mistymassey | BLITEOTW 2009

The storm last night is bringing the dead to life. Not zombies, don't be silly. Dead animals! Fish are crawling up out of the ocean and snapping at people's feet. And the gulls...if I hadn't seen it myself, I would never have believed it.

I went out to help close the hurricane shutters, and there on the porch railing were a dozen gulls. One of them was bloody and torn, and the two next to it kept halfheartedly pecking at its ragged chest. It should have been dead, but it sat, staring with dull eyes. I waved at them to chase them off. One fell off the railing and started to drag itself toward me. The others scooted down the railing, their squawks less strident than usual. More of a groaning sound. The one on the floor lunged at me. I jumped back and ran for the screen door, just barely getting it closed before the bird tried again. It pecked at the screen, tearing a small hole. They could still get to me! I opened the glass door, closed the shutter over it and closed it again behind me. A moment later, I could hear tapping at the shutters. The gulls were still trying.

Dead gulls are just as determined as live ones. They just have a different food choice. How will we get out of the house?