Ella

Ella looked up at the bird feeder, her brown eyes sharp. It was empty, bereft of both fowl and theiving squirrel. In many ways, it was like Ella. In it's time it was once a thriving little cafe for birds, but now it was naught bu t a desolate blight on the porch. Much like Ella had once been happy, but now only seemed to be burden upon her family.

"Ah, the feeder," wheezed her grandfather from behind. "I remember you used to love that thing when you were a little girl." Ella was startled. Wasn't Grandpa supposed to be back home? He never came to this house anymore not since...

"You know, when you grandmother died the birds stopped coming. It was a sad day. You stayed out here for hours into the night, waiting for the birds to come back."

Ella narrowed her eyes, refusing to let the old man soften her with his words.

"Yeah, well it's a piece of junk now." She pushed it, watching it swing.

Her grandfather sighed, hobbling back into the house. He'd been different since that friend of his had died. Ella wondered why. Grandpa had through so many phases it was hard to count. Before grandma died he was always happy, if a bit strict. When Ella turned eleven, Grandma passed and her grandfather became cold and callous. Now, after the death of what Ella guessed must've been a dear friend, Granpa was suddenly spouting off cryptic sayings and such.

It pissed her off. A lot.

Ella stole one last angry glance at the bird feeder before ripping down and running to her car. She threw it in, not caring it the seed got everywhere.

Even today, Ella could never say why she stole the feeder. But she likes to think it was the beginning of something better.

{The old man thing had me baffled and I didn't know how I was going to continue the story...So, I pulled a Ficlet and added another character! If it's too long, let me know!}