Isensi rushed into her house, the dead bird still in her hands.

She felt cold now, too, as her chest was still bare. But she tried to ignore it.

She lay the inert cloth bird gently on the table. She sat down in front of it, and bent her head down, into her hands.

What�s happening to me? she thought miserably, Gods, I hate this!

She stood and paced ferociously.

Then, out of nowhere, came an idea.

Going to the closet, she removed her aunts sewing kit. Sitting down again, she opened the kit and removed a needle and a spool of black thread. Pulled the bird towards her, she began sewing.

It seemed like hours passed as she worked.

Never had she concentrated on anything so fully as she concentrated on the act of sewing now. She saw the tiny fibers of threads as she poked her needle the surface of the cloth bird.

Finally, she finished. She lay the mended cloth bird on the table again and stared at it.

And realized she had no idea what she had meant to accomplish.

And that�s when the bird started moving.

Isensi gasped a cry of astonished joy as the creature struggled out a weak, quiet caw.

The whole universe came back to life with the bird.

Happiness unlike anything Isensi had known filled her heart. A tempered happiness, one of complexity.

The cloth bird cawed again, perfectly voicing her emotion.

And now Isensi no longer desired void.