"Stop it! Stop it! Leave 'em alone!"

My own voice sounded strange to me, a desperate high-decibel shriek. I lingered on the edge of the curb, pacing helplessly to and fro.

The older boys ignored me. One of them bent down, picking up another handful of gravel and taking careful aim before letting one of the rocks fly. It hit the nest dead on, and he lifted one arm in triumph while his friends laughed and cheered.

"Haw! Use a bigger rock and I reckon you can get it down next time."

"Hit 'em again!"

Another rock hurtled through the air, though mercifully crashing through the leaves and missing its target by mere inches. The nest was starting to tilt dangerously to one side from its position between two branches and the dry twigs were coming loose from where they had been so carefully woven together, ready to break apart and spill its precious contents.

Teeee! Teeee! Teeee!

I could hear the panic of the baby robins from my distance, even though I could not see them. Their voices were as shrill and pleading and helpless as my own. They were calling for their mother, but the stones from the boys had already driven her well away by now. Their cries went unanswered. Another rock went sailing and broke a mess of twigs off from the nest wall.

"Leave 'em alone! You stupid jerks!" I roared, finally forced from my perch, running forward and flailing and shoving at the smallest of them. I clawed for hold, grabbing at his shirt and feebly trying to drag him away. "Leave 'em alone! Leave 'em alone!"

"The hell! Get offa me!"

I was shaken loose, stumbling and falling into the grass near the curb. The boy turned back to his friend, but a moment later I was up again and landing hard on his back as my fists pummeled away.

"Ow! Damnit, ow! I said get off!"

One of the other boys pulled me off of him, laughing as he evaded my kicking and thrashing. Behind me I heard a crack as another rock landed on target, knocking the nest hard to one side. I turned just in time to see the nest tremble, then tilt and collapse, breaking into two as twigs and dried grass and soft pink bodies rained down upon the sidewalk.

Teeee! Teeee! Teeee!

There were four of them...tiny, delicate pink and gray bodies with large translucent blue eyelids and wide yellow beaks, helpless as they lay on the sun baked concrete. One of them lifted its wobbling head, opening its bright mouth as one of its sisters thrashed in pain beside it.

"No! Stop it! Leave 'em aloooone!" My shriek became a scream and I struggled to run forward. The older boy held me fast, twisting my arm. I stomped hard, trying to hit his foot, but I was not strong enough. "Stop it! I'll tell!"

The boy who had been throwing the rocks turned and grinned at me. He stepped up onto the sidewalk and lifted one heavy boot above the robin, who looked up blindly through unseeing, bulging eyes as the shade fell across him.

Teeee! Teeee! Teeee!

I strained against my laughing captor. "No! I'll tell! I'll tell! Don't!"

The boot came down with the robin beneath it. Its gelatinous pink body was still all but boneless, a soft and spongy thing too new to have any real substance. Its form gave way easily, tearing from the inside out and uttering a noise that could only be described as something between a crunch and a pop. Its cries had stopped, though the voices of the others still shrilled aloud as the boot lifted, leaving little more than a silent stain on the pavement.

Teeee! Teeee! Teeee!

I was still choking threats through the tears and snot now running down my reddened face. "Stop it! I'll tell on you! I'll tell! I hate you all! I'm telling!"

The boot lifted again, then was brought down with force. There was another popping noise and another voice was cut short. My bawling only seemed to delight the boys and with every pop they turned as one to look at my reaction. I was still fighting with the one restraining me, albeit uselessly and with his laughter still ringing in my ears. They were too big, too old and too tough to feel my anger through my fists and shoes. I was growing desperate.

"AAAHH! Son of a bitch, you crazy little shit, get OFF!"

I did not get off. Instead I clenched my eyes shut and bit down even harder, my teeth sawing through his arm. He was screaming and I felt fists beating on my head until I was forced off of him. He was snarling curses at me, holding his arm where it was now missing a chunk of flesh, deep enough that brown fat was shining through. I tasted blood and spat it upon the ground.

"Holy shit! She bit me! She gawdamn bit me!"

"You want yer damn birds so much? Here!"

Teeee! Teeee! Teeee!

This time I did not see it, but I heard the grotesque noise of another robin's body breaking apart and its voice stopping abruptly. Blind with tears and rage I turned and rushed towards the boy I had attacked and he actually backed away from me. But a moment later I was sent tumbling as another boy lashed out and kicked my legs out from under me. I landed in the gravel, skidding across the sharp rocks and scraping open my knees and elbows. Blood streamed down from my cuts but I pulled myself up and started forward again. This time something hit me hard from behind, hard enough that I felt my ribs pop and my breath was forced out of me. I yelped and fell back into the gravel yard, new lacerations opening on my chin and forearms. The stick they had struck me with had broken in two, landing on top of me. One of them kicked my side and I curled up in the dirt, forced into a fetal defense as I wheezed for breath.

"Whoa, whoa, cut it out. I don't want them coming after me for beating up no little kid."

"She shoulda thought of that before fuckin' biting me, the little shit."

"Whatever, just leave 'er."

I was left coughing and bleeding, listening to the boys' departure and making sure they were well away before I finally went to stand. I dared not look towards the twisted remains left on the sidewalk where the boys had left them to the flies and the heat. Stinging more from my impotent defeat than my wounds, I leaned down, wiping red-smeared dirt and pebbles out of the gashes in my knees before turning to finally limp away...

Teeee! Teeee! Teeee!

I half ran, half hobbled over to the bushes where I had heard it. There, lying beneath the leaves of a young sassafras was the fourth robin. The blue bulging eyelids turned as though looking at me as it tried to lift itself on the the weak pink nubs that were its limbs, opening its yellow mouth and peeping once more as it crawled forward.

"It's okay, it's okay. You're going to be all right now. I've got you."

I wiped my hands onto my shorts, though blood still oozed from my cuts and pooled around the tiny legs of the robin as I gingerly plucked him from the dirt and placed him in my palm. Cupping one hand over the other, I muffled his crying and shielded him as best I could as I started the long walk back to the house.