The Modern Day Distress
Rating: pg-13 for corpses and mention of blood
Disclaimer: This is original fiction and have been copyrighted. Please no thieving it.
The Modern Day Distress
It had been summer, I think, when Raphael was taken. We were sitting on a blanket at the park watching the kids play as I braided his extremely long blonde hair. Worries were lost and pain was forgotten as we sat there warming our selves in the sun. We had been planning a wedding for the past few months. The stress wasn’t as bad as we thought but getting away from it all and relaxing was still much needed. So there we sat for a few hours just enjoying each others company while talking about our future.
But it was not to last for an old woman soon approached, staring at Rap, just staring. She offered to braid his hair but he declined. At first I thought she’d just walk away and blend back into the crowd of crazy that pushed at the edges of the park. Instead she pulled a small comb from her bag and handed it to Rap. Something sparked in his eyes; a memory maybe or maybe it was because the brush was just beautifully made. Next thing I knew she grabbed his hair and threw something to the ground.
Once the smoke cleared I realized I was alone, sitting in a park with a picnic basket made for two. Sitting beside me was a stock of Rampion, an herb that Rap use to chew when he was in pain. A trick he learned from his great-great grandmother. I forgot the blanket and the basket and frantically went looking for him, calling out and screaming to the trees. The children stopped playing to watch while a few of the older ones offered to look, probably thinking Rap was a lost dog. My mind had stopped mid-thought when the smoke cleared and hadn’t restarted it self yet. There was no way I could have explained to them that Rap was a semi-tall goofy looking blond guy with long blond hair and a scar on his chin from where he face planted out of a tree in college. I couldn’t explain that he was the man I loved who just happened to disappear into thin air in the late afternoon light.
Months passed, missing persons was filled and nothing was done. No amount of pestering the police helped. No amount of posters hung up or questions asked did a thing. I grew restless looking at the apartment we once shared and all the things we’d collected over the years. Every night I sat at our bedroom window watching for him to return but every time my only company was a lone crow that sat on the ledge beside the window, watching with me.
Winter passed by as I sat at that window waiting and soon spring gave way and golden light once again filled our- my apartment. I had already packed up most of his things, unable to look at them any longer. Large portions of the walls were bare. It wasn’t until I had completely stripped him from the walls that I noticed just how lonely the place really looked.
Sitting at that window one night the lone crow came and landed beside me, and this time peeked in shaking his head in what seemed flagrant disapproval of my new decorating scheme. My brow furrowed at the thought but still I sat back slightly confused to allow him to look even more if he wished. This whole time that same crow, with the chip in his beak and a spot of feathers missing on his crown, did nothing but sit and watch the world with me.
“You haven’t even tried.” Slowly I turned making eye contact with the bird. I hesitantly peered closer to the feathered creature trying to will the bird to speak again.
“You haven’t even tried,” he repeated as I collapsed on the windowsill in shock before rolling my eyes in utter annoyance.
“Disappearing boyfriends, old hags with pretty combs, and now a talking crow,” I muttered somewhat angrily.
“In three days time I have to fly south in a mourning ritual.”
“Who died?”
“Rap will, in three days. Or at least a part of him will.”
“Oh.”
“This isn’t the way the story goes. The prince needs to save the princess.”
“Rap isn’t a princess. He’s an elementary school teacher who drinks way to much Rampion tea. And I’m no prince just a clerk at a bookstore down town.” The crow shook his head before turning to leave.
“Just follow the story.” Then he was off and I was left alone with boxes hidden around the apartment that once housed all of Rap’s life.
I sat there in that seat until the sun rose turning over what exactly the crow had meant. I watched the sun rise over the woods near our apartment building and noticed something within the trees was glittering. My mind instantly went to the old woman’s comb. I stood there and stared for a moment before turning around and pulling on my shoes and Rap’s old leather jacket, heading out. The story needed to be followed the crow had said. Doesn’t the rescuing prince always fight through forests and kill large ugly rats? I didn’t have a sword but soon picked up a stick just incase. It was thin but would have to do.
After hours of walking the trees became denser and denser until night closed in and I was unable to continue traveling. Or at least I thought it was night. The trees completely blocked out the sky. About an hour ago my stick broke and I had yet to come across another sizable one. The crow flew in front of me for most of the time barely saying a word.
A few times the crow flew out of sight before coming back and nudging me left or right. This time the crow flew out and was gone longer than usual. I huddled under a large tree with apples hanging from the branches, awaiting his return. My stomach growled loudly and as I was reaching up to take one the crow flew by and nipped my fingers. He perched on a near by rock, glaring at me. Part of me wanted to snatch an apple off the branch and throw it at him but instead I held my bright red finger to my chest.
“Foolish girl. Those are poison apples. It means you’re close.”
“Who would poison them?”
“The old hag that took your princess. She took the recipe from a friend who was once beautiful but then became ugly through hatred.”
I nodded and went back to sitting under the tree with the jacket wrapped around me. The crow cocked his head before hopping over to me.
“Are you hungry?” he asked plainly.
“I didn’t think we’d be so far from town and I didn’t pack a bag. Guess the answer is yes than.” A quick nod from the crow before flying off was my only response. I sighed deeply and tried to nestle myself in between the roots of the great trees as comfortably as I could. It was sort of unsettling being there alone. It wasn’t until my only traveling companion left that I noticed just how void of noise these woods were. It was night; crickets and critters a like should have been in a flurry of motion and sound.
A dark thought crossed my mind as I twisted so my back was to the tree and watched the woods. I twisted and turned after a while and tried to make out the face of my watch. It was only than that I wished I had asked Rap for a digital one two Christmas’ ago. Still it was a beautiful old watch. My gaze lingered on it a while as I thought about that Christmas and all the ones we spent together since freshmen year of college on and than of the past Christmas that I spent by my self. Rap’s parents had asked me to dinner saying I was still part of the family. My dad had offered to fly me home. Both phones calls and follow up phone calls were ignored. Instead I sat at that window and waited, watching for a familiar soft blond head to come around the corner of our block.
“Head up.” The crow’s voice broke me from my memories. In front of me was my traveling companion with a take out bag that was still steaming. It looked beat up but otherwise in good shape.
“Where’d you get this?”
“Eat.”
“Did you steal this?” I was met with silence as I opened the bag and took out a small ham and cheese sandwich. I recognized the logo on the wrapping. It belonged to a sub shop a town over from my apartment. I sniffed the sandwich but it smelled fresh and delicious. My stomach had no problem with the fact that it was stolen so I bit into it. “Oh.”
“What’s wrong?”
“It has onions on it.” The crow nipped my arm once in annoyance but I got the message and started to devour the sandwich. After it was done I wrapped the paper and the bag up before shoved it into one of the inner pockets of the jacket. “Why are you helping me? In all the stories with crows in them they are liars and thieves.”
“Common goals make for the best allies.” Now it was my turn to cock my head and stare. He said no more and instead climbed up me, worming his way under my jacket. I sighed, rolled my eyes and let him. It was still a cold out and his added warmth helped.
I cried out in sudden pain as I was woken from a troubled sleep by a nip to the neck. “Will you quit that?” He just shook his head again then took flight.
“This way. Hurry up.” Sluggishly I got up and trailed him slowly. Sleep was still clouding my mind for a while but never once did I lose track of him.
A few hours later the crow started to slow down and circle around me more. It took me only a moment longer to realize why. We had come to a natural wall made of thick vines and great thorns. My eyes widened for I had never seen a briar thorn bush in person. It was impressive and slightly threatening all at once. I did notice very quickly that there was no way around.
“Cover you eyes. Don’t make the mistake the last prince made.”
I glared at him. “I don’t have anything for that.”
“Use your shirt.” He perched precariously on the nearest vine and waited. I looked from the shirt to him for a moment before shrugging off the jacket. I turned around and took off the shirt, tying it tightly around my eyes before putting the jacket back on.
“Why do I even trust you?” I asked my self out loud.
“Because crows never lie to an acknowledged ally. And I have a score to settle with this hag. She once baked ten of my brothers into a pie. The stories lied. They never got out.” I reached up slowly until my hand brush his feathers. I ran a soothing hand down the back of his neck.
“I am sorry to hear that,” I stated softly. A soft caw was my only response as I pulled my hand away and straightened up. I heard him leave the vine and soon he burrowed into my jacket to guide me through.
By the time we were out the other side my hands and arms were bleeding but my eyes were fine, I could see. I felt the blood trail down my arms as I removed my shirt and put it back on. The crow flew up and became circling around me.
As I held my injured arms to me I turned and caught sight of a man curled up by the first tree in the new woods. I called out to the crow to hold for a moment and slowly I went to the man’s side. He didn’t move at all and it was than that I noticed there were vines wrapped around his body coming from the briar thorn bushes. Each thorn was imbedded deep within his pale skin. It was also than I looked at his face. His eyes were closed but it looked as though he at one time had been crying but instead of tears coming out it was blood.
“Crow?”
“That was the last prince. The thorns got him.”
“Did he come for Rap? I don’t recognize him.”
“No, he came for his own princess.”
“What happened to her?”
“Her body is hidden under the floorboards of Rap’s cage. Both are still captives even in death.” As I stood up from the dead man’s side I realized tears were slowly crawling down my cheeks. As carefully as I could I traced the vines that bound him and found the ones that connected him to the briar thorn bushes.
“Leave it. We must go.” I ignored him as I pulled Rap’s house key from one of the hidden pockets and began trying to cut through the vines. It took a good amount of time. There were four thick vines that connected the dead man to the patch but slowly I cut through each one. As I stood up, replacing the key in the pocket, I noticed the vines surrounding the dead man’s body were unraveling themselves and falling off dead. A single raspy breath filled the long unused lungs causing me to jump back. To my amazement the body exhaled that air before promptly starting to sink into the ground. Where he once lay was a jagged gem. It was blood red at the edges but the middle was a swirl of deep colors. I picked it up and a small voice thanked me as it drifted away upon the wind.
“It is done. His spirit is free and his body has been returned to the earth. Now we must go.” I nodded quickly, put the stone in the pocket of my jeans before following.
Not long after the crow flying above me cawed happily. “Just around the next bend.” We both quickened our pace eagerly. The trees thinned and in the middle of a slight clearing were an old tower that had seen better days. There was a sign that read condemned in bright red letters hanging on a chain that went around the whole base. I stepped back and looked up. There was a light in the window. Without a word the crow flew up and in. A moment later Rap peered out.
“I know you,” he called out slightly dazed as if he had been drugged. A memory of our college days sparked in my mind as I shrugged them off and stepped closer.
“Rap, how did you get up there? Throw something down for me to climb up.” He nodded and tossed down his hair. It had grown and had turned the color of straw but strong and thick as any rope. I rolled my eyes and began to climb. Once at the top I took in the full picture. There were dozens of empty plates strewn around him and his face had a slightly glazed expression on it.
“The hag’s been feeding him poisoned cabbage to make him forget. By tomorrow he would have forgotten who he was completely. Not long after his body would have died,” the crow cawed out in anger. “You two leave. I’ll hide here and catch her like Hood once caught the corrupted wolf.” He stepped to the window and cawed loudly. Below a wolf emerged with a grin and a wink and went to hide.
I thanked the crow and helped Rap out the window; it wasn’t a tall tower and was easily able to fall from without hurting yourself too much. Once Rap landed on the ground I called to him. “Don’t move. I’ll be down in a moment. There is something I must do first.” Rap nodded weakly as he sprawled out on the lush grass.
“Why are you not gone yet? You will ruin my surprise for the hag.”
“Where is the previous princess hidden?”
“I’m not sure but you won’t have time. The hag returns every day at midday. It is almost then.” As quick as possible I went across the whole room banging on the floor to find the princess. Each board held strong. I sat on my knees and cried out in frustration. I would not leave until she was free from this place.
“Check under the bed!” The cow cried as he hopped out from under it. With a curt nod I ran to him and began to move the bed. Where the bed once stood was a single rose, dead and petrified. The crow and I looked at one another. Something in both of us just knew. I picked up the only chair in the room and smashed it against the ground repetitively until both the floor and the chair broke. I took off the jacket and threw it out the window where it landed near Rap who was still sprawled out happily on the grass.
On hands and knees with bated breath I began to tear up the now loosened floorboards until I partially uncovered the dead woman. Like the man her body was preserved and if it wasn’t for the color of her skin I could have been tricked into thinking she was merely sleeping.
“How am I suppose to free her before the hag arrives? I do not have the strength to remove the body from this cage.”
“Her hands are bound with magic twine. I recognize it’s kind. A small man with a heart full of greed makes it from straw. It’s what is keeping her bound. Break her bindings and she shall be free.” With my bare hands I tried to snap it since the twine was so thin but it was strong and was not even weakened by my attempts. “Quick, use this comb. It’s enchanted and should cut the bindings away.” A small triumphant smile crept onto my lips. It felt odd as if I hadn’t smiled in a year, so out of place on my own face.
The crow flew over to me with the comb clutched in his feet, dropping it at my side. An awkward sort of laugh escaped my lips as I realized it was the same comb that old hag had in the park. I grasped it tight and went to work.
“Hurry, she shall be here any moment.” My hands quickened and soon the twine started to fall away. One strand at a time. By the time I was done and her hands were free a light sweat had coated my forehead.
I sat back and watched as her body took the same raspy breath as her lovers did before exhaling. Her skin started to erode and her bones turned to dust. In her place was another gem, an exact match to the one in my pocket. I gathered it up and took to the window. Quickly I shoved it in my pocket before climbing up onto the sill. Another whispered thank you, this time feminine, floated past me on the breeze. I could even feel the two gems start to melt together in my back pocket and knew then that the two lovers were finally at rest.
“Thank you crow.”
The crow inclined his head once before speaking, “Now go.” I turned with a final nod to my former traveling companion before pitching myself over the edge. I landed a few feet from my lover but was able to reach out my hand and grasp his.
“Knew you’d come.” He turned his head to me and tightened his grip, pulling himself closer to me.
“No you didn’t.” A real smile stretched my lips this time and Rap matched it.
“When we get back, I’m cutting my hair. Last damn time I get mistaken for a girl.”