Three Black Circles

The size of the tall, wooden fence impresses you as you come closer to it. You’ve never been out this far from the small, red barn that has been your home for the past six months, since you were bought by the fat, hairy Man at the farmer’s market.  

Thank the Maker he left the doors unlocked, you think.

You turn your white neck around and look at the barn. You stare at the opening between two barn doors, where you had last seen him.

You had a friend who lived there with you. More than a friend, a lover. His name was Jim, but then that Man, with his corn-husk hat, that slop-covered red and black checkered shirt came into the barn and took him into The Room. You could hear Jim’s quacks, his cries for help, but no animals, including yourself, went to help him.

What could you do? He was a man, and you were only animals. Only a few of the animals were left in the barn. A horse, two goats, and you. The rest, well….

It wasn’t until the dog, a long-haired black-and-white border-collie named Bill, walked into the barn a few days later that you learned what happened to your lover. The dog told you how he saw the Man chop off Jim’s head before removing all of the duck’s blue-and-green feathers. The Man ate the duck, and the dog ate “the scraps.”

Jim, his pretty green and blue back, his majestic morning quack, was gone.

You cried and asked the dog to eat you, to kill you and send you to Jim.

The dog replied, “That’s not how I do things. The master says to leave you alone, so I leave you alone. He has special plans for you too, Kate.”

            It wasn’t too long before you figured out what those plans were. A week after Jim’s death, the Man came into the barn and felt under your breast with his dirty fingers. He licked his thick lips and said you were going to give birth to a few handsome eggs.

“A few handsome meals,” he called them.

 So you planned an escape.

You and Jim often talked of leaving the farm and the old barn, but you were too stubborn. You liked the comfort of the barn. By the time the Man decided to keep it locked, to keep the animals in, it was too late.  

Now, Jim was dead and ducklings were on the way. His ducklings. Your ducklings. You remember a place Jim told you about right before he was taken, the place his mom had come from. It was west of the farm, about a two-day flight.

“It isn’t safe here anymore. The Man has had his fill of cows and pigs and now it is our turn. We have to get out. Now. Fly to a place, a promised land where the ponds are still and the huMans generous. A place where they feed us instead of us feeding them. A place where the animals are as tall as huMans. There is even a castle Kate. You’ll love it. All we need to do it keep our eyes open for three black circles. That is where we land,” said Jim.

            You look away from the barn and stare up at the night sky. White stars wink at you and tempt you to fly.

            “Don’t even think about it Kate,” says a voice.

            The voice startles you and you let out a quack. Bill.

            The border-collie walks from behind and sits directly in front of you, cutting off your escape.

            “You aren’t going anywhere tonight. Now turn around and go back to the barn.”

            You don’t move. Instead, you stare directly into his eyes. This dog is not going to stop you.

            You say, “He won’t stop Bill. First the pigs, then the cows, now us ducks. How long do you think it will be before it’s your turn?”

            Bill says, “Uh uh, It doesn’t work that way. This is a farm, and you’re the farm animals. The livestock. You’re his meat. My meat.”

            You say, “Sure Bill. You’re so different, right? You just do what he tells you to do. If he says roll-over and play dead, will you do that too?”

Bill looks too stunned to respond. This is as good a time as any, you think.

            You flap your wings and Bill sits still. Then you launch yourself over Bill’s head. The dog jumps and snaps at your legs, but misses. You let out a loud quack but flap your wings hard. The dog leaps over the fence and chases you, but it’s too late. You are free.

            As you fly high, cutting through the crisp, night air, you faintly hear Bill’s bark and the Man open the door of his house, cursing.

            You flap your wings hard and head west. On your way to that promised land, you pass a group of sparrows. The birds give you a few pointers.

“Head a little more south.” “It’s where the grass runs from the road.” “If you get there at night, listen for loud ‘booms’ and bright lights. That’s where it is,” each says.

Another day passes. Then you see it. Three black circles and a large castle. This is the place; you are sure of it. As you look down you see all kinds of creatures. Humans of all shapes and sizes, giant chipmunks with blue hats, mice with red. button-up shirts. You see a pool of water and a stream. Several ducks float in the stream as a wooden ship filled with humans passes the birds.

Then you see the humans toss pieces of food to the ducks.

Yes, this is the place, you think, the place where Jim would want you to raise your ducklings.