Welcome to Gaia! ::

Luis reclined on the violently rusted park bench, his hands digging deep into his pockets, threatening to rip open the well-pressed seams. He wore a puffy red jacket over the rented suit coat, his eyes gazing out dreamily from the recess of the thick scarlet fabric. Birds fluttered through the sky, gathering on the empty tree branches. The weeks since Adele's death had been rough, but he was carried through them an unwilling observer, accused of an unreachable apathy. The sweet summer air had passed, and as the cold of autumn forced the students into their thick woolen sweaters, Adele's funeral was announced.

He looked at the disintegrating bouquet of flowers on the ground before him, which he had spent his week's salary to purchase from the best florist in town. A dull sorrow welled in his chest, but died back down. Just something nice for her, that was all.

Her parents didn't let him into the funeral.


" It's hard enough as it is," her father had muttered to him, sternly, excusing himself from his conversation, " We're all trying to cope, without people like you here."

Her mother said nothing, but she regarded Luis with a tired sadness.

He looked from mother to father, wounded, but only managed to whisper an " I understand."

They took the bouquet of brilliant white summer lilies silently, shutting the church door behind them.


Bells rang out across the city, a cold wind blowing through the empty skies, pulling the straggling leaves past his field of vision. He had dug through a mountain of garbage to retrieve the discarded flowers, his hands shaking as he shoved away the white paper tablecloths. Just something nice for her.

He wanted to rip apart the bouquet, and cast the unrecognizable pieces into the street like confetti, but he felt himself instinctively picking up the bruised flowers. His hands gently freed them of the wrinkled wax paper and placed them beside him on the park bench, their wilting stems like the crooked arches of heaven's gates.

Once he had set out all of the broken flowers, Luis let out his breath, throwing himself back onto the bench. He could hear the twittering of pigeons across the open square, and the rush of traffic beyond the park fence.

A flutter of wings, and the sounds of pigeons grew near. Luis looked up, startled from his thoughts. A small group of birds gazed up at him innocently. He took an intake of breath, sitting upright.

He had no particular affinity for birds, but the endearing coos and sedate stares of the pigeons were somehow comforting. They shifted from foot to foot, calm in the city that threatened to swallow him whole.

They waited to be fed, their eyes tiny and black, round as marbles. Their stout simplicity drew him in, as with many probably victims before.

Did birds mourn for the dead, too?

Luis reached into his pocket, searching for a snack to toss the hungry birds. Nothing but lint. He reached in another, and another, and another, and found nothing. Dismayed, he looked around the park. Was there something he could give them?

His eyes fell upon a strange, purple haired man sitting on a park bench near-by, a gaggle of pigeons flocking around him. They pecked at seed scattered about his feet, oblivious to the Shanuh's bizarre apparel. Their sights crossed for a moment, out of chance, and Luis averted his eyes. He felt judged. At least the other had brought with him some food.

Picking up one of the broken flowers at his side, the young man offered it to one of the pigeons below him, cautious not to scare it away. Maybe the birds would accept the lilies, if humans would not. It was all Luis could do.

Luis' gaze fell on the bucket of feed at the man's side. His pale hand leisurely extended the offering to the high school student. Luis heard the words over the heckling pigeons. He searched Shanuh's eyes earnestly, but saw only his own, huddled frame reflected back at him. A small spark of amusement played on the man's lips.

He looked at Luis expectantly. And why not? Luis averted his gaze taking an inward breath, almost saying something. All at once he was overwhelmed by the other's presence, and a basic instinct told him to run. But if basic instinct told you to jump off a cliff, would you listen?

Luis had reached his end. He had nothing but a job and a bouquet of flowers, and just enough of an identity to feel insulted by thist. The bold make-up, eccentric dress and bright purple hair were enough to set most people off, but they were all human, right?

" Er… th-thank you very much," Luis sputtered nervously to the man, turning to look up again. The numbness in his head was slowly fading. Swallowing hard, Luis reached into the bucket with a steady hand, the grain of various nuts and berries pushing against his skin. He heaved himself up, and casting once last glance at the strange man, Luis scattered the feed across the ground, the seeds hitting the paved concretre like a thousand droplets of rain.

No friends, no future; there was no hope but to walk forward blindfolded, nailed to a destiny he had no part in choosing. The wind gusted past, and he shivered involuntarily, burrowing into his coat.

Luis looked up at the man, half obscured by the collar of his coat, nodding. He felt a little better, but he was sure that even birds could fend for themselves. At least, if not him, some one else would come along to throw seed or scraps to the flock.

He watched the pigeons cluster around the feed, prying apart berries and seeds, fighting over large chunks. Each pigeon would fight for their own share, some more greedy than others, but eventually every bird would get enough.

"If I wasn't here, some thing else would take my place." He said, eyes still on the flock. " Lives feed on one another." He turned toward the man, unsteady.

" But that's not a bad thing." How great it was to be alive? No, there was no great glory in life or death, Luis thought. Life was like a drawing in the sand. But when it washed away...

He shoved his hand into the bag of birdseed to stop himself from crying. The ocean was far away but he still heard the waves crashing along the beach.

They held hands, their sneakers making paralell sets of tracks across the wet sand. The setting sun shone through a curtain of red and purple clouds, making the water glisten and sparkle. The world was bathed in golden light and long shadows.

"Let's stay here forever."

"Maybe just a few hours." she laughed nervously at his remark, squeezing his hand tight. The scars were healing underneath her navy sweatshirt.

He didn't grab as much seed this time but threw it violently, gritting his teeth.

" It's too cold, the weather. I wish it were summer."

The pigeons scattered across the sky like stars between the empty arms of the trees. They winked in and out of Luis vision. Luis had thought of something to say, some sort of statement to explain his actions to the older man, but the words had left his lips. Instead he let out a yelp of surprise as the bird ran into his shoulder. The air was engulfed in tiny white feathers.

Luis swung himself around, searching for the bird that had hit him. A long feather blew past him in the breeze. He could see the cloudy skies, the complexes of city-dwellers looming in the distance, the cars and trucks speeding past the tarnished park gates. In the grass at the edge of park was an overturned trashcan, its contents spilling onto the wet ground like a bouquet of brightly painted garbage. The rain fell onto the city. He lowered his eyes, and met the gaze of an odd looking duck.

The duck called out again, as if asking for something. Ducks liked water. Luis knelt down beside the bird, offering his hands nervously. Droplets of rain swirllled down onto the pavement, rolling down rivets in the ground, towards the streets and sewage drains. The bird was not perturbed, but flapped its wings a few times more to fix its coat. The loose down stuck to Luis like dead leaves. Birds were not the type of creatures to be picked up, were they?

Still he held out his hands, scuffing the knees of the rented suitpants on the wet concrete. The bird waddled closer, inspecting the young man's soft fingers. But his hands were empty. It waited calmly.

Luis turned to the man behind him as if he had just rembered him. He moved to speak, nervously. " Excuse me, sir," Luis let the words form in his mouth cautiously, " But do you know what ducks eat?" He was sure the older man thought him in a sorry state already, but there was no point in trying to "redeem" himself, anyway. Failure was part of his character.

The duck nibbled at his fingers. Luis drew his hand back instinctively. " Ow..." he gasped, looking as red marks formed on his skin. The red coat shielded Luis from most of the rain and wind. Shanuh must have been much colder than he.

A long tailed duck? Luis watched Shanuh as he answered. Rain dripped down his face, collecting at the edge of his chin and then sliding down his neck. The grey clouds obscurred the sun as it progressed through the sky. His words rose in whisps of opaque vapour, intent obscured by the flapping of wings.

Luis wanted to offer him his coat but he couldn't even say thank you. There was something off about the way Shanuh held himself that kept Luis silent.

The pigeons gathered in a nearby tree. The other people had begun to disperse, disappearing into gaping subways and burning store windows. " L-long tailed duck." Luis repeated dumbly. "Crustaceans, mollusks. Insects, invertebrae, greenery." His voice was hollow, the words leaving a strange taste in his mouth. " French fries. Th..." His mouth stopped moving. The sound trailed off, his thought left unifinished. He watched the man, who regarded him with simple dissinterest. He felt as if he was suffocating. The water felt like stones on his back, cracking onto the pavement like gunshots.

"ow, owdle ow" The Bird cooed her song unhappily, feeling ignored. Luis turned back around to face her, eagerly diverting his focus from the conversation. She looked up at him to make sure she had his full attention. He dropped his gaze and lowered his hands back down instinctively. The rain ran down into the sewage drains, clogging them with the diseased footprints of society. In a few deft strides, the duck was pacing about on his hands, webbed feet pushing into his palms as she searched for the perfect place to seat herself on her less-than-perfect perch.

The wind picked up, carrying off fallen leaves and debris into the darkness as the bird let out another call. In his veins, a red blood flowed. In his veins, a red blood flowed. Making sure the duck sat safely on his hands, Luis stood up gingerly.

"Press the razor to the artery like this,"

His breath was caught in his throat for a reason he couldn't explain.The world spinned. A deep sadness made him sick to his stomache. The rain fell from the sky and splashed onto his face.

The feeling left him before he could think.

Water gathered. Luis felt warmth as the duck nestled herself into his breast. The world blurred. Tails lights in the distance flickered like the fog lights of off-shore fishing boats. He was enveloped by the nostalgic smell of the ocean.

And the steam was rising from the street like sweat. The ground shook as trains passed underneath. The feeling was gone.

The duck observed the creature who had aided her with curiosity. His coat enveloped her tenderly, but she could hear his breath waver. His hands were warm and shaking.

The man, one she knew before, returned to the city, and flanked by strangers he disappeared into the approaching night. A curtain of rain fell, bringing an end to the spectacle.

Water ran off of his jacket. Even the bright red plastic appeared dull in the pouring rain. All of a sudden he was aware of how very wet and cold he was. He could feel the world becoming distant, quiet, awaiting his arrival. The memories that he would never repress began to scar over. A numb sense of duty began to overtake him. The feeling came back into his legs.

" My name is Luis Haale." He said quietly, gazing out into the sea filled with air. He looked down at the bird in his arms. He felt alone, but not so alone anymore. " If you don't mind, we can go to my house."

The bird squawked, displeased. Her feet dug into his skin, and he raised his head. Drops of water reflected the bright neon signs of inviting store fronts.

" Oh, right. French fries." He chided himself. He took a step forward, his heart beating rapidly. He was embarassed. The world was raining, and a cold wind was picking up again. If he wasn't careful, he would catch a cold.

The bird chose to selfishly nuzzle into the young man's chest. He could see the ocean in the hidden skies, the waves crashing onto an open beach.

It is impossible to witness the lonely ocean, for you will always leave the trace of footprints in the sand. Selfishly, he chose to take her home with him.

The tide rose to cover the beach in a pale green foam, which glistened like diamonds in the fading sunlight. People were screaming, "I'll never leave you!" like it was the end of the world, but it was just something they said without meaning anything. Water fell into the ocean, drop by drop, drowning out the sound, slowly.