AtticWings

It had been three days since Guan Lee’s funeral, and Glenn Caghin hadn’t been able to bring himself to return until now. Upon entering, the big cedar door groaned and his over active imagination reminded him that the old man’s Casket had projected a very similar effect. Lee’s passing had been very peaceful; he wanted release from the pain, as well as to see his wife again - In that sense Glenn tried being happy for him, but as he slowly walked down the living room hallway, seeing trinkets and dusty books brought home the reality that his close friend truly had departed.
Now the familiar sites became blurry and Glenn walked through to the other end looking at little else but the glossy floor. Then with little more then a glance in the right direction, reached up to grab a small rope that was attached to a descendible stairway. At the top he took care to only open the door as far as needed, and stepped inside to swiftly shut it after himself.
Here the Attic doubled into a Avery, and the place was cooped with a small fleet of birds. They were all pigeons except for one white dove that was smaller then her relatives but stood out like a squawking flashlight in comparison. Glenn softly grabbed this one and placed her into his leather jacket and zipped it up. The dove was comfortable around the young man’s presence and so quietly clung onto his shirt, making small coos as he went about his business.
The Attic window was flung open and immediately nature uplifted the little room’s stale and messy atmosphere. A gust of wind made it easier to breathe and the sun light arced through like a throb of energy. The young man momentarily felt as stunned as the birds did, and he looked across the field of tall grass, left unmowed for ages; with it came the memories that he didn’t want to immediately think about, for they threatened his calm countenance. From behind him came a huge scuffle as suddenly the Pigeons had made a collective decision to leave at once; many making through the small space between him and the window, while a few others where forced against him with a thud; these climbed their way up his shoulder and launched themselves after the congestion had safely passed.
They quickly melted into the landscape and he bid them a silent farewell, and in his minds eye they raced out into the clouds on crystallized beams, and slipped between the fingernails of reality. With that thought he succeeded in distracting himself a little bit, as now he could almost feel at peace - though there was still one more thing he had to let go off. The Dove had crawled up his chest and over his coat to perch there. She hadn’t liked the hot cramped space before and now happily sifted through her feathers with a little blue beak that matched the colors of her spine and wings; the feathers gradually turned black as it reached her tail, while the chest was a cotton ball. Over her heart was a splotch of red coloration that gave the little birds species its name; they were called Bleeding Heart Doves, and the one he held in his hand now, was named after the old man’s deceased wife, Juan.
“Get out of here, Juan; time for you to go now..” he managed to find the breathe to say. But of course she didn’t move and he wasn‘t about to push her. Glenn Caghin looked across the floor, the wind picked up and blew bird droppings and pieces of popcorn all over the place.
Nearing the last of his days, Lee hadn’t been able to move much, but he still insisted on feeding his birds. They salvaged an old bag that had once been used for dog food, and filled it with popcorn and sealed it off, but gradually the bag had rotted, and in the young man’s three day absence the birds desperately managed to rip it open. Suddenly Juan the dove took flight and before Glenn had a chance to see, it was gone.
A feeling of nausea washed over him and he had a vision of the fields turning a tint of red. Like when walking through a bad dream he knew of violence, bloodshed, and cruelty - but wouldn’t know where it was coming from until he walked downstairs and into the kitchen. He checked the single message on the answering machine and learned that he had been drafted into what was now being considered World War Three. “Goodbye” Glenn whispered, to his departed friend, pet, and the brief life of pleasant contentment that he had been given only a brief time to become acquainted with. As the young man was soon to find out, when facing the absolute loss of something dear, saying ‘goodbye’ is all that one has the power to do.
The war had been so sudden and decisive that the United States was in a frenzy to bulk up their armies; China’s new leader was a mastermind and managed to amass a huge force away from the eyes of the world. Like over 80% of the able male population, Glenn Caghin knew that he would likely get drafted and now the beat of war had marched its way onto his doorstep, and there was nothing left to do but enter what was once his room, and gathered a small backpack of personal belongings.
In the morning he awoke to a knock at the front door. They seemed to have arrived earlier then expected and while still half asleep he fought against a panicked urge to hide. Glenn didn’t believe in participating in any kind of war, so running away wasn’t cowardly, but he knew that people who dodged the draft didn’t get away with it. He would be hunted down and executed, probably before he managed to get five miles away from the place.

The sun was barely beginning to rise in the horizon, and the dew of morning hung thick in the air. Ranmi stood shivering on the doorstep, she had just clumsily put her car keys back into her purse when the dead-bolt clicked over, and a moment later the front door swung open. She couldn’t quite bring herself to smile but quickly hid it by embracing the now very shocked looking Glenn.
“I can’t believe you’re here” He whispered.
“Mother told me the news last night; she had to stop me from coming right away; besides, you probably needed the rest.”
“No, no I didn’t sleep at all last night, but its okay. After losing Lee I don‘t care at all about what happens now.”
“Don’t say that - that’s so stupid!” she hissed. “If you leave thinking like that then you won’t be careful; but you have to come back. Remember, I loved him too; and with my brother already away at war you definitely have to come back also!”
“Come inside” he said after a moment, “it really is getting cold out here.”
“yeah it kind of is…” She straightened out her skirt and grinned over his back as they walked in and sat down at the counter’s bar stools. They talked for a long time, much later on he would think back to this moment and be surprised that he couldn’t remember much of what had actually been said. It was all very surreal, in a good way and bad. Everything would be different now; the passing of Lee, the military, as well as the barely disguised promise that Ranmi was making with every passing moment. Not necessarily what she said, but her body language - and even though he often looked up at the window, when he looked back he got the feeling that her eyes had never left his face for a moment.
Then Glenn looked up and saw them coming; the soldiers. They embraced again, and somehow the light reflected off her lips so well that he couldn’t imagine it looking any more inviting. But for some reason he held back. After that the soldiers took him away, and the remnants of his life was gone, it all flashed by very quickly, and days later would seem like a distant memory. Boot Camp often had that effect on people, he would later be told.