Beyond

Ⅰ

The sudden chill in the basement forced me to pull my sweater tighter against my body, searching for any semblance of warmth against the stale air. Despite working in this museum for years, my body had refused to grow accustomed to the dry cold required to preserve the artifacts.

My hands wrapped around a steaming cup of coffee, straining my eyes to focus through the dim lights at the endless pages of research messily strewn about. I hunched further over the desk, feeling my glasses slip down the bridge of my nose.

"Lenore," Elias, called out from the top of the stairwell.

Peering over my glasses at the illuminated stairwell, I watched distractedly as he took long strides. His suit constrained and conformed to tense biceps effortlessly carrying a large wooden crate.

His presence made me feel self-conscious of my disheveled appearance. My back straightened and my hands smoothed out the unpolished wrinkles in my shirt before pushing back the dark strands of hair that hung like a curtain around my eyes. Gathering my research into my hands, I stacked the pages neatly against the edge of the desk, returning my attention to Elias' nearing position.

His attention made me uneasy. In all the time I had known him I couldn't put my finger on the reason behind it. I wanted to blame it on the attraction I felt towards him, but somehow it was more than that.

Particles of dust scattered into the stagnant air as he dropped the crate against my desk.

"I don't understand how you can work down here," he covered his mouth with the inner crook of his elbow, letting out a reverberant sneeze.

"And I don't understand why you bother to bring donations to me when I have two capable hands and feet," I countered, watching the dust settle again.

"Touché," he chuckled, grasping the bridge of his nose to stop another sneeze from escaping. "Maybe I just can't resist any opportunity I have to see you."

My eyelashes fluttered in avoidance of his blatant flirtation, allowing my eyes to settle on the concrete floor. I couldn't bring myself to meet the heat within his gaze.

"You don't mean that," I cleared my throat, watching his playful smile disappear.

An awkward silence clung to the air for a moment before he lifted his chin towards the crate. "Courtesy of an anonymous donor."

I stood from my chair to lean over the wooden crate, ignoring Elias' lingering stare at the gape of my blouse's neckline. "How peculiar," I muttered. "This donor didn't happen to leave any information?"

"None at all, I found the crate in my office this morning. Warren must have received it last night," he casually shrugged. "But you are an excellent archivist. I have full confidence in your ability to solve the mystery of whatever lies inside. That's why I pay you."

I let out a frustrated huff of air, realizing that I had no background information about the contents or its previous owner. "Thanks for your help as always," I couldn't help the thick sarcasm that coated my words.

"When you figure it out, you know where to find me," he began to slowly retreat towards the stairwell, leaving me with a wink.

I glared at his disappearing figure, glancing at the clock against the wall. A small sigh escaped my lips, it was nearly 5 o'clock. The mental exhaustion of the day hammered through my head. Whatever was in that crate would have to wait for a detailed analysis tomorrow.

I promptly switched off the desk lamp and shoved my arms inside my coat. Slinging a heavy bag over my shoulder, I walked up the stairs and into the shadows of the street.

The crisp fall air felt refreshing compared to the stale air of the basement. I shoved the key into the ignition of my car, listening to the stuttering of the engine before it roared to life.

The streetlights seemed to flicker the further I ventured away from the main street, exaggerating the glow of the full moon against the sky.

The drive to my mother's resting place was quiet. It was an old graveyard with a history spanning back to the 18th century. Thousands had been laid to rest beside my mother, but yet no one seemed to venture onto its grounds in years.

I parked in the empty lot, slipping underneath the veil of darkness. I cringed at the screech of the rusted car door I slammed behind me, somberly looking at the familiar hill in the distance.

Dried leaves crunched beneath my boots as I walked up the steep hill towards my mother's grave. The usual calming feeling was nonexistent, replaced by a sense of dread that hung heavy in the thick fog that kissed each headstone.

"Mother," I sighed, allowing my hand to glide over the cold stone. "I miss you."

I eased myself onto the grass, watching my legs disappear within the fog. The night dew seeped through my pants, leaving the fabric cold and clingy against my skin. Closing my eyes, I leaned back against the face of the headstone.

"I feel so alone in this world without you." I murmured, listening to my words vanish into silence.

A shrill caw of a crow cut through the quiet, causing my eyes to snap open. Everything was suddenly blurry from the opaque fog that had grown to cover the ground completely.

I stumbled around startled by the disturbance as another shrill caw reached my ears. My body moved of its own accord towards the source of the noise and into the tree line on the outskirts of the graveyard.

Hidden within the trees, concealed beneath overgrown moss and vines were crumbling headstones, withered with age. It felt desolate, appearing to be untouched by a living being for centuries.

My eyes focused on the shadow of a crow perched on top of a headstone. Its yellow eyes pierced through the fog, watching me from a distance. My limps grew heavy under its stare. It felt like a warning of what was to come.

I moved to take another step forward when the crow let out another piercing caw, extending its wings to their full span. I stumbled backwards, glancing once more into those yellow eyes before escaping back in the direction I came.

I searched for a sense of relief when I reached my car and climbed inside, but I could not shake the uneasiness that ran through my veins the further I drove away.

The keys rattled in my hands before I placed them on the counter. Despite being inside the comfort of my apartment, I remained unsettled from those yellow eyes staring back at me.

Peeling out of my sweater and damp pants, I popped off the cork of a bottle of wine, taking a large swig.

A burst of laughter escaped me. "It was a bird, a fucking bird," I giggled at my foolishness, running a hand aggressively down my face. "What is wrong with me?"

I took another large gulp of wine, relishing the slight burn that slid down my throat and the buzz that eased my anxiety.

A familiar numbness settled in my bones as I crawled into bed. I let it fester within until my eyes fluttered shut, the image of those yellow eyes burned into my mind.