x The ostrich caravan


x I'm in a class that involves a field trip to upstate New York. To get there from New York City, most of our classmates are taking the train. However, a few of us have chosen an alternate transportation method: riding ostriches! We've each rented an ostrich that's big enough that we can ride it like a horse, and we've formed an ostrich caravan.

Our caravan mainly travels through fields, but we occasionally pass gleaming-smooth cement structures with clear blue swimming pools and colorful tile patterns. Near one of these pools, in the middle of nowhere, we stop for a bit. We dismount our ostriches and stretch out.

I decide to photograph my ostrich for a souvenir. My camera's on a strap around my neck, though I suddenly notice I've also got a bulky CD player tied around my neck. As I photograph my ostrich, several large batteries in the CD player tumble out. Many burst, and battery acid splashes my legs. It stings, so -- after removing the camera and CD player -- I jump into the swimming pool to relieve the burning.

I can't continue the trip upstate; my classmates call a doctor for me. They also decide to take my ostrich with them so it can be returned to the ostrich-rental company with its coworkers. My ostrich twists its long neck to give me a plaintive look as it wobbles off into the sunset.