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Alex tried to continue her day, but the scare visibly shook her. Every time I caught a glimpse of her tail, I couldn't help but feel at fault. She tried to act like she couldn't notice it, but it would rub against the counters whenever she turned. I could remember being at that stage myself, the awkward feeling of knocking everything over. Alex was constantly adjusting the waist of her pants now that the tail was trying to force them down.

I wish I were able to speak and relate to her right now. There were so many things I wanted to say, even to tell her that I understood. But instead, I was stuck watching as she tried not to break down over the changes.

After a while, Alex took a seat on a stool. She carefully adjusted her tail to avoid sitting on it by accident. Once seated, she turned and ran her hand across its feathers. She closed her eyes, feathers running between her fingers. "You know, Lyall, this is when things are going to change for me. Until now, I have kept this a secret. I was able to hide the changes but now... I can't anymore." Alex sighed, "I don't know what I'll do."

I stepped closer, but the door opened before I could do anything, and Elizabeth walked in. Alex turned to hide her tail from Elizabeth, who sat a bag on the desk. "Two weeks." She said confidently, "Two weeks you've been here, Lyall. I see Alex has had you..." Elizabeth glanced at the falconry gear, "under control..."

Alex gave a half laugh as Elizabeth walked past. Alex tried to hide her tail, but Liz caught a glimpse of white. Liz stopped and cocked her head, "Oh, when did that happen?" She walked closer, but Alex still tried to hide the new tail, eventually giving up. Not long after she noticed the tail, she also saw the bandaged hand. "What did you do to your poor hand?" Liz said, surprised.

"Just a little biting incident. Nothing bad, I promise." Alex said, covering her hand. Liz quickly started to remove the bandage, Alex tried to stop her verbally, but Liz dismissed the idea, "I know you don't want me to see something." Alex replied with a quick, "What do you mean?" Liz laughed and nodded downward, "Your tail is louder than your voice." Alex looked back to see her tail flared out and gave a slight flick.

Alex shook her head before quietly saying, "Lyall did it by accident. He was scared, and he bit me while confused." Liz chuckled, "That wasn't so hard. I'm not too worried about the bite. I've had my fair share. But I want to ensure you are taking care of it." As she unwrapped the bandage, she looked at the wound and winced, "That's a nasty one. Now, why did he bite you? Is he still having issues, as we talked about?" She asked as she began rewrapping Alex's hand.

"Last night, some... interesting things happened at the house. Once we returned and Lyall went to sleep, he lost control and bit me when I tried to get him out this morning."

Liz nodded her head. "You mentioned that house. Have you noticed that most of the issues happen after visiting it?" Alex shook her head, "I can't keep him from the only people he knows."

"Then don't, but the hawk might need to be stimulated too. Some time outdoors could help calm him. I'm sure car rides to a little house aren't doing much for his wild side."

I was a little worried about that. With the hawk being the way it has been, I worried that giving in to its wants would cause me to lose control again. But at the same time, I had gone a year in the wild before, and only after I quit did I have issues. Alex seemed receptive to the idea, so I only had a little say. Elizabeth helped Alex finish dressing her hand before Alex started to don the glove and tether. Once she attached me to the glove, she allowed me to step onto her arm, and we walked outside.

Behind the building was a thick cover of trees and brush. Inside, I could hear birds singing and the sounds of the leaves. We followed a dirt path that wandered aimlessly through the trees. The woods felt familiar and comforting. Although I had never been to this particular woods, I couldn't help but feel at home. Looking around, I could see small birds and a few small animals throughout the sea of trees.

After a short walk, we came across a small bench on the side of the trail. Across from the bench was a tree that forked about four feet high and split into smaller branches. Alex held me to the tree, and I perched myself on the branch. Alex unclipped the tether and let it hang, "Not like you'll be able to go anywhere with that wing of yours." She laughed. Today is the day that my wing was X-rayed again. I dreaded the updates as I knew any of them could mean I would be stuck living in captivity for the rest of my life.

I took a deep breath and looked across the trees. I felt calm, but not like I did when I lost control. This time it was genuinely calming. The wind whistled through the trees, and my branch swayed lightly in the breeze. Gripping the branch a little tighter, I closed my eyes. Although I had only been pulled from my life a short time ago, I never realized until then how much I missed it. I had everything I needed. I was independent and happy.

Time passed, but I never tried to keep track. I never wanted to leave my perch; I only wanted to stay and imagine myself as a real hawk again. As I thought of my day-to-day life, Alex interrupted me, "You ready to head back?" I lightly shook my head in response. "Lyall, we've been out here for two hours. We still have to do X-rays and a reward today." I turned back to see Alex. I expected her to be joking, but she seemed semi-serious. Had we really spent two hours out here?

Reluctantly, I climbed back onto her glove, and we began to walk back to the building. I didn't want to leave, and if it weren't for my wing, I would have flown off. I felt like I belonged here, like I had a purpose rather than being a silent reminder to others of the looming future ahead of them. I looked around to take in the views before we went inside.

As we approached the building, my mind felt clearer. I had never noticed it before, but with the clarity I had now, it was like the hawk was constantly there, just waiting to take control. But now, I couldn't feel him Waiting for me to give in. I felt free and in control of my head. Perhaps Elizabeth was right; giving the hawk what it craved was the secret to controlling it. Or maybe I gave it more control and lost my hold, but I didn't feel tired like before.

Once inside, Liz was already prepping the machine for an X-ray. I knew this was coming but did not look forward to it. If my wing healed incorrectly, I could be left reliant on others for the rest of my life. The X-ray didn't change that fact, but not knowing meant I could convince myself everything was going well. I was laid onto my back, and the head of the machine was pointed at my bandaged wing. With a light buzz, the image was taken, and I refused to look at the display.

"Well, that changes some things," Elizabeth said, and my heart sank, assuming the worst. "Your wing is a little further along than I would have expected it to be. Bones look good; nothing is too far out of place." She continued. "You're looking great, Lyall." Liz smiled and nodded. I felt relieved to know I was one step closer to going home, or at least back to the outdoors.

Alex gave me some medicine from a plastic syringe. I knew it was in my best interest to take it, but without lips swallowing was odd and hard to do. The fluid was white and tasted like chalk, leaving a nasty aftertaste. Alex was kind enough to give me a thawed mouse for my troubles after. "Do you feel better after our walk?" Alex asked, "You seemed to enjoy the sun, or did you..." I nodded my head. "So you were in control?" She asked. I nodded again, and she smiled, "Great, maybe that can take the edge off the hawk for a bit. Maybe we could go to your friend's place? I need to uhh... talk to Rylie about something." I nodded, and she seemed relieved.

Alex helped Liz clean up before taking me back outside and to her car. She began to put the cap on my head before deciding to back out of it. She still placed it in her bag, but tried to hide it from me. I pretended not to see it to try and make her feel less awkward, and it's not her fault my track record was less than perfect. Alex struggled to sit in the car with her long tail hanging behind her. Luckily her tail was reasonably short compared to some songbirds. She half-positioned herself on the seat, allowing her tail to twist awkwardly and rest between the seats. She was visibly uncomfortable, but it worked well enough for now. The ride was quiet, and I could sense something was on Alex's mind. I had only seen her act like this when she didn't like the discussions at the house. I couldn't tell if it was the tail situation or something else.

When we arrived at the house, she wasted no time getting out of her seat. Once standing beside the car, she stretched and massaged where her tail met her back. Slowly she walked around to get me, and a small car pulled in behind her as she did. Weston got out and greeted Alex excitedly. "Howdy! Didn't expect to see ya two days in a row!" Weston laughed as he closed his car door. He looked and saw Alex's new tail, "Well, when did that happen?"

Alex laughed nervously, "Last night, I uh, yeah, it just kind of happened." She shrugged as she lifted me on her hand. Weston nodded with a neutral expression. "I can understand that. It's not always when you expect it," he said. "How did you drive here if you don't mind me asking?"

Alex looked back at her car, confused, before quickly turning back, "Oh, you mean with my... I had to sit funny, but it's fine."

"I could always chop the seat for ya. I did it in my car for when I drive the birds around. It wouldn't take me but a little while." Weston shrugged.

"No need to do something like that, I'll just wait-," but Alex was cut off by Weston, "Unless you're getting a new one, you will need it sooner or later. I know it isn't charming, but you'll be more comfortable with it."

Alex sighed, "Maybe. I don't know."

"How about this, you let me know if you want me to do it. No one else has to know about it. It can be between you and I." Wes' eyes flicked to me, and he laughed, "I guess Lyall's in on it too." Alex smirked.

Wes led us to the door and let us in. Sitting on the couch, to my surprise, was Daniel. However, he had kept many of the changes from yesterday. His neck and head were primarily covered in iridescent feathers. Even his cheeks were blocked by the shiny pink feathers. When his head turned to look at the door, it moved quickly and stopped as fast. His head's movement was twitchier than before. A sign that more than just some feathers had changed within him. Alex said nothing to him and walked me to the dining room table. I stepped down as Rylie greeted Alex.

"Oh my god, when did this happen?" Rylie said excitedly.

"Yesterday, after we left, they grew in."

Rylie walked around Alex, "You look fantastic with them." Rylie tried to reassure Alex, who seemed to tense up at the mention of the tail.

"Would you mind if I ask you about something?" Alex said quietly.

"Sure, shoot!" Rylie replied while pulling a chair out from the table.

"Can I ask you privately? Without anyone else?" Alex hesitated.

Riley's eyes shot open, "Oh yeah, uh, right now? We can go upstairs if-" but Alex was already nodding her head quickly. The two walked out of the room, and the thumping of the stairs could be heard. Looking into the living room, Daniel was quietly watching me. As soon as I looked at him, his eyes darted away, but before long, his eyes turned back to me. We stared in silence for a few moments before he stood up from the couch, revealing a tail of his own. Reaching under the center table, he picked up the Ouija board and walked toward me.

Once he reached the table, he placed the board before me and pushed it until it touched one of my talons. He took a seat and placed his head in his hands. "Let's talk," he said bluntly before sliding the planchette to my side of the board. I had an off feeling about Dan and didn't feel safe in this situation, but I slowly nodded to the hummingbird.

"Good. How old were you when you changed?"

I pressed my beak against the flat slide and slid the hole from two to zero.

"How long did it take you to change?"

I was trying to remember how long my change was. It felt like a blur now. "9-M-O-N-T-H"

Dan took a deep breath, and his feathers lifted off his body, making him appear larger. "Do you still remember from before?"

I nodded my head.

This time Daniel wasn't blunt but quieter. "What did you do to remember everything? Why did Matthew lose it?"

I wanted to tell him it was the inhibitor, but I'm not sure it was that. I had no idea why I was different and how I could still control my body. But looking at Daniel, he was desperate for answers and scared of what was coming. I couldn't help but see myself in him. I was desperate for answers, and I was afraid of losing myself. I saved myself, but I couldn't tell him how or why I was able to.

Do I give him hope in something that could be false? Or do I tell him the truth and let him down? Sure, he hadn't been the kindest to me or Alex, but I remember asking the same questions. I didn't want to disappoint him or lie to him.

"N-O-T-S-U-R-E"

His eyes turned away from me, and I could see them watering. He brought a hand to cover his face. I waited for him to uncover his face, but he kept his hand up. I tried to get his attention by bobbing my head. Eventually, I grabbed the board with my beak, lifting it a few inches up before dropping the edge back onto the table. The slide fell from the table and onto the floor. Daniel moved his hand, and I slid my beak across the board.

"I-T-R-Y-2-H-E-L-P"

Daniel's mouth mimicked the words a few times. But before he could respond, Rylie came down the stairs with Alex, who looked shaken up. Rylie walked into the kitchen and brought Nash and Weston to the table. Alex then grabbed the card deck from the living room's center table and set it on the table. She grabbed the Ouija board and laughed as she set it aside.

"You two finally making up?"

Daniel glanced at me, and for the first time, I saw the hint of a smile from him. Alex slowly dealt the cards out, and everyone except me began to play. I only sat and watched as the other five played the game. I paid little attention to the game but enjoyed watching everyone have fun together. After the recent tension, it was great to see everyone getting along. Everyone was loose and happy.

I walked off the table and took perch on the back of one of the chairs. Today was a great day for me. I had good news about my wing, and Daniel and I could make up. I was happy to be with my old friends, but could not wait to return to the wild again. I still had one thing I wanted to do before returning to my life. I had one person I still wanted to see. It had been over a year since I had gone home, and she didn't know I was still around, let alone living. It wouldn't be easy, but I knew I would want the same from my mom.

The game kept going for a while. Sometimes they changed up the game, and other times, they lightly bickered about house rules. After a few hands, Alex moved in her seat uncomfortably. She didn't seem too upset until it had occurred a few times. Suddenly her eyes shot open wide, and she stood up from the chair, knocking it back onto the floor.

"Ahhh, Rylie, it's happening. It's happening now!" Alex said as she stepped from the table, her tail fanning wide. Rulie quickly got up and walked to her, "Oh, already? Let's uhh go upstairs to my room, ok?" Alex quickly nodded and began to fast walk to the stairs with Rylie in tow.

"She alright?" Daniel asked.

"Rylie has her. I'm sure everything is alright," Nash said.

We waited almost an hour for them to return to the table. Eventually, Daniel lost interest and started to watch TV. Nash and Weston picked up the cards and placed them in the box. I waited for them to return, though the way Alex left worried me. Her face reminded me of last night when she slid away from me. What could have happened to her this time?

I could hear footsteps on the stairs, but only Rylie came down. She kept her arm folded as she walked to the kitchen. "Nash? Can you come here?" She said softly as she rounded the corner into the kitchen. Nash ran into the room, and I could only hear a bit of what was being said. Nash reached up and took something from Rylie. He opened the cabinet door and placed something round into the cabinet.

Once I realized what it was, I couldn't help but feel sorry for Alex.