{i miss paper letters}

The sun was at its zenith as they drove along Route 63.  The top was down, the music was loud, and they’d just finished smoking a huge joint of some crazy government shit; it seemed certain that this gift of an Indian Summer day would not be in vain.  The girls were laughing hysterically, though they couldn’t say at exactly what.  Kimberleigh had her eyes closed and small tears were squeezing out of the corners; Lani was driving, but it was proving a little too difficult, so they decided to pull off into “the plains” and get out of the car.  Lani put on her left directional and turned right onto the dirt road.
Oooops!

She glanced in the rearview mirror to make sure no one was behind them.  At that moment, a large quantity of Poland Spring wild berry seltzer shot out of Kimberleigh’s nose, which only caused Lani to laugh even harder, though she hadn’t thought it possible to do so.

We’ve got to get out of this car!

A cyclone of brown dust swirled up from the wheel-wells of the convertible as Lani ripped the e—brake and slid through a quarter turn into a perfectly parallel park-job.  It wasn’t until she had opened the door and walked around to the front of the car that she noticed the bird on its back.  It was almost invisible, camouflaged with the dirt all around and in the air.  It was a house sparrow, and a juvenile.  Kimberleigh identified it immediately; she had been birding since she was small, indoctrinated early by her grandfather.  The two girls stood next to each other, over the tiny form that lay before them, motionless; neither one of them was laughing now, and the bird’s soul had pretty much flown off with their high.  Lani apologized to her friend, feeling somehow that she had injured the girl more severely than the bird.  She pulled another joint from her bag and offered it up.  We’ll smudge the scene, she said, referring to the Native American ritual that involved an entirely different strain of flora.

Soon they were laughing again, and walking off into the pits.  Later, as the sun began to set, they emerged from the trees; the car was in sight, and the body of the small bird lay where they’d left it hours before.

Well, it was a pretty good day, Kimberleigh announced to no one in particular, in spite of the sparrow.