rides the thermals above an urban sprawl riven by fires, floods, and earthquakes. smog hangs in the air like an army of ever-present ghosts. we pass over a roof where someone has painted a smart-ass welcome mat for the benefit of anyone flying overhead - "go back". nevertheless, we continue on.
sweeps down into man-made caverns of pigeon-shit concrete and grimy glass. through the bird's eyes we glimpse the city's silent homeless. automobile hulks littering the streets like insect husks. the shifting searchlights of police helicopters.
perched on a nearby rooftop, watching them.
flies on ahead, landing atop one of the piles, staring down into the water.
flies alongside ashe.
lands on a telephone wire, studying the warehouse.
spirals down from a telephone wire, landing atop the handlebars of ashe's motorcycle.
flys past a line of palm trees which burst into flames.
is sitting atop one of the cars, watching him.
plunges down from the night sky, wings flapping madly, quickly gaining on curve like the breath of death.
soars higher for a bird's eye view, tracking curve's progress as it sweeps past chimneys, swerves around billboards, ducks under laundry lines.
lands on ashe's outstretched hand.
flies down from the rafters, landing on the floor at sarah's feet. it caws at her, trying to communicate.