tomorrowgame | (no subject)

I looked up, and saw a great bird-shape gliding over my pool, with dark wings outspread, the flight feathers parted, fingering the air.

A thing like a big dark bird, big as an eagle, black as a raven, was standing by the edge of my pool. Its folded wings were covered in glossy feathers. The rest of its body was covered in a short pelt of shining black hair.

Its legs were scaled and leathery like a bird's, but jointed like human legs. Its feet were scaled like a bird's, but its five powerful clawed toes looked as if they were built like human fingers. Its head was very birdlike, the great eyes set on either side of a nose and mouth that had fused into a single red beak. But the base of this beak was wide, like a fledgling's beak; and it had an expression. The bird was smiling.

She turned her head to look at me, the way birds do, one eye at a time. Then she croaked, and hopped, and croaked again...

She held her birdlike head on one side, one fierce eye fixed on me, and one on the mad scientist.

In a flash, I saw Miranda the way she must look to a human being. A great birdlike creature with strangely human limbs, beautiful but nightmarish. Big as an eagle, with wings that could break your arm at a stroke, a hooked beak, strong taloned feet as dextrous as human hands.

Miranda shrieked again, and launched herself into the air. She swept into the roof of our big cage with one beat of her powerful wings, and went hurtling to and fro, from one end of the enclosure to the other, crying wildly.

I could see the black T-shape of Miranda flying low.

Her wings looked huge. She swooped into the mango tree and crouched on a branch: a monster out of a scary legend, winged and bird-headed, but human enough to horrify.

The bird-monster turned her head from side to side, fixing Dr. Franklin with a fierce, empty glare. Then she bent down and very deliberately tore at the black bracelet on her ankle with her razor-sharp beak. She had it off in about two seconds, and glared at us again, defiantly.

She was a bird as big as a golden eagle, with a fierce beak, razor-sharp talons, and wings strong enough to break a man's arm if she got a good swipe at him.

When they were done she fluffed up her feathers and settled with her legs tucked under her, like a bird on its nest.