“It’s not working”-Megyn Kelly, after trying the Starbucks restroom code multiple times

“Yeah. I tried that.”-Megyn Kelly after a barista gives her the correct restroom code

The barista gets out from behind be counter to help. “A real production,” Megyn Kelly says to a customer waiting nearby; they don’t reply.

“Thanks,” Megyn says to the barista without looking at them, closing the bathroom door behind her.

Megyn turns on the sink and lets the water run, looking up at herself in the cold fluorescent light. She feels something in her chest. Something sharp, something ugly

She coughs and coughs. Clutching her chest, then her throat, as she feels it rise. This terrible, ugly thing.

Finally, she coughs it out into the sink, her eyes bloodshot; Megyn holds it up in front of her, under the light. An entire crow. Ruffling its feathers, flicking its talons. It looks at her with black, endless eyes for a moment, silent and empty. Then it caws.

It perches on the sink, and Megyn backs up. She gets a paper towel and dries her face, never taking her eyes off the crow. The crow paces a little, moving its head from side to side.

Megyn unlocks the door and steps out, closing it behind her. She carefully walks by a few customers, then by the counter, looking at the barista who helped her before; they’re quiet, waiting for her to speak. “That restroom is disgusting,” Megyn says. She leaves.