Those beady black eyes peered around the Thora Customs House. I felt it pierce my very soul, as if it were watching my every move. "It drifts with the currents around Xelha," Minister Lin had said. "They cause very little harm to the environment since we keep them well maintained, and even Oerstead has to agree they don't impede the shipping much."
The grin on its orange beak, reminiscent of a child's grin when they believe they have a solution to get what they want and evade punishment. What would it say if that beak could move as it drifted back behind the custom's house. The shipping lanes were busy as the heavy ships attempted to beat the onset of winter. Yet this one thing held my attention, its yellow quarters attempting to hide behind a building on the shore. Slowly, its head emerged from the other side, its eyes still looking at me. Among the hundreds of buildings along the Thora skyline, it was looking at me.
I took a sip of my tea. Maybe it was just paranoia. Drifting, slowly, the yellow mass inched towards a group of small dinghies. It almost appeared comical as the massive rubber duck chased the smaller boats back to the docks. It spun around in an eddy before moving beyond the docks and heading back out towards the center of the harbour.
"A waste of taxpayer dollars! Why build giant rubber ducks to just float around the waterways?" a headline read. At the time, Minister Lin said passive data was cheaper than active data, and besides having the larger ducks amused the children and drew interest in the Rubber Duck Derbies held around the nation for Environmental Fundraising. Slowly those eyes crept back towards me. I feel certain it is looking at me, and watching me. Waiting for me to move from my glass door before launching something nefarious. What was going on inside those little eyes and plastic head? What scheme could be hatching from something modeled after a hatchling itself?
How did it come to pass that this inanimate object had garnered my attention? I heard a quack, was it now mocking me or was I just hearing things? I almost felt as if its grin had gotten wider, but after blinking it seemed to go back as it was. Everyone was watching, or maybe it was just my own fears.
I felt the cup slip from my fingers. I should have been alarmed, but my response was slow. I felt my own self sinking to the ground and looked out towards the center of the harbour. There it still sailed, now glistening red in the dying rays of sunset. Taking on the blood of those killed by my actions. Taunting me with its orange bill. Vengeance. Oh if I could just lift a finger, I'd shoot it between the eyes. Those same eyes that stared at me and now paralyzed me with fear.
I heard a bang behind me and saw the police enter. They quickly handcuffed me, and made me stand up. They said something, but I was in a haze. As they prepared to lead me out of the room, I took one last look out to the harbour. My tormentor had turned its back to me, its gaze no longer upon me. I saw it one final time, meandering behind a large container ship. A fading gaggle echoed in the distance, no doubt on a job well done.
-- Miranda Soldana's recollection of her arrest during a Psychological Evaluation.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3uTEn3C2X
