The Devil's Own Waterfowl

This was too far
Too late in the year
If only I had a car
But that's not logic that's the fear
There are no roads
And not in the future sense
This is a throwback place
No roads no power no people
No one to see the terror on my face

Rocks try to trip me
Hidden by the dark
Starlight not helpful at all
Throwing little more light than a spark
The rustling and commotion behind me
Spurring me ever onward
Over around and across
This tiny little island with a view

My little boat had broken down
Just off the west shore
Hopping off and walking it in
Looking for help nothing more
Finding nothing but an abandoned keeper's house
Next to a tower foundation
I'd hunkered down for the night in the empty light station
Creeped out but mostly safe and sound

Sitting by a small fire
On the creaky boards of the warped porch
The sun sank down
Bringing on the night
Then out of the dark deathly still they'd come
Fluttering and quacking
Swinging and smacking
Laying about me both high and low

So I ran
And I hadn't stopped yet
Hoping that I could keep going
Hoping that I could outlast them
Though they showed no signs of slowing
I'd never seen anything like it
An infestation for the ages across the whole island
I was beginning to fear that I had no chance
To escape their sharp beaks and beady black eyes
Always only inches behind me reaching out pulling at my pants
I glanced behind to gauge the odds
And was met by the murderous stares of thousands of eyes

This island was infested with Demon Cormorants