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THE CHICKADEE'S QUICK movements caught his eye as the tiny bird flitted through the tree branches, hunting for bugs. Hopping from branch to branch, its distinctive gray and white plumage stood out against the pale bark and yellowing leaves of the old ash tree.
Harvey drove with his windows down. It was hot for early September, he mused. It felt like it had been hot for years. Things would cool down by November, he hoped. Some rain and cooler temperatures would be nice.
He watched the chickadee for a moment before he pulled away from the curb and continued on his beat. Several abandoned houses in this neighborhood required a police presence on a daily basis. No one could afford to buy them, and no one could afford to tear them down, so they sat, slowly deteriorating over the last couple of years. It was a shame, too. The once elegant houses now rested in dilapidated slumber, no longer useful to anyone.
It appeared as if the chickadee was the only resident of this quiet neighborhood. Most of the homes along the street were occupied, though, carefully maintained by invisible owners as they hid behind the new security bars Harvey could see on the lower windows. There was a time when such things weren't needed in this neighborhood.
Everyone was afraid. It was evident in the closed feeling of the homes, the lack of people, the empty streets. Children didn't play outside much anymore. The first ones to abandon hope and move to the bigger cities were the families with children. They had the most to fear, the most to fight for, it seemed. There were jobs in the big cities, schools with resources, opportunities that just didn't exist here in this small town any more.
Even the birds were leaving, it seemed, or dying out. Harvey could remember the lilac bushes around his house when he was a kid. They were filled with sparrows year round, chattering noisily and taking turns at his mother's bird feeder. There were always chickadees, wrens, and finches in the trees, hunting bugs and interacting in smaller groups. They would come and go in organized, high-energy flocks and talk amongst themselves, as the sun would set on cooling summer evenings.
Harvey couldn't remember the last time he saw a finch. Even the numbers of the pigeons on the courthouse were dwindling. There were still crows, though, and magpies. The carrion birds always did well in lean times. But then, they thrived on the demise of other creatures.
Harvey turned the corner to start down the next street, taking time to look down the alleys and between houses. Squatters in the abandoned buildings were less concerning than looters who might be stripping the homes of valuable resources. Times were tough, and Harvey tended to look the other way if someone was seeking shelter in an empty house for the short term. There were rumors that some investor was working on turning some of the bigger, abandoned homes into cheap studio apartments for low-income people. There was already a waiting list of hundreds of names at City Hall, on the off chance that the rumor was true. People were desperate, and cheap housing was better than no housing.
The next street over was more populated. Rows of duplexes and low apartment blocks lined the street. Most people were at work or school this time of day, but he could see a few people sitting out on their balconies or front steps, trying to take advantage of the slight breeze. Seniors, mainly. Harvey raised his hand in greeting to three elderly women who were sitting on a shaded front porch.
"How are you doing, Ladies?"
They waved back.
"Just fine, Officer," called out the woman in the blue housedress. "Lovely day, isn't it?"
"It certainly is," he replied. With a second wave, he carried on.
Harvey didn't know why his wife was so worried. He may be a cop, but not much happened in this city. She really had no reason to fear for his safety. He always got the quiet beats, too. After twenty years, he had seniority, so for the sake of his wife, he took the safe jobs. Maybe after they retired, they could move somewhere more interesting. Until then, he was needed here.
He turned the next corner and headed back to the station. Aside from the occasional car, he heard the distant call of a single crow and a warning bark from a dog somewhere.
Otherwise, all was silent.
***
MITCH TOOK HOLD OF Kendra's hand as they left the movie theatre. He dropped the empty popcorn bag into the garbage and held the door open for his girlfriend as they stepped out into the warm night.
"That was great," he said. "I've been waiting to see that one for months. We always get the new releases two weeks after everyone else and it sucks to have to wait."
"Yeah, it was good." She hitched her purse up on her shoulder and looked around at the parked cars.
"Good? Don't you mean fantastic?"
She glanced at him. "Sure, whatever."
He shook his head, chuckling. "Fine, I won't take you to any more action movies."
She didn't say anything as he opened the passenger side door and she got in. He climbed into the driver's seat and started his car, backing out carefully and pulling out of the parking lot.
"So, you want to get something to eat?"
Kendra shrugged and pushed a strand of dark blonde hair away from her face, not looking at him. "No, I'm good. I told my mom I wouldn't be too late."
"Okay, could we just talk for a bit?"
"Sure."
Mitch drove three blocks to a small playground and pulled his car over, next to the curb. Turning off the key, he turned to smile at her. "Come on, when was the last time you played on the swings after dark?"
She smiled back at him and they both got out of the car, running over the dry, dusty grass to the tall swings at the back of the park. Laughing, the two young people jumped on the swings and pushed back to start the worn swings swooping back and forth in the empty, dark playground. Gripping the cool chains, Mitch used his body weight to push his swing higher, yelling in childish glee.
The night air felt almost cool as it rushed past his face and he grinned with sheer, uninhibited joy. The dark, cloudless sky glittered with millions of sparkling stars that wavered in the rising heat, making them twinkle. Mitch watched the stars as he reached the top of his swing on a backward swoop and felt a sudden longing to launch himself skyward to soar in the crystalline heavens.
Kendra's giggles spurred him on, and when he reached a decent height on a forward swing, he released the chains with a whoop, and let his momentum carry him through the air, to land on his feet in the sand. He hit the ground hard and used his football training to bend his knees and roll forward. Once he regained his feet, he thrust his fists in the air in triumph.
"I'm an astronaut," he laughed.
"What are you, six?" Kendra chuckled and dragged her feet in the sand to slow herself down.
"Maybe. Remember how much easier life was, when we were six?" Mitch dropped down to sit on the sand, stretching out his legs and leaning back on his arms.
"For you, maybe. We didn't have much when I was little. Mom barely made enough to keep us fed. I just want to get done with high school and get a job and move into my own place." She hopped off the swing and came over to sit next to him.
"Okay, so here's what I'm thinking," he said. "I can't wait to be done with high school either." He leaned forward and took both her hands in his. "As soon as we graduate, let's get out of here. Let's pack a couple backpacks and just start travelling. We can work odd jobs on the way to make a bit of cash, hitchhike, stay in hostels or whatever. When we make enough money, we'll fly across the ocean and backpack across another continent. Let's go see the world while we can. What do you think of that?"
Kendra pulled her hands out of his and sat back, studying him closely.
"What? Just like that? Just up and walk out of here right after grad?"
Mitch grinned, nodding. "Yeah, why not?"
She was silent for a moment, looking around the dark playground.
"Please say yes," he prodded. "It wouldn't be any fun without you. I can't think of anyone I'd rather travel with."
She smiled then, and leaned forward to hug him. "Sure, Mitch. If you promise it will be fun."
"It will, I promise." He grinned, and then kissed her, with the passion of youth.
A single cricket chirped an unanswered serenade from the parched underbrush.