Sorry this is a bit long. TLDR: I generally really like the scooter, and love the ability to just rent it, but some of the limitations make it not preferrable scooter for a 9+ mile commute with some bumpy sections.
Take this for what it's worth, just one data point out of many, but I thought it would be good to at least provide a positive data point given that we all have a negativity bias when it comes to reviews. I mean it's understandable that we want to avoid being even an outlier case that gets a bad experience.
Anyway, I just rented an Unagi Voyager (last Saturday) - refurbished. It came just 3 days later, and set it up with no issues. It was not banged up at all, seemed very lightly used.
Unfortunately the weather here has not been great, and I was still waiting on my protective gear, so didn't really get to test it much until I did the full commute to work yesterday. I was particularly worried about the range of comments I've seen online and because I have a 9+ mile commute. I can charge at work, but I still didn't want it to too close to being empty.
When I first programmed in my weight of 140 lbs it was saying that the range would only be at most 13.7 miles. After weighing myself with my gear and laptop bag, etc., my weight went up to 160 lbs, which brought the range down to 12.5. However, despite their being some decent hills along my commute, my recorded trip in the app said that I went 9.4 miles and used 41% of the battery, so seemingly a 20+ mile range? This was at the 3rd speed setting that maxes out at 15mph, and my average speed for the trip was 11.8, but that includes a minute or so getting everything set after starting to record the ride, plus, obviously various stops at lights. I probably maintained 15mph for at least 65% of the ride.
As far as the ride, I would say that is probably the biggest con for me. While about 7 of those 9 miles are on a bike path with minimal bumps, the other 2 are on streets, and, well, I'm too much of a coward to ride on streets where the cars are going 45mph+ (this is in Northern Virginia, by the way), so opted to go on the sidewalk, and well, that was not the most pleasant experience with the tires and lack of shock absorption. It wasn't undoable, but this is probably the one thing for me that would prevent me from opting for one of these scooters as a purchase.
I do really enjoy the app and how it lets you record your trips and get stats on them, even if the range estimate is not accurate, and I like the ability to electronically lock your scooter although I haven't taken it anywhere that I've had to leave it outside and unattended yet. Still kind of nervous doing that without also a physical lock, especially given how light the scooter is.
Speaking of which, the weight is great, even for someone who is relatively weak, lol. I'm a short guy in his 50s who's never been very strong despite periods of working out with weights. I just don't have the build or whatever. I can take the Unagi up the flight of stairs in our 2nd floor condo without that much trouble. I wouldn't say it's "easy," especially after a long ride, but it's not hard either. The scooter is compact enough when folded to throw it in a corner of our 1,200 sq ft condo without being a big eyesore or really taking up any significant space, and I was able to fold it and put it under my desk at work without issue.
The battery, despite the range, does charge quite quickly. I think the stated charging time is 80% in 2 hours, and while I didn't get to time that, I did find that the green light on the charger would usually come on within an hour or two, although I was charging from 60% or more.
Other than the bumpiness of the ride, my main complaints were around how things got a bit uncomfortable at certain points. One is that holding the throttle down the entire time (since there's no cruise control), means that your thumb can get a bit sore, especially if you are cruising for long periods at a constant speed. The second issue may be something that may be particular to me vs. anyone else, but I do have something called Morton's Neuroma in my left foot, which is something like a pinched nerve that can get painful in certain situations. I'm right-handed, so my natural stance on the scooter is with my right foot forward, and it seems that the back foot ends up taking a lot of the weight, at least for me, but maybe my stance isn't good as I'm still very new to scooting. Having the weight on that back foot caused discomfort over a long ride, so I would have to occasionally slot down and lift that foot a bit to remove some pressure. I even tried switching my foot position, but when I did this it was in a more challenging part of the path and I didn't feel very confident, so maybe next time I'll try this on the more straight/flat sections that aren't challenging and hopefully that will help.
I'm new to scooters, as I mentioned, although I did ride one of my sister's in NYC a few years ago - she has some low-end GoTrax scooters - which I found enjoyable. So I'm sure there are a lot of things that more seasoned people might experience as "missing" or "inferior" which I don't, and that's fine. But given the somewhat negative stuff I've read online (right after I jumped and rented one), I was fearing the worst, but really nothing bad or unexpected given the inherent limitations (like the tires and lack of suspension). No issues with overall scooter quality and I was pleasantly surprised by the speed and convenience of delivery. Obviously, the support isn't something I've needed (yet), and so I know some of had issues with that, and if I do run into a problem, that might be where my opinion starts to change if in fact the support is as poor as some of the folks here have suggested. But for right now, everything works and so I fortunately haven't run into potentially challenging support situations.
I rented this scooter mainly because the service was available. I didn't want to toss hundreds of dollars at a vehicle that I had no idea weather I would actually enjoy using it on a commute (I go into the office 2 days per week). I didn't want to deal with the expense, or the time trying to research scooters to find something that might work for me without having actual experience riding. I figured that renting something for a month or two would give me a good enough perspective on both pain points and wish list items, and just whether a scooter was a viable commuting option for me. Given my current experience, I would definitely recommend this to others in my situation, with the caveat that it's been less than a week since I got mine and I have yet to cancel my subscription. Until I clock another few weeks at least and/or send my scooter back, my review is really just a "first impression" and so should be taken with a big grain of salt. If I do have further impressions over the course of weeks or months, I'll try to comment on this review to link them. My plan is to use this as much as I can (when the weather allows it) to get more comfortable overall and see if I can solve some of the comfort issues myself, but eventually I'm planning on sending this back and buying something as a permanent option that has a better ride for some bumpy roads/sidewalks and perhaps cruise control as well. Not sure if that will come in a package that is as light and compact, has as much range, and can go as fast as the Voyager, at least for $1000 or less, but we'll see...

Hey gang! We're back at Commune at 415 Classon Avenue in the backyard serving Brooklyn's best brisket and ribs! We're doubling our brisket inventory but anticipate selling fast yet again so come early (7pm start). Looking forward to seeing you all and thank you so much for your continued support ❤️

Are you going off of temp or look for when you cut the edges off? I'm seeing recipes that say just go off look and others that use temps ranging from 160 to 190.

https://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/2024/05/16/maternal-health-bill-poised-for-breakthrough-in-legislature/
Warning that lives are at stake, the House co-chair of a commission focused on postpartum depression called on her colleagues Tuesday to advance legislation to stem the tide of worsening maternal health outcomes that are disproportionately impacting people of color.
Certified professional midwives (CPMs) would gain a pathway to become licensed in Massachusetts under a redrafted maternal health care package (H 4566) that was reported out favorably by the Committee on Public Health and the Health Care Financing Committee, which last week shipped it to the House Ways and Means Committee.
The bill would allow midwifery care to be covered by MassHealth, remove regulatory and staffing barriers to operate birth centers in Massachusetts, require postpartum depression screenings for new parents during visits to pediatrician offices, and expand access to lactation support, among other policies.
A similar bill (S 2734) cleared the Public Health Committee in April and was sent to the Senate Ways and Means Committee, and the bills could be poised to emerge in either branch if they are able to get through their respective Ways and Means panels.
“I truly believe that the more eyes we have on someone who has given birth, the better,” Rep. Brandy Fluker Oakley, House co-chair of the Ellen Story Commission on Postpartum Depression, said during a maternal health forum at the UMass Club hosted by the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans.
“Research has shown that when Black women in particular have a midwife as part of the birthing process, it improves their life outcomes, it improves the outcomes for the child that they give birth to,” said Fluker Oakley, who sponsored midwifery legislation folded into the maternal health omnibus bill.
The rate of severe maternal morbidity in Massachusetts nearly doubled from 2011 to 2020, with Black women experiencing the highest rate of complications. Sen. Julian Cyr, co-chair of the Public Health Committee, said the panel advanced the omnibus package “in response to the crisis we see in maternal morbidity and mortality.”
“A number of members in both the House and the Senate view taking action on maternal health as critical,” Cyr told the News Service. “As we come to the final months of the legislative session, the recipe for success in getting bills over the finish line is often having policies that are well vetted by the committee, demonstrated need for action, and a broad coalition of support, both among senators and representatives, and advocates outside of the State House. Maternal health legislation seems to have all three of those ingredients.”
A spokesman for House Ways and Committee Chair Aaron Michlewitz, asked whether the Boston Democrat supports the legislation and when it could potentially reach the floor for debate, said the panel is “still in the process of reviewing that bill.”
Rep. Marjorie Decker, co-chair of the Public Health Committee, said there’s a “lot of strong interest” in Speaker Ron Mariano’s office to advance the House bill.
“Ultimately, this is a really exciting opportunity to advance a number of maternal health bills that have been vetted for some time and with the support of the speaker, who’s really been a strong supporter for me over the last year and a half in developing this omnibus bill,” Decker told the News Service. “I think what’s before us is the opportunity to advance some really good legislative work that’s been uplifted by my colleagues.”
A spokesman for Senate Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues, asked about a potential timeline to tackle the Senate bill, referenced the chamber’s support for maternal health initiatives in the budget slated for debate next week.
“The bill was just reported out of the Joint Committee on Public Health late last month and is currently being reviewed by Senate Ways and Means staff,” Rodrigues spokesman Sean Fitzgerald said in a statement. “The Senate has historically made a strong commitment towards maternal health, and in the FY25 budget, we dedicate over $30 million in funding on an array of programs, including reproductive health access, WIC nutrition, and family and adolescent health.”
CPMs, who provide clinical care for low-risk pregnancies, are eligible to be licensed in 38 states – but not in Massachusetts, according to the Bay State Birth Coalition. Midwifery care is linked to fewer maternal deaths, infant deaths, unnecessary C-sections, and postpartum complications, among other benefits, the coalition said.
CPMs, should they gain licensure here, are eyed as a key workforce for birth centers, an alternative care setting beyond hospitals for low-risk pregnancies. Recent closures have left the state with only one open birth center, located in Northampton. Midwives, who are accredited by a national organization, are also trained to provide care for at-home births.
“I think it’s hugely significant that these bills have made it to Ways and Means. It’s definitely some recognition from the Legislature, I think, of really a critical juncture we’re facing,” said Claire Teylouni, director of governmental affairs at Reproductive Equity Now, as she invoked the worsening maternal health crisis and a growing volume of home births.
“The reason why this bill is so important is that licensing them (CPMs) allows us to formally integrate them into the entirety of our maternal health care infrastructure, allowing them to prescribe certain medications, allowing them to work first and foremost at freestanding birth centers,” Teylouni told the News Service. “We are really excited to see the Legislature showing interest in leading on this because there’s tremendous amounts of research showing these are policies that will tangibly improve birthing experiences and birthing outcomes.”
In May 2022, the Special Commission on Racial Inequities in Maternal Health endorsed legislation to expand access to midwifery care, among a raft of other recommendations such as growing the doula workforce, modernizing birth center regulations, and creating a “birthing justice” omnibus bill that invests in social determinants of health like housing, transportation and education.
As part of Gov. Maura Healey’s review of maternal health services, the Department of Public Health this fall said officials “will continue to explore ways to support CPMs and develop pathways to expand the settings in which they can be part of pregnancy and birthing care and coverage for that care in Massachusetts.” DPH said there were 48 CPMs in the commonwealth in 2022.
DPH also said officials would update birth center regulations, including concerns raised over physician supervision and staffing requirements.
Fluker Oakley said the special commission’s report is not intended to sit on a shelf.
“Literally, lives are at stake. Even here in Massachusetts, Black women are twice as likely to die in the childbirth process – that’s here,” Fluker Oakley said. “For us to have this report that has so many wonderful ideas, which I also think are low-hanging fruit to deal with this issue, and for us just to kind of say, ‘Oh, we’ll get to it when we get to it,’ it really feels like a slap in the face. It’s like, oh, so you don’t care if we live or die.”
At the forum, Fluker Oakley also promoted the “Moms Matter Act” that she filed with Sen. Liz Miranda, co-chair of the postpartum depression commission, to grow the perinatal mental health workforce and provide grants to community organizations. The bills (H 1984 / S 1261) were reported out favorably by the Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery Committee, and the Health Care Financing Committee has until July 3 to take action on the proposals.
Fluker Oakley, asked whether the Legislature has time to tackle the workforce bill in addition to the maternal health omnibus bill, told the News Service, “I have to remain hopeful and optimistic. Otherwise, what am I doing here?”
“So yes, I will say I think there’s time, and we’ll see what happens by the end of session,” Fluker Oakley said. “I’ve had several positive conversations with House leadership throughout the course of the legislative session.”
During the forum, perinatal mental health experts discussed the importance of boosting the use of postpartum depression screenings for new parents and connecting them with treatment.
Maternal mental health disorders are the most common complication seen during pregnancy and birth, affecting one in five women, said Lora Pellegrini, CEO of MAHP. Among Black mothers, 40% experience perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), though Pellegrini said “few” end up being screened for anxiety or depression.
Research shows that 13 to 19% of new birth parents experience postpartum depression (PPD), a number that’s likely too low, said Beth Buxton, lead of perinatal mental health initiatives at the DPH. She said that range would indicate between 8,897 to 13,134 birthing parents in Massachusetts were affected by PPD in 2021, making the condition more prevalent than the combined cases of preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.
Buxton said only about 16% of eligible pregnant and postpartum people are being screened for PPD, based on regulations that require health plans and providers to report their screening to DPH annually. While Black and Asian individuals have higher rates of experiencing symptoms “often or always,” Buxton said they are far less likely to be screened than white women.
“And when you compare screening rates, the Hispanic birthing population is far less likely to be screened – that’s a new data point,” Buxton said, as she referenced information from the Massachusetts Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System. “One of the things we’re really asking providers to think about in the community is promoting universal postpartum depression screening. That is so important in multiple settings – not only within a provider setting, but a hospital setting, home visiting programs, a pediatric setting, so the gamut for universal screening.”

Dear all,
I really love sourdough but my work schedule (and having 4 children when I am at home) makes it really hard to actively work on the dough.
I am reaching out to ask if any of you has developed a system that requires minimal active time with the dough and allows for long periods away from it. What I used to do (with mixed results):

• Day 1 at 7:00AM: Feed levain from starter
• Day 1 at 8:00PM: Mix flour, water and levain
• Day 1 from 8:30 to 11:00PM: Knead every 30 minutes, or so
• Day 1 at ~10PM: Add brime (salt and water) to dough
• Day 1 at 11:30PM: Shape dough into banneton, cover and put in fridge
• Day 1 at 11:30PM: Place dutch oven in oven, schedule oven to reach max temperature at 6:00AM
• Day 2 at 6:30AM: Score dough and put into oven

Sometimes it comes out great, sometimes it comes overproofed, sometimes it comes underproofed.
I think there are two possible reasons for this:
1) Where I live temperatures range from 10º (50F) in the winter to 40º (104F) in the summer. Levain development wildly varies and often levain is overproofed by the time I get home from work
2) As for the dough itself - on colder days, the dough does not proof enough between 8:30 and 11:00PM
My question to you is - do you have a system that may take additional time, or additional fridge space but that yields a more repeatable, stable process?
Additionally, or alternatively, is there a rule of thumb to check how much time levain or dough needs to proof according to temperature (e.g. - if temperature is 20º: x hours, if temperature is 19º: x + y hours, ...)
Thanks in advance,

• Active Sourdough Starter: 100 g (25 g old starter, 35 g rye flour, 15 g wheat flour, and 70 g water) • Rustic sifted wheat flour (13% protein): 562.86 g • Water (to add): 380 g • Salt: 10 g 

1. Autolyse: • Mixed 380 g water and 562.86 g rustic sifted wheat flour. Rested for 60 minutes. 2. Adding Starter and Salt: • Added 100 g active sourdough starter and 10 g salt to the mixture. • Kneaded until smooth and elastic. 3. Bulk Fermentation: • Fermented at room temperature (24°C) for about 8 hours. • Performed stretch and folds every 30 minutes during the first 2 hours. • The aliquot jar increased from a start value of 16 mm to 24 mm, indicating a ~50% increase in volume. 4. Shaping: • Turned the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shaped it into a ball. • Let it rest for 10-15 minutes. • Final shaped (round or oval). 5. Proofing: • Placed the shaped dough, seam-side up, in a lightly floured proofing basket lined with a floured kitchen towel. • Covered and refrigerated overnight for 12-16 hours. 6. Baking: • Preheated the oven to 250°C with a Dutch oven inside. • Took the dough out of the fridge while the oven heated. • Turned the dough onto parchment paper, scored it, and placed it in the preheated Dutch oven. • Baked with the lid on for the first 30 minutes. • Removed the lid and baked for an additional 25 minutes at 220°C. 7. Cooling: • Cooled the bread on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing. 

• Starter Readiness: Used the starter when it had tripled in volume, with bubbles throughout, indicating it was at its peak or just starting to recede slightly. • Hydration Adjustment: Used a slightly higher amount of water to compensate for the rye flour in the starter, which made the mixture thicker. 

The new gift-specific dialogue from the 1.6 update has me absolutely tickled pink! This one especially… I also haven’t practiced my creative writing in a while, and I decided it needed to happen sooner rather than later, so here, have a short story! Sorry if it's boring… I’m a little rusty!
“A Gift From The Void”
It was only yesterday… No one was quite sure where it had come from. There had been a sinister cackling noise ringing through the night air and Abigail had mentioned seeing an unidentifiable shape soaring through the sky during her walk home from the cemetery. The townsfolk gossiped and speculated about what it could have been that evening, but by the next morning they still hadn’t come to any reasonable explanation. It was only yesterday, and yet the entire village seemed to have already put it out of their minds and moved on. The scandal and chatter following the “Anchovy Soup Incident” at the Summer Luau several years back had lasted far longer than this… Even now Sam was still getting sideways glances whenever he got within a 20 foot radius of the soup cauldron, but this just blows over in less than a day? The priorities of small town people were strange.
Things had gone back to that same semblance of backwater, middle-of-nowhere kind of normal, and now the night had become just the same as any other Friday evening. Sebastian was playing a round of billiards with Sam, and while Sam was preoccupied with lining up the cue with his intended target ball, the farmer strolled into the saloon and up to the bar. Heads turned and raised to the newcomer for a moment before returning to whatever it was that had been previously holding their attention. Sebastian caught the sudden flourish of movement out of his periphery, but didn’t pay it much mind. The farmer ordered a coffee and a plate of the night’s special, and struck up a conversation with Gus about a peculiar egg that had materialized in their coop seemingly out of nowhere the night before. Apparently they’d decided to tuck it away into the incubator and wait to see what… if anything hatched from it.
Sebastian had never really been one to eavesdrop, but the wait for Sam to make his move was becoming boring, and sometimes the stories that passed around the saloon on Friday evenings got interesting depending on who all was involved. The story didn’t really go too far into detail. The farmer poked at their food until it had cooled enough to not scald the inside of their mouth, then they took a few bites before bringing up the events of the previous evening. What first started off as a funny story seemed to turn into some deep discussion with Gus about the mysteries of life. Eventually, Willy and Elliott were caught up in the mirth and it turned into a medley of strange tales from faraway lands and once-upon-a-times. Obviously exaggerated sightings of fearsome creatures on a midnight stormy sea, legends of colossal white whales, references to works written by masters of the mystery genre, as well as some from a trashy neo-noir novel or two that had probably been picked up from a bookstore clearance shelf.
Willy stroked his beard and mused about some daring battle between himself and a fish of questionable proportions that seemed to grow larger each time he told the story. Sebastian had heard this one before. The fight over the line had gone on for over an hour before the shadow of the fish rose near to the surface, and just before Willy could land the monster of a catch, it dove below again, taking the whole fishing rod overboard and nearly Willy himself with it.
Elliott gulped down the last few swigs of ale in his tankard, slapped the farmer firmly on the back, snorted and chuckled in an ungraceful yet jolly display that only ever crept out of him when he’d had a bit too much to drink.
“That fish becomes more miraculous each time he talks about it!” Elliott shook his head and smiled as he leaned almost a little too far forward. There was a slight sway to his posture and he tried to straighten his body back in line with the barstool. “To life, and her many little silly tricks of fate, my friends!” he declared. He raised the empty mug, and with his free hand, delicately tucked a few strands of stray hair behind his ear with the tips of his fingers. He rested his elbow back on the bar before he could lose his balance and sighed contently. Elliott’s cheeks were practically glowing red at this point and it was a wonder that he wasn’t slurring his words yet.
“Aye, you’ve all heard my fish story haven’t ye?” Willy chuckled. “How ‘bout the one about the Baba Yaga?” the farmer’s head tilted and they gazed curiously at the fisherman. Willy rested his foot on the crossbar of the barstool, lifted the rim of his hat out of his line of sight, and leaned into the counter. “Some know ‘er as the cannibal witch… others say she’s just a misunderstood haggard ol’ woman who lives alone out in woods or marshes. It’s said she lives a rickety old house that stands on chicken feet, and she likes to lure weary travelers into ‘er home, only to gobble ‘em up once they let their guard down. Apparently she’s especially fond of the taste of children…” He laughed in a hoarse tone and made strange spider-like gestures with his calloused hands as if he were telling campfire stories to a group of kids. The farmer’s nose wrinkled at the outlandish notion of some feral old woman devouring toddlers, and Willy laughed heartily at their reaction. “I think that last part the parents like to add into the story to frighten the little ones. It keeps ‘em from wondering into the forests and swamps alone at night.”
Sebastian rolled his eyes and glanced back to the pool table. He watched the cue ball clack into the twelve before the twelve bounced off the barriers in the corner of the table and rolled slowly to a stop on the felt surface without pocketing. Sam huffed and stood back upright.
“You really aren’t very good at this, are you?” Seb chimed as he returned his full attention to the game at hand. Sam grinned and laughed.
“Nope!”
“Watch and learn….” Sebastian took aim at the cue ball, and after a single firm strike, drove it into the tiny gap between the two and seven. The cue stopped hard, but the two and seven sped to the opposite corners of the foot of the table, each dropping into one of the corner pockets simultaneously. Sam scoffed and paced about the pool room, but looked back over his shoulder just in time to catch Sebastian with a triumphantly cheeky grin on his face. Sam clicked his tongue and lightly thumped the base of his cue stick into the floorboards.
“Show-off…” he mumbled.
Elliott lifted the rim of the empty vessel to his lips, then chuckled again as he noticed the absence of ale and gestured it in Gus’ direction.
“Good sir, my glass is empty and…. I’m a writer!”
“Maybe you should stop for tonight…” the farmer interjected. “You won’t be sober enough to start your next chapter in the morning!” Elliott rolled his eyes and leaned against the bar counter. He tried to give one of his best theatrically exasperated sighs, but when the exhale turned into a case of the hiccups, they knew he was down for the count. He smiled defiantly and tried his best to look dignified through the sudden spasms in his diaphragm and soused thousand yard stare.
“I-am fiiine… ne’re betta’…”
“…..Aaaand, there he goes…” Leah giggled from the end of the bar counter. “It’s like dropping a ton of bricks on a peach.”
“I oughtta’ help the ol’ scallywag home, I s’pose!” Willy groaned as he stood from the bar stool. He smiled as he hoisted one of Elliott’s arms over his shoulders and stood him up from the bar stool. “C’mon you menace… Let’s get ya home before you make a fool of yourself in front of all the lassies!” he chuckled. Sam took a moment to appreciate the situation at the bar counter. He shook his head and laughed, then took another shot at the 12 and missed horribly yet again.
“Easy does it there!” Emily cooed as she cleared away the empty tankard. “Try not to drop him too hard!” Elliott wobbled towards the door as Willy struggled to keep him upright, and just before they stepped out into the lukewarm summer evening, the farmer waved one last farewell and called out to the well marinated dandy-man as he staggered away.
“Nighty-night! Sleep tight, Rapunzel!” they chirped. Elliot responded to the joke by blowing an overly exaggerated kiss over his shoulder and daintily waiving his fingertips at the company in the saloon, then he nearly tripped over himself as he turned back to the path home. A couple of snorts, giggles and guffaws rose up over the music and chatter in the saloon and quickly melted back into the white noise once the moment passed.
Seb looked Sam in the eyes with a determined glare and smirked.
“Eight in the corner pocket….” Seb didn’t have a clear shot, but leaned over the table, reared back the stick and spiked it into the cue ball. It ricocheted from the bumper, side-swiped the eight, and put just enough force into the edge to cause it to spin sideways into the pocket he’d called. Sam laughed and scratched at the back of his head.
“Awwww, man…” he groaned. “You got me again!” Sam leaned against his cue stick and looked over the table before his eyes lit up in anticipation. “How about a best three out of five?” Abigail giggled at Sam’s request as she stretched and leaned back into the sofa.
“Give it up, blondie! He cooks your goose at this game EVERY single time…. You’re doomed.” She teased. “It’s getting late anyways…”
…
It had been almost a month since the odd shape had been spotted flying over town at this point. Seb and Abby had talked in depth about it, and though most of the other townsfolk had come to the conclusion that it had merely been some sort of exotic bird flying out toward the fern islands, Abby was positive she hadn’t been mistaken. In fact she was adamant that the form looked human. She hadn’t seen or heard any wings flapping and the “squawking” sounded more so like the laugh of an old woman than the cries of a bird. The figure seemed to levitate or hover effortlessly and without the use of any physical or mechanical assistance. It was slumped over as if it was curled up or sitting and just…. Floated away.
The long night spent coding and researching the relevant programing issues at the computer, had caused Sebastian to rise late. He was groggy, didn’t have much motivation to bother rolling out of bed, and it was almost noon at this point. He could hear the rain pattering against the roof of the house and the rumble of distant thunder. As lazy as he felt, a smoke sounded pretty good about now. The sound and sight of the ocean on rainy days also had a way of clearing his head and a little stroll would probably do him some good.
He didn’t pass anyone on the way out of the house. Robin was likely at her aerobics club, Maru, at work in the clinic, and who knew where Demetrius was… Out shoving dirt samples into test tubes, or measuring the volume and PH of the current rainfall? As long as he wasn’t dissecting frogs. Out of all of Sebastian’s childhood memories, that was the one that stuck in his head and haunted him. Back then, Maru had only just been born, and while Robin was busy keeping her entertained, fixing her bottle or changing diapers, Seb was wandering the house trying to find something to occupy his time. He’d wandered into his step-father’s study and there on the examination tray was a deceased frog pinned on it’s back, limbs splayed like Da Vinci’s “Vitruvian Man” with it’s belly sliced open. Sebastian had cried and pouted over that for several days and had given Demetrius the silent treatment for even days longer intermixed with spells of arm crossing, head turning and the occasional stuck out tongue and blown raspberry. He cringed at the thought even now.
The hinges creaked as he pushed the front door open and paused. The summer was starting to give way to autumn and the parched ground soaked up the rain and turned loose the pungent, almost overpowering scent of petrichor.
Sebastian flipped the hood of his pull-over around his head and tightened up the drawstrings. He took a moment to smell the aroma of wet grass and earth that drifted through the air and held the fragrance in his lungs as he closed the door behind him.
He began his slow, steady march toward the beach and lost count of his steps after he’d passed the old Community Center. He’d barely noticed the changing of terrain under his feet as he moved almost subconsciously toward the ocean. The raw, muddy dirt paths of the mountain, the crunch of rough stones and shuffle of old, dead pine needles that carpeted the ground… They’d transitioned into the grass and cobblestone of the town plaza at some point, but they all seemed to blend together into “just steps” after a while. His inner thoughts distracted him to the point where he barely paid attention to his surroundings until he felt his footfalls sinking and shifting underneath him, and he knew he’d hit sand. He heaved a deep sigh of the salt air and looked over the horizon as he paced toward the docks.
When the sky was this gray and muted, the color of the sea seemed to take on it’s own jewel-like quality and without the blue sky to draw attention away from it, the eyes of each breaking wave became a splendor to watch. They erupted into columns of aquamarine, sapphire and sodalite laced with the bright, almost pearlescent white of the sea foam before curling over, crashing into the tides and giving way to the next one.
Sebastian came to a stop at the furthest reaching section of the wood panels and straightened up his posture as he groped into his pockets for the pack of cigarettes he’d brought with him. He selected one from the box, tucked it between his teeth and plunged his fingers back into the pocket for his lighter. He curled his left hand in front of his face, to protect the fire from the wind, flicked open the lid and thumbed the igniter. The flint sparked into a flame as it spun and lit up the end of the cigarette to a smoldering red glow. He pulled in a breath and held it for a moment before letting it out and watching the smoke dance away in the wind. It still wasn’t quite as satisfying as that first breath of rain when he’d stepped out of the house. Another sigh escaped Seb’s lips as he stared back at the oncoming crests of seawater and his mind started to drift again.
He imagined the city lights blazing somewhere across the ocean like stars, and thought about starting over somewhere far away. Disappearing, and reappearing somewhere else like a shadow moving through fragments of darkness and light, somewhere where no one knew him. Just vanishing and leaving everything behind. His parents, his sister, his friends… the thought excited him for a moment, before giving way to an intense feeling of regret and sadness. Maybe even a little shame. Having everyone was frustrating, but would having none of them be better or worse? He’d never known anything else. The same friends he’d grown up with, the same smell of the changing seasons in the mountain air, the same four walls of his bedroom, the sound of his sister’s laugh, or the taste of his mother’s cooking… even the way his stepfather overreacted to the littlest things was something he'd grown used to. He took another long breath.
The waves lapped and pounded at the underside of the dock so loudly he couldn’t hear the patter of oncoming footfalls against the wood and he was caught unaware when a sudden presence made itself known.
“Hey.” The start was enough to make him tense up, and he almost tripped over his own feet. Seb whirled around and when he found himself face to face with the farmer, he relaxed again.
“You scared the absolute crap out of me…..” He said as he rolled his eyes. He flicked his thumb against the filter of the cigarette to knock away the ashes and looked over the docks. They were alone.
“Sorry….” There was an awkward moment of silence between the two of them before Sebastian tried to force conversation.
“What are you up to out here?” He asked. He wasn’t really interested in the answer, but felt obligated to return the acknowledgement of his presence. The farmer held up the rod that was firmly clasped in their right hand and gestured to the ocean.
“Fishing!” Seb raised an eyebrow and cocked his head at the response.
“In the rain?” he asked. His tone was almost dismissive. The farmer nodded.
“Willy said that there’s a number of fish that only come out when it’s raining, so I wanted to see what bites.” They began. “Some fish just like it better this way I guess.” There was another long pause. “…and you?”
“Hanging out…” Seb shrugged and adjusted the collar of his hoodie.
“In the rain?” The irony of the retort wasn’t lost on either of them though only the farmer seemed to find it amusing.
“Some people just like it better this way too…” Seb declared as he shifted his posture and crossed his arms over his chest. “I like to come out here where it’s quiet and have some alone time with my own thoughts.” There was a brief moment of guilt when Sebastian realized that he hadn’t actually ever bothered to ask the farmer’s name, but his introverted nature snubbed it out pretty quickly.
“Well, if you’re out here for some alone time, I won’t keep bothering you. I’ll go find a spot to fish and leave you to it.” At least they could take a hint. The farmer turned to leave and Sebastian suddenly regretted the entire conversation. Maybe he came off as cold and bristly? Either way, they hadn’t meant any harm. Just engaging in basic pleasantries. He found himself compelled to say something else just so the conversation wouldn’t end on such a sour note, then the thought of the flying figure and the appearance of the strange egg in the farmer’s coop a while back suddenly popped into his head.
“Wait….” Sebastian flicked away the spent cigarette and stamped it out with the toe of his shoe before he continued. The farmer turned back in his direction. “I was just curious… do you remember what happened a couple of weeks ago? The night that… thing… flew over Pelican Town?” The farmer’s eyes narrowed and they nodded slowly. “That was the night that strange egg just showed up in your chicken coop, right?” The farmer looked bewildered. Seb chuckled soundlessly when he realized that, for at least a moment, he was acting like the epitome of some small town country boy who was nosing into someone else’s business. The farmer was likely confused because they hadn’t spoken to Sebastian about it directly. How could he know about that? They didn’t have to ask before he preemptively put the question to rest. “I was in the saloon playing pool with Sam the night after it happened. I overheard you talking about it with Gus, Willy and uh- …Rapunzel.” He explained. A tiny snort escaped the farmer’s nose as they stifled a laugh and they nodded again.
“Right… I still don’t know where it came from.” They rested the handle of the fishing pole on the dock like a staff or walking stick and looked up at the sky as if they were contemplating something. “I don’t know if the egg had anything to do with the flying figure, or if it was just a coincidence… they did both appear on the same night.”
“Everyone in town says that the flying thing was probably just some weird bird heading toward the islands…” Seb droned. He shoved his hands into his pockets to sooth the chill in his fingers. “If that IS where the egg came from, then maybe it was just a bird…” The farmer briskly shook their head before they answered.
“No, I don’t think so.” They rested a hand on their hip, fidgeted with the line strung through the fishing rod and seemed to gaze off into the distance towards the island in question. “That wouldn’t make sense considering what hatched.” Sebastian’s head snapped upright to meet their gaze. Now this was getting interesting.
“It actually hatched?!” He piped as his eyes widened inquisitively. “What was it?”
“A chicken…. And those can’t fly long distances.” The farmer chortled as they watched Sebastian’s face droop back to some semblance of apathy. He looked mildly disappointed.
“Aww…. Well that’s kind of anticlimactic.” He groaned.
“Yeah, sorry it’s not more exciting than that…” There was a sudden gust of wind and both of them had to brace against the pelting of raindrops that came with it. “It is a pretty peculiar looking chicken, if that makes you feel any better.”
“Really?... How so?” He gazed back at them expectantly and waited for them to go into detail.
“The feathers are jet black and the comb and wattles have a bit of an odd shape to them. The eyes are also bright red, like an animal with albinism and they’re almost reflective in the dark too… like a cat’s eyes.” They paused and rested their hand over the lower half of their face as if they were taking a moment to recall more of the specifics to memory. “And there’s just something about the way it clucks.” They added. “It doesn’t really cluck like a normal hen, but it sounds more like… an echo of a cluck, I suppose.”
“What?....” Sebastian laughed as his expression shifted again. The description of the noise sounded completely ridiculous. Not a cluck, but an echo of a cluck? They may as well have likened it to a phantom voice or the cry of a specter. Something that eluded the range of sounds that most humans would ever have the chance or perception to experience. The farmer lifted their eyes back to Sebastian’s as if they’d suddenly remembered something else.
“She started laying eggs a couple of days ago. They look just like the one that appeared in the coop that night…” They let the fishing pole drop from their hand to the wood planking of the dock and slipped their arm out of the left strap of their backpack. “I actually have one with me if you want to see it….” They slid the other strap off of their shoulder and swung the bag around their right side, letting it come to a rest in front of them as they knelt down. Seb took a few steps closer and stooped to get a better look as they dug through the contents.
They gingerly grasped what looked like a tiny bundle wrapped in a kerchief and began to slowly peel away the corners of the fabric, exposing what was probably the most bizarre looking egg he’d ever seen in his life. It was black and somewhat glossy, unlike the calcified matte shells of most chicken eggs, and the surface seemed to be covered in tiny indents or fissures that exposed flecks of a bright, almost luminescent red underneath. The farmer held the egg out to Sebastian as they stood up straight and nodded, silently offering to let him hold it for a closer look. He gently cupped the egg in his hands, tucked his arms in close to his body and cradled it in his palms like a cautious child trying to hold a hamster. It was heavier than he’d expected it to be, and surprisingly warm.
The color reminded him of magma or hot coals. Something like the intense heat glowing through crackling obsidian after a volcanic eruption or a dying fire. He leaned his head even closer to the egg as he examined the texture of the shell, and his nose wrinkled a bit when he caught the scent. It was sulphurous, and almost earthy smelling, but not overpoweringly so.
“It’s not rotten, is it?” he asked as he gently turned the egg over in his hands.
“See, that’s the strange thing about it. It can’t be…. That egg was just laid this morning.” They explained. “All of the eggs that hen lays have that… little whiff of something burning to them.” The rain was starting to slow up a bit. The farmer thought for a moment and giggled at the notion of what they said next. “I’m not inclined to say that they’re edible either… at least, not to people, and I wouldn’t be keen on being the first one to test that.” Sebastian winced at the thought…and smell, and stifled a laugh.
“Me neither…” He smiled softly when the red speckled pattern caught his attention again. “It does look really cool though!”
He really did have a nice smile. It was kind of a shame that he didn’t let people see it more often. His eyes brightened, and his face looked softer and more approachable, yet also, inquisitive and curious. It was a look of fascination and wonder. Like a kid who’d just discovered dinosaurs and outer space for the first time, or someone who’d just felt their first taste of freedom and didn’t quite know what to do with it. An imaginative or inspired sort of expression.
“Since you like it so much, why don’t you hang onto it?” the farmer beamed.
“Can I?” Sebastian’s eyes lit up again and he gazed back at the farmer with a delighted look on his face.
“Sure! Hens lay eggs every day or so. There’ll be more before long!” they chimed. Sebastian chuckled as he curled his fingers about the egg and sheltered it from the rain.
“Thank you!” He gazed at it for a few moments more as the farmer hefted the rucksack back onto their shoulders and pulled the fishing rod from it’s resting place on the dock. “Hey, this might sound kind of stupid….” He began as he gazed back and forth between the farmer and his new prize… “But, do you think it’ll hatch if I put it under my pillow?” he laughed awkwardly at his own question when he realized how foolish it must have sounded, but was pleasantly surprised when the farmer’s response was more optimistic than he had expected.
“Umm, I don’t know… Maybe! It’s worth a try anyway, and stranger things have happened.”
“Only one way to find out I guess!” Sebastian said smiling in anticipation.
“Good luck! You’ll have to let me know what happens!” They scanned out over the tides as if looking for something before turning back to Sebastian. “I should hurry and find a spot to fish before the rain stops again, but it was really nice talking to you!”
“Yeah, you too!” Seb agreed. “I’ll see you later!” He distracted himself for a moment, making sure the egg was tucked away safe and warm in his hoodie pocket, when he suddenly realized something. “Hey, wait!...” he quickly turned back to where the farmer had been standing just a minute before, but by the time he’d remembered what he’d needed to ask, they’d already trotted too far out of earshot to be able to hear him. “Aw, man… I forgot to catch their name again.” He lamented. “I’ll have to remember to ask them next time… Next time for sure.”