The Vultures Path

A young girl walks down an old worn path.

A young girl stumbled down a beaten dirt path, her bare feet covered in bloody sores. She wore only a torn white dress and a broken crown that weighed heavily upon her head. Attached to the crown were black balloons that dragged behind her. Vultures circled the air above, screeching and laughing as their sharp beaks pecked at the balloons. The smell of death ravaging through the stifling air as the Vultures wait hungrily for their next meal.

At times the girl would trip and fall to the dirt path, causing the Vultures to swoop down and attack her body, ripping and scratching away at her flesh. Nevertheless, she would get back up and keep going. "Just a little further," she said. 

 

Down the path she walked, her body burning like fire and melting away what little strength she had left. Her body soon gave out and she fell to the rough earth, this time, not being able to get back up. The vultures laughed and pecked away at her dying body. 

 

Then a sudden loud rumble came from the sky above. The vultures stopped their pecking and frantically flew into the sky as a bolt of lightning struck the earth. A dusty cloud formed, and from it, a giant bird with golden feathers emerged. Its bejeweled orange eyes glaring at the vultures as it stalked up to them. 

The vultures cried out and fled, their black feathers falling to the earth  as they flew away. The golden bird huffed and turned its attention to the wounded young girl. It cocked its head slightly and approached the girl with light footsteps. It gently reached a wing under the girl's chin and raised her head. 

The girl looked into the bird's gentle eyes and a faint smile spread across her cracked lips. The bird pulled the girl close to its chest as she clinged with bony fingers to its feathers. Tears streamed down the girl's face as she was lifted into the air and onto the bird's mighty strong back. 

She wrapped her arms around the bird's neck, as it spreaded its wings and bolted into the air. They flew high into the sky and soared above the crumbling earth below. Then, one by one, the black balloons began to fly off the broken crown. Each one replaced by a beautiful jewel that sparkled. The girl's eyes slowly began to brighten as a joyous smile spread across her lips. Wrapping her in a warmth that she never felt before.