It was raining, with the occasional burst of thunder and lighting. He could hardly fly in this weather, so he knocked on the door, looking for a place to wait out the storm.
It was a small house, yellow, with a white door, roof, and shutters. The only house for miles it seemed, on the flat, mostly treeless ground. He was beginning to think it was abandoned and he could just let himself in, when the door was opened, revealing a young woman, her hair cut in a yellow blonde bob, pausing to stare at the creature on her front door.
With the matte green wings on the young man’s back, one would be forgiven for mistaking him for an angel. But who knew if angels even actually had wings? Animal hybrids, however, were another matter. A wet, miserable-looking animal hybrid. “You ay, there, buddy?” she asked finally.
“I was just looking for a place to wait out the storm.” He told her, wet and cold and second guessing the decision to knock on the door, “I’m sorry to have bothered you.”
She smiled at him. “You haven’t.” After a beat, she offered, “Come on in, I’m Annamaria, by the way.”
“Third.” He told her, stepping in soaking in the warmth. “My name’s Third.”
Annamaria looked over her strange-named, unexpected guest for a moment. Third wasn’t short, but he wasn’t particularly tall either, with a thin, lanky frame, his hair roughly cut short in sandy brown tuffs. His wet clothes were very rough-looking, hand sewn maybe. He looked around the apartment vigilantly, as if he was waiting for something to happen.
“Well…Third,” She began finally, “I have a fire going already, why don’t sit down, dry off, I’ll see what I can about scrounging up some coffee, or tea, or something hot.”
#
It turned out all Annamaria had in was instant coffee and decaf at that. But she made it work, heating up a pot’s worth of water and mixing the stuff with a load of liquid creamer and coconut sugar until it turned into a tempting cream coffee, served in a blush pink coffee service. It had been her mother’s, passed down to Annamaria at her death. Her mother had treasured it, and now so did she.
“Here you go.” Annamaria smiled, sitting down next to him, and pouring a cup, handing it to him.
“You really didn’t have to go to that much trouble.” Third told her but began to drink anyway, letting it warm him, lapping up the sweet creamy flavor. He had never had anything like this before. “Um, does anyone live here with you?” He glanced around and couldn’t help but notice the place seemed incredibly lonely.
“No, just…just me.” Annamaria admitted, looking off bashfully, “There used to be my parents, but….” She looked back at him, “It’s just me now. They left me the house when they died, and I didn’t really have another place to go, so I’m here.” She looked sad for a moment, lonely, then asked, “What about you? Where did you come from? We don’t really get many…” Her voice trailed off.
“Hybrids?” Third finished.
“Yeah.” Annamaria admitted, “Yeah, we don’t get many hybrids out here.”
Just then there was a loud burst of thunder illuminated by lighting, causing Annamaria to yelp.
“Are you alright?!” Third asked, alarmed.
Yeah, just—just not a big thunder fan.” Annamaria said. As if to make the point, thunder and lightning broke through the night, eliciting another scream from her as he fell back in his arms.
“It’s okay.” Third assured her, holding her tight, “It’s okay, I got you.” He worried it might be an inappropriate gesture, holding a woman he barely knew like this, but he wasn’t sure what else to do.
“Talk to me.” Annamaria pleaded, “Just talk to me, please. Anything to keep me distracted.”
“Alright,” Third began, “I was born in a lab on the coast. They set us up in a nice little nest, my mom, my brother and sister and me. Um, my sister was Frist, my brother was Second, I was Third.”
“Sounds cozy.” Anamaria commented.
“It was,” Third said, “At least until people found out about the experiments. One of the doctors let us out and we all just…flew like crazy. We were just teenagers, us kids. Anyway, one day there was this storm, not as bad as this, I mean we could still fly, just poorly, and I got separated from the others, broke my wing. By the time I recovered, there was no trail, and they never found me.”
Annamaria’s heart went out to him. “So, you’ve been on your own ever since?”
“Yeah…yeah actually.” Third admitted.
Annamaria went still in his arms. “How old were you?”
“Thirteen.” Third admitted, “It wasn’t easy, those days. Mother—she was always able to figure things out. What food we could eat, where it was safe to go. On my own it was trial and error.” After a beat he continued, “Sometimes I’d eat things that would make me sick for days. I nearly died once that way. And there were predators in the woods, and in the towns…well, a lot of people were scared back then. Of us.”
He didn’t want to be talking about this. Didn’t like thinking about those days. Didn’t like to think about being cold and hungry and scared all the time. Of men chasing with him guns, of women throwing whatever they could get their hands on, cursing him with words he didn’t even know. Of missing his family terribly, crying from grief some days, others scolding himself, telling himself he wasn’t going to see them again in this life.
Eventually he learned to survive. And to survive, he had to become a law unto himself.
“That’s got…that’s got to get pretty lonely.” Annamaria whispered.
“So does living out here all by yourself.” Third said. After a moment he asked, “How did that happen?”
Annamaria was quiet for a moment. He had just bore his soul to her; it was only fair she returned the favor. “I lost both my parents by the time I was eighteen.” She began finally, “They both worked in forest conversation, and while she was on the job this snake jumped out…Dad couldn’t get her to the hospital in time.” She was quiet for a moment, then continued, “It wasn’t his fault, the world’s broken, bad things happen, but…I think he blamed himself, anyway. Then two years later he was in a car accident…After that I just locked myself away in a shell. Left school, got a job where I could work from home—internet connection is surprisingly good out here-only went to town for the essentials, didn’t talk to anyone I didn’t have to. In that shell, no one could hurt me, no one could leave me again, like they did—”
Just then there was another crack of thunder, causing Annamaria to yelp and Third to hold her tighter. “Tell you what, thought,” Annamaria admitted, “Nights like this, the shell kinda starts to crack.”
Third began rubbing small circles on her back, humming a lullaby he remembered from the nest. He couldn’t remember the words, but he remembered the tune.
“That’s—That’s nice.” Annamaria said, her eyes suddenly heavy. She closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep.
#
Third and Annamaria woke up the next morning a mess of arms, legs and wings in front of dead fire with a pink pot of cold cream coffee beside them.
The young woman groaned, stretching her arms and legs before getting to her feet. “Sleep well?”
“Better than I have in a while.” Third noted, checking the window. “The storm’s past. I should be able to fly now.” He turned his face to look at her, “I really don’t know how to thank you.”
“You don’t need to thank me.” Annamaria grinned, picking up the coffee service, “ What was I supposed to do, let you stand out there to catch your death?” Walking to the kitchen, she continued, “If anything, I should be thanking you for comforting me last night.”
“What was it you said?” Third called after her, “What was I supposed to do?”
Annamaria sat the service down on her counter, her hands gripping the sides as it hit her. She was tired of her shell. She. Was. Just. So. Lonely. And when he left, she would be lonely again.
Unless she acted now.
Third was standing on the porch when she came out, staring out at the sky. The words almost caught in her mouth, but she got them out. “Third, don’t go. Please. Stay here. With me.”
Third turned to look at her. “I’m sorry, Annamaria, I don’t…I can’t…”
“Oh, I didn’t mean like that.” Annamaria quickly agreed, “But you don’t have anyone…and I don’t have anyone…you’re lonely…I’m lonely…maybe together…we make something like a family.”
Third was silent for a moment. For years he had traveled alone, on his own. A law unto himself. And now there was this perfectly nice young woman asking him to stay somewhere. “I think…I think I would like that.”
Overjoyed Annamaria threw her arms around him before she realized what she was doing. “Come on.” She grinned as she pulled back, “We have to get you set up.”
And with that, Third let Annamaria lead him back inside, shutting the door behind them.