Beneath broken stone and warped metal, a solitary raven panics as it senses imminent danger. It escapes certain death mere seconds before the structure finally crashes to the ground. On soaring above the devastation, the bird spies a wet-eyed woman...
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The smell of cooking pulled me the from the depths of slumber. My mouth started to water although I cannot say I was overly hungry.
The door opened and Sarah entered carrying a tray with a steaming bowl of whatever she had prepared. She placed the tray on the dresser then approached the bed.
"Good afternoon, sleepyhead," she said, a smile curving the corner of her mouth. "Can you manage to sit up?"
She reached over to grab the other pillow and I caught a glimpse of her breasts down the front of her top. I fought an involuntary response down below, yet again.
Pressing my palms on the mattress I pushed myself up, grunting; I still had some aches and pains.
Plumping up the pillows, she settled me back against them very gently. I made a concentrated effort to keep my eyes on her face.
She lay the other pillow across my lap - in one way that was a relief.
Tucking strands of her hair behind her ears she moved to the dresser, collected the tray then brought it over, resting it on the pillow upon my lap. Still, I focused on her face.
She unfolded a napkin and draped it over my chest and shoulders. "Chicken noodle soup," she announced. "It was always what my mother made when I was poorly. An old-fashioned remedy, but effective."
Transfixed, all I could do was nod. She dipped the spoon in the broth and lifted it to my lips. Her eyebrows raised, questioningly. I offered a sheepish grin - she was waiting for me to open my mouth.
The warm soup slipped over my throat, the chicken enhanced by seasonal herbs and vegetables. Simple, but extraordinarily flavoursome. She fed me more.
Now and again her eyes met mine, the sparkle in them doing things to me beneath the pillow which I fought to ignore. I thought talking may distract me. "How long have I been... human?" I asked, smirking at the ridiculous question.
"Two days," she replied, raising another spoonful of soup.
"I've been asleep all that time?" I gasped. She tipped the broth into my mouth.
"Uh-huh. The first time you opened your eyes was four hours ago."
She let the spoon rest in the bowl and dabbed my mouth with the napkin before resuming her task of feeding me.
"And, how long was I..." she tipped another spoonful in my mouth, a little quickly I thought.
"Dead?" she asked, a hint of pain rippling within her eyes. Her question took me completely by surprise.
"I was going to say - a raven," I replied a little hesitantly.
As I looked into her eyes, I suddenly remembered her tearful face at the Dark Portal, heard the sounds of her desperate pleas, and wailing 'Caagaw' to the skies. Her grief washed over me with crystal clarity.
