Shadow's POV

"I didn't do it! Why on earth would I set a group of birds free?" I said, trying to sound innocent (which, of course, I wasn't).

"I don't know. You might be an animal activist or something! I don't care!" the officer said, scowling at me.

Rude!

"You can't arrest me unless you have proof," I said, crossing my arms and looking indignant.

"Oh yes, we can! And the fact that the pet shop owner said it was you is enough evidence for me."

I inwardly made a mental note to make sure that next time I definitely wasn't seen!

"The owner could be biased!" I replied, knowing full well he wasn't.

"I don't care if he's biased or if he hated you! All I care about is that someone let ten expensive caged birds free. As far as I'm concerned, that person was you."

I was going to protest more, but the officer just handcuffed me and dragged me into the car, where he slammed the door.

How had I managed to get myself arrested for the fourth time this month? It really wasn't wise!

Sitting back in the seat, I swooped at them and then stared out of the window at the busy, bustling view of New York City. The streets were full of people, all caught up in their own little social worlds of work, home, and family.

They were all so different from me, all so normal...

For a brief moment, I smiled at the reality of my life compared to theirs.

The officer beside me noticed.

"I wouldn't be smiling if I were you, not when your parents find out!"

That just made me smile even more because I didn't have any parents. Yes, that's right—I'm an orphan, and I'm happy that way. It lets me live my own life and grow up quite free.

When I was about six, I learned from my foster family that I wasn't their daughter and that they had adopted me. It didn't really hit me that hard because I had known for a long time that I was different from them, as different as anyone could ever be.

My name is Shadow. I don't know who gave it to me, but they said that when the agency had found me, I had a necklace around my neck engraved with that word, so they thought it was very fitting to call me that—humans are very imaginative!

At about fifteen, I left home to live in town. I needed more space to breathe, and New York gave me just that. During the day I could earn money from methods I won't mention, and during the night I found plenty of places to sleep, especially as I had the advantage of my secret.

But right now I was in a very tricky situation that I needed to get out of.

The station was large, and I gazed around at all the officers rushing from one desk to another, carrying stacks of papers and half-empty cups of coffee as if the fate of the world depended on them getting to the next room before anyone else. Phones rang without stopping, typewriters clattered in the background, and somewhere nearby someone was loudly arguing about a stolen bicycle.

It was complete chaos—perfect, because chaos made people careless.

The officer marched me through the station by the arm, his grip unnecessarily tight.

"I'm perfectly capable of walking, you know," I muttered.

"I've noticed," he replied dryly. "I've also noticed you have a habit of running."

"I prefer the term 'leaving unexpectedly.'"

He rolled his eyes so dramatically I thought they might disappear into the back of his head.

Eventually, we reached a small room with grey walls and a battered wooden table sitting in the middle. Two chairs faced each other across it, making the place look much more dramatic than it needed to.

The officer pushed me into one.

"Sit."

"I already am," I said. "And I'm not a dog, by the way!"

His expression suggested he regretted not leaving me in the pet shop.

He disappeared, locking the door behind him.

Now that was just insulting, as if I was going to run! Well, actually I would have, but that wasn't the point.

I leaned back in the chair and glanced around the room. One tiny window sat high in the wall, much too small to climb through. A camera blinked lazily from one corner.

I smiled. Cameras only watched what people expected to happen. They never expected me.

After a few minutes, another officer entered carrying a thin file. She looked younger than the first one and considerably less grumpy.

"Shadow," she read aloud.

"That's me."

"No surname?" she said, gazing at the file with a perplexed look.

"Not that I know of."

She frowned slightly before sitting opposite me.

"Age?"

"Eighteen."

She scribbled something down.

"Address?"

"I move around."

"So... homeless?" she said. I could literally hear the contempt in her voice.

"I prefer 'adventurously housed'."

Her pen stopped moving.

"You joke a lot."

"I've found life is much easier that way."

She sighed.

"According to this file, you've been arrested several times."

"Detained," I corrected. "There's a difference."

"You were caught climbing onto the roof of the museum."

"I wanted a better view," I replied, smiling.

"You were found inside the zoo after closing."

"I got lost."

"You stole a police horse."

"I borrowed him."

"You painted the mayor's statue purple."

"It looked better."

She stared at me in complete silence.

"...I'll admit that one was probably my fault," I said, looking in the opposite direction.

For a second, I thought she was going to laugh. Instead, she rubbed her forehead.

"I don't understand you." She closed the file.

"Did you release the birds?"

"No."

"Are you lying?"

"Probably."

"You're unusually honest about that."

"I like keeping people confused," I replied, smirking.

"I've noticed."

Before she could ask another question, the door burst open.

"The pet shop owner is here," another officer announced.

Wonderful!

The owner stomped into the room, looking as furious as ever.

"That's her!" he shouted, pointing directly at me. "She's the menace!"

"Good afternoon to you too," I said cheerfully.

"You opened every cage!"

"I absolutely did not."

"You laughed while doing it!"

"I laugh at lots of things," I replied sarcastically.

"The parrots were repeating everything you said!" he said, fuming.

I blinked and desperately tried to remember everything I had said before replying.

"...That may have happened."

"Aha!"

"That's not proof," I interjected.

The owner looked ready to explode, and younger officer looked as though she was regretting every career choice she'd ever made.

Finally, she held up a hand.

"Enough."

Everyone fell silent. She turned towards me.

"If you didn't release the birds, who did?"

I considered this carefully. "I don't know."

"Convenient."

"Very," I said innocently.

The owner threw his hands into the air. "Just lock her up!"

The younger officer looked uncertain. "There isn't actually much evidence..."

The shop owner spluttered in disbelief. "I saw her!"

"You saw someone."

"I know it was her!"

"You've also admitted you were chasing escaped parrots at the time."

He opened his mouth.

Then closed it again.

Interesting.

Maybe things weren't quite as hopeless as I'd thought.

The younger officer dismissed him and promised they'd continue investigating.

He left muttering under his breath about "teenage troublemakers" and "feathered disasters."

Once the door shut, she looked back at me.

"You are either incredibly unlucky..."

"I am."

"...or incredibly good at making trouble."

"I prefer talented."

She almost smiled again.

Almost.

"Well, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to put you in a cell until we can sort this out and check the CCTV."

Oh no, I had forgotten about the CCTV. I had to get out before they watched the footage because it would prove that I was actually guilty.

She took me to a cell and locked me in.

I sat down on the hard concrete bench and waited for her to leave.

Then I smiled.

Desperate times called for desperate measures....

I hope you enjoyed the story! Next chapter out soon!🤍

How do you think she will get out of this....?