“Hawk” by Hannah
I’ve passed over many cities, all different times of day. But never this one at niht. Never at this distance. Everything looks so small, like what I’ve seen from the air. I’ve stopped to rest. I’ve flown all day. I am always too busy to look very hard. Today was no different. It was just a regular city, as far as I was concerned. I followed the basic routine for the day: wake up, hunt, stretch my wings, chase a few sparrows if I want, fly a bit, but don’t be seen. Today, my perch of choice was out on the lake, near a beach, in a tree. I was settling down for the night, but I couldn’t sleep. There was still some light, coming from who knows where. I was a whole from sleep so I turned to look. I was shocked–the city, once plain and gray and concrete and bustle, was all lit up with human lights. I had never seen anything so beautiful. I stared until sleep found me, and I fell asleep happy. I thought, “I will stay here, every day, no more moving cities for me.”