A Murder of Crows
Title: A Murder of Crows
Part: 9/12
Author: KKChitown
Status: Final
Category: Fic
Warnings: Gee, let's see here . . . language, really bad in this
part, umm oh yeah, if you have a very vivid imagination, or weak
stomach, there is a kind of gross part in here. Make sure you aren't
eating. And Quatre's looses his mind. But not the way you think. :)
Feedback: yup
Disclaimer: You know.
Notes: Oh, I have a sequel in mind, well, actually two, but if you think I
shouldn't bother let me know, or if you think I should, I will be
your humble servant. Not a good one though. I'm stubborn as all hell.
Have at it!
A Murder of Crows: Part 9
By KKChitown
"Of all the things that are unholy!" Leave it to Duo to say something
like that even though everywhere he goes he gets away with something
because he looks like a priest.
The attic is a laboratory. An incredible laboratory. There were
archaic microscopes, scalpels, pins and notebooks everywhere. Some
of the equipment used I've only seen in my history books. I was so
fascinated by this that I momentarily overlooked the smell. It
wasn't even the smell of death; this smell was way too strong. This
smell was that of decay, and believe me, that is much, much worse.
I stepped in about five footsteps to get a good view of the room. It
wasn't too dark. There is enough light coming in from downstairs that
it illuminated the attic, and also Trowa lit a candle with a box of
matches sitting on a nearby table. We turned on our flashlights,
which helped a little more. Trowa went in front of me on my right,
gun near his nose in the classic cop image. Duo ran over to the
corner and starting vomiting. I don't blame him, I had to swallow a
large lump in my throat and tears were welling in my eyes. This was
NOT going to be easy.
Gulping, I managed to say "spread out and look for anything useful."
By this time, Duo had finished and Trowa was already down a aisle of
books. I headed straight for one of the metallic tables to find
dozens of notebooks. Flipping through the pages, I found that they
were notes on crows. There were drawings detailing their anatomy,
the names of organs, their functions according to the autopsies done,
and so forth. The notes were extremely detailed and even tedious in
reading. I can't even imagine the actual experiments.
Moving on to the end of the table, next to it on a desk, I found a
stack of pictures. They were so old the picture was not in color, but
in a faint pinkish/brown tint. One had a little boy standing to the
left of a man sitting in a chair, and a woman on the right hand
side. Studying the picture further, I realized that the little boy
was Krahe, and that the man looked like an older version of him, so I
assume that he is the father. The woman must be the mother. She was
very pretty, maybe in her mid thirties at the time of this picture.
Her hair was in a bun but I would say that it was long, not longer
than Duo's but pretty long, jet black, very pale skin, dark eyes.
Another was a picture of Krahe and his father in this very room. His
father stood diligently, arms behind his back with a white lab coat
on, thin glasses, brown hair slicked back. Krahe was dressed the same
way, except a crow rested on his shoulder.
After going through the drawers in the desk I found another notebook.
On the cover of the notebook was the word `Corvidophilia' engraved in
gold lettering. After untying a ribbon that held it closed and
flipping through the pages, I realized that it was a journal. A
journal that was kept by the father. It described the day that Krahe
Corvidophilia was born, his first step, when he was sick in school,
everything. Krahe's father seemed to be a scientist of some sort,
with all types of birds really, but his specialty was on crows. At
least I think that is it, my German is a little rusty.
Where things went downhill was when Abigail died. So that was her
name. When she died, the father, or rather Dr. Corvidophilia,
withdrew himself from society and work to see if she made it to
heaven. Why wouldn't she? Anyway, since Dr. Corvidophilia was a
scientist for birds, he was well aware of all the legends about them,
most notably the ones surrounding crows. It is listed in many of the
books that I've read in my studies that all birds carry souls to
heaven, but crows were best suited for the journey[4]. So he worked
night and day to find out if this was true or not, and how he could
get a crow to go to find out if his wife made it to heaven. How
terrible.
The last page spoke of his abuse for his son. The mother died when
Krahe, at the age of seventeen, ran away from home. I don't know
where the father was. It doesn't say how she died, but when Krahe
came home later that evening, his father and police were already
there and told him what had transpired. The father blames his son,
and from there on physically abused the boy.
"......once again Krahe has crossed me
what must I do to get through to him?
his behavior has to stop, but so does mine.
Wait, there is someone at the door....."
The journal entry stopped there. I wondered what happened.
"Quatre?"
"Yes, Duo."
"Did you find anything? I can't make anything out. All this stuff
seems to be written in scribble, and all there is up here is
embalming fluid and a jug of kerosine."
"Just this." I held up the notebook to him, and he just gave me a
funny look then turned around and went out the door. I guess the
smell really got to him. Trowa was nowhere to be found. Figures. I
just stuck the journal in my coat pocket with the two pictures and
went down one of the aisles closest to the wall.
The bookshelf had literally hundreds of books, some on the role of
crows in the bible, to the myths of the messengers of Odin [5].
Fascinating stuff. Next to music, I'm very fond of literature.
It was very dark at the end of this corner, and the smell actually
got a lot stronger. Whatever died was at this side of the floor. I
started to shuffle my feet against the floor, not really wanting to
step on anything that might be useful, or get stuff stuck to the
bottom of Duo's shoes. I'll never hear the end of it.
Further in the back in almost complete darkness was a freezer-type
machine about the size of a coffin. What a pleasant thought. Anyway,
it had a handle like a refrigerator door. I know that hospitals
would use things like this to keep appendages or organs cold, but
this thing stopped working a long time ago. I could feel that it was
at room temperature, once I managed to gently knock the spiders off
of it. The bottom of it has corroded away, I assume where it thawed
out.
I don't know why, but I was possessed with the urge to open it, yet I
knew that I was going to be very sorry that I did. It is one of those
that things, you know, that `damned it you do, damned if you don't'
kind of feelings. So once again, taking in a deep breath for
courage, even with the seamy air, I surrounded the handle with my
palm, clasping my fingers firmly around, and pulled with all my might
into opening the metric ton door. It quickly flew open, with dust
spilling everywhere to reveal its content.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!"
It was a corpse! Not even a corpse, what's left of it. Its arms were
crossed on his chest, and it didn't have any feet. The clothes it
was wearing had deteriorated to the point where it looked like skin.
Its jaw had landed against the skeletal neck, the eyes and nose
filled with maggots and other insects I couldn't even make out. The
hair was nothing more than thick gray strands laying about its head.
And the smell, oh, Allah, the smell, it was too much.
Dropping my flashlight, I stumbled back fast into the bookshelf
causing it to rock and fall forward. A hand from behind me
intertwined in my collar and sent me flying on the floor. The
bookshelf landed loudly, half on the floor and half on the body.
Looking up I could tell I was laying my head in Wufei's lap, his arms
crossed over my chest and breathing heavily. I quickly sat up, and
rolled to the side so that I wouldn't throw up on his pants. That was
my limit.
"Quatre! Breathe damnit, you're gonna hyperventilate. Trowa!"
Out of nowhere Trowa immediately appeared, picking me up and cradling
me in his arms like I didn't weigh anything. He must've came to us
when he heard the bookshelf fall. Of course I stopped heaving, for
one I didn't want Trowa to see me like this and two, I didn't want to
get this mornings' ramen all over his shirt.
Outside of the door Trowa put me down and Wufei followed close
behind. I sat on the floor, trying to get the vision of a rotten,
worm infested skeleton from behind my eyelids. Heero and Duo came
charging up the stairs, with the latter frantically shaking my
shoulders and screaming in my ear.
I managed to put my jaw back in place after a VERY hard shake from
Duo. Once I appeared to be in the here and now, Wufei, Heero, and
Trowa went to the bookshelf and started to move it out of the way,
while Duo held my bandaged hand, which is now covered with dried
blood, dust, dirt and other filth I don't want to think about.
"What the hell happened, cat?"
I didn't want to say. Oh I didn't want to say.
Of course Duo's question was answered when a gasp came from Wufei and
he stumbled away covering his mouth, followed by Trowa and Heero.
Even Heero looked disturbed, which was enough for Duo.
"You know what? Forget I asked."
The smell again invaded my senses, and that lump in my throat was
pushing its way through my closed mouth. The other three came to
Duo's and mine circle, maybe to find out what is going on. Trowa
stood next to me, and I did not want to vomit in front of him by any
means, so I did the next best thing.
I fainted.
***
/Quatre./
Am I dreaming again? No, I can't be.
/Quatre, can you hear me?/
Slowly, I opened my eyes to a very concerned look on Wufei's face. He
smiled a little bit, which in turn made me smile, and him feel more
at ease.
"You had me worried there. Besides, since you've been out Duo has
been forced to talk to *me* for the past hour so you have to wake up."
"Sorry," I managed a weak chuckle at that. It's not often Wufei tries
to crack a joke. He smiled just a bit more, but that concern was
still in his eyes. "What is it Wufei?"
"Quatre, you look like hell." That's as sugarcoated with him as it
gets.
"Do I really?"
"Yes, you do. Plus the fact that even though you fainted, you've been
out for a whole hour. That's too long for being a little disturbed.
Also, your breath stinks."
"Your too kind." I sat up, my back and shoulders screaming against
it, and rose to my feet. My clothes were changed. I was in a gray
jogging suit instead of the light blue I had on earlier. I looked up
at Wufei to ask but he beat me to the punch.
"Trowa changed your clothes because you all smelled like," he shook
his head, scowling "that thing upstairs. We are burning them.
There's no use in washing them."
Looking to the fireplace, I can see the last remains of Duo's clothes
along with mine. Oh well. It'll give me a reason to go shopping.
Wait, Trowa changed my clothes? And I wasn't awake to even enjoy it?
There truly isn't justice in the world.
Oh Allah, I'm starting to sound like Wufei. "Where is everybody?"
"Heero and Duo are outside making the final preparations to leave.
Screw driving back to Moscow, we are going to take a train.
Everything should be in the 4-runner by now. Trowa is upstairs
looking for whatever he can. I suggest that before we leave we burn
the house down. Nothing but evil resides here."
Sounds good, better than what we intended before. I have no
complaints. Well, I decided to take Wufei's suggestion to heart and
get to a bathroom to spray some water in my mouth to make my breath
less deadly, I suppose. I left his side and preceded up the stairs.
"Quatre, where are y-"
"I'm going to the bathroom to clean my face."
"Aa."
***
Looking in the mirror, I can see why Duo and Wufei were distraught
over my face. I did look like hell. The claws at my forehead and the
bite at my lip from the crows were gaped open, no blood or even a
scab over it. Just there. My cheeks were bruised a deep purple
color, slightly swollen, but my eyes were the worst. They didn't look
the bright blue I usually have, but a dull, dark blue. The bags under
my eyes were a dark gray color, and extended to the bony thickness of
my nose. I honestly look like death. I almost scared me. Huh.
I brought my hands up to touch my skin to see if it was real. In the
mirror it had the appearance of a wax substance that was flaking off.
It felt like paper, very thin and dry, ready to tear off. From the
water to the weather and tension, everything was wearing on me, on
all of us. I want to rest and have a decent hot cup of tea.
I slumped out of the bathroom with my head hanging. How any of them
could stand to look at me is a mystery. I disgust myself.
Unfortunately, the clawing sound at the door brought me out of my
self loathing.
Just raising my eyes I can see my bedroom door open. The window must
be busted out, there was glass all over the floor. The crows were
everywhere; on the bed, on the floor, flapping across the room. The
ones that attracted my attention were the ones outside of my room on
the doorframe. Twenty or thirty I'd say.
What also got my attention was my sweatshirt, the dark blue one that
got torn and ripped off me when he tried to...do something to Duo and
drown me. It hung on the doorknob by the collar, nice and dry, sewn
back together, just inviting me to come and get it.
And I am going to accept his invitation. I am ready to be finished
with this, and I am getting my sweatshirt back. I took one deliberate
step forward when a calloused hand grabbed my arm stopping me in my
place.
"Don't move." Even in a whisper, Heero's voice is still intimidating.
We stood there motionless for what seemed like forever. Whether Heero
was going to glare them to death or what I don't know, but the
silence and standing there was starting to make me feel dizzy. So,
snatching my arm free from Heero's grasp, I stomped over to my door
and yanked my shirt free from the doorknob. The crows didn't budge. I
waited there momentarily in case Krahe decided to make
an `appearance' since he is a crow...or can be a crow. I'm not sure
which.
I waited maybe a minute or two, but nothing happened. I know I
should've been happy, but I wasn't. I don't ever recall being that
angry in my entire life than I was at that particular moment. He is
such a coward. I am right here and he is nowhere to be found. What
really upsets me is that I can feel his presence, I KNOW he is
watching me. For one second, I learned what it was truly like to
hate, and I never want to feel that emotion again.
In an inexplicable amount of anger, I held on to the knob, leaned
forward a bit to open the door even wider, and slammed it shut,
knocking it off of one of its hinges.
The force of it sounded through the house, rattling the windows, and
a few splints of wood broke off. The crows inside the room could be
heard flying about madly, with that screeching sound I am starting to
dislike. Greatly. However, the crows hanging on the door watched me
patiently. Nothing I was doing threatened them in the slightest.
I stood there momentarily, holding the shirt to my chest like a
lifeline. I am trembling, but I don't know if it is because I am
angry, or scared, or just plain desperate. I never thought I would be
able to hate anything. I felt that my empathy was what was special
about me. That I could love anything, no matter how much distrust or
hate existed. Now, I was no better than anyone else. I finally hated
something, and it had the most beautiful blue eyes that will ever be,
and possessed itself in one of the most sacred creatures on the
earth.
You have condemned me, Krahe.
"Quatre, come on." Heero's tone did not book argument.
But I couldn't turn away. I stared at the door, daring him mentally
to come out. This new feeling I am experiencing, even though it
lasted a second, had its residue left in my soul. I wanted to fight
him like I fight OZ with Sandrock. I wanted to personally escort him
into hell.
Heero came up behind me and placed both of his hands on my shoulders.
I know he was about to render me unconscious when I started shouting.
"Fuck you! Fuck you fuck you fuck you! FUCK YOU!"
Tears started streaming down my cheeks. I cursed at him in between
sobs. Heero tried to pull me away, but I fought to stay standing
right where I was. There was a shout, besides my own, but I didn't
hear it. Another set of hands with Heero's pulled me back and I saw
that it was Trowa.
I continued to scream my profanities, but now in arabic. Poor Trowa,
he was trying to say something to me but all I did was yell in his
face. Seeing that I was not going to calm down on my own, Trowa
picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. I continued to holler
obscenities while Trowa and Heero `escorted' me down the stairs. To
the side I can see Wufei's face in total shock, and Duo was the other
shout. Wufei was holding him around the waist, trying to keep him
from flying up the stairs. He was just as frantic as I was.
Trowa put me down and immediately Duo broke free of Wufei's grip and
basically ran into me, knocking us both on the floor. Straddling me,
he started to shake me, screaming who knows what. Neither one of us
was making sense to the other, or any one else for that matter. With
another good jerk to my head, I finally quieted, and he stopped,
breathing hoarsely. Once I got to my feet, he embraced me and held me
so close we almost became one person. I buried my face into his
collarbone and leaned into him, intending to block out the outside
world. I am too exhausted to even cry.
"Holy tap dancing shit Quatre, don't scare me like that. You're too
good, don't you understand? You are the light at the end of the
fuckin' tunnel man. You got to be strong for me, okay?" He whispered
in my ear, slightly rubbing my back. I am so glad he is my best
friend.
I nodded weakly into his neck. Duo is right, I need to be strong for
him and the other pilots. We are leaving soon anyway. As soon as we
get-
"Whatever we don't have forget it, we are leaving. Now!" Heero
must've been really mad at me to make such an abrupt change in
schedule. I guess the perfect soldier has his limits. Who would've
thought I'd be it.
The home team's timing was impeccable. As soon as Heero said that,
the window in the kitchen exploded. The crows came flying in,
seating themselves on the furniture or heading in our direction. As
thick as those windows were, they shattered like a champagne glass
when it came to those birds.
Someone was on top of me, protecting Duo and I from the falling
shards. It was Trowa. As soon as the sound of glass hit the floor the
fluttering of wings and cawing echoed in the hollow room. I saw out
of the corner of my eye Duo being hoisted up by someone. Then I felt
the weight that pinned me to the floor vanish and strong hands pulled
me to my feet. This time Trowa put an arm around my waist, and my arm
around his neck, and ran up the stairs after the other pilots. But
since he is so tall, my feet didn't touch the floor.
At the top of the stairs we were greeted by my `friends' sitting
outside of my room. Trowa put me down then, and what he did after
that I don't know, because I couldn't take my eyes off the figure
before me. Sitting on my bed was Krahe, legs crossed, hands palm down
on the mattress, surrounded by his minions. He didn't have that sweet
smile on his face anymore. He had the expression of one that would
kill you then act as if they observed a rock on the road. Kind of
like that deadly calm before a storm.
I was no longer angry. I was terrified.
"Quatre!" Trowa once again came to my rescue and pulled me backwards
to Heero's room. He and I were the last one's in as we hurriedly
closed the door, locking it. The birds could be heard settling
themselves, but their shadows were seen under the door, so we are
aware that they were outside waiting for us. Running possible
scenarios on how to escape through my head, I remembered that there
isn't a window in Heero's room, just a bed and dresser. All of our
equipment and weapons were in the 4-runner.
We were trapped.
Shit.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
[4] I don't know a lot about crows, so while I was doing some quick
research on them, I actually found that early in time people believed
that all birds carried souls to heaven, but the preferred bird was a
crow, because it is the smartest of all birds.
[5] The Messengers of Odin were two crows named Hugin (thought) and
Munin (memory). While the god Odin sat on his throne above Earth, the
crows would fly throughout Earth and report back to Odin what was
going on. This refers to the rest of the sentence in [4] as in why
Dr. Corvidophilia thought that the crow could find out if his wife
made it to heaven or not, because the crow could fly there and back
and tell him. This is Norse mythology, in case your wondering.
© 2000 by KKChitown. Please do not remove without permission.
