As you sit under the oak tree, a soft breeze gently cools you down. You close your journal and open your striped tote bag, the one you bought last summer. This morning you packed a ham sandwich on white, fruit salad, and a cookie -- you barely eat ham, so you're very excited to dive in. You pull the lunch out and start on the fruit salad.
Out in the grass there are kids playing with a frisbee, a couple wrapped around each other on a bench, and birds bathing in puddles from last night's rain.
Everything felt alright for once.
You drink the juice from the bowl and unwrap your sandwich, taking in the beautiful delicatessen, the fresh lettuce and tomato. Taking in a bite, you close your eyes to savor the taste of veggie, meat, and grain. And you silently thank whoever invented sandwiches.
As you open your eyes to look at your sandwich, you see something white out of the corner of your eye. And it looks like it's.. walking? Towards you?
You turn to watch the bird and take in it's calm face and adorable waddle. You smile at Malcolm.
They've got food, Malcolm thought.
A lot of food...
Malcolm stops walking and stares at you. You frown.
That sandwich...
The bird takes off again, but this time it's walking faster.
No... sprinting.
No, running... definitely running.
I WANT THAT SANDWICH.
You feel you should get up and move, but you are too stunned at this adorable bird now running towards you. Maybe he just wants to hang out?
He runs faster.... and stops right in front of you.
"Hi." You attempt to make conversation.
Malcolm stares at you, then stares at your sandwich.
Great, how do I take it from them?
You proceed to rip a piece off for your small friend.
Really? Malcolm thought.
Do I look like a pigeon to you?
And without warning, the bird starts pecking at your hand. Hard, and rapidly.
You scream, drop the sandwich and run away from under the tree. Malcolm eats the rest of your sandwich and stares at you, with triumph in his eye.
Fool.
Oh look, I haven't checked Twitter in a while. I'll just borrow this... forever.
Then he grabs your phone, which you left by your bag, and runs away.
Nothing felt alright anymore.