The
Crow Box
The
Shadow and Ink Series
Book One
Nikki
Rae
Genre: New Adult Dark Paranormal
Romance
Date of Publication: January 15,
2016
Number of pages: Around 100
Word Count: 55, 323
Cover Artist: Nikki Rae
The small wooden box is dirty,
the size of a human fist, and sealed with wax. When Corbin takes it upon
herself to clean it and break the seal, a voice she has tried to ignore gathers
strength. Shadows play on the walls at night, and with a family history of mental
illness, Corbin fears the worst. But the voice tells her it is real. That its
name is Six and it will prove it in time.
Drawn to this mysterious entity,
Corbin isn't sure what to believe and the line between reality and her
imagination blurs more every day.
Some doors should not be opened;
can this one be closed?
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/jitYSz0-9LU
Excerpt
A tap on the
window. Something that was too much like a tree branch to really draw any
attention. Then it got louder. I shoved the pillow over my head, sinking its
weight into the cool fabric and throwing the covers over my head for extra good
measure. I almost forgot where I was until I felt the rough fabric of the
blanket that wasn’t mine. I tried to open my eyes, but I didn’t care enough to
exert the amount of energy it took. Instead, I rolled over, sinking deeper into
the darkness surrounding me.
I knew somehow
that I had slept through all the daily activities, through group therapy and
arts and crafts and TV hour. I knew it was past lights out and I found myself
not caring that it would all be monitored. I could stay in this room, in this
bed forever. Somewhere between sleeping and waking, between my body and muddy,
thick mind, I heard the voice. I couldn't understand what it said, but it was a
gentle, almost cooing sound, like one a mother would use on a child who had
woken in the middle of the night from a bad dream. But they were down the hall
and too far away to offer me anything.
The blanket
shifted and I couldn't see because my eyes were closed; the blankets and pillow
still covered my head. A moment of quiet, then the mattress dipped in next to
me, in front of me. My heart pounded in my head, my throat. A second later, the
pillow slid from my head, but I couldn't tell if it was my own doing. My head
was too heavy; my thoughts were too clogged to get one solitary explanation
through.
Hush now, the
voice whispered. It was right next to my ear, right next to me. I'll show you.
Yes. Show me.
Show me how to be insane. Show me how to be just like my mother. I kept my eyes
completely closed.
Corbin, said the
voice. As much as I hated to admit it, I liked the sound of my name in its
tone. I liked how it hit me deep. It was the sound of sand being blown by the
sea on a windy day. It was the feeling of fingers in your hair as you fell
asleep, tangled limbs after a closely spent night. Softness and hardness of an
intimate touch, one that couldn’t have possibly been delivered by anyone or
anything else.
“Yes?” I hadn't
realized I said the word out loud until my hot breath was bouncing back at me
against the covers. I was afraid my roommate would hear, but her heavy snoring
reassured me.
So you are with
me, it whispered. Each word caressed my face, sent warm shivers through my skin
and into the bone.
I opened my
mouth to say something else, but I couldn't think of anything; I doubted I
would even be able to get the words past my teeth.
Hushhhhhh, said
the voice. I felt something slightly cold, yet not completely solid against my
waist. It wasn't enough to make me shiver. It wasn't anything that woke me
further from the drugs. My shirt slipped upward, past my belly button before it
stopped.
I inhaled
sharply and turned over onto my back, convinced that I was half-dreaming and if
I switched positions, the dream would change just as easily.
A few moments of
silence. A few moments of the tapping on the glass, the rustle of the wind
outside as the rain pelted the roof. It lulled me back into comfort, back into
darkness.
My little crow,
crooned the voice. Again, right in my ear, right in front of my face. It made
the blackness behind my eyelids shake, sprout leaves and take root. My precious
petal.
I was almost
unaware of the sheet moving off of me, the blankets shifting until I heard them
rumple into a careless pile on the floor. My face became warm, the smell of
damp dirt in my nostrils, the sound of static electricity zipping through my
brain, setting off synapses to synapses.
“What are you
doing?” I whispered. But my voice sounded so far away, like I was standing on
top of a very high tower and trying to make my words heard to people down
below.
I felt my hair
being moved from my forehead, then a small, sweet amount of pressure applied
there. Kissing you, my love.
I liked the
gesture. It overrode any logic, any sense of self I could bring forth from the
darkness.
“Why do you only
kiss me at night?” I whispered.
Another small
peck, warm and then cool against my cheek. I am strongest at this hour. The
words slithered around my skin, crawled to the back of my skull like some
creature that had suddenly sprouted legs. And you are most open to me.
“Open?” I asked,
my head swimming with medication, my eyes glued shut, my body heavy with sleep
that had yet to come.
I felt the
slight breath of an amused, silent laugh. Yessssss, the voice whispered. Open,
my crow.
I opened my
eyes, but I was only met with darkness. I knew that it was all in my head as
the dim room spun around me, but I didn't care. I didn't want to think about it
or what it meant. It was easier to pretend. If I was the only one who knew, I
was the only one who knew the truth. I couldn't be losing my mind if I was so
in control of it.
REVIEW
This has to be one of the creepiest but beautifully written stories that I've read in a long time. The hair on the back of my neck literally stood on end as I read Corbin's story. The eeriness that Rae creates with the unknown entity taking over Corbin's life was phenomenal.
With exciting plot twists that always had me second guessing what I thought was real and what wasn't, Rae even had me wondering, just for a second, if I was going mad while I read this book. I'm still not quite sure who or what Six is, or if he was all in Corbin's head, distracting her from her strange life, and although the ending kinda hinted in a certain direction and I'm still expecting to be sucker-punched with something completely different.
I need the second book now. I need to see if everything Six had me believing was real, or was it just another warped play of Corbin's mind. Absolutely thrilling from start to finish, this book had me enthralled and peeking over my shoulder more than once. Fantastic!
About
the Author
Nikki Rae is an independent
author who lives in New Jersey. She explores human nature through fiction,
concentrating on making the imaginary as real as possible. Her genres of choice
are mainly dark, scary, romantic tales, but she’ll try anything once. When she
is not writing, reading, or thinking, you can find her spending time with
animals, drawing in a quiet corner, or studying people. Closely.
Website: http://www.nikkiraeauthor.com/
Twitter: @NikkiRaexX
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Nikki-Rae-394844663902407/
Instagram: @NikkiRaexx
Tumblr: http://nikkixrae.tumblr.com/
