Mogtober 2022!

5: Murder of Crows

So a murder of crows is a group of crows, but if this is Morrigan Crow related, I decided to do a little thing on the Crows. Enjoy!

Odelle was cursed. She'd been born on Eventide, but the age had been a long age, and she'd grown into adulthood and started a life. She'd met Corvus Crow, a charming, if slightly controlling man, but she'd hidden her date of birth from him. They'd married and lived happily for a few years. Odelle had been happy. She'd even thought that maybe, just maybe, she'd outgrown the curse. That it only worked on children, but no. Instead, the curse had brought about the biggest misfortune of all, and just like always, it didn't affect her but the people around her. And it was worse than usual.

Eventide was approaching, and Odelle was pregnant. And the expected date of birth was eventide. Well, she thought, at least I know how I'm going to die. But my child... oh my poor, dear child. How could I have done this! I will be bringing an innocent child into the world, and she will inherit my curse...

Her pen scratched across the paper of her diary. It was a very old book, with extra pages glued into it. She'd even had to sew different covers onto it to fit the growing size of it. She'd been writing in it ever since she got the book, on her eighteenth birthday, and in the years since she'd never missed a day of writing in it. It was her only proper friend. The only thing that knew about her curse, besides herself and her parents (who she had never known, as her mother died in childbirth and her father had died of disease while her mother had been pregnant)

With a sigh, she signed that day's entry in her diary and instead of hiding it under the loose floorboard like she always did, she fell asleep while holding it. It was comforting to be holding her most important possession. Odelle only had two possessions. Her diary, and her stuffed toy rabbit, Emmet.

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When Odelle woke the next morning, Corvus was sitting on her chair, flicking through her diary, a look of rage upon his face. "Corvus! Don't read that!" Odelle cried in panic. Corvus looked up and through the book at her. Several pages fluttered out and the rest of them crumpled against the floor. Odelle shrank back as Corvus leapt to his feet and raised his fists. 

"I hate you!" He screamed, "You useless, lying woman!" His fist connected with Odelle's head and stars burst into appearance in Odelle's vision. The second hit brought her to her knees. Odelle was vaguely aware of her alarm clock binging to signal midnight. Eventide had begun, and Odelle knew it was only a matter of hours.

"You've cursed us all!" Corvus screamed at her between punches, "I can't believe I ever loved you!" The door to Odelle's room burst open and Ornella, Corvus' mother, appeared. "Corvus! Stop! What are you doing?"

Corvus drew back from Odelle. "This doesn't concern you, mother."

"Yes, it bl**dy well does!" Ornella hissed, "Leave that woman alone! Isn't it clear she's giving birth?!"

Odelle hadn't even felt the pain through the heartbreak of Corvus's anger towards her, but she realized Ornella was right. She could feel herself losing conscience, though, and her vision was dulling. She knew that once she passed out, she'd never wake up again. She had to save her child.

"Ornella," Odelle croaked, her voice hoarse with pain, "The child. Take care of it. Please. Save it." Ornella's gaze met Odelle's and understanding passed between them. Odelle took a breath, and silently said goodbye to the world, then she closed her eyes and let go.

Ok, I didn't expect it to get this sad, sorry. I write a paragraph and yeah, I just let my brain roam and my fingers do all the work, so I don't plan anything. It can make for quite odd chapters, as I found when I wrote my first book (it isn't on Wattpad, although I'm considering putting it into Wattpad.)  I promise I'll try and make some of them happier to make up for it!