What is a Break-Out?

I walk out into the night. I smell the cold, fresh night air. I feel the sand crunch under my talons. I see the world in a whole new light. It isn't as wonderful as it had seemed. My mother had broken her friendship for a boy. It just wasn't fair for Starr's mother. And my mother did get what was coming for her. If she was a traitor, what will happen to-
  Starr jumps out in front of me. "Where do you think you're going?" Starr asks. 
  "Nowhere." I answer. She glares at me with her piercing black eyes. She seems to be staring through me, into these very thoughts.
  "Nowhere." She repeats. "A likely story. Now get! I have people to see!" She shoves me unceremoniously back into the nest. I topple backwards and stare up at her.
  "People to see?" I ask. "Who?"
  "None of your beeswax!" She answers.
  "Starry?" A deep cawing voice calls from behind Starr.
  Starr tenses. she adds to me in a whisper, "You will say nothing of this to anyone."
  I nod. I wait. She does not come back. I hear her footsteps fall away form the nest. I walk cautiously out of the nest. I peek around the corner. She is nowhere in sight. I step onto the ground. I walk a bit faster. I break into a run. I am swallowed by the darkness of the forest. I am free. I race faster than I have ever gone. I feel like I am flying. I stretch my wings. My small wing catches on a leafy branch. The branch tears off of the bush. It sticks to my wing. I am still running. I start to feel taller. My legs have to stretch to stay on the ground. I start to flap my wings. I fly. I soar through the air.
  "Woo-hoo!" I holler into the night. I feel weightless. I flap faster. I turn left, I turn right. I fly higher. I swoop and skim the surface of reality. My talon touches the ground and I topple forward and roll a short distance. I stop spinning and sit up. I lay backwards on my back and stare up at the starry sky. I then realize my vision is blocked by a furry face.
  "Ah!" I shriek. 
  "Ah!" The face shrieks back. I back away and look at the creature. It is a Porcupine. 
  "Who are you?" I ask.
  "I am Piney Porque the third of Oaken Square." He proclaims with dignity. "Who are you, might I ask?"
  "I am Raven Black, the first, of Birdnooke?" I say, with much less dignity.
  "Welcome to the realm of woodland animals." Piney says. He twirls his arm and indicates the woods. "I saw you flying."
  "Oh, well... Um, you see-"
  "You were very graceful."
  "I was?"
  "Yes, until you swooped... Here." He hands me the branch that allows me to fly. He fixes it onto my wing.
  "Thank you." I say. Our eyes meet and I realize that there are good animals in the world as well as the bad ones. Piney is one of the good. One of the animals that balances out the world.
  I realize that good is nothing without bad. I realize that we would not be able to tell good from bad, or bad from good without either of them. I realize that there has to be both of everything, even the things that aren't necessarily enjoyed.


  I realize that everyone is needed in the big picture.


Signed,
Raven