“I didn’t, that’s why I’m here. Listen.” – he said and turned back. – “I just thought. That house near the forest, remember? We got to check it out.”
“Really?”
“Don’t worry about it, we just need to check something, and we’ll be out of the house.”
His eyes shifted to the horizon and with solitude he stood there leaving her confused and curious.
“Okay. But you know I’m doing this for you, right? I never even liked her. She was rude and just an asshole.”
“Come on… She was just quiet.”
“With you she was, when you were fucking her.”
“Josey, what the fuck is wrong with you?!”
Smith raised his voice and she put her head down.
“I’m sorry, didn’t mean to say she was quiet, probably loud with you, huh?”
Smith put his arm around her black coat.
“What’s wrong?”
As they locked eyes a slight smile slowly emerged on her face.
“Just going through a hard time, you know. And also, this tape that I found in the morning. It’s very weird, Smith.”
“Can I see it?”
Birds flew over their heads, flying to sit on the stones near the water. Locals gather at the same time as always for quarter of a decade at this bay. The bond is strong with each other knowing exactly what to expect – birds expect food, locals expect the company, the company of another God’s creation.
…
“Good day! The 2nd day, the same route as yesterday – to the west!”
…
Menny forest. First discovered back in the 18th century, when foreign invaders depicted it in their journals – very-very old journals. A very interesting reputation of the forest resided by a very rich ecosystem – depictions involve signs, feelings, instincts about the forest. Instincts of betrayal, hatred, satanic predisposition. Might be that the invaders were not welcomed in these lands.
…
“What were you doing here, Margo?” – Smith asked himself.
Chapter 4
‘Margaret is alive?’
The bright balcony at the seaside was lit in a very moody way; Limned by the Sun someone’s figure appeared like a shadow in the room. The beach full of people was in action before the still picture of this room not that far away from it and only the journal pages with the pen scrubbing on its surface passionately could be heard which disturbed the beautiful silence of the room, but with a purpose.
“Summer’s coming.” – she said and looked out the window after writing the last word in the diary:
‘Amen.’
Sounds reached the room from downstairs – steps, heavy steps. She took the diary and instantly put it in the crack between wooden flooring. Steps now could be heard clearer with the floor creaking, intensifying the suspense, but deciding to take her time she opened it once again, writing something in a rush.
…
“Listen, I’ll send you my help to find that diary, ok?”
“What? What do you mean ‘I’ll send you my help’? Can’t you clarify?”
“I need to go, Charlie, I’m in a hurry. You’ll find my guardian where my diary is in the room, ok?”
Margaret fleet in the distance, leaving him with no time to say anything.
“Margo! Damn you! Always doing it your own way.”
…
The door to the room bathing in sunlight opened and a man walked in.
“Good day, Ms. Margaret. The food is ready, we’re waiting.”
A tall figure stood in the doorway, halfway in. His deep voice broke the silence and solitude and was continued by him uncomfortably staring at the ground.
“You two can wait.” – she said and sat back down. He glanced at her once again and closed the door.
…
Atlas was running through the open field – a new part of the forest was discovered by the group.
“Hey, look!” – a little girl screamed; The sky was totally occupied by the birds.
“Something’s not right here.” – Isaac stated standing by Smith. He was in his 40’s but looked younger.
“What is it?” – Smith asked.
“Birds… They do not fly south this time of the year, something is happening.”
…
A sad tale of the birds
The sky caught her attention. Birds, freely flying, brought her to walk to the window near the balcony – the window was almost as big as the door leading to it.
“Wow.” – she said quietly. The Sun, standing near the horizon, was ready to disappear into the unknown, to be substituted by its grey sister. Mesmerized by their dance she unconsciously started imitating them, walking to the balcony, and flipping her hands desperately. Wings slowly started showing through her skin and feathers around it started forming – beige feathers with brown spots. They rapidly formed leaving even Margaret in shock, but it stopped as the metal corset which appeared to be around her back held it in place. And as she looked back at the sky, in despair – the birds were in the distance, not recognizing her existence even slightly anymore, heading right to the south.
“Why, God…” – her mouth uttered, shaking from frustration with head dropping low under the moody evening sky colored in dark blue tones.
Chapter 5
A sad smile appeared on his face as he was looking out of the car window, at the sea standing motionless and the horizon above it; owls were hooting nearby.
“Everything’s good, Atlas, don’t worry. Just going to be in there for 15-20 minutes and we’ll come back.”
“Come on, Josey. Where are you at?!” – he thought to himself.
A car came closer on the left side, colored in the orange colors of the Sun. It was Josephine, looking at him, smiling. She rolled down her window and Smith rolled it down simultaneously.
“Hey. How’re you doing? Let’s check it out, don’t really have a lot of time today, got to go to the cinema.” – she said loudly.
“Cinema? What are you, in your teens?”
“Just on a date. I think it’s quite cute, you don’t think so?”
Smith got ready to get out of the car and she continued shortly.
“You should really see someone. I can set something up for you if you want to?”
She stopped and looked at him with a slight grin on her face. He kind of froze with his hand on the handle of the door and looked at the ground.
“Yes.” – he said calmly.
“You want me to set something up? Really?”
Her question followed very fast, strangely fast, like she was waiting for that answer. Smith’s answer followed:
“I hope I see her soon.”
He got out of the car with his dog and went straight for the house on the side of the road, a little further into the woods. Her forced grin disappeared instantly as she got out of the car. But before doing that, she got back in and wrote something in the diary. The previous note was about 4 days ago, on June 5th, when she found the tape. It shortly said:
‘August 19th
I hope I’ll see you on your day, Margo.’
The tape slid into her hand from the bag. Silent glare of hers slid on the surface of it, analyzing.
“I’m waiting!” – Smith hollered standing near the house.
She put it all down and kissed the picture of two kids before getting out.
‘They thought they could hide everything.’
The backyard of the house was surrounded by tall trees that could withstand any weather judging by how they looked; Atlas met and started running laps around her. As she looked up 10 steps away from the stairs to the front door, Josephine noticed beige half-destroyed walls, the front side was colored in cardinal red but the paint on the wood went away as the house was built a long time ago. Not thinking anything at that moment, she in trance like state went into the house; Smith was already nowhere to be found in the house. A scream came out of her as he was roaming the house:
“Hey, Smith, what’s this place? It’s kind of nice.”
She walked to the second floor and saw him in the room right by the staircase. The door was wide open as Josephine entered, putting her hand on the door, and saw Smith on his knees.
“What… what is this?!” – she said walking closer and looking at something lying right before Smith, which totally consumed his attention.
…
“Aviation is a big part of my life, Charlie.”
“Look where it brought you, you know too much.”
“Stop it, let me handle this information.”
“It’s bigger than you, Margo.”
Menny welcomes acts of betrayal, the forest is left without God. It’s forbidden. Will he punish those who dare to go against him?
…
Chapter 6
Schizophrenia of reality.
“You want to explain what this is?!”
A chill ran down her spine looking at a big swamp of feathers which resided before Smith, so much so that it was bigger and taller than him staring at it on his knees.
“Remember what I told you? It’s enough to understand.” – he said with a monotone voice.
“They… they kept her hostage?”
Atlas started howling louder and Smith stood up, saying:
“Let’s get going, I saw everything I needed to see. I have mixed feelings about this place.”
Seeing he was not very responsive, she just walked out of the room after him, without saying anything.
“So, it’s all true?” – she said to herself.
…
“You’re telling me she has wings?”
They were sitting by the water at the bay. The weather was calm without any waves in the sea. A slight wind picked up his black hair and wiggled it around.
“Yeah, I know. It’s not easy to believe in.” – Smith answered, leaning at the end towards Josephine; she chuckled.
“Yes, of course, how am I supposed to believe you?”
“Do you believe me though?” – Smith said and looked in the distance, above the calm sea. But when he turned back and looked at her, she was staring at the ground, silently.
“Yes,” – Josephine answered calmly and confidently. – “I do believe you if you say that that’s true.”
