Curiosity Killed The Crow

Chapter 1

My hand cramped as it slid across the logbook for what felt like the hundredth time.  I finished my entry and flexed my fingers, trying to ease the pain.  The other students around me gathered their belongings and headed for the door.  Lilli-Mae, my best friend since fourth grade despite the fact we lived halfway across the US from each other, flirted silently with a boy across the room.

I rolled my eyes as she flipped her highly bleached, highly teased hair over one shoulder and giggled.  It still amazed me sometimes that we managed to be friends at all, let alone best friends.  I picked up another artifact and jotted down a description: item is cylindrical, approximately seven inches in height and is covered in black and white geometric designs.

“Hey Ava, you planning on eating today?” Lilli-Mae asked, her bag already slung across her shoulder.  The boy she’d been making eyes at waited in the doorway, a somewhat soppy grin on his face. 

“Yeah, but I’d like to finish this page first.  I’ll meet you there.”  I turned my attention back to logbook in front of me.  One blank line stared up at me.  I hated leaving anything unfinished.  Lilli-Mae shrugged and bounced out of the room, her arm threaded through the boy’s.

The table I sat at was now empty.  The artifacts had all been logged and put away.  The blank line mocked me.  I glanced at the nearby tables.  Several pieces still sat there.  The other groups had practically stampeded out of the room when our professor had announced dinner, most not even bothering to put their work away.  More logbooks splayed open at odd angles intermingled with pottery and beads.

I reached toward the table next to me with the intent of just grabbing the nearest piece and entering it.  Just to be done with it.  My stomach growled, seconding the idea.  As I stretched across the empty space, my eyes caught on a single piece.  It sat alone on a desk across the room.  Black and white patterns swirled together, so intricate they almost appeared to move.  Completely transfixed, I wanted nothing more than to hold it and stare at it.

I took a step towards it before it dawned on me that it wasn’t part of what we were cataloging.  I pursed my lips and turned away.  A whisper of sound encircled me.  I spun in an effort to find the source but no one had entered the room.  Again the jar filled my view.  I couldn’t see anything else around me.

What’s the big deal?  It’s not like we’re not supposed to touch the artifacts in here.  I strode forward, intent on getting the strange urge to touch it out of my mind.  As I neared it my footsteps slowed.  Maybe this isn’t such a good idea after all.  I mean it is on the professor’s desk…

I was an arm length away when I paused.  The undefined whispering crept through the room again and I blamed the air conditioning.  I stared at the jar, unable to take my eyes off it.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw a hand reach for it.  It took a moment to realize it was mine.  Then another to realize I hadn’t told it to. 

As my foot slid closer my toes caught on the edge of the rug.  I felt myself falling forward, the desk top coming closer.  There was nothing to catch myself on besides the desk…where the jar sat too close to the edge.

Time slowed to a crawl as my outstretched hands scrabbled for the desk and my full weight hit it.  For one hopeful second I thought that would be it; that nothing would happen.  The jar shivered from the impact and horror rocked my body as it picked up momentum and plunged toward the floor.

I lunged, unthinking, for it.  My hands stretched out to catch it.  It hit my palms and rolled off as my fingers clawed at the empty air, milliseconds too late.  As it hit the rug under the table, it rolled, bouncing to a stop against one of the table legs.  A sharp crack echoed through the quiet room and I flinched.