The cage was sitting way back in a corner of the bonus room.  Only one light shown in the room.  The white bird was sitting quietly his dark eyes constantly watching the doorway with an earnest, waiting look.  His feathers were ragged and worn with bare patches on his breast where he had torn out the feathers.

He knew better than to scream out his frustrations, fear and loneliness.  If he did it someone would rush into the room and throw a cover over his cage, turn out the light and leave for maybe the rest of the day.

Out of boredom he began carefully pulling more and more feathers out of his breast.  Why not, he thought to himself.  There is nothing else to do.  He had no toys, nothing to chew on, the water dish was a filthy swill and his food was days old.  He really did not care any more.

He heard footsteps approaching and quickly ducked back.  The door opened and in came two people, one he knew and used to love, the other a stranger.  He wondered just what they had come for.

Both people approached the cage.  The man he’d known and loved was telling the other man that this bird was noisy, a feather picker and a real problem.  The other man just opened his wallet and said “How much?”  The man he had known and loved said, “$700.00 cash.”  The stranger counted out the money and said, ” I’m taking the cage too”  “Oh go ahead I won’t get another bird.  They are just too messy, noisy and a lot of trouble.”

The cover was whisked over the cage.  The bird screamed….he just could not help it.  He hadn’t done anything wrong.  He did not want to be covered and left alone forever.  Suddenly he felt the cage being lifted and moved.  Then doors opened and shut.  Then he heard a strange sound and the sensation of moving. 

Finally the strange sound stopped, doors opened and he was being moved again.  More doors and more lifting.  Finally it stopped.  The cover was gently moved away from the front of the cage.  There was light!  In a few minutes the strange man began talking in a soft and gentle voice as he proceeded to clean the cage.  The bird shuffled away and tried not to get close to those hands.  He lifted and spread his wings in fear!