Crowsong for the Stricken by Ted Morrissey
Illustrated by Timothy Tang
DetailsThe village constructed a special awning on their front porch above the door, hung strips of heavy opaque plastic from it to form a kind of chute or anteroom, and initiated the lottery among the men to see who would use the pole to deposit a paper bag of food and medicine before the door. It was a simple, time-honored procedure; a bag with handles would be used. Standing on the strickens’ uneven brick walk, the designee would use the wooden pole to place the bag on the porch, pushing through the strips of heavy plastic, slide the pole from the bag’s handles when the supplies were in position, and then use the pole to thump once upon the door. The stricken knew to wait a full minute before opening the barrier, giving the designee enough time to remove himself off their property and scramble across the street, where the curious would congregate to watch as the door opened and a vague figure emerged through the opening just far enough to retrieve the paper bag before slamming the door shut behind them.