Birds had never bothered Nill before. on the contrary, they were something of a welcome sight, most of the time; there weren't any in the Underground, so it was nice to see them around the City. It meant that she was able to see the sky, to feel the wind and the sunlight.

But these birds were a different story. She had seen them pecking and clawing at people, and she knew that it wasn't natural. She'd never seen them do that before. So she tried to go to the store for bread quickly, but she wasn't fast enough. Soon there was a cloud of them over her head, all cooing with rage, their talons extended. Running wasn't easy for a girl in a lolita dress, but Nill was doing her best. She was just a little bit too slow.