I feel the wind through my feathers as I glide along. I doubt I will ever get used to how good it feels. I watch the coast pass below me, trying to see if I recognize anything.

   Shiners takes point for the moment, since he’s more familiar with the area from above.

  We glide along for a little while longer as I relish the feeling of flight. There’s still a tiny bit of human vertigo from being so high up, but it’s overpowered by pure bliss. It isn’t long before I recognize an island just offshore, one I’ve been to years ago and used to see while driving to his house.

   He dips a wing toward a building whose rooftop lettering I soon recognize as the corner store at the edge of town.

  I glance over to it and nod.

  The next stretch of the flight passes in silence, and I take the time to think again about meeting my parents. It’s eating at me. What will happen? Will they be able to tell that it’s me? Will they reject me? Maybe they’ll think it’s all a joke? I give a mental sigh.

  The sigh must transfer over to Shiners, as he looks back over his wings and says,

   I stay quiet, watching the landmarks slide by below. Below me are other birds, cars, houses, and even some kids playing on the beach. I never cared about things like this before, but suddenly they feel like the most important things ever. The sight reminds me of what I’ve lost. Even if they accepted me, it’s not like I can play soccer or volleyball as an eagle.

  I tense up when I spot a bald eagle that seems to be watching me pass. I’ve been dreading what might happen, since I know sometimes eagles can be territorial, but thankfully it looks content that I’m moving on.

  As we move out of range of the eagle, I finally speak up.

  

  After that, I keep an eye out for other eagles until Shiners speaks up again.

  We arrive at a yard that looks like his place, though the roof doesn’t quite look right. After a few circles above the yard, Charlie’s mom’s car comes into view.

  Finding the campsite is pretty easy, since I’ve seen it when we drove by on the way to Charlie’s in the past. The only hard part is the copse of trees that blocks its view until we fly closer to the water. We find the cabin Charlie mentioned, though “cabin” isn’t quite the right word for it. It’s more of an open area for cooking and gatherings, used for big events in the summer. As we get closer, the wind picks up and I shiver a little at the sudden cold gust mixed with sea mist. I say, trying to think warm thoughts.

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  I glide down to a tree overlooking the campsite. I’m about to land on the ground or the bench, but realize someone is playing fetch with their dog by the water. The dog barks excitedly, making my feathers puff out as I fight the urge to fly off.

  After a few minutes, my nerves start to relax as I get used to the barking, and I say to Shiners, I can’t help but give a small laugh at the strangeness of the idea. Maybe, if I’m lucky, I’ll be able to turn into a dog someday too. There aren’t any tents in the area, so they’re probably just visiting. Hopefully no one will be around when my parents show up. Since they work, they likely won’t arrive until after dark anyway.

  Shiners lands next to me, his wings knocking a spray of snow in my direction and making me grumble as he chuckles. He tilts his head toward the shoreline.

   I mutter, still getting used to feathers, let alone the thought of fur and a tail. That’s easy for him to think. He’s used to blending in. It feels like I have a neon sign over my head. The thought of seeing them is scary in a lot of ways, but I try to hold on to a bit of optimism that they’ll accept me. My mind wanders as I nervously preen a few feathers.

  Shiners nods. He points toward the dog and its owner nearby, giving me a quick wing pat as his feathers brush against mine.

  The entire time, I think about what it would be like as a dog, assuming it all works out tonight. Would I resent it or enjoy it? What about my parents? My sister is probably the only one who doesn’t know who I really am. I’m so lost in brooding that I almost miss them leaving until Shiners says,

  They finally leave, and I stretch my wings, giving a couple of flaps as I laugh dryly.

   he says as I nod. He isn’t wrong. As stressful as this is, the waiting and not knowing feels worse than whatever happens next.

  A nod is all I give. A quick look around the area. There doesn’t seem to be anyone else nearby. Even with the moonlight and the glowing snow, I’m not sure it would be safe to fly back to the fort without getting lost.

  

  A nod and a quiet before dropping from the tree and landing in the snow a short distance from the hut to try writing my name. This time I try using my beak, hoping it works better than my talons. The first line is easy. Then the second. By the third, it takes care not to erase the earlier lines while adding the new one. A shake of my head clears the cold sting as I glance up at Shiners. “How is something that just looks like a fancy bone so affected by cold?”

  Shiners shrugs. He pauses. he adds thoughtfully, scratching an itch behind his head.

  Looking down after I’m done, what looks like an M comes into view, though it’s closer to an N, but at least it resembles a letter. The I comes without any problems. K is trickier; I start with the “less than” part first, then add the line. E is worse, but after a few tries it looks right…ish. Looking down, it reads more like “NikC,” but it’s closer than last time.

  The next half hour passes in practice, the sun sinking lower as each attempt looks a little better. I’m not sure this would work for a whole conversation, but at least it’s something my parents might accept.

  Shiners drops down to have a look at it.

  As he says that, I give him a nod, and we fly up into the sky to perch in a tree near the entrance.

  After a short wait, a bus drops off Charlie. Seeing him again eases something tight inside me. I let out a skree, and he turns toward me, grinning as he gives a quick thumbs-up before heading into his house. A few minutes later, he comes back out carrying a thermos and a bowl, and starts walking our way. I feel a spark of curiosity and hope it’s more food.