He always knew where he could escape to whenever his stepfather would
become impatient with him or just get drunk and start to smack him around.
Whenever his mother wasn’t around it seemed as though thirteen year old Ben would end up taking the brunt of his abuse. So on those days he would come to find his peace and sanctuary here at Crows Crossing Road. He would come to sit with them, and often speak to them of his personal life, and it would always get him through until the next time, they were the only friends that he knew.
“You guys always know don’t you?”
Seven would circle. Two would land near him .
“Man if I ever have kids I ain’t never gonna hit them for no reason, I’m gonna listen as well as talk, you know guys? I screw up a lot but it isn’t always my fault, he doesn’t have to hit Mom or me.”
He sat by the edge of the trees and watched the sun light radiate off of the green grass in the field in front of him, two take flight, seven circle until one lands right next to him this time, it is close enough to touch, the Crow leans forward and cocks its head to the right and studies Benjamin Connelly. Suddenly as he looks into the eyes of this amazing bird he knows what it feels like to fly, he knows what it feels like to be free, free from pain, free from love free from his life of misery. As they exchange looks he slowly reaches out and the Crow allows the boy to touch it before taking flight. He watched for a time before leaving for home, somehow coming here always makes him feel better, for it isn’t always about the ghosts from the past and death, sometimes its about life. Here on Crows Crossing Road.