Of Magic in Man

Blink

Richard Speltzer, or 'Ruddy' as his friend's called him, lived on the outskirts of the bustling city of New York. He specifically chose the rural area he lived in because he couldn't abide the concrete jungle, preferring the soft whispers of nature to the cacophony of cars, trains, and the incessant hubbub of commuters.

He was a zoologist. For as long as he could remember, the enchantment of the natural world had inspired and delighted him. The rustle of leaves, the flutter of wings, and the buzzing of insects, especially ones others avoided, filled his dreams and echoed through his waking hours like the alluring call of a siren. He often felt like he was born with the natural ability to speak the unarticulated language of beasts, to peer into their spirits, and read their unspoken stories.

The walls of his cozy little apartment were adorned with photographs depicting wildlife expeditions, some of which he'd led, and bookshelves stacked high with scientific tomes and memoirs of safari guides. He fully planned to retire and open a safari company, but that was still many decades away. He was only thirty-two.

Gently lifting his fiancé's arm off him, Ruddy got out of bed and padded softly into the bathroom to prepare for the day. He was usually pretty clumsy in the morning and forcing his limbs to coordinate felt like a workout. He didn't want to drop anything on the menagerie of feminine beauty products precariously piled on the sink, which would wake their owner, who had far worse mornings than he.

He did pretty well at first, pulling a comb through his long brown hair to give it some semblance of order, brushing pearly white teeth, and covering bright blue eyes with thin clear contact lenses. It was then that disaster struck.

"Meow!"

"Shit," Ruddy muttered, "I forgot to feed the cat. And we all know what comes next--"

"Woof!" As if on cue.

The ravenous predatory animals entered the room, the cat sauntering aloofly while the dog ran in circles awoofly. The small tortoiseshell form jumped onto the bed, stalked fluidly across the sheets, and, as Ruddy watched in horror, pounced on Amy's face.

"Goddammit!" Amy bolted upright scowling like Medusa. The mess of blond hair piled in evident disorder atop her head completed the picture. Naturally, Ruddy would never tell her that.

The cat bolted out of the room at the angry caterwaul, throwing a fierce hiss over her rapidly retreating shoulder. The dog ducked as the hissing and spitting creature jumped over his head before he slunk under the bed to hide. He forgot about his tail which stuck out conspicuously.

Seeing her head sweeping the room for a new target, Ruddy ducked out of view.

"I know you're there, Ruddy! I'm gonna fucking murder you!"

Ruddy's voice emanated from the general direction of the toilet, muffled somewhat by the wall, "You're so beautiful this morning baby. You bring light to this house, and I don't know what I'd be without you." He knew he was giving his position away, but it was better to get to her quickly before she completely blew her top.

"How are you gonna say that when you're not even looking at me?"

There was silence for a long moment, "I watched you sleep."

"Oh my god," Amy sighed exasperated and flopped back onto her pillow.

..."Meow!"

"Will you please feed Hammer?"

Ruddy decided it was safe to make an appearance and came out smiling, "Of course, princess. Why don't you feed Nails?"

Amy shot him a look.