The One With the Aggressive Elephants

Date: 8/28/2025

I’m walking down a dusty, tree-lines path with my family behind a group of rhinos and elephants. The elephants turned toward us and start to push me around a bit. I’m suddenly afraid that they’re going to hurt me, but I do my best to remain calm. My dad says something about how Sneaker always used to defend me … I’m going to what’s supposed to be Good Soil in a condo (it kind of looks like Mrs. Jacque’s place). Someone puts worship music on and I write an entry in my prayer journal. The girl beside me — possibly Olivia — is writing in hers when k notice that she has the date wrong. I avert my eyes so that she doesn’t think I’m trying to read her prayer and continue writing mine — the last few words of which are “eternal joy.” When I’m done, I get up and start doing a group dance with everyone in front of the TV that’s playing the music. It ends and I end up standing there awkwardly with two guys, not realizing everyone else has gone to sit down again. I end up outside — under a staircase that makes this place feel like Aunt Rosie’s old place — with two guys I’m apparently friendly with. I’m holding a real pigeon, one of them is holding a real finch, and the other is holding a small, broken plastic eagle. He jokingly tells us not to look at his eagle. I say, “We should be like, ‘Pastor Dave, does this message have anything to do with… birds?’” We all crack up. We then set our birds on and around the outer window sill to head inside … I’m in the car with Renee and another girl (can’t remember who) when she asks if we want McDonald’s fries. I enthusiastically answer that I do. I then say, “Yeah, you know, since I ate so much sushi for dinner, I definitely need McDonald’s fries too!” They laugh.