Birds

                I bit the inside of my cheek as I shivered in the cold, my arms wrapped snugly around my double layered middle. I fiddled with my hands in my pockets and adjusted my hat hoping that they would offer me some kind of comfort from the seemingly everlasting chill that came with the turning of the seasons. My mask provided some sort of protection from the cold, my breath reflecting back on to my own face. I looked around, watched as the birds flew in the sky, migrating to warmer weather as they cried out a departure song, filled with sadness or excited anticipation I would never be able to say. The birds flew high and far away from where I stood lamely on the ground, staring at the now empty sky. Sighing I sat down on the cool and firm ground, feeling a shiver run down my spine as I felt the cold grass tickle my legs. I pulled down my mask, people nowhere in sight to tell me otherwise, and watched as my breath materialized in front of my mouth, the white mist hanging in the air before it evaporated into the surrounding atmosphere. I shifted my body as leaves crunched beneath me noisily and the wind blew chirps and tweets into my waiting ear. I listened for a minute more before hearing someone call my name, their loud voice a stark contrast to the peacefulness I had achieved. I gave a small smile to the trees surrounding me, to the animals that had now gone silent, to the flowers and branches that rustled in the wind, and to the birds that were now long gone, and I walked away, knowing that it would always be there for me when I returned.