Death came to Otto sooner rather than later.
"Good... I was worried it wouldn't work, but here you are," said a voice. "And in one piece."
Otto's consciousness, which had just died, awoke once more. However, his senses were disoriented. He couldn't quite grasp where he was. The only thing he could perceive clearly was a voice… one that sounded very much like his own.
"You must be very confused, but I can't explain everything. So I'll get straight to the point: someone asked me for a favor. And to fulfill it… I need you to ask me for something."
"Something?" Otto thought.
He didn't feel a mouth or vocal cords. The question simply left his mind, as if by magic.
"Exactly! Ask me for whatever you want. I'm something like a god, so don't hold back. I can give you power, riches, women, luxuries… whatever you desire!"
"A gift?..."
Otto remembered the first gift he had ever received—and how he felt when he lost it. It wasn't sadness. It was envy.
"...An Amazon parrot."
"Huh?"
"Sorry, I didn't explain myself well. I'd like to live again—as an Amazon parrot. But only if it's possible."
"WHAAAAAT?!?!" the voice shouted again, visibly confused by Otto's strange request. "Of course it's possible, but… seriously? That's all?"
Otto sighed in relief.
"Then, if it's possible… please. I'd be very grateful."
"Humans these days..." muttered the being, clearly disappointed. "Fine. I'll bring you back to life as a bird. But I'll give you something else, too. Consider it an extra gift, from me," he said with a proud smile.
⏃⏃⏃⏃⏅
The massive trees blocked Otto's view. Pure air flowed into his lungs. The song of his kind filled the space. There was no doubt: he had been reborn.
The first thing he did was look around. The landscape was beautiful, no doubt, but something felt off. He had never read about trees like these. The pattern of their leaves was unfamiliar. And more disturbing, they gave off a foul stench of rot.
Otto panicked.
When he cared for his pet, he had made sure to study Amazon parrots thoroughly. But now, he was in an unknown place, filled with dangers he couldn't even imagine.
After scanning his surroundings, he looked down at himself. His feathers were a light green. He was about the size of an adult shoe. His wings were large.
Otto was fascinated by his new form… but he was far too hungry to keep admiring himself. He decided to look for food. That's when he realized just how serious his situation was: he was perched on a branch, several meters above the ground.
"Flying is normal for a parrot," he thought, looking down, afraid.
He stretched out his wings and carefully approached the edge of the branch. He swallowed hard. Then jumped.
In that moment, Otto discovered two things. First, that Amazon parrots can scream like humans. Second, that his body had muscle memory—he could fly instinctively.
And the excitement overwhelmed him.
Otto was free.
He flew for hours, until he finally saw something familiar: a mango tree. Exhausted and starving, he perched on one of its branches. He pecked the fruit cautiously, but as soon as he tasted its sweetness, he couldn't stop. He devoured it like there was no tomorrow.
With his stomach full, he set off to explore. The freedom he felt was something he had only ever dreamed of in his past life. A peaceful life, calm and serene.
Or so Otto thought.
As he flew over the trees, drops of water began to fall from the sky. His feathers soaked quickly. At first, it seemed like a light, pleasant rain—but within seconds, it turned into a torrential downpour. A chaotic storm knocked Otto out of the air, slamming him hard into the ground.
He tried to find shelter, but mud covered his eyes, and his soaked body was too heavy to move freely. Panic set in. Still, driven by pure animal instinct, Otto dragged himself through the mud with all his strength.
He was just about to reach what looked like a small cave when a deafening sound stopped him. A lightning bolt struck just a few meters away. The impact caused a tree to collapse.
Otto couldn't avoid it.
The branches and leaves buried him.
"What a strange little bird," said a voice from the shadows.