Griselda: Chapter 3

It takes me a few minutes to compose myself.

I stand there in the alley way in awe, watching as my furry accomplices slink back into the shadows from whence they came. All but one.

The raven remains, grasping my wrist tightly...yet with care.

She watches me, wondering what I'll do next. I swing my hand out toward the sky, & she takes flight. I watch her graceful movements for just a moment, & then stoop to see if my little mp3 player has survived it's assault.

The screen is cracked & bits of the plastic have fractured & shattered. I jab at the little touch screen, but it's unresponsive. I frown.

-"Dammit!" I pitch it back to the ground, shake my head, & start walking home.

I notice a shadow at my feet that seems to vanish & reappear frequently. A shadow that isn't mine.

I light another Lucky, inhaling deeply, & continue home in a sort of daze. People pass me by, but all I notice are their feet. Sneakers & pastel pumps & work boots...beating a sort of rhythm into the pavement. This is the rhythm of the world that surrounds me, a world I don't fit into.

I reach my destination without further complications. The driveway is thankfully empty; no one is home. I twist my key in the lock, & drop my knapsack at the door. The silence is a bit unnerving.

I go into my room, & jab the "on" button on my stereo. Without even waiting to see what I've left in there, I flip the latch on my window, push it up, & slide outside onto the roof. My room overhangs the garage, so there's this little nook just outside the window, where you can press your back against that outer wall, & not have to worry about falling.

This is my favorite place to be when I'm home...just starring up at the clouds. Or the stars. I hate being trapped indoors with "them". That's almost unbearable. This is where I go to think...Where no one sees me...

I slip outside in a fluid, well practiced motion, & slide into my designated spot.

The gravelly voice of Mike Ness resonates from inside; I wrap it around me like a blanket.

" Some people like to gamble--but you always lose. Some people like to rock-n-roll--but you're always singin' the Blues. You've gotta nasty disposition--no one really knows the reason why. You've gotta bad, bad reputation--gonna hang down your head & cry. You've got bad...bad luck...."

I smile to myself & sing along, & then notice the raven, perched at the edge of the roof, staring at me.

-"Hello?" I ask.

The bird flutters her wings, & glides over to grip the window ledge just above my head.

-"So it is you." Her voice is tinged with surprise, & a bit of awe.

-"Huh?"

-"You called us. How is it that you speak in my head, human?"

-"Zoe. & I dunno. Just always been sumthin I could do. Talk to animals. But never from a distance like that. Mass call...that was ...wild. I didn't know I could do that...I thought we had to be...together, to communicate like this. You were there...." I tug at my lip thoughtfully. "You were the one that stayed. You followed me. Why?"

-" I've never encountered anyone who can do what you do, Zoe."

-"What do I call you?"

-"My name cannot be pronounced in your tongue, but the old woman who throws bread in the park calls me Griselda. You may call me that, if you wish. See, she speaks to me too...but not like you do. She can't hear me. I understand her, but she can't hear me....I wonder, if you are unique, or if there are others, like you?"

-"I dunno. Most people think I'm crazy."

-"I think you're special. You have a gift...You ARE a gift."

-"I've been called a lot of things..."gift" has never been one of them."

-"What happened to all of the others?"

-"The land dwellers left. The birds flew away. I don't think they even understood what called them there. That it was you, all along. When you screamed, it was like a siren sounded in our minds. It was impossible for us to ignore it. It drew us to the source...which was you. Once you no longer felt threatened, the mind-shriek subsided."

-"I'm glad you came back, Griselda."

-"As am I."

I hear the crunch of tires, as my Mother's station wagon pulls to a halt in the driveway.

-"I've gotta go. Will I see you again?" I ask hopefully.

-"I won't be far." Griselda spreads her dark wings, & hops off the ledge....

I watch her disappear, & carefully slip back through the window. I leave it open, just a bit...