Page 102 of Trick Knot Treat

Harry ducks down over the bike, swearing and sweating. He turns and finds himself facing a row of magpies.

“BETTY, IT’S NOT WORKING! WHAT’S THE PLAN? OH, GOD, HELP! HELLLLP!”

“Just come back,” Betty shouts. No one dares to go save him, though.

But Harry is stuck, the fear is getting to him.

“Uh, nope. I will, uh, just head home. Sorry, Betty. Good luck, everyone, but the black and white tyrants have won.”

He takes off, pedaling away from us, the magpies continue to chase and drive him out of the territory.

“My turn!” I crack my knuckles and walk out, ignoring Khione’s cute protests. “Hey, Matty, you grumpy shit!”

The magpies sit on the electrical wires and sing loudly, but they don’t swoop me. The difference is night and day.

I hear a sound and freeze, looking over my shoulder. Landing on the electrical pole is a white and grey bird, much the same size as the magpie. Where magpies win in aggressive, seagulls win in sheer numbers.

My eye twitches.

The seagull caws loudly.

“Ah, crap.”

“Don’t show fear!” someone shouts unhelpfully.

“You don’t show fear!” I shout back. “Are you seeing this? It’s that movie, the one with the killer birds again. I’m gonna die!” I wail.

“Throw him the googly eyes!” Betty shouts.

“Get on your knees and crawl, they don’t like that.”

“Dance and sing, my dad said it gets rid of them.”

I turn on the crowd of watchers, aghast. “You’d all be dead if this were a life and death situation. What is wrong with you?”

Khione is on her knees on the road, her face red, no longer even able to make sounds. Zaire is doubled over. Felix is being held up by Sebastian, and Jace is staring at me with his arms folded over his chest, grinning at my suffering.

“Come fucking save me!” I howl.

They laugh, enjoying my suffering.

The seagulls make a move, but I reach into my pocket, they stop, watching intently. I pull out the small packet of biscuits I have been saving, holding it up like it’s a weapon.

I can feel the intensity of their gazes.

“Don’t do it!” Betty shouts. “Clint, you know better.”

“Not today! I’m not going to die today, Betty. No sirrah! I want to liiiiive!” I shout and rip open the packet.

I toss the biscuits in the air and leg it.

The birds scream, seagulls, magpies, a mutant combination of the two, descend in a typhoon of shrieks and whistles. I make it back to the group and go straight to Jace.

“Save me.”

He shakes his head, but he’s laughing so hard he’s crying.

“You are such a dork.”