Spring Fever

A swarm of inky black feathers seemed to meet her at every turn as she threw herself between old-growth trees and ferns. She had to get away, but no matter how hard she ran, how much she grasped for a way forward, the raven's caw and her name whispered on their wings would not let up. Ahead there was a glow, an escape in the middle of the woods that promised refuge, but she couldn't let go of the feeling that the unkindness of ravens pushed her forward.

The light ahead pulsed like a living thing, drawing Korinna towards it with a relentless pull. The talons of the unkindness of ravens gouged at her scalp, leaving bloody streaks down her neck, but she paid them no mind. The promise of safety and warmth was just a few steps away, and nothing could stop her from reaching it. Her feet tangled in the gnarled roots of the trees, and she stumbled forward, falling towards what looked like a gaping maw in the earth. The dread that washed over her was like a physical force, a cold wave threatening to drown her. But still, she pushed on towards the pulsing light, towards whatever lay beyond that gaping maw, heedless of the horrors that awaited her.

She screamed awake, Solomon, her Bengal cat, shot off the bed behind her and out of the bedroom. Korinna couldn't remember the last time she had a nightmare like that, one where she actually feared for her life. She had only been in the ranger station for a couple of weeks, and it took her a second to realize where she was.

"It must be this damn flu." Korrina thought to herself as she peeled her head from her satin pillowcase and heavily coughed, producing a miasma phlegmy, snotty crud at the back of her mouth. She couldn't believe she was starting her career in forestry like this and could imagine the smug comments her parents would make if they knew what she was going through.

Korinna had always been fascinated by the natural world, ever since she was a child growing up in the heart of the city. She spent her days exploring the parks and gardens of her neighborhood, and when she wasn't outside, she was poring over books about plants and animals, dreaming of a life in the great outdoors.

But when she announced her decision to study forestry in college, her parents were less than thrilled. They were both highly respected doctors from a long line of medical professionals, and they had hoped that their daughter would follow in their footsteps. They had always encouraged her academic pursuits, but they couldn't wrap their heads around the idea of her spending her life in the woods.

Korinna's father was especially vocal about his disapproval. He had grown up in an upper-middle-class, predominately white neighborhood and had experienced firsthand the harsh realities of living in a world that was often hostile to Black people. He had worked hard to get out of that world, to make something of himself, and he couldn't understand why his daughter would want to throw it all away.

"Black women have no place in the woods," he had told her. "We spent way too much time getting away from that place."

Despite her parent's objections, Korinna followed her passion and pursued a degree in forestry. And now, as she worked as a ranger in the middle of the woods, she couldn't help but wonder if her father had been right all along. She was a Black woman in an overwhelmingly white and male world, and she couldn't shake the feeling that she didn't belong. But she was determined to prove herself and make her mark in this world that she loved.

Putting aside all her parent's concerns in the waking world, Korrina brought her focus back to the dream. It felt so real when she considered it framed within the foreboding story about the Spring Equinox and the Cherokee legend of the Raven Mocker that haunted the woods. She didn't want to admit how much Ted, the ranger she was replacing, had spooked her and left her trying to convince herself that she didn't believe in ghost stories.

I remember sitting with Ted, the smell of venison chili filling the air as he began to tell me about the legend of the Raven Mocker. According to Cherokee lore, this powerful witch lived in the woods and preyed upon the sick and dying, swooping down like a flock of dark birds to steal their souls and devour their flesh.

"You know, Korinna, I'm pretty sure the Raven Mocker is just a bedtime story parents tell their kids to keep them from wandering too far into the woods." Ted's voice was low and severe as he spoke, and I felt a shiver run down my spine at the thought of such a creature existing.

A crooked smile raised the left side of Ted's face, and Korinna instantly realized he had been having fun with her. Korinna rolled her eyes, not in the mood for Ted's teasing.

As they reached the top of the tower, Ted explained the legend of the Raven Mocker in more detail, telling Korinna about its insatiable hunger for human hearts and the Cherokee rituals used to banish it. Korinna listened with a mix of fascination and fear, feeling a chill run down her spine as Ted described the creature's ability to imitate the sounds of a loved one to lure its victims to their doom.

Korinna awoke to a painfully bright and beautiful sunrise on the morning of the Spring Equinox. It was agonizing for her to sit up in her bed and swing her feet around to plant them on the floor. Solomon purred around her calf, needing attention and as her biggest cheerleader. "Come on, just get up; you need to get up!" Korinna pleaded with herself.

As Korinna made her way over to the nearest window in the ranger station, she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. The forest seemed alive with malevolent energy, and she couldn't help but feel like she was being hunted.

Desperately trying to ground herself, she imagined the strength of the tree roots below her, hoping that their steadfastness would lend her some of their resilience. But just as she began to feel a sense of calm, a sudden kaw shattered her trance and drew her attention upwards, towards the branches and the ravens perched in session.

Korinna had never seen birds in such numbers before, and a deep inner fear began to gnaw at her insides. It was as though some ancient primal part of her was warning her of danger, urging her to flee. But she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being drawn towards the ravens, that they held some sort of power over her.

The ominous feeling in the air was palpable, and Korinna couldn't help but feel as though she was being tested, pushed to her limits by some unseen force. She knew she needed to stay strong and fight against the fear that threatened to overwhelm her. But as the ravens continued to circle overhead, their dark wings beating in time with her racing heart, she couldn't help but wonder if she was already too late.

She knew she couldn't make it through the rest of the day alone, not with the unrelenting fever and the ever-present sense of dread that seemed to hang over her like a dark cloud. She needed help, someone to bring her some relief from the sickness that was slowly overtaking her.

Ted was nearby, and despite his teasing nature, Korinna knew he was a good man who cared about her wellbeing. With trembling hands, she reached out for his mobile phone, grateful for the lifeline it represented. As she typed out a text message, she felt a sense of relief wash over her when she saw Ted's immediate response, assuring her that he would be there for her.

With her mind somewhat at ease, Korinna curled up in the blankets back in her bed, with Solomon, her faithful Bengal cat, by her side. The warmth of the blankets and the steady rhythm of Solomon's purring helped to lull her into a fitful sleep, and for a moment, she forgot about the danger that lurked just beyond the walls of the ranger station.

But as the day wore on and the sun began to set, Korinna's fever worsened, and she felt herself slipping further and further away from consciousness. The shadows in the room seemed to grow darker, and more ominous, and the forest's whispers seemed to be calling out her name.

Just as Korinna thought she couldn't take it anymore, she heard a knock at the door. It was Ted, and he was not alone; multiple people paraded into the station adorned in traditional Cherokee regalia. Ted was at Korinna's side, "It's going to be OK; we will help."

Korinna blinked in and out of consciousness; people huddled around her chanting, beating drums, and burning something over her that she couldn't make out.

The door to the ranger station flew open, seemingly almost taking the door off of the hinges. Something like a bird, ducked into the front room of the ranger station. It's head cocked toward Korinna and survyed the people chanting that seemingly welcomed it in. A thunderous "caw!" silenced everyone in the room and a talon came into the room followed by a smaller black foot-like appendage. Feathers seemed to fall away like leaves falling from a tree.

Korinna was wide awake now in disbelif at what she was seeing. As the creature made it's way across the station floor, a beautiful woman emerged from feathers and scales. Despite her weakened state Korinna managed to push herself up and against the logs that made up the headboard of this faux rustic bed.

The Raven mocker regarded her and ran long butcher hook curved nails up her sweat drenched thighs up to her face. One of the talons hooked under Korinna's chin and




That is when Korinna first heard her sister's voice calling her name, it was outside, it was up, she needed to go up. As the ritual ended, Korinna felt a sense of emptiness. She was no longer the same person she had been before. She had lost a part of herself to the Raven Mocker, and now she was forever bound to the unkindness of ravens that had haunted her every step in the forest.

As the Raven Mocker took flight, Korinna felt her own wings unfurling from her back, her body transforming into that of a raven. She joined the others in the sky, soaring above the trees, the wind whipping through her feathers.

She could hear the Raven Mocker's caw in the distance, and she knew that she would follow it wherever it led. She was no longer human, but a creature of the forest, a servant of the Raven Mocker.

As the sun rose on the Spring Equinox, the trees seemed to come alive around her, their branches reaching the sky in celebration. The Raven Mocker flew towards the horizon, and Korinna followed, her heart heavy, knowing she would never be the same again.

But even as she flew into the unknown, she couldn't help but feel a sense of belonging and being a part of something bigger than herself. She was a raven now and would follow the Raven Mocker until the end of time.