Ted wants your birds. They are for his children: Ted’s children are worms. They did not start this way. Ted’s children drink bird’s blood. This is how they became worms.

Ted’s family lives in a pile of bread crumbs. He imagines he manages an imaginary menagerie. Ted has never imagined doing anything else. His father manages a more successfully imagined menagerie.

Ted’s worms think Ted is a failure. You are a failure, they say in unison.

Ted’s worms paint their bread crumb pile with bird’s blood. The bread crumbs sing a bird song and the worms sing along. Ted does not know the words to the bird song. The worms know the words and everything else Ted does not. Ted does not know he is imaginary. The worms have created him out of branches. Ted is a portal for bird’s blood. He cannot exist without your birds.

Ted needs your birds.