The wind blew high over the moors, and from my bedroom window I could see the grey storm clouds they carried. Several fat drops dashed against the window and streaked down the pane. It was 6am and I hadn't slept a wink since he had spoken to me. I pressed my forehead against the glass and whispered a lack lustre, "Happy Birthday, kid."
I was officially eighteen years old.
What a bummer.
I thought about climbing back into bed, but I knew wouldn't sleep. I would just lay back on the pillows, listening to the rain and watching to minutes pass by on my alarm clock. So I decided to get up and do something productive.
First I had a shower then got dressed. I didn't bother wearing anything special - in this kind of weather, what was the point? With rain like this, the whole village would be a mud bath. It was pointless digging out a lovely ensemble only to have it ruined by rain and dirt. So I choose the country girl's attire, jeans, boots and a thick hoodie.
Creeping down stairs, my little dog Luna was waiting for me. Her bright brown eyes sparkled up at me and she wagged her little tail furiously. My face lit up and bent down and scooped her up in my arms. Her tiny tongue, no bigger than a fifty pence piece showered me with little licks that felt like butterfly wings against my skin. It tickled and I laughed, hugging her tightly.
"Good morning to you too," I smiled, petting her.
I had her since she was a puppy. She was small black dog with a tuft of white hair on her chest, I couldn't tell you what breed she was because she looked like she came from a long line of mongrels. We found her wondering up on moors last Christmas. She was half frozen with no collar or identity chip and. I begged my parents to let me keep her. They reluctantly agreed, so long as I did all the walking and feeding her. Ever since then we had been inseparable.
I grabbed her lead and gave a little shake. Normally, that was enough to whip her into a frenzy of excitement, but Luna must have heard the rain because she dashed back into her basket.
"Come on." I said chasing after her.
She was a fair weather dog that took to her basket the moment she saw a drop on rain. I grabbed her doggy rain coat and sighed, "For goodness sake, Luna. It's only a light drizzle."
She yawned at me, and spun round in her basket so she had her back towards me. I shook my head and muttered, "Fine, I will go for a walk by myself."
I pulled on my waxed rain coat and left the house.
Jumping over the dry stone wall I headed across the open fields towards the edge of the moor. The sun as still low in the sky, creating a greyish haze of mist and rain. I found the wet invigorating. I pulled back the hood of my coat and stared up at the sky, letting myself feel the rain splashing against my face.
It was wonderful - until a loud sudden squawk pierced my tranquility. My head snapped forward and I clapped eyes upon a large black Raven perching on the fence post.
I scowled at it. "Go away, you noisy bird."
The raven tilted its head, as if it had understood what I had said. I backed away from it, pulling up my hood and turning back to the path that cut across the moor. I walked ten or fifteen steps forward, before I paused to glance back over my shoulder. A whole flock of ravens were now lined up on the gate post, staring at me.
A shiver rippled across my skin and I looked forward, picking up my pace heading higher up onto the moor.
I wondered if the ravens had something to do with him - no, that would be ridiculous. He's not real, he's just a delusion.
Suddenly, my ring finger started to ache and I felt him near. I shook my head, "No, you can't bother me here. It's daylight."
A raven swooped down in front of me and landed on a patch of gorse. Next to it appeared a large pool of water that looked like a giant puddle. Compelled, I took a step off the path and looked into the black water. Cautiously, I pondered if it was bog, but I knew these moors well enough to know we were no where near the marshy areas.
'Ebony,' the water rippled.
I jumped back with a scream.
'Have you finally come to your senses?'
"No, I have not come to my sense, in fact I'm talking to a puddle!"
'You still believe that I am a delusion - a sickness of your mind. Let me prove to you I am flesh and blood. Step into the water and you will meet me.'
"Nope. I'm not jumping into any nasty, stinky, bog water."
'The entrance to our world lies within this pool of water. All you need to do is trust in me and take a step into the water.'
"If I step into that water, I'm going to need a vaccination shot. So no, I'll not be joining you in your special little world."
'This is your world too. How many times must I tell you that the human world is not your home?'
I paused, staring at the water and asked, "What are you?"
'I am a Prince.'
"What type of Prince?"
'Your type of Prince.'
"You're avoiding my question."
'Step into the pool and I will answer all your questions in person.'
"You could be lying to me. You might want me to jump into this water and drown."
'I could never harm my own heart.'
"Listen, Prince, there's no way you can convince me to jump into that nasty boggy water. So you might as well give up and stop talking to me."
The ring around my finger burned and ached as it always did when he got angry.
'I have waited four hundred years for you, Ebony. I have been willed myself to live just so we could reunited. If you will not come to me by your own free will, then I will take you by force.'
"I do not care what you say. I will not jump in that pool."
'I will come for you tonight, Ebony. Expect me.'