A Bird’s Caw

by Chi Steadman

Long wavy hair laid sprawled amidst the floor. The pale color was quick to be darkened by a shadow looming over. The figure was cloaked in darkness far as the young lady could make out. A break in, that was her thought first. But that thought was fast to flee her mind as she stared up at the lanky figure. Two circular eyes, wide like a bug’s but as docile as a bird’s.

Her hand was quivering as it reached towards anything she could grab. A light, a box, even a shoe would allow her nerves to be at some bit of peace. Eventually, she felt something, before extending her hand a little bit more to grab hold of it. It had a long and cylinder shape to it, with a couple of notches that her fingers just couldn’t rest on properly. It was returning to her, in a hasty manner to say the least. She could now remember what had happened right here in her room.

Corvina was her name. A young lady who was hosting a party, one for Halloween one could assume with the lights shaped as pumpkins and bats. She had come into her room to get away from all the racket of those around her.

The girl offered a humorless laugh as she grazed her fingers over the cylinder, trying to find something, anything, to prove it is what she needs right now. Despite the attempted laugh, it came out more like a choked sob. Her hand finally flicked a switch on the tube. A bright, but controlled, beam of light shined through one of the ending cavities.

Corvina lifted the flashlight as it flickered to life. A costume, it had to be. Maybe someone stayed after all the festivities, concerned about the woman who laid propped up on the floor now. She shined the light directly to where she hoped she could see the crow’s identity. She knew everyone who came, their costumes, and even all the gossip they spoke about. She felt like her headache was returning all too soon. Maybe it was the fear falling down her spine and clamping her to the floor, leaving an ache she just couldn’t place. First her chest, then her head, then both.

She was met only by someone wearing a mask in what she could guess was a dark cloak. A crow’s mask to be exact. The black attire was quick to absorb the light, while still allowing some to reflect. Corvina was confused by this, morbidly curious.

She didn’t recall seeing someone dress up as a crow, especially not a grown adult. She snickered a bit as she stood up. The restraints of fear now melting away and being replaced by humor. Adrenaline washed away as her hands reached to the sides of the mask, as if she was about to cup the face of a beloved friend.

Corvina realized she was speaking to the other, but even her own words didn’t register in her head. And she could only assume they didn’t reach the other’s ears due to the silence.

“Here, let me help.” Corvina’s smile was just shy of a smirk as she started to peel the mask off. It didn’t budge though. Latex maybe? That’s some pretty heavy duty latex for something silly like this.

She tried to find an edge of the mask, her eyes now wide as her lips slipped from a smirk to a simper. Her focus kept darting to all sorts of areas as she tried to pinpoint where the mask came off. The feathers were soft to the touch, too realistic.

She tried to come up with excuse after excuse to make up for what she is feeling right now.

Finally, her hands came to a slow, hesitant halt on the nape of the crow’s neck. This wasn’t a costume.

Something burnt at her waterlines as she stepped back. Her lips now pursing themselves. She didn’t even have to command them to do so. Fear already barked out the order.

There was a thud, and Corvina was quick to look down, and realize what she just dropped. Her flashlight was no longer in hand and she could only see the eyes of the crow figure. That wasn’t a bird, but it definitely wasn’t a human. Corvina could only step back again. Whatever it is, it wasn’t hostile, but it wasn’t easy on the eyes.

She quickly bolted out of the room.

She was never a fast runner, and the dress she wore had a myriad of layers and extra embellishments. It was a pain to run in, and it incensed her every time the cloth attempted to hug the toe of her shoes. But it wasn’t long until Corvina was out of the room. She glanced back. She was always told by her father to just run when in danger, but when there’s some humanoid bird after you, it just becomes a game of “early bird gets the worm.” If she wasn’t fast enough, then that figure will be.

But she realized after a moment, that the bird did not follow. It just stood there, watching as Corvina ran in the dark like some fool. She swore her heart just took a swan dive out of her chest. She didn’t even run all that far, and the bird looked like it was just mocking her distance.

A couple more steps backwards, and Corvina found herself propped against a cabinet she had left open during the party. The harsh burn of the coldness hit her shoulders and she gave a small yelp. The bird simply tilted its head in intrigue.

She froze in place. It wasn’t the cabinet’s temperature that elicited it, it was the bird-like person with a tilted head, eyeing her like she was fascinating. She didn’t know if birds were actually as sadistic as she was starting to think they were. She also didn’t want to find out by being an example.

Finally falling still, Corvina realized just how disoriented she was. Her head hurt, her senses felt flooded yet were not, and her breathing was all over the place. Some breaths were short and harsh, while others were longer and softer. An attempt to find a middle ground felt futile at this rate.

Corvina glanced around, contemplating what to do, but every time she tried her neck would snap her back to the two white circles eyeing her in the dark. Her hands started to shuffle around in the cabinet, allowing her to finally take her eyes off of the birdlike being.

After enough rummaging, Corvina pulled out a silver plate. Good enough, she figured, and walked up to the bird person. She held the plate out as if the shiny material was an offering.

The bird observed it, tilting its head.

Left, then right, then left again.

Finally, it leaned down, as if kneeling to match Corvina’s height, and used it’s beak to poke at the plate lightly. Corvina flinched, worrying it’d hit her thumb that was clutching the plate harshly. Only to realize the bird continued to muse with light pecks to the platter.

As if it was testing the quality, the bird paused its poking then looked up at Corvina. She gently nudged it to the birdlike creature, and it had no hesitation to take the shiny platter. The bird stood straight to look at Corvina, now it’s head had to tilt down to look her in the eyes. She could only hope that its appraising of the plater was a good one.

The only noise that left the young woman was a small whimper as she took a step back. But once she did, the bird cawed. The sound was loud, almost agonizing to be so close to.

Corvina naturally covered her ears as the bird stepped back multiple times to the corner. She watched as it did this, confused by the behavior but decided it was best to not question it.

The bird just perched there, falling to a fetal position as other shiny items laid in an unassembled stash.

Corvina blinked a few times and then sighed. She ushered over to turn on the light.

The figure remained but seemed much more content now. It was still in her room so she didn’t know what to do about that. Legend says a crow can be a great friend with daily offerings, so maybe this’d be her new friend.

She mused the idea a while longer before going to her bed, and flopping down onto the soft material. The blankets began cocooning her as if they were laid out just for that, to allow the pale girl some well needed rest.

She’d leave the lights on, just for this one night.