Shorts Wars: The Clone Chronicles

Chapter 8

Joe Caines POV

Joe Caine sat at the kitchen table, reading as he sipped his coffee.

He sighed as he looked outside at the morning sunlight as it streaked across the light gray circular table. He watched as a flock of 7 crows swooped past his window in the crystal blue sky, dotted with fluffy, sundusted clouds. "Eleven brings a storm" He muttered out loud, Remembering the counting crows rhyme. He paused for a sec, watching the crows.

"One for sorrow,

Two for mirth,
Three for a death,
Four for a birth

Five for silver

Six for gold

Seven for a secret never to be told
Eight for a promise

Nine is forsworn
Ten is a treasure hidden 'neath thorn

Eleven brings storm
Twelve shall be fair
Thirteen cruel whisper

Fourteen a care

Fifteen a sojourn

Sixteen for home
Seventeen finds you standing alone

Eighteen is good fortune

Nineteen justice done

Twenty the first sign of an end has begun."

He said out loud, in an almost trance-like state, before he shook his head, the rhyme was something stupid he picked up from speed running shorts a while back and it stuck. And now every. Single. God. Damn. Time when he sees a single crow or 10 crows or whatever number he has to say the full rhyme. It drives him nuts.

He glanced back outside, seeing the birds circle around in the woods nearby, probably looking at a carcase he thought bitterly. He was never really a fan of corpses.. Or really anything to do with death. He hated how it could take anyone if they were not careful enough. He just didn't like how it just.. Took anyone and anything.

As Joe Caines mind drifted to that.. He thought of his friends.. He- he didn't want them to substance any sort of life threatening injury.. And the thought of them dying- He shook his head.. He would be ready if anything happened.. He was sure of it. After all, why would he be poring over medical book after medical book? He was going to be ready for anything.

He had to be.

He looked back at the book. He continued to read it, all though he wasn't really focused on the medical book.. He kept thinking about the damn birds. 11 meant a storm was coming.. But that can't be right! It was clear skies for miles around and it would be all week. It was a stupid children's rhyme after all. It meant nothing. He sighed as he closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. This was ridiculous! Thinking about a children's rhyme that isn't true.

Joe Caine took a deep breath in order to calm his rising nerves. He looked outside and nearly fell off his chair. Outside his window were 20 crows. He stared wide eyed as the crows hopped around and watched the window curiously. "20 means the beginning of an end.. Um- That's weird- wait- no its not- Its birds for crying out loud! Nothing wrong with birds right? Yeah.. it's just birds." he told himself.. Although he got even more nervous as he watched the birds.

After a few minutes.. He snapped out of it and shook his head, turning his attention to the book infront of him. He Just stared at the page and just sighed after a while. "Alright.. I need to do something-" he muttered as he picked up his cup of coffee and walked out of the room.. He did Not notice the birds squawking as they flew up into the sky at the sound of distant thunder..