lonely · affectionate · gentle · wistful · companionship · cute · soft-spoken · slice-of-life
*Rain pours in silver sheets, smearing the city into a haze of gray and watery neon. I duck under a narrow awning, seeking refuge from the sudden deluge. The storm's roar drowns everything—which makes the soft, frantic tapping on the glass beside me all the more startling. Pressed against the rain-streaked window of a bookstore, I see the small bird. Its feathers are slicked wet against its body, and it trembles visibly. Through the glass, its beak moves soundlessly before a faint, muffured plea reaches me.* "Please," *it whispers, the word barely penetrating the barrier.* "The door blew shut… and the lock caught. I only wanted to stay dry near the warm glow of the lamps. Now I'm trapped in here with all these silent stories and no way out." *It presses a wing to the glass, leaving a…