Forever later, gray crept into the black water sky. That doesn’t mean it’s morning yet, but that does mean morning is closer than it was. It starts to feel like forever is almost over when you can see the gray coming.

Soon the warm came back into the world. My legs started to feel again as the stone broke up. That’s the best feeling ever, knowing I survived another night. I flexed my toes, wiggled them. The warmth flowed up my legs and into my stomach and arms and wings and I moved all that, too, stretching and flapping.

Finally the sun rose and the last bit of stone over my face fell away.

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I stood up on the branch and crowed at the top of my lungs. I survived again. The stars didn’t get me. Nothing got me while I was stone, and I wanted to tell the whole world. I’m still here, Angelpunk is still here.

Off in the distance, Thrasher crowed. He made it, too. I crowed and he crowed back. Johnny joined us pretty soon. Then so did Moose. Us guys all made it. I hoped all the ladies made it, too, but for whatever reason they never holler out to let us know.

Maybe it’s smarter not to make too much noise in the morning. The gods sleep, but the monsters don’t, and there are some that like to eat first thing with the sun.

I never could keep quiet about being alive, though.