I spiralled downwards, continuing to scream, knowing I would not be able to stop myself falling. I turned around in mid-air to see where I was landing. Thankfully, at that moment, I stopped falling so fast. I was still falling, but falling slowly. I looked at my surroundings and my focus drifted to my wings. They were acting like a parachute, slowing my fall.

"Well at least my wings have come in handy."

I thought to myself, although if I had had the choice, I would not have let myself turn into a bird-winged human. Alas, my wings had not stopped my fall, only slowed it, so I was still descending. I looked below me, where I would land and wished I hadn't. There, right beneath me, was a roaring, rushing river, fast flowing, hazardous. I thought about trying to fly but had no idea how to. There was no spell I knew that made people fly and besides, spells didn't work in Atlo. So like a five-year-old child, I screamed. Moments later, I descended into the cold, cold river. The cold of the river was shocking and I spluttered, before being swept under the water. I tried to get out of the water, unable to swim because of my lightness and wings. I fought my way to the surface time and time again, gasping for air before the current swept me under again. The river roared in my ears as I was swept under the water and struggling to swim to the surface, I thought I would drown. Harnessing all my strength, I folded my wings by my side underwater and kicking hard with my legs, attempted to torpedo myself out of the water. I shot out of the river and breathed. Would this finally get me out of the river? But no, I was falling, falling back in...

"No!" I shrieked in my head as I tumbled back into the raging rapids of that horrible river.

Though all of a sudden, something grabbed my leg! I felt myself being pulled out of the water and dragged onto dry land. I choked, coughed and sputtered as someone patted me on the back. My heart was beating so fast with fear I was sure whoever had helped me out of the river could hear it. Once recovered I turned around to see who had saved me from drowning. It was The Bird Girl!

"Why did you save me?" I asked her.

She replied,

"I never hesiate to help people in distress if I can help them. You were in need, so I helped you. Besides, why wouldn't I help you? I have helped some people who were far less greatful for my help."

The bird girl handed me a towel and saying thanks, I began to rub myself dry. On seeing I was okay, if a bit spooked by my ordeal, she appeared to sigh with relief. The bird girl muttered to herself,

"She'll probably never want to come near me ever again, because she'll think its my fault she's different."

Unknown to her though, I heard her muttering. If I had been angry enough, I would've thought The Bird Girl had made me become a bird-winged human. But because I was grateful for her help, I thought before I spoke and decided not to accuse her of causing my transformation. But there was one worry on my mind. My life had never been the same since I left Srrin, but this time, my new 'ordinary' life would never be the same again. Just imagine what the people at school would say about me - they'd think of me as a monster. And my foster parents? They wouldn't recognise me! What would I do about myself?

The bird girl saw me getting all tense and she gently asked,

"What's wrong? Oh and by the way I don't know your name."

I replied unhappily,

"My names Layla. And now I am classed as a monster in Atlo society...."

The bird girl told me firmly,

"No you are not! Humans in Atlo do not understand the term of 'monster', they over use it. Layla, you are not true human, but that does not mean you cannot live in Atlo society. You will have to hide your transformative form and never let ANY true human see it but that is all. And I should know, I myself am not true human..."

"So you're like me in that your arms are wings at dawn?" I asked her.

"No." The Bird Girl said, disapeering into thin air!

I sat there on the riverbank, thinking ' she left me unexpectadly again!' When she suddenly reapeared next to me.

"What?" I exclaimed in surprise.

The bird girl laughed and told me,

"You missed my trick! Watch again!"

I saw the bird girl walk in front of me and when I was watching, she vanished into thin air, reapearing behind me.

She told me playfully,

"I am a teleporter. I can teleport absoloutely anywhere I can think in the wink of an eye - except into space. My power also means I can teleport between Srrin and Atlo. Although, I spend most of my time in Atlo."

"Have you ever accidentally shown or come close to showing your powers to ordinary humans?" I asked curiously.

The bird girl answered,

"Yes, I have come close, many times. And once, I did accidentally show my powers - my parents and I had to move away that very next day to avoid word spreading. Now I am eighteen, I am independant. I spend my days travelling between worlds, teaching Srrin migrants with powers, like you, important lessons about their powers. I teach Srrin migrants so they hopefully don't end up making the same mistakes as I did."

I asked her,

"So, what are you going to teach me? And how come you had to catch your lunch at my school? Why not anywhere else?"

The bird girl responded,

"Part of my mission in teaching Srrin migrants is actually getting them to notice me and learn that there is a bit of magic in Atlo. You noticed me at your school, I told you where to go, you listened to me, so my first task in teaching you is complete. I will teach you every day, when you transform and will end lessons when you return to human form."

I nodded and looked around. Being a human with bird wings didn't seem quite so bad now. Then I noticed my arms were shrinking. The feathers were getting shorter! I soon realised that I was returning to my human form - my wings were turning back into my arms, plus my tail was disapeering.

The bird girl noticed I was returning to my human form and waved goodbye, saying,

"Thats your first lesson over, Layla. See you tommorow!" and then she vanished into thin air.

Once I was back to my normal form, I stood up and headed back down the mountain, arriving home at 03:00 in the morning.