Chapter #1 - Part I114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ17QiJO3hvh

The man that looks like a crow

Nodding at each other, the boys start their trek up the old wooden stairs that are rotted almost to nothing; with their creaking noises loud enough to scare away any unwanted guests. Looking around, they see nothing but a dreadful excuse for a welcoming matt that says, "Home sweet home... I guess someone lives here then huh..? I don't think sweet really fits it though..." Jose whispers to Jeremiah who's knelt down in front of the door, starting his lockpicking. Sweat trickles down their sun-burned summer glow complexions, caressing their furrowed brows and nervous biting of lips. Click! Jeremiah wiggles the knob of the cabin, "I... I think I locked it?" he says.

"How? I thought you were good at this..!"

   "I am, I am! The door must've been unlocked already."

"Ah, tu, paleto! Should've checked before you went ahead and done it then--"

   "Oh shut it Jose!" 

"Hurry it up will ya... it was unlocked si? What if the crow isn't home-- a-and he's hunting or something... and comes back seeing us here and starts hunting us too!" the younger boy whispers anxiously, biting his fingernails. 

   "An' what if he is home and hears you yapping? Shh..!"

Click! The door unlocks. Letting the boys sigh in relief as they are desperate to get this over with. Now holding their breaths... they slide the door open, and before they barely set more than two feet inside the dreary coal smelling room, a sudden realization comes over them; once the sight of a man widens their eyes. And mumbling to themselves the boys lay their mouths agape saying...

"His pale complexion that the sun never touches--" Jose says with his mexican accent.

   "H-his long black longs that he ties messily in a ponytail--" Jeremiah sputters with his hillbilly hick tone.

"His scruffy excuse for a beard--"

   "His lanky stature--"

"His black clothes that he's worn down to their stitches--" 

And stuttering together... "And his bare naked feet." 114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsUFM5N2EzL

The two boys look at eachother with widened eyes, and trembling pupils; sharing a moment they scarcely have, as it's interrupted by the mellow gray tones coming from the outstretched man that sits sloppily in his rickety old chair saying... "That's all everyone has ever seen of him, a dark, gloomy man, looking like he's on his way to a funeral everyday. No one has ever seen his eyes however, cuz they always be hidden away behind his pathetic bangs-- and that's why they call him..." The man raises his head, turning it towards the boys, "The big crow."

And hesitantly shifting their eyes at the man, Jeremiah smiles awkwardly saying, "Uh... H-h-h-he-he-helLO--" the older boy's voice cracks, revealing his nervous heartstrings that tug on him to retreat. Jose, repeating the same mistake, begins to stutter, "M-m-mind if we take a p-picture amigo? N-no bueno..?"

Cricket... Ca-caw... The three remain still. Until... BAM! The big crow charges at the boys, and Jose throws his camera in fright, hoping to hit the man who chases them out of his house. Screaming, they awaken the crows that live there-- and naturally, the crows screech along with them. And tryna untie their horse off the tree, Jeremiah yells, "WHY'D YOU KNOT IT SO WELL JOSE? YOU KNEW THIS WAS A RETREAT MISSION."

   "Oh SCREW IT JEREMIAH-- HE'S WALKING OVER HERE--"

The man slowly... walks towards the boys, and even though he's a ways away, they decide to leave the horse tied to the tree and make a run for it on foot. 

"M-my Pa's gonna kill me for losing Becky!" Jeremiah yells through his breath.

And they run, run faster, and keep running, all the way back to the intersection of the two roads. 

"Ah Senor ayudame! I thought we were corpses back there." Jose pants, bending over himself.

   "Well we may not be corpses back there but--" Jeremiah stumbles onto the dirt road, panting, "You being an idiot is gonna make us corpses back home-- HOW COULD YOU LEAVE WITHOUT TAKING A PHOTO-- One job Jose! ONE. JOB. Gosh... Cooper's gonna beat us to death now."

Thinking to himself for a moment, he catches his breath, letting silence tell his partner that he agrees; throwing his camera was the stupidest thing he could've done. Well... maybe not as stupid as his next suggestion of thought, "N-not unless we don't go home."

   "Whatcha mean?" Jeremiah peeks one eye open.

"I have an uncle that lives in the mountains... I know where too. We could just live with him for awhile. He's close to his brother... my padre, you've met him once too-- Winston. Remember?"

   "Winston.. You babblin' 'bout that weirdo that practices the ways of a hermit?"

Jose shrugs, "It's better than getting beaten up by Cooper's possy." he says while helping his friend off the ground. And nodding, Jeremiah is obliged to agree, "Yeah yeah... Well we're gonna need a horse for sure this time. And not just any horse! A hearty boy, with sturdy legs that can climb the ways of the mountain..." 

He snaps his fingers, "And I know just where we can get'im! C'mon Jose! We're on our way to livin' good!" 

Smiling, the two teenage boys giggle to themselves, walking along the country dirt roads of wavy valleys, and drought fields; onward towards a foolish, but eventful time of their lives.

So what do you think, stranger? We know one rumor is true, he sure does look like a crow! Well... close enough to one anyways. Curious yet? Or is it still just me wondering what this man is all about? Well, if you're not curious... maybe next time you will be. As you've probably heard at least once in your miniscule lifetime-- third time's the charm!