in the house. All the humans, all old humans. Was bad. But was much blood and meat.
Frozen human with hard chest and long legs opened the car door. Took EJ.
CHAPTER 18
Sucks to Be You. Lemme Play My Tiny Violin.
My thoughts were confused. I did not know what to do. Follow Lego? Follow EJ? I needed more of myself to decide. I wanted to eat the meat in the snow. Wanted to hunt. Wanted to fly high above the clouds or find a safe place to hide through the storm. I did not want to fight the frozen dead thing that had Soul. The vampire. He ran through the sleet and snow, faster than a deer. I followed and then circled back around. I did not know where EJ was. I was supposed to save EJ, to keep him safe.
Many predators had EJ.
I could not fight many predators.
I could kill one.
I folded my owl wings tight to my body. Aimed my killing beak down. I fell and fell and fell, hard and straight. Adjusted my angle for the heavy bag on my neck. I am Jane. And I am owl.
I tightened my neck and wings and feet. Vampire-frozen-dead-with-white-hair thing ran fast. Leaping over logs and jumping into folds of the earth, to race up the other side. Skipping time, disappearing and reappearing fast. I focused my eyes on the dead thing’s neck. Lego. Lego’s neck.
Dropped down hard. Hit. Shock whipped through my owl body. Through the dead thing’s body. I heard bones in his neck break. Swept feet forward and clawed at neck. Cold blood flew. Taste of blood was rich and strong. Frozen thing fell and rolled. Hunger cut through me. I swept my wings back and hovered/followed/flew after it. Downhill. Through the snow. It stopped.
I landed on the frozen dead thing. On Lego. The bag on my chest hit hard. I hurt. I wanted to leave the bag, but . . . I needed the bag. Did not remember why. I ripped flesh and ate. Ate and ate. Was good food.
I saw the chain on Lego’s neck. The chain was important. Did not remember why. But it was in the way of good food. I pushed it away and ate more good food. Belly filled with strong meat and rich blood.
Memory of Jane came back. I am Jane.
I heard the frozen dead things coming and hooked my beak under the chain on Lego’s neck. The chain did not come free. I hopped to Lego’s head and pulled the chain that way. It came free and I leaped into the air, flying to the branches above my kill. Tucked my wings and fluffed my feathers. I made myself small and warm. The meat had been good. Owl was warm and strong.
I am Jane. My memories struggled back to me.
I watched more vampires arrive. Dead things raced around, looking on the ground for the predator who ate Lego. They did not look into the trees overhead.
They picked up Lego and dragged him back uphill. They talked about Jane Yellowrock. Talked about killing Jane Yellowrock. Talked about using EJ to kill Jane Yellowrock. To steal the treasure of Jane Yellowrock. Jane was like crow, stealing shiny things. Hoarding shiny things. I am Jane.
I lifted my wings and shook off the snow. Shoved off from the branch and flew high into the air, the bag on my chest and the chain in my beak. I followed the vampires to the cars and then followed the cars to a new human house, one with lights and warmth spilling out everywhere. I circled high, watching vampires go into the house. They carried EJ. EJ was crying. Then there was silence.
I was cold. Was tired.
I remembered the warm place where I had been Jane and had eaten not-frozen meat. Was my nest. I flew back to the stream where the steak was and settled onto the rock. I dropped the chain and pecked at frozen blood. The steak was gone. I looked up and saw a human sitting in the snow. Human moved slow and pulled out meat. Not-frozen meat.
Hungered. Human tossed the meat to the rock. I ate the meat. Was warm. Was good. Human came close, moving slow. Was nest mate. Moved slowslowslow. Touched owl. Pulled bag off neck. Took chain owl had dropped.
“Hey, Janie. Shift back. I got a warm blanket for you.”