You are lost in the woods, walking past trees older than your parents. It’s quiet enough to hear the leaves twisting, pirouetting in the cool breath of summer. It’s beautiful but frightening. You see a flash of white in the green and yellow canopy above. It is a small black bird with a piece of trash in it’s beak. It flits down to you and drops the shining thing, which you now see is paper. A note, handwritten in blue ink. You begin to read it.
“I’m not sure who you are, but if you are reading this then the note is for you. Things have a way of finding their home, here on Ferris Island.”
You look around confused, but the bird is gone. You read on.
“I wanted to tell you about a book I read. It’s called Ivy & Ixos. It was written by S.E. Reid. It’s about broken families, mystery, nature, inheritance. Its really good, very good actually. It has valuable things to say and it says them beautifully. Reading –”
The note ends and you flip to find nothing on the back. The little bird from before alights on a rock up the path ahead, depositing another glowing white paper there. You walk on and pick it up, continuing to read the strange note.
“—this book is like returning to a familiar place filled with fond memories, but somehow you’ve never been there. It is gentle and wholesome in a way only broken and tragic stories can be. When I started reading this book, I was lost.”
You look up again, puzzled. The bird lands a ways ahead with another slip of paper. You walk and read.
“My own parents were flawed, and we aren’t on speaking terms. But reading this tugged at me, made me want to be a little more gracious. And if patching things up doesn’t pan out, –”
You reach the end of the note and reach down to grab the last page left by the black bird. You read and walk, though you don’t know where to.
“reading this book at least made me feel good during a time where I didn’t. Like I said, whoever you are, things have a way of finding their home here, on Ferris Island. I hope you read the book, I know it will make you feel hopeful about life. Good luck out there.
KL”
You feel strangely sad and happy, and your eyes have too much water in them. When you look up from the note, you see your long lost car in the trail lot. You laugh with relief.
Read original Note here.
