Highly Commended Story - The Blue Tit

“The Blue Tit” by Elise Sol Cashmore, Skt. Josef’s International School, Denmark, is the Highly Commended story in the sub-junior category of the first biannual Short Story Contest 2020.

The Blue Tit

Chapter one – The Hunters

Up on the highest branch sat a little Blue Tit, twittering her beautiful song. A car splashed through a couple of puddles, a group of people were chattering in the distance.

The little bird took off and disappeared into some nearby woods. She swooped between the trees, occasionally stopping at one. It was quiet as she flew, only t

he “flap-flapping” of her wings could be heard. The Blue Tit rested at an oak tree in front of a lake, watching the sunset. Several other birds sat at different trees, all watching the same thing.

As the sun disappeared under the horizon, the lake began to glow. All the birds started to sing at once, all except the Blue Tit. She flew down to the water and, strangely enough, started to tap the water.

It grew brighter and brighter until it stopped and instead the glowing was above the water. There was a bigger bird, bigger than the others, magnificent it was, a blue, glowing bird. He was flapping his great wings as the birds stopped singing and bowed for him.

Suddenly, there was a loud “PANG!” and a pigeon fell to the ground, dead. The glowing bird jumped head first into the water, closely followed by the Blue Tit, as the other birds flapped their feathery wings. Humans emerged from the edge of the woods.

Chapter two - Captured!

The Blue Tit followed the glowing bird through the rushing water. They both stayed close to the bottom as fish swam by.

Finally, the glowing bird stopped and the Blue Tit knocked into him.

“Listen, Blue Tit…” he said.

She listened hard and sure enough she could hear something from above.

“Yeah, I can hear it. But we’d better go, because that’s human’s voi-” too late.

A net curled itself around the glowing bird, which was then lifted out from the water. The Blue Tit flew out of the water to help her friend, but he was gone.

I have to go find him… those humans could kill him… she thought.

She travelled through cities, villages, mountains, islands and beaches. At last she found a great, large and white building near the seaside. It was completely white.

Blue Tit flew to the window and looked through it. What a sight! Children were playing with their hands in some water, grown-ups were drinking tea or coffee and eating cake or sweets at a café. She flew over to the other side of the building. That was the complete opposite. Birds and sea creatures stuck in cages. And in the very middle was the glowing bird.

Chapter 3 - Rescue Time!

She flew to the door and waited behind a rubbish bin right in front of the entrance of the building. When someone enters, I enter too… Blue Tit thought and she didn't have to wait long. A lady with her child entered, but what they didn't realise was a little bird zoomed in.

Blue Tit glanced around and almost immediately spotted a door with red writing on, saying:

STAFF ONLY, NO ENTRY PLEASE.

A staff member entered just as she got to the door. She slipped in and found herself in the room with many cages.

Chapter 4 - The Room With Many Cages

Blue Tit flew across the floor. No one had noticed her. Good. She slid under the cage with her friend in.

“Oi! Under! Under!!” she whispered.

The glowing bird tapped the floor of the cage to let her know he was listening.

“Where’s the key?” she demanded.

“Over by the door. See?” he answered.

She slid out from under the cage and ran to the keys, flew back again, looked around and unlocked the cage.

“I’m going to free the others. Make a distraction, please.” she said, and took off and unlocked the rest.

“Go, go, go! GO!!” she urged them on.

The glowing bird and she were the last to leave the room, but it didn't matter.

Chapter 5 - Back Home

Blue Tit led the way back home. There was barely any wind on the way back.

When they got home they both sat down and just slept.