Striding through the airport this morning, Destiny notes the typical presence of newspapers—Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today—held aloft by focused readers in pin-stripes and gray flannel, wing-tips and tasseled loafers. Destiny marches on, aware that the rustle of thin paper is growing louder–flapping, cawing, squawking. She realizes suddenly these are not newspapers but birds—crows, gulls, jays, pigeons—pressing against their keepers, readying to take flight, and now they do. The ceiling stretches higher and higher as the birds ascend, and—full stop!!
Destiny stands gaping, chin lifted, straining to watch. The building is open finally to a milky blue sky, the newspaper birds are escaping this limited terminal, joyfully shrieking, chirping, singing. Destiny is amazed. She stands silent, attentive for several minutes.
When she lowers her face, Destiny sees every waiting passenger seated, subdued, staring at the screens in their palms. The terminal hums, a checkerboard of TV monitors lines every surface, tilting and shifting to follow Destiny as she quickens her pace, seeking egress.
Photo by Karl Callwood on Unsplash