Ch 01: The Crow

The silence of the night was pervasive, and the full moon shone brightly against the black canvas of the sky. The reign of stillness extended far and wide. Even the breeze was so calm that its slightest wandering gust was nowhere to be seen. It was a highway passing through the plains. On either side, tall and short trees stood, with disordered bushes and unidentifiable plants stretching far into the distance.

Far from the road, in the middle of the field, stood a dilapidated two-story house of old design. Every window and door of the house was shut. There was no hint of light from within, while the exterior was bathed in moonlight. In front of its main door, there was an elevated pathway with barbed wires on either side, ending in a wooden gate that was broken and hanging to one side.

In the distance, a bird flew through the dark sky, illuminated by the moonlight, and landed on the house's roof. It was a large, black crow with red eyes, nervously looking around. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew. Dry leaves on the road rustled and moved slightly before abruptly stopping as the wind passed. As the gust moved forward, the bushes and tree leaves began to rustle. Out of nowhere, an axe came flying and embedded itself in the wood where the crow was perched. Despite the axe's arrival, the crow remained in place, unfazed.

In the deep silence, a sound emerged and then vanished. The wind blew again, and the leaves on the trees rustled, creating an eerie noise. Suddenly, the broken wooden gate swung open, and the house's main door burst open with a loud bang before slamming shut. Once again, silence reigned. The crow remained perched, and below it, blood trickled down from where the axe was embedded. When the crow moved, a faint rustle broke the silence, ceasing as soon as the crow stopped.

Alice stood in front of a full-length mirror, examining her beauty, a confident smile spreading across her lips. She was stunning, with large eyes and a swan-like neck. Her eyes held a strange quality that no one could gaze into for long. Though she appeared to be a delicate girl of flesh and bone, her heart was stone, beating only for herself. There was no value for any human in her eyes. Her desires were a kingdom of wealth, where she reigned as queen with servants ready to obey her every command. No one dared to defy her, and she could, at her whim, take the life of anyone standing before her. She was bound to no one.

Being the youngest in the family, she was not only her parents' darling but also her brothers'. Her father, a wealthy landowner with properties, livestock, servants, and cars, owned a large mansion in a small town. Though it was now old, it still looked impressive. But Alice knew none of it was hers. With six brothers, their wives, and children, everything belonged to them. One day, she would leave this house, and what would truly be hers would be found in her new home. She had high hopes for the future, her thoughts soaring to the skies. She had already set a high standard for herself, considering no one worthy of her attention.

Alice was unlike an ordinary girl, fearless, and unhesitant to speak her mind. She was proud of her beauty and admired her own eyes. Her room was off-limits to everyone except Grace. Grace could enter and converse freely, understanding Alice's heart and thoughts, whether expressed in words or gestures. Grace was her special maid, having earned a unique place in Alice's life, arriving from a small town through a recommendation. Grace had quickly made her home in Alice's heart, becoming her confidante.

Grace, an eighteen-year-old with the mind of a seasoned woman, was skilled and astute, a fact only Alice recognized. Alice could not function without her. Everyone knew that Grace took great care of Alice, dedicating herself as a loyal servant. Alice was only apart from her while sleeping or attending college; otherwise, Grace was her constant shadow.

As Alice stood before the mirror, Grace was behind her, holding her long braid in both hands, playing with its end while her eyes were fixed on Alice's reflection. Grace envied Alice, lost in her beauty, her gaze fixed on Alice's face.

"How do I look?" Alice asked, seeing Grace in the mirror behind her.

"I can't find words that do justice to your beauty," Grace replied with a smile.

Alice smiled with an air of pride. "Out of words? You, who are a walking dictionary? When you speak, even the most eloquent are rendered speechless."

"Where? I only studied up to primary school. I don't know what's beyond the ABCs," Grace said.

"If this is the result of primary education, imagine what you could achieve if you had studied higher classes," Alice turned to look at her. "You would wreak havoc, and everything would burn in the heat of your words."

"It's only you who say such things about me. For a maid, her mistress's words are worth their weight in gold," Grace replied. "I wish I could somehow preserve your words."

"You're not just a maid. You mean much more to me," Alice said, looking at her with a meaningful gaze. "You are my friend as well."

"These conversations can wait. We're heading to the henna ceremony, and surely everyone is ready, just waiting for you," Grace reminded her. "Even my sisters-in-law must be waiting?"

Alice raised her eyebrows and asked, "So, they're waiting, huh?" and she smiled.

"Why wouldn't they be waiting?" Grace said.

"I love the thought of them waiting for me, burning in that anticipation. Seeing the restlessness on their faces gives me a strange sense of peace," Alice said, sitting down on a chair. She was in no hurry to leave the room.

"We've made them wait long enough, let's go," Grace said, tossing her braid back over her shoulder.

"Grace, I love your long hair. When I see your braid, it feels like you've nurtured a snake," Alice said, fixing her gaze on her face.

"If you command, I'll cut my braid and lay it at your feet," Grace replied. "It will coil around your feet like a snake."

"Then I won't like you anymore. And if I don't like you, I'll cut you too," Alice said, getting up from her place. Her tone had suddenly become strange.

As she headed for the door, Grace followed. As Grace moved, Alice turned her head to look back, her searching eyes scanning the room.

"What happened?" Grace asked.

"Did you hear something?" Alice asked.

"What?" Grace looked at Alice with questioning eyes.

Alice listened carefully and then spoke, "It sounded like..."

"What do you mean...?" Grace asked as soon as Alice fell silent.

Alice glanced around and said, "Nothing." She exited the room.

Alice had heard the rustling sound again but decided not to pay it any more attention. It often happened to her; whenever she looked, she saw nothing. The rustling sound seemed like a figment of her imagination, yet she heard it repeatedly. Grace was right; everyone was ready. Her sisters-in-law sat there with irritation etched on their faces. As soon as Alice appeared before them, they all looked at her with eyes full of resentment. Being the darling of her parents and adored by her brothers, no one could say anything to her. Her sisters-in-law's voices bounced off the walls of her heart, echoing back to their ears.

However, Zeenat, one of her sisters-in-law, was a different case.

There was a wedding in the family, and everyone was heading to the henna ceremony. Alice sat in the back seat of the car, leaning against the door. Her face looked like a moon shining in the dark sky. As the car passed through the market, there were a pair of eyes that could not move away from her face, and when the car passed, those eyes continued to watch it disappear into the distance. When the car finally vanished from sight, those eyes slowly looked away.

The owner of those eyes was Ethan.

Ethan was a handsome young man with a good height and stature. His father owned a cardboard factory, and he worked in the family business alongside his father and brothers. They were a prosperous family, and their home was in the same area. Four months ago, Ethan had spotted Alice for the first time and lost his heart at that very moment. He had never seen such a beautiful and captivating girl before. From that one glance, she had etched herself into his eyes, appearing everywhere and in everything he saw. Her face haunted his waking hours, and his dreams had room for nothing else. A couple of times, Alice had also glanced at Ethan, just for a few seconds, like a cloud moving away from the moon only to be covered by another.

Ethan knew what time Alice went to college and made sure to be in the market at that time. Although he was busy with work throughout the day, his thoughts were always on her. He had fallen deeply in love with Alice and was restless to have her, constantly thinking about her.

One night, while walking through the market, he suddenly saw Alice sitting in the car. His eyes froze, and he stared at the car as it drove away into the distance.