Rio: Forever Young

Chapter 9 – Intruder Alert

Awkward could be the only word used to describe the rest of the night for Blu and Jewel. The fumbling of Blu's words once again cost him a chance to express his true feelings to Jewel. Even worse, Jewel now felt uncomfortable being near him. It was as if all of the emotions he made her feel had been completely blocked out of her mind. They were resting on opposite sides of the hollow, both backs towards each other. Tulio mentioned earlier that he was having issues with the breeding room's air conditioning so he had left the door open just enough for a bird to exit. Through the silence and darkness that surrounded him, Blu had some time to explore the empty spaces of his unconscious.

"Why is it that I always choke in the heat of the moment? It was right there in front of me! Such a beautiful opportunity and I blew up! Not only did I blow it, but I can almost guarantee she hates me…I guess I got what I deserved. She's too good for me anyway…"

He began thinking heavily about Jewel, turning his head to look over at the female spix macaw sleeping in the other corner of the hollow. He wanted to reach out and grab her, caress her in his arms and kiss her passionately. But it was all just a dream, a dream that was ever so slowly begin to fade away into the dark abyss that surrounded him. He turned his head back to the wall of the hollow and thought to himself once more, this time about another important female in his life.

"What would Linda do in a situation like this? I mean she's a girl…right? Maybe humans and birds have the same type of feelings when they experience love…oh who am I kidding? That would be impossible. Linda…I wonder if she's gotten any closer to making a decision about staying in Rio or leaving for Minnesota. It doesn't make any sense…she was so against coming here when Tulio first came to visit the bookstore, but her mind changed so quickly. Was it because she thought Tulio was attractive or something? No way…maybe it wasn't her choice to come here. Could it have been fate? What's going to happen once Jewel and I…I mean IF Jewel and I leave this place for the jungle once her wing heals? Will she stay with Tulio and help him run this place, or will she go back home to her family? Aghhh so many questions! My brain is starting to hurt. I wish they had bird pillows or something. Jewel…please don't let me go…"

His head began to sulk into his stomach as he began to close his eyes. A good night sleep would clear his head. Little did he know of the threat that stood outside the entrance to the sanctuary. He looked out of the hollow and took one last gander of the moon outside the window of the breeding room. It was strange. The moon was bright, but it wasn't as bright as any other night he had been in the breeding room. He couldn't help but get a bad feeling in his gut. Then, all hell broke loose.

CRASH!

A shattering loud noise boomed through the door of the breeding room. Jewel picked up her head and squinted towards the entrance of the hollow.

"Blu…was that you?"

"No! I have no idea what that was, but it can't be good! I can't believe I'm saying this but…I'm going to go check it out."

"Be careful Blu…"

Before she could say those words, Blu had already jumped down to the floor of the breeding room and sneakily headed toward the exit. He felt like a soldier guiding his war through a war zone, filled with bravery and strength, two feelings he had never felt before in his life.

"Something fragile must've been smashed, like a window or a mirror."

In the living room, Linda awoke at the sound of the front window being completely shattered. She looked up behind the couch. She heard absolutely nothing, not even the slightest noise.

"What on earth?"

She got up and walked over to the window and observed the damage, her eyes widening in shock. The entire front window had been decimated, small shards of broken glass lay scattered across the floor. Too eager to find out what caused the destruction Linda bypassed the option of waking Tulio and began searching her surroundings for a flashlight.

"Come on!" She whispered silently. "There's got to be a flashlight around here somewhere…got it!"

She grabbed the flashlight firmly and began to scan the area, searching for any clues that may lead to the culprit.

"CLAMP!"

Linda turned around and shined the light at the bathroom, but nothing was there. Everything around her was pitch black and the darkness began to consume her.

"This has got to be the most bizarre thing I've ever…RRRRRRRGGG!"

A white cloth instantly appeared in front of her face and began suffocating her. She had no visual of the suspect in her peripheral and she began desperately trying to slap off whatever was clamped to her back.

"RRRRGGGRGGRGR!"

The cloth had an odd odor, an intoxicating odor that slowly began to seep into her mouth. Gasping for air, Linda had no choice but to inhale the toxic aroma that was slowly beginning to shut her body down. Her vision began to blur and her knees weakened as she sunk to the floor, glass shards piercing her clothing and cutting her skin. Although she felt her body shutting down, Linda refused to give up but no matter how hard she tried, she could not free herself from the beast that was suffocating her. She lost grip of the flashlight and let her arms fall to the ground After the long struggle finally ended, Linda's body collapsed. In the bedroom nearby, Tulio awoke to the sound of Linda's attack.

"What in the name of carnival is going on out there? It's almost midnight!"

Tulio instantly got out of bed, still in his pajamas and reached for the door. He grasped the knob and turned, but the door would not open. Tugging with all his might, the door would not budge one bit. The door had been jammed shut from the outside, assumingly by the intruder.

"Linda? Is that you out there? Oh no oh no oh no I have to find something to open this door quick!"

Meanwhile, Blu had been observing all of the action from the entrance to the breeding room. He simply watched as Linda fell valiantly before her predator.

"Oh no…Linda…no this can't be happening…"

"You took her from me…"

The visions began to reappear in his mind. The same words that haunted his dreams, the same words that Rafael mumbled to him before he fell unconscious, scrambled his brain. His worst nightmare had finally become a reality. Jewel was wrong. The dark creature was here. Trembling, Blu took baby steps and tried to obtain a closer look. The room was still pitch black and he was all alone. He could hear a faint breathing noise a few feet away.

"Must be Linda…I hope she's alright…"

Blu continued to creep forward. The closer he got to Linda, the heavier the breathing got. Glass shards still lay scattered across the floor and Blu moved slyly, making sure not to cut his feet. Finally, he made it to Linda's body. Beats of sweat began to trickle down his face as he was in the heat of the moment. Something wasn't right. The breathing had stopped. It hadn't come from Linda at all. Blu's eyes widened and he took one huge gulp for he knew he had been led on. At that very moment, a talon grabbed the back of his neck and turned his entire body around. His spine froze as his face began to lose color. He was staring into the face of pure evil, the devilish red eyes piercing through his forehead and into his brain. The creature lifted Blu off the ground. He was still in too much shock to move but his jaws had remained dropped.

"You're coming with me…Blu."

"How the hell does he know my name? Who is he? WHAT DOES HE WANT WITH ME…"

It was too late. The creature tossed Blu up in the air like a rag doll and landed a crushing strike against the back of Blu's head. He felt his own brain dislodge itself and collide with his skull. He crashed into the floor, glass shards piercing several parts of his body and face. The hard surface crushed his beak as blood began to pour out of his wounds. He had lost all feeling in his limbs and he could taste the blood trickling down the back of his throat. Everything went black. The creature picked up the limp carcass with its mighty talons and disappeared into the night sky.

Author's Note - I'm back! Yes chapter nine is finally here. I've been absolutely swamped lately with school and other social activities lately, so thank you for bearing with me. I don't like to write against my will so I only write when I am in the best writing mood, which is usually about an hour or two before I go to bed. Anyways, I was finally able to scrap up some writing time and finish this chapter! Blu's first real encounter with the creature. Read and Review!