Feathers Surrounding

Michelle

I wake up in the middle of an abandoned alley, black feathers surrounding me on the paved ground. The sun beats down on me, engulfing my body, making me sweat as I sit against the wall of the alley. From the position of the sun in the sky, I see that it's got to be around noon, give or take an hour.

I bring myself to a full sitting position and take a look at the black feathers. Where did these come from? I get up and take a look at my surroundings. Where am I?

I peek my head around the corner of the alley. On one of the windows of a shop across the street a sign reads "Come on in for some of the best donuts in Rochester!"

Rochester. Downtown Rochester. How did I get here, right in the middle of my hometown?

I look down at myself and realize my clothes are missing. I sit back against the brick wall and wrap my arms around myself, suddenly feeling cold even as the Summer sun beats down on me, exposed though there is no one around. I don't know where to go from here. I can't leave the alley, and if someone finds me back here, naked and alone, I'll probably be brought into the local police station for questioning.

And I don't have any answers yet.

But would it be better for someone to find me? To give me clothes, food, transportation? Is it even worse that I'm sitting here alone and helpless? I don't know where my clothes are, or my cellphone, and I don't know how I got here. My only clue is the few black feathers lying on the ground next to me.

But first things first. I need to get out of here. But where do I get clothes without being seen? I don't have money, I don't have anything. My family is . . .

My family!

They're all the way in Port Huron, miles away, and I have no way of getting in contact with them. Do they know I'm gone? Does anyone know I'm gone? What happened to me before I got here?

Calm down, Michelle. At least you're back in your hometown.

But I can't bring myself to calm down. My family is gone, I'm stranded in the middle of downtown Rochester, and I don't even know how I got here.

What happened last night? How did I get here? Come on, Michelle. Remember.

I remember the bonfire at the beach, the party I went to with Ben and his friends. I remember the cramps, the horrible stomach pains, feeling like I would die from those cramps. I remember thinking I couldn't go to the party when I had the first pain attack at the cabin. And the other one behind the bathrooms at the beach.

What happened afterwards? I had the cramps, and then I . . . changed. I morphed. That's what caused the stomach pain, the horrible aching and cramps. God, that hurt so bad. But what did I change to? Why are these black feathers around me?

None of this makes sense. I feel like I'm about to go crazy. I feel like I am crazy. Am I hallucinating? Dreaming? Am I in the hospital, on sleeping pills to ease the pain of my cramps? Did Ben find me last night, probably passed out behind the bathrooms? Did someone take me to the hospital and I'm there right now, safe in bed and dreaming this horrible dream?

But it seems so real. It doesn't feel like a dream state, it feels like trouble. It feels like danger.

My family. They're probably wondering where I am, what I'm doing. Or what if they don't know I'm gone? When will they find out? What will they do?

I need to get back to them first. I need to call them or something, let them know where I am. I need to reach help.

I stand up and almost walk out of the alley but then remember that I can't, not in the condition I'm in. Where do I go?

My mind, despite how many things are racing through it, immediately goes to a memory Jen. A few months ago she was informed that she was suddenly doing bad in school and if she didn't get better she would be held back another year. That same day, her and I sat in the kitchen alone. After several minutes of silence she looked up at me and said, "You know what, Michelle. I'm going to make it through this. I'll get better in school, I'll find a way out of this, and things will change."

Two weeks later her teachers told our parents she was doing much better. Jen was right, she had made it through. She found a solution.

I compare that situation to my own right now. I'm alone, hopeless, helpless, and confused. But I'll find a solution, I'll find a way out of this, things will change.

I tell myself to calm down one last time. And this time I listen, and believe it. I can make it through this.

Taking a deep breath, I go to the other opening in the alley, away from the main road. After taking a look around I find that there's a fence a few feet away from the opening in the alley. Behind the fence is a neighborhood.

The fence isn't that tall, I could easily climb over it.

I walk over to a garbage can in the otherwise empty alley and sit behind it, hidden from the main road. I stare at the fence for a few minutes. What will I do if I get over the fence? Knock on someone's door, naked and disheveled, and ask for help? That's a great first impression, a great plea for help . . .

It's my only chance though. I can't stay here, and I certainly can't go out on the main road in front of all the people of downtown. I have to get over that fence, it's the only place I can go.

I sigh and stand up, looking behind me to the main road to make sure no one is there. I walk out of the alley toward the fence and look left and right. To both sides are the back to all the shops on the main road. What if someone comes out and sees me climbing the fence?

I take a few steps forward, cautiously making my way to the fence. The further I get from the alley the more exposed I feel, as if the whole world can see me. And I'm scared to death of what might happen next. What if someone is watching me from their window in their house in that neighborhood? What if the police show up?

I go to the left a little so that no one from the main road can see me climbing the fence through the alley. I step up to the fence and reach up to the top. I can touch the top of it, that's how short it is. I grab a hold to the top and start climbing. The warm links of the fence cool against my skin as I get higher and higher. Once I get to the top of the fence I swing my legs over one at a time and drop down to the ground.

I take a deep breath and turn around, facing the alley I once occupied. I'm nearly halfway there to finding a solution. I take a look at the feathers on the ground where I had woken up. Where had they come from?

They were from a real animal, they weren't fake. They didn't come from me, did they? No, no, that's impossible. How would they have come from me?

I push the thought out of my mind and focus on what's important. Getting clothes, then reaching a phone. Or home. Or my family, somehow. So I turn back around, facing the neighborhood that is holding dozens of people capable of taking one look out their window to see me, a naked girl who looks like she's homeless.

Rust from the fence had made its way to my legs and forearms and I quickly brush it off along with the dirt I had gained by sitting on the warm ground of the alley.

I look around me and find a patch of bushes and quickly hide behind them, my bare feet getting pricked by dry grass. I can't believe I had the nerve to leave the alley, I think to myself. I'm actually out here, fully exposed, looking for help. Instead of sitting in the alley awaiting some stranger to stumble upon me.

How long would I have lasted if I stayed in the alley? How long would it have taken for someone to find me?

But I'm still out here, in this neighborhood, prepared to seek help. Strong, brave, independent. And determined. That's me.

I poke my head out from the bush, not thinking of what to do next but just going with it, winging it. I keep searching, exploring my surroundings, checking the house's windows for possible witnesses to my exposed being here in their neighborhood.

Something catches my eye and I become overjoyed. To my left, on a fence on the border of someone's backyard, I see a small piece of white fabric.

Could it be clothing? Please let it be clothing. A shirt, pants, anything, at least it's a start.

I feel a slight breeze blow past me. I smile at the cool air against my face. It feels like home, reminds me home. It makes me beg for home and to be with my family. Safe and normal again.

Something tells me my life will never be that way again. Something in the back of my mind tells me I might never see my family again.

No. No, that can't be true. It won't be that hard to reach a phone and call them, and tell them where I'm at. I'll see them again, there's hope. I know there is, because that white cloth blowing in the wind is it.

That's hope.

I get up and run to it, starting to feel more excited and hopeful, no longer the helpless girl in the alley. Now I'm halfway there. I'll make it through this.

Then why is might heart still beating fast as if I'm scared? I ignore it and tell myself it's from happiness. I reach the white cloth and look it over. It's a long, low-cut dress. I tug it off the fence and hold it up against myself. It goes down to my knees and seems to be able to fit me.

I tug it over myself, giving a silent apology to whoever owned the dress before I stole it. Will they miss it? How long before they know it's gone?

The dress fits but it's a little tight around the waist. It's the best I have so far, it's better than not having anything at all. I feel safer now, I feel normal and human. As if I didn't before I found the dress. Now I feel hopeful, truly hopeful.

I'm going to be ok. I'm going to make it.

Should I go back and inspect the alley? Find out where those feathers are from? What if someone kidnapped me and dumped me there? If someone did kidnap me, will they come back and find me gone? Is it safe going back? But if someone kidnapped me, that doesn't explain the feathers.

I need to reach a phone. I need to find someone to help me. Forget the alley, it won't help me now.

Everything will be ok. I'm finding a solution; I'll make it back to my family. The brave and strong Michelle, powering through all this. It'll be ok.

I walk to the front of the house that I got the dress from and look around. I don't recognize the neighborhood but there has to be someone to help me, someone that has a phone or anything to aid me in getting to my parents.

As I begin walking down the streets of the neighborhood, slight recollection of last night comes to me. In my mind I see trees down below, I remember feeling a strong breeze against my face. I remember feeling feathers against myself, their warmth surrounding me. It was dark, the stars shown above me. Things flew by me, as if I were flying.

Suddenly I begin to believe those black feathers in the alley really did come from me.

 

Author's Note

It's not my best but not that bad either. Tell me what you think please.

Reviews

[Jacques]

Sometimes i can't believe what i hear, you said it's not my best but not that bad either , my opinion is this is your best , I actually think this is one of your best chapters you've ever wrote for this book because it's descriptive , capturing the thoughts of the character Michelle ( who i'm starting to warm too ) and asking thoughts and things which are nothing else but realistic . This is one of those chapters , i wish i wrote myself and if i think that , it means you're doing right in connecting the character , feeling of her and the entireity of the story to the reader , in this case , me . What a great job you've done and i want to read more , so get penning .