WHISPERS OF FATE (D. S.)

Feathered Friend

The forest floor is a tapestry of crimson and gold, leaves crunching underfoot as I navigate the shadow-dappled woods. The air is laced with the sharp tang of fall, biting at my cheeks and sending shivers down my spine.

I can smell the smoky tendrils of a campfire, mingling with the laughter and music that float through the trees from a distant party. As I glance up, the moon hangs heavy and full, a silver sentinel amidst the skeletal fingers of the trees.

But then, a cold wave of fear washes over me. There, cast in the moonlight, is the ominous silhouette of the man from my nightmares. The same man who stood over the lifeless bodies of the couple from the other night, his presence a harbinger of something dark, something terrifying.

I watch, hidden amongst the trees, as a woman staggers through the clearing. The man's eyes are fixed on her, a predator tracking its prey. In a heartbeat, he's upon her, his mouth at her neck in what could be mistaken for a lover's kiss. A scream pierces the night, raw and terror-filled, shattering any illusion of romance.

The world blurs, and suddenly, the man is gone as if swallowed by the night itself. The woman lies crumpled on the ground, her body still, too still. I'm at her side now, my heart hammering in my chest. It's Vicki Donovan, a girl I know from school, her face pale in the moonlight, her eyes staring into nothingness.

A scream claws its way out of my throat, a mirror of Vicki's own terror, as I'm wrenched from the dream. My eyes snap open, my breath coming in ragged gasps, the remnants of the nightmare clinging to me like cobwebs. "It's just a dream," I whisper into the darkness, but the fear lingers, a silent whisper that maybe, just maybe, it was something more.

My room came into focus, along with the concerned faces of Elena, Jeremy, and Jenna crowding my doorway. Jenna's soothing presence was at my side in an instant.

"Just a nightmare," I reassured her, though my voice trembled. Once they'd all returned to bed, my hands found the journal hidden between my mattress and bed frame. I scribbled down every harrowing detail, my mind racing with the implications of my vision. Only when the last word was written did I allow sleep to claim me once more.

Sunlight streamed through my bedroom window, chasing away the shadows of sleep. I stretched, a smile tugging at my lips as I saw the look on Elena's face this morning as she walked past my door and flashed me a smile – she was practically glowing. I could hear her humming a tune from across the hall, no doubt still riding the high from her evening with Stefan.

I went to pull on my favorite jeans and a cozy sweater, but my fingers paused as my gaze was drawn to the window where a solitary crow perched on the gnarled branch of the oak tree. Its obsidian eyes seemed to bore into the room, into my very being, and I couldn't help the shiver that danced down my spine. "What are you looking at?" I muttered, more to myself than the bird, as I shook off the eerie feeling and continued getting dressed.

A few moments passed in the normalcy of my routine until I was fully clothed and ready to step out. But as I gave my room one last glance, my heart skipped a beat. The crow was no longer on the tree; it had relocated to the windowsill, its beady gaze unblinking and unsettlingly focused on me.

With a scoff, I approached the crow, feigning confidence. "You're a persistent one, aren't you?" My voice filled with a mix of curiosity and amusement. The crow responded with a sharp caw, as if in response to my words. I tilted my head. "Alright, fine. I'll see you later, Mr. Crow. Don't cause too much trouble while I'm gone," I added with a playful wink before finally turning away. While exiting, I shook my head giving thought to the fact that I just had a conversation with a bird.

Downstairs Jeremy was slouched over a bowl of cereal, his headphones on, a barrier to the world. His eyes were glued to his phone, thumbs tapping away in a silent conversation with someone, who knows who. The typical moody teenager in his natural habitat.