Colorado Springs, Colorado
Daniel, juggleing his cup of coffee, briefcase, jacket, and keys, slammed the door to the car. Setting everything down on the hood of the car, he re-arranged everything so that he only had his coffee in his right hand. Checking that he had his ID visable around his neck, he turned towards the guardstation.
He'd taken about 10 steps, when he stopped suddenly, and turned around. Jack stopped in suprise. He thought he'd be able to at least get a little closer before Daniel noticed him. But then he realized that it wasn't him that Daniel was looking at.
Whipping around, he searched for the imagined threat that made Daniel so jumpy this early in the morning. All he saw was Daniel's car.
"What are you looking at?" Jack asked, when Daniel said nothing.
"That bird." Daniel said, gesturing with his coffee mug towards the car.
"What bird?" Confused, Jack looked at Daniel, then looked back at the car. There was a large black bird perched on the hood of his car.
"Oh. That bird. What about it?"
Daniel looked startled for a minute, then shook his head. "I could have sworn that it's been following me. Which, I know, sounds nuts, but it just seems that way. Like it's waiting for me to do something. Wierd, hunh."
Jack looked at Danile, and smirked. "Danny, almost everything about you is wierd. But, Daniel, its just a bird fer cryin' out loud. What can it do? So, its following you. Maybe its hungry, and you look like a pushover to it. Not that you are."
Jack backpeddled quickly, not wanting to piss Daniel off this early in the morning. Maybe later in the day, but not this early. He'd only had 2 cups of coffee, and without his coffee, Daniel got nasty. Or visious might be a better adjective.
Daniel glared at him, but it was a destracted, half hearted glare. He was still thinking about the damned bird. "I swear, Jack. It was on my car, almost the same exact place it is now, when I came out of the house this morning. And when I stopped for some coffee for my lab at the store, it landed on the hood as soon as I turned the car off. And it was still there when I came out. And now its back. Do you realize how freaky this is? I mean, there are so many diffrent stories and legends about crows and ravens. And most of them involve death in one form or another. Which I'd rather not experience again, thanks. Been there, done that, don't want the t-shirt."
And Danile shivered, remembering the many times that he'd come close to, or actually died in the last 7 years.
Jack shuddered. He didn't even like thinking about the those times. When Daniel had died from the radiation poisoning he didn't think that he'd survive the year that followed. And he'd come close, several times, to just giving up. But he knew that if he did, things here on Earth would get bad. Real bad. Jack wasn't as egotistical as he made himself appear. He knew that he played an important role in keeping Earth safe, but he thought that he wasn't that important.
Jack nodded. "Yeah, but Danny, its just a bird."
Daniel glared at him. "You try having a big black bird stalking you, see how you like it."
Jack glanced back at the bird, then nodded again. "I see your point." He glanced at his watch. "Anyhow, we're almost late. If we want to be on time, we gotta get movin'. Lets go."
"Fine. But I still don't like it. And what kind of bird is that, anyhow?"
Jack shrugged, and said "Dunno. Looks kinda like a raven to me."
"Bit small for a raven, isn't it? Maybe its a crow. I'll look it up later, let's go."
As they turned and walked away, the crow let out a raucous caw, and flew away.
Daniel, juggleing his cup of coffee, briefcase, jacket, and keys, slammed the door to the car. Setting everything down on the hood of the car, he re-arranged everything so that he only had his coffee in his right hand. Checking that he had his ID visable around his neck, he turned towards the guardstation.
He'd taken about 10 steps, when he stopped suddenly, and turned around. Jack stopped in suprise. He thought he'd be able to at least get a little closer before Daniel noticed him. But then he realized that it wasn't him that Daniel was looking at.
Whipping around, he searched for the imagined threat that made Daniel so jumpy this early in the morning. All he saw was Daniel's car.
"What are you looking at?" Jack asked, when Daniel said nothing.
"That bird." Daniel said, gesturing with his coffee mug towards the car.
"What bird?" Confused, Jack looked at Daniel, then looked back at the car. There was a large black bird perched on the hood of his car.
"Oh. That bird. What about it?"
Daniel looked startled for a minute, then shook his head. "I could have sworn that it's been following me. Which, I know, sounds nuts, but it just seems that way. Like it's waiting for me to do something. Wierd, hunh."
Jack looked at Danile, and smirked. "Danny, almost everything about you is wierd. But, Daniel, its just a bird fer cryin' out loud. What can it do? So, its following you. Maybe its hungry, and you look like a pushover to it. Not that you are."
Jack backpeddled quickly, not wanting to piss Daniel off this early in the morning. Maybe later in the day, but not this early. He'd only had 2 cups of coffee, and without his coffee, Daniel got nasty. Or visious might be a better adjective.
Daniel glared at him, but it was a destracted, half hearted glare. He was still thinking about the damned bird. "I swear, Jack. It was on my car, almost the same exact place it is now, when I came out of the house this morning. And when I stopped for some coffee for my lab at the store, it landed on the hood as soon as I turned the car off. And it was still there when I came out. And now its back. Do you realize how freaky this is? I mean, there are so many diffrent stories and legends about crows and ravens. And most of them involve death in one form or another. Which I'd rather not experience again, thanks. Been there, done that, don't want the t-shirt."
And Danile shivered, remembering the many times that he'd come close to, or actually died in the last 7 years.
Jack shuddered. He didn't even like thinking about the those times. When Daniel had died from the radiation poisoning he didn't think that he'd survive the year that followed. And he'd come close, several times, to just giving up. But he knew that if he did, things here on Earth would get bad. Real bad. Jack wasn't as egotistical as he made himself appear. He knew that he played an important role in keeping Earth safe, but he thought that he wasn't that important.
Jack nodded. "Yeah, but Danny, its just a bird."
Daniel glared at him. "You try having a big black bird stalking you, see how you like it."
Jack glanced back at the bird, then nodded again. "I see your point." He glanced at his watch. "Anyhow, we're almost late. If we want to be on time, we gotta get movin'. Lets go."
"Fine. But I still don't like it. And what kind of bird is that, anyhow?"
Jack shrugged, and said "Dunno. Looks kinda like a raven to me."
"Bit small for a raven, isn't it? Maybe its a crow. I'll look it up later, let's go."
As they turned and walked away, the crow let out a raucous caw, and flew away.