Counting Crows

XII; TEN FOR A WISH IN IGNORANCE TOLD

June 17th, 148 AS

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"Uncle!" Tempesta yells as she runs into the cemetery. "It's Aunt Kal!"

"What about Kal?"

She folds over as she tries to catch her breath. "She got attacked by something heading to the Golding Estate. She's there right now!"

I started running toward the back of the cemetery. I reached the fence and quickly jumped over it. The gravel crunched beneath my feet as I landed on the path.

What happened to Kalonice?

What attacked her?

Is she okay?

Where are Acanthus and Roisin?

I ran into the Golding estate.

"Where's my wife?!" My breathing was quick and I looked around frantically.

Kalonice's Uncle approached me, looking furious. "Why do you think you can barge in here like you own the place?"

"I want to know where my wife is," I said through gritted teeth.

"Kalonice is in good hands, now leave."

I stepped closer to him. "I didn't say I wanted to know how my wife was. I said I want to know where she is. It would be a shame if something were to happen to you, something involving three little black birds."

"You keep those devils and your curse out of my estate!"

Kalonice's Aunt walked up behind him. "Let him go to her." He softened underneath his wife's touch. "She's up the stairs, last door to the left."

Quickly, I ran up the stairs and down the hall. All of the doors were open but one. The very last door. Worried voices drifted out of the door.

I open the door. A few Golding women were around Kalonice as she lay on the bed. Blood soaked bandages and towels covered the general vicinity around her. Candles and bundles of herbs were lit all over the room.

"What are you doing here?"

I took a step into the room. "I'm here for my wife."

"Step outside and close the door, we're not done with her. You can see her after. You'll only bring bad luck to her if you stay."

A pit in my stomach starts to grow as I close the door. I lean against the wall and slide down it as tears start to form.

My breath starts to get shaky as I sit there.

This was my fault. I'm the reason why Kalonice can't live a normal life. We always have to be worried about what's going to happen next.

Why did she marry me? I couldn't tell you. I warned her about the curse, how it'll affect her too, but she didn't care. Maybe she should have. Then she'd be safe from beasts attacking her or losing children. Acanthus and Roisin don't deserve it either. They are forced to be around me. Maybe the crows were right in not letting us have children.

I only seem to cause them harm.

Pets dying because the crows felt like it. We stopped getting them pets after a few years, it was never worth it. They never asked for any either.

My panic attacks that would surface whenever I saw three crows. They'd be confused when I couldn't breathe. It wasn't until they were fifteen Kalonice sat them down and told them the story about the three crows, how they had killed my brother.

They never had any friends because of me. None of the school kids wanted to be friends with the kids who had a cursed father. They thought the curse would rub off on them. They had each other at least.