A Vision of Crows

Chapter 15 - Peeking into the Unknown

The door creaked open, revealing the small living room in the entrance. In one corner, there was a single brown couch, with a few patches from different fabrics and a blanket covering the seating. Across from the couch was a small yet elegant wooden table, with an old radio seated on tip. On each side of the table and scattered across the walls were photographs and religious artwork. The walls were white, with a few small cracks here and there.

Cia rushed inside, running into a small hall onto the side, which only held two rooms, one of which was the bathroom. Meg looked at Mr. Avci.

"Should we go in?" she asked.

Mr. Avci held a serious expression, "That man left everything he had to you."

It was not the answer she desired, but it was enough. She took one step inside, then another. It felt strange, as if she were a thief entering a much wealthier man's home. She found herself waiting outside the single bedroom inside the house. Despite the open door, she did not wish to enter.

From inside the room, there was a sound of rustling, until she heard a loud, "A-ha!" At that moment, Cia burst out of the room holding her lizard.

The energy that had been drained had suddenly returned with the mere presence of Nocht the lizard. The girl was beaming brighter than she ever had the whole day.

"Miss! Miss! Look here!" she exclaimed, and then something else popped up in her little head. She ran to the door, yelling, "Mister! Look! Look!"

Meg chuckled to herself. Will was fond of insects, and would often proudly show off a new bug he found, usually rewarded with Liza's shrieks and scoldings from their parents. At least lizards were more pleasant than bugs.

Before she could lose herself in memories of the past that really weren't so long ago, she remembered Mateo telling her about the secret stash of money. One of which was under the bed. She got down to her knees and peered underneath. Within the darkness beneath the bed, she spotted a barely noticeable loose plank of wood. With this, she got up to move the bed until the loose plank was exposed.

She gingerly attempted to lift the wood. It came up easily, revealing a small black box underneath. She picked up the box and held it in her lap. After a moment of hesitation, she removed the lid from the top of the box.

Inside the box was a small bundle of Luceros, held together with a rubber and. Beneath the money was a photograph. Out of curiosity, Meg examined the photo.

In the picture stood Mateo Laverna, happier than ever. Standing next to him was a man whose face heavily resembled Cia's, freckles dotting his nose and cheek. Sitting in front of them was a pregnant woman holding a small boy in her arms. It seemed like a normal family portrait except for the fact that the woman's face had been burnt off, her only visible feature being her long, silky golden hair.

Meg traced the outline of the burnt section of the photo with her finger. Figuring that she should keep the photo, she stuffed it into her bag along with the money. Afterwards, she headed to find the other stash in the kitchen, which she found with little difficulty.

When she returned to the living room, she found Cia asleep on the couch with her lizard curled up on her chest. Mr. Avci stood at the window, looking out.

"It's getting cold outside," he mused.

"Hmm, do you think we should stay here?" asked Meg, slowly approaching him.

"Well, it seems like the best thing to do."

"Mn, I agree."

With these words, the two of them found pillows and lay down on the floor. As the two of the laid down, the embarrassment slowly settled in.

She really didn't know this man in the slightest, and here they were, behaving as if they've known each other for year. It was quite interesting, really, how humans could get along so well so quickly while not knowing each other at all. She felt her face growing slowly warmer until she heard Mr. Avci say," Miss O'Keefe, what are you doing tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" she replied, and began to think. "Well, I'll probably head back to my hotel room to retrieve my items. I assume you'll do the same, won't you?"

"No, I have everything I need with me in my case."

Indeed, he had been hauling a suitcase with him. But it looked more like a work case than a proper suitcase.

"Are you heading back to Arazkara soon?" she asked.

"No, I have nothing to return to there."

"What do you mean?"

"Back in Arazkara, I have no family or wealth waiting for me. And you?"

"Me? Well, I'll probably head back to Farthrin. My family needs me,"

Mr. Avci briefly paused before asking, "If your family needs you, then what are you doing here?"

"Well, it's a long story..."
Mr. Avci chuckled, "I don't mind long stories."

However, Meg felt a twinge in her heart. She had a lot to say, but deep in her heart, despite her yearning to share it with another, even a stranger, doing so would only put her loved ones at risk. And unlike Mr. Avci, she had so much to lose.

"I'm afraid I cannot tell you," she said, her voice growing soft.

"I understand," replied Mr. Avci. "We all have our own circumstances. Well then, goodnight Miss O'Keefe."

"Goodnight."

Soon, Meg felt herself drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

It was still dark when she woke up. As she got up, she could hear Mr. Avci and Cia's soft snoring. A terrible ringing pounded through her head. By now, she instinctively knew what it meant.

She fumbled into the bathroom, and after closing the door, she switched on the dim lightbulb hanging above.

The woman staring back at her in the mirror was so familiar yet so distant. They had the same black hair, the same droopy dark eyes, and the same round face. But now, her eyes were bloodshot, and her clothes were in disarray. Her face was far more serious than usual. She touched her reflection, staring at the spot where the her in this world and the her in the mirror fingers met, before pulling back.

Stuffing the drain with a nearby face towel, Meg turned on the water, filling the sink to the brim. The ringing in her ears only grew louder.

Repeating the same steps over and over again, until her mind became one with the water's image.

In the vision, she found herself in a city filled with large buildings. Cars moved to and from different directions, and a tram could be heard puffing in the distance. The Farthrish architecture was prevalent, and she recognized the place immediately. She was in Soladur, and in front of her was a building that stood out from the rest. It was designed in a strange style, resembling none of the styles she recognized. A man was sweeping the front, and as if noticing her presence, looked in her direction. He smiled.

The vision began to flicker away, and the voice called out, Beware child. People hold secrets that even their closest loved ones do not know. But the spider knows...

Returning to the present, Meg felt more exhausted than she had ever been. Perhaps more than she ever had in the past.

"The spider knows," she murmured and headed back to lay down and sleep.