The Hummingbird:Feet On The Ground
Page 6
with a grain of salt, I could be wrong entirely. I don't know this is just as much as I could gather with what we know." my friend cracked a crick in his neck and went back to working on his birdhouse as he was before. “Clark’s upstairs resting and the stew is in the fireplace, you may leave anytime you’re ready.”
I grabbed a bowl and helped myself, watching Isaac go to work on his birdhouse. I had always admired Isaac, in many ways I considered him a mentor. Isaac was unique in that anything productive he put his mind to like story telling or playing the piano he did gracefully and masterfully. It wasn’t that he was some ubermensch who could just pick up new talents as needed just that when he put his mind towards accomplishing something he put more than effort into it, he put his heart and soul into it. As a result I had not been surprised that his birdhouse castle looked so wonderful, he hadn’t finished the paint job and he seemed to be tweaking a few things though I had no doubt it would be ready in time for the fix, whatever and whenever it may be.
I watched my friend work as I ate of the stew in his fireplace and then walked upstairs towards the guest bedroom, on the way I met little Anne heading down. “Oh hi Ms. Michelle, are you okay? Daddy said a mean man hurt you.”
The innocence of a child can make one smile even in these dark times. “Yes, but your daddy made it better. What are you doing awake? It’s very late and don’t you need to get up early to help Mommy tomorrow?” Schools didn’t exist of course, but Kelly had been homeschooling her and Isaac’s daughter and when that wasn’t happening Anne would help Kelly collect safe drinking water from the lake or do some maintenance around the house, all within reason of course. Anne was five so she wasn’t exactly handed power tools or involved with hunting or anything.
“I had a bad dream and Mommy’s still asleep, so I wanted to talk to Daddy about it.” Anne said, hugging a plush doll of a triceratops. I admit it was cooler than a teddy bear.
“He’s down there working on his birdhouse, do you need me to get you anything some stew or some water?” I asked, trying to be as helpful as I could.
“No, I’m okay, but thank you for offering Ms. Michelle. I hope you will be okay.” Anne hugged me and continued downstairs towards her father. Adorable kid, I don’t see her often enough. I myself don’t want kids I lack the maturity to take care of one, to be honest I trust I’d be a very neglectful mother. So perhaps it’s a good thing that I don’t have a uterus. It’s far too easy for me to envision growing bored of caring for a child and stopping, an action that would have very dark consequences, as a result I’m glad this thought is only a hypothetical with no real chance of happening.
I continued going upstairs towards the guest bedroom where I found Clark bloodied up and bruised, he was heavily bandaged and had a black eye. “Michelle? Is that you… I’m okay, I’m having some problems breathing through my nose, but that’s just from the attack, I can breathe through my mouth okay. Kelly did a good job patching me up, I’m not even hurt anymore. Just sore.”
“Oh God… My attacker only knocked me out for a bit….” I said counting my lucky stars. “Clark… Do you wanna stay here awhile until you’re completely healed up.”
“I figured this was coming, I don’t blame you. After that maniac tried to rape you, you’re probably a little shaky around men right now.” Clark said, stopping to breathe through his mouth. “Probably don’t want any around.”
“What? I’m not gonna blame ALL men just because one of them turned out to be an asshole!” I objected, I understood why he thought that I’d think that way, but it still sounded entirely illogical to me. “I’m more concerned about you looking like death warmed over! Can you even make the walk back to my house?”
“...I.. I just assumed… Alright… but… still… I want you to know that I would never rape you.” He insisted.
“I know you won’t, you’re my friend. I trust you, you’re a sane and rational person. Well as sane and rational as someone who doesn’t believe in the supernatural can get.” I was mostly teasing him on that one and he knew it, laughter does make the best medicine. Though I sincerely meant it, the word rational is often linked with not believing in spirits for some strange reason so it was also kind of ironic.
“No.. I mean… I couldn’t if I wanted to.” Clark seemed to keep somewhat flustered and breathed more heavily. “I’ve always seemed like the lucky one of the group… Not missing any limbs, so abled bodied. The only one of us who wouldn’t have a handicap sticker on their car if we still had cars. Truth is though… I have a secret I haven’t told anyone but my late doctor.” he said as he struggled to take his pants off.
“Clark, is now really the time to…GREAT HERA!” I exclaimed. In the words of Bill Murray, it’s true, this man has no dick. “I’d say you’re an FTM, but I’ve seen you with your shirt off and you don’t have breasts or scars from surgery… and… wait that’s not a cunt that’s a… What is that?” his crotch was flat, but had what looked like liver spots I’d guess.
“Hehe, no I’m not transgender. I was.. I think assigned male at birth is the term?” He could have just said born a man I knew what he would have meant and hadn’t gotten mad, are the endtimes really the times for political correctness? “..I lost the fellas to testicular cancer, the rest of my manhood was devoured by the plague and had to be amputated. They made a hole for me to pee out of, but you can’t quite see it between all the swollen veins, bruises, and general plaguey-ness.”
“Is that the real reason you didn’t want to have sex with me when I offered?” I asked.
“Naw… if I wanted to…” He said pausing to breathe. “I could have found some way. Call me old fashioned, but, I like to really form a connection with someone before I get all lovey dovey with them. There are other reasons I wanted to share that… I… You let it get to you that you don’t…. don’t…”
I walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek as a sign of showing I understood his sentiment, nothing more. “Rest, one of my tumors were destroyed in the struggle so my right arm is feeling a lot better. I need to defend the house. Come back when you are able.”
I was about to leave when he called back to me. “Michelle wait!”
“Are you going to ask me to be careful?” I said, having seen this happen in fiction dozens of times.
“....Yes…” Clark looked to the side embarrassed.
“Called it.” I snickered to myself
I begun to worry about Clark all week as I watched the house. Sleeping during the day and becoming watchful at night, for once I had actually let my fantasies of death rest as I wanted to make sure I was safe for Clark when he came home. If he found me dead he’d feel guilty for resting at Isaac’s house. Tomorrow we’d meet up at the usual place to listen to the broadcast, I’d see Clark then. I laughed when the sun came up on the last day of guarding the house at night. I only have to protect myself when I think I don’t have to, but isn’t that just the way? Now I needed to make sure I didn’t fall asleep at this new meeting. I ran to the forest as quick as I could finding that Piet and Raven were there with Clark and Isaac being the ones we were waiting on.
“Have you heard from Isaac or Clark?” I asked them, originally I thought to ask if they’d seen them, but I didn’t want to make Raven upset. Raven’s very sensitive about the whole blind thing, I would be too if I were her. Damage to my eyes has always been one of my largest phobias, the freak out when the left side of my face rotted was legendary.
“Nope, but we’re glad you’re here. I don’t feel very safe out here without Clark, you, or Isaac…” Piet said, I could see his point, his wheelchair wasn’t really made to traverse the terrain, between him and his sister there were two working legs and two working eyes. It was rather unusual that they were here first as normally they take longer trying to navigate towards through the forest. Clark had offered to move in with them before me, but Piet and Raven swore they were fine by themselves and we thought it best not to push the issue
I had agreed to help protect Piet an
d Raven if they could help prevent me from falling asleep. Everytime I tried to lay down or get comfortable Raven would slap me across the face with her blind stick, how she knew where I was I had no idea but she kept claiming that I’m a louder person than I think I am when I asked. That didn’t really answer my question to be honest.
I had began to speak with Raven as talking seemed better than smacks to the face. “Raven, what do you like to do for fun? I… I know before you enjoyed bird-watching but…” I choked on my words right then worried that I said something to upset her.
“Yes, I did… there are no birds to watch anymore, I still carry the binoculars around my neck in remembrance of all the bird friends I gazed at…” Raven said holding the binoculars as she smiled. “I like to think they’ve found somewhere to be safe… The animals aren’t dying off as fast as the humans after all, yet still we rarely come across them. Maybe they know something we don’t.”
“So.. You like to remember the good old days?” I said with a smile.
“Yes, I’ve even thought