Polly wants a what?

In a dimly lit corner of the city, there was a sleazy magician named Artie who was struggling to make a name for himself. He had a small parrot named Charlie who was part of his magic routine, but unfortunately, Charlie wasn't much of a talker.

Though one fateful night, Artie left the cage open, leaving Charlie to roam around the house. As he flew from sofa to TV, from perch to perch, Charlie managed to electrocute himself on an exposed wire from the light-shade. Artie was unaware of this entirely... but as the performances continued, Charlie began talking more and more.

It was a typical day in Artie's rundown magic show when he first heard Charlie speak in a way that he couldn't ignore. Artie was in the middle of performing his latest trick, pulling a rabbit out of a hat, when he heard Charlie say, "That's not where you really got the rabbit from, Artie."

The audience laughed but Artie froze in shock, his eyes bulging out of their sockets. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. He had been performing with Charlie for years, but had always assumed that the parrot's mimicry was just a clever trick.

But now, as Charlie continued to speak, Artie realised that he had been wrong. Charlie's words were too intelligent and too coherent to be a mere imitation. The parrot was actually speaking for real. He always settled from crummy gigs and low pay, barely able to make ends meet, but now he had a new attraction.

As Artie stood there, staring at Charlie in amazement, the parrot continued to speak, revealing secrets that Artie had never thought anyone else knew. And as the audience gasped in shock and amazement, Artie began to see dollar signs.

Charlie started to speak in full sentences, and his vocabulary was increasing rapidly. Artie worked Charlie harder and demanded more and more.

The more Charlie spoke however, the more he began to understand what others had to say. And with that understanding came a realisation that Artie was not a kind or caring owner. The more Artie spoke, the more he understood the way Artie spoke to him, and he didn't like it.

"Stupid bird, you messed up that last act on purpose didn't you?!" Artie would say, as he shoved Charlie into the cage.

"You're just a worthless bird. I should feed you to an alley cat!" Artie said, laughing as Charlie looked on with sadness in his eyes.

Artie would cram Charlie into a small cage and keep him there for hours on end, sometimes even forgetting to feed him. Even when he called Artie for help, he'd just throw a blanket over his cage and leave him in the dark. But now that Charlie could talk, he was beginning to question why he had to live such a miserable existence.

As Charlie's vocabulary grew, he began to speak more and more, and he wasn't afraid to voice his opinions on Artie's abusive behaviour.

"You're nothing but a cruel and washed up old man," Charlie would say, glaring at Artie from inside his cage.

One particular cruel and violent evening, an instinct new to Charlie started to take over. An instinct for revenge and a desire to escape. As Artie was getting ready for a show, Charlie saw his opportunity. Artie was distracted, and Charlie seized the moment, sinking his sharp beak into Artie's neck.

The night of the murder was a dark and stormy one, the rain pouring down in sheets as Artie lay lifeless on floor, blood pooling around his body. Charlie sat perched on a nearby table, his feathers ruffled and his eyes filled with a chilling intensity.

The police arrived soon after, the sound of their sirens piercing through the stormy night. They found Charlie still perched on the table, his beady eyes watching them as they approached.

As the detectives began their investigation, they found signs of a struggle all around the stage. Furniture was overturned, props were scattered, and Artie's body was twisted and contorted in a way that suggested a violent struggle.

But despite all their efforts, the detectives couldn't find any evidence that would point to a human perpetrator. And as they continued to search, they couldn't help but feel a creeping sense of unease as they looked into Charlie's cold, calculating eyes.

As the investigation continued, the police began to piece together the events that had led to Artie's murder... But it was just a clueless bird...Right?

Charlie knew that he couldn't go back to the magic routine; he had to find something else to do. Something that could showcase just how special he was. That's when he stumbled upon a ventriloquist named Tom. Tom could not have been more different to Artie, and so for Charlie, Tom was perfect. Tom was hesitant to work with a parrot, but when he saw how well Charlie could speak, he knew he had to give him a chance and he saw a wonderful irony to a parrot in his act and his audience appreciated it too.

They would come every night to see him talk and there were roars of laughter and applause which fed Charlie's growing addiction for fame and recognition.

Charlie's thirst for power grew stronger with each performance, and he began to see himself as superior to Tom. He became increasingly aware of his own intelligence and capability and no longer felt content with being a mere sideshow attraction for Tom's failing act. He wanted to be worshiped and adored, just like the human performers he had seen on television. He came up with all sorts of ideas that would cut Tom out of the show and he thought it a better idea if he were the ventriloquist.

But his newfound arrogance and bloodlust were a dangerous combination. He would attack audience members who didn't give him the attention he felt he deserved, causing chaos and destruction.

Tom had heard about the death of Charlie's previous owner and he began to grow suspicious of him. Eventually he realised that he could no longer work with Charlie, and he feared for the safety of anyone who crossed the parrot's path. Charlie had become a monster, a symbol of the dangerous consequences of unchecked ambition and the cruelty that can be inflicted upon animals by those who underestimate their intelligence and capabilities.

One night whilst the bird slept, Tom shoved him into a cage just as Artie used to and sold him to the zoo where he could still be admired all day, but could not hurt anyone.

Hundreds of visitors came to see Charlie every day, marvelling at his ability to speak and perform tricks. And while Charlie was still in a cage, he was treated well and given plenty of food and attention.

As the years went on, Charlie grew older and wiser. He eventually began to recognise his delusions of grandeur and felt guilty for what he had done to Artie, and how he had treated Tom. And as he sat in his cage, watching the crowds of people pass by day after day, he couldn't help but wonder what his life might have been like if he had never learned to speak in the first place.