How the Macaw Takeover Began

"On my signal, get ready to jump!" Clay shouted towards me as he flew the small plane over the landing zone. Neil had been missing for almost an entire week, and I was chosen to go after him. It felt like a do or die mission to me.

I secured the parachute pack tightly before using both hands to open the heavy door. Nothing but rushing winds and bright blue sky, with 3,000 feet beneath me. I wasn't necessarily afraid of heights, but I wasn't in this situation by choice.

"Okay, now, don't forget to not drink the water!" Clay shouted.

After saying a small prayer, I leaped out, immediately pulling my ripcord. The medium-sized yellow chute made a whoosh noise as it took shape from the air. It slowed the rate of my fall, so I enjoyed the view for a little while longer. Miles of trees covered the ground underneath me as I fell from the blue sky.

My fall was cut short by the edge of the chute snagging on a tree branch. Fortunately I was only about 20 feet off of the ground. Not a great position to be in, but it could have been a lot worse considering I basically went skydiving just now.

I reached for the tactical knife clipped to my belt. Un-sheathing it, I hacked it against the sturdy ropes attached to my pack. Once free, I plummeted down to the ground, thankfully landing on my feet. I brushed the leaves hanging on my cargo pants and started taking in my surroundings. I could hear what sounded like monkeys in the distance as well as different bird calls.

Okay Neil you bastard, where are you?

I swished my knife back and forth, slicing through the leaves and brush that blocked my path. The humidity of the air clung to my skin, quickly dehydrating me. I reached for the canteen clipped to my pants. Unscrewing the cap, I guzzled down about a third of the 64 Oz bottle.

After what seemed like forever, I heard what sounded like rushing water. Parting leaves, I poked my head through and saw the Amazon river in all its glory.

Don't drink the water. Clay's message rang through my head. I still had the majority of my canteen filled, so I wasn't worried, but goddamn was it hot out here.

This is where Neil was last seen, so I deemed it best to keep following the trail. If it weren't for the mission at hand, I wouldn't have minded spending time out here myself. I've always found myself at peace amongst nature ever since I was ten years old. The sounds of birds, snakes, and jungle cats were the stringed instruments in a symphony, a cacophony of noises in perfect harmony.

I continued my hike down the river. Other than the occasional crunch of leaves, it was peacefully quiet. That was when a voice cried out.

"Sweet honey and molasses, let's get drunk off our asses!"

"Neil, you son of a bitch, where are you?" I screamed. No answer. That was what Neil would shout right at 5 every single Friday. Then we would go to the bar down the street and throw back a few beers.

The voice almost sounded like it came from up above.

Oh, so we're hiding up in a tree like a damn monkey, huh?

I walked up to what appeared to be a Kapok tree, stretching over a hundred feet into the sky.

Up I go, I guess.

I firmly planted my feet into the nooks and crannies of the bark, hoisting myself up along the way. The voice called out again.

"Mason, Mason, Mason" it mocked.

I still could not pinpoint the location. But it did seem closer to the ground this time. I jumped back down to the ground and continued hiking along the riverbanks.

It felt like I was on this trail for hours, and there were no signs of Neil. The sun was beginning to set and my water supply had finally run dry. Growing exhausted, I sat down on the edge of the river. Damn, I'm thirsty.

Don't drink the water.

I felt every ounce of liquid left in my skin dry up, to the point where I began to feel dizzy. I was perspiring less and less.

I could feel myself begin to hallucinate. My vision began distorting. It was as if the air turned into a series of wavy lines. Shades of green, yellow, and brown began to mesh together as one giant blur. Stars appeared, flashing intermittently like cameras of the paparazzi at a red carpet event. Even the noises around me began to warble.

I was unsure if my imagination was acting up, but I saw red objects swarm around me. Squinting my eyes, there were at least 10 scarlet macaws around me.

They are some of the most beautiful birds in existence, it's a shame they're endangered. Their bodies are a shade of red so bright they'd stop traffic, all the way down to their long, colorful tails. Their wings, adorned in deep blue and yellow. So majestic and pretty.

One of the macaws perched itself right on my shoulder.

"Drink the water Mason" it called.

Was I really that out of it?

"Go on, drink it" it uttered.

"Go away you stupid bird!" I shouted in frustration as I tried shooing it away.

The macaw flew away for a moment but came to rest on my shoulder once more. A second later, another one sat on my other shoulder.

"Drink up, Mason" both of them said.

"No, I won't do it!" I screamed.

My shoulder friends began to chant repeatedly.

"Drink it, drink it, drink it" they repeated, gradually increasing in volume.

More macaws flew into the area until all I could see were the colors scarlet, blue, and yellow. Each one that came joined in the mantra. Even covering my ears, I couldn't shut out the noise.

"Drink the water, drink the water" They all screeched.

"No, you can't make me!" I yelled.

"Drink it, drink it!"

"Go away, I won't do it!" I immediately stood up and began running. There were so many macaws that I was completely surrounded, unable to move.

My dehydration was getting worse as I noticed the outer rim of my version flashing to black. I needed to drink soon or I was going to pass out.

"Drink the water Mason" the macaws chimed in simultaneously.

"Enough!" I blasted at them. I needed to drink. What was the harm in a little river water anyways? I cupped my hands and stuck them into the running stream. Once filled, I brought them to my mouth, quickly sipping.

"Yes, yes, YES!" The macaws began chanting. "Drink more, drink more, DRINK MORE!"

I drank more water until I felt a series of sharp pains explode all over my body. It felt as if a thousand knives were being shoved into my skin. Collapsing to the ground, I writhed in pain, groaning audibly. A burning sensation began to consume my legs. Barely able to hold up my own head, I looked down and saw my legs shrinking and turning black. The skin completely wrinkled up until my they were reduced to raisins.

I noticed my arms were changing too. The skin on the bottom of them began to extend, creating what appeared to be wings.

Oh god Neil, I know what happened to you.

I felt pins and needles towards my backside. My bones were loudly breaking, tearing me apart as each joint snapped. I appeared to have an extra digit attached to the back of my pelvis.

By this point I didn't have normal-colored skin anymore. It turned bright red. What once was my legs turned into razor-sharp talons. My SQUAAAAAAWK body grew feathers while coloring itself with shades of blue and yellow SQUAAAAAWK.

I began squawking like a bird, SQUAWK, PRETTY BIRD PRETTY BIRD.

What in the actual SQUAWWWWKK was happening. I squawk, squawk, squawk.

Squawk, I'm a pretty bird. I fly by trees, squawk squawk. Drink the water, squawk.

Oh no, helicopter land, pretty bird tell pilot to drink water, SQUAWK.

And so the macaw takeover continued.