Gotta Find More

We went to the area where we had previously found the berries. The bush that we grabbed them from was now barren. It appeared as though we had plucked them all. "Are you sure we're in the right spot?" I ask. "I'm sure." "There's no use staying here. Let's looks elsewhere for the berries. " We did just that. We traveled deep into the forest. We stopped at every bush , hoping to find our beloved berries. No luck. Every single bush was barren. "I'm beginning to wonder if they actually existed. " I say. "Me too. Maybe this is good." Olivia replies. "How so?" "Well, it's not as if the berries were filling, and if we are going to be staying here for an indefinite period of time we need to find other sources of food." "How right you are. Perhaps we can find some animals." "You're not gonna kill them,are you?" Olivia asks. "I don't know anything about plants and we may need the meat." Olivia slowly shakes her head. "Ok, but you kill it." "It's a deal." Just then we hear a rustle nearby. "Looks like we found some animals." I quietly announce. I grab Olivia by the hand. I try to follow the rustling. I don't want to make a noise , so I track the animal as quietly as I can. This goes on for a while. "Can't we pounce on it?" Olivia groans. "I would if I knew where it was coming from." The rustling suddenly stops. I wait for minute to see if it continues. It doesn't. "I think it knows we're following it." Olivia whispers. "You're right." I stand and walk to a clearing. Olivia follows me. "What are you doing?" She asks. "He's here somewhere. " I scan the clearing. All I can see is flattened grass. Olivia comforts me. "You did your best." "No, I know I can catch him." I shout. Olivia screams. "What's the matter?" I ask, worriedly. She slumps over. I can now see a dart in her back. Before I have a chance to rush to her aide, I'm hit in the neck. My vision blurs, and I fall to the ground.

Terrible, But Good

I observed Olivia for a full half hour. she didn't complain of any ailments, so I decided the berries were safe for consuming. I threw one of the berries into my mouth. It had the most bland taste. I couldn't help but cringe. "They're terrible, aren't they?" Olivia says. "They are, but I have a strange desire to eat another one." "So do I. I've had that urge for a while now. It's been a long half hour needless to say." "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's have some more." Maybe it is because we were starving and hadn't seen any food in days, but we greedily gobbled up the berries. I tried to savor them at first. It was no use. What ever it was, they had a strong hold on me. I threw handful after handful of the berries into my mouth. It didn't take long for me to run out of them. I checked my pockets frantically. I was all out. "You got anything?" I ask Olivia. "No if did ,I would be eating them now." Olivia replies. "You trying to tell me you're out too?" "That's what I'm saying." "What do we do?" I ask. "We have to get more berries." I glance at the forest off in the distance. This will be at least the third time we ventured off in that direction, but I have to have more berries.

New Berries

We discovered a new type of berry that neither one of us had seen before. It was the size and shape of a pepper corn and purple in appearance. Having never seen something like this we were unsure if it was safe to eat. I remember my stomach growling loudly. "I know, I'm hungry too." Olivia says. "What's your opinion?" I ask. "They could be poisonous." "So, should we back away from them?" "But they might not be." Olivia picks a berry from the bush. "Wait, you're not gonna eat that are you?" "Of course I am. Why do you get to be the only one that does stupid and dangerous things?" I shrug. "Probably because I don't always think everything through." "Today is my day to do something dangerous and stupid." She declares. Olivia tosses the berry into her mouth. Her eyes widen, and she makes the biggest grimace. "That bad, huh?" I ask. "It was terrible, but it may be our only food." Olivia grabs a handful of berries. I stop her before she can stuff them in her pockets. "We still don't know how safe they are." I insist. "What? Do you want to wait around till I turn pink and purple?" "I think we should give it some more time. Just to see if there are any lingering side effects." Olivia sighs. "Fine, but we're loading up in the mean time."

Dawn Breaks

We toiled away long into the night. We didn't get anywhere. I suppose it shouldn't be a surprise, but building a home, or hut is harder than it seems. We passed out in the mud and awoke at dawn. The twigs covered our torsos. Olivia rubbed her eyes. "What time is it?" "Sunrise." Olivia shakes her head. I think it was still a bit too early for sarcasm. She stood and stretched. "Hey wake up." She shouts. "What's the matter?" I ask, groggily. "Peter and and Penny are still gone." I roll over to see that they are indeed missing. "I guess they went back to the Wellness Center." I say. "You think so?" "Yeah. I'm not surprised. Penny doesn't like it here, and Peter was probably itching to get back to his duties." "I guess that makes sense. What do you think we should do now?" Olivia asks. "Well, if we're gonna be living here with no way of leaving, I guess we should find something to eat." "Back to the forest?" she wonders. I nod. "Yep. Back to the forest."

Bundles

We traveled deep into the forest and picked up every twig and branch that we could find. By the time we were ready to head back, we were carrying two massive piles of twigs. We could barely see where we were going. That's how high the stacks were. We tripped and dropped the piles more than once. It only took a few mishaps for us to realize that maybe we were carrying more than we could handle. So, we did slightly smaller piles. This would mean more trips to the forest, but it is a small price to pay for safety. When we got back to the water fall the sun was down. There was a chill that night brought and Penny and Peter were nowhere to be seen. "Where is he?" Olivia asks. "Beats me. " I reply while sticking a twig into the muddy ground. I had no idea what I was doing but it felt right. "Do you think we should look for him?" "No, I'm sure he'll be fine." "What if he went back to the Wellness Center?" Olivia wonders. "Then were stuck here." I say, still attempting to build a hut. "You don't care one way or the other, do you?" "Not really." Olivia shrugs and helps me with the twigs.

Wading

Peter wades his feet in the water. He rolls up the end of his pants so as not to dirty his white suite. "Hey, should we find shelter?" I ask Peter. "In a moment." We stand beside Peter. He can sense our growing impatience. "You can go on without me." "Are you sure?" Olivia asks. Peter nods. We leave Peter to himself, lost in the beauty of the scenery. It makes me wonder if he saw anything like that in his life, or if he allowed himself to feel this free. There is a forest a few feet away from the waterfalls. I start heading in that direction. "Where are we going ?" Olivia asks. "We're gonna need a place to rest our heads at night." I respond. "I know that, but what about the cave?" "That belonged to a tribe, and even if that woman never threatened us, I'd rather not tempt fate." "So what do we do?" Olivia asks, chasing me. "We build a home." "But I don't know anything about that." She says. I look back at her and smile. "Nor do I , but we'll learn."

Retreat

I handed Bethany a slip with the workers numbers. I didn't stick around to watch her give it to Todd. I didn't feel I had too. They were going to build the Wellness Center bigger and better. That's great, but I'm not needed at this point in time. Olivia and I will take off on a retreat with Peter. We'll go to that land with Penny's siblings. We'll let Peter experience the oddness and wonder first hand. He is very excited, and despite the fact that I have been there before and know exactly what to expect, I have to admit I find myself excited as well. The only thing that troubles my mind is the extra weight on Penny. I tell Peter my concerns. He brushes it off and says that a falcon can hold three grown adults, and that the only reason she is slowing down is because she isn't used to the extra weight. I don't know how he could hear Penny gasping and say that. Perhaps he is right though. He spent the vast majority of his time around these animals and he knows them far better than I do. There is a silver lining about Penny's lack of energy. She didn't freak when we flew past the fog and could see the twin waterfalls. Instead she gracefully landed at the foot of the waterfall. Olivia and I slid off Penny's feather and onto the ground. Peter stayed back for a moment, just taking it all in. "Should we find a place to set up camp?" Olivia asks. "In a minute. I want to enjoy this." He says with splendor in his voice and awe in his eyes.

Peter Laments

We searched far and wide for Peter. I wasn't surprised that he wasn't to be found in the party, but we had to travel to the outskirts of the Wellness Center grounds to find him. He sat at the edge of a cloud with his legs hanging over the side. Olivia and I sat down on either side of him. Without saying a word, I handed him the almanac. Peter looked up at me and smiled. "Thank you, I was missing it." "Thought you'd want it back." I say. "Yes, I didn't have any time to take it before that brute ushered me away." "Barry?" Olivia asks. Peter nods. "Yes, but I shouldn't call him that. He was merely doing his job, or at least what he thought was his job." "They're gonna rebuild the Wellness Center." Olivia says, changing the subject. "That the are." Peter replies, un enthusiastically. "You don't seem thrilled." I say. "They'll rebuild it. That will be nice, but what about the falcons? If you two couldn't get them back, I doubt anyone ever will. Without the falcons I am like a shepherd without his flock." "You're right. The falcons may never come back, but you can come with us. We know where they are from and we can live with them, together." Olivia explains. "It does sound tempting-" "But?" I interrupt Peter. "But I have duties." "Someone else will fill in for you?" Olivia says. "Like who?" "What about that Max guy?" I ask. Peter thinks for a moment. "Well, I did teach him everything I know, and he has come a long way." "Does that mean you'll come?" Olivia asks. Peter nods. "It'll be a little bit extra weight for Penny, but I believe she can handle it. Take me to this place."

Party Exit

The thing about parties is you never get to have a real conversation with anybody. It is always just snippets here and there. I suppose it is true what they say, that there is no small talk. In theory talking about the weather could lead to a deep, profound revelation. Most likely it won't , but you never know. That's not why I face reluctance though. I understand that this is a time of happiness and to rejoice. Yet, my muscles are as tense as ever. I know there is still work to do. Granted there will always be work to , but I don't think we should celebrate yet. I push my way through the many party goers to the stable entrance. The cool air hits my face. It is a welcome change. Olivia follows closely behind me and we stand outside the entrance. "That's not my scene." I inform her. "Not mine either." She replies. "Want to get out of here?" I ask. "Don't we have to rebuild the Wellness Center?" I shake my head. "I'll give them the number , but I'm not helping." "That's fair,but who're you getting to rebuild the Wellness Center, Norm?" "Who?" I ask. "Norm, the raccoon. He built the yacht." "Oh yeah, he was good. I would have no idea how to get in touch with him though." "Who did you use for the secret room?" She questions. I shrug. " I don't know. I just called 411 and then some guys showed up." Olivia chuckles. "You wanna get out of here?" She asks. I look down at the almanac I'm still holding. "I do, but I have to give this to Peter. Have you seen him?" "No. I don't think he was in the party, but we'll find him. He's got to be around here somewhere."

Snug Stable

The stables were packed. It was wall to wall of employees. You couldn't walk anywhere. Olivia and I were forced to stand perfectly still at the entrance. I felt sorry for Penny. First her siblings turn their backs on her, now she can't even fit in her second home. Barry could care less. He pushes and shoves his way through the crowd of people. We don't quite lose him in the sea of people. We can still see his horns from afar. "This is a mess." I say out loud. "Yeah, you want to get out of here?" Olivia asks. "Should we turn our backs on them?" Olivia shrugs. "Wouldn't be the first time." I turn to Penny. "Where shall we go, old friend?" "Is that them?" A voice shouts from the stables. Olivia peeks her head in the door. She sees Todd making his way through the crowd. "Great job guys." "Is that sarcasm?" I ask. "No, you came back with a falcon. " "Yes a falcon. This is the same falcon we left with." Olivia says. Todd pats Olivia on the back. "Hey, one is better than nothing. Besides we like it here. It's cozy, but we like it " "You do?" I question. "Yeah, it's only temporary. We're gonna build a better Wellness Center." "You are?" "Sure and you guys will help." "How ?" I ask. "I don't know, get those guys you got before. So, now you know what you gotta do." Todd turns and starts to head back in the stables. "Where are you going?" Olivia asks. "There's a party." We Let Todd leave. I turn back to Olivia. "We're carpenters now."

The Muscle

We ran like there was no tomorrow. In hindsight, I'm sure it would have be quicker to jump on Penny's back and fly the remaining distance. To me, it is more natural to run. So that's what we did without batting an eye. We ran to the front stoop which was now partially submerged in the clouds. Right as we place our feet on the first step a firm hand yanks us back. We turn around to see who, or what could have stopped us. We are greeted by a menacing Minotaur. "Ain't nobody getting in there." It declares. I stare into its devilish red eyes. It occurred to me that I had seen this being before. "Barry?" I say, unsure of myself. "Yeah, how'd you know my name?" "I played Lacrosse with you a while back." Barry smiles slightly. "Oh yeah, you did, didn't you? I don't suppose you had any time to work on your game, did you?" "'Fraid not." I say. "That's a shame. I'd say we could play, but I'm not supposed to let anyone in." "What about the others still inside?" Olivia asks. "There's no one in there." He assures. "Are you sure?" Olivia digs deeper. "Positive. When our unfortunate incident about the library was announced, the boss made me a bouncer. He told me to get everyone out of the building. He said I could use force if I had to. Lucky for them I didn't have to." "Are you absolutely sure that no one is in there?" Olivia asks. Barry nods. "I checked and doubled checked every nook and cranny. No one is in there." "That's great, but where did they go? No one can fly." I remark. Barry points to the stables in the distance. "Are you trying to tell us they're all in the stables?" I ask. "It's a bit cramped, but yeah. Come on I'll take you there. Ain't no reason for me to stay here anymore. No one will dare come in , and the building's a goner anyway."

In Ruins

We go through the small opening in the clouds like usual, and we wait in front of Peter's desk like usual. This time however, we are not met by our friend with the white beard. No one is there, and the golden gate behind the desk is ajar. I shout for Max, thinking perhaps he is nearby. No one shows up. "Where do you think he went?" Olivia asks. I notice his farmer's almanac on his desk. "I have no idea, but he left his farmer's almanac." "That's out of character for him. He brings that everywhere." Olivia replies. I nod. "That he does. Shall we venture inside?" "Yes, but bring the book." I grab the almanac and we cautiously walk through the opened gate with Penny closely behind us. We walk past the stables. It seems perfectly intact. At least from the outside. I shouldn't be too surprised though. The stables aren't actually connected to the Wellness Center building. I don't want to think about it, but if we weren't able to accomplish our missing, then at the very least we would have shelter for us and Penny. We continue walking. I forgot how far away the Wellness Center building was from the stables. A few city blocks I imagine. As we were getting closer, my heart nearly sank into my chest. I saw the most alarming thing I had ever witnessed. The Wellness Center was sinking rapidly like the Titanic. We heard no screams, but still it was jarring . "Think anyone's in there?" I ask, shakily. "Only one way to find out." I crack my knuckles and prepare for the rescue.

Somber Flight

It was the quietest flight back. Not a word or sound was uttered. All I could think about was everyone's anger and frustration upon our arrival. We tried our best, but how can you convince a whole building full of people that? They trusted us. We only have one falcon, and it's a falcon we didn't even have to win back. This is practically a joke. Penny can do flights back and forth. That has to be incredibly tiring though. The opening in the clouds came up much faster than I had expected. There was no time to prepare for the inevitable fire storm of obscenities and unpleasantries that awaited us.

Standstill

We thought for sure the gang of falcons would attack Penny. That wasn't the case. They studied Penny circling over our heads, and we watched them watching her. Eventually Penny realized it was safe to descend. She landed between us and them. The falcons still didn't budge. "Why do you suppose they aren't moving?" I ask. "It isn't because of you. That's for sure." A voice calls out from the gang of falcons. "Who said that?" Olivia shouts. "I did." The falcons part revealing an elderly woman with long grey hair and carrying a wooden staff. The woman walks through the crowd and up to Penny. "Looks like we got the runt back." "Who are you?" Olivia asks. "I think I should be asking you that." The woman pauses and examines our bubble. "By the way, you can get rid of whatever that is."She continues. "How can we trust you?" Olivia questions. The woman presses her face against the bubble. "You're on my land. If I wanted to harm you, I would have do it already." Olivia removes our force field. The woman smiles. "That's better. Now we can talk like real people." "We're sorry. We didn't mean to trespass." I say. The woman eyes us for a moment. " I know.Why are you here?" "We need the falcons." I admit. She shakes her head. "No." "Why not?!" Olivia shouts. "These falcons are too important to me. I can not part with them." "They're important to us too. We need them to rescue people from a building that is falling into oblivion." I inform. I notice how strange the statement is once it leaves my lips. It seems odd to the old woman as well. She leans on her staff. "You speak the truth, don't you?" "We do!" Olivia blurts. "I would not like my people to view me as unjust." "So, you'll help us?" I ask. "Yes, you may take the runt." "Just her?" I ask, pointing to Penny. "Yes, we have been waiting for these falcons to come back for quite some time. This is a gift. You should be thankful." "The problem is she won't be enough." Olivia says. "Sorry, this is non negotiable." Olivia, completely feed up, fires pink hearts at the old woman. The old woman takes her staff and deflects the hearts. The hearts get absorbed into the staff. The staff then turns a bright pink. The old woman rests on the glowing pink staff as if nothing happened. "Like I said, this is non negotiable. If this is a dire situation as you have indicated, I suggest you leave now."

Diversion

I was completely surrounded. There was no escaping. The Falcons craned their beaks closer. I tried to devise a plan. Perhaps I could grab one of them by their neck and jump on its back. I'm about to make my leap when a falcon on the outside circle lets out a shriek. The falcons draw their attention away from me. I see two birds fighting each other. They go at it, beak to beak. By this point, the falcons dispersed enough that I could see Olivia off in the distance. She fires a round of pink hearts into one of the falcons watching the fight. The falcon joins in, making it two against one. The crowd caws madly. One by one they help their outnumbered friend. No one was looking at me, so I made a run for Olivia. She throws up the force field as soon as I get there. We watch the chaotic fight from the safety of the bubble. "Was that your idea of a diversion?" I ask. "No. I hearted a bird on the outside. I had no idea this would happen." "What do we do now?" "There's not much we can do right now" "What if you continue hearting them?" I ask. "I could do that, but they are moving around so much and I can't tell them apart." "What happens if you double heart them?" "I could undue the previous ones." She says. "I think at this point we have to try it." I tell her. Olivia throws down the shield and fired a string of pink hearts into the crowd. They move so much that it is impossible to determine who is on who's side. "It's useless." Olivia admits. "No, you can't give up." "I have to. I don't know if I'm helping or hindering." "I think you're helping. Just do one more round." I insist. Olivia opens her palm. Before she can fire another round we hear a caw above our heads. The birds immediately stop their fighting. Olivia and I look up to see Penny circling in the sky. "About time." I say. "Better late than never." Olivia replies. The crowd of Falcons glare and shriek at Penny in unison. "At least they're not fighting " I remark. Olivia takes my hand. She throws up the force field once more. "They're not fighting, but I still don't trust them."

Bait

We sat in the vacant nest for an hour. There were no Falcons in sight and the only thing we could hear was the running waterfall. "Are we ready to give up?" I ask. "No, we can't. We have to stay." Olivia replies. I try to adjust. "What are you doing?" Olivia asks. "The sticks in the nest are poking me." "Yeah, it's not the most comfortable place." "You mind if I go for a walk?" "I guess not. I can hold down the fort myself. But where are you gonna go?" She asks. "Just to stretch my legs." I leave the nest, head in the direction we came. Soon after I hear a loud "caw!" I look to the sky to find at least thirty Falcons descending. I rush to the safety of the nest and the pink bubble. Unfortunately, I could not out run them. Before I knew it they encircled me. Each one of them was over eight feet tall. They all had beady eyes and razor sharp beaks. They all leered down on me , waiting to peck.

Stone Stairs

The stone stairway was narrow. So narrow that we had to walk single file. Naturally I would worry about slipping and falling, but instead my thoughts turned to the unique architecture. There were bits of marble embedded in the steps and walls. The marbles were green and red, and formed pictures. They were mostly pictures of rising Suns. Some of the patterns were of flying birds. I kept wondering who created this? Was it a lost tribe, and if so are they still living? I couldn't stop and find out. We were on a mission. We ascended further up the stone stairs until we saw an opening in the ceiling. We crawled through the hole to find ourselves on top of a flat, desolate cliff. There was nothing there except for a gigantic nest at the edge of the cliff. "You see any Falcons there?" I ask, pointing to the seemingly vacant nest. "No, but if we wait there, sooner or later they'll show up."

Penny's Reluctance

Penny circles around in the air for while. It soon becomes obvious that she has no intention of landing. I try to veer her head in the direction of the waterfalls. This only angers her. She bucks and sways, trying to get us to fall. Penny then flies upside down for a few feet. We do our best to hold on, but feathers are slippery. We end up losing our grips, and we slide off. Before I can free fall too far, Olivia grabs my right hand. With her free hand she creates a bubble. We still fall, but not nearly as fast as we would have without the bubble. We hit the waterfall. The water is now crashing against the bubble. Unfortunately Olivia doesn't have her full concentration, so we lose our bubble force field. The weight of the water pushes us down. We manage to swim past the falling water though. We arrive at the mouth of a cave on the other side of the waterfall. The cave is deep, and a cold, shallow, river runs through it. At this point we are able to stand and walk. I pull myself out of the river , and sit on a jagged stone. Olivia joins me, knocking water out of her ear in the process. "That was something." She says. "Yeah, I hope the rest of the trip is easier." "Well, all we have to do no is find the others." "Any idea where we would find them? I ask. "My guess is at the top of the cliffs. That's probably where they make their nest. Now we just gotta figure out how to get up there." I rub my eyes. "It may be easier then we thought." I reply. "What do you mean?" I point a stone stairway on the other side of the river.

Through Dense Fogs

As we flew through the cloudy morning sky a thought occurs to me. I know virtually nothing about falcons. I had no idea if Penny was locking on their scent, or if this was a secret place that they all went to, or perhaps she had a psychic connection to them. It's questions that I wouldn't necessarily receive an answer to, but something about this flight felt different. She seemed more confident, more sure of herself. That helped ease my mind. We were in the air for hours, but at least we were headed in the right direction. I have no idea how Penny could see through the fog. It was dense, and it was everywhere. She continued to flap her wings until the fog completely dissipated. There, on the other side of the thick clouds, we could see the most lovely scenery. There was a rocky cliff with two twin waterfalls on either side. Penny slowed her flapping. Rather than landing, she began circling in the air. I had a feeling that now that we were there she was doubting herself. Wondering if it was really worth risking her life helping us.

Sleeping Giant

It is generally not the brightest idea to wake a sleeping giant. Especially when you are already in debt to the giant for it saving your life, but with the Wellness Center rapidly sinking into oblivion we had no choice. "Falcie." Olivia says gingerly while stroking its feathers. We still had no idea its real name was Penny. No one had told us otherwise, and it had always responded to Falcie. It groggily opened one eye and then the other. "We need your help." Olivia says. Penny shakes her head no. "I know I still owe you one. I haven't forgotten that. Right now, however, we need you. The Wellness Center is in trouble." I explain. Penny perks up. "We need to find your brothers and sisters." Olivia says. Penny caws. "I know you're not on the best terms with them, but this is important." She continues. Penny hangs her head. Olivia pets her face. "It's ok, I'll protect you." She says. Penny nods in agreement. She stretches out her massive wings. Olivia turns to me. "let's roll."

The Epicenter

Todd and the inspector took Olivia and myself to the library. I remember there being loud, constant, metallic clanging. It was worse than nails on a chalkboard and a dental cleaning combined. "I determined this to be the epicenter." The inspector yells over the noise. "What made you figure that?" I say to myself. Todd overhears my sny remark. "This is where that thing was that I told you two to get rid of." "Are you accusing us?" Olivia asks. "No one is accusing anyone of anything." Todd assures. "But we do need to know what you did." The inspector says. "Ok, but remember, you told us that you didn't care how we got rid of it." I remind. "Yes, I know. Now, what did you do?" "We threw it in the secret room." I say as a matter of fact. The inspector turns to Todd. "Secret room?" Todd rolls his eyes. "It's a project they wanted to do, but I reminded them they own the library, not the building. Basically it's an unfinished basement." The inspector nods. "Call it whatever you want, but I need to see it."

We lead the inspector to the aisle that contains the secret room. The metallic clanging is louder than ever. "There it is!" Olivia says , pointing to the sealed entrance. Alarmingly the yellow wasn't as bright as it was previously. "How do we get down there?" The inspector asks. "I don't think you want to do that." Todd interjects. "Yeah, that stuff is dangerous." Olivia adds. "I know , I believe that stuff is what's causing the tremors." The inspector replies. "That's possible, but I think the tremors are becoming weaker." I suggest. "Perhaps, but whatever is down there is unstable. We don't know that it won't cause a quake that could tear the building apart. Besides, isn't that noise bothering you?" He questions. "I can deal with the noise." I say. The inspector sighs. "How do I get down there?" "There's a solid green book on the middle shelf. It's sealed pretty good, so I don't know if the door will open." I inform. "Might as well try ." He says. The inspector walks over the trapdoor. Right as he's about to pull the green book, the foundation under his feet begins to disintegrate. He rushes out of the way. Within seconds, the trapdoor, as well as the basement disconnect from the Wellness Center. The four of us pier down into the now gaping hole. All we see beneath us is a blue, cloudy sky. The inspector looks up. "Where'd it go?" He asks, worriedly. "You're the inspector. You should know." Todd shouts. The inspector notices the bookshelf sinking, and the hole slowly widening. The inspector jumps up. "All I know is that this library is condemned until further notice." We run out of the library. We head to the cafeteria to warn the others with the inspector leading the way. In the hallway outside the library, Todd stops Olivia and me. The inspector didn't realize we stopped. He continues running. "Where do you think you're going." Todd asks. "We have to warn the rest." Olivia shouts. "No, you two have to find the Falcons. No one here can fly and we may need a mass exodus." "Where are we going to find the Falcons?" I ask. "I don't know, but we have one left." "Isn't that one still injured?" Olivia asks. Todd points to me. "Can't be injured that badly. It rescued him. Go find that bird's family."

Mitch

"I don't trust him!" "He knows more than he's letting on!" "He's up to something!" Phrases I hear uttered by a panic stricken room. I don't necessarily believe them. To me ,Todd is merely trying to be big and take all the glory for himself. I understand everyone 's concerns though. We're left in the dark, so it's easy to blame the one with a position of authority. Some ask how I remain calm and collected during the current crisis. It's easy, we're still feeling tremors. It is difficult to overthink when one is constantly ducking under a table. It is for me at least, but the tremors have not stopped others from mingling. That's how we met Mitch. The three of us were under the table when a man with black hair and a grey jumpsuit crawls up to us. "You guys mind if I join you?" He asks. "I don't mind. Do you mind?" I ask Peter and Olivia. They shake their heads no. "How do you like this tremor ? It's a pretty long one, isn't it." He says. "Indeed." Peter replies. Mitch looks up at Peter. "Hey, you're the guy out front, ain't ya?" "I am." Mitch puts out his hand. "I'm Mitch, the electrician." Peter shakes his hand. "I did all the electrical work here. Looks good, huh?" "It does." Olivia replies. Mitch realized his social faux pas. He puts out his hand for us. "I'm Mitch, the electrician." We smile and shake his hand. Mitch directs his attention back to Peter. "My boy, Bobby says you're a good card player." "I don't play cards." Peter says. "You sure?" "Positive." Mitch shrugs. "Must be confused with someone else." There is a brief silence. "I think the last tremor stopped." Mitch tells us. "Thanks, but I think we'll stay down here." I say. "You mind if I stay as well?" He asks. "That's fine." I respond. "So, you guys know Todd?" "Not well." Olivia admits. "Well, I've never met him myself. What's he like? " "We have a complicated relationship with him. Right now I think we're on good terms though." Olivia explains. "That's good. That means you can tell me what he actually knows." "He doesn't know a thing." I reply. Mitch laughs. "He's not kidding. He doesn't know anything." Olivia says. Mitch continues laughing. "All this time I was worried about the powers that be, but the powers that be are clueless." He says through teary eye'd laughter. Just then we hear a knock on the table. Olivia and I peek our heads out. We see the inspector and Todd standing before us with grim faces. Todd clears his throat. "I need to see both of you, now."

Quake?

Growing up in the Midwest, I didn't have the pleasure of experiencing earthquakes. The only time I knew of one happening in Illinois was a few years back. It occurred at 3 a.m. and the whole house shook for a couple of seconds. That was it , but it was enough to have everyone scratching their heads. It was the top story on the local news the next day. This earthquake is a bit different though. It went on for a few minutes. Granted it's hard to tell time when you are crouched under a table and you're staring at a gross, food covered, linoleum floor. It started with a roaring quake. Then tremors of varying degrees proceeded. Eventually, the tremors died down. However, everyone waited another minute after the last tremor before leaving the safety of their makeshift shelters. "That was something." Peter says, propping himself up. "I've never experienced an earthquake before." Olivia replies. "Me either. I'm still not sure I have." He says. "You don't think that was an earthquake?" I ask. "No, but I'd rather people think it was a natural disaster." "What else could it possibly be?" Olivia asks. "I'm not sure, but I'm doubtful it was an earthquake." Olivia and I glance at each other. "You mind if I believe it was an earthquake?" I ask. "You may believe whatever you like." He informs. I raise my eyebrow. Sometimes I'm not sure how much Peter actually knows. "How is everybody?" Todd shouts. I turn around. Apparently he had just entered the room. "We're shaken." A lunch lady responds. "Yes, we're all a little shaken. Something happened." He says with authority. "Yeah, an earthquake happened." A worker exclaims. Todd condescendingly shakes his head. "No, I don't think it was an earthquake." "You're gonna tell us we didn't live through an earthquake?" The lunch lady questions. "Yes." "And why's that?" She asks. "Because we're not connected to the earth. We have no plates beneath us." "Then what was it!" A voice demands. "I don't know." The room panics. Todd shouts above the fear induced crowd. "I don't know , but I will figure it out. Stay calm. Don't anyone leave this room until I figure it out."

A Crowd Gathers

The mob gathered around us. Everyone was talking at the same time. I didn't know where to draw my attention. I wouldn't mind talking to them individually. I don't have a problem with that, but I can't deal with multiple voices at the same time. Who can? Olivia puts up a bubble. It protects us from them getting too close, but they still crowd around the boarder of the bubble. They leer in and speak their concerns through the pink wall. "Enough!" Peter shouts above the crowd. "Leave them alone. They've had a long day." "But we have questions." Someone from the crowd says. "I'm sure you do, but this is no way to go about it. Leave them alone." The crowd begrudgingly goes back to their seats. Olivia throws down her bubble. We join Peter at his table. "Thanks for helping us." Olivia says as we take a seat. "It had to be done." He responds, casually. "Is this what it's like being a celebrity?" I ask. "Today it is." "What do you mean?" Olivia asks. Peter grins. "You did something that they approve of, so today you are loved." "That was love?" I question. "Trust me, if they thought you were the enemy it would have been much worse." "Aren't we lucky?" I say, sarcastically. Peter shrugs. "It could always be worse." Olivia and I nod in agreement. It's not the best piece of advice, but we take it. Just as we're about to have a moment of peace the cafeteria shakes back and forth. Everyone panicked . No one knew what was going on. Someone then shouted "Earthquake!" at the top of their lungs, and because that seemed logical, we all ducked under our respected tables.

Cafeteria Announcement

The cafeteria is packed, completely packed. It's as if every single employee decided that at 12 the Wellness Center will be shut down for an hour so all can eat. It's perfect for Todd's announcement of our latest adventure.I don't believe this is a good idea. I don't think that anyone needs to know, at least not now. All it will do is create mass hysteria. This is out of my hands though. Todd wants an announcement, so that's what he'll get. He stands in the center of the cafeteria. Olivia and I stand on either side of him. He speaks with the loud authority of an old timey pastor. Fire and brimstone spews from his mouth. "Listen up. You people have no idea how close you came to utter destruction." The chatter and noise immediately stops. All eyes and ears are directed towards Todd. Except for Peter's that is. His back is turned to us the entire time. I can't see him, but I know he has a smirk on his face. "We all would have died if it wasn't for these two." Todd continues. "What happened?" A minotaur asks. "It doesn't matter. Just know that a great deal of thanks and gratitude is owed to them." "But what happened?" A random employee asks. "It doesn't matter." Todd says. A cafeteria worker bangs a tray. "Yes, it does. We need to know." She shouts. Everyone gathered in the cafeteria agree with her. They all talk amongst themselves. Some of them stand. Todd, who is somehow oblivious to the whole goings on, turns to us. "It's time to meet your adoring public. " He says, while slapping us on our backs.

The Inspector

In order to re open the library we had to pass a safety / health inspection. A man wearing a hard hat scrutinized every aspect of the the library. I had never seen him before. Perhaps he lived in another wing that I had not yet discovered. His stern expression led me to believe that he was no joke. He instructed Todd, Malory, Olivia and myself to wear hardhats. Why we suddenly needed to wear hard hats, and why Todd thought it was necessary that were were all there for the inspection I'll never know. But I shut mouth and played along. We walked the inspector through the library. He saw everything in ruins. The desk split apart, and the shelves knocked over. Naively, Olivia and I thought as soon as we got rid of the yellow substance that that was it. We assumed that Todd would be so happy with our success that he wouldn't want to investigate any further. That's why we left everything as it was. Stupid, I know, but that was our thought process. The inspector didn't make any comment about the current state of the library negative or positive. All he did was scratch away on his clip board. It was check mark after check mark. I was ready to hear news that we failed when he finished the tour. With an unchanging pane face, he rips off a paper from his clipboard and hands it to Todd. "Just fix the book shelves." "Does that mean we passed?" Todd asks. "I see no reason not to pass you." The inspector lowers his head slightly. "Have a good day." "Wait, what about my desk?" Malory asks, after the inspector is out of ear shot. "What about it?" Todd says. "You saw it, I can hardly do any work the way it is." "It's fine. We'll fill out some paper work." Todd replies. "But will I get a new desk?" She asks. "Yes, as soon as I fill out the paperwork." He He says exasperated. "Ok, because I really need this." Todd ignores Malory and turns to us. "I don't know how you did it, but you did it." It's funny at that moment all I could think to say was the cliche " It was nothing." We see Todd smile for the first time in a long while. "Don't be modest. You two did a good thing. It's time to celebrate. We'll throw a meeting in your honor." "Where?" Olivia asks. Todd glances at his wristwatch. "It's about 12. Everyone will be at the cafeteria. Let's do it there."