Chapter 9 - Reaching Out for Human Faith
Daniel somewhat quietly made his way through the trees, trying not to trip over roots nearly hidden in the dimly lit park. The cry was getting louder, drawing Daniel closer like a beacon in darkness.
As the blond one skirted around a clump of trees, a clearing by a pond came into view and Daniel froze, staring at he saw curled up by the water’s edge.
It was the strangest creature he had ever seen. It was man-sized and covered with huge black feathers, ones exactly like the feathers Daniel had found earlier. Daniel could see a thin, black beak but the creature seemed to have its eyes closed. It had its head thrown back as it cried out, rocking back and forth. Daniel realized that it was trying to sit in a human fashion, even though its body was bird-like. The guitarist watched it awkwardly try to wrap black-feathered arm/wings around a pair of knees that seemed to bend strangely.
Daniel took an unconscious step forward, wanting somehow to help this obviously miserable creature. That step brought his foot down on a twig, snapping with a sound that seemed tiny compared to the sound the creature was making.
Yet Daniel saw the creature flinch and it closed its beak with an audible snap, abruptly shutting off the liquid call. Daniel winced as the creature opened its eyes and turned its head to stare directly at him. Then Daniel felt his jaw drop for the second time that night, as he looked into the creature’s all-too-human blue eyes. They were eyes that he knew very well.
Darren’s eyes.
Oh. My. God.
And if he wasn’t mistaken, he also saw a glimmer of recognition in the bird creature’s eyes too. Hardly knowing what he was doing, Daniel cleared his throat self-consciously, trying not to startle a creature that already seemed wary of him.
“Darren?” he called out tentatively. The creature blinked and moved forward a little, cocking its head to the side questioningly, the gleam of recognition getting brighter.
“Darren?” the blond one tried again “Darren, it’s me, Daniel.”
The creature pulled back a little like it had been struck, the name had obviously hit a nerve. And Daniel saw Darren’s identity slowly flood back into his blue-gray gaze, saw the relief that Daniel had found him and the obvious joy of seeing his best friend. The creature/Darren flapped his wings in agitation and tried to reply.
But only a garbled squawk came out.
The look of dismay on Darren’s face would have been hilarious if the situation hadn’t been so serious. Daniel waited patiently, watching Darren open and close his beak as he struggled to speak, the guitarist sensed he shouldn’t interrupt.
“ ‘annnyyulll?....” Darren finally managed, his voice almost lost among whistling and squawks. Daniel held his breath as the bird-man laboriously continued.
“ ....‘annnyyulll...... ‘elllpp?” Darren whispered, his eyes filled with pleading.
Daniel’s throat closed up and he blindly reached out for Darren, who stumbled over to the blond one and tripped halfway, falling at Daniel’s feet.
The guitarist knelt down and gently wrapped his arms around Darren’s shaking form.
The singer-turned-creature huddled against Daniel, every feather trembling, each breath torn from his throat in harsh, unmusical gasps. Even though they weren’t as pretty as the loud cries earlier, the gasps conveyed Darren’s sadness even more.
He can’t cry! Daniel realized. Birds don’t have tears. Poor Darren...
What cruel thing to do, to deny Darren the most basic of human responses, the very release he needed the most.
..He can’t even cry...
Darren may not be able to cry, but Daniel could. So the blond one cried for Darren, letting his tears spill freely down his face, as he held his friend-turned-bird close to his chest.
...Oh Darren....I’m so sorry....this is all my fault....
A sudden, unearthly chuckle startled the both of them, a laugh that was more felt than heard. It seemed to go through your skin, right to the bone, shaking your soul.
~So bent on taking the blame, are we Daniel?~