How To Capture The Crow

Chapter Ten

I look back down from the sky and at Raven.

"So...Tonight... You'll kill someone?" I say quietly.

"No" Raven shakes her head and then looks down at her stomach. "That's where I got this wound."

She slowly lifts her shirt up just above her navel and I see her wound. It almost looks as if someone stabbed her. I stare intently at it and then back up at her.

"It won't happen again for 21 days" she says somewhat relieved.

"You should come to my place then... I have some medical supplies to help you heal" I say quickly and then almost immediately regret it.

She just told me she kills whoever she's closest too and that's in 21 days. Why am I so eager to stand in line for the next full moon buffet?

"I mean if you want to." I say quickly trying to back petal my way out of it.

Raven smirks at me as if she can hear me thinking inside my head.

"For now I think it would be best." She says looking back in the distance where the smoke from the church starts to rise mixing with the fog and clouds.

I think to myself quietly as we walk in the dark to my house. Can't she just fly to my house? Why is she walking with me? I shake my head and think about her eyes and how they turn so vacantly pale and silver. I wonder about her family. Did she kill them? Maybe she's not close to them... Maybe she's alone like me. Mayb...

"Emma" Raven says in her raspy tone.

I look over at her and I clear my throat a bit to speak.

"Yeah" I say softly

"There's a way you can kill me" She says in a somber tone.

"I don't want to kill you" I say looking at her strangely.

"You may not have a choice... Just... Here" She says reaching in her pocket and grabbing the knife I once fiddled with in my living room.

She hands it to me and I examine the buttons on it remembering one makes it pop out of its thick encasement.

"It's silver." She says putting her hands in her pocket as we walk. "Silver burns and takes weeks to heal"

"Is that what happened with your stomach? Someone used silver on you?" I say confused.

"Let's just say I warned her too" She says reaching in her pocket for her pack of cigarettes.

I stop walking and I suddenly feel sick. She... baits us. I say to myself looking at the knife. She knows we can't fight her and win, but she still gets close to us knowing that one day she will kill us. I think to myself how many of US are there or... were there.

"Does it make you feel better" I say to her watching her stop a few feet ahead of me.

"At least you tried right? Knowing I'll never be strong enough to kill you! Knowing you'll pursue me until I'm dead, but I bet it helps knowing you give me this!..." I speak loudly and take the knife throwing it at the ground by her feet.

She turns and stares back at me putting the cigarette in her mouth and slowly lighting it.

"You know I don't stand a chance" I say walking up to her slowly "You'll kill me anyway. Even if I fight and maybe I'll get in one good stab, but I'll still die trying." I feel my body heat up with anger and I take the cigarette out of her mouth and throw it on the ground stomping it out.

"Emma, even if I wanted to stop I couldn't! I can't feel anything! I can't remember anything!" She says raising her voice a bit and grabbing my shoulders, her eyes turning light silver again.

She slowly closes her eyes and takes a long breath calming herself down and then letting me go.

"there's phases" She says still calming herself down. "There's me." She says looking in my eyes. Her eyes blue as the ocean again. "This is what will trick you into thinking I'm human. This is what you'll get close to... Then there's the beginning... Anger, fear, pain any strong emotion... My eyes change, my body feels the curse starting to take over, but I can still stop it. Then Midway, my skin... It starts to turn dark. At this point it's harder to come back, but still possible. Then... I'm gone. I lose everything that is me and I have to kill... and eat, or... I never come back.

I stare deep into Ravens eyes and I can see the fear within her. It's the same fear I have. Everyone around me is dead or soon to be, and it's the same with her. That's why I can't help but to be around her. She's just like me lost and alone.

Raven picks up the knife then turns and starts to walk away. I stare at her as she gets further and further away until.

"Wait!" I say running after her "Raven!" I say running a bit faster.

I finally catch up with her and she stops I wrap my arms around her chest and I hold her close to me.

"I'll help you..." I say looking up into her eyes as I hold her.

Slowly letting go she hands me the knife. I rub it with my fingers and then look back up at her.

"I think... I have a plan..." I say and then continuing to walk home with her