The last thing she remembered was a noise, something fluttered its wings louder and harder, and then she lost her consciousness.
The splintering cold drops of water knocked on her eyes as she scrunched her face as if a sharp pain ran through her body again, but this time she didn't feel anything of that sort. It was all painless now.
Another sprinkling of water, and her eyes split, a little bit, and she peeked, moving her orbs all around to check where's she right now.
The scenario had changed, instead of a wide, bright, sky blue sky, she found herself underneath a brown wooden ceiling. The solid grey road had also been replaced by a soft, white, and comfortable bed.
There's no shadow burdening her figure, instead, she found herself buried underneath a completely weightless, white sheet.
Where's she?
'Where am I?' she wondered.
Not ready to get another surprise, she closed her eyes again, but another sprinkling of water on her face forced her to open her eyes, wide this time.
She looked straight up at a face, saturated in tension, and concerned about her. The face showed such expressions that if she would not have opened her eyes, it would have cried, and screamed a lot.
"Oh, my love! Thank God you wake up." Her father finally said as tears filled his eyes.
She did not know how she reached there but now she could recognize this place, her room.
He eased his hand on her forehead and plunged forward to kiss her. A drop of salty water dripped from his eye and fell on her left eye.
"What happened with you?" His father inquired.
"Who brings me here?" She counter-questioned him.
"Well, you should thank our new neighbors. You have fainted on the road. He picked you and brought you home."
"I was plunged deep into my slumber when he banged on the door."
She felt a bang harder than the one her father mentioned in his story about how she survived the hunger attack.
"What- our neighbors? She asked with her mouth agape.
"Yes."
"Which neighbors?"
"The one who lived across the road, right in front of our house." He answered her questions while drooling a bottle of syrup in the spoon.
"Now open your mouth"
Her mouth was already opened from the shock she got moments ago; he didn't need to ask her to do so.
He threw the syrup in her mouth and put the spoon in the dish.
"How many times I've told you to have proper breakfast, but you don't listen to me." He said while eyeing her from above the rim of his glasses. His face looked more concerned and his tone more serious.
She did not dare to tell him what had exactly happened to her, so she lied and chimed with him.
"Yes, you're right. I'll take care of myself."
"No, enough of it. Now I will take care of your health because you don't bother about it."
He shut her mouth with his angered tone and stood up from his seat.
"I am going to cook vegetable soup for you. You take some rest till then" he said as he walked towards the door.
"And no university for today." He hollered as he became invisible.
Ella stared at thin lines designed on the wooden ceiling and wondered about the story his father had told her.
Why would a man whose stare tortured her, would save her?
Till now the impression of that man was not good on her, she thought of him as a devil, who does bad deeds and troubles others.
It was because of this devil she missed her first day of university, and he was the reason, her Dad scolded her.
She started to abhor this man more and wished not to confront him again. Never in her life. But is it even possible? Living in the same State, same town, same street and not confront each other. Completely impossible.
She burdened her mind, pondering on why, how, only then another thing clicked her mind. The fluttering. She heard the fluttering.
'It could be my dream or an unconscious thought." She wondered.
As she was busy relating the clues, suddenly her orbs fell on the rocking chair. It was empty.
"Where's Raven?" She susurrated.
She threw aside the white sheet and rushed towards the chair, he was not there, then she moved towards the window.
Ella couldn't figure him anywhere.
"Where he would have gone?" She pondered.
Failed to locate him, she came to her bed and sit, and took a deep breath.
She wasn't very much worried as she knew he's going to be back home. He wasn't any ordinary city raven. He's a wild raven, who survives in the forests and knew how to turn down his foes.
'Wait...' something hit her mind again.
'The fluttering.'
'It could be raven because a man can't flutter neither has wings.'
The puzzle started to solve, gradually.
'But if it was Raven then where's he right now'
'Has he abducted him?' she thought.
Her thoughts started to get more entangled and dangerous and unexpected.
She couldn't expect anything positive from a man who troubles others, especially him. It was hard for her to digest that he rescued her and took her here to her room. So, she thought of every possible way that could prove the whole situation told to her to be wrong.
She couldn't believe it like this, no.
"No, no I won't let him encage my Raven." She spoke now.
She stood up and marched towards the door.
'Going to his place unarmed can be dangerous for me.' she beseeched her lips and creased her forehead.
She reverted to her bed and started to walk in an inpatient way.
'But I can't let Raven in his custody too.' the soul of Sherlock Holmes came in her and she put on her detective glares.
As she was pacing in her room, her father entered holding a tray tucked between his hands, she braked her feet.
"Here comes your soup." He shouted in a very enthusiastic tone.
"Why are you looking so impatient? He moved towards the side table and placed the tray on it, but he had observed her impatience from her style of walking.
"Nothing, I'm just taking a stroll in my room."
She sat on her bed again and picked up the bowl of soup and spoon and started drinking it.
'Think'
'Think of a way to rescue him' she muddled.
As she brought her third spoon of soup to her lips, something stumbled on her mind.
"Yes, that'd be a great idea." she blurted out of excitement.
"What idea?" her father who had been sitting beside her, observing her face as she drunk the soup, inquired her.
Idea? No, I was saying, the soup is very delicious." She changed the topic as a triumphant smile carved the corners of her lips.