Mika N.
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The Silver Heart
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Freshly fallen snow blanketed the trees and grass of a wooded area just outside of a worn town. The air around the woods carried a sense of caution and the branches of the trees were seemingly bare and lifeless. No sounds of nature came from the woods, just an endless stream of silence.
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Such a foreboding place drove away anyone who dared approach it, and those who did enter were never seen again. However, on one particularly cold evening, a young girl timidly approached the entrance of the woods. She had managed to sneak away from the watchful eye of her aunt to reach the woods. Bundled up in her favorite pink winter coat, ten-year-old Maria shuffled through the powder white snow but stopped once she reached the massive trees that towered over her.
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It has been a year since her father disappeared without a trace. Maria was well-aware of her father’s actions. He’d been a thief, breaking into stores and escaping the police with a wad of cash in his hand. He’d even returned home a few times with her favorite kinds of candy. However, she also knew that her father faced a lot of guilt every time he had stolen something. Maria once asked him why he kept stealing if he felt so bad about it. All he could say was that he couldn’t control himself. Despite his actions and wrongdoings, Maria still loved her father very much and was heartbroken when he vanished.
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She remembered hearing her aunt mention the woods and the tales of people who had disappeared within. Naturally, she wondered if her father became one of the many victims lost to the mysterious wooded area. Of course, her curiosity was also met with an equal amount of fear. Maria was unsure why these woods held such an uneasy atmosphere, but she knew why everyone else stayed far away. She looked at the entrance of the foreboding woods determinedly, tugged her knitted cap over her ears, and marched inside.
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The woods were eerily silent. Trees were vacant and bare, with no signs of hibernating squirrels or woodland birds. All she could hear was the crunching of the snow beneath her boots. She even noticed how strangely dark the trees were, as if the bark had been tainted by something truly evil and vile.
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A sudden fluttering noise made Maria jump and her head snapped up to one of the many towering trees behind her. A single large raven perched comfortably on a branch, staring at her with beady black eyes. Maria let out a breath and giggled. “Just a birdie. Hello there!” She greeted the raven. The black bird cocked its head at her and squawked. Maria stood on her tiptoes for a moment in an attempt to get a better look. “I didn’t know ravens were so big and pretty!”
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The raven leaped from its perch and swooped downward, barely missing Maria’s head, and landed on a fallen branch in the snow. Maria followed the bird and knelt down into the soft blanket of snow. The raven clicked its beak as it continued to stare at her unblinkingly. “My name is Maria!” The young girl said. The raven cocked its head and squawked loudly. “Ma-ree-a!” Maria’s eyes widened and she gasped. Did the raven say her name? “Maariiia!” The black bird repeated in a scratchy tone, which made the girl smile widely and she bounced a little in excitement. “Yes, that’s my name! Maria!”
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“Maaria! Mariiia! Maria!” The raven squawked loudly as it shifted from foot to foot. Maria giggled, “You really like my name, don’t you? I think my daddy would like you!” The young girl extended her hand towards the raven. “You do remind me of him a bit…” She was mere inches from touching the raven’s sleek black feathers when it suddenly lunged forward and bit her. Its sharp beak sliced into her skin. Maria screamed. She yanked her hand back and instinctively stuck her bleeding finger into her mouth, wincing from the metallic taste and stinging sensation that greeted her.
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The raven jumped from its perch, feathers ruffled, and flew back onto the higher tree branches above. Maria pulled her finger from her mouth and looked up. Her eyes widened when she realized that she had an audience. Every tree that surrounded the girl was accompanied by at least a dozen or so ravens, all of which stared down at her unnervingly. Maria stumbled back a little in the snow. A sharp scratching sound drew her attention away from the unkindness of ravens and to the tree just a couple feet away.
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A large claw mark appeared on the tree. The bark around it turned several shades darker, almost black. Another scratch clawed itself into another tree to Maria’s left. Then another. And another. Maria trembled as she followed the pattern of the marks, until her eyes landed on the figure of a hooded woman wearing a raven mask.
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Maria did not say anything at first, as her voice failed to make itself known. The air became much colder than before, so much so that the girl vaguely noticed the frost that began to cover the base of the trees. Maria gulped and mustered up the courage to speak. “Wh-who…who are you?” The masked woman did not answer. She only stared at her much like the ravens that surrounded them.
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Maria shifted uncomfortably under the woman’s gaze. Somehow, this woman looked so familiar to her. A woman in a raven mask that lurked within the woods… Maria’s eyes lit up in recognition and fear. “Y-You’re The Raven Witch…aren’t you?” The Raven Witch did not answer, but her head inclined ever so slightly in confirmation. Maria didn’t realize that she was shaking. She remembered all of the stories her aunt had told her at night; stories of an evil witch that caused people to disappear, never to be seen by their families again.
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Tears formed in Maria’s eyes as she shuffled backwards. “Please…I’m sorry if I upset you by coming here. I-I just…I want to find my daddy! I miss him so much.” She sobbed and trembled. The Raven Witch’s blank expression did not change. Maria saw the witch lift one clawed hand and she squeezed her eyes shut.
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Nothing happened. Maria opened her eyes, her vision blurry from the tears. The Raven Witch was pointing at the ground next to her. Maria hesitantly looked down and saw the droplets of blood that accumulated in the snow. Her finger was still bleeding. “Oh, u-um…one of your ravens bit me when I tried to pet him. I think I scared him. It…It stings, but its not that bad.” Maria looked up and suddenly screamed, stumbling back, only for her back to hit the tree behind her.
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The Raven Witch suddenly stood right in front of her; the long, curved beak of her mask mere inches away from the little girl’s face. Maria whimpered and turned her head away, “Please don’t hurt me…” The Raven Witch lifted her hand once again and tucked a strand bit of hair back under Maria’s knitted pink hat. The girl looked back up at the witch, whose clouded grey eyes seemed to show a hint of sympathy, but otherwise remained lifeless and dull.
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Maria took notice of the feathered mask and realized that it was practically melded into the witch’s face. The feather covered fabric had stretched and fused into sickly pale skin, which gave the flesh around the mask a horrid, rotting discoloration. Below the witch’s face, Maria saw her pale neck, only there was one detail that could not go unnoticed. Partly obscured by the long, curved beak of the mask was a large open wound; a slit across the witch’s neck. The wound was quite old, as no blood flowed freely from it and the skin had turned into a greyish color. It was at this moment that Maria realized that she could not hear The Raven Witch breathing; she couldn’t even see her chest moving. Yet, this creature remained standing before her, not quite alive, but clearly not dead either.
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The girl opened her mouth to speak when the ravens above began to squawk and caw angrily. They shifted and ruffled their feathers, but their gazes were not on the witch or Maria. The Raven Witch suddenly stepped back and faced the entrance of the woods that was a fair distance away. Maria saw something moving in the snow and squinted in hoped of getting a better look. A simple grey squirrel hopped through the snow and into the woods, completely oblivious to the dangers surrounding it.
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From the corner of her eye, Maria saw The Raven Witch scowl and extend her hand out to the animal, her clawed fingers curling in a slow crushing motion. The squirrel suddenly stopped and let out an ear-piercing screech. Tiny black feathers sprouted from its skin and its spine made a crunching sound as it was twisted and contorted. The squirrel squeaked and flailed about in the snow, desperately trying to escape from its cruel fate. A large beak burst from its throat and the tiny animal collapsed.
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Maria’s uninjured hand covered her mouth, unable to look away from the mutilated squirrel. The Raven Witch looked at the ravens above and pointed at the tiny corpse. The ravens obeyed the silent command from their mistress. They snatched up the dead squirrel and flew deeper into the woods, likely to enjoy their newfound meal.
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Fresh tears dripped down the girl’s cheeks as she faced The Raven Witch. “How could you do that?!” The Raven Witch turned her head slightly towards Maria, not seeming to hold any remorse for her actions. The girl shivered under the witch’s cold, lifeless gaze. “You really are a monster…aren’t you?” The Raven Witch was still for a moment, as if she was hesitating to answer such a question, but she gave a single nod.
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Maria bowed her head, seeming to accept what may become of her. Still, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pity for the witch. She took in a shaky breath, unclasped the silver necklace with a small heart attached around her neck, and held it out to the witch. The Raven Witch stared at the girl and her head tilted to the side slightly. “I know you won’t understand, but I want to give this to you anyway. It’s a necklace my daddy gave me before he disappeared. He said it could help me feel better, but I think you should have it.”
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The Raven Witch’s expression was unreadable as she slowly reached out and took the necklace. She stared at the gift for several moments. The silver heart gleamed in her dull eyes. Eventually, The Raven Witch’s bluish lips pulled back into a wide, eerie smile, revealing a set of dry grey teeth. The skin on her lips seemed to crack and her jaw appeared to tense from the lack of use. Her grip around the necklace tightened fiercely.
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Her head snapped towards the frightened young girl and she extended out her other hand. Maria sensed that she had no choice and grasped the offered hand, careful not to cut herself from the witch’s talons. Her skin was cold and clammy. Maria kept her head low as The Raven Witch, whose wide smile had not wavered, led her even deeper into the woods. The sunlight that barely slipped through the trees disappeared as an old, seemingly abandoned cabin came into view. The ravens surrounding them watched as the girl was pulled inside and the door creaked shut.