(flash story)

Birds soared above the treetops. The moon dimly illuminated the forest. The girl ran with all her legs, trying to escape. She breathed heavily in the cool night air. Due to imprudence, the girl caught on the roots of a tree and fell down. Suddenly it became very dark. A large shadow of someone’s figure got hanging over her. The girl did not have a chance to see who it was, because suddenly her eyes darkened and she lost consciousness.

“No Larry, we won’t leave her here and don’t use the big sad eyes trick,” someone’s voice said.

Little by little, the girl came to her senses. Somehow she ended up in bed. She felt someone sat down next to her and touched her forehead to check for fever. But that touch was very strange, because it was not a human hand, but rather a giant wing of a bird. The girl decided to peek what it was and immediately regretted it. A huge bird was sitting in front of her, but its body resembled a human. He was dressed in a vintage suit and a top hat. A raccoon sat next to him. The girl screamed in fright.

“Hush, honey. Why are you yelling like that?” said the raven in exasperation.

“I’m still asleep, right? It’s all a figment of my imagination; I need to wake up.”

“Oh no. Unfortunately, I’m quite real.”

“So who are you?” the girl calmed down a little, but was still wary.

“My name is Eric. This is my friend Larry, the raccoon. I used to be a successful and wealthy lord. Now I’m a forest dweller. And who are you, lady? Who are you running from?”

“I’m Mary. I lived in a village near the forest. Because I collected herbs and made medicine, I was suspected of witchcraft and they tried to capture me. Thank you very much for saving me.”

“Please. But if it weren’t for the birds, I probably wouldn’t have come to help. It’s usually quiet here, but this noise seemed suspicious.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“I’m listening”

“How did you become so…?”

“Birdlike? I’m cursed, that’s the point.”

“But why?”

“Because I was rich and successful. A powerful magician cursed me, and took my status and jewels.”

“How terrible! But why didn’t you try to fight him, take back your power?”

“Because I’m unlikely to be able to handle him myself. And people are terrified of me when I look like this. I had to hide here in the forest.”

“I’m so sorry that it happened. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“But how are you going to help? You’re not even a real witch…”

“But I know a lot about different herbs.”

Eric found several ancient books with various potion-based spells. The girl looked carefully at each one, chose a few of the most important spells and together with her new acquaintance she set off in the search of herbs. They managed to do everything in a day. In the evening, Mary prepared a potion according to the recipe. Eric tried several of them on himself and one helped, he became a man. Among the side effects there were pains in the muscles and severe weakness. So, after the transformation, the guy immediately fell asleep. Larry’s eyes were bright with joy, but at the same time he looked a little worried. Mary was shocked, but also happy. Not that she didn’t like the huge bird, but it looked menacing and even creepy.

Eric was much better the next morning. He woke up cheerful, felt a rush of energy. But there was something ominous in the expression of his face.

“Thank you very much, Mary. I have urgent business today. And if I don’t come back by evening, you can stay and live here if you have to. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine, I’ll get my home back at last.”

The raccoon’s fur stood on end, he began to tug nervously at Mary. The girl looked at the guy in a daze, and then slowly shifted her gaze to the animal. She immediately understood that he wanted revenge.

“I understand that you are furious, but you don’t need to act so feverishly. Moreover, he is a powerful magician. He can turn you into a crow again or even worse – kill you, and I won’t help here,” the girl said in an alarmed voice.

“I will win because I have a lot of tricks up my sleeve over the years. Therefore, the snotty magician will have a very bad time!” Eric got dressed, patted his loyal friend Larry and said goodbye.

“Look after him. I’m not sure if I can protect him there,” after these words, the young man headed to the exit. There was a loud knock on the door. Nothing was louder than the forthcoming silence…

To be continued…