Hazel's Boiler Room

1/8/11

1- No Option But Pain
I am a little bird who got on the wrong side of some vultures. They are waiting for me on the power line in front of the house; black-winged harbingers of Death. I die multiple times, but am forced to relive the experience until I get it right.

Finally I come up with a plan. I lead the vultures to the far end of the house, then escape out the other side without their knowledge. I fly as fast as my little wings can carry me, into the house next door. Now I am no longer a bird, but the spirit of a young girl. I float around until I find a strange looking tree house. I hear the vultures approaching, so I quickly enter the tree house, becoming myself again.

Within the tree house is a long, dark tunnel that smells of earth. On the right is a wire mesh that is keeping a bunch of deer-like creatures caged in a small room. They are all grazing and muttering things like, "Earl is returning!"

There are more rooms like this, with many different types of animals. I finally exit the tunnel and enter the main room, where a man and a woman are standing. The man introduces himself as Earl. He tells me he is just about to go search for his deer, who have escaped, but I tell him they are in their cage. "They must have known you were coming back," I say wryly.

I learn that this is a special haven of some sort, but before I can get the full explanation, we suddenly hear a loud roaring sound. Without warning, an airplane crashes through the ceiling and nearly slices me in half. I dodge as shrapnel comes flying from all directions. Another plane crashes, causing even more damage, and is quickly followed by another. This time, I am unable to dodge as the plane hits me full on and pins me to the ground.

When I awaken, my him feels as though it's broken. Someone comes up beside me and informs me that it is only dislocated. They kick it back into place and I pass out from the pain.

I wake up in a hospital a while later. Earl was damaged beyond repair, so the doctors brought him back withing the body of a cabbage patch doll. ((This is a common procedure in the future world that I am in, apparently.)) I notice two other cabbage patch dolls watching me, and I suspect them of being vultures.