Stalked By A Raven

Finalist in the 'The Write Track 2015' competition

It all started when I was a little girl.
I was lying on my bed, huddled under the sheets, when I heard that noise. I initially passed it off as any other noise you would hear in the night. I tried to ignore it for as long as possible but it wouldn't go away.
Tap, tap, tap.
I peered out of my sheets to find the source of the repetitive sound. No one was in the room, nothing was moving. I was confused. Then I glanced out the window and almost yelp out of shock.
It was just a raven. A harmless raven tapping the glass. It looked me in the eye before flying off into the night sky. I caught a glimpse of a red mark on its wing before it disappeared into the darkness. I didn't know what to think of the bird. I never thought much about that night again. Not for years.

It came back when I was a teenager.
I was studying in the library, sitting quietly while I flipped through the pages of a book. I was the only one around and the room was dead silent. Then the tapping started. It was so familiar even though the last time I heard it, so many years ago, I thought nothing of it. I shook my head rapidly until I spotted it. The raven, the same raven with a red mark on its wing.
I didn't have time to wonder where the raven came from or what it was doing here. Before I'd given another thought, an alarm went off. The fire alarm was blaring in my ears and I raced out of the room. I saw the fire spreading from the east wing, the smoke rising to the ceiling. I could've sworn I saw a shadow gliding through that smoke.

The last time I saw the raven might of been my last day.
I was driving from work. I hardly noticed it but I caught a glimpse of a black shadow moving rapidly closer. The raven swooped in front of my car, causing me to break instantly. I heard a loud crash, felt a lot of pain and then everything went black.
When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed, a bandage covering my forehead. I knew where I was, I knew what happened but what I didn't know was where that raven come from and why it was following me.
Why was I being stalked by a raven?
I stared at the window, looking out into the city. When I saw it.
"Why are you following me? What have I ever done?" I had began shouting and shaking.
I must have sounded mad. I probably was. Everyone thought I was insane. No one believed that the same bird could've followed a girl throughout her life, causing havoc as if it were a game.
That bird showed up once every ten years, chaos close behind.
- Written by Patient 279, (Mental Institution)

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