American Coot

Tonight's the night; The sun went down over the horizon, red rays peeking through the pine trees and quiet cookie cutter houses that surrounded my lake. It was a peaceful neighborhood and we were well fed by the friendly hipsters in flannels and Ugg boots. But the scarves started to show up despite the increasingly warmer, sunnier days into this season but the nights were chilly enough for that to be my cue to fly south for the season.I joined with my crew out in the middle of the lake to see what our travel plans were as of current. 

"What's news guys?" 

"We're heading out tonight." My neighbor Vero said.  

"Oh?" 

"Yep. This place is burning to the ground and I won't be here to witness it." 

"Oh, calm down Phyllis. It's not that bad." Donald from across the lake chimed in. 

"Pish. It's getting stuffier, darker and louder and I want my peaceful, sunny suburbs." 

"You sound like those 'suburban soccer moms' we hear the humans chatter about so much." Don said. 

"Your name should be Karen!" We all squawked a little at Vero's sarcasm, except Phyllis who just huffed. "Speaking of, where is Karen? She's supposed to lead the flock tonight." 

"Looks like she's over there rallying the troops." Donald pointed his wing towards Karen, the head of crew. We decided to join in on the action. 

"So, we'll head south in T minus 10 with a sharp west. Let's keep it towards the coast, more visibility..." 

"Inlands on fire." Don told us. I figured as much as I smelt a hint of smoke in the air this morning. 

"The humans, intent on killing us all..." a cacophony of groans and squawks followed. There's some mild triggers on the lake these days and one seemed to be the subject of the human's destruction. I just stayed quiet cause I'd rather not contribute. Granted it might be true, but nobody likes such a Debbie Downer, especially when we're about to fly. 

"Alright, come on guys, get your grub so we can set up to fly out." We split up and had our evening snacks (mine consisted of a nice, fat bug I found milling around on shore), then fluffed my feathers and joined the others, Karen at the head. 

"Alright, everyone ready!" We squawked in response. Karen flew first, then her first ring of buddies, the rest of us following in our V, setting off for the sunny Southwest. 

We flew high past the trees and over the city and left not a minute too soon, seeing below me hazy skies mixed with smoke of fires natural and manmade. I heard the humans talk about it, that changes were coming, they were starting new colonies, a new way, fighting the man, all that sort of thing. Sounded like a little much for me so I was glad to be such a simple animal. We flew higher over the hazy horizon, high towards the moon shining about as bright as the sun over the haze.  

We flew over the mountains of pines toward the gold coast (which shone more silver in the moonlight at the moment) alongside the PCH for a while, watching the cars the gigantic humans drove, looking now like ants marching hastily back to their homes in the hills. I breathed in the ocean air, the salty breeze beating against my face and wings. Lights shone and faded slowly as we descended onto our destination. 

By sunrise our little group made our nests along the banks of the blue lagoon of the Eastlake suburbs. I took a snooze to regain my strength. 

I woke up later to the bright sun shining down on my face and it felt nice compared to the nippy chills at dusk back up north. I had a nice brunch consisting of cooked rice and salad greens fed to us by the friendly suburbanites that came by and giddily fed us, taking pictures for their 'Grams, hash tag #simplelife, #happiness, #harmony, what have you. 

About a month in, the days were still shining bright, almost too bright, the discolored leaves falling and crumbling, the dogs going passed us panting, turtles sunbathing on the logs before dipping back under the water. I watched two kids killing ants with a magnifying glass on the shore, giggling giddily. 

"They're gonna start a damn fire. Brats." Phyllis said. I half agreed nodding. I smelled smoke in the air from another fire in the distance that seemed to inch closer and closer day by day. 

"I gotta piece of ash in my food." Don said swimming over. 

"We were just talking about fires." I filled him in. 

"Oh Heaven, well I just hope it doesn't get this far."  

"We've always been safe before..." I looked around the lake, quiet and serene for the time being. Don shook his head. 

"Doesn't mean it'll last, not these days, not even here..." 

"Oh, don't say that Don." 

"What? I'm just sayin' how it is. We won't all be 'safe' forever, no matter where we fly. It's a little nicer here, but for how long? You hear the humans talk, climate change, social change, change is a comin' and it's comin' everywhere." 

"Pish." Phyllis

"The suburbs aren't our safe haven anymore Phyllis, that's just the way it'll be. We just gotta fly with the punches, maybe learn how to find our own food..." I laughed. Phyllis just shook her head. "Oh look, it's feeding time..." A young girl and her mom came by with a bag of corn for us. We munched away happily, soaking up the sun on shore then lounging in the shade on top of the water, letting our stomachs settle. I floated next to Karen. 

"Hey K. You think we're in trouble of losing this place any time soon?" 

"I don't think so, but sometimes I don't know anymore..."  

"If the suburbs ain't safe, where is? Where will we go each winter?" Karen chuckled. 

"We'll find a patch of water somewhere. And if that patch of water gets disturbed, well find another. We're resilient and besides, the waters always clearer on the other side, right? Waters a little murky here anyway." 

"Yea a little." We chuckled, looking back at the shore where two kids played in the sand, an old couple passed by with a little dog in tow, a girl jogged by in comfortably chic yoga pants. 

"Well, I hope it's for a long time yet before we gotta move outta these murky waters." I fluffed my feathers against the cool water. 

"I hope so too." Phyllis and Don swam by, following a particularly pretty looking dragonfly they probably considered for lunch, but it flew up and away into the sky, and we all found ourselves staring up at it, flying into the sun.

~Sabrina Rose