Starlit Greetings from the Dove Who Wants Me Dead

Dawn was soon to be upon the world, but it seemed as if Damien Alderidge didn’t fall with dusk’s arrival. Quite early in the morning, the man stood within his bedroom, almost restless. His focus shifted from the window, the lowering moonlight casts a glimmer unto his icy blue eyes. 

There was nothing particularly special about this night, nor the day that was yet to follow, he simply was rather anxious. Damien lets out a yawn, reaching for his bedroom door, off to fetch a glass of water. Perhaps that will clear his mind.. Step. Step. Downstairs he travels, groggy as ever, paying no mind to the few potted plants that have somehow… shifted in position.

As Damien reaches the kitchen, he flicks the light on, glancing at the clock displayed on his digital refrigerator. It reads: 1:28 AM, then suddenly the display flickers, now showcasing a digital assistant of sorts. A robotic voice calls out.

“Good evening,” the voice pauses, “Damien!” 

“Ah..” Damien reaches for a glass, nodding at the virtual assistant’s greeting. 

The voice continues, “It is currently. . 1:28 AM! According to your schedule, you should be asleep!” It drones on, talking about the following day’s plans, listing countless meetings… goodness.. Damien scoffs, pouring cold water into a glass.

“I am aware…” He replies, his tone rather lackluster.

The assistant carries on, “After lunch with your father, there is a planned appointment with Dr. Harrison. Would you like to confirm your availability for this appointment?” Damien looked down at his glass, setting down the pitcher of cold water. He looked somewhat hesitant, running his free hand through his blonde hair. He sighs.

“Let her know I cannot attend…” Damien’s eyes dart away from the water, and to the fridge. “I have… other important matters to attend to.” 

The voice responds with a simple “Noted.” Damien sighs again, this time with a tone of relief. He didn’t actually have other matters to attend to, he’d rather not deal with yet another therapy appointment that his mother had scheduled. Damien loved his parents, but sometimes, to him, they could be a bit much.

 Taking a sip of his water, he looks through the tall windows on the opposing side of the kitchen. Damien’s house was rather fancy, and the amount of windows with gorgeous views would tell anyone what they’d need to know about the type of person living there. From out the windows, you could see the houses below the hill that Damien’s abode was built upon. Many plants and trees lined the area, a gorgeous town. The view always stays the same, the same crows and pigeons hug the powerlines, and the same stars glisten in the sky. Tonight was… odd? Within the trees sat.. doves. Doves were never common in this town, Damien hasn’t even seen a dove in.. years. Doves made Damien sad. Birds of that kind only seemed to remind him of distant memories from long long ago.

Perhaps he could brush it off as a coincidence. Maybe doves were migrating.. Damien had thought to himself, knowing absolutely nothing about bird migration patterns. He took more sips of his water, paying it no mind. After all, a random shift in the bird population would be silly to make a fuss of. His glass was half empty now, the condensation sliding down the glass. He had one last thing to say to his digital assistant though, before he returned to his room.

“Schedule a maid for tomorrow, if you will..” Damien says, setting down his glass in the kitchen sink. “I’ve let a few rooms become a mess..” He continues, looking around at the area around the kitchen. A few blankets astray, left on the floor and sofa. Here and there are a few piles of leftover takeout boxes, empty packages and bottles of water… and various drinks. For someone as rich as himself, Damien lived a rather cluttered life. Damien sighed to himself with a sense of disappointment. 

“How have I let myself go this badly…?” he frowned, staring mindlessly into the window. Damien tapped his fingers along the kitchen table, tracing the lines in the marble. Maybe, he thought to himself, things would have gone differently if… if she was still around…

It was an awful way to think, and Damien knew this of course. He shook his head, eager to get her off his mind. Taking in one last glimpse of the window across the kitchen, he noticed yet another dove flying down to the others perched upon a tree. This dove was particularly strange, as a pink ribbon was seemingly fastened around its neck. Damien squinted at the bird, then shrugged, turning to the direction of the stairs to the second floor. It was calm… and peaceful.

Before he could think any more, a loud thud erupted from an upstairs room, and running up the stairs he went.