Inspiration 2.0

[€uroMeinke]

The Alarm rang at 6:00 AM. Three hours of sleep. He thought, “She could wait till after my birthday but she couldn’t tell be before then. Am I really that boring, that unapproachable?” He lay in bed fully awake waiting for the snooze to go off. When it did, he called in sick to the office, turned off the alarm and went back to bed. That is until the tapping began. A quick rapping at the bedroom window followed by silence, and then it picked up again.

“Who is it?” He finally yelled tossing a pillow against the drapes. The tapping continued, until he threw open the drapes to see who could be so annoying so early in the morning. No one was there. But at the bottom corner of the window, a crow was tapping his beak against the glass.

“Good Lord! It’s bad enough I have dreams about these flying vermin, now they’re visiting me in real life!”

Squawking through the window, the crow replied,” Remember, I’m just another part of you, so you’re really just insulting yourself.”
“Hey, I’m awake now – you’re no longer a part of my dream.”
“You do have a point there – none-the-less, I ask you to think first about what you say before you say it. You never know who you might be insulting.”
“Crows don’t talk”
“Actually, certain members of our species are equipped to speak, so this isn’t really all that outlandish – but honestly you’re getting dull again, what say we go out and have some breakfast?”
“Breakfast? And where do you suggest we go? Denny’s?”
“If you’d like, I fancy the park myself, a little picnic might be nice, get you some fresh air – you look awful you know.”
“I wasn’t expecting company – my wife left me last month you know”
“Yeah, yeah, I was there – best thing that could have happened to you”
“Damn you’re a callous bird.”
“Look, bub – I don’t recall you shedding any tears. Remember I’ve been flying around in that brain of yours, so save your self pity for some other fool stranger. C’mon let’s go get your life in order”.

Within two hours they were both at the park. Rey had picked up a breakfast sandwich and a cup of coffee at the local mini-mart
“Hey, can I have a piece of your bacon?”
“You’re a crow, shouldn’t you be pulling out worms somewhere? – No wait a minute you’re a figment of my imagination, you shouldn’t need to eat a thing.”
“I could start picking at your flesh again…”
“All right here,” Rey pulled a piece of bacon out of his sandwich and handed it to the crow who greedily downed it in one labored but satisfied swallow.”
“Thanks man, sure beats the dream stuff” The crow continued, “So here’s the deal, your 37 years old.”
“38, I just turned 38”
“Yeah - right - whatever, you’re still on the good side of 40, no kids – so you don’t have that baggage, and your wife left you so you’re totally sympathetic – as long as we can spruce you up anyway, I mean we can clean you up all right – but we’re going to have to make you a bit more interesting. No more of this boring stuff.”
“I think it’s called stability.”
“yeah whatever – it’s totally dullsville and perfectly fine for Mrs. Hapshack in Peoria who’s balling the mailman while your at work. It’s time for you to become that mailman. Are you a man, or just a steady income?”
“Okay, I understand where you’re coming from, but don’t you think that maybe I like the stability myself, that maybe I want someone who’s just happy to see me when I come home, spend time with me, hang out together?”
“Jeez, get yourself a dog then – look, you haven’t much time, you’re les than two years from 40. Your hairs already thinning and that paunch isn’t getting any smaller. You must take advantage of this time to finally live the life you’ve always wanted – you’ll have plenty of opportunity to resume that boring life of yours when you get older.”

“If I’m going to find someone, I want someone who’s going to stay with me till old age. Someone who will love me for who I am, not what I look like.”
“Bub, listen to me – I’m not talking love here, I just want to get you laid right now.”
“well what the hell is that supposed to do for me?”
“Far more than wanking off to the internet, I assure you – you need some human contact other than your own”
“Then why did you have to come to me as a crow? Why couldn’t my subconscious manifest itself as some beautiful woman”
“Bub, that’s a question you’ll have to ask a qualified therapist – for those classes you took in college you got me, and you should be damn well grateful for that. You could have just as soon gone to work not wearing any pants. You’ve had enough of those dreams after all. What do you think Elizabeth would say to that?”
“Elizabeth?”
“Yeah Elizabeth, that gal in the front office? The hot Latin number? C’mon don’t be coy with me, you’ve wanted to do her since you laid eyes on her. She’s been loosing weight and dressing sharp for the past 3 months now. And - That gold band been missing From her finger too.”
“She’s divorced?”
“See your subconscious picks up on these things even if you still prefer to dense up there. But I’m glad we got your attention now, because now we can talk about how you’re gonna ask her out”
“Ask her out? I’m still married, for all I know this mess will all blow over in another month or so and June will come back to me. It hasn’t even been 4 weeks since she left.”
“Strike while the iron is hot, I say. Even if she does come back, you’ll at least have some indiscretion to match hers. Bub – stop being a putz will you?”

[€uroMeinke]

After further discussions with the crow, Rey decided he would actually try to talk to Elizabeth, the hot Latin number at work. After all, what could he loose? Or so he kept telling himself, all the while he was terrified that he would say something stupid or inappropriate. She would in turn file some sort of sexual harassment lawsuit. He was certain to not only loose his job, but would become unemployable. Rey, started wondering about what other country he might move to where no one knew him – what would June say then? Of course, this went on for days.

“Bub – What’s your problem – just talk to her!” The crow called through Rey’s sliding glass door. Rey, pulled down the blinds and the crow started to peck more violently against the glass, “You know, you’re only gonna see me as soon as you fall asleep.”

Rey put on a pot of coffee and turned up the volume on the stereo.
“You’re in denial Bub, you’re gonna have to face this sooner or later.”

The next morning, Rey found himself opposite Elizabeth in line to get coffee. She smiled at him and said, “Good Morning.”
Flustered and blushing, Rey responded, “Uh, Hi, uh how are you doing this morning?”
“Tired as usual, I just can’t get enough sleep these days, my cat’s been driving me crazy. It’s like he sleeps all day just so he can keep me up at night.”
“I know the feeling”
“Do you have a cat?”
“No, no cat – it’s just …I’ve had a lot on my mind”
“Ah, I’ve been there,” she smiled, “We’ll, I’ve got to get back to my desk, hope things get better for you.”

Rey remained dumbfounded as he admired Elizabeth’s form slowly disappearing down the hallway. “God she has great legs,” he thought.

“Idiot!”
The crow was quite livid when Rey came home that night, calling him every insult he had ever heard before and some he was sure were new.

“You had a perfect opportunity to ask her out, or at least to get a bite somewhere! No wonder your wife left you – could you get a clue?”

Rey ignored the crow as best he could but even as he slept, he dreamt the crow now giant-sized snatched him up off the street and dropped him down a steep sea cliff. As horrible as the dream was, he found himself wondering if when he awoke, the real-life crow would be larger too. The next morning there was no sign of the crow – his home was strangely silent.

[€uroMeinke]

Rey arrived at work the same time as Elizabeth.
“Hey, you wanna grab some coffee”
“Sure, let me just drop my stuff off”
“Cat let you sleep last night?”
“Almost, but he got me up early going crazy over this crow in my back yard. Honestly, it was like he was there just teasing him. Charlie’s a sweet cat, as docile as can be, but man he really wanted to get this bird.”
Rey blushed, “uh – Crow? – Hmmm, that is unusual. Uh, was the crow…um…making any noises?”
“He was just cawing relentlessly – I just gave up and thought I’d come in to work early”
“Wow that is odd.”
Rey, felt a chill, “What the Hell is that bird doing now.” He thought as they made their way to the cafeteria.
“So how did you sleep? Any crows bothering you this morning?”
Rey laughed nervously, “No, none of that – I actually slept quite well last night.”
“Not thinking so much?”
“You might say that, maybe I’m just moving into acceptance”
“Accepting what?”
Rey took a deep breath wondering how much of anything he should say, and resolved as he exhaled to be honest.”
“My wife left me last month. It took me completely by surprise, or so I thought. If I think about it all the signs were there – I guess I just didn’t want to see them.”
“I know what that’s like. I just got divorced myself. I didn’t want to believe that he would actually sleep around on me. But what really pissed me off is that he just seemed to think I should overlook it, like it was no big deal. Easy for him to say. After the divorce was final he kept calling me to see if we could get back together. Guess his other girlfriends didn’t like the idea of having him around all the time either. By then I was done.”
“So you’re not seeing him, or anyone?”
“No, not him, I’ve been on a few dates, friends of friends kind of things, but nothing serious. How about you?”
“No, nobody – still getting use to being on my own.”
“That’s probably a good thing – nobody can make you happy except yourself.”

They talked a little more before going back to their desks. Rey felt great. He actually talked to Elizabeth, and she really seemed to like him. He wondered why it took him so long just to talk to her. Now he had something to tell that crow.

He ran into Elizabeth again in the parking lot when he left that night. She was standing next to her car with a perplexed look on her face.
“What happened?” he called to her
“I don’t now,” she replied, exasperated by her situation, “I’ve got a flat, but it looks like someone slashed my tire or something”
Sure enough, the tire looked like it had been gouged. Pieces of rubber lay on the ground as if torn out bit by bit from the tire itself – or maybe pecked out by some annoying bird. Rey, began to panic.
“How awful,” he exclaimed, “Who would do such a thing”
“my ex might have a couple months ago, but this was probably some kids out for some kicks.”
Rey nodded in agreement while he caught sight of a crow perched on the top of one of the trees surrounding the parking lot. The crow winked at him, when we caught his glance. “Bastard’ he muttered under his breath.
“Cretins,” she answered having heard him.
“Well, can I offer you a ride?”
“Could you? That would be great, I just don’t have time to deal with this right now, I have to take Charlie to the vet before they close.”
“I’d be happy to take both of you to where ever you have to go.”
“Thanks, you’re a sweetheart”
Rey, both grinned and blushed and then quickly glance back to the tree only to see the branch was now empty.

[€uroMeinke]

Elizabeth lived close to work so they got to her place in no time. Elizabeth excused herself to change and grab the cat carrier. Her cat, Charlie jumped into Rey’s lap as soon as he took a seat and started to purr loudly.”
“he’s a friendly guy,” Rey called.
Charlie rolled onto his side, looked him in the eye and said, “The bird’s got to go”

Now by this time Rey was used to having the Crow talk to him, but Elizabeth’s cat was a different story. He practically jumped off his seat when Charlie spoke up.
“Not you too?”
“Sorry, but I don’t want to waste any time”
“What do you mean?”
“The bird – you need to get rid of it”
“But, I can’t – or I don’t think I can – see he’s part of me, my subconscious…Hey, you must be me too, another manifestation of my subconscious”
“Elizabeth just calls me Charlie”
“Do you talk to her, are you part of her subconscious?”
“No, I’m her cat. She takes good care of me, feeds me all the ocean fish I want and takes me regularly to the vet to make sure I’m healthy”
“Then why are you talking to me?”
“I don’t know, I could be your totem, your familiar, or maybe you’re just delusional. I really don’t have time to discuss metaphysics at the moment. Right now it’s about the Bird. You don’t need him any more. Elizabeth likes you, and he’s likely to just make you do something stupid. So, loose the bird, okay?”
“How?”
“Tell it to go away?”
Just then he spotted the crow in Elizabeth’s patio. He was strutting around on the outside table. Rey moved Charlie off his lap and opened the door to the backyard. In a hushed voice he demanded, “Just what the Hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Bub – you’d be no where without me. Who do you think arranged your meeting this morning? Who do think made sure you now here in her house? Without me, you’d be home emptying another bottle of bourbon.”
“That maybe so, but your done now, I don’t need your help, which frankly is now bordering on being creepy”
“Don’t blow it now bub – you drove her home – she owes you now and I’m not going to let you leave this place before she pays up.”

Before another word passed between them, Charlie sprang from behind the door and with a well placed blow with his paw, sent the crow stunned to the ground. Time stood still as Charlie bit into the crow and threw him backwards into the air, his one wing bent into an unnatural position. Charlie pounced again, this time biting into the crows neck, shaking him vigorously until the frantic flapping slowed and turned into the limp ragdoll flopping of death. Charlie dropped the crow at Rey’s feet. Black feathers still floated about the backyard.
“Charlie! No!, Elizabeth called as she stepped out into the backyard. By then Charlie was rubbing up against Rey’s leg once again purring loudly.
“You shouldn’t have”
“I’m sure the crow deserved it,” Rey responded in a resigned tone.
“Honestly he’s such a docile cat. I don’t know what got into him – but I guess he likes you. He left you a present.”

And so this one bird would never rise again. But something else emerged that day. Self confidence? A new romance? That would all have to be seen. But something new is always made from the destruction and passing of something old.

[wendybeth]

Yeah!!!

Great story! Charlie is a wise and wily boy, isn't he? I especially like the aspect of the crow being a manifestation of his subconscious, but scaled according to the limited quantity and quality of his pychology education. Cripes! I shudder to think what mine might be- a tapeworm?

[Motorboat Cruiser]

That was really something. Just when I thought the topic was pretty much exhausted, something completely fresh and entertaining. For all its underlying pain, I smiled quite a bit while reading it.

Go Charlie!

[tracilicious]

I can't mojo you yet, but that was awesome!

[Capt Jack]

Originally Posted by wendybeth

I shudder to think what mine might be- a tapeworm?

I think I can safely speak for the group in this instance and say in all honesty and with heartfelt conviction....


ew

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I dig the concept of a part of oneself that wakes up to bug us into traveling in the right direction....and that it needs to be put to death again when the services are no longer needed.

The mystery of what Charlie is and represents is interesting. It's also possible that without the crow, Rey will lapse into his old boring self again. Charlie could be a demon of some sort! I prefer the idea that the unsettled feeling you get when you need to get something squared away needs to be controlled, or it will make you a nervous wreck.

Wonderful, intriguing story, Mooncat

[Not Afraid]

I think Charlie is the subconscious of the Latin hottie.