Collection of Short Stories

by Eve

The Robin Who Spoke

Once upon a time, there lived a family of hunters. They lived in a small brick house on a big sunny field near the edge of the woods. There was Father, Mother, James, the oldest brother, Gabriel, the middle brother, and Susie, the baby sister. They had a hound dog named Blue.
The family ate only what they found and hunted. Their main meals consisted of vegetables and berries (both from their garden) and meat, which they hunted in the forest. Every Sunday, Father took James and Gabriel hunting while Mother and Susie stayed home and did household chores.
One early Sunday morning, Father woke up James and Gabriel to get ready for going out. They dressed warmly in their coats and jeans, gathering their guns from the cubbard. They ate a breakfast of boiled blackberries and milk and set off into the woods.

Meanwhile, deep in the forest, a robin sat on her nest, chirping cheerfully and enjoying the dewy morning air. Her five children laid beneath her, their eyes buried under layers of pink skin and their mouths wide open, stretching for food. She knew she had to catch insects for them.
The little robin swooped down from her tree branch and flew among the forest floor, dipping her right wing in a stream as she moved. It was a beautiful morning of a beautiful day, and nothing could ruin that.
She moved towards the ground and dug around in the dirt with her talons, scanning for worms or beetles. After catching several worms and mites, she flew back to her nest and fed her hungry babies. They settled down and stirred softly in the twigs.

The Robin Who Spoke

Once upon a time, there lived a family of hunters. They lived in a small brick house on a big sunny field near the edge of the woods. There was Father, Mother, James, the oldest brother, Gabriel, the middle brother, and Susie, the baby sister. They had a hound dog named Blue.
The family ate only what they found and hunted. Their main meals consisted of vegetables and berries (both from their garden) and meat, which they hunted in the forest. Every Sunday, Father took James and Gabriel hunting while Mother and Susie stayed home and did household chores.
One early Sunday morning, Father woke up James and Gabriel to get ready for going out. They dressed warmly in their coats and jeans, gathering their guns from the cubbard. They ate a breakfast of boiled blackberries and milk and set off into the woods.

Meanwhile, deep in the forest, a robin sat on her nest, chirping cheerfully and enjoying the dewy morning air. Her five children laid beneath her, their eyes buried under layers of pink skin and their mouths wide open, stretching for food. She knew she had to catch insects for them.
The little robin swooped down from her tree branch and flew among the forest floor, dipping her right wing in a stream as she moved. It was a beautiful morning of a beautiful day, and nothing could ruin that.
She moved towards the ground and dug around in the dirt with her talons, scanning for worms or beetles. After catching several worms and mites, she flew back to her nest and fed her hungry babies. They settled down and stirred softly in the twigs.

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The happy little robin flew to another branch to give her babies room in the nest. It was then, several minutes later, when she heard a terrifying boom.
It sounded from far away, but then came a second boom, and a third, and the robin knew that it was coming closer. She, frightened, stared down at the nest. There was no way she could rescue her children and herself from the great angry booming. The robin climbed to the highest branch of the tree and opened her throat, closing her eyes and singing for all to hear.
Raccoons scurried out of the bushes and rabbits poked their heads out of burrows to hear her voice. It rang along the forest, her vocal cords like chiming bells. She sang for her life, and she sang for hope. Hope that the booming noise would not kill her and her children. She had heard the noise before. It was the sound of a gun.

Father, James, and Gabriel, deep in the woods at this point, frowned and perked their ears as they begun to hear the sound of humming. No, it wasn't humming. It was singing. Beautiful, soft, lovely singing.
"Let's go get em," James muttered to Father. The two of them raced off into the woods, and Gabriel remained standing in the leaves. For once, he didn't want to go and shoot. He didn't like the fact that when his brother and father had heard a beautiful sound, their first instinct was to murder it. However, he ran after them.

The robin's big green eyes filled with anxiety and horror as she spotted men nearing her tree. Her thin, frail body blew through the wind and she landed on her nest, cradling her babies under her warm body.

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The happy little robin flew to another branch to give her babies room in the nest. It was then, several minutes later, when she heard a terrifying boom.
It sounded from far away, but then came a second boom, and a third, and the robin knew that it was coming closer. She, frightened, stared down at the nest. There was no way she could rescue her children and herself from the great angry booming. The robin climbed to the highest branch of the tree and opened her throat, closing her eyes and singing for all to hear.
Raccoons scurried out of the bushes and rabbits poked their heads out of burrows to hear her voice. It rang along the forest, her vocal cords like chiming bells. She sang for her life, and she sang for hope. Hope that the booming noise would not kill her and her children. She had heard the noise before. It was the sound of a gun.

Father, James, and Gabriel, deep in the woods at this point, frowned and perked their ears as they begun to hear the sound of humming. No, it wasn't humming. It was singing. Beautiful, soft, lovely singing.
"Let's go get em," James muttered to Father. The two of them raced off into the woods, and Gabriel remained standing in the leaves. For once, he didn't want to go and shoot. He didn't like the fact that when his brother and father had heard a beautiful sound, their first instinct was to murder it. However, he ran after them.

The robin's big green eyes filled with anxiety and horror as she spotted men nearing her tree. Her thin, frail body blew through the wind and she landed on her nest, cradling her babies under her warm body.

The men shouted something uncomprehensible and raised their big metal weapons, running to the tree. The booming sound was so loud, it pierced the robin's ears, and made her babies cry. She tried to remain calm and started singing again. The youngest boy stopped in his tracks and looked at her with admiration, but the other two continued shooting.
The robin sang and whispered into the breeze. A bullet flew past her head but she did nothing about it. There was nothing she could do. So she sang and she sang and she pleaded for her freedom. She pleaded and sang and pleaded and sang.

Gabriel was in awe of the beautiful robin. The way her beak twitched when she blew out notes and the way her eyes watered as if she were crying. He looked at Father and James, who were angrily shooting at the tree, laughing excitedly as they did.
"Wait! Father, James... stop!" he cried out, raising his arms in the air and running in front of Father's gun.
"Gabriel!" Father roared, nearly shooting at his son's head. "What are you doing?"
"Move it, little brother," James snapped frustratedly.
"Don't kill them! Please!" Gabriel whimpered. He couldn't explain to his family why he wanted them to stop. He just really didn't want them to shoot anymore. "She's so pretty. Please, Father, there is no reason to kill her."

From up in the tree, the robin stopped chirping. She listened carefully to the human's conversation. The youngest one seemed to be helping. But why?
She flew down from the tree and landed in the leaves a few feet away from the people.

"Why kill something so beautiful? Why kill that robin when she is innocent? Please, Father, just leave her. Please."

The men shouted something uncomprehensible and raised their big metal weapons, running to the tree. The booming sound was so loud, it pierced the robin's ears, and made her babies cry. She tried to remain calm and started singing again. The youngest boy stopped in his tracks and looked at her with admiration, but the other two continued shooting.
The robin sang and whispered into the breeze. A bullet flew past her head but she did nothing about it. There was nothing she could do. So she sang and she sang and she pleaded for her freedom. She pleaded and sang and pleaded and sang.

Gabriel was in awe of the beautiful robin. The way her beak twitched when she blew out notes and the way her eyes watered as if she were crying. He looked at Father and James, who were angrily shooting at the tree, laughing excitedly as they did.
"Wait! Father, James... stop!" he cried out, raising his arms in the air and running in front of Father's gun.
"Gabriel!" Father roared, nearly shooting at his son's head. "What are you doing?"
"Move it, little brother," James snapped frustratedly.
"Don't kill them! Please!" Gabriel whimpered. He couldn't explain to his family why he wanted them to stop. He just really didn't want them to shoot anymore. "She's so pretty. Please, Father, there is no reason to kill her."

From up in the tree, the robin stopped chirping. She listened carefully to the human's conversation. The youngest one seemed to be helping. But why?
She flew down from the tree and landed in the leaves a few feet away from the people.

"Why kill something so beautiful? Why kill that robin when she is innocent? Please, Father, just leave her. Please."

Father looked annoyed, but seeing he couldn't reason with Gabriel, shook his head and stepped back.
Gabriel stood, breathing heavily, alarmed when he heard the robin... speak? No, she was only tweeting. But he could... understand her.
He leaned close to the small bird and put his hand around his ear to hear her more carefully. Father and James spun around. They could understand her too.
"The act of killing is something no human should do," she murmured. "The act of killing is a brutal and selfish thing. We only kill when we need to. So leave the forest alone. Please, people, leave the forest alone."
The three of them were in awe of the robin's words. They vowed never to hunt again unless they needed food, and left the forest with a bounce in their step.

The robin was relieved. She fluttered up to her nest and watched as her babies settled down and fluffed up their tiny feathers. She had taught the people a valuable lesson; one that they would never forget.

Father looked annoyed, but seeing he couldn't reason with Gabriel, shook his head and stepped back.
Gabriel stood, breathing heavily, alarmed when he heard the robin... speak? No, she was only tweeting. But he could... understand her.
He leaned close to the small bird and put his hand around his ear to hear her more carefully. Father and James spun around. They could understand her too.
"The act of killing is something no human should do," she murmured. "The act of killing is a brutal and selfish thing. We only kill when we need to. So leave the forest alone. Please, people, leave the forest alone."
The three of them were in awe of the robin's words. They vowed never to hunt again unless they needed food, and left the forest with a bounce in their step.

The robin was relieved. She fluttered up to her nest and watched as her babies settled down and fluffed up their tiny feathers. She had taught the people a valuable lesson; one that they would never forget.

The Matchmaker

"Grow up," a harsh tone snarled, and a hand whipped across my face. I leaned against the wall and touched my swelling skin, blood running between my fingers as it trickled through my nostrils. "You need to learn that things aren't easy in life."
I wiped up my flowing nose and tears with the edge of my shirt, staining it yellow and red shades. Every day it was the same. I made a mistake, and Father beat me for it. I was sick and tired of being slapped and punched and stepped on by people taller than I.
"You don't understand what it's like being me," I cried into my hands. "It's torture."
"The job of Matchmaker was assigned to you," Father barked. "So hurry up and figure out how to do the job right."
Annually, every 17-year-old boy was assigned a job that fit their personality, and every 18-year-old girl was done the same. The boys went a year earlier so that they could prepare to take care of their old parents. I had been assigned Matchmaker, which was exactly how it sounded; I had to match people to make them fall in love. My whole life I had been a good relationship advisor for my friends. Perhaps that was why I had gotten Matchmaker.
The only issue was... I hated Matchmaking. I had to act cheerful and happy all of the time, and when I was at home, I felt depressed and was constantly in tears. There was no one out there to match me with anyone. I would be alone. Forever.
"Pull it together, Gabriel," Father shook his head. He put a hand around my neck, and though he didn't squeeze, I felt as though I couldn't breathe. "One more thing, and you're dead. You got that?"
I trembled and shoved a nod, gasping as he let go of me. I crumpled to the floor and coughed raggedly.