Chapter One- The Queen of the Crows

Chapter One

I've never been what others considered normal, in any aspect. People generally steer away from me, not just because of my personality, but of the way I look. My hair falls weirdly, each lock is pointed at the end, like in manga drawings, but more rounded and everywhere. People who dare to talk to me always ask if I get it cut like that, but it just grows out like that. It's pitch black, and in the sun seem to glimmer in the color of oil. Like oil from cars, how its rainbow but in a dull way. And my eyes are golden and, I've been told, piercing. My skin is too pale. It is the color of snow, almost. When I was younger, I'd always dreamed of growing up to be Snow White, to talk to animals and clean the house with them while singing. But that hasn't happened, and when we got a dog once, he wouldn't come near me, and ran away into the woods one day and we never saw him again. I loved that dog with everything, but he hated me.

Also, I'm adopted. Sort of. I'm actually not adopted at all, I go from foster home to foster home. Every few months my new parents make a frantic call to the agency and I'm whisked away.

I am in the process of being whisked right now. I'm watching the rain pelt the car window like it's angry with something.

“Now Lana, try to stay here for more than four months, please. Your education is suffering and it can't be healthy to move around so much.” Victoria says, pulling into the driveway of my new home.

“No promises.” I say, hoisting my bag onto my shoulder and stepping out into the rain.

“Here's your umbrella, dear.” She hands me a yellow umbrella.

“No thanks.” I say, and hand it back to her. I like the rain. I walk up to the doorstep while Victoria struggles with my suitcases.

“Careful with the black one.” I say without turning my head.

“They're all black!” Victoria says, though not asking for help, she knows me well enough to not even attempt. I look at the house. I think I'll like it here. I've never lived in a small, rural town. I've always lived in cities, or something like a city. This house is white, which I suppose is okay. I don't really mind the color of the house. The paint is chipping, and I know when Victoria notices because she makes a little scoffing noise. It's very big, almost a mansion. The shutters are nailed crudely to the sides of the window.

“Seems, Vicky, you've run out of cheery options for me.” I say with a small smile, looking at a large black bird perched on the window sill of the tallest window.

“I'm trying to get you a place to live, and I've caved, and found a house that looks like your personality.” She snaps, and I chuckle. “The family, however, is nothing like their house.”

I ring the doorbell and after a few moments the door opens.

It doesn't creak, perfect.

“Hi! You must be Lana! I'm Katherine, this is my husband Bill. We hope you'll like it here.” She smiles, enveloping me in a hug. I stiffen and my arms stay at my sides. She pulls away, looking apologetic. I push past the couple and Victoria struggles her way in the door. I take one of the bags from her before she drops it. I lay it down gently, sitting down on the kitchen floor. I unzip the main pocket and my kitten jumps out, yowling in that cute way she has. She's the only animal that's ever not hated me. I don't say love, I don't know if Lock is capable of love.

“O-oh, you have a cat?” Katherine asks, squatting down beside me and reaching out a hand to pet Lock. Lock hisses, flattening her ears at her.

“Isn't she the cutest little thing?” I grin, petting her and smiling as she kneads my leg, her claws leaving tiny scratches.

“Adorable, really. What's her name?” Katherine asks.

“You ask a lot of questions, don't you? And her name is Lock.”

“Lock, is that short for something?”

“Wow, maybe you should be the cat. Curiosity will kill you.” I roll my eyes, “But yes, though I'm not sure what. Nightlock, Deadlock, Lock and Key, Lochness Monster... I still haven't decided.” I say, petting the black cat absentmindedly.

“Well, Lana, why don't you go explore the house while Bill and I talk to Victoria.” Katherine suggests. I get up, holding Lock and make my way up the wooden stairs. I think I'll call Bill Bull from now on. He definitely weighs as much as one, and he's probably full of s**t too. I think it's appropriate.

“So what's her story?” Bull asks when they think I'm out of earshot.

“She's a little... off kilter. I don't know if you've noticed. But, it's understandable. She hasn't had a stable home once in her life. Moving around that much, never making an attachment to a person would definitely scramble your brains, wouldn't it?” Victoria says quietly.

“I suppose. Poor child.” Katherine says. I need a name for Katherine. I'm thinking Cat, which I can even call to her face, because she's so curious it makes me want to kill her. She's a prier. Maybe I'll call her that. I don't know, I'll decide later.

“Don't call her a child, ever. Last time a foster parent did that she was ten and set the house on fire. Though we're not sure if it was accidentally or...”

Ah, I remember that day. I finally reach the last room, which is labeled: Lana's Room. In pink letters with butterflies around it. Ew.

“She can stay here, nothing she will do will make us send her away. We've wanted a daughter for so long.” Cat? Prier? Says firmly. I can picture Victoria's smile that obviously says good luck, don't die making an appearance on her lips.

“Well, I'll leave you now. Give her a while to pass her judgment on everything before you try to do anything with her. Give her an hour or two.”

I hear the door open, 'nice to meet you's are exchanged, and then the door closes. I watch Victoria walk down the gravel drive way from the window seat. I like the window seat. I watch her car pull away and then there's silence.

And then there's not. I hear a flapping sounds and look to my left, where a large, sleek black bird is flying toward the windowsill. It lands, looks directly at me, and caws.

“Aren't you a handsome bird.” I say, reaching out my hand and stroking the crow's head. It nips the place where my thumb meets my palm and blood rushes out. “Playful little thing, aren't you.” I laugh, going over to a vase with daisies in it and letting the blood run into the water, turning it dark, murky, reddish pink. The crow caws at me again, and then flies off, my blood glistening on it's beak.

“Friendly little thing.” I say to myself, and go about exploring my room.

It'll do. It has a large, four poster queen sized bed with crisp white sheets on it and a red comforter. I think Victoria must have let onto my favorite color. Lock jumps up onto the bed, kneading the poofy comforter, circling around, and lying down to sleep. She growls at me when I pet her, but I pay no mind. The walls are a light, charcoal grey, which will do as well, eventually I'll paint the walls anyway. The vanity and dresser and closet doors and TV stand are all the same almost black wood. Again, it'll do.

“Are you ready?” Cat asks, packing my lunch at the kitchen counter.

“Sure. Why not.” I shrug. I hate this uniform. A skirt? A plaid skirt? I'm not a skirt person.

“Oh... aren't you going to shave?” Cat asks, turning around and gawking at my legs.

“Am I supposed to?”

“Yes.” Cat doesn't hesitate, taking me by the elbow and leading me into the bathroom. She puts a white foam into her hand and puts it on my legs.

“What are you doing?!” I start to pull away.

“Stay here, you're not going to school with your legs looking like a man's.” Cat says sternly.

“If I could go to a public school, I could wear pants!” I argue, but it's no use. In a few minutes my legs are shiny and smooth and hairless.

“There. Now let's go.”

I sulk while we drive to the school.

“Bye.” I say.

“Have a good first day!” Cat says, but I slam the car door. The second I'm outside of the car, the sound of laughter and many people swearing hits my ears. The smell of various kinds of smoke and body odor and different perfumes and colognes mauls my nose. And the sight of teenagers makes me want to turn and run. And this is outside the school, what will it be like inside?

I open the heavy door, hoist my backpack onto my shoulder, and step inside. Ew. This is gross. Can I go home? Everyone is wearing skirts or khakis of they're boys, and button up blue cotton shirts, and some distant corner of my brain is hoping I blend well enough, but by the way people look at me when they notice me, I know that's not true. I find my locker in the junior's hallway and try to open it. On the fourth try, it finally does, and I put things I probably won't need in it.

“So you're the new girl? What's wrong with your hair?” A voice says behind me. I get up and turn around, and the sight of my eyes makes the blonde, blue eyed girl jerk back quickly, an instinct.

“I don't know, what's wrong with your head?”

“Nothing? What a lame comeback.”

“Do you want something to be wrong with your head? Because that can definitely be arranged.” I say, glaring.

“I'm Jessica.” The girl says quickly, and then runs off.

I think I've made a friend.

Author's Note

So what do you think so far?
Reviews please!
Tell me what you liked, what you didn't, what I should work on, etc.

Reviews

[Taylor Ann]

I'm like, speechless. This is nothing like the other stories I've read of yours, the mood and the tone are so different, so..dark? Intense? I'm not sure, but they stir those certain emotions and I'm just staring at the computer screen, my mouth slightly open, and my forehead creased. I don't know entirely what to make of it, but I'm very interested to read what happens next.
I like it, I truly do, it's just different. And there's nothing wrong with that. I'm excited to read what happens next.

[MAD ENGLISHMAN]

Apart from the odd punctuation fault this is great. you have built a character and a scene with fine detail.
There's mystery too. Look forward to reading more.
Clive.

[Kennedie]

This is amazing I love how detailed it is.

[The Invisible Girl]

Great chapter!! Can't wait to read more! :)

[Coyote Poetry]

I like the title. Nice opening chapter. Gave balance and reason for story. I look forward to reading more. Thank you for sharing the excellent opening chapter.
Coyote

[Sylvana]

“I'm Jessica.” The girl says quickly, and then runs off.
I think I've made a friend.

that made me laugh, haha.
I love how dark Lana is, but I feel with her personality and just the way she is the story should be written in 3rd person. Of course it doesn't have to be, but personally I feel it would sound better.
I like how calm she is about everything. When the crow bit her and she just let the blood run into the vase, for example. I would have washed my hands because birds are full of diseases.
Lana sounds like a very interesting character for this new book you started, and I can't wait to read more.

[Sophie]

I was thinking the same thing about writing it in the 3rd person, and I tried it and it was so bad, I just can't write in the third person :(

[Sylvana]

It takes some practice. (: I used to hate it but now it's basically all I do.

[Sophie]

Thanks :P

[Sylvana]

Yup!

[MandaBear]

Wow I can't wait to read more! I love Lana. *sits back and grabs popcorn and waits for more*

[Lacha Young]

;)

[The Fallen]

Awesome chapter! Can't wait to read more!