The Raven and the Hawk - Episode 5

Raven

Raven was awed by her own painting. The image chilled her, it looked so real. As if the painting was a window and not a canvas at all. Satisfied, she signed her name.

Sunlight shone through the windows onto the painting. Dawn had come and gone. Raven stretched and opened the studio door. She found her mother in the kitchen, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper.

"Hey, Mom," she greeted and poured herself a glass of orange juice. The first sip was sour, it made her stomach churn uncomfortably. Raven dumped the juice down the sink.

"Raven, it's after twelve. You really need to stop this. You're missing too much school."

"I didn't realize it was so late."

"You never do."

"I'm sorry, Mom, but you should see the painting I did."

"I'm sure it's lovely, but you only have one month left until graduation, Raven."

"Mom, I'm not going to fail," Raven said. "You should have more faith in me."

"Get dressed and go to school," her mother ordered and patted her hair at the same time.

Raven arrived at her locker just as lunch let out. She hummed as she collected her notebooks for the next two classes.

"What are you humming?"

Raven turned and smiled at her boyfriend. "Hi, Jesse. How has your day been?"

"Horrible, until now," he grinned. "What were you humming?"

Raven shrugged. "I don't know." The song echoed in her head. It reminded her of her dream. A desert at dawn. Haunting.

Jesse frowned as he studied her face.

"What?" Raven asked.

"Are you feeling okay? You look pale."

"Now that you mention it, I am feeling sort of funny. I was fine while I was painting."

"Raven, if the world blew up while you were painting, you wouldn't even know it."

Raven giggled, sheepishly.

The warning bell rang and the halls grew crowded as students hurried to classes. Jesse slid his fingers into hers and walked down the hallway. "So, what do you want to do for your birthday?"

"We still have five days to decide."

"But it's your eighteenth birthday. It has to be special."

"You surprise me, then."

Jesse grinned and kissed her goodbye before hurrying off to his Physics class. Raven entered her English class and sat down. It seemed that acknowledging her illness had made it worse. Her nose started to run like a faucet. She ran out of tissue and had to leave class for the bathroom to use toilet paper, which scratched the skin of her nose. Her head grew heavy, her skin suddenly clammy, and she was having trouble breathing.

"It's so hot in here," she said to her reflection. Her face was dripping with perspiration. Her dark almond shaped eyes shone with a reddish sheen, or was that just an illusion? Her vision was blurring. Raven pulled a yard of toilet paper off a roll and hurried into the empty halls. It wasn't any cooler in the hallway. The lockers and tile floor spun around her. Raven leaned against the wall and slid to the floor. The dizziness gave way to nausea and she wished she had stayed in the bathroom. She gritted her teeth until the nausea passed, but her consciousness was slipping. Can't...stay...awake...

A dream unfolded as soon as her eyes closed.

She was young. A fire crackled and danced and soared before her. It was as tall as she was. It mezmerized her. Through the dancing flames she caught a glimpse of a glimmering green pool. On the other side of the pool stood a dark figure. She did not know who it was, but she was afraid, nevertheless.

A hand on her back pushed her around the flames and into the shallow green water. The water swirled around her feet unpleasantly. Raven did not know how to swim. She hated water. And she wanted out, now.

"It's okay, Raven. Don't be frightened. Remember what you have to do."

But she was afraid. As she waded deeper in the warm water, the harder it was for her to move. The other figure moved towards her, the one she was supposed to hurt...

Raven screamed, bolting upright.

Jesse was shaking her. Faces surrounded her, swimming in and out of focus.

"Thank God! Raven, you scared me to death!"

"Jesse? What happened?" She tried to stand up, but fell back, too weak. Jesse caught her. Everyone was talking at once, making her head spin.

"What's wrong with you?" Jesse placed a hand on her forehead. "You're freezing!"

"I don't feel so well." Raven shut her eyes, falling unconscious again. Jesse shook her awake. "The world is spinning."

And it was. She was dizzy and so tired. So tired.

"Someone call an ambulance!" Jesse yelled. "Stop crowding her!"

"Did she OD?" someone asked.

"Is she dead?" someone else asked.

"Jesse? Why can't I fly?" Raven whispered.

She could feel his arms around her, lifting. Her head pounded. She was so thirsty, so thirsty. She needed a drink or she was going to die.

"Jesse?"

The world spun again and then grew dark.