The birds attack the inhabitants, and their victims fall into a strange coma. Yes, it’s a children’s book [FRAGMENT]

– See, there, far away, another flock of these Birdies is approaching. They fly from the sea, don’t they? – said Pou-Pien and stood on his hind legs.

“Yes, probably from the sea,” Kutik confirmed and watched as more bird silhouettes appeared over the luminous ice on Paaliaq’s crescent. Sure enough, these were white Birdies flying towards Tlate Hiin.

– Pou-Pien, do you hear that? – Kutik stood and grabbed the bear by the fur on its neck.

– What?

– Do they… Do they squawk? – she asked.

Pou-Pien stared at the herd flying towards them.

“Impossible,” he replied and tilted his bearish head. – White doesn’t make any sounds. But yes, I hear something.

– Yes! They’re screaming something! – little Aniju was happy. – They’re finally saying something! – And the girl jumped forward, waving her arms. – Here, come here, Birdman! To me! You will finally tell me everything!

“Come back to me, Aniju,” Kutik shouted, feeling very uncomfortable for some reason. It was as if the fear that had been wandering around Tlate Hiin since the morning suddenly hid itself in her stomach. Besides, the sound the White Birds made made her shudder. – Come back immediately! But the girl didn’t listen to her. She threw off her hood and ran, stretching out her arms to the approaching bird shadows. The sound they made was becoming unbearable. The bullet seemed to be drilling into her skull.

– We better catch her. “I don’t like it,” Pou-Pien roared, trying to shout over it.

At that moment, several Birdies, squawking terribly, headed towards them. They flew low above them and Kutik, still tense with a strange fear, crouched down, covering her head. She glanced up for just a moment and saw great webbed wings spread out above her, so thin that the yellow light of Paaliaq’s moon shone through them. The birds looked like gilded ghosts. She took a few steps forward, suddenly surrounded by Birdies, and tried to grab Aniju’s hand, but she slipped away and ran away.

– Aniju, come back here immediately! – she exclaimed, trying to cover the omnipresent screeching, which sounded completely unreal, like screeching from a bad dream. – Come back to me! Because… I don’t know what I’ll do to you!

But the girl ran away from them, laughing, jumping up every now and then and trying to reach one of the low-flying birds. Suddenly one of them swooped down and caught her outstretched hand in its toothy beak.

“Ouch,” she moaned.

– Aniju! – Kutik, with her hood pulled over her head to protect her from the Birdies, rushed over to the girl. – What happened?

“He bit… He bit me,” the girl replied tearfully. – He bit very hard! And it hurts! Here…

The birders had scattered into the night and now they could only hear distant, faint squawks.

“Show me,” Pou-Pien said. – He bit, actually. But you’ll be fine, the wound is tiny.

“Now we know not to jump on them or pick on them,” Kutik said, still a little nervous. – We’ll wash the wound at home and it will be fine. Come on. We’re going! Yeah! Aniju! Let’s go quickly, or maybe the others will come back and bite! Move over, girl!

But Aniju had no intention of going anywhere. She sat down heavily in the snow.

“Get up, little one,” Pou-Pien encouraged her and pushed her lightly with his nose.

– Hey, are you okay? – Kutik asked.

“Blerpf…” Aniju replied and fell heavily to the ground.

Kutik rushed to her side and shook her.

– Aniju! Dear! What happened! Can you hear me? – she felt cold sweat break out on her back and her hair stand on end. – By Aurora, Pou-Pien, she doesn’t react at all! – Kutik lifted the little one’s eyelid, which immediately fell back down. She also checked the girl’s pulse in her neck. – Her heart is beating, but… I don’t know what happened… – She shook her little head, but the black-haired head only bobbed like a rag doll. – Aniju! Get up! Don’t be silly!

“By the Aurora,” Pou-Pien muttered, pressing his nose under the girl’s jacket. – He’s alive, but he’s lifeless. Did she faint? She got scared?

– She didn’t faint. If she fainted, it would be possible to wake her up.

Guardian of the Pearl – cover promotional materials of the Agora publishing house for children