Toya sat in his bird-like cage, his legs swinging from the metal perch he sat on. If only someone would come and set him free one day.

He sighed, spreading out his wing and stretching it. It shook briefly, warming up.

The sound of footsteps could be heard from afar, and certainly they weren’t his.

“Hello? Is someone there?” Toya called out, hopping down from the perch. A glimmer of hope shined in his eyes.