You lean onto the tree. It is hard to keep yourself from slipping on the wet bark.

You hear thunder.

You nearly clench your jaws in response to the sudden sound, but you manage not to accidentally chomp on the baby bird.

It makes a pathetic tweeting sound at you.

It is weak.

Your eyes start to close.

Then there is a loud, crackling sound.

And then there is another loud, crackling sound.

The second one is different.

It sounds like a tree.

Because it is.

The branch gives in to gravity and plummets.

It lands on you. It is big and heavy. Impossible to move. You try. You fail. The baby bird is still in your mouth.

You are stuck.

You are not going to get unstuck.

You choose to…

• …let those jaws clench.
• …give the baby bird a push out of your mouth.