Katie lay in her bed listening to a familiar sound. She was exhausted, but knew sleep wouldn't come until she'd investigated the annoying tap tap tap at her window.
She prised open one of her eye's, and turned her head just enough to confirm who the culprit was.
Sure enough, the crow was sitting on the outside ledge, striking the glass at regular intervals with its fierce looking beak.
Katie sighed heavily, as she opened her other eye, and rubbed both hard in an effort to wake up properly. Eventually, as the bird became almost frantic, she felt awake enough to climb out of her bed, find her dressing gown and slippers, and almost sleepwalked to the bay window, where she collapsed on the shelf.
Briefly, the crow stopped it's constant noise and stared at Katie through the grubby, stained window panes. She watched as the bird first tilted its head one way, and then the other, as if trying to decide if she was suitable for whatever it had in mind.
Tentatively, Katie reached forward and slid open the window a few inches.
As the freezing night air slipped under the gap and nibbled at her skin, she pulled the neck of her dressing gown tighter around her throat, and tucked her legs underneath her bottom.
The crow seemed unsure and just sat watching her closely.
"Well," Katie said softly. "Are you coming inside?"
The large black bird lifted his head, and tapped at the space left by the open window.
"Great. I have a stupid crow as a friend," Katie mumbled, as she stood up heavily, closed the window, and headed back to her bed.
Immediately, the sound started again.
"Aaarrggg!" Katie screamed, as she threw her covers from her and went back to the crow. "Listen you stupid bird. I'm going to leave the window open okay. You come in when you're ready."
Quickly, to prevent herself catching cold, she pulled open the frame and hurried back to the warmth of her mattress.
Once the heat had seeped back into her shivering body, Katie sat up to see if the crow had ventured inside. She shook her head with frustration when she saw it still sitting on the outside of the glass. "Come inside you idiot!" she called angrily.
The crow remained still.
"Whatever!" Katie scolded, as she pushed herself deeper under the covers and tried to go to sleep.
Ten minutes later, Katie was wide awake. She couldn't shut down while the bird remained outside. Once more she made her way over to the bay and sat down. Without saying anything, she lifted the frame of the window fully, and stuck her head out. Her face was inches from the crow's beak and briefly she worried it would peck at her eyes.
Instead the bird flew several feet from her, and then returned to sit in exactly the same position it had been in all night.
"Can't you speak? That would make this sooo much easier," Katie said, as she risked trying to reach out her hand to touch the crows feathers. She found them soft, smooth, and warm to her touch despite the chill in the night air. The crow took off once more. This time Katie had to peer into the darkness to keep her eyes on it. When it returned it seemed agitated.
"I don't understand," Katie moaned. "I'm sorry."
The crow hopped sideways, back and forth along the sill, bopping its head and cawing noisily at her.
Katie felt the tight bands of pain tightening around her head, and pressed her finger tips into her temples to try and relieve the tension. Her eyes had started to sting from lack of sleep and her body felt cold and stiff.
As she decided to quit trying to persuade the silly bird to come inside, two things happened simultaneously. The crow made one of its short flights away from the window, returning quickly, and Katie, finally understood what it had been trying to tell her.
"You want me to follow you somewhere?" she asked confidently.
The large crow turned 360 degrees, and then flew away.
Katie hurried over to her bed, threw off her pyjamas, and shoved on the discarded clothing from the previous day, before she quickly ran out of her room and jumped two steps at a time downstairs.
Reaching the hallway, she noticed the dull orange glow coming from the lounge.
Remembering Christopher had slept over, Katie made her way over and pushed the door open further. Christopher was curled up on the couch and snoring like an old man. "Ah bless," she whispered, before closing the door again.
As she reached the front door, she briefly hesitated. Perhaps waking Christopher up and taking him with her might be a good idea? There again, what if she was wrong about the crow? Perhaps it had all been in her imagination and the giant bird was just messing around.
Katie decided to go alone. She slipped the chain from the latch, pulled back the two dead bolts that locked the door at night, and pulled it open to reveal the darkness beyond.
The moon was settled high overhead and as the night was fairly clear, there was just enough light to be able to walk without falling flat on your face, but only if you took your time and were very careful where you planted your feet.
Katie waited patiently for the crow to appear.
The cold started to bite it's way through her clothing and her teeth began to chatter. She was beginning to think this was the daftest thing she'd ever done in her whole life, when the bird swooped directly in front of her face, causing her to gasp loudly.
"Thanks for that," she called after it, as it soared higher into the sky before falling to a height she'd be able to see it. "Lead on then," she added impatiently as the bird flew away.
Several times she had to stop and wait for the crow to realise she'd been left behind. She couldn't risk hurrying in the gloom. She didn't want to hurt herself out here, alone in the dark.
Eventually, the crow settled on a low tree branch and cawed loudly down at her. Katie stood beneath it, her eyes wide, her body starting to feel the effects of the cold, waiting for the bird to do something that showed her what to do next.
"Come on my friend. You have to show me."
The crow cawed and cawed, frantically trying to make her understand what he wanted her to do, but it was no use. Katie hadn't a clue.
"Show me!" she yelled up into the tree. Please, show me," she said, as tears of frustration trickled down her cheeks.
The crow at last sensed what it needed to do. Hopping off the branch, it fell gracefully to the ground beside her, walked a few steps and then tapped the ground over and over with it's beak.
"Do you want me to dig?" Katie asked doubtfully.
The noise the crow made left her without a doubt that was indeed what it wanted her to do.
YOU ARE READING
Lost Souls
General FictionA family move into an old Mansion in the Highlands of Scotland unaware of the buildings terrible secrets. One of the children is particularly aware something is vastly wrong with the families new home.
