sleep.
I found myself back in the forest, surrounded by the sounds of running water and hundreds of birds twittering away. I was standing in the same spot where I had stood earlier and so I decided to do a bit of investigating. I climbed down the smooth rocks towards the water. It was icy blue and sparkling so bright that I had to shield my eyes.
As I bent down to touch it, a raven flew down and stood to my left, followed by another one to my right. They pointed with their wings to the opposite side of the river bank. I looked up and saw two cats – one pure black and one pure white. Their eyes as black as the night. They sat and watched my every move. Even when the ravens took to the sky, they didn't take their eyes off me. I looked upwards and saw them flying high above me, watching me from above and I felt as though I was being pulled between the birds and the cats. I couldn't understand but it was as though I needed to follow them... but did I cross the river to be with the cats or did I go upwards to be with the ravens? I looked up again and in a matter of seconds, I was up there with them, flying in the sky looking down on the two majestic creatures below. Again I felt a pull between them but for now the feeling of freedom, of flying, was just too good and so I remained with my two friends as we glided effortlessly above the trees. As I swooped down towards the water I saw three birds below. Three black ravens, graceful and serene. Then I realised what I saw was a reflection in the water. I was a bird. I was no longer a teenage girl. I had become a raven. The shock of the realisation temporarily stunned me and I had no control over my body. I fell towards the water.
I awoke with a thud... I'd fallen out of bed.
“Lilly... are you all right my dear?” said a concerned voice as a light was flicked on and my grand-father rushed in towards me.
“I heard you scream and then there was a bang,” he said worryingly.
I explained I'd just had a strange dream and it had made me fall out of bed. “I'm fine. No need to worry,” I said. But I couldn't help but notice that he looked a little preoccupied.
“A strange dream?” he'd asked.
“Just a dream, Gabriel. People have strange dreams all the time,” I laughed. “It's okay, I'm fine, go back to bed. I'll see you in the morning.”
He said nothing more, except to wish me a goodnight and he switched the light back off as he left me to think about the ravens and the cats and that exhilarating feeling of flying.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
A few days had passed since Oliver's party and the Tulugaq family had made me feel like I was part of their clan. I truly felt like I was one of them, even though I often thought about my parents. I had also started school. And although it was excruciatingly embarrassing having to stand in front of my new classmates as I was introduced, strangely enough I was welcomed with open arms by everybody.
I did have a feeling that being Jo's cousin had a lot to do with it. That, and the fact that I have 'such a cute English accent,' they said.
The most surprising part about my going back to school was that I discovered that my love of reading had stood me in good stead and I was more advanced than everybody else in my year so I had managed to skip a year... which had taken me by complete surprise.
During a few lunchtimes with Jo I noticed she was the focus of many admiring glances, from boys and girls alike. She was one of the most popular girls in school and it wasn't just because she was beautiful or because she had an aura about her. It was because she was caring and friendly and was just really well liked by all... teachers and students alike.
As we sat and ate our sandwiches, Jo introduced me to some of her friends but none of them stayed to eat with us. She said she had something important to discuss with me alone and so her many friends happily went and sat elsewhere.
“Gabriel called me this morning Lilly, and told me you had a strange
I found myself back in the forest, surrounded by the sounds of running water and hundreds of birds twittering away. I was standing in the same spot where I had stood earlier and so I decided to do a bit of investigating. I climbed down the smooth rocks towards the water. It was icy blue and sparkling so bright that I had to shield my eyes.
As I bent down to touch it, a raven flew down and stood to my left, followed by another one to my right. They pointed with their wings to the opposite side of the river bank. I looked up and saw two cats – one pure black and one pure white. Their eyes as black as the night. They sat and watched my every move. Even when the ravens took to the sky, they didn't take their eyes off me. I looked upwards and saw them flying high above me, watching me from above and I felt as though I was being pulled between the birds and the cats. I couldn't understand but it was as though I needed to follow them... but did I cross the river to be with the cats or did I go upwards to be with the ravens? I looked up again and in a matter of seconds, I was up there with them, flying in the sky looking down on the two majestic creatures below. Again I felt a pull between them but for now the feeling of freedom, of flying, was just too good and so I remained with my two friends as we glided effortlessly above the trees. As I swooped down towards the water I saw three birds below. Three black ravens, graceful and serene. Then I realised what I saw was a reflection in the water. I was a bird. I was no longer a teenage girl. I had become a raven. The shock of the realisation temporarily stunned me and I had no control over my body. I fell towards the water.
I awoke with a thud... I'd fallen out of bed.
“Lilly... are you all right my dear?” said a concerned voice as a light was flicked on and my grand-father rushed in towards me.
“I heard you scream and then there was a bang,” he said worryingly.
I explained I'd just had a strange dream and it had made me fall out of bed. “I'm fine. No need to worry,” I said. But I couldn't help but notice that he looked a little preoccupied.
“A strange dream?” he'd asked.
“Just a dream, Gabriel. People have strange dreams all the time,” I laughed. “It's okay, I'm fine, go back to bed. I'll see you in the morning.”
He said nothing more, except to wish me a goodnight and he switched the light back off as he left me to think about the ravens and the cats and that exhilarating feeling of flying.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
A few days had passed since Oliver's party and the Tulugaq family had made me feel like I was part of their clan. I truly felt like I was one of them, even though I often thought about my parents. I had also started school. And although it was excruciatingly embarrassing having to stand in front of my new classmates as I was introduced, strangely enough I was welcomed with open arms by everybody.
I did have a feeling that being Jo's cousin had a lot to do with it. That, and the fact that I have 'such a cute English accent,' they said.
The most surprising part about my going back to school was that I discovered that my love of reading had stood me in good stead and I was more advanced than everybody else in my year so I had managed to skip a year... which had taken me by complete surprise.
During a few lunchtimes with Jo I noticed she was the focus of many admiring glances, from boys and girls alike. She was one of the most popular girls in school and it wasn't just because she was beautiful or because she had an aura about her. It was because she was caring and friendly and was just really well liked by all... teachers and students alike.
As we sat and ate our sandwiches, Jo introduced me to some of her friends but none of them stayed to eat with us. She said she had something important to discuss with me alone and so her many friends happily went and sat elsewhere.
“Gabriel called me this morning Lilly, and told me you had a strange
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