Through Weathered Eyes

10

They say that Cardinals are good luck.
Or that they resemble or are associated with angels.

Well, the very first time I saw a Cardinal, it was standing on my fence.
It stood there vibrant, a complete contrast to the dull world around it.
It was majestic and proud, one of a kind.

But then, something important happened.

The bird started to take flight with it's graceful wings.
Somehow, a beautiful crimson blur, moving in slow motion.
Maybe it was the rest of the world moving in slow motion, I couldn't tell.

I watched it soar across the street and all of life seemed to pause for a moment.

As fast as that moment came, it was taken away.

A cat came out of nowhere and jumped up to snatch the Cardinal right out of the sky.
Natural instinct blasted my body across the street in what seemed like a split second.

I grabbed the cat from on top of the bird and screamed at it with all of my might.
As fast as it came out of nowhere, it disappeared to the same place.

I watched as the Cardinal had what seemed like a panic attack.
It was battered and flustered and honestly, probably pissed off too.

After almost an hour, the bird made a full recovery and disappeared behind the leaves of a nearby tree.

I've never again seen a Cardinal in person since that day.

I could have never picked up on it, but maybe it was a sign.
Maybe demons always come out of nowhere, ready to fight.
Maybe angels are too high up and proud to look down.

Maybe I'm somewhere in the middle, unwanted by either side...

-D.O.

This is a true story.