Sweetness

Corvus stood on the flat, pebbled roof of his apartment building. He ignored the skyline chiseled by buildings too short to be called skyscrapers and brushed his hands clean of the sunflower seed casings that lingered on his palms. It was dusk and the blackbirds would soon be going to nest. He liked to feed them at dusk, before they went to wherever blackbirds go for the night. They had come to expect him. The crows and the ravens would scavenge the seeds at his feet. Sometimes popcorn, sometimes rice, usually sunflowers. They would fill their craws and flap away, leaving dropped feathers, shit and photo opportunities in their wake.

Tonight would be the last time for him, a last meal for them.

Corvus stepped onto the ledge of the roof and looked out at the busy main street below. The fall would kill him. He inched a toe over, the crunch of gravel on the concrete lip whisked away by the breeze. The sun was gone now, the streetlights flickering on throughout the city, but below, the shadows would hide him. He wouldn’t see the world pass by as he fell.

He exhaled cool night air and shook his head, stepping back onto the firm, flat, gravel-covered roof. He glanced at the remaining birds picking at the last few seeds they could find before they had to leave and roost for the night. He turned and went to the roof access door, shoving his hands in his pockets,...