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- Chapter 3: Bad Omen
The next day, early in the morning, the villagers exited their houses to find the city semi-black. Crows. Crows were sitting everywhere, atop roofs, signs, some even in the road, some flying above the houses, others bugging the villagers.
Tom was terrified when he saw the unexplainable and creepy phenomenon. His thoughts run back to the creepy mansion atop the hill; there were crows there as well.
When he got outside, his mother dragged him back in.
"Don't go outside today. Go into your room now!"
His mother's voice was harsh as always but he recognized the signs; she was obviously upset. She looked out of the window, but Tommy didn't move. The kids had agreed not to tell about last night to anybody.
"Why mom? What's wrong?"
His mom didn't answer as she was still looking out of the window, examining the four crows standing in their fence. Tom turned around and headed to his room. It was dark; the window was covered by crows looking inside.
Although he was scared at first, he run to the window with a determined look on his face and opened the window, pushing the crows. The black birds quickly flew away in the cloudy sky, chirping as they did so.
Hours passed and his father came back from work. Dinner arrived and they all sat on the table, along with Tom's grandmother. The usual happy atmosphere Tom's family was maintaining was all gone; it was replaced by a terrifying silence. The grown ups were glancing at each other with upset looks. However, they did pray to Lord, thanking him for the food He provided them.
Tom just looked down at his plate, secretly watching his parents exchanging those looks. Grandma seemed the only one to be slowly eating. She hadn't spoken in years and his parents believed she was mentally challenged ever since her husband died.
But, Tommy, as a clever boy, he was realising that his grandmother was terrified by something so much, she couldn't speak ever after. Exactly what happened with Samson, Tom would bet he wouldn't be able to speak today either.
After they finished dinner, Tom stood up.
"Can I go out now?"
His parents exchanged worried looks once more; his father shook his head negleting him.
"No. You can't go outside every Saturday."
Tom nodded and headed upstairs, knowing full well he was unable to change his father's mind. But he closed the door of his room while he was outside, and sat on the floor. He could see down the living room from there, where his parents and grandpa were sitting.
"This hasn't happened ever since the Years of Horror!"
His mother whispered in a frightened tone. His grandma simply nodded.
"You don't think.. You don't think he's back?"
His father frowned. Tom changed position silently, so he could see his grandma's expressions too. She was just looking out of the window with her usual weird face.
"I think we need to go to the Church."
The boy stood up as his parents left, closing the door behind them. His grandmother was still sitting on the wooden chair, where they left her.
Tom approached her and she gave him an innocent look. He sat next to her, on the couch.
"Grandma.. What's happening?"
He didn't expect her to answer him, he looked outside the window. But he suddenly turned as the woman before him was trying to say something.
"Fiddlesticks."
He barely even heard her voice as it was extremely sore. His eyes widened in surprise to hear her speak her first word in twenty years. He got closer as his grandma was coughing.
"Fiddlesticks?"
The fear in his grandma's eyes was unspeakable, literally. Tom didn't pressure her any longer and headed upstairs, to his room, sat down to think about the events of the last days. The name, Fiddlesticks was echoing in his mind. It didn't seem like an actual word, so it had got to be a name.
Later that night, he broke out of the house from his window and climbed out the roof, what he usually did, to play with his friends at this hour of the day. Their meeting point was the road leading outside the town - the same road which was leading to the mansion.
As he walked down the main street, he heard a slight screech behind him, which made him freeze in fear. He turned around to see a rusty sign occupied by some crows.
The boy sighed and continued walking. The crows were still all around the area, despite the villagers desparate attempts to drive them away.
Allen was hanging on the fence at the end of the road. He waved at Tom, who run towards him, careful not to be seen by any suspicious eye. In a blink of an eye, Allen was gone. Tom froze in the middle of the street, trying to comprehend with what happened - he was feeling a dreadful and horrifying presence nearby. He looked around; every crow on the street was staring at him. Their eyes were shining red in the darkness; everything seemed darker than usual, he felt like darkness was closing in all around him. He looked at the cloudy sky and his eyes fell on the nearest roof as he suddenly noticed it - amongst the hundreds of red eyes, a pair of sparkling green ones was staring at him.
A strong wind blew all around the area, leveling up every light object in the street. Tom's scream was silenced, frozen in his neck, somehow.
After a brief moment which seemed like eternity, everything went away, the strong wind still blowing. The crows flew away in the sky, disappearing in the darkness.
Tom realised he had fallen in the ground. He slowly got up, analyzing what he saw.
Then he noticed Allen was waving at him, hanging on the fence at the end of the road.
Tom's frightened eyes frowned, trying to understand why Allen disappeared so suddenly. He run towards him and yelled, with fear still in his face.
"Were you there a few moments ago?!"
"What're you talking about, I just came here"
Allen looked him suspiciously, but with a mocking smile on his face. Tom looked down to hide his fear, he didn't want his friends to think he was afraid.
It was then when Jenna came running to them, from a backalley. She had a worried expression on her face.
"Guys there's something wrong with Samson.. that's why he's not here. He's got fever.."
Allen and Tom stared at each other, silently understanding they had the same thoughts. Tom then looked at the ground again.
"I think it has to do with the mansion.."
Jenna nodded furiously no and her face got red.
"How can you say that? It was just a stupid old house!"
Tom got angry as well, his face getting red as he took a step towards her, now looking her straight in her black eyes. This time he was right and he knew it.
"Yes it does have to do with that house! Didn't you see all these crows? There were crows in that house too, and my grandma recognized them!"
Jenna's expressions changed from mad to curious. Allen interrupted, with the same curious tone.
"Your grandma? But she hasn't spoken a word in years.."
"Well today she did speak one single word: Fiddlesticks."
Allen cowered in fear, his eyes widening. Tom's eyebrows became one in a smirk as he looked at his friend, silently asking him what's wrong. Allen whispered silently, like he didn't anyone eavesdropping. But there was no one around.
"Fiddlesticks..? I think I've.. heard this name before.."
Jenna interrupted him with her usual headstrong rush.
"It doesn't sound like a name to me before."
"Yeah it is a name.. I've read about it, Tommy is right."
Allen looked at his friends knowing he had impressed them. They were staring at him intrigued. Jenna kept her mocking tone on.
"Whatever. All this still isn't connected. I'll prove it, by going in that mansion again.."
"But you can't just go there, didn't you see what happened to your brother?"
Tom and Jenna stared at eachother for a brief moment, their eyes glowing with fury. Tom didn't like to argue with his friends and especially againist Jenna, but he couldn't help it. Allen interrupted again, with a calm voice.
"I'm going to break into the library and search for that name. I'm sure I've read about it, somewhere."
Tom agreed with that, Allen's father was working at the library so he could access it at night. He was about to say that they'd follow him, but Jenna headed straight outside the town, towards the hill.
"Whether you coming or not, I'm going."
Tom followed her, grabbing her arm, pulling her back. She shook her arm free and shouted.
"Let me go!"
Tom sighed, he had no choise. He was still frightened about the crows, the green eyes and the creepy mansion atop the hill.
"I'm following you, then.."
He whispered, beaten. Allen had already left. Jenna looked him in the eyes with approval. Then she silently turned around and nodded at Tom to follow her.
The clouds had almost gone away. The moon lighted the town, revealing a scarecrow standing on top of the chimney, watching the three kids arguing with no emotion at all. The eyes of the scarecrow were burning emerald, sparkling with the essence of life, staring with unearthly gaze.
Last edited by Ray Maverick; September 7th, 2011 at 04:30 PM.
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