Bird World

Chapter 1.00

 

I walked down the road. It was nighttime, probably around 9:30. About every half a mile there were lights but other than that, it was really dark. The full moon was covered by clouds. I noticed it was a full moon because if you look really hard, you could sort of see the outline which shines through the clouds. I was out in the middle of nowhere, where there was nothing but old houses, fields and trees. It was wintertime, and a cold breeze would hit every now and then. But I was fine. I had a red sweater and a black puffer jacket over that. In fact I was quite warm, sweaty even. It’s a weird feeling, shivering because of fear and sweating because of—well, I don’t know why. The layers of clothes I guess, but I needed them for the next few hours, who knows if it’s going to get colder. It’s always good to plan ahead. I checked my watch but it was broken, I knew that, I don’t know why I checked it. I didn’t have my phone so I couldn’t check the time there. It’s an iPhone 7. It treats me horribly. Always glitching and stuff. It takes really bad pictures too. But it could have been helpful now. No, then they could track me. It’s probably best that I left it behind. I found myself praying, God please keep me safe. Uh, you know what I’m doing. Help it to go well. I was a simple prayer kind of guy. I didn’t see the use in being all fancy with the Lord. But anyways I kept praying, God get me far away. I don’t want to see them ever again, please, please don’t let them find—I wonder if God is even going to help me. Maybe I started doubting, maybe I knew what I was doing was wrong. No, it’s not wrong. I could see a gas station in the distance. A Seven Eleven. It lit the barren area red, yellow, and green. I always paid attention to the aesthetics of stuff. It’s a gift, what can I say? You know God gives everyone gifts, some evangelism, some singing, mine—well, I’ve been given the incredible gift of pure taste, I clarified, artistic taste. I made myself smile sometimes. I would do that, pretend like I was boasting to someone about my great characteristics. I still don’t know why it’s so funny. That’s just my humor I guess.

 

I walked into the gas station. The bell above the door rang. The fat guy behind the counter didn’t even flinch. He just sat playing War of Warcraft or something. Maybe Fortnite, I always imagine fat people playing Fortnite, eating Doritos till their stomach’s pop. I went to the bathroom and after that, started wandering the shelves. I thought, this guy wouldn’t suspect a thing if I snuck some candy in my pockets. I can’t believe I’m actually doing this. I’ve never stole something in my whole life. When someone asks me if I’ve ever stolen anything, ‘even something super small,’ I guess I can’t say no anymore. I put a pack of skittles into the pocket inside my jacket. I took a breath and my heart felt jumpy like when you are doing something rebellious. That was kind of fun. I roamed the store. I ended up stealing a lighter, two more bags of candy, a salad burrito thing which I thought would be good because it had protein. Then I walked out the doors. The cold air hit me and I looked around in pride, pockets filled with booty. My heart dropped when the man screamed, “hey! You gonna pay for those?” I turned around and froze for a bit. The fat man didn’t seem so fat anymore. I mean, he was fat, but he seemed taller too so it balanced out. Maybe when he sits down, his height just spreads to the sides. He had a long beard that reached the biggest grease stain on his white wife beater. He looked down at me, “son, where’s the mon—“ I sprinted away. Dropping a couple of the candy bags on the way. I ran and I ran, down the dark road, I didn’t look back for minutes. Eventually when I was all out of breath and it was painful for my throat when I breathed the cold air, I stopped running. I looked back and saw no one. I could barely even see the light from the gas station now. I sat down and took out the burrito. It was pitch black. Then the headlights turned on. A few hundred feet away was a giant truck. I could see his face angrier than ever. He sped toward me. I jumped up and ran into the woods. I think I dropped the burrito while I was running. That’s too bad. The truck stopped and I heard his screams and the ground rumbling beneath his giant feet. I hid behind a tree. I watched as the flashlight he was holding shined against the trees surrounding me. He sang, “I’m gonna find you! Nobody hides from me.” I thought, uh, I’m hiding from you. You should have said nobody stays hidden from me or something like that. I know that’s such a Karen thing to think but I wanted to yell that to him so bad. I slowly slid down and grabbed a pine cone off the ground. I threw it as hard as I could to the left. It hit a tree in the distance. He said, “ha, got you!” He ran to the left and I ran ahead. I thought, if he’s running it’s probably less likely he’ll hear me running. After a couple of minutes I had completely lost him, for good this time. I reached the edge of the forest and before my eyes laid a dream come true. It was a little town filled with nightlife.

 

 

Chapter 2.00

 

I ran behind a building. There was a couple of Mexican guys sitting there smoking. They yelled out to me, “hey!” My heart sunk. “You want to join us? We got drinks.” I stood there for a moment thinking, woah, I kind of want to. I’ve always wanted to do that. You know what, I’ve been through a lot tonight I deserve a good time. The back of my mind said, you deserve to go to hell. I said, “sure, why not? You seem to be nice guys. Nothin’ wrong with a good time.” They handed me a beer. The guy next to me which I took an immediate liking too said, “let me get that.” I handed him the bottle and he popped the cap off. I grabbed the bottle and smiled, “thanks.” I took a giant sip of the beer and shook my head as it burned going down. I yelled “ugh, that’s disgusting” they laughed and said, “hey man you’ll get used to it.” I took another sip and the pain was less this time. One of the guys puffed his cigarette and asked me, “hey kid what’s your name?” I told him my name and they all introduced themselves. The one I took a liking to’s name was Juanjo. I said, “I gotta be honest with you guys this is the first time I ever had a beer.”

Juanjo said, “out of ten, how good?”

“First gulp was really bad so zero. But you know—now that I’m getting used to it, gotta be a ten.”

“Hey! Look at you, I told you you’d come around. Do I not always tell the truth?”

One of the guys said, “ha! You are one of the filthiest liars I’ve ever met and I come from Mexico!” We all died laughing—maybe it was because I was drunk, maybe because I was having the greatest time of my life. Juanjo asked me more seriously than normal, “so kid, whats your story? You’re clearly not from around here.”

A voice filled my head. ‘Hello! I’m home! Where is everybody?’ It was my father’s voice. I thought, that’s the reason I’m here. It’s your fault not mine. I answered, "I don’t know—“ The back door swung open and a man yelled in Spanish. They all stumbled and ran into the kitchen and I was left alone, barely understanding what was going on. But I got up and walked out of the alley. People walked all around me on the sidewalk. Many women skimpily dressed—I couldn’t help but notice. I walked for about a mile downtown just watching all the life. That’s when I reached a less lively area of the town. That’s when I saw it. There was a neon woman with hardly any clothes stationed above stairs that went underneath the building. If I’m going all out, I’m going all out. Tonight’s about me. I knew it was wrong. But I think—I think that’s why I did it. I stopped and looked at myself in the mirror. I probably should have been convicted looking at me like this. Yeah, I think I look 21. I got a little beard growing—more like peach fuzz but it’ll work. I walked down the stairs.

 

I woke up. I was laying on some blacks bags. They were trash bags. Ew what! I got up and tried to remember. I smiled, that’s right. They kicked me out after an hour and I must’ve fallen asleep on these bags. I put my hand on my forehead to check my temperature or something, I think I’m sober now. I thought to myself while walking down the sidewalk, alright you had your fun. But you need to get further away. Bus—money—yes, I need a job. Where could I get a job? I looked around at the different restaurants and stores the small town had to offer. That’s when I saw him. The jolly stubby Mexican man named Juanjo. He was flipping tacos or grilling beef or doing something. But I knew if anyone could get me a job it was this guy. I walked over and greeted him. I asked if he could get me a job and he said he’d try. 

 

We stood there in front of his manager. It was the same man who called them inside the night before. “Juanjo, who is this kid?”

“We met last,” he stuttered, “he’s actually my niece’s boyfriend. Real tough kid. Can do anything. She can’t shut up about him. Always talking about how strong he is. ‘Oh he’s so handsome and his arms are so big! His love is like a moose on steroi—‘“ he interrupted, “alright, enough Juanjo.”

We both leaned closer. The manager hesitantly said, “alright kid you got the job. You’ll get the trash and do whatever else I tell you to, got it?” 

“Got it. Thank you so much sir. I promise you won’t regr—“

“Save it. Just get to work.”

I nodded to Juanjo, looked around and pulled the heavy trash bag out of the bin. After sticking a new bag in, I swung it over my shoulder and walked down the kitchen to the back door. I threw it in the giant container behind the restaurant. I stared at the same woods I had run through the night before. I remembered, ha, me and my sister used to build forts in our forest. I paused, “Oh man, I kind of miss her.” Juanjo, standing right beside him said, “miss who?”

“Oh hey, I was just thinking about my sister.”

“Ooh, how old is she?”

“Don’t get any ideas Juanjo, she’s thirteen!”

He put his hands up in denial,

“Hey, hey, no ideas were being gotten over here. You must be going crazy or something.”

We laughed. Juanjo said, “I like it when you laugh.”

“Yeah me too.”

“So, you want to stay at my place tonight? I don’t know. Maybe we’d get to know each other better.”

“Thanks but I’m going to try to get out of here as soon as possible. Maybe a bus sometime today.”

Juanjo pulled a twenty dollar bill out of his pocket and gave it to me.

“This for the bus. I feel like we’ve had so much fun but if you got to go, then you’ve got to go.”

“Thank you Juanjo, this seriously means a lot. I hope I can see you again someday—what’s the time?”

“It’s 12:32pm. What for?”

“Oh—nothing. Really, it’s nothing.” In the back of my head I thought, my parents get back at 2. There’s still time to go back. They would never know you even ran away. No, I’m going. I’m leaving. I can’t go back there. Juanjo said, “you’re a weird kid, you know that.”

I backed away, “thanks again! Bye Juanjo!” He waved as he went into the back and I ran to the sidewalk. I stopped, okay, God—I’m going to make a deal with you. I’m about to leave this place forever, but If you give me one last sign that I shouldn’t leave, I—I won’t go. I promise God. I’m leaving it up to you. Then I looked around. That’s when I spotted it, in front of the town hall. I ran across the street and walked toward the bus with the twenty dollar bill in hand. I heard revving but I thought nothing of it. I kept walking. But I stopped when I heard a familiar voice screaming, “I’ve got you! I’ve got you now!” I looked back and saw the man; the fat man. His beard was covered in sweat, grease, and who knows what else. He screamed again, “give me that money!” 

 

 

Chapter 3.00

 

I started running. The truck’s wheels squealed as he sped toward me. I ran down an alleyway and out to a small road. I thought I lost him but then, swerving around the corner, he spotted me. I had no choice but to run back into those woods. He got out and started digging in the truck bed. I kept running, looking back every now and then. I saw what he was grabbing, he pulled out a shotgun. I started weaving back and forth through the trees wondering if he would actually shoot. Then the tree next to me was hit, chunks of wood flew into the air. I ran and ran, I think I was crying. God, is this your way of punishing me?! I’m sorry, God. I’m so sorry, God! I am evil and filled with sin. I am a sinner, God. Just punish me. Get it over with. I stopped in the middle of the road. The one I was on the night before. He reached the edge of the road pointing the gun at me, laughing. He said, “I told you! Didn’t I tell you? Nobody—nobody hides from me. What shall I do with you? Maybe I’ll just take your money. Hmm I’ve got a better idea. Yes, I know a couple of guys that would pay a pretty penny for a smooth skinned, skinny boy like you. Mhm.” I fell on my knees. “Forgive me, God.” Just as I said that, a car hit the fat man. He fell over and slid across the sidewalk pavement. “Hey! Are you alright?” It was a familiar voice. It was Juanjo. I started crying harder but this time it was different. He put me in the passengers seat and he checked to see if the man was dead. Then he returned, “he’s alright. Skinned like a cow but alright. Is that your old man or something? Is that why you ran away?” I looked at him as we started driving away, “he’s just a guy I stole some stuff from. My dad’s real nice. He cares about me. He really does. But he’s got a funny way of showing it. Maybe my life’s just so good and whenever something bad happens, even if it’s small, it seems like my life is the worst. Maybe that’s why I ran away.”

“Well, where do you want to go now, kid?”

“Just take me home.”

 

THE END