What's that? A story? Who'd have thought?

Good afternoon to all of my friends.

I told you before that I was working on a short story. I have finished it, and am ready to give you the world premier of it. I wanted something a little different this week, as in the next week, I will be off on adventure. I'm sure I will have a bit of adventure to share with you in my next post. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this:

The Crow

The field lay before her, miles of cornstalks waiving in the breeze. They almost taunted, teasing with the yellow tips of tassels that glimmer and shine in the rays of sunlight. The road before her was a simple, worn path with nothing remarkable about it. She walked, as she had been doing for miles and miles, completely alone. How she had gotten here, and where she was headed – these are things she really wished she knew. Something in her brain was nagging, whispering messages that were almost gibberish. The temperature was seasonable – that much she was certain of. It felt like late summer or early fall, as there was a bit of a chill in the air, but not cold enough for a jacket. Questions loomed as to where she even was, but she could not shake the fog in her addled brain.

As she continued her perplexing journey, the sun overhead gave the indication that it was nearly noon. She instinctively knew that the journey had begun near dawn. She had no idea why, but she felt if she kept moving, eventually this would all make sense somehow. As she struggled for clarity, overhead she saw a large shadow approaching. Her body went into fight or flight mode, as she crouched down, trying to make herself seem minuscule. The ominous shadow continued to get closer, and the outline became wings. It appeared to be a large crow– far larger than any she had ever seen. It gradually began its descent, and settled gently down a mere 15 feet from where she was trying to avoid detection. It cocked its head as it seemed to study her, looking at the fear in her eyes. She wanted to run, but something kept her in that spot. The crow inched closer to her as it seemed to sink into her very soul looking into her eyes. She was paralyzed. The crow continued to fixate on her eyes, and she knew that she had to move. Summoning all of her inner strength, she slowly rose – maintaining a visual connection with crow while she backed away. The crow cocked its head as she backed away, almost as if it were trying to process why she would leave.

She had inched away quietly and at a snail’s pace, but was finally far away from the inquisitive eyes of the crow. She felt an urge to run, but yet each time she glanced behind her, the crow was nowhere to be seen. She began to question: Was the crow real, or just a figment in my damaged brain? All she knew for sure was what she could feel internally – that she must keep moving. The fields continued on for what seemed like an eternity. She actually could not see an end to the corn, just miles and miles of tassels. Then it happened. Her isolated silence was interrupted when a man stepped out of the cornfield.

He looked to be just an ordinary man – about 5 foot 10, brown hair, average build. Yet something about his eyes is what struck her. His eyes were a deep swirling blue, and as you looked into them, you felt completely tranquil. It was if the mere act of glancing at this man took away all of your cares and worries. How odd. He walked towards her, and she did not fear him, as she had feared the crow. He was quite handsome in a unique way. The silence shattered as he spoke.

“Kara, do you know where you are?” the blue eyed man asked calmly. She let that roll around in her mind before she thought of a response. She took the name first – Kara – and tried to imagine that this was indeed her name. She was still so foggy on all of it. She attempted to speak, but it was as if the words would not come, no matter how much she forced them to. The man looked at her, and said again, “Kara, I am asking if you know where you are. Are you trying to answer?” She was looking deep into his eyes, trying to convey her struggle to speak. He then took her hand, and said, “It’s ok. I know this is all very confusing for you. Please take your time. I am not going anywhere. I am here to help you.” Slowly, they began to walk together down the unending path. She glanced at him from time to time, but his focus seemed to be strictly to walk forward, holding her hand. If she wobbled at all, his arm steadied her, and guided her along the way.

When he broke the silence, she knew something bigger was in play. The skies above, which had been an overcast dull unremarkable grey was now beginning to become clear with big white cotton candy clouds. She heard a screech behind them, and turned. There was the crow, still staring her down – and now following them both. The man paid the crow no mind – it was almost as if he did not see the large bird. She tried to ignore the crow, but this time, it was no longer silent and merely staring. It began to screech, and inch ever closer to her. She clutched the man’s arm tightly, and he spoke, “Kara? What’s wrong? Can you hear me?” The crow became more menacing by the moment, and she found herself once again overcome with fear. The skies clouded over again, and there was a huge crack of lightening. She was scared of storms, but it also appeared that the more intense the lightning got, the crow did not like it either. She could hear the thunder, but it sounded like a bunch of garbled conversation. The louder the thunder, the more agitated the large crow became. The third lightning strike forced the crow to fly. She breathed a huge sigh of relief.

During the whole interlude with the crow, the man had clutched her arm tightly – he apparently did not see the crow, but sensed her agitation and distress. She was immensely grateful for this. The tightening in her chest was starting to subside a bit. The breathing was less labored, and she looked into the man’s eyes once more. The shining blue pools calmed her, and she felt at ease again. She looked off to the right, and out of the corn, another person arrived. This was a small child – a little boy. The boy looked familiar, but she could not place him. His face was so cherubic and tranquil that it instantly put her at ease – in the same way that the man’s eyes did. The young boy looked at her, and raised his finger to his lips in a shushing manner.

She understood. It was a secret that the little boy was here. She sat down, the man looking at her, not understanding why she needed to sit. “Kara? I need you to focus on me. Come on Kara. You can stay with me.”

The small boy opened his mouth and revealed the secret. “Mama?” a shy little voice rang out. He walked to her and held his little hand up to hers. “Mama, will you stay with me? I’ve missed you so much,” the little boy said to her. Mama? Why did that feel right? Where did the little boy want her to go? The man seemed to sense her confusion, and gently stroked her left arm. He reached out and touched her face. “Kara, I love you. I am right here. I won’t leave you,” the man said to her. Her mind was telling her that the man was someone important too. The child and the man – what was happening? Yet the idea of being the child’s mom seemed right. She felt a connection to the child. She stooped down, and looked into the small boy’s eyes. The eyes she looked into were the same as the eyes of the man.

Her arms reached out, and she took the small boy into her arms, and instinctively said, “Mama loves you very much…Jamie. I am not going to leave you.” She felt her body relax, and it was instantly easier to carry Jamie, the little boy. She turned and squeezed the man’s arm. Her mind called him Kyle, and she knew that she loved him too. He started to call her name “Kara! Kara! Please don’t leave me. I will be all alone. I can’t lose you both!” His voice was intense at first, but then slowly began to fade. She carried Jamie across the road, and was able to see a light amidst the corn. It felt as though they were both floating. The light was their destination, and she carried Jamie the entire way until the light warmed them both, and welcomed them into a place of comfort.

Kyle was at Kara’s bedside and knew that it was over. The accident, which had first taken the life of their son, Jamie – now was going to take Kara’s light as well. He wept bitterly, but he looked up at the window. There was the largest crow he had ever seen, and it was staring at him. In its beak was Kara’s locket, and in the locket was a picture of Jamie. The crow carefully laid the locket on the window sill, and flew away.

Until we meet again, my friends.

Angie French (I never get tired of typing that!)