Craaven

Chapter 41: Mortemville, Montana 1988 April 22nd

Edgar's P.O.V

It honestly surprises even me how much I can keep up this act without breaking character even once. I eventually got used to all the little things that would've normally caused me to react; however, when Max presented me with my necklace, it took every single fibre of my being not to smile, laugh, hug him, or do anything. I was so unbelievably happy that I was actually biting my tongue to keep myself from doing anything.

I've been ready to leave this damn place for months now and I wish I could've somehow relayed that to Max so he could've given me the necklace sooner but oh well. I got the necklace finally and that's all that mattered. I was more than ready to finally get out of here and go back to my previous life. I missed being able to wear actual clothes and eat the food that I wanted and use an actual fucking toilet. I don't even want to get into that.

The wait after Max and Steve had left was painstakingly slow. It felt as if time was purposely teasing me to laugh at my suffering further. I hated it. I don't think I ever hated physical therapy more and I disliked it already so that says a lot. It was like everything was going slower just to drive me mad. I just wanted to leave already and never look back.

At last, though, my "bedtime" came and I was finally left alone by the nurses and that damn police officer who always sits outside the door. The room was dark, save for the dim lamp beside me on the nightstand and the hallway lights shining through the slightly open gaps in the blinds on the room window. I kept my gaze on the window while I stretched and moved my aching joints around. I was always sore and achy after every single long day of laying still and not doing anything with my body except the basics. I'm sure I would be a terrible flyer once I get out of here but I need to do something anyway.

I watched the window for a while, waiting patiently for time to pass. I wasn't going to leave right away; I knew the officer and a few nurses would check on me periodically throughout the night to make sure I was still doing okay. I was going to wait for the next nurse to check on me before carrying out my plan. I knew it was going to take a while but it would be worth the wait because soon, I'd be flying to safety. The small clock on my nightstand ticked on and on, reminding me of each second that passed and slowly making me grow impatient.

I waited for what felt like several hours before finally, a nurse showed up to see how I was doing. I pretended to be asleep and she went about wandering around the room to see if I was doing well. She lingered around for a few minutes, which annoyed me but I remained patient and continued to pretend. She eventually left and the sound of the door's latching clicking into place was my starting signal.

I moved slowly, being sure not to raise any suspicion in case the officer peeked through the window to check on me. I started the transformation into a raven, focusing most of the transformation on the hand that was handcuffed to the bed. My fingers slowly turned into long flight feathers and the moment the handcuffs felt loose around my wrist, I slid my hand through the cuff and returned my hand to its normal state. It was too easy and I found it almost comical how simple that plan was.

I gave it a few more minutes, still keeping my gaze on the window to watch for any curious eyes that may peer in. When none came, I quietly slid off the bed and hurried to the window. I wanted this to be as quick as possible so I didn't run the risk of being caught red-handed but it was difficult getting the window open. I was much weaker than I remembered and the window felt as if it weighed over a hundred pounds. It took a while, which spiked my anxiety that I'd be seen; however, eventually, the window slid upwards and the warm night air greeted me like a long-awaited embrace. The smell of the crisp mountain air sent waves of nostalgia throughout my body and a small smile crossed my lips. The smell of the hospital had been ingrained into my head for so long that I had forgotten just how pleasant the forest made the air smell. It was literally a breath of fresh air and it made me more excited to finally leave.