Short Story - The Exotic Bird Store

A woman and a man parked their car in a parking lot on Long Island.

The real purpose of their visit was to purchase some fine snack foods at a nationally known establishment chain; none other than Dunkin Donuts.

But before that planned endeavor their souls were both drawn to a huge, brilliant sign proclaiming a store's vast display of exotic birds.

The woman opened the door and held it for the man. As they entered, a series of high-pitched electric tones announced a new presence in the place. The welcome matched the cacophony of the store. Before the couple could see one bird, they had heard every one of them.

They passed slowly by the Americans at the counter, who merely glanced up from their magazines in what they deemed an appropriate greeting for potential customers. They looked annoyed. Perhaps the noise of the place was getting to them.

They started at the aisle farthest to the right, which is statistically the most popular side to start on. They saw birds one might see in any pet store: cockateels, all sorts of finches, parakeets. They passed by a few brightly adorned parrots, at which the woman exclaimed her disbelief that such brilliance wasn't made by ever-capable man, but by humble nature.

They came to a place in the store where most of the cages held large gray birds. Their sharp eyes stared into the man and the woman until they felt uncomfortable. How socially undeterred were these birds! It was as if every one of them had never been socialized properly. They challenged the humans with staring contests. Or perhaps they simply craved attention. After all, they were such a dull tinge, they certainly couldn't be the favorite amongst the rest of the exotic birds.

The staring began to get to the woman and the man. Flustered, they turned around in their place, trying to avoid those gray, accusing eyes. Finally someone broke the silence.

"Hello."

It was one of them. Attempting to reach the world outside its cage. Extending an invitation to conversation, without having a trainer beg it out of the bird. It went on.

"You see those people at the counter? Yes, the dirty ones reading the toilet. They're evil. This isn't an exotic bird palace you fools! It's a prison! Every bird in this place was a human once! Get out of here now. Us gray ones were once Americans like you..."

But by then the two had walked quickly away. They pretended to be interested in an orange parrot on the left hand side of the store, but they found it drove them insane to be watched... to be prodded by the stares reaching beyond the cage bars.

The noise of the store grew louder. It grew more urgent. They heard screeches of desperate pleas to escape, while others selflessly whistled warnings to the strangers.

The man and the woman rushed for the door. They were relieved to hear the door bell announce their exit... or as some might call it, their narrow escape.

Dunkin Donuts never tasted so good.