The Bird

The pool glistened with promise. Gabi walked along the edge, scanning the scene. Today was a special day. Stan, the lifeguard she had her eye on, was back from vacation. She had spent the past two weeks planning a perfect scenario that was sure to turn his head.

Stan leaned back in his lifeguard chair and regally surveyed his aquatic fiefdom. He had been working out all summer and positively knew he’d be attracting attention. Eventually, Stan’s gaze settled on Gabi, the senior aerobics instructor, who was beginning to behave strangely.

Gabi was wear a pink bathing suit, standing on one leg in the shallow end of the kiddie pool. Whipping her head left to right, then back again, she gave out a high squawk. Stan realized something very important about Gabi:

She was a flamingo in a bikini. He'd never thought of her that way before though he had heard the phrase "Just a bird." tossed around by his friends and family. He had thought of her as something more, a companion, maybe a soulmate. Now he saw feathers tinged by brine shrimp.

He is dripping wet when he awakes from his dream, but released to find his girlfriend laying next to him. He lays his arm around her and wants to kiss her, but she suddenly starts coughing. He can’t believe his eyes when he sees the pink feathers coming out of her mouth.

These feathers form a small pink pile on the floor where a baby flamingo emerges. In complete awe, the couple are frozen. This flamingo knows all, see’s all, and and can speak. “I shall take you to where you desire to go.” And with that, the trio set off on the next journey.