Crow's flight

There was nothing left. The fat and flesh were long gone, the bones had been cracked open and chewed into near nothingness. They were scattered around in a hopeless, disorganized mess. The crow tilted his head to examine the marks. They were fresh, made by the new scavengers in the area.

Humans

The crow stretched out his wings and lazily lifted himself into the air, scanning the next stretch of empty land lying in wait before him. Everything was dark, a reflection of the crow’s own feathers. The land was burnt into ash which floated into the sky, swirling around in an ill-advised coverage of the sun.

His home had once been woodland. One of the last places where animals enjoyed freedom, away from the prying eyes of humans. Now it was miles of soot wrapped tightly around the Earth like a comforting straight-jacket.

The crow lazily turned his dull eyes from side to side. He didn’t expect to find much, but instinct demanded that he try. It had been days since he had anything to eat. Weeks since the last oasis had been torn away by fire. Years since the humans had started one last rampage to end the Earth.

Eventually luck absently tossed him a favor. A small blackberry bush, sprung up from the ground, calling out for someone to see. He changed his direction to land at the very top, the only place the new scavengers couldn’t reach. It was a miracle that they hadn’t destroyed the plant altogether for a few more mouthfuls.

There was squawking, feathers were pulled. The taste of blood replaced the nothingness in his mouth as the crow fought for what was left. When it was over, he wiped his beak on a nearby branch, gobbling down his fill of berries. It was the first sweetness he had tasted in what seemed like a lifetime.

When things settled down, the crow managed to look around. There were a few smaller birds, made even more frail from hunger. Some ground creatures and a patch of exasperated and shivling grass. A few more plants were attempting to reclaim the land. In the near distance a line of humans marched in a row toward a small wall, talking excitedly.

If he had any heart left, it would be broken to think patches like this were all that remained.

His mind was glossed over for a long time before a sudden sharp flash of light pulled him back into his body.

The crow swiveled his head downward toward a small human. A young girl. Her clothes were torn and thin. A large grey mask hung loosely around her face. Her body was fading away. Still, her eyes seemed bright as she galloped toward the line of people. Around her neck lay a silver, heart shaped locket.

The crow lost interest in the food around him, allowing the smaller birds to approach. They snatched the berries greedily, their small minds unaware of the crow’s new interest. He hadn’t seen anything that held light for such a long time. His nest, his prizes, were all gone.

The girl started reached the line, and the crow took flight to follow her. He hopped from rock to rock, his mind racing, his eyes glued to the locket.

An indeterminate amount of time passed before the girl reached the wall, unaware of her stalker. As she stepped through the gates, her hand wrapped tightly to her mother’s.

The crow flew to the top of the wall, eyeing the scene.

Two men inside the gates looked each new human over, directing them to the left or the right. Their destiny determined by a glance. The men smiled a greeting, veiling their venom.

The girl and her mother were both directed the same way. Their frail bodies moving slowly. The crow saw the look of joy on their faces as he crept along the wall. He found himself very confused at their happiness.

He knew what happened next. Camps like these were spread throughout the landscape.

The crow’s patience carried him for through the camp. It wasn’t long before the men directing the two girls through the maze no longer hid their intentions.

Perhaps it had been food the mother and daughter wanted. Shelter, community or any number of basic animal needs that they had been promised. Regardless, that was not what they found.

The crow watched, unfazed as the two realized what was happening. They tried to run, their hands clinging to each other. They were soon pushed into the furthest corner of their new world, a reflection of the natural world around them.

The mother tried to step in front of the daughter, but they were outnumbered. A piercing sound rang out, drilling itself into the crow’s ears, and they were both dead. Their necks snapped. Their bodies dropped lightly to the floor. The girl’s eyes lost their light, becoming as dull as all the others around her.

Their bodies were dragged to a pile and tossed on top, their lives forgotten as the men who killed them walked away, ready to lure their next victims.

The crow knew it was a risk, but he found the locket irresistible.

Looking around carefully, he waited until the bodies were no longer being watched. He swooped down, grabbing the chain of the locket, breaking it with his beak. He quickly grabbed the girl’s heart and took off, flying over the rest of the bodies.

The wall soon ended. Behind it lay a pile of human bones. They were all chewed into nothingness.

What filthy scavengers.