Vultures on the field: A quiet Communion

"I was sitting on the bleachers at my old high school and there were vultures on the field. Just a few at first, then more, all walking around like they were looking for something they dropped. I had a sandwich. I remember that clearly. I was just eating it and watching them. One flew up to my row and sat a few feet away. Didn't beg. Didn't even look at the sandwich. It just sat there with me. We watched the others together. A coach I never had blew a whistle somewhere and the birds all lifted off at once. The sound of it was like applause. I kept eating. The one next to me stayed. I offered it a piece of bread. It took it politely. Which is the weirdest part and also the part I can't stop thinking about. Then the field was empty and the sun was going down and I couldn't remember climbing down. I was just on the ground, walking home, crumbs on my shirt. Whistle still going somewhere behind me."