The turquoise Bird and the whispering Crowd

"I dreamed I was at this crowded outdoor gathering full of strangers, though my old high school principal was standing near the food tables. Someone whispered a rumor to him about me and his daughter from years ago, and suddenly everyone started giving me cold looks and walking away. I felt completely isolated, so I went to sit by myself on a concrete bench in an empty courtyard. Suddenly, a huge, brilliant bird—larger than me, with smooth, shimmering turquoise feathers like a peacock—let out this gorgeous, echoing call and landed on the roof above me. It hopped down right beside my bench and let me stroke its head. Gradually, the whole crowd wandered over, watching us in silence, and for a moment I felt this deep sense of validation. Another giant bird landed next to a friend from my childhood, but as the crowd pressed in, getting noisy and grabby, the birds panicked. I stood up and shouted at them to fly off, watching them soar away into the clouds, completely unbothered by what anyone thought anymore."