The Hatchling: Day 3

There are others.

There was evening. There was morning. And in the morning there were others. In the morning, the universe changed again.

There was the usual taking up into the heavens. The Mamas held us. The Mamas stroked our heads. But when we returned to earth, the land had changed. 

It was a vast land. Too vast. Too much emptiness. One of my sisters began to cry out and cry out and cry out incessantly. I think she was saying, "Why? Oh, why? Oh why, Mama? Won't you hold me, Mama? Won't you give me what I need, Mama? I don't know what I need, Mama?" 

Far be it from me to question the Great Ones. Why have they brought us to this vast land where we feel so alone and apart?

And there are others. They are not mean. They just aren't interested. I don't know where they came from. They are bigger than me, though not much bigger. They know what they are doing. They know where the water is. They know where the food is. We learned quickly enough.

They look different from us. I did not know it before, but we are all black-feathered. They have different colors. There are some with a yellowish-white color. There are others who have coats of many colors, with an orangish-red hue. Some have interesting colorings on their heads. Others are gray. How much more is there to the world than I had dreamt of!

I wandered around the vast land. As time passed, it seemed less and less vast to me. Still, my sister cried out incessantly. "Why? Oh, why? Oh why, Mama? Won't you hold me, Mama? Won't you give me what I need, Mama? I don't know what I need, Mama?"

"Can't you help her, Mama?" I cried out too, finally. "She needs you, Mama?"

It was then that one of the Giants paused from the heavens and looked down at me, and I looked at him. Why he talked to me, I don't know. Why I heard and the others did not, I don't know.

"You think the universe has just begun," he said. "But it has been here a long time."

"Did you hear that?" I asked the chirper. But she just kept crying out, "Why? Oh, why? Oh why, Mama? Won't you hold me, Mama? Won't you give me what I need, Mama? I don't know what I need, Mama?"