A Fly in Heavy Wind Before they sang, birds were creatures of anecdote made to retell the happenings of the world. Their wings allowed them to travel from place to place, in no time at all, as they were tasked with seeing history unfold and keeping records of those events. This, however, changed once humans started to resent birds for being overly nosey, vandalizing their valuables, and eating their food. People began to shoo them away, among other things, and the birds decided to no longer just retell happenings, but to tell them in a way that would mess with, and confuse, the humans. Our story begins with a young boy, Hudson, who patiently, yet angrily, waited for his sister to pick him up from his school’s parking lot. It was empty, everyone had already gone home, and Hudson was left alone with nothing but the company of trees and telephone wires above. As he sat and waited a breeze began to build and the sun retreated behind the distant mountains. He thought to himself how can she be this late again? His anger boiled, and he tightened his hoodie strings while the wind continued to batter him. His fingers turned into ice, and just as he was about to explode with rage a bird landed on the wire above. “Would the lonely child like to hear what happened down the street?” Hudson angled his chin up and looked intently at the bird, “No.” “Well it concerns you, I believe it was your sister in fact.” “I’m not interested bird, just tell me if she is on her way.” “That too would involve me telling you what happened.” “Then I don’t want to hear either.” Just then a second bird landed on the same wire. “Have you told him what happened?” “He doesn’t want to hear it," the first bird proclaimed. “And you told him it involves his sister?” “I did.” “Hmm…I would want to hear it if I were him.” Hudson interrupted, “Well I don’t want to, so you two can leave now.” “What if she were to be in danger?” “I would find out on my own.” Hudson lifted himself from the ground, picked up his backpack, and moved a few feet away from the birds. He could still hear them talking to each other but the sound was now bearable as their words sounded like grumbles from his new position. His peace of mind began to return when, suddenly, a third bird landed above his head. “I have dire news to share with you!” “Down the road?”, Hudson responded half-heartedly. “Yes! How’d you know?” The first two birds, listening from the start, hopped along the wire towards Hudson and bird number three. “We told him, but he doesn’t want to hear about it.” “But it’s dire news boy!” Hudson sighed, “I don’t care.” “And you shouldn’t care,” a fourth bird said as it landed next to the other three, “although it may seem dire to some, I for one do not think it is.” “That’s kind of why I don’t care,” Hudson asserted. “You’re a fool,” bird two said to bird four. “I agree,” said bird three. Bird four responded, “If I were to be a fool I would have come here with news that does not concern the boy, which you three have done.” Hudson grew even more tired of the birds arguing amongst themselves, “If I agree to hear the news will you leave me alone?” They all looked at each other simultaneously and pondered his question. “Yes.” Defeated, Hudson asked, “Ok, what happened?” Just as the four birds were about to answer Hudson saw an entire flock flying in from the distance, “Wait! Wait! We come with an update!” They landed and now twenty, or so, birds sat perched on the wire, all talking over one another… “We saw your sister with a mask ready to steal! The dirty thief!” “She looked as though…” “She got in a car accident!” “I hear the sky isn’t blue from Dr. Dilbert.” “What’d you say?!” “She is dead.” “Your sister was with a brother you didn’t know you had.” “Me? I prefer milk over white chocolate, but they both have strong properties!” “I said where did you take your bath? Your feathers are shining!” As the chaos continued between the birds Hudson saw his sister pull into the parking lot and was greeted with a wave of relief. He got up, grabbed his things, and ran to her car. “Where were you?”, he said with the exasperation of his cranky grandmother. “I was stuck in traffic.” In that same instant every single bird turned to Hudson’s sister and screamed, “Lies!” She snapped back just as quickly, “You don’t know! I was only five minutes away and the road got closed down so I had to…” She continued on, and so did the birds, like rabid lions hunting the same elk they sparred in conversation. Hudson realized the mess wasn’t ending anytime soon and decided to just walk home.