“Oooh.” Carly had a total soft spot for animals, so she promptly jumped to action.
“V, can you-”
“Sorry, Car,” Vanessa interrupted. “I love your go-to attitude and everything, but I’m not good with blood and all that. Besides, isn’t that, like, a bad omen or something? A bird hitting your house?”
“That’s just an old wives tale,” huffed Carly. “Kat, would you mind helping me?”
“No problem,” I said, following her out of the room.
“V, can you at least get a blanket or a large towel along with a box? If the bird’s still alive, I’ll need to handle it properly.”
I gave Carly a pair of handy gloves to use as we headed outside. We walked down the front porch over to the small garden, seeing the little broken body resting beneath the window.
“Oh, you poor thing.” Carly crouched down in front of the fallen bird, observing its body. The animal lay motionless, and it didn’t appear to be breathing either. Car still picked it up for good measure, just in case there was something she could still do.
“How does it look, Doc?”
“Her neck’s broken. She’s already gone.” Carly set the body back down. “I’m gonna go grab a plastic bag so we can dispose of it.”
She took off the gloves and headed back inside.
R…R…Ruff-ruff!
“Oh, no.”
Paws clacked up the driveway, and no sooner when I turned did a big, wet snout come barreling into my face.
“Stanley!”
The black and white spaniel bounced about like Tigger the Tiger on crack cocaine. He started sniffing my shoes, and the dog’s eyes then pinpointed to the raven’s body.
“Stanley, don’t!” I lunged for the bird, narrowly managing to sweep up its tiny frame and raise it above my head to ensure Stanley and his drooling chops couldn’t reach it.
“Stanley,” whined Mrs. Corvets two houses down. “Stanley, get over here, and stop harassing the poor girl!”
The dog’s ears drooped at the command.
A cracking noise erupted from my hands, and I immediately lowered the bird back down to eye level. The raven’s once crooked collar was now snapped into place, and its contorted wing suddenly twisted and set itself back into the socket.
“What the…?”
The bird’s chest puffed up quickly and deflated a beat later.
Puffed up and deflated.
Again.
And again.
Mrs. Corvets howled something, and Stanley seemed to finally relent to the order, trotting slowly across the lawn back to his owner.
A soft tweet resonated from within my hands, and the bird’s eyes flung open.
“Holy crap!”
The bird shot out of my hands, its wings fluttering crazily. I instinctively began swatting, trying to get the frightened creature out of my face. Last thing I needed was a plucked eyeball!
“Oh my God!” exclaimed Mrs. Corvets as the raven finally flew away. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”
I nodded dazedly, still unsure as to what the hell just happened.
“Hey.”
I jumped, turning to see Carly standing behind me again.
“Where’s the bird?” she asked, looking over my shoulder to observe the flowerbed.
I still couldn’t find an answer.
Car’s eyes settled on Stanley as he galloped back over to his owner’s yard. “Eww. He didn’t…you know, take it, did he?”
It was an easier explanation, I suppose, so I just nodded again.
“That’s so gross.”
***
“I can’t do this.” I started backpedaling through the mass of people in the main aisle when Vanessa and Carly both caught hold of my arm, coaxing me forward.
“Yes, you can. You’re doing fine,” V assured.
“Why the hell did I agree to this? Everyone’s staring at me,” I muttered.
“No, they’re not.”
It wasn’t my imagination. Everyone was. The entire congregation seemed to pause in the midst of their actions the moment my presence was made aware. The Ryders weren’t particularly religious, so Blaine’s mother had chosen to hold the service at their family’s sprawling estate. And no expense seemed to be wasted by the looks of it. The entire banquet hall had been refurnished with everything from pews to even an altar. Whispers filled the hall’s warm, stagnant air as V and Car ushered me to a vacant section of a nearby pew.
I heard an indistinct murmur come from behind me as I headed over to the space, and a sharp whack echoed immediately after. I turned around to see Tiffany Albright rubbing the top of her head before my eyes caught sight of the rolled up brochure in Carly’s hand. I cut Vanessa a look, and she grimaced as the three of us sat.