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Madam Crowe by A. Richardson©2005

This Waggy Tale might have been set in the eerie bat-ridden darkness of the quarry where Madame Crowe collects her specimens, but since so many of her victims are men, and since many young men have a habit of frequenting their local pub, you will find Madame Crowe sitting every day at the end of the counter of "The Devil's Corner Inn".

The Devil's Corner Inn has been the central meeting place for the villagers for at least 150 years. Originally it was a coaching inn, but now it's doors open at regular pub hours for customers to have a drink and a gossip. There are still six bedrooms which are sometimes used by travellers seeking an overnight stop on their way elsewhere, but this is very seldom, so the rooms are left empty, but always clean, with their beds made up, just in case.

Every night from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Madame Crowe sits on a stool at the end of the bar, rising only occasionally to serve a customer. Village gossip has it that she has a "thing" about very young men because it is usually a young man for whom she moves from her stool to provide refreshment from her specially selected brews. Noone dares serves from this particular pump. It is hers and they know it, as is the inn. The only employee in the pub is Madame Crowe's barman, a lanky, dark suited, tall, sharp nosed, thin eyed, mean faced man, called Stue, ( I'd like to have spelt his name Stew since his face resembles a brownish, pus spotted mess, but it might have confused you into thinking he was for dinner)!

Every night at precisely 10 p.m. Madame Crowe rises from her stool, dons her coat and draws her gloves over her long talon-like finger nails. She completes her evening outdoor attire with a black woollen hat which she pulls right down tight so that it leaves only her eyes, nose and pointed chin visible. Then she leaves the pub for her evening walk, once round the village. Well so everyones says, but noone has actually seen her complete her walk. They see her go, and some have seen her return, but where she goes, and what she does in between, is a matter for their conjecture and our story. In the dark of night she saunters out, turning into the street where the mist envelops her, making her invisible to all but the most discerning eye. Dressed all in black she blends with the night reappearing momentarily under the light so near Shady Gap where a young man is making free with the virtue of a girl who really ought to be at home at such a late hour. Madame Crowe knows what the sounds emanating from Shady Gap mean. For her it is such a pleasure to hear them, as it means more fuel for her evil spellcasting. The two young people are much too engrossed in their act, squeased so tight in the narrow confines of Shady Gap, that they do not see or hear Madame Crowe, nor do they realise that this will be their last carnal interlude together. Once Madame Crowe has identified her victim there is no hope for them. Tonight she has seen just what she wants , her newest recruit, her latest victim. With a smile she turns into the darkness of the ally. She cannot be seen, cannot be heard. Nothing . Just a breath of wind as the young man releases the girl, then he disappears completely as Madame Crowe's birds darken the sky to swoop down and envelop the youth. The terrified, half dressed girl, fumbles in the darkness for her remaining clothes, calling the boys name as she does. Noone answers her call. The youth and birds are gone and the sky begins to clear again. Shady Gap is empty but for the shivering girl....

The massive slate slab table around which thousands of crows gather has two things on it. The first is the naked and comatose body of the young man whom we last saw in Shady Gap with the teenage girl, and the second is a large cauldron which bubbles forth green gaseous smoke. Madam Crowe , holding a long wooden spoon, stirs the pot regulary reciting one of her magic spells as she does so. " Round and Round from head to toe, Man to boy and boy to Crow", with each mention of "Crow", all of the birds flap their wings in unison and caw terribly loudly. The echo which resounds back from the stone walls of the quarry would send terrifying shivers down the spine of most onlookers. Fortunately on this occasion there is noone but the young man to hear and he is out cold. After her fourth repitition of the incantation Madam Crowe passes her claw-like hand across the forehead of the boy who begins to regain consciousness. As he wakes up he rises, and at this point Madam Crowe grabs his head, holds it back just enough to make him open his mouth, and pours a spoonfull of the mixture from the cauldron into his mouth. He sputters, coughs, then, realeased from her grasp, he falls back onto the slate table top. Silence. Stone cold silence. Only his breathing makes the slightest sound as the congregation of crows and woman wait for the transformation to take place.

A black shadow falls onto and around the youth whose body begins to shrink , then change until he is the size and shape of the other crows. As soon as the transformation is complete Madam Crowe orders that he be taken into a cave which can be seen to the left of the table. There he will be kept until she is sure that he will do her bidding. Inside the cave is a small cage into which he is pushed by the other crows. He is not alone. There are two others in the cage. At this point he can still think and speak as a young man might, but this will not last for long. Still not realising that he is now a crow the youth screams for help, and the cage door is shut.

Madam Crowe has left the quarry to continue on her way back the The Devil's Corner Inn. Noone really missed her and noone really noticed when she did return. But one regular, did comment to his wife later that night, on the nasty grin she gave him as she peered at him from her stool at the end of the bar.

Meanwhile, the young girl, whose name is Sally has run home crying , still clutching some of her clothes. The hard part for her must be to decide whom she can tell because in telling her story she would have to admit what she was doing so late at night in a place like Shady Gap. There is , of course, the matter of who on earth would believe her!

9 Months Later-December 24th.

Baby Jocelyn was born at 8p.m. on Christmas Eve. Such auspicious timing should be an occasion for rejoicing, but the young mother lying in a hospital bed, face turned towards the wall, was as miserable as any young woman could be. She had no boyfriend to help her or sit by her side, her family had disowned her as soon as they realised she was pregnant, and to crown it all, the landlord of her flat told her she'd not be able to keep the flat once her baby was born as he ran a strict policy of, " No children or pets". So as soon as she left hospital she'd be homeless.

A tear started to roll down her cheek as her situation began to overwhelm her. Before she could burst into floods of tears, or bury her head in the pillows, she became aware of a presence at her bedside. She turned, looked up, to flich back against the pillows when she saw Madam Crowe leaning darkly over her. Then the soft "Caw" of the bird sitting on the edge of the babies cot brought the young mothers attention to her child. She reached over and lifted baby Jocelyn up, holding her close, guarding her, while she stroked the child's forehead gently. Although the baby had begun to cry fretfully, she calmed at her mother's touch. Madam Crowe spoke words which would bring a chill to any mothers' heart.........

To be continued soon so hang about and pop back for the rest!!!!

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