The Rose of the Raven

I always see her in my dreams, though at this point, I nearly wish that I wouldn't. Each time that the memory replays, it hurts just as much as the day that it happened, like a cold knife being dragged mercilessly across the delicate skin of my throat. Tonight, she looks just the same as she did on the day that we were separated, small and fragile. In mere moments we were torn apart by clawed hands, cursed by sharp tongues speaking unknown words. It seems so long ago now when I was nearly eight and she was just six, in human years. SO long ago, yet the memory remains as fresh as it had that same day. Of all the things I've forgotten, she ins't one of them.

Don't play too close to those woods, girls. Be sure to come back before nightfall. The Fair Folk might snatch you up in exchange for a changeling. The voice of our grandmother echoed through our heads that day the way that it always had when we went venturing out to play by the old train tracks. We never listened to her warnings, assuming that they were merely the superstitions of an old woman. We sorely regretted dismissing her that day, once our tea party and lives were suddenly interupted.

On a warm, spring day, the birds became silent moments before a figure as tall as a young tree appeared behind us and scooped us away from our little blanket with inhuman swiftness and ease, never to be seen in the human realm again. It happened so quickly that we didn't have the time to find our voices and call out for help, though no one would have heard us so far from home, anyway. We were foolish children for wandering so deeply into the forest of Ireland on our own, with only our family dog for protection.

Before I knew what happened, I woke up inside of a small cage with my sister clinging to my arm so tightly that it hurt. I didn't care, though. All that I could focus on were the strange, angular faces peering at us through the bars and their pointed teeth and ears, snarling at each other in an unfamiliar language. I grabbed my sister as tightly as I could and held her to me as she whimpered in terror, glaring out at the strange beings and daring them to try and separate us. I had always been one to hide my fear through defiance, and I had never been more terrified.

My sister was bought straight away since she was younger and didn't know better than to show her fear so openly. She screamed as the lid of our cage was opened and she was pried from me, and I lunged forward to bite the hands that gripped her arm. This seemed to amuse the spectators but infuriated the owner of the appendages, my mouth filled with acrid liquid. Blood, both that of the creature and my own pooled inside my soft mouth.

They pulled my sister from me with ease and handed her away to someone, before returning to beat me off of their arm. Their fists were like tree trunks and one hit sent me sailing into the side of the cage. With my head reeling, I jumped back to my feet and lunged forward again, only to have the top quickly slammed shut and locked, sending my small body to the floor. I slammed my small body against the bars, frantically looking for my sister in the crowd.

Another tall person- or thing, had her by her long locks, admiring the amber hue. My sister locked eyes with me, her face running over with tears and snot, and screamed my name, too afraid to struggle. I don't remember what the name that she called me was anymore, but I can always remember hers.