Since a young girl, Anna’s grandmother told her stories about the large Crow that nested in the tall elm tree that sat outside the wooden walls of their village. Though few have seen it, at night, one can hear the whoosh of its heavy wings sweeping past windows, stopping at each house that prayed to him before slumber.
Anna’s grandmother told her that if you prayed to the Crow, he would come to your window at night and take a memory you wished to rid. For generations, the village wished away memories of loss, pain, and remorse. Then, in the morning, the villagers felt lighter, happier, and prayed again, thanking the Crow for stripping them of their pain.
Anna would ask if her grandmother ever prayed to the Crow. Her grandmother explained that everyone prayed to the Crow at least once in their life, whether they were old or young, smart or dull. Anna would ask what memory her grandmother prayed away, and she would laugh until tears welled in her eyes. She would respond that she couldn’t remember.
As Anna grew up, she spent all of her time with her grandmother. They would wake early and race the sun, hoping to catch the deep oranges the sun flaunted in the sky above the murky blue water. Then, they would race back home and prepare breakfast for the others as they geared up for the day ahead of them.
Anna and her grandmother were inseparable for a long time. However, eventually, Anna grew older and began to start her own family. She got married, had her own children, and as time crept along, Anna grew to be a grandmother much like the one she had as a child.
Naturally, much like her grandmother, she grew very close to her own granddaughter. They did all the same things she did growing up. She would take her granddaughter to the docks and watch the fishing boats pull in by the rising sun, and they would sit on the hill late at night, talking about the glowing constellations on the dark, moonless nights.
However, one day her granddaughter asked her a question that disrupted their tranquil gazes. Her granddaughter asked Anna what her grandmother was like and if she was as lovely as Anna. Anna was about to answer, but a pit grew in her throat. She couldn’t remember. Anna stuttered and sighed. Her gaze, lost in the starry reflection in her granddaughter’s eyes, struggled to answer her question. Anna quickly distracted her focus to a shooting star, but the thought lingered with her long into the night.
In bed, Anna lay awake, trying to remember her grandmother. The pit, now churning in her stomach, grew larger the more she could not recall. As she restlessly thought, the night’s silence was interrupted by the giant whoosh of wings by her window. The Crow was flying by moonlight, taking his claim to the rebuked memories prayed away by those around her. Anna, though grown accustomed to the strong whoosh, sat up in bed sternly.
With a new pit in her stomach, she pushed back her sheets and swung her elderly knees to the side of the bed. Feeling her way through the dark, Anna found her glasses and aged jacket before exiting her house. Wasting no time, Anna, using only the light from the moon to guide her, walked towards the towering wooden walls that guarded the village.
Anna crept through the cobbled streets, trying to maintain the stillness that encapsulated the air. The only sound was the occasional whooshing wings of the giant Crow, soaring high above her. Despite her age, Anna moved quickly and nimbly through the dark. She knew the streets, passageways, and alleyways like the veins on her tired hands.
Once outside the walls, Anna approached the ginormous tree that rested outside the village’s boundaries. Unyielding bark creased its way around the immense trunk. Branches extended from its base, curling and twining around each other, presenting sweeping archways. Towards the top, a colossal nest burrowed itself into the trees’ strong branches. Anna began to climb.
As Anna climbed higher, the wind from the sea blew its salty mist across her furrowed face. The light from the bright moon slipped its way through the branches, guiding her way up. Anna climbed slowly but vigorously, her old, tough hands gripping the limbs one by one. She only paused when she heard the large whoosh of wings fly by; she would hug the trunk closely, hoping not to be revealed. As she rose, looking down to see her village small below her, the pit in her stomach persisted.
After hours of climbing, Anna finally approached the nest. Though her path was lit purely by the pale light from the sky, as she neared the nest, a different light emerged. As Anna heaved her thin body into the nest, her nightgown dirtied and torn, she was illuminated by a bright orange light.
There, in the nest, rested all the memories the villagers had prayed away. Each memory rested in the nest, formed as tiny eggs, each glowing a bright orange brilliance from its shell. Thousands of memories from generations of villagers all rested in the Crow’s nest.
Anna began to sift through all the eggs, wading and trudging across the vast nest. As she searched, she saw all the memories that had been prayed away. Memories of humiliating blunders, failed relationships, and forgotten ambitions, Anna saw all the moments of life her friends and family wished away. But she did not spend time watching their memories; Anna was looking for her egg.
At last, at the bottom of the pile, Anna found an egg glowing with a special light. This light was pulsating a steady beat, matching the rhythm she felt in her heart. As she picked up this egg and hugged it close, it felt as if its shape perfectly matched the pit in her stomach, the void sitting inside her. She squeezed and squeezed, fracturing its orange shell. At last, with all her might, squeezing with her thin, weathered arms, the egg cracked open, spewing its contents into the air.
The nest was now bathed in a fantastic shower of light. Then, suddenly, vivid memories poured back into Anna. Old memories of her grandmother flooded her mind. All the long walks along the shore looking for shells, moments of running in rainy streets looking for cover, and the smells of fresh cakes baked in her grandmother’s kitchen.
As Anna watched these memories unfold, she was delighted with all the fond recollections. However, as the later memories poured in, Anna slowly became aware of how old her grandmother had become. She started to notice how her grandmother’s lean body slowed on their walks and how her raspy breath sounded as they recounted the constellations. And, at last, her memories showed her weak grandmother lying in bed, her wrinkled hand squeezing Anna’s as tight as it could. Anna recalled the feeling of hot tears trickling down her face as her grandmother told her that she loved her for the last time.
Overcome with emotion, Anna felt as much pain in her heart as she did the day her grandmother died. But this time, she did not push the feeling away. With all the pain she felt, the love and happiness conquered all. The blissful memories of them together overwhelmed her pain. As all these moments rushed back, Anna began to laugh, her eyes welling with tears.
After a moment, she opened her watery eyes and saw the Crow looking down at her. Its large head cocked to the side, the Crow peered down at her weak, tiny body and cawed loudly. Seeing the large beast, Anna only laughed more. Her smile, reaching her ears, exposed her gummy mouth. Gently, the crow bent down and grabbed Anna by her tattered jacket and whooshed its heavy wings into the air.
As they flew in the night sky, the sun began to peak above the horizon, the pale sky transforming into a deep orange, matching all the memories that rested in the nest. Anna and the Crow glided above the silent village. Still bellowing with laughter from forgotten memories, Anna stretched her arms wide like swooping wings, the wind blowing her gray hair back.
The Crow rested Anna gently back on the ground before swiftly carrying himself back to his nest, hurrying back before the sun blessed the sky.
Anna ran with all her might down the hill, the grass wet with dew, dampening her tarnished nightgown. Anna ran straight into her granddaughter’s room and lightly nudged her awake.
Through sleepy eyes, her granddaughter sat up, surprised to see Anna giggling above her. She smiled brightly and asked what had come over Anna and why she was so dirty. Anna answered cheerfully that she would explain everything, but first, she wanted to walk along the shore.
Anna wanted to tell her all about her grandmother.
