Thunderbirds

Thunderbirds

On the northern tip of Vancouver there is an extended family of thunder-birds. They are descended from the flock of huge birds who whipped-up storms with their wings and flashed lightning from their eyes. Naked men beneath, looked up and saw snakes of white light flash across the firmament. These they knew to be the serpents carried in the talons of the thunder-birds.

While frail humans sheltered in forests, caves and flimsy tents the terrifying scourge above grew tired and longed to settle on the green plains and in the verdant woodland. They emerged from their feathers, as if they removed cloaks, and disguising themselves as humans the thunder-birds descended to earth to live amongst men. Ever since, their descendants have populated the North American continent. Most are unaware of their monstrous heritage and none exploits his long-forgotten power.
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"Just look at that! " Tracy exclaimed as they emerged from the woodland south of Seattle and saw the magnificent bulk of Mount Ranier. The sugar dusting of snow defined the craggy ridges and sheer slopes. Below the tree line, sparse conifers clung to the rock with unflinching determination. Highway One stretched ahead of them. No time to meander amongst the mountains, the coast called them. Occasionally the purr of the Ford Thunder-bird Roadster deepened to a throaty hum as Penny accelerated to overtake.

Around four o'clock, the Cascade Mountains gave way to the stunning flash of the Pacific Ocean. The young women marvelled at the drama of the dark green, conifer-clad hills meeting the glittering sea. Rocky islets swam for the safety of the mainland their imperceptible progress marked only by the frill of white spume on each western cliff.

At Bodega Bay the highway sank to the level of the beach. The wind blew sand onto the road, and with the roof of the roadster down, Penny and Tracy heard the crash of the waves on the beach.

With her eyes screened behind dark glasses and under the peak of her cap, Penny looked to Tracy like a chauffeur. Penny glanced at her passenger and smiled. She showed perfect white teeth between red lips.

"What you smiling at?" Tracy asked.

"Oh, just the pleasure. Where shall we stop tonight eh?"

"You've got the list. What's it say?"

As they pulled into the forecourt of a roadside motel, the manager ran out to meet them.

"We are delighted to welcome you to Pacific View, and hope you enjoy your stop here. Your room is one of our best, all booked and paid for on your behalf by the Ford Motor Company. I hope you don't mind posing for a few shots for the local cable station. People are interested in the story, if you don't mind."

"Well, you can't have much goin' on 'round here if you're so interested in us, eh," said Penny.

"It's a great thing you girls are doing. How does it feel?" a tall man, incongruous in a tailored suit, held a microphone in front of Tracy.

"It feels great, I suppose,"

"Yeah it's been a great trip, so far. We left Vancouver a little over twenty four hours ago and the weather's been terrific. And we've seen some beautiful scenery. But we're ready to get cleaned up and rested now. Thanks for your interest," Penny continued, leaning over from the driving seat and aiming her words at the mic.

"Would you girls ever have had the chance to drive such a classic car if you hadn't won the competition?" the reporter addressed Penny.

"No, I don't think so. We're ordinary people, I work in a bookstore and Tracy is studying to be a hairdresser, eh. We don't have the money to buy cars like this, but we sure as hell know how to enjoy driving one."

"Are you missing your family and friends?"

"Hell no! We've only been away from home a couple of days," Tracy blurted out.

"What Tracy means is, we know our family and friends are doing just fine, and they're happy we're having the time of our lives, enjoying this trip - courtesy of Ford - and seeing a great deal more of this beautiful land, than we'd ever normally get the chance to, eh."

After dinner, Tracy complained about the TV reporters. She had felt intimidated and foolish in front of cameras.

"You need to have more confidence, Tracy. We're just ordinary women, they know that. They're only expecting a few polite words. It's for the advertisers more than anything. You know, promoting the car. Don't worry about it, eh."

"It's just that I have never had anything good happen to me. I can't remember a time I felt as happy as I do now. No one has ever made a fuss of me before. It's not easy. I'm glad we get some time to relax in San Francisco. I don't think I can keep up the schedule without a break." Tracy sighed.

The motel room was on the ground floor, and like thousands of motel rooms everywhere in the world, it was clean, cool and characterless. After washing and climbing into the two queen-sized beds, the friends talked softly about the day. Tracy fell asleep first, so Penny switched off the lights.

It must have been about three in the morning when the women were woken by a cracking sound, like the branch of a tree being torn from the trunk. A few moments later, the door flew open. Two figures fell into the room.

Before either of the terrified women could scream the light flicked on and they could see that the men had guns. Tracy jumped onto Penny's bed and they clutched each other with fear. Wide eyed and dumb they gaped at the intruders.

"Close the door, will yer?" The taller of the two snapped at the other. The short, dark man stumble against the door. He was drunk and having trouble standing. The tall man's dirty blonde hair hung around his ears, like slime. He was also the worse for drink and tried to steady his swaying while treating the women to a green-toothed grimace. He seemed unaware of the gun in his hand, and used it to point casually at his victims.

"You the ones off the TV? We thought you might like some company."

"Yeah, would you like some company, you being strangers in town?"

Penny spoke up, her voice was high pitched and forced, but strong and clear, all the same. "We would love some company," she replied, pushing Tracy to her feet, as she rose from the bed. "Hey, why don't you let us get ready and we'll take you for a spin in the thunder-bird?"

"You don't need to get ready. You look just fine. Come on, take us for a ride." He waved the gun, beckoning them to get moving.

"Don't you think we'll attract less attention if we were fully dressed?" Penny asked, gently.

"Alright, you can put your jeans on I suppose," said the little one.


The motel reception was dark. Tracy whimpered and clung to her pal's arm as they walked ahead of the drunks.

"Be strong Tracy. We'll be fine. These two are idiots. We can out-wit them with our hands behind our backs," Penny whispered.

"Hey, no talking. Do as we say and say nothing," hissed Green-Teeth.

The night air was thick. The smaller man's shirt stuck to his back and his straggling dark fringe dripped salty beads into his eyes. He reached the car first and leaned against it.

"You got the keys?"

"We'll let her drive, Mal," said Green-Teeth, then he shoved Penny towards the car, "Now get in, and no heroics. Remember I have a gun."

As the car sped north, the men hollered and whooped into the wind - two drunks on a joy-ride. Penny increased the pressure on the gas, and the thunderbird growled. Trees became a dark continuous streak, below a velvet sky. Tracy pushed Mal's hand from her shaking knee.

"Aw, don't be unfriendly. We're all friends here. Look, I'll put my gun away," Mal flailed for a moment as he tucked his piece in his belt.

"Yeah. I'll put mine away too," said Green-Teeth. He was sitting in the passenger seat beside Penny.

"We could pull over and have ourselves a little fun. What d'yer say?" his teeth glistened with saliva. Penny glared at him before flinging her head back to laugh.

Green-Teeth's expression of anger melted to one of disbelief as he saw Penny's scalp peel apart and her hair be replaced by an arrow-shaped cap of black feathers, the point met with a savage beak where Penny's nose had been. In the back seat, Tracy too was undergoing a transformation, but Mal was waving his beer bottle out of the window and only when he noticed the changed atmosphere of the car, did he look round and discover Tracy was no longer a terrified woman.

Her red lips were now the crimson blades of a powerful beak, lined with sharp white teeth. A wild fire burned in jet-black eyes. But most threatening of all, were the talons. Sharp as scimitars, they sliced through butter-soft organs and gripped the men's puny spines.

The car slowed to a halt and two spectacular birds hatched from it. With wing-spans the length of two canoes the thunder-birds beat the sullen air. Each graceful downstroke lifted them up into the night sky. Their wingbeats generated winds powerful enough to churn the Pacific Ocean ten miles to the south-west.

From the talons dangled two limp, rag-like creatures, which glowed like thunderbolts. The monstrous birds dashed them to the ground and within seconds, all that was left of the drunken boys was a few cinders on the rocks below.

The next morning, the air was fresh, as it always is after a mighty thunderstorm.

"Well, San Francisco, here we come." said Penny, gleefully as they swept out of the motel.

"This is a trip of a lifetime, Penny. How did we get so lucky eh?" asked Tracy.

"It's nothing less than we deserve, eh,"

The women hollered into the wind as the Thunder-bird, Pacific Coast Roadster purred across the Golden Gate Bridge.

~~~The End~~~