Three White Crows

The weather was warm and breezy on a Saturday morning in Piedmont. Fall had just begun to brighten the scene with her orange and red foliage.

Genny awoke abruptly to the sound of her Dad making loud banging in the kitchen downstairs. She had just come out of a nightmare about her deceased mother who died 5 years ago.

Leaving her bed unmade, Genny slid on her favorite jeans and T-shirt and made her way downstairs to the enticing smell of Pancakes and maple syrup. "Hi dad, said Genny, what's up today?"

Her father was grumpily moving about the kitchen preparing breakfast as he did every weekend for his daughter.

"Nothing much," said her father but then he replied," Oh yeah I need to go to the hardware store and get supplies to fix the damage on the porch". "What damage are you talking about dad?" Genny thought for a moment picturing the porch the last time she stepped into the front doorway and realized that something had chewed a hole on the floorboard closest to the front window. Odd, she thought? What was so hungry that it needed to eat a wood plank older than dirt? Perhaps a mouse or squirrel lost a morsel of food down between the cracks in the wood.

After breakfast, Genny quickly washed the dishes and put them away. Genny was excited to tell her best friend Casey about her dream and get his ideas on what it could mean.

Casey had been the smartest boy in Cliffton High School and Genny was thrilled to be his best friend. Casey knew everyone in town and was the best person to get his perspective on a given situation or event that happened in Piedmont. He was thought to be clairvoyant just like his Grandmother Birdy. Casey once solved a mystery about a missing rare first edition of 'In our time' by Earnest Hemmingway.

A local librarian had tried to sell it on the black market to a foreign dignitary of whom no name is mentioned.

Genny found Casey digging a large trench for a new plumbing pipe, his previous pipe had burst from being very old. Genny pleadingly asked Casey to stop what he was doing for just 10 minutes long enough for her to tell him about her nightmare.

Casey sat down on his favorite chair on the porch of his two-story home in oldtown Piedmont. He motioned for Genny to sit in the opposite rocking chair.

Sighing deeply, Genny began her story of the terrifying nightmare about her mother's death.

Genny's mother was found in a stream face down with a crack on the left side of her forehead five years ago to the day of Genny's nightmare. Her mother liked to hike in the woods around Piedmont and collect items for her Art class on Wednesday nights. Sharon, Genny's mom, had taught an art class for many years after graduating college. Art was her life, and she was quite the talk of the town for her talent. Sharon would spend hours collecting items in Piedmont forest for the next Collage project she and her students would be doing. The new project was supposed to bring her students recognition for Piedmont Museum as "Art Students of the Year." Many of the students were very artistically inclined and competitive to a fault. There was to be a grand prize of 2500 dollars to the winner. Most of the young students in Piedmont were very poor due to a lack of a thriving economy. That prize money would be a saving grace for the winner.

On the afternoon of September 23, 1998, the body of Sharon White was discovered by a hiker that was on the same off-beaten path as Genny's mom had been. The stream was off to the right and had several rocky peaks leading down to the water. Wet leaves and moss from the previous night's rainfall were slippery causing anyone to take a huge fall in the stream below.

The police and detectives after the investigation had been troubled by the large gash in Sharon's forehead and did not think it was caused by the rocks in the stream.

Genny's father Mike, was the last to come to the scene and was distraught with anguish at the sight of his wife lying in the water.

"Do you know anyone who would want to hurt your wife Mr. White?"

The officer in charge had asked. "Absolutely not," replied Mike." Sharon had no enemies that I know of." After the case was closed and ruled accidental death by falling, Genny had never gotten rid of her twisted thoughts that someone was truly responsible for her mother's death.

"So, what do you think Casey?" Is that a real gut-wrencher?" Casey was thoughtful for a moment and then replied," Ya, that makes my skin crawl!"

Casey was 24 years old and was buff and nice-looking. Genny couldn't help but stare at his sage green eyes and soft pink lips.

"Say Genny, said Casey, do you want to go up and see my Grandma Birdy tomorrow?" "I know she can help you with some insight into your mom's death." What? Genny was skeptical but said yes and they agreed to meet early Sunday morning for a hike up to his grandma's house on the Hills mountain in the remnants of the Appalachian mountain range.

The next morning, Genny and Casey drove 35 miles to a turn-off towards Hills mountain. The hike they would take after parking would lead another eight miles to Grandma Birdy's cabin in the woods." Geez, Casey, you didn't tell me we would go to the land of the unknown for a visit to see ole Birdy!" Tired and aching from the long walk, Genny dropped her backpack and took a drink of her water to cool off and quench her thirst. Grandma Birdy was sitting out near her old Birch tree sipping some iced tea as she watched them trek the rest of the way up the hill to her house. Ms. Birdy had long grey hair braided and twisted up in a bun high on top of her head. She had kind eyes, the color of sage just like Casey. Genny noticed a strange necklace around Ms. Birdy's neck that was cloudy black in one direction and when the sun hit it in another direction it changed colors to royal blue.

"Hello, you two youngins!" Ms, Birdy caught a glimpse of Genny's wrinkled smile and realized that she had better get them some iced tea and sandwiches. " I'll be right back both of you sit down and rest."

When Ms. Birdy came back with the snacks, she recognized Genny's familiar facial features of someone she lost long ago.

"So what brings you up this way, Casey?" Ms. Birdy's curious tone had turned dark at the end of her question." Well, Grandma, Genny has been having nightmares about her Mothers death and I thought you might be able to mix up a spell or something to give her some closure." Grandma Birdy stared at Genny and then suddenly asked her about her mother. Genny gave Ms. Birdy the story of how it was supposed to have happened five years ago. Genny asked Ms. Birdy if she had heard of the unfortunate accident in Piedmont forest on Sept 23, 1998. Ms. Birdy's expression change to a grim one."My mother was an experienced hiker and she knew those woods like the back of her hand Ms. Birdy!"

The sky was starting to change colors as they sat talking about her mom's death. Grandma Birdy asked them to come inside so that she could conjure her supplies together and seek answers for Genny.

On the dining table, Ms. Birdy set out 3 black votive candles and 3 white candles. She gave Genny a red votive to hold while the other candles were lit. "Okay now, for this to work you must write down your dream on this paper and then place it in the middle of the candles on the table." Genny did as she was told. Casey sat in awe of the situation and was curious as to what would happen, but he didn't say a word. "Good now, all is to be very quiet as I speak to the spirits of the 3 White Crows."

Grandma Birdy touched the necklace that Genny had noticed when they arrived. She began to speak in a low voice of a language that was garbled at best. Sweat was dripping down Genny's face as she became uncomfortably hot. There was a green hue around Grandma Birdy's face like an aura of smoke. Ms. Birdy began to sob heavily and then the flame of the black votives burned out! She opened her eyes and as in a trance could not take her eyes off Casey." What? Grandma? What did you see? "Tell me now," Casey demanded. By this time, Genny was in shock and could not speak a word.

Grandma Birdy snapped out of her trance and shook her head to get rid of whatever image she had been shown by the spirits of the 3 White Crows. Just at that moment, a rock flew through the glass window of the front door nearly hitting Genny in the face. Casey jumped up and ran to the front door expecting to see a few kids playing a joke on them, but there was no one there. Casey ran outside to have a look around the house to see if he could catch someone hiding. There was nothing or no one at all. Genny and Ms. Birdy came out onto the porch to find Casey and see if he saw anyone.

Just as they were about to go back inside the house 3 black crows landed in the old birch tree and began screeching an awful sound that was deafening to their ears. Genny began to shake and Casey wrapped his arms around her to comfort her. Grandma Birdy ran to the tree and swatted madly at the crows and they flew away. They all went back inside to get away from the madness.

Grandma Birdy looked at Casey and said "Casey, you must take Genny and get her back home at once. Then please check on her every day until I call you." Grandma Birdy was not playing around.

Genny asked her what she saw and she said I will tell you when I know more. Meanwhile, get home and tell no one you were here.

The next day Genny went down to eat her breakfast cereal. The day was cloudy and the house seemed dark and gloomy. Genny's dad must have left early for work because his coffee cup was cold.

Genny decided she would sweep the porch and check on her dad's handiwork on the hole. The hole had been repaired but it didn't look like her dad had done a very good job. Her dad was an impeccable carpenter. This was not his work! Nails were hammered sideways and would not lay flat against the grain. Genny began to grow very suspicious that someone was in the bushes next to the porch spying on her. She turned around and kicked the bushes to flush out whoever was there. Out came the 3 black crows and they started their screeching again as loud as before. Genny began swatting at them to go away as Ms. Birdy had done. Off they flew, but Genny was boiling mad at this point.

The house phone rang and Genny ran to answer it. Casey was on the line and asked her what's the matter? He could tell she was not alright. Genny asked Casey to come over at once to see the porch and tell him about the 3 black crows. Casey was there on the porch in 5 minutes flat! Casey looked at Genny and saw the fear in her eyes." I have something else to tell you Genny, replied Casey. Grandma Birdy called last night, she wants us to meet her at the stream where your mom died."

"Casey? What does she know?" I'm not sure but we have to be there in 2 hours. Get your backpack and let's go! They climbed in Casey's jeep and rushed off to the highway. The drive was a quiet one as Genny wondered why the rush to get to the stream where Sharon died.

Casey parked his jeep at the entrance to the Piedmont forest. The two walked about 2.5 miles and there sitting on a rock at the stream where his wife had been found 5 years ago, was Genny's father and he had a gunshot wound to his head. The gun he used had fallen into the stream and was shining up at them from the sunlight streaming through the trees. Genny screamed in horror and bolted down to the rock to see her father. "Don't touch him said a voice from across the stream." It was Grandma Birdy, standing there with her shotgun in hand. "The state police are on their way and we don't want to ruin evidence." Casey eyed his grandma and said, "Grandma, why, what happened?" "Casey, you're to blame for these 2 deaths."

"You had a thing for Sharon White and since you couldn't have her all to yourself you threatened Mr. White and told him Sharon would be better off dead than to stay with her husband. Mr. White killed her but you drove him to do so. Now, he couldn't stand what he did to her and he came here this morning to kill himself after years of grieving her death and her infidelity." Genny fell to the ground and landed in the middle of the flowing cold stream, crying and shaking uncontrollably. Casey reached for her but she slapped his arm away.

Just then the 3 black crows flew away above them silently. Genny, Grandma Birdy, and Casey looked up to see them go and after they left, three white crows landed by Mr. White and pecked at his shoelaces. The End.