From deep within a comfortable sleep, I get the sense something is wrong. I roll over and mutter, "Wha z at?"
I blink a couple times.
Then I hear it. Mad fluttering and the banging of tiny skulls on metal bars. My parakeets are flipping out.
The sound stops. It's rare that the parakeets get upset enough to fling themselves aimlessly around their cages, but when they do it's dangerous for them. They could really hurt themselves.
So I wait, praying, Stay still. Stay still. Go back to sleep.
They burst back into motion. Flap! Flap! Thud! Flap! Flap! Thud! Flap! Flap! Thud!
"Criminy!" I yell and get up. I stumble over to their cage. But there's absolutely nothing I can do. In the dark, I might as well be a hawk to them. They are out of their minds with fright.
I stare at the dark cage, willing them to knock it the heck off.
A flurry rises from the cages again.
"That's it!" I holler and cross the room. There's only one cure for terrified parakeets who are awake at 4 in the morning.
With resignation, I flip on a night light. In just a few minutes the birds are calm and chattering happily. They think it's morning.
I go back to bed, but can't sleep. My night's rest has been destroyed by the Parakeet Nightmare.