Warning: The following short story contains graphic scenes and physical harm. Reader discretion is advised!

Mama always told me only witches count crows, and a murder was flying overhead as I biked down our street. I stood my legs straight on my bicycle’s pedals, my handlebars wavering in my grip as I looked straight up at the small scatter of shadowy birds swooping overhead.

I said the rhyme as I counted, “One for sorrow, two for mirth, three for a wedding…”

My bike’s front wheel swerved and I gasped, righting it back forward and pedaling a few hard pumps so I wouldn’t slow down before looking back up to the cawing flock above. They were flying further away and I’d lose sight before too long. I continued, nearly breathless from pedaling and holding my balance on the bike, “Four for a birth. Five for silver…six for gold_ _”

The chaos of screeching car tires, the world erupting into crashing metal and my body flying through the air, teeth crashing together as my limp body crashed into the pebble-covered street, thousands of cuts and scrapes bursting over my skin. The world didn’t stop as I rolled once, twice, three, four, five, and six times before I came to a shocking halt against the stone curb, my eyes fixated on the gray sky above, a small blur of black shadows given feathers, beaks, and shrill caws as the car that hit me screeched back, the smell of burning tires in the air as they raced away, leaving me entirely alone. Faintly, I hear the broken squeak of my bicycle tire rotating until it slows to a silent stop.

Seven for a secret never to be told.

Hello, hello, friends! I hope all of you are having another great week in this amazing month. The weather is cooler, the days are shrinking, and the best time of year is upon us!

I have to say thank you so much for everyone who has been reading these shorts and commenting, liking, and even sharing the blog to others! You don’t know how much that means to someone who always wanted to be a writer but can only do it as a hobby (I planned on being a big shot novelist living in NYC when I was in high school. Let’s all have a big laugh in 3…2…1…)

Keep tuned in and before too long, I will record myself dressed all witchy and read all of my stories at once. I wish I could have a live video on my Facebook page but as I said before, last year’s wasn’t wonderful due to sound quality so I will be prerecording so I can make sure everything does well.

Until next time, friends, be safe and stay abnormally weird!

Love,

A. Rose