Blackbird

The family of four settled into their rented mountain lodge for a 3 day weekend getaway. They had been on the road for 7 hours and were happy to sit down and eat store bought fried chicken. Everyone was tired, and not much was said. Jane and Sam went off to their quarters to unpack while Mom and Dad sat down for a drink in front of the fire, unwinding the tension that comes with family road trips.

Morning came, breakfast was had, and the kids played outside in the snow.

'Jane!' shouted Mom.

'Yes?', answered Jane.

'Do you have any chapstick? I left mine back home!'

'Yes! I do. It's in my purse next to my makeup bag. Just don't open the black coin purse!'

'Okay!'

Mom headed upstairs to Jane's room, wondering how it became so cluttered so quickly. Jane had not inherited the organizational gene from her mother. Mom found the purse, dug through, and found the chapstick. While applying the chapstick Mom looked down, noticing the small string tie that held the black coin purse shut. It looked empty.

Why doesn't she want me to look in there?, she thought.

She looked around, making sure no one was there, and pulled out the bag. It felt empty too.

'Huh, that's odd.'

Taking another look around she slipped the string tie loose, allowing the coin purse to fall open.

Nothing.

She put the tie back on, carefully placing everything back into Jane's purse so that nothing looked disturbed.

'Caw!'

Mom jumped, startled. She hadn't noticed the small blackbird sitting on the edge of the windowsill. She shewed it away and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Evening came and dinner was had. Everyone laughed over a game of Jenga, then it was off to bed.

Knock knock

Jane sat up in bed. Something was wrong.

'No!'

She reached for her purse, and poured it hurriedly out on the bed in front of her, clicked her bedside lamp on, and gasped in horror.

The coin purse was gone.

'Caw!'

'Ah! Give it back!'

Jane grasped towards the window as the bird flew away, the string tie of the coin purse held tightly in it's beak.

to be continued...