Summary

“A Loudness of Screechers” is from the perspective of a young girl named Sorai, who notices large screecher birds appear on her walk home from school with Josh and Andrew, boys her age who tease her. She threatens to tell the screecher to snatch them.

Before Christmas, the screechers had increased their numbers that the sky was black, full of the birds. Everyone stayed inside and important men were having a discussion in Sorai’s father’s study. Her father comes out of the study, hugging the children and crying, telling them that he and their Uncle Charles loves them very much.

Uncle Charles walked outside and bowed before the birds who swarmed down to him. Sorai’s father grabbed a shotgun and approached the door, but the men held him...