hopeful creature asked.
"Well, yes I s'ppose I can. But what does that have anything to do with this?" He puffed his cheeks out grumpily.
The bird tilted it's head at him. "What hasn't it got to do with this? I'm trying to make a deal with you. One eye for immortality, and that eye to fix a hurting wing. Well? How does that sound?"
Oliver's eyes widened, him cupping his hand over one. He gulped. "U-uhm...I-It sounds frightfully p-painful...!"
"I can make it completely painless, it won't hurt a bit. I will leave you with but an empty socket. Though, there will be a bit of blood."
Oliver seemed terrified...But if he were to be made immortal, it wouldn't hurt, right...? He removed his hand, and blindlingly he agreed.
"I-I'll do it. No questions asked." He said, seemingly full of confidence.
"Wonderful...Are you ready?" Asked the bird, leaving his shoulder and landning on the ground before him.
"...R-ready..." Oliver whispered, unsure of the choice he had made...Oh well, there was no turning back now. The bird flew up and spread it's wings, a light blinding the small boy. He fell backwards, his hand adhered to his face. He could not feel pain, but he did feel a cold wetness touch his hand. He looked down, watching blood drip onto his hands.
"I-it's gone...M-my eye, it's gone!" Oliver cried.
"Well, yeah, I kind of warned you. But, hey!" The bird turned to him.
"...W-what...?" Asked Oliver quietly.
"You're immortal now. And thank you, kind boy. I'm healthy!" It exclaimed.
"But before I go, I must inform you that you didn't keep your promise. Cross your heart and hope to die, stick a needle in your eye! Please do enjoy your eternity with a socket full of needles." The bird spread it's wings, flying away with yet another blinding flash of light.
A sudden pain filled Oliver's head. It hurt so that he screamed, whimpering loudly. The bird wasn't joking in the slightest. His eye socket was no longer empty, but full of needles! Oliver fell to the ground only to see the same silhouette dancing about his face.
"Please do remember, you can remove not one needle, if you do...Well, let's just say the eternity you will live will NOT be a happy one." And with a darkening of the sky, the winged creature vanished, leaving Oliver bleeding out on the ground as it poured a cold, mocking rain.
Oliver crawled about the ground, making his way very slowly. He silently cried out for help though he could not hear any answer. The pain was absolutely horrifying, he'd do anything to make it stop! That's when he found himself slowly advancing towards a train track.
This was it. This is how he could escape the pain of those needles...Laying out on the tracks, awaiting his death. Surely the bird was bluffing. He wasn't really immortal, was he?
The only thing young Oliver could hear was the pitter patter of the rain hitting the ground and the beating of his heart...He had to make it to those tracks, he had to pull himself forward. It just hurt too much for him to bare!
Now, as it poured down harder, he heard the blowing of a whistle...A train was coming! He wasn't on the tracks yet! He wasn't goint to make it, and he was going to be stuck there, with nothing...He tried harder, picking up his pace.
Grabbing onto the track, he slowly pulled himself onto it, looking back at the trail of blood he had left. His home seemed so far down that blood-covered road...Wasn't his mother worried about him? What was she doing now? Better yet...How close was the train?
He turned his head, staring as far as his eye would let him...After a couple agonizing minutes, he could finally see the train. It was going full-speed, and he found it hard to stay on those tracks. He was scared and he just wanted to forget about the mistake he had made and he wanted to go home! That's all he wanted...
Soon the train was only a couple yards away and steadily coming closer...He closed his eye and faced up, letting the rain hit his face...When soon the train hit him too, not sending him forward but completely going over him. He screamed.
The pain was absolutely horrific, and still, he lived! Once the train passed, both of his legs were gone, one cut off just above his ankle and the other at his thigh.
He groaned, crying loudly in pain, when suddenly he heard the flapping of wings. He went unconscious, and suddenly...He went numb.
After waking up, he opened his eye and quickly put his hand over the other, in hopes that it was all a dream...But it wasn't. He felt the cloth that was carefully wrapped around his eye, and he glanced down to see that his legs were bandaged too. He wiggled his toes, wondering how they still worked.
"...M-mum...?" He whispered. Who else could have done this? ...What would she think, having seen the condititon he was in...? He looked side to side, when in the doorway he saw a boy about 16 entering the room.
"Oh, good...You're awake! It's about time, you've been asleep for hours. Heh." The boy approached him, lifting up the bandage on Oliver's ankle.
"Don't mess with your bandages kid, there's stitches under there. If I knew you would have gone off and jumped in front of a train I wouldn't have made that deal with you...! I'm sorry, I really had no idea that-" His words were cut off by a foot being shoved in his face.
"Don't speak to me you dirty whale!" Oliver huffed, this was the creature that had taken his eye and replaced it with needles...! But, wait, he was a human now?
"Look, I'm sorry, I truely do feel bad for what I've done to you! It's my fault, okay kid? Don't get your panties in a bunch." He removed the foot from his face.
"I'm going to repay you for this, okay? No strings attached. I'll be your friend and...And I'll keep with you at all times. I'll stay by your side and...I'll protect you no matter what." He sighed.
"You can keep me in a cage, even. I do have a concsious and I do believe I should be punished for this. I'm telling the truth when I say I had no idea you'd do this to yourself...! I really do feel horrible, kid!" He pushed the black of his hair behind his ear, crossing his arms.
"My name is James and I am forever in your debt. This is the only way I know that you might some day forgive me..." He lowered his head.
The young adult before him really seemed guilty. Oliver found it hard not to forgive him...After all, James would serve him hand and foot! ...How could he refuse?
"...Promise?" He asked.
Grinning, the teenage boy turned into a beautiful American Gold Finch and landed on Oliver's knee, cooing.
"Cross my heart and hope to die," He said. "Stick a needle in my eye."
And so from then on, Oliver lived with the Finch, never returning home nor breaking a promise. He was now what some might call a monster, and to this day he has not removed the bandage from his eye. Though theysay that if you do, you will behold one thousand golden needles, all signifying a broken promise never to be broken again.