Back to Human

Chapter Five

When morning comes, I don't feel rested but still make my way to the lounge. I tiredly sit down and wait as the clock ticks.

Cooper joins me not a minute later and we sit together in silence. I'm not in the mood for chit chat. The witch ushers us into the carry cages yet again before securing us in her car.

The witch dropped me off at the construction site with the same warning to met her there 7 sharp. It never ceased to amaze me that she expects me to keep time without a watch.

I was in a foul mood today, lack of sleep, anger at the witch and despair rolled into one.

I slipped between some temporary fencing surrounding the work site before starting my search. I halfheartedly searched for Jaeden around the building site.

I got some curious stares from other works and two tried to shoo me off but I kept looking for Jaeden. I eventually found him operating a crane. Tiredly I sat and watched.

I drew a lot more attention here than when I was watching Isabelle. A few workers came up to pet me, and I was too tired to argue. Eventually Jaeden came over and sat beside me. I looked around and everyone else was on their lunch break. Jaeden rifled through a backpack and pulled out a couple of sandwiches and a bottle of water.

Jaeden opened his sandwich and pulled out a slice of corned beef. He put the slices of bread back together before offering me the beef. I didn't really want it but I gingerly took it. It was very salty. I slowly ate it while watching him. He smiled at me, pleased I had taken the meat and started eating his own food.

I finished my slice of corned beef and walked off, not too far away so I could continue to watch him. He finished his meal and was chatting with some other workers. Nothing of consequence was spoken about. I sat around and waited for something interesting to happen.

A sparrow landed on the large, unmoving crane and preened itself but it barely held my attention. A sudden flurry of activity marked the end of the lunch break. Every one got back to work, including Jaeden. He started the engine on the crane and the bird flew off with an alarmed cry.

Hours passed as I observed the construction site. Jaeden started getting his things together before making his way to a small temporary building. I watched him go in then come out a minute later before he started heading off. It surprised me he was leaving so soon when surely it wasn't even four o'clock yet until I remembered he left early to pick up his kids from school.

I followed him at a distance. He didn't have to walk far and soon we were at my old primary school. I stayed back, I didn't want a bunch of kids trying to touch me. The school had changed a lot since I last went there. There were vegetable gardens filled with lush green tomato bushes and more buildings but a lot was still the same. I can remember sitting here with friends when I was a child. My mother would pick my brother and I up and would make us snacks when we got home. We would wait excitedly for my father to come home and when he did we would tell him about our days. The memories were painful to think about.

The electric bell buzzed loudly and kids started trickling out of the school. I watched as two twin seven year old boys run to hug their father. He grabbed both of them in a hug and spun them around twice before putting them both back down. The kids giggled and laughed at their father's stunt before they all started walking away from the school. I followed them yet again at a distance as I watched them.

They went straight home. I couldn't watch them without it being suspicious so I made my way back to the place where the witch dropped me off. I waited hours for the witch to finally pick me up. When we got back to the witches place I sat in silence on the couch watching the family across the street. They were all sitting together watching TV.

It was Friday night tonight. I wonder if my family is getting ready for movie night. Were they having movie night tonight or was the unbreakable tradition broken? I wasn't sure I wanted to know.

The next three days went the same way as the days blurred together. It was the same routine every day. Wake up. Get in the car. Follow Jaeden around watching for signs that he was gambling. Get picked up. Go back to the witch's place. Eat. Recite my day. Sleep. Repeat.

On Monday something unexpected happened. I got to meet another prisoner.

When Eleanor picked me up from spying on Jaeden again, there were three cages in the back of the car instead of the usual two for Cooper and I. When we reached the witch's lair she let us out. Out of the third cage hopped a crow. It held up it's leg and Eleanor undid a strap on the crow's leg. The crow stepped away and looked at me.

"Hey newbie." It said dryly.

"Hi Grace, this is Ash." Cooper said.

I greeted the large crow timidly. Something about her seemed... off. Cooper went to the cat door and held it open for Grace with his tail. I followed them both and we all sat on the couch.

"How long have you been here?" Grace asked me.

"A week today." I replied. I hadn't seen my family in a whole week. This was the longest I had ever been away from them in my life.

"Six months. I've been here the longest." Grace told me. My eyes widened. Six whole months without her family and friends? I couldn't fathom it. Grace told me about herself. She was studying psychology but her dream was to be a musician. Her parents didn't approve of her dream, fearing she wouldn't be able to make a career out of it and forced her to chose a different path. She was kidnapped as she walked to her car.

We were called to eat. I didn't have an appetite but the second time I hadn't eaten all of the food the witch provided for me she had told me that if I didn't force it down my throat she would slit it.

Afterwards I sat outside while the others were briefed on their new targets. The chilled wind blew past me but I didn't feel it. Six months of this. Poor Grace. Will I eventually become like her? Dark, cynical and hopeless? I was terrified for my future.

When Cooper and Grace came out we all went to the patio for the night. Cooper and I jumped up on our chairs and curled up while Grace flew up into the tree above us. I fell asleep quickly.

I was woken up in the middle of the night by a weird gasping sound. I looked over at Cooper to find him fast asleep. Up in the tree Grace couldn't be seen.

"Grace?" I called out quietly.

"Yes?" Grace croaked out. I heard a rustling and a black shadow came down from the tree and landed on the ground. I jumped out of my chair to sit besides Grace. She was still making those gasping sounds though I could tell she was trying to muffle them. I now recognised the gasping for what it was; Grace was crying.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked.

"I just miss my family so much." Grace whimpered.

"I know. I do too." I tell her.

"I went and saw them." She admitted quietly. I turned to look at her. The moonlight reflected blue off her black feathers.

"What was it like?" I asked. I had fantasied about seeing one of my family when I was following Isabelle, then Jaeden.

"It was hell. My parents are divorcing." She tells me.

"I'm sorry." I tell her. I couldn't imagine the pain she was going through. I am glad every day that my parents aren't divorced.

"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault." Grace said. We sit together in a silent comradeship until Grace silently flew back up into her tree. I jumped back onto my chair. There was no more gasping from the tree.