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Everything went wrong: his alarm didn’t go off, Mom didn’t check on him, he couldn’t find his shoes (still in the garage), and he missed the bus.
Mom and Dad were gone, and Chase had an early class.
Chase said, “You walked home yesterday. Why make me late, too?”
He planned to walk to school, but with an earlier start.
Toby jogged out the door, toward the back of the subdivision, down that red clay road, while avoiding several mud puddles swollen from the storm.
The trail was right over-
He heard something.
No. He heard nothing but bugs and a distant mockingbird, but there was something right over-
No, he’s late enough now.
He took a few more steps into the woods...
What is that?
He looked back across the deserted construction sites.
This is stupid.
He took another step, and...
Something is in there.
The puddle didn’t look too deep-
“What am I doing?” he mumbled to no one.
He was wearing new pants, new shoes, and he didn’t want muddy feet all day.
He paced around the murky perimeter.
Sat on a block of bricks, as if he could stare a hole in the water. After a millisecond of indecision, he pulled off his shoes and socks.
Ignoring the complete stupidity of the moment, he rolled up his pants.
The chilly water shocked his feet despite this warm September morning. His feet and ankles disappeared in the opaque water.
What are you doing?
There could be all kinds of nails and glass in here.
He took a few small steps, and the water got deeper.
This is nuts.
He pulled the pant legs higher.
His little toe found something solid but not sharp.
He bent low, trying to keep his pants out of the water, and lifted it free and rinsed the mud.
It looked like a piece of jewelry, about three inches across. It was heavier than it looked, warm despite the cool water, and the four colored stones flashed with the morning sunlight.
He saw a metal circle with three raised lines that looked like running legs on the back.
No clasp?
“Ow!”
Something struck his hand, knocking the pendant free.
“Caw!”
It tried to claw his face.
Toby swung blindly and connected with something.
Now able to open his eyes, it was one of those stupid black birds with the white spot.
Toby bent down to find the pendant thing in the dirty water.
The bird pecked his head.
“Stop it!” He waved his arms.
The bird circled overhead, squawking and flapping, then dove again.
Toby squatted down again, and it popped his head again.
“Stop!”
“Caw!!”
Toby waited for the bird to attack again.
He took a swing, the bird swerved, and Toby bent down to grab the pendant.
He splashed out of the puddle and slipped the dripping object into his now muddy pocket.
The bird grabbed his hair.
“Ow!” Toby flailed his arms. “Stop it!”
He grabbed some brick pieces and waited for the next attack.
The bird dove.
Toby fired.
Black feathers blew in the wind.
The bird moved out of range, so Toby picked up his stuff and ran for the safety of the trees.
Sticks and rocks stabbed his feet.
He ran toward a thicket and took a knee under some dense branches.
The bird landed on a branch directly overhead.
Toby moved just before the white payload plopped to the ground.
Toby fired back with sticks and rocks but didn’t connect.
He’d heard of birds liking shiny stuff, but this is psychotic.
Toby brushed off most of the dirt from his abused feet, put on his socks and shoes, and watched the skies.
Mud caked on his new pants, and rubbing did not help.
He didn’t know anyone at school yet, so most wouldn’t comment.
No, the scolding would start when he got home, starting with, ‘How old are ye?’
And she’d be right.
What is wrong with me?
Wings flapped overhead again. He jumped up and grabbed his book bag.
He jogged up the trail and remembered to check his watch; he might make it if he didn’t get lost or have too many other distractions.
He picked up another stick, just in case.
Several minutes later, as the bell rang, he ran into the school building.