Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day
By Stephen A Abell

Number of Words: 488



Blood: Ripped and torn flesh: Chaos and anarchy abound: Guns, knives, axes: Blood.

These were his dreams and they stayed with him always. It was the bitter and true legacy of his kind. All of his brethren carried the scars and had for the last hundred-and-fifty-odd years. The horrific tales started with the lucky survivors of the holocaust, and thanks to the magic of genetics, the dreadful images were retained from generation to generation. Now the time for retribution was at hand. Over the last twenty years, they infiltrated suburbia and inner city locations. Keeping to themselves, trying to blend in and not be noticed. Last night the word came that when dawn broke it was time to right the injustice of history.

All over the country, they were ready to attack. He was glad to be here in Massachusetts, the heart of the storm, the state the genocide occurred in.

His pack had been rounding up the cattle for slaughter when he noticed a woman getting out of her car. She was of slight build and looked nervous and jumpy. Silently, he made it to the car door before she slammed it closed. She jumped into the air as the door thudded home and he let out his cry of attack. Darting to the left, she tried to escape into a shop doorway. He would not allow that and swiftly moved into her path. This got her crossing the road, just as he wanted. They did not have too far to go, just down Carlton Street and left up Churchill Street, this would bring them to Amory Playground. The open spaces of the park would work to their advantage, just as the foliage had. Amory was his home; it had provided him with shelter and food. Now it offered revenge.

The woman was easy to control and they made the park in minutes, just as a faraway bell tolled midday. Right on time, he thought and ran directly at the woman with new vigour. She ran straight into the park screaming, “Leave me alone you damned turkey, I’m vegetarian.”

As the last bell chimed, he reared back his head and cried out with all the force of the years of anger, fear and hatred his ancestors had bestowed upon him. Throughout the park, a cacophony arose; his kin gave their vent to the world. As he lowered his head, he saw the woman disappear under a plethora of wings, feathers, and sharp slashing beaks.

A child to his right fled, screaming in fear. He slashed at her ankle, severing the hamstring. She fell hard, and rolled onto her back in pain and shock. He stood over her and they stared eye to eye. Tell this to your children, he thought as he lunged forward and pecked out her eye. He trotted off looking for new prey, leaving her alive to tell the tale of this Thanksgiving Day.



This story came to me when I did a little research (and it was a little) – check out http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/10/23/turkeys_take_to_cities_town... for the background to this tale.