Black Bird - Chapter One

Chapter One
Once I saw a carcass in my backyard. It was a deer if I remember correctly. Crows circled like a merry-go-round in the gray sky as they slowly assessed the situation below them. One by one they would come swooping down picking away the rotten meat. A couple of days later it was gone, all except for the bones and antlers.
I asked my father why the flock of black birds ate rotten food but he corrected me with a smile, "A group of crows is called a murder. They eat the dead animals you see on the side of the road because they are scavengers they don't actively hunt anything."
"But they don't murder anything do they? "
"No sweetie, they do not."
"Then why do they call them a murder? That doesn't make any sense."
He never could explained to me why they were called that but the memory came to me so vividly when I saw a similar sight as I walked up to my grandmothers shop. At least twenty crows flew above the shop cawing about. Were they communicating with one another that they found food?
Grandma Nora's shop was small, near the length of two school buses. The building was made of dark wood, weathered from the snow of many winters with a wrap-around porch. Though the town of Water's Edge was small, the history of the humble town remains strong with Edgar's Book Store as a main stop for passers-by. The building was one of the first when the town was established back in 1849 as the first school. The school's land was bought by Gran's great grandfather and made into a library when a new school was built and the building since then has remained in the family.

Lucy took a step up towards the front door, the wood creaking beneath her boots.
She hadn't seen her grandmother in five years. When Lucy's father died her mother refused to stay in the state and so moved her two daughters down to North Carolina to be with their father's family. A year after Lucy went off to college Mom and Margaret moved up to Water's Edge when Gran grew ill. Mom had moved back in with her mother and Margret went on to start ninth grade in a new school. Attempting to find a job after graduating had proved difficult; so when she was summoned to help Mom run the shop she bought the first train ticket going north.
A bell chimed as Lucy opened the front door, a burst of warm cinnamon air filling my nostrils. "Lucy is that you?" A sweet aged voice rang out from within the rows of books. Lucy took a deep breath, "Hey Gran." Around the corner came a woman in her seventies with long salt and pepper hair brushed up in a tight bun. A large grin spread across her lips, crow's feet appearing at the sides of her light grey eyes.
"My dear, how wonderful it is to see you," she reached for her granddaughters shoulders and drew her in to a warm embrace, "five years, my goodness look at you." Her eyes zeroed in to the ink on Lucy's arm, "Lucy what on earth have you done to yourself." She was speaking of the raven on her forearm, it wasn't large but the intricate swirls and designs within the feathers were plain to see with the neck bowed before a swirling moon.
"It's a tattoo Gran," she holds her breath waiting for the berating comments. They did not come but only a coy smile followed by a curt shake of Gran's head. Putting her arm around Lucy she leads her to the back office and sitting Lucy down on the couch she turns to the tea kettle on the desk, "Would you like any tea dear?" Lucy nods, taking a look around
Before Lucy's father passed, he would take her to Edgar's Book Store every Friday when the family came to visit Gran. He said that it was important to expose her to as much as he could; he would pick out three books for Lucy to read, telling her they would need to be read by next Friday. Lucy would start onher first book, laying out on the couch while her father worked on his lesson plans for the next week.
"Here you are dear, Irish breakfast tea."
Lucy beamed, "You remembered!"
"Of course I did dear, how could I forget your favorite. Two lumps of sugar and some cream. I may be old but I still have it."
Laughing Lucy takes a sip, the tea was just the right temperature. Gran took a seat next to her and patted her arm asking for an update on her granddaughters life. Lucy's mother hadn't told her much, or so she claimed, and she wanted to hear what had been going on the past five years. She wanted to know if there was a man in Lucy's life, what she had majored in, if she planned on staying here for long or if she was looking for work anywhere else.
Lucy didn't have the heart to tell her that she was staying here indefinitely, but instead told her that she would be here for as long as Gran would need her.
"No boyfriend then?"
Shaking her head with a slight furrow of the brow Lucy explains that she did not have time for men.
"Indeed! Men are messy and bothersome. You are better without one. For now at least."
"Mom doesn't think so," Lucy grumbled taking another sip of her tea, "She said I am getting too old."
This wasn't true of course, Lucy was twenty-two. At least I don't think that is too old. After all this is the 21st century. Gran tsk-tsked, "You're mother should not be so concerned with such a thing. She might have married your father too young but that was her prerogative."
Gran sucked in her bottom lip with a gleam in her eye, patting Lucy's arm again she stands up.
"Well darling enough talk let's put you to work!"
Gulping down what remained of her tea Lucy jumps up, following Gran to the front. Grans first order of business was showing Lucy how the cash register worked. Lucy searched for a card reader but found nothing. Gran went on to explained that her store only dealt with cash- no checks and no cards. The store was old and she wanted to stick with the aesthetic of the old times. Lucy understood that to a point but wondered if it stumped the stores ability to bring in money. I guess it doesn't matter. Not really anyway. The store had been opened for as long as Lucy could recall, knowing Gran has always lived comfortably.
After she showed Lucy the register she led her around the shop showing her the set up. On the far left towards the front were the non-fiction books, opposite of them were the fiction books that took up the majority of the store. In the back right corner shadowed by lack of windows and lamps was the paranormal section. How fitting, Lucy thought as she walked me back to the left where all the popular school books resided.
A door with beads hanging from the frame was in the back of the store near her office, here she said, were the books people donated. Patrons were able to come in and as long as the left a book in its place they were welcomed to check out another one.
She showed Lucy the log up front near the register. There were a few names scribbled down but the dates were all spaced out by a couple months.
"Not too many people take advantage of the backroom." Gran said morosely.
Lucy mused apologetically, "Suppose it has anything to do with phones and iPad's."
Shrugging indifferently Gran pipes up, "Matter's not to me my dear. Many people still love the shop and so it will remain!" She stopped for a minute looking out the window with a thoughtful expression. Lucy followed her gaze and saw a large crow on the front porch peering through the window. It felt as though the crow had met Lucy's eyes as it cocked its head to the side as if it were staring right at her, trying to listen in.
"Beautiful isn't it?"
Lucy barely heard her ask the question. She felt lost as she looked at the black bird, it wasn't really black though, purple and green glossed it's wings and back. The color reminded her of an oil spill in the water, like a muddied rainbow. The bird kept staring, suddenly an image flashed in Lucy's mind. A man with dark hair stood on the outskirts of a forest, his chest was exposed to the elements his bare feet buried in the snow. His gaze was fixed on something. Was he looking at Lucy?
"Lucy?" she heard Gran call out. Why did she sound so far away. She realized then that her eyes were shut tightly. Gran's hand found Lucy's shoulders, "Lucy are you alright?"
She blinked then looked at her grandmother, "What was that?"
"I asked you if you were alright."
Shaking her head Lucy mutters that she was fine, excusing herself to the restroom. Lucy took hold of the porcelain sink and stared at herself in the mirror. Auburn hair hung in waves down passed her shoulders, frizzy from the long train ride, dark green eyes shaded by heavy eyelashes stared back. "You're fine Lucy. You have an overactive imagination."
Yeah but what was that?
Splashing some water on her face she dries off. Looking once more at herself she heads back to the front of the store.
"Sorry about that Gran, I just got dizzy for a second."
Lucy looked around but Gran wasn't anywhere in the front. She went back to her Gran's office and checked- she wasn't there either.
"Gran?" Lucy calls out in a panic, "Gran!" she shout again.
Stop panicking. Maybe she is outside.
Taking a step outside Lucy walks around the perimeter. The shop butted up against the woods maybe by about fifty feet. The thought that her Gran had gone had ventured off into the woods filled her mind. Where had she gone? "Gran?!" Lucy shouts a few times. Finally giving up, Lucy walks back to the front only to catch Gran out of the corner of her eye down the street talking to someone. Oh thank heavens! Had she not heard her calling for her? Maybe her hearing was just going out. Lucy tried to reason why Gran hadn't responded.

Lucy jogged up to her grandmother and the other woman. She was about Gran's age, if not a little older. Her hair was stark white, braided down to her waist. She wore a dark burgundy sweater and jeans with moccasins on her feet.
"Lucy, how wonderful it is to see you again!"
She fell into the old woman's open arms, "Miss Anna! How are you?"
She rubbed Lucy's back tenderly, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, "Oh my dear I am fine, I am fine!

"You're grandmother has informed me that you will be lending a hand to help with the shop. Gods know your mother has no interest in the shop even though that's why she came in the first place!"
"Anna you stop that! My daughter is fine, I understand she is here for me, that is all I ask for."
"Oh Nora, what does that matter anyway, we have sweet Lucy here now. She will be of great help I am sure."
The two women looked at Lucy knowingly and for a split moment felt that they were talking about something other than the shop. Lucy pushed the thought to the back of her mind; there was no reason to think something like that. Grandma Nora was a humble and honest woman and Miss Anna had been there for Lucy since she was young. Any time she came to visit Grandma Nora she would be over drinking tea.
These were the two women Lucy looked up to throughout her life. She only wished that she had shown her appreciation to them more so than she had in the past five years.
"Miss Anna, I am so sorry I haven't kept-"
"No words must be spoken little one, I understand that life has its own plans, you had healing to do and we all do so in our own way."
Lucy smiled wearily and let out a slow breath. Before she could respond Miss Anna took hold of her arm running her hands over the ink stained into her skin. "What a gorgeous piece you have here. Are those swirls meant to be smoke within the moon?"
"Yes ma'am. My friend down in North Carolina designed it for me, she had just become an apprentice and I told her she was more than welcome to use me as her guinea pig."
Hailey had just started at Black Inkz when they had met. Lucy had drooled over all of her tattoos as we took shots. It had felt like she and Lucy had known each other for years and a couple days later Hailey offered to sketch Lucy a piece. When she brought Lucy her finished work Lucy was surprised to see it was a crow. Hailey said she had a dream a couple days before where Lucy had had a crow following her about and she believed it to be a sign. Lucy had fallen in love with it immediately and the next day it was hers forever.
"Well she did very well. I adore it!" She exclaimed giving the tattoo one final rub. "Well my dears, I must be off, my grandson is expecting me." She starts to turn then stops, "Perhaps, Lucy, you could meet up with him, he could help you settle in. Show you around?"
"Um, yeah, sure." Lucy knew she didn't sound too thrilled but it was hard to say no to Miss Anna. Her face lit up and she clapped her hands together, "Wonderful! I'll tell him to be at your grandmothers by seven o 'clock. How does that sound?"
"Uh, sounds good."
With that she was off.
Turning to Gran Lucy lets out a groan, "Gran do I really have to?"

"Well dear, I wasn't the one who agreed to tonight. That was your decision. "

Lucy knew she was right but something about tonight felt discomforting. She told herself that it was because she hadn't seen Silas since she was ten, but something else was whispering to her that that wasn't the only thing putting her on edge.