On a long brass pole, a dish was piled high with gold and black seeds that glistened in dappled sunlight. A cardinal circled the feeder, a flash of red wings flitting from branch to branch.
The cardinal didn’t remember this feeder, and they heard no crashing human footsteps. It paid to be cautious, but…
It hopped closer. The feeder was empty. It called, a question on the morning air that went unanswered. Throwing caution aside, it landed on the lip of the feeder and pecked at the pile of seeds.
The mimic snapped its jaws shut and swallowed the bird.
This story originally appeared in Everyday Drabbles, a daily free fiction project on Wattpad. Visit the link for more free stories. And if you enjoy my writing, support my work by buying me a coffee!
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Hugh J. O'Donnell 
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