“Are these feathers from the flamingo you’re keeping?” I gave a stern look to Miss Martha and Louis while my fingers tightly gripped the pink feathers. My mind attempted to remain calm, but anger rose inside my body. “Please, tell me now.” My voice said through almost gritted teeth, which took myself aback. This anger ...

We all jumped the minute we heard the honk, and our coffee spilled over the floor and sofa. I noticed that Miss Martha and Louis didn’t budge an inch and looked annoyed towards the kitchen door. “What the he…eck, was that?” I exclaimed. In a wise journalist maneuver, I caught myself about to say the ...

“These were the most wonderful birds I had ever seen,” Miss Martha explained while she gave us coffee. “I had once thought of them as eccentric lawn ornaments of middle-aged women, ironic to say after you looked at my front lawn, but now they were in front of me. They waded in the pool and ...

As expected, Miss Martha’s living room had pink décor, though it was subtler than I had thought. The cream-colored walls were lined with photos and paintings of birds. They ranged from common backyard birds and city dwellers like pigeons and cardinals, to exotic species such as toucans, macaw parrots, and flamingos. Some of those photos ...

Please understand, I had desperate ambitions to be a journalist by then. It seemed like a worthy sacrifice. Most of the working staff were already cutthroats, so it looked natural from my fatigued view. Now Mackenzie Billings, though unscrupulous, still had the foresight to ensure every dubious interview and story had some truth. I manipulated ...

“One of the photographers for the newspaper was Louis; he started his internship not long after I arrived. He’s a shy person and preferred to be behind a camera instead of in front of one. “With him assigned to another journalist; we only saw each other on occasional lunch breaks. After Miss Billings became the ...

“Even though Mackenzie Billings had created a toxic company. She’s smart enough to keep those factors in the dark through non-disclosure agreements, bribes, and threats. Because of this, the newspaper and Billings gained a positive reception from the unaware public. As for her employees and interns who made the foolish decision to stay, we strived ...

“Y-you were betrayed?” I ask with hesitation. Miss Jessica gives me a sad smile. “Yes, everyone deals with it at some point in life. Here’s how it happened. “Like you, I had an idol to look up to; her name was Mackenzie Billings. She’s known for her intense investigative journalism and dogged determination. All the ...

Jessica looks up at me and sighs, “I used to have role models in my youth, too. The problem is that you forget that you and that person are two different people, and even then, you don’t know the person that much. Heroes always disappoint when you get to know them. I’m sure I make ...

Miss Jessica shakes the frappe in her hand for several seconds, then responds. “Tamara, I remember you as being a high-strung and introverted nature for your age, but an intelligent girl with big dreams. “When we first met at the social services office that afternoon, you didn’t talk to me for the first ten minutes.” ...