The Caged Bird by Meg Farrell

Author:Meg Farrell [Farrell, Meg]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Farrell Writes, LLC
Published: 2018-06-11T18:30:00+00:00

I show up for my shift exhausted but with an eye for the details of the situation. Cautious and circumspect, I step into the tent where I now know Jared and Lyra live. This tent is Lyra’s whole world, according to the men I work with. Can I believe that? Is Jared the kind of man who’d lock up his own sister? I know men who have thoroughly abused the women in their lives. I’ve seen the effects of domestic abuse.

When I consider my past experiences with men of that nature, do I get the same vibe from Jared? He’d have to be a master psychopath to be that kind of man without my ability to pick up on it. Tonight, my objective is not only to keep Lyra safe, but to ascertain if any of it is true—sirens, freaks and psychos.

As I enter the tent, I call out, “Mr. Jared? It’s Coen. Reporting for my shift, sir.” God knows, if he’s as crazy as they say, I don’t want to sneak up on him. I stand near the entrance as I wait for permission to enter the room where Lyra’s cage is kept. I’m not even sure what to call that room. Is it her bedroom? Rehearsal space?

Thinking about Lyra makes me unexpectedly anxious about how I look, something I haven’t cared about since I left my old life. Running my hands over my unkempt brown hair to try and slick it down, I hear a light humming. Reminds me of summer. Like the bumblebees working in and out of the honeysuckle vines as the day fades into twilight.

Visions of daffodils and buttercups in a field of breezy tall grass float through my mind. I’m walking in a field of quintessential summer imagery when I see two people canoodling on a blanket under the fading sun. She has a spray of dark curls around her head as she lies on her back and he hovers over her, brown hair swooped to one side of his head as he gazes at her like there’s nothing more important to him in this world. I’m an intruder on their moment, floating like an angel observing the scene. When the man shifts to the side, I see her piercing eyes—it’s Lyra. As I stare back at her, I see the man move to look up at me as well—it’s me.

Startled, I snap back to the tent. My legs ache like the day after a serious workout. I reach out to grab the chair beside me for balance. Realization dawns. The humming. Lyra was influencing my vision. I pat around my pockets and find the earplugs. Before I can shove them into my ears, Jared steps through the flap. I straighten.

“Coen,” he says in greeting. He makes himself a drink before walking back to me. “Have a seat. Let’s get to know each other.”

I wait for him to sit first, then take my seat. He doesn’t offer me a drink. I assume because I’m working tonight and need to remain alert.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.