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Either way, I thought it best to succumb to the birds and let them have their way. What else could I do in this situation really? I couldn’t leave, I hadn’t the means. I couldn’t walk somewhere else because I didn’t know if somewhere else existed. This place was new to me; it was not my city quite clearly. I decided it would be best to lie down, so I put my body into one of the divots by the wall and tried to focus on becoming more positive.
It was like a veil had been either set or lifted on me. Ever so suddenly I became as if entranced. My mind was more awake, I felt no more negative feelings towards the birds who, by the way, were watching me closely as though thinking about ways to plot against or encourage me. I felt renewed, very positive and refreshed as though a magic wand had been dragged through me and taken all of my sorrow, my frustration and complaints with it. I have no idea how long I sat there for, but it could not have been too long unless I blanked out. Sometimes anger does that, but I didn’t think it would here.
I blanked out once in the city, back home. I normally was quite passive, but apparently in the city one can only be so passive for so long. I was lying on my floor and was imagining the textures of my walls consume me. I wanted to know what it felt like to be so placid as to just hold something and never quaver or stop for anyone or anything. Well, that was when I came to.
Before that, the last thing I can remember is that I was walking down the street. ‘Hum, hum, hum. Good day birds! Seems you’re quite alive’ I sang. It was a Tuesday and it was happening quite nicely. I tripped over the edge of the sidewalk, which was nothing out of the ordinary, as my shoes usually don’t fit, but this time something unusual occurred. I didn’t just trip. I tripped into traffic, the light had just turned and I tripped into the flow of fast moving cars. I had to stop myself in the middle of the road. Cars zoomed by and yelled at me with their beeping horns. But there were so many cars, so many, coming at me from both directions. I was spinning and whirling and twirling and they all beeped at me but I couldn’t get out of their way and I was scared and so many directions and I couldn’t choose and all of a sudden a cyclist ran me over!
Somehow, and this must have been the startings of my blacking out, I managed to get around the cars, get over my toe (which later seemed to be broken), and stumble back into my apartment where I later found myself awake and wishing to be one with the walls.
That was one thing that surprised me and brought me to awe the most in this new place. There was no noise, aside from that awful mysterious screaming sound followed by the static. There was nothing moving particularly fast, no hustle bustle. I liked that no one told me to walk or don’t walk or stay off the grass. I liked that there weren’t cars everywhere and I liked that although there was little contact with other organisms, the contact here was particularly meaningful.
Here, in this newfound, magical place, I felt revitalized. I did not feel the pain of anger in my chest any longer. I did not feel like I had some rules to follow. I had things to learn, obviously, but I did not have this strict book of laws to abide by. And for that I was quite happy for. No one told me I had to be here, and although I never asked to be, I no longer had the urge to ask how to get out of here.
Jaxin started laughing again, uncontrollably. It didn’t roll on the ground again, but that crazy penguin certainly was having a good time. PB started in on it too, and I, coming to some large self realization of how ridiculous I now looked, started to. I must have been having an out of body experience. I could see myself, sitting in the little pit, mouth gaping open with a huge grin on my face, hair disheveled and mildly sweaty, and clothes ajar. Laughing, I stood up with them.
‘Now you have discovered our secret,’ laughed Jaxin. ‘I think you are ready to hear about the sounds.’
I stopped smiling. Ready, already? I just got here. I hadn’t been here even a day. Surely it was still Tuesday, wasn’t it? ‘Are you sure? I am still quite new here.’
‘Oh, but you know much more than you would expect. I would tell you to figure out the sound for yourself, but I really have too much fun telling the story. I think I have waited long enough.’ It told me to sit down again, but not in the divot. ‘On the floor, if you do not mind. I do not have much use for chairs, I apologize.’ I explained to them, as PB was still hanging out, that in my apartment I never had chairs either and that I was much more than content sitting on my floor.
‘Well, that explains a lot more to me than I thought it would,’ said Jaxin rather mysteriously as it sat down on it’s wiggly, feathered bum. I didn’t question what that could mean and prepared to listen intently. PB sat with us, but didn’t really seem prepared to talk or to listen. It’s long ostrich legs curled up under it and it continuously played with it’s wings.
‘Are you ready, Milo?’ I didn’t remember telling these birds my name, but I must have at some point. I wasn’t sure if I was ready to hear it, but I was feeling quite nice inside, quite intrigued, so I prepared myself by combing my hands through my hair and shuffling forward at the black and white creature. I still thought it was bizarre that it was not cold here, what with this penguin and all. But, I didn’t question it because I figured that if I was already finding out about the terrible sound, surely I would find out about the lack of cold soon as well.
‘I don’t know if I am ready, to be honest. I am a little afraid because that sound was immensely large and terrifying. I am a little nervous, but I think I may be okay. I- I think I can.’ I took a deep breath in, closed my eyes, and exhaled ever so slowly, opening my eyes just the same.
‘Well, if you are not ready, I can wait. We really do not have to worry about-” and this is where it met eyes with PB and started laughing hysterically. Continuing, through giggles, Jaxin yelled ‘WASTING TIME!’ And with that, PB and that snarky, little penguin burst into outrageous, borderline obnoxious fits of laughter to the extent that if they had been wearing pants, certainly they would have peed them. I did not get the joke, and although I was feeling quite peaceful inside, I did not have the urge to laugh with them. What did they mean not worry about wasting time? That thought made me feel a little more free, but at the same time I had no idea what they meant. Did they mean they didn’t have anything better to do? For some reason that didn’t seem like the right answer. After what seemed like a few Tuesdays, they stopped laughing, not smirking, but at least they were now quieter, and Jaxin continued the story about the sounds.
‘Okay, so do you feel prepared Milo?’ I nodded. ‘Good. I would offer you some cheddar cheese, but-’ It stopped, and braced for another burst of outrageous laughter. Their laughter was cut short however because of the sound.
The sound came again that moment, and it came quite quickly and quite loudly. So much so that I think even Jaxin and PB were taken almost as off guard as their human counterpart. I didn’t see a smirk on their faces and I didn’t see any signs of comfort or discomfort on the faces of the birds. They seemed vaguely annoyed, maybe a little shocked, but they didn’t seem to express their regular emotions. It sounded so squeaky, like rusty chains but more like high pitched human screams. It sent chills down my spine and I knew that if I hadn’t found that calm, content spot before hand that I surely would have been more disturbed. The after fuzzy noise was worse this time, and quite longer. It was as though I had entered an acoustic center filled with thousands of white-fuzz TV’s, blindfolded, or perhaps the room was filled as well with radios stuck between stations. Old alarm clocks or running taps. It seemed as though the noise kept coming and going, but it was unclear exactly where the noises were coming from. I happened to glance out the window and the glowing water creatures in the sky were flickering, more and more, out and on, out and on, and their movements were jagged and sporadic. I was nervous for them because it did not seem like they were in a very comfortable space.
I tried to hum to cover up the noise in my head. What if it was I who was generating the noise? I couldn’t hear my hum at all, and that made me think that maybe for the sake of this place I should ask to leave.
Finally, after the birds had danced to this music for a bit, in their inherently happy manner, the noise stopped. I felt guilty as I uncovered my ears.
‘I am sorry if it was I who was making that noise. If you two could kindly direct me back to my home, I will move along and get out of your way so that you can live in a much quieter, more positive environment.’ I hung my head, stood up and headed for the door.
‘YOU SIT DOWN NOW!’ Recalling the carpet fire incident from Yanny’s time, I knew to follow orders such as that. That was PB yelling; it was strange because before that, PB had never really talked. I never realized a creature with such a thin neck would be able to shout so incredibly loudly. So, of course I sat.
‘Do you really consider yourself so important that you could make such a sound that even the creatures in the deep see flicker? You at one time probably contributed to that bizarre, estranged, sound but there is no way you made that sound now. Simply, you do not have the power within yourself alone to create such a full-scale ruckus. If you do not want to learn about the true cause and feel that you can take it upon yourself to figure it out on your own, then by all means go and try to do it. But I really think it would be beneficial to you to sit and talk. Not just because I enjoy talking, but because I know the answer and it is not fair for you to simply disregard the work of another in order to fulfill a prophecy of your own. I by all means am for exploration and finding things out for yourself, but at the same it you must at least acknowledge and consider the work of others; it is a key lesson, one which has not been taught enough.’ This was Jaxin speaking.
I didn’t know what I should do. Should I sit and listen to the bird? I mean, it did have a point. It had been here longer, it should know what it is.