Fountain of Death

The pavement still smelled like rain as we went to go walk outside that morning. The storm in the night swept down with the force of God's hand, and strangely, the city had never looked better. All the trash and grime had been swept away by the force of the gale, and the hobos were out of sight. Even the fountain was working again, spraying down crystal clear water.
The sky is so bright, Koraki said, It doesn't even look as if it rained.
Indeed it didn't. In fact, I was struck by the allusion that it was the fountain's waters that had cleansed the city overnight.
Everyone was looking at the fountain in awe. Watershed was a very suspicous place, and its people were superstitous. I could see it in their eyes as they tried to find some meaning in the everyday miracle. The Pernie fellow looked as if he believed he himself was responsible.
I looked back at the fountain, so innocent and deceptivly pure in apperance. It made me shiver.
"It smells like death." I whispered.
You are right, Koraki said, looking towards the sky. Three black crows were flying across the horizion.

Ambrosia

The city becomes still as the dead for the first hours of a blackout. Nobody quite knows what to do when they can no longer watch their TV or play on their other electronic doodads. But then they slowly creep back up to the surface, wide eyed and uncomprehending, like monkeys descending for the first time from the trees. Then they all slowly made their way to the smell of pie. I did not blame them. I took in a large inhale as I walked towards it myself.
"Do you smell that?" I asked Koraki with a sigh. "Sweet Potato Pie with marshmallows and cinnamon... I used to make that with my grandmother when I was a girl..."
I can't smell it. But everyone else seems quite enamored, He remarked. They should be. It was the smell of Ambrosia... I had to have some. Among the flocking crowd, I could see only one man who had the will power to walk away. I admired him for it, but not enough to follow his example.

Food for Thought

Koraki and I left our home and monotone routine in order to go get some food. Every once in awhile we did this so that I would not take my own cooking for granted. Sometimes it was easy to forget the taste after you spend the time to make it. We did not stay in the resturant however. That was where I drew the line. If I was going to eat, I was not going to spend it around irrate waiters and self-concious strippers eating salads. Instead I took my to-go bag and walked out to the broken fountian. I split the food with Koraki and ate in silence. He was particularly quiet tonight. The air hung in suspence for one of his wise obsevations, but none came. I knew him well enough to leave him in the soliltude of his thoughts.

Poetry of Life

Eventually I found my way out of the horrid carnival and met up with Koraki again. Never make me leave you like that, He said, rubbing his head against my cheek. "I promise." I told him.

~~~~~~~~~

After the chaos that ensued our outing, I was quite glad when the vacant lot was once again free of any roadside menace. It was refreshing to continue with my calming and uneventful walks. I knew that I was to enjoy it while I could. Nothing stayed uneventful in Watershed for long. Look, Koraki said. I followed his line of sight to a girl standing, watching a robbery take place. She was so dark with soot it took me a while to realise that she was the goth girl who lived in my building. She was watching several idiot humans try to steal an entire ATM machiene. I didn't pay any attention to them, they were morons, beneath my notice. But something about her captivated me. She just watched with an open stare, not caring a bit about the ash that covered her from head to toe. What do you think she is thinking about? Koraki asked. I loved how we were so connected that he knew the robbery would be of no interest to me. "I think she is finding poetry." I replied.

Tongues that Lick the Sky

You saw the strangest things at carnivals. Creepy clowns hand in hand with women, goths with trash bags, something that wreathed inside the ball pit, but still no exit.
"It is like they don't want you to get away." I said to Koraki. Which was most likely exactly the point. But Koraki was not paying attention, and was looking over his shoulder where the din of the crowd was growing.
Something is going on, he said. I turned to see what he meant, and was nearly run over by the crowd of people rushing past me to get away. Smoke rose over the tops of the tents and at that moment there was a small explosion as the bootlegger's alcohol burst into flames.
Fire! Koraki yelled. Panic welled up inside of me. How were we ever to get away if we could not find the exits?
"Fly! Get away from here!" I yelled at him, trying to throw him into the sky. But he just dug his talons deeper into my shoulder.
I am not leaving you here!
"Go!" I said again. "If I perish, I will join you soon in the sky!"
Koraki gave me a look of extreme sorrow and guilt before he flew away, disappearing into the smoke and out of sight.
"Be safe my love..." I sighed after him.

Freaks

I had not been to a carnival since I was a girl. I remembered the sights, the smells, the gay little cries of children rushing past with balloons and cotton candy in hand as carnival music played in the background...
Gilbert's Carnival at Watershed Heights could not have been more different. It was dingy and dirty, with stale food and out of tune music. Sword eaters and flame breathers walked around in the crowds, sineging peoples hair. A little girl was walking around with a prize she had won that looked like a shaggy pillow with teeth. I was presently trying to leave, but the enterance had been only one way, and the exits were no where to be found. The only reason I had come at all was to ride the ferris wheel as I had done as a girl, but that looked so dangerous that I dared not even step near it.
Corbie, watch out, Koraki cautioned. I looked to see a little monkey in a suit sticking his hand in my purse. Koraki cawed with rage, and pecked the little theif until he ran back to his organ grinder with a scream.
I do not like this place, Koraki confided as I skirted around the town mutt.
"Niether do I." I agreed.
The trailer of freaks caught my eye.

COME ONE COME ALL

TO THE LARGEST COLLECTION

OF GOD'S MISTAKES THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN!

BEHOLD

THE GIANT

THE DWARF

THE ALLIGATOR GIRL

THE BEARDED LADY

THE TWO HEADED MAN

AND SO MUCH MORE!

"How horrible." I noted with a shiver.

No one should have to endure this, Koraki said sternly.

"All of those poor people..."

I will be very thankful when we have left this place.

I nodded in agreement.

Come. Let us keep looking for the way out.

Black Snow

Snow fell from the sky in small turrents. It was not the pretty white coating you see on the cover of Christmas cards that looks like a blanket. This snow was ashy gray and turned to slush and dangerous ice the moment it hit the ground.
Can we go outside? Koraki asked.
"It's revolting out there." I protested. "Besides, all I need is to slip and fall. Sarah would have me put away for good."
True. Koraki mumbled. So we just continued to watch from our window. Down below I could see who was clearly that Pernie fellow. His cape fluttered out in the wind behind him as he walked.
"Clearly not all of the lights are on upstairs with him." I muttered.
Says the woman talking to a crow. He pointed out.
I laughed.
"True. He may very well be magic. How would I know? Perhaps I will offer to read his tea leaves sometime." We continued to people watch the people below.

"Is there such a thing as magic?" I asked. "Is that what this is? Is that what you are? Bond to the body of a bird by some unearthly force?"

I would not know. Is it magic? Or something natural? Could what we call science be another name for magic? Or vice versa? Koraki asked.

"I would not know. I truly would not know."