"Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny." -- unknown

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results - Albert Einstein

Eagle -- an original story
2000-12-05 - 01:03:10

The Eagle stares at me every day. Silently, It's eyes follow me where ever I go in the office. They never blink or dart off to someone else. Always me. Day after day, It stares at me. I think It hates me. Sometimes, out of the corner of my eye...I think I see It smile. I'm to distrubed to turn my head to get a better look. What if It is really smiling? What makes It smile? Does It know something that I don't know? Would my catching It smile make It mad? It's beak is huge. The chunks it could rip and tear out of me would truely massive. Well, I assume the beak could. I don't know for sure and I'd rather not find out.

Perhaps you're thinking I've lost my final marble. Perhaps your sitting there saying, 'but its just a picture you freak!' Well, this is what I know. Concerned that I had done something to anger this massive eagle head, I started to leave things below the frame at night after everyone else had left. Simple things I was sure an eagle would like. A glass of water or some candy. I thought about a dead mouse, but I didn't want to sit all day at my desk with a dead mouse in my pocket. That would be hard to explain if someone noticed a smell or it fell out or something. Anyway, each and every night the glass is not only empty, but its back in our little kitchenette or the candy is gone without a trace. It's the glass back in the kitchenette that both worries me and makes me happy. I take it as a clear sign that It likes what I leave It. However, it also disturbs me be because this means that It can travel rather freely about the office. It's not bound by the edges of the frame. I have no idea of the limits of It's travel and I'm in no hurry to find out.

Still, even with these 'gifts' It stares at me. I sit perpendicular to It and often am turned so my back is facing It. I can feel It's piercing, unblinking eyes burning holes into my back. No one else in the office seems to notice this malicious and constant stare. I've no idea why It stares at me. I can't think of a single eagle I've ever done anything to harm. I don't think that I've ever seen an eagle anywhere but the zoo. But stare at me It does.

There was talk a few weeks ago about replacing the pictures in the office, in effort to spice up the place a bit. At first I was elated, a 'yes' vote and I could be rid of the Eagle for life. As simple as that, 'yes' and then poof gone! Freedom! But as I laid in be the night before we were going to decide what new pictures to get a thought came to me.

How angry would my voting to get rid of the Eagle make the Eagle? I can't think of many things that would be more certain to piss It off than throwing It out to be replaced by some wildflowers or mountains. I began to be consumed with fear. A full blown anxiety attack. How angry would It be? I know It's not bound by the frame, but how far can It reach? How far would It go to get back at me? I kept seeing huge blow ups of the beak in my mind, gnashing open and close again and again. I was never more aware that skin and probably bone would be no problem for a beak like the one this bird has.

Red eyed and nervous the next day, I waited my turn to look at the book of pictures the lady from the decorating company brought. With sweaty palms, I flipped through a few pages and chewed on my lip. Nice, peaceful pictures of waterfalls, wildflowers, and cute cuddly kittens turned before me. With a sigh, I knew what I had to do. I asked to keep the picture of the Eagle. No one seemed much to care. Infact, since I liked it so much they decided to move it so it sits above my desk. What bastards.

Now it can stare right down onto the top of my head all day long. Even with the gifts, I'm petrified at the idea of looking up and meeting It's gaze. No one seems to notice that I never look at the Eagle.

And so, every day, I sit below the Eagle and wonder if today will be the day it decides to bend down and bite off my head. Every night I leave water and candy on my desk and hope its gone the next day. I lay in bed and wonder at night: what will I do if the water or candy is there the next day. What should I leave instead?

Perhaps I will leave a mouse one of these days. I know It would like that.