Seasick (You, Haunting My Mind & This Town)

Croaking Crows

She sighs for the nth time during the walk back to their summer house. The polythene bags swaying with her hands, making crackling sounds along the way. It's a short walk from the convenient store to the house.

A scrunching sound made it's way to Elaine's ears. She froze as she felt something beneath her shoes. She did not breathe for a good minute before peeking down at her foot.

A crow. It's dead.

Elaine shrieked and took her right foot off of the crow. The scene displayed was outright nasty. the blood was even now oozing out of the wounded part, it was still wet. The crow had died not long ago. She ignored the displeasing feeling in her stomach and scurried home as quickly as she could.

Reaching home, she kicked off her shoes with urgency, checking if there's blood on it's sole. There was. There was a patch of red which made the shoe it's home.  

"El, you're back!" Her mum announced, darting her way to the front door with her apron still on her.

Elaine swiftly kept the shoe down as if she had committed the murder of the crow and was trying to hide it. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe-

"El? You alright?"

"Yes mum," She composed herself, getting on her feet. "Here, groceries." She handed the polythene bags to her mother.

Her mum eyed her, convincing herself to not believe her own daughter. Or perhaps mothers do have that superpower to know when their child is lying to them. Elaine wouldn't know, she isn't a mother. 

"Okay" her mum replied, dragging out the y. Elaine ignored her and rushed to her room, making sure to close the door shut before plopping down on her bed.

She held one of the rock hard pillows given to them, staring at the dull ceiling coloured in off-white, thinking of nothing. Oh, how she misses her own bed. She should have asked her parents to stay home. It would have been worth a try, at least.

It was just a crow. She reasons to herself, calming down. Just a crow, who got it's unfortunate end. Just like other animals do. Just like how life is to mortal beings. 

But she can't brush off the irking feeling of something unpleasant. It's the town. Totally because of the town. The town is making her feel bothered, she concludes, knowing it couldn't be half right.

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Most people didn't know about a town existing beyond the forest. Nobody really stayed the night over, nor did any newcomers visit or moved here.

That's why Elaine got curious about the Hendry Family. Also because they basically stole their summer house. But Elaine can't be salty, not now. Not when Sadie and her are going to play detective and investigate the Hendry family.

"We are meeting them, not investigating them!" Sadie shrieks, fearlessly snatching a magnifying glass from Elaine's hand. Sadie always ruins the fun, "And why do you even have a this?" 

Elaine groaned, "It's mine, I brought it with me,"

"You brought a magnifying glass and did not even think to bring your wallet?"

"We've been through this! I forgot. I'm human, Sadie." Elaine expressed. Not that Sadie will understand. She couldn't be human. What kind of human prefers to wake up at the crack of dawn during weekends?

Long walks weren't Elaine's thing, and she is grateful for the town being so measly that one could walk to the other end in around 10 minutes.  long walks were a Sadie thing, for sure. She would purposely walk back to the convenience store to the other end of town twice.