A dangerous game

The sound always arrived first, a gentle shimmershimshim like a breathy wind in the treetops. But it changed. Louder and louder as it approached: a wind pushed in front of a spring storm, then a throaty roar, edged with an angry howl—two voices merged in inexplicable fury. 

Then the beast itself appeared, teeth bared and flashing. Leafy branches, struck by a sudden gust as it rushed by, gave an involuntary shudder. The roar grew deeper, a fading growl.

And the beast was gone. 

Today, when she heard the sounds of its approach on the wide trail that ran downhill among the trees, Mimi hopped behind a thick trunked pine and stood as still as possible. It didn’t see her, of course, so consumed it was over whatever it pursued.  

Corvo reached her hiding spot, bobbing and twitching his head as he often did even when he wasn’t nervous. They listened intently for a moment, turning their heads this way and that to try to separate the sound of the breeze in the trees from any possible danger. 

“I don’t hear it,” Corvo said quietly. He tipped his head once again in the direction the beast had gone. “No, it’s gone,” he said to her again, loudly now, clearly relieved.

She glanced at him. In her green eyes danced fragments of sunlight that eluded the canopy above them. “Yeah, I am not worried about it,” she said, her voice a disinterested sing-song. 

Corvo’s wife appeared across the trail from them. In a flash she had crossed to the pine and settled in next to Mimi.

“It is gone, I think,” said Corvo’s wife. Like Corvo, she was big—a good bit taller than Mimi—with eyes darker than her black face. Mimi felt small between them. “Why do they make such noise? What do they chase like that? Surely not us.”

Joined now by his wife, Corvo relaxed. “Mimi here says she wasn’t worried.” 

Corvo’s wife cocked her head at Mimi. “No?” Incredulous. And not hiding it.

“No,” Mimi chirped back. 

Leaning in, Corvo’s wife stared contemptuously down at Mimi. She was bolder than Corvo, less flighty. Shrewd. Mimi didn’t care for her much. Aggressive and loud, she had a harsh, booming voice. “I will believe that when I see it!”

“I will believe that when I see it!” Mimi echoed without thinking. Corvo fidgeted as his wife glared at Mimi. 

“Tell you what,” Mimi said. “Next time one comes this way, I will get right in front of it and evade it before it can get me.” 

“You will not!” Corvo’s wife stood tall.

“I will,” Mimi replied with a little shuffle of her feet. “Let’s make a game of it. If I do it, you have to do it.” She shot a glance at Corvo, who stood quiet, his head twitching. “Both of you! Winner is whoever gets closest—and comes back!” 

Corvo and his wife put their heads together and spoke quickly, harshly to one another. They debated for a while until Mimi interrupted. “It’s a game. I thought it would be fun. If you are afraid then no big deal.” 

“Fine!” Corvo’s wife said stepping forward. Behind her, Corvo stood, eyes wide, head snapping left and right. “But you will go first.”

Mimi shrugged. Of course she would go first. 

It didn’t take long. Shimmershimshim. The hissing wind started. Mimi looked up the trail, waiting. With her head poking out in plain view she felt the beast must surely see her. Then came the roar. She was seen! To her right, Corvo and his wife both shivered and talked at once. 

“She won’t go.”

“No, she won’t.”

“So loud. It’s enraged!”

“It is almost on us.” 

Mimi looked back at her companions: “Game on!” She jumped. Corvo’s wife let out a cry that was lost in the howl as the beast reached them.

Mimi sped across the trail. Over her right shoulder she saw the beast’s teeth and glaring eyes, heard its menacing growl.

She made it to the other side. The beast roared past. 

“Crazy bitch!” Corvo’s wife screamed. 

“Crazy bitch,” mocked Mimi, triumphantly. 

Corvo wobbled visibly on his thin legs as Mimi came back to the pair. “Your turn,” she said simply. “Who’s next?”

Corvo’s wife glared at him. Plainly, he was. 

Some time passed, the only sound was leaves rubbing together. 

Then. Shimmershimshim. Again from up the hill. 

“Get ready, Corvo,” his wife said. “Don’t worry, you are stronger than she is.” Stronger, probably, but not faster. Mimi was quick and agile. 

This beast was smaller than the last, lower to the ground, and it came on almost silently except for the whoosh of its black feet. 

Corvo stood frozen, a statue. “Almost out of time!” Mimi chided him.

“Go!” Screeched Corvo’s wife, jumping sideways. “Go! GO!”

Impelled by his wife’s booming voice, Coevo lurched forward, lumbered out of the shadows and into the trail. 

Looking neither left nor right, he made a beeline for the trees opposite. He ran awkwardly, headfirst into a solitary birch, and fell twisting into a patch of new dandelions and young thistle. Dazed. 

He stood up, a peel of white birch bark hung from his black forehead. 

Seconds later, the smaller beast moved almost silently past without seeming to notice Corvo at all. He quickly scrambled back across the trail.

“Narrow miss, that!” He said. Mimi sensed the coming storm, stared blankly at her own feet. Corvo’s wife stepped a lively jig of rage before unleashing a barrage of insults. “Fool! You IDIOT! You weren’t even close to it.”

“I was,” Corvo replied, blinking rapidly.

“You were not! It didn’t see you, you didn’t even tempt it,” Corvo’s wife was livid, stamping her feet. “Useless, you are!” Corvo’s head hurt. And he didn’t like this game. 

A screeching howl from the gray trail interrupted her rant. Another small beast was coming back uphill with unnatural speed. 

“I will show you how it’s done!” Corvo’s wife snapped at Corvo, at Mimi, at the trees, at the screaming beast. Squinting, she bent her knees and arched her broad black back. And waited.

Waited more. It was dangerously close now. 

And she was off. 

A screech. A meaty thud. Quiet.  

***

As it raced up the road, the little Honda’s engine was revved high, the tachometer pegged. The driver saw it only at the last moment and stomped his brake to the floor, skidding. The crow dove straight into the windscreen with alarming speed, shattering it. 

He stopped and climbed out, shaken. 

Movement in a pine tree just above. He saw a crow and a mockingbird, who screeched loudly in a crow voice: 

“Crazy bitch!”