Bill walked out of the kitchen.

"Sure you don't want a coffee?" he laughed, as he headed back to the bedroom.

"Sure youse don't wanna be woke in da middle of da nite wit a 'undred ghosts 'round yer bed?"

Bill stopped and stared at Nanny Dove.

"Really?"

Nanny Dove stared at Bill.

"One jest never knows." 

She laughed an evil laugh.

Bill shivered slightly.

Nanny Dove laughed gently.

"Youse bes too fuckin' easy, Willam. Too fuckin' easy."

"Funny lady," Bill commented, as he went into the bedroom.

After closing the door, he took a clean pair of socks from his duffle bag.

"I need to dig out my suitcase," he muttered to himself, as he sat on the rocking chair to put on his socks.

He stood up and looked out the window.

"Absolutely beautiful," he smiled, as he opened the window. He took a deep breath of the warm salt air.

"This is almost heaven."

He bent down to get a clean t-shirt from the duffel bag.  As he stood up to put on the shirt, he came face to face with a seagull, that was perched on the window sill.

Bill screamed, and fell backward to the floor, landing hard on his ass.

The seagull screeched, as it flapped its wings.

Bill got up quickly to his feet.

"Shoo. Get out of here."

The seagull flapped its wings again and again, screeched at Bill.

Bill looked around for some kind of a weapon. The closest thing he could see was his running shoes. He started to kneel down, but the seagull hopped on the top of the rocking chair and screeched at him again, making a pecking motion.

Bill jumped back again.

"Get out of here."

The seagull made a strange sound.

"Did you just fucking laugh at me?"

The seagull made the strange sound again.

"You are laughing at me, you feathered freak."

Bill lunged at the seagull, flicking his t-shirt at the bird.

The seagull lunged forward and pecked at Bill, hitting him in the head. Bill screamed.

"You fucking ass."

He put his hand to his head. There was no blood.

"You are lucky."

Again the seagull laughed.

"Asshole," Bill barked at the bird.

He started waving the t-shirt at the huge bird, again.

"Get out of my house."

The bird continued to screech, flap its wings and lunge at Bill.

"Get out you monster," Bill yelled.

Suddenly it grabbed hold of Bill's t-shirt, in its beak.

"Let go."

The bird held fast.

"Let go of my t-shirt."

It grunted at Bill.

"I said let go."

"'avin' a bit of an issue, is you Willam?"

Bill jumped slightly and let go of the t-shirt.

The bird laughed again and with a strong flap of its wings, it flew out the window, Bill's t-shirt hanging from its beak.

Bill hurried to the window, watching the seagull fly out over the ocean, his t-shirt hanging from the seagull's beak.

"That was my favourite t-shirt."

"'ow comes youse let that old gull in 'ere?"

Bill turned slowly, to see Nanny Dove standing in front of the bedroom door.

"Don't you knock?"

Nanny Dove turned and made a knocking motion at the door, her hand going through the door.

"Dat bitter?" she laughed.

"Ha, ha," Bill snapped.

"So," Nanny Dove continued, "whys did youse let dat old gull in 'ere?"

"I didn't exactly let it in," Bill defended himself.

"Don't youse knows bitter den to leaves yer window open, 'round 'ere?"

"Obviously not," Bill muttered.

He turned back to the window, as he heard the seagull laughing, once again. The bird let go of the t-shirt and it floated down to the water, several hundred feet offshore.

"Fucking bird."

Nanny Dove laughed.

"Me son, youse shud knows bitter den to let dem scavenger gulls in me 'ouse."

"Like I said, I didn't exactly invite it in."

Nanny Dove turned and walked through the door, laughing.

"And youse be puttin' a shirt on, Willam. I don't wants youse walking 'round me 'ouse 'alf naked."

"Its my house," Bill muttered under my breath.

Nanny Dove appeared in the bedroom again.

"Did youse says somethin' dere, Willam?"

Bill pulled another t-shirt out of the duffel bag and quickly put it on.

"No. No. Just getting dressed."

She smiled.

"Dats what Ise tot."

She disappeared through the door again.

Bill looked out the window again, as he closed it.

He could see a white dot on the water. He let out a long sigh and left the bedroom.

Five minutes later, Bill poured a cup of coffee, as he looked out the closed kitchen window. He saw a gull flying over the ocean, its laughter echoing across the waves.

"Fucking gull."

Bill walked into the living room. Nanny Dove was sitting in her rocking chair, knitting.

"Why does the village allow those killer birds to live here?"

Nanny Dove laughed.

"Willam, me son. Dems birds been 'round 'ere since before we was. Dey does some gud as well, me son."

"Like what? Stealing clothes and scaring the shit out of people?"

"Deys just seagulls, me son. Dey does keep the shoreline clean. Dey will pretty much eats anyting. I knows dey bes a pain in da ass sometimes, but dey does more gud den bad."

She stared at me.

"Just keep youse windows closed or put up da screens."

"What screens?"

"Da screen windows. Asks Matty 'bout dem, me son. Shes will 'elp youse out."

Bill sipped his coffee, as he walked toward the front door.

"Seems I have a lot to learn."

"Yes bye, youse do," she laughed.

"Ha, ha."

Bill opened the front door and stepped outside. It was a beautiful sunny morning.

A seagull flew overhead, laughing.

"I'll get you back, you fucking asshole."

"Making friends I see."

A huge smile came to Bill's face, as he saw Matty walking toward him.

"Good morning."

"Well, I see that you are still here. Never snuck off in the night."

"Well it was touch and go this morning."

Again Bill heard a seagull laugh.

"You hear that. That fucking gull is mocking me."

Matty laughed.

"Yea. I saw a gull flying out over the water with what looked like a t-shirt."

"Yea it was."

"Your t-shirt?"

She started smirking.

"Should I ask?"

Bill shook my head.

"It was an epic battle. One that will haunt me for the rest of my life."

Matty put her hand on Bill's shoulder.

"I will help you put up your screen windows."

Bill looked back toward the house.

"So. I guess you were talking to Nanny Dove?"

Matty nodded.

"She couldn't wait to tell me."

"Busybody old woman."

"She can be at times."

Matty's face quickly got serious.

"So. Did you have time to think last night after I left."

"Not really. I fell asleep as soon as I hit the bed. That bed is so comfortable."

Matty sighed slightly.

"Yea. I loved sleeping in that bed."

She took a deep breath.

"So you still haven't made a decision."

Again a seagull's laughter.

"Yea, I have. Gonna get me a gun and get that seagull."

Matty smiled slightly.

"So, does that mean you are going to stay?"

 "I had a talk with Dave Wells this morning and despite you not being completely honest with me, or him, and the fact that this place is overrun with killer birds, I have decided to stick around."

Matty threw her arms around Bill's waist, spilling both their coffees.

"Thank you so much, Bill."

"Don't thank me yet. I am giving it a week."

"Thank you anyway."

Matty quickly kissed his cheek and momentarily stared into his eyes.

"Ah ...

ah ...

ah ...," Bill stammered.

Matty released him and stepped back.

"Yea, ah ..

so, ah."

"Yea, ah ...

so, ah ... what next."

Matty took a deep breath.

"Ah ... 

yea, next."

She stared at Bill, blushing slightly.

"So, what was the question?"

"Ah, what do we do next?

Maybe meet with the town council?"

Matty nodded.

"Town council. Yea.

What town council?"

"The Bay's town council."

Matty stared at Bill, blankly.

"Council?"

She snapped out of her daze.

"Oh yes. of course. Our council."

She started walking away from Bill, toward the cottage.

"Yea. We have a meeting at three. I will pick you up."

The seagull was still laughing.