JOHN'S POV (wow... it's been a while)

It's funny, really, how life can change within a matter of seconds.

Death. It's a process, yet everyone gets the same outcome.

Within a matter of seconds you can propose to a loved one.

Within a matter of seconds you can lose said loved one.

Within a matter of seconds you can become rich.

Within a few seconds you can lose everything you own.

Seconds are the only constant. The clock keeps ticking and life carries on.

If one person turns off their clock, it doesn't mean everyone else's stops ticking.

If one person goes missing, life doesn't stop moving forward- it just feels like it does.

That's how I find myself in this situation. Grief-stricken, sitting among a few friends and colleagues discussing our new friends disappearance.

"I'm telling you, he might have run away- shifted and ran! He-"

"He didn't run away! He's not stupid! He wouldn't vanish and leave no sign as to why or where! Don't accuse my son of being an idiot-"

"But what other ideas do we have?! He-"

"ENOUGH!" I roar, standing straight, fire burning in my eyes.

"NOT ONE OF YOU HAS STOPPED TO NOTICE THAT THIS ISN'T GETTING US ANYWHERE! ALEXANDER IS OUT THERE SOMEWHERE, POSSIBLY HURT, AND YOU'RE BICKERING LIKE CHILDREN!" I fume, catching my breath before continuing.

"ENOUGH OF THIS SHIT! I'M LEAVING. I CAN'T STAND TO LISTEN TO YOUR BULLSHIT ANYMORE!"

-I scream as I slam the front door, feeling the cool night breeze wash over my face and push my hair back.

I wander by the small stream running down the side of the house, small insects and animals living within. I walk alongside the stream before seeing something move quickly in the bushes, a flutter of sorts. And I know 'curiosity killed the cat' and everything but I wanted to see what was hiding in there. I walked over, hopping over the tiny stream and kneeling next to the bushes.

I pushed apart the leaves and twigs to reveal a small bird, it's wing badly bleeding, lying on the ground and struggling to stand. I reach in and gently cup my hands round the bird, being careful not to disturb the wing.

"Hey buddy, that must hurt." I whisper as I slowly stroke its feathers. It chirps in response, panic evident as It shuffled and wriggles to break free from my grasp.

"No, shh, I'm gonna take you back to my place and then we can fix that wing of yours. Maybe we'll stop and get some stuff from the pet store on the way." I inform, knowing full well that the bird can't understand a word of what I'm saying.

I walk to the nearest pet store, having one of the workers take a look at the birds wing for me.

"Doesn't look good. Broken, probably completely useless now. Must've been attacked by a cat or something." They grimace as the bird shrieks, handing the creature back to me.

"We can wrap it up, but there's little hope of releasing him back into the wild." They say, to which I accept and they wrap his wing in a dark green medical tape with cotton padding underneath. They also help me pick up some rich mammalian milk and some worms at the back. They take me to the cages and I pick a large black one, roomy and with enough space for him to choose where he wants to sleep. I check out, the workers helping me set all of the stuff into the back of my car. They set the cage in the passenger seat, so I place the bird inside and it chirps continuously.

"I need a name for you, buddy. Hmm... maybe scout? Or... Cato?" I suggest.

"No, no I don't think they work. Maybe it'll just have to be crow for now. Sorry, dude." I shrug and he simply chirps in reply, which I take as a good sign.

After driving home I open the door to my penthouse and carry in Crow's cage and other items.

"You hungry, Buddy? Want some worms?" I ask and me looks at me, really intently... damn, I'm getting stared at by a bird.

"Okay, alright I'll get some worms." I say as I move over and open the box, pulling one out and hovering it over his head. He opens his mouth and eats he worm quickly, seemingly satisfied with the bug.

"Well, I'm not sure where you're gonna sleep. I'll just put you next to the bed tonight." I decide and carry the cage into my room, placing it on top of the table in the corner. I gather some soft materials and create a nest of sorts for Crow, letting him sleep in it.

"I'VE GOT IT!" I shout triumphantly.

"MANCE!"

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Don't know if any of you watch Game of Thrones but Mance is a character on there who calls everyone crows. Dunno why I chose that name but were sticking with it now ✌️🤷‍♀️