The Face in the House

III

Fear let itself into her heart once again, and she became suddenly and intensely aware of the darkness around her. She listened with the ears of an endangered animal, but she couldn't make out the words coming from the room before her. She didn't dare move, in fear of drawing attention to herself, but in her state of heightened senses, the great walls of books around her seemed to move closer, to loom over her. When she craned her neck behind her, seeking an escape route, she saw a dark shadow of movement that frightened her right out of her paralysis. She jumped, and ran straight toward the strange voice.

The room she entered was a bedroom. The room was in the same state as the rest of the house, filled to the ceiling with belongings. Only the bed was clear, and a patch of space leading up to a domed birdcage.

"Dark! Dark! I'm afraid of the dark! Dark!" the voice, now clearer, squawked as Teddy entered the room, panting.

She caught her breath again as fear gripped her tighter, eyes bulging as she tried to find the source of the voice in the darkness. When she saw the birdcage, she sighed. Feeling silly, she walked up to the cage and peered inside. Within sat a fat white parrot, and she knew then that this was the source of all her fright.

"Hey you," she said in mock indignance, "You sure do have a lot to say, huh?"

The bird met her gaze and squawked, "Dark! I'm afraid of the dark! Dark!"

Teddy smiled sadly. "That's okay, I'm a little scared of the dark too."

"Dark! Dark!" replied the parrot. "I'm afraid of the dark! Divorce!"

"Divorce?" Teddy said, "What do you know about divorce?"

"Divorce! Divorce! Divorce!" the bird answered, louder than ever.

Teddy stood in awe as the bird continued its rant, her mood turning sour at each repetition.

"Divorce!"

Just then, Grandma Rose shuffled in.

"Henry you foul creature! You shut your mouth this instant!" Rose said sternly.

The bird went silent for a moment, seeming for an instant to have listened to this strict command. But a moment later the bird erupted again, "Get out of my head! Get out of my head! Get out of my head!"

"Oh, Henry," Rose said with her hands on her hips. She turned to address Teddy. "I'm sorry, love. I should have warned you about this one. He sure has a... mind of his own, I suppose."

"How does he know what to say?" Teddy asked, her curiosity working overtime.

Rose sighed, then bent down to be level with Teddy.

"Grandma's house isn't like other houses, dear. There are many strange tenants living in this old house. They're all unusual in their own ways, but they are harmless. There's nothing to be afraid of here."

Teddy nodded, working to understand her grandmother's words. She watched the old woman stand and leave, back to the kitchen to cook, she supposed. Alone with Henry, Teddy turned to face the strange bird again. She wanted to ask him how he knows what to say. She felt it was a stupid question, because she knew that these kinds of birds only mimicked what they'd heard before, and couldn't actually engage in a conversation. But Grandma Rose did say he was among her unusual creatures...

But just as she was about to ask him, the bird squawked, "How are you talking? How are you talking?"

Teddy gasped and took a step back from the birdcage. "You took those words right out of my mouth!" she yelled, feeling tricked, but amazed at the same time.