chicks.

Abbie felt like doing something today she rarely ever does. She left the store closed up and decided to take a walk. The screams hadn't stopped. The laughter seemed only to get louder with each attempt at sleep. So she gave up and forced herself out of Abbott's Dream. Heavily clad in her fur coat, trench, and wellies, she lit a cigarette as she locked the door behind her. It was dim out, nothing too intense. She predicted a storm later and smiled at the thought of being lulled to sleep by the elements. She took a long, hard drag. She kept her gaze forward, she never wanted to attract any attention from the people who lived in her town so no chance at eye contact. She kept walking towards the sounds of screams and laughter. A few more drags. She turns a corner and there it is. The carnival in all of its disposable glory. A rusted ferris wheel, a stumbling clown handing out balloons, and kids. Lots of kids. More kids than she thought actually lived in her town. She found a dry tree and leaned against it. A long drag and then an overdue ashing of the cigarette. Normally in a situation like this she would feel overwhelmed, suffocated by the attention of a gaggle of kids. But now she felt comfort knwoing that there were greater freaks than she who could hold their attention better. She took a travel mug and took a sip, another mimosa. Extra champagne. Instead of reflecting on her own childhood she watched the young ones play and run. She couldn't remember when she'd been that small or when she'd been so innocent. So she convinced herself she never was and took another drag. She liked to watch people. She was interested in what they talked about, how they acted, and what they did when forced with a balloon by the strung out clown. As if God had planned to make her day anymore eventful than it had already been, Abbie began to notice a few chickens trickling in with the children at the carnival. At first it seemed like some chickens got lose from a pen or the food tent or somerthing so she thought nothing of it. But when the chickens began to out populate the children, she knew something was wrong. Wonderfully wrong. Chickens streamed into the parking lot of the carnival. Kids had fun at first but when the roosters came it was all terror. The roosters pecked and hissed and flung themselves onto the smallest children. Chicken feathers spread everywhere as the children ran, talons digging deeper into their shoulders and heads. The screams got louder and Abbie began to smile, a cigarette hanging out of her mouth. Kids were curled on the ground, their only cover was the small t-shirt fabric that could hardly stand up to all the uric acid flying around. She began to laugh, and took the cigarette out of her mouth. She watched mothers and fathers try and pry their children away from vicious roosters with no luck. Kids were screaming and crying and some were even bleeding. A lone hen made her way to Abbie, pecking at her shoes for food. Abbie kicked but it would not budge, so somewhat dizzily she bent down and picked the hen up and held it under her arm. Giggling, she began to walk away from the carnival. Chickens were flooding the streets and she could see the butcher screaming and yelling profanties at a pimply truck driver. She stopped and watched the chaos. She looked down and there was a small girl next to her. Abbie tried to avert her eyes but the little asian girl kept staring. Abbie continued to walk but stopped and turned around. The little asian girl was still there, staring. "Chickens!" Abbie laughed hysterically and walked shaking her head all the way to Abbott's Dream.