mitch?
i thought i saw your car. what are you doing in town?
a what?
how do you do, miss daniels? acknowledge a what?
oh. i see.
across at brinkmeyer's.
you did say birds?
lovebirds, i see.
seven o'clock, same as usual.
there's nothing wrong with those chickens, mitch. i'm going to call fred brinkmeyer right now.
he sold the feed to me, didn't he?
whose side are you on?
never mind the law. cathy, you can start serving the soup.
this won't take a minute, miss dan.  hello, fred? this is lydia brenner. i didn't interrupt your dinner, did i? fred, that feed you sold me is no good. the chicken feed. the three bags i brought.
well, it's just no good. the chickens won't eat it. they're always hungry, fred. i opened one of the sacks when i got home, and i poured it out for them, and they wouldn't touch it. now you know chickens as well as i do, and when they won't eat, there's just something wrong with what they're being fed, that's all. no, they're not fussy chickens. who? what's he got to do with it? fred, i don't care how much feed you sold him. my chickens.  he did? dan fawcett? this afternoon? well, that only proves what i'm saying. the feed you sold us is.  oh. oh, i see. uh-huh. uh-huh. uh- huh. maybe i ought to go over to see him. you don't think there's something going around, do you? no, never. no, fred, they don't seem sick at all. they just won't eat. mmmm. mmmmm. well, i'll try to get over to dan's farm. maybe he'll.  mmmmm.  mmmmm.  all right, fred, thanks.
he got a call from dan fawcett a little while ago. his chickens won't eat, either.
no, cathy. he sold mr. fawcett a different brand. you don't think they're getting sick, do you, mitch?
then you knew mitch in san francisco, is that right?
cathy!
in a democracy, cathy, everyone is entitled to a fair trial. your brother's practice.
she's a charming girl, isn't she, mitch?
and certainly pretty.
how long have you known her?
in a bird shop.
she was selling birds.
but she did buy the lovebirds and then brought them all the way.
forgive me. i suppose i'm just naturally curious about a girl like that. she's very rich, isn't she?
you'd think he could manage to keep her name out of print. she's always mentioned in the columns, mitch.
she is the one who jumped into that fountain in rome last summer, isn't she?
perhaps i'm old-fashioned. i know it was supposed to be very warm there, mitch, but.  well.  actually.  well, the newspaper said she was naked.
it's none of my business, of course, but when you bring a girl like that to.
yes?
well.  so long as you know what you want, mitch.
are they gone?
well.  well, is everyone all right?
what's the matter with all the birds?
hurry up with the rest, mitch. i'm sure miss daniels wants to get on her way.
yeah, and the freeway's well-lighted, isn't it, mitch?
yes, i did.
tell him about the party.
the children were playing a game, al. those gulls attacked without.
these birds attacked!
dan?
dan?
hi, there!
is mr. fawcett home?
have you seen him this morning?
thank you!
here, chick, chick, chick, chick. here, chick, chick, chick, chick.
dan?
dan? are you home?
dan?
dan?
dan? are you in there?
mitch?
oh, thank you.
where's mitch?
why? didn't al believe my story?
then he saw.
what good will they do?
do you think cathy's all right?
cathy. at the school.
do i sound foolish to you?
i keep seeing dan fawcett's face. they have such big windows at the school. all the windows were broken. in dan's bedroom. all the windows.
i wish i were a stronger person. there is a long awkward silence. she sips at her tea reflectively.
i lost my husband four years ago, you know. it's odd how you depend on someone for strength, and then suddenly all the strength is gone, and you're alone. i'd love to relax some time. i'd love to be able to sleep. do you think cathy's all right?
i'm not this way, you know. not usually. i don't fuss and fret over my children. when frank died.  you see, he knew the children, he really knew them. he had the knack of being able to enter into their world, of becoming a part of them. that's a rare talent.
i wish i could be that way.
i miss him. you know, sometimes i wake up in the morning, and i think 'i have to make frank's breakfast,' and i.  i get up and there's a.  a very good reason for getting out of bed until.  until, of course, i remember. i miss talking to him. cathy's a child, you know, and mitch.  . mitch has his own life. i'm glad he stayed here today. i feel safer with him here.
no. no.  don't go yet. i feel as if i.  i don't understand you. and i want so much to understand.
because my son is.  my son seems to be fond of you. and i.  i'm not quite sure how i feel about it. i really don't know if i.  like you or not.
yes, i think so. my son is important to me. i want to like any girl he chooses.
then i don't suppose it'll matter much to anyone but me.
mitch has always done exactly what he wanted to do. i'm not complaining. that's the mark of a man. but.  you see, i.  i wouldn't want to be.  be left alone. i don't think i could bear being left alone. i.  forgive me. this business with the birds has me upset. i.  i don't know what i'd do if mitch weren't here.
i wish i were stronger. do you think she's all right? do you think she's safe at the school?
i couldn't ask you to.
would you? i'd feel so much better.
melanie?
thank you for the tea.
mitch! i'm getting something on the radio!
i can't get any of the local stations. i think this is san francisco.
did you you get the windows in the attic, mitch?
when do you think they'll come?
if there are.  larger birds, mitch.  they'll get into the house.
maybe we ought to leave.
when?
where will we go?
what happens when we run out of wood?
you don't know, you don't know! when will you know? when we're all dead? like annie?
if your father were here.
i'm sorry, mitch.
did you close the door?
no!
they're birds!
mitch.
mitch, get her out of there!
oh, my god, look at her!
let me do that, mitch.
i know you can. but i'd like to.
shhhh. shhhh.
i'm not very good at this, mitch.
i mean. i want to.
they're gone. god have mercy, they're gone.
but they'll be back.
where can we go, mitch? there's no place to go.
we'd never make it. they're probably all over the road.
if.  if.  when we get to san francisco.  if they're already there?
if they are?
i'm frightened, terribly frightened. i.  i don't know what's out there, mitch.
i started to say.  inside.
take them.
mitch!
dear god.  dear god.  please, please, what have we done? please. can't they leave us alone? leave us alone!
we're losing them.