Walking to school was almost unbearable. Partly due to the cold. It bit right through my coat and stung my nose and cheeks. Partly because I had that eerie feeling of being watched. I mean, in a way, we were being watched. Birds lined the streets. Either in trees or on powerlines. Squawking or singing as they pleased. I know it sounds crazy, but I felt like they were talking to each other about me. I felt uncomfortable. All while I didn't really want to voice my thoughts to Phil. Not since he always called me obsessed with birds.

We were getting snow at last. As if anyone doubted about winter actually being here or not. There was no denying it now.

Phil tried to catch snow on his mitten as we walked. "You ever look at the snowflakes?" He asked as he cupped his hands under the steady stream that fell around us. I liked the snowfall. Once it piled up a bit, you'd be able to hear it. I loved the hushed whisper of snow landing on more snow.

"What about them?" I didn't understand his concern.

"It's just cool. How different they are." He tried to show me, but they were just melting too quickly on his glove.

"Why are you so obsessed with snowflakes?" I tried my hand at teasing him.

"I don't post about it." He laughed. "I don't have a fanbase of snowflake lovers rushing for the latest update about snow."

"I don't have a fanbase." I rolled my eyes.

"How many followers you got now?"

"Like, 112."

"Bruh." He stopped walking in his surprise. "That's like... so many."

"I don't even know most of them," I assured him, "Just people who have taken interest in the situation of town. Well, and one out-of-towner, it seems."

"Oh, that guy?"

"And the conspiracy guy."

"That guy is off his rocker." Phil laughed. "Makes sense he hides behind a screen name."

I was looking forward all day to getting to computer class. I was waiting to look at any responses I may have gotten on my post. I looked forward each day to checking my posts and engaging with the community.

Homeroom dragged by. We took roll, then all chatted freely for the next twenty minutes before the bell rang to dismiss us.

I was mortified to find two men in black waiting at my locker for me. One of them spoke to me robotically, "Devin Camp?"

"Yes?" I really hadn't wanted to agree to that. But I didn't figure I had a choice. Phil looked at me. We made brief, troubling eye contact before one of the men spoke again.

"Come with us." One lead the way, the other waited for me to follow before he started following me. Phil watched as they walked me down the hall and away from my locker. I expected them to walk me to the principal's office or even the counselor's office. Instead, they walked me into one of the empty conference rooms and told me to sit.

They both sat across the table from me. I tried not to make it obvious that I gulped. Oh God. The feather. They know about the feather. I will be the next Martin. I'll be walked out and never seen again. They must know. They knew something. I felt like I was sitting in an interrogation.

The man on the right spoke up, "It's come to our attention that you've been posting things online concerning the birds."

My stomach almost fell right out of me and into my chair. Of course. It was so obvious. How could I have been so dumb. It was all publicly available for anyone to see online. Of course, they would have seen my posts. Of course, it would lead them straight back to me.

I hesitated to answer. Yet it was futile. They knew. I couldn't lie my way out of this. "Yes?" I said it more like a question than with any amount of confidence.

"Why?" The same man asked.

I looked between the two of them. They could have been clones of one another. They both wore the same deadpan expression. It was like they spent most of their time training to stare people down than anything else. Were they really curious about an answer? Surely, they knew already.

"I don't know?" I feigned ignorance, "It's just weird. Birds being here for winter and all."

"That's just a myth. It's perfectly normal for birds not to migrate for the winter."

"Okay." I agreed plainly. They were free to gaslight all they wanted. I wasn't about to argue or make a fuss. Anything to get me out of this room faster.

"You'll cease and desist with the bird posts, Mr. Camp." The one on the left said.

Again, anything to get me out of this room faster, "Okay." I wasn't sure why I felt such fear or apprehension. Normally, they annoyed me. But here, alone with them calling me by name? It was a whole different tune altogether. One I didn't like.

"That's all." The one on the right stood up. Both men adjusted their jackets after standing and held the door open, waiting for me to exit.

I did.

I was looking over my shoulder the rest of the day. Waiting for them to swoop in and cart me away to a dark room again for breathing wrong. I was too scared to even mutter the word "bird" for the rest of the school day. Phil actually showed some concern when I mentioned what happened to him. For once.

I waited until I got home to check my post. My soul felt crushed when I saw that all the posts had somehow been deleted...

Of course, they would have the power to erase my posts.

But there were still signs. A very much still alive and active BirdsEyeView.

BirdsEyeView: They'll never silence me! They'll never find me! They know I'm onto them! THE BIRDS AREN'T REAL!

I wanted to reply to his post. But I couldn't. They were watching my account. My whole family was. That was... if they knew it was my account. All I had to do was make an anonymous account without using my name. But what should it be called?

I thought for a moment before typing the first thing that came to mind. HawkwardMoment.

I searched up and found the post on BirdsEyeView's account. I had to reply.

--HawkwardMoment: Have you caught a bird?

I would wait for his reply. But first, I wanted to devise my own plan. I called Phil over. Believe it or not, he was not happy when I told him that I wanted to catch a bird.

"You're joking." He sat on the edge of my bed. "After what happened at school today?"

"Of course I'm not joking." I paced my floor, feeling every bit as anxious as I should have been. "There is something going on. We know that now beyond a shadow of a doubt."

"What's your deal?" He proposed. "You catch a bird. You find out it's a robot. Then what?"

"I haven't thought that far ahead." I told him truthfully, "Blow the cover of this whole operation?"

"Oh, you mean like how the online guy is doing. Like anyone believes him."

We stared at each other for almost a full thirty seconds before he groaned, "You don't believe him, do you?"

"I don't know." I pondered it. "It's just... they deleted our posts. He might be onto something."

I heard the notification go off. I rushed to my computer. I waved Phil over for him to read the message, too.

BirdsEyeView: Not here. They're watching. Follow this link. Before they delete it.

Which he promptly sent over.

"So, that's a virus." Phil declared without hesitation.

"You don't know that." I winced, unsure. Time was a sensitive matter. I didn't have a lot of time to debate it.

"I wouldn't risk it." Phil stated. "You don't know where it will take you."

"But he's right. They are watching."

"You don't even know who he is."

"No. But maybe he can help."

"By spouting nonsense?"

"He's the only one that seems like he knows something." I tried to reason for it. I wanted to believe that this man meant well. If he saw me as an ally, surely, he wouldn't set me up for failure. Unless he was some kind of troll and was definitely setting me up for failure.

There was really only one way to know and not a lot of time to wait.

I bit my lip, looked at Phil, then scrolled to the link.

He sighed, "Just do it."

I nodded, took a deep breath, and then I did.

It took me to a strange site. The outlay of it was dark with white font. It looked a little bit like TellAll. Except apparently, this site was called Fiddler. Phil and I both looked a bit confused. It asked for me to make an account. With nothing better to do except homework, I did.

I used the same username. HawkwardMoments.

People posted loosely on the comment board. Turns out, my choice of name fit right in.

BirdsEyeView: They're programmed to behave like normal birds.

FowlMouth: They are normal birds, idiot. They just have chips implanted in them.

RavenMad: Programed to explode. They're testing new weapons.

PheasantSurprise: Basically, flying grenades.

BirdFlew: They're infected. That's why they can't drink the water.

RobinBanks: Their chips interfere with the electricity.

Phil and I looked at each other again. What had we stumbled across. I felt like I shouldn't be here. Like I was doing something wrong. Which was exactly what the men in black would have wanted me to feel, I'm sure.

I decided to join in.

HawkwardMoments: So... what exactly are the birds?

BirdFlew: They're just birds.

BirdsEyeView: They're drones.

RavenMad: Bro, they're seriously just birds.

HawkwardMoments: Has anyone here actually seen a bird up close?

FowlMouth: Duh. That's why I said they're just regular birds.

BirdsEyeView: They try to silence me because I speak the truth!

"I think you've stumbled upon the biggest group of bird nerds on the planet." Phil rubbed his head. "At least it wasn't a virus. That you know of."

HawkwardMoments: Does anyone else feel like the birds are watching them?

SweetTweet: That's because they ARE!

BirdsEyeView: Exactly. If there's birds watching you, then THEY are watching you.

That was comforting to think about. I got up from my computer to go look out my window. Unfortunately, it was too dark to see the tree branch in the yard. If I was being watched, I wouldn't know it. But I did see something that troubled me. My windowsill. The snow that had collected on it had been disturbed. Only a little bit. Just a single dip in the snow as if something had been sitting there in my window watching me.

My stomach felt uneasy. I closed the blinds again.

Phil had taken it upon himself to type in my stead.

HawkwardMoment: Who are all you people?

FowlMouth: Who are you? Oh yeah. The genius who can't figure out why we use code names.

RobinBanks: Smells like a narc.

HawkwardMoments: Don't burn me at the stake.

I looked him over, "You really thought they would tell you?"

"I just wanted to know if they lived in town or not." He shrugged. "Didn't know they would get their panties all in a bunch."

"Do you believe me now?" I folded my arms. "That there is something going on? That I'm not the only one who sees it. That these agents are up to something."

"I never doubted you for a second." He half smiled. "But seriously. You know I have your back. We will figure this out, man. One way or another."

"Oh, I know we will." I said firmly. "Because I intend to catch a bird. And you're going to help me."