Nora & Sebastian

To give you a taste of the story, here’s an excerpt from the first chapter of “Whispers and Shadows”:

CHAPTER ONE

Nora Barrow stood at the open window of her tiny Seattle apartment. Wrapped in a faded vintage kimono, she sipped her morning tea with one hand while idly twirling one of her multicolored braids with the other.

“Sebastian, are you ever going to tell me where you found this exquisite teacup?” she asked, examining the delicate porcelain as if it held the secrets of the universe.

“Darling, I’ve told you at least three times,” came the snarky response from the other side of the room. Sebastian, a glossy black crow with piercing yellow eyes, sat atop a bookshelf stuffed with a curated assortment of literature dedicated to obscure urban legends.

“Ah, yes, I remember now,” Nora said. “The estate sale of that wealthy old woman with an affinity for shiny objects. Speaking of which, have you added anything new to your collection?”

Sebastian’s feathers rustled with excitement. “As a matter of fact,” he replied, launching from his perch and gliding over to a wooden box on Nora’s writing desk. “I found this little gem yesterday.” He nudged the lid open with his beak, revealing an assortment of gleaming trinkets, and plucked a silver pocket watch from the pile.

“Ooh, lovely!” Nora reached out to stroke the intricate engravings on the watch’s surface. “Where did you get it?”

“I found it.”

“Sebastian, be serious. Where did you actually get this pocket watch?” Nora asked, suddenly suspicious.

The crow shuffled on his feet. “Well, alright, if you must know… I took it from the old guy’s apartment next door while he was snoring away in front of the TV. But come on, Nora, It’s just so sleek and elegant! It will go perfectly in my collection.”

Nora frowned. “You do realize you’ll have to put it back, don’t you.” It was a statement, not a question.

“Hey, I’m a crow. I make noise and I steal things. It’s what I do!”

“I’ll get you the t-shirt,” Nora said. She folded her arms and gave the crow a stern look. “Now get your tail feathers over there and sneak it back where you got it, before I call the HOA about nuisance birds again.”

“OK, fine. I was only borrowing it anyway.” Sebastian let out an irritated croak that sounded suspiciously like an obscenity. He picked up the watch in his beak and, deftly dodging the bird feeder, flew out the window towards the neighboring apartment.

Nora smiled to herself and turned back to her desk. She needed to find the perfect idea for her next novel. By the time Sebastian returned, she sat hunched over her laptop keyboard, clicking through various online forums and message boards. Her fingers danced with excitement as she delved deeper into the unknown. Sebastian perched on the back of her desk chair, his curious gaze fixed on the screen.

“Listen to this,” Nora said, “‘Legend has it that beneath the grand old mansion on Wicker Street lies a forgotten speakeasy, haunted by a mysterious figure known only as the Shadow Man.’”

Sebastian tilted his head, a gesture that made him look almost cute. “A haunted speakeasy? How delightfully macabre! Do you think this could be the inspiration you’re looking for?”

“Maybe. I need something that will capture my imagination and get my creative juices flowing.”

Nora continued scrolling through pages of eyewitness accounts, cryptic warnings, and grainy photographs, all pointing to the supposed existence of an enigmatic Shadow Man. The more she read, the more captivated she became, her mind buzzing with possibilities.

“Sebastian,” Nora mused aloud, her brow furrowed in concentration, “what if this isn’t just an urban legend? What if there’s more to it?”

Sebastian leaned his body over her shoulder and closer to the screen. His eyes reflected the images of long-lost revelers frozen in time. “Well, if it’s on the Internet, it must be true,” he said with just the right touch of sarcasm.

Nora swatted at the bird, making him flail his wings and dig his claws into the chair back to maintain his perch. Regaining his balance, he hopped from the chair onto Nora’s desk.

“Shadow people? Really, Nora?” Sebastian scoffed, ruffling his feathers in annoyance. “Shadow People are dubious supernatural entities with no basis in reality. Don’t waste our time on such frivolous paranormal nonsense.”

Nora smirked. “Oh, come now, Sebastian. Isn’t it a bit rich for a crow who’s fluent in twelve languages and communicates with animals, to dismiss the supernatural?”

“Thirteen, actually,” Sebastian corrected, puffing up his chest. “I just added squirrel to my repertoire.”

“Fantastic,” Nora said. “Next time you’re outside, tell them to stop stealing my birdseed.”

Nora’s attention returned to her computer screen. Her green eyes sparkled with curiosity. “What do you think shadow people are, anyway?”

With a sigh, Sebastian adjusted his wings before settling down again. “Alright, I’ll play along. Based on the lore I’ve studied, shadow people could be anything from spirits trapped between dimensions to inter-dimensional beings observing our world. Some even believe they could be time travelers or manifestations of our own subconscious fears.”

“Interesting.” Nora tapped her finger against the side of her laptop. She relished the thrill of diving into uncharted territory, of exploring worlds unseen by others. This was where her stories came alive, fueled by the enigma of legends like the Shadow Man. The possibilities were endless, and her imagination soared.

“Ahem!” Sebastian made a throat clearing sound, snapping Nora out of her reverie.

“Whatever they may be, we can agree on one thing,” Nora said, “We should at least take a deeper dive into the history of the estate and the speakeasy.”

Sebastian eyed her with an air of feigned exasperation. “Alright, alright,” he conceded. “But only because you’ve piqued my curiosity about this mansion. Who knows? It might contain some fascinating artifacts.”

“Excellent!” Nora clapped her hands together, the sleeves of her kimono billowing in response. “Then let’s dig deeper into this rabbit hole and see what we can find.”

Their research began with scouring online archives for old newspaper and magazine articles that mentioned the mansion. They traced bits and pieces back through the decades, constructing a rough timeline of social and other events that had transpired within its walls.

“Look at this, Sebastian,” Nora said, pointing to an article from the 1920s. “It seems the mansion was once owned by a notorious bootlegger.”

“That might explain the speakeasy,” Sebastian said, hopping closer to examine the text. “What about your illustrious Shadow Man, anything?”

“Unfortunately, no,” Nora admitted, shaking her head. “We’ve been at this all day. I think I just need to go check out the mansion in person. The best way to find the truth is to go straight to the source.”

“Of course,” Sebastian said. “And what do you plan to do? Break into the building and start digging up floorboards?”

“No, Silly! The mansion has a Facebook page. While you were out enjoying your bathroom break in the parking area, I messaged the estate manager and requested a tour of the property. I told him I’m a novelist conducting background research for a new book. He replied right away. Agreed to show me around tomorrow afternoon.”

“What about me?” Sebastian huffed, “Am I just supposed to sit here twiddling my talons while you have all the fun?”

“Nonsense!” Nora reassured him. “I mentioned I’d be bringing along my emotional support crow.”

“Do I get one of those service animal vests that says ‘Don’t pet me, I’m working?’”

Nora rolled her eyes. “Since when have you ever worked?”

“I take it that’s a no then.”

Penney, Megan, Whispers and Shadows, © 2024 Megan Penney