Three Word Wednesday: Stress, figure, Juicy

Raven picked at the juicy worm, glanced around at crow who was tugging his own dinner from the ground.  Something shivered, feathers slicked down.  Wings ready for flight just in case.

Every day they flew together.  Ate together.  Rested in the tree limbs together.

Shaking her head from side to side she saw, just at the edge of vision, a shadow and then it was on him.  Instinct took over.  She wanted to leave and yet she dove.  He was all.  She drove her beak in searching out eyes from the fur and claw and teeth tearing at him.  She dove and dove again, fear in the background, mindless now just dive and stab – dive and stab.  A swash of pain across a wing.  Stray swipe of talon tore stressed flesh.  Ebony feathers drifting in the sunlight.

A moment and the sun was down and she was human again.  On the ground writhing in pain, she forced herself to her feet, ignoring sharpness and blood.  Grasping the throat and squeezing as claws raked and scraped at skin now.

Raven struggled until the life was gone from it and flung it from her.  She crawled over to him, holding his flesh together. “Nooooooo!” She screamed and held him as he whispered one word.  “Broken.”

As the darkness gathered the predator appeared blurred.  It’s feline figure slowly became a red haired woman. It was her. That witch.  Her eyes open towards the purple sky.  “How could you!  You loved him too!”

There was no one left to hear her.  Now what?  Would she be winged again come morning?  Raven walked over and spit on the corpse, giving it a kick to make sure she was dead. “I don’t care if your curse outlives you.  I’m glad you’re dead.  Even your curse couldn’t separate us.”

She dropped next to him and kissed him gently on his forehead, stroking the crow tattoo over his left eye.  Raven stood and stumbled through the night.