Derek woke up that morning long before his alarm went off because, once again, as had happened on previous occasions, the black crow was furiously pecking at his bedroom window.

He reluctantly got up, opened the window, shooed it away, and went to the bathroom for a quick shower. He shaved, brushed his teeth, applied his hair products, and styled his hair as usual. Afterward, he wrapped a towel around his waist and went to his wardrobe.

He picked out a blue shirt, his favorite color, matching black pants, and a dark gray jacket. It took him a few minutes to choose his shoes, as most of them were missing their pairs. He had been throwing them out of the window every morning to scare away the crow and had forgotten to pick them up afterward.

He had to settle for a pair of light brown moccasins that didn't match the rest of his outfit but were the only decent and complete pair he had.

He approached Addison gently, without waking her, and placed a kiss on her cheek and another on Arleth's little head, and then went to wake up Olive for kinder.

~•~

"Halloween is next week. You said we would go to New York for Halloween!" Olive exclaimed upset during breakfast.

"I know I said that, and I'm very sorry we can't go."

"Why can't we go? Mom's not pregnant anymore!"

"Because my work doesn't allow it right now, Ols."

"But it's not fair!"

"I know, and I'll make it up to you. We'll buy lots of candy."

"I wanted to go trick-or-treating with Julie and Stephanie!"

"We can go trick-or-treating with Arley."

"Arley is dumb!"

"Hey, don't say that about your sister."

"But it's true, she can't even walk."

"I'll talk to Bailey, maybe you can go with Tuck."

"I don't want to go with Tuck! I wanted to go with my cousins!"

"Well Olive, it's too early for your tantrum, finish your breakfast because we have to leave. It's your first day after what happened last week."

"Good morning," Amelia said, walking into the kitchen. She looked tired.

"Finally you decide to show up. Where have you been all this time?" Derek asked.

"It's none of your business."

"Excuse me? Of course, it is. You live in my house, I'd like to know if you have moved and where."

Amelia rolled her eyes and took the milk carton from the fridge. Olive continued to look at her father angrily.

"Finish breakfast, I'll be waiting in the car in 5 minutes."

"I don't want to go to kindergarten!"

"I didn't ask if you wanted to go or not, I said I'll be waiting in the car in 5 minutes," he said firmly and left.

"What did you do to Shrek?" Amelia asked with a laugh.

Olive drank the last sip of her chocolate milk and left without responding to her aunt. She wasn't in the mood for jokes in that moment.

~•~

"A crow? What do you mean by a crow?" Mark asked, throwing the basketball in Derek's office.

"A crow! A bird. Every day it comes in or tries to get into my room. I've lost half my shoes trying to scare it away! Today I had to come with these horrible moccasins because of that damn crow!"

"And why would a crow want to get into your room?"

"That's what I wonder. I have no idea! At first, I thought it was a trained crow, coming to steal information because it said "hi" to me, but I never heard it say another word, even though I spent several hours watching and waiting for it to say something. So my theory fell through. Plus Addison says that's impossible, that nobody would send a crow to spy when there are more effective technologies like drones or hidden microphones, and..."

"I have a bad feeling, I don't know if it's because we're entering the Halloween season or..."

"Why do you say that?"

"What if someone died on your property before you bought it and the soul of the dead is reincarnated in the crow?"

"Okay, now you're saying nonsense. My spy theory was more valid than yours."

"What reasonable explanation do you have then?"

"I don't know! But a dead person reincarnated in a crow would never be an option."

"Aren't crows scavenger birds? The ones that eat corpses and waste."

"Yes."

"Maybe there is a corpse in your house and it's looking for it. Maybe it's hungry for rotten flesh."

"Now that I think about it, Amelia has been suspicious lately. I wouldn't be surprised if she had a dead body hidden in her room. I'll have to talk to her."

~•~

Addison was in her room changing Arleth when she suddenly heard a cawing coming from the window. She knew there had been a crow lurking around her house lately and that Derek was obsessed with it, but she had never really paid much attention to it until now.

The bird was gripping the wooden bars tightly and pecking at the glass forcefully as if it wanted to break in. Addison took Arley and placed her in her baby carrier just in case.

Suddenly, the crow managed to break the glass and stuck its beak through the hole, making her scream and startle. She quickly stood up and lowered the blinds, causing the bird to fly away.

She grabbed her phone, still with her heart in her throat, and called Derek, who answered quickly.

"Addie? What happened?"

"It broke the glass!"

"What?"

"The crow broke the window glass! It wanted to get in, Derek!"

"This can't be. What does it want?"

"I don't know! But it won't give up until it gets what it wants. I'm afraid it wants the baby."

"Why the baby?"

"Because her crib is near the window. Maybe it's confusing her for prey."

"Listen, I don't think it's that. Calm down and don't open the blinds again. When I get home, we'll figure out what to do."

"Alright..."

"I suspect Amelia."

"Why Amelia?"

"Because she's hiding something and I can't figure out what it is. It might be related to the crow."

"Amelia is summoning crows now? Derek, that's ridiculous."

"Trust me, Addie. Nothing is ridiculous when it comes from her. Stay away from the window and when I get home, we'll see about changing the glass, okay?"

"Okay..."

"I love you."

~•~

"The crow is a bird that has been linked on many occasions with evil, the devil, and darkness. It provokes mystery, intrigue, and curiosity. It is considered a bad omen bird, so countless myths and legends are forged around it about death. As a scavenger bird, it's said to be so familiar with death that it's no longer afraid, so if a crow appears at your house lurking in October or March, it means it brings a death omen" Addison said, reading from the internet.

"This doesn't make sense."

"We're in October and we have a crow obsessed with us, Der... I'm scared."

"Addie, don't believe stupid internet myths."

"It's not that I believe in myths, but it's becoming more dangerous, Derek. Today I saw with my own eyes how the bird wanted to smash the glass to get in here. Why would it do that? We don't even have food that would catch its interest."

"I don't know. I've been wondering the same thing for days."

"I'm afraid of the death omen the internet mentions...what if it's Arleth? It's always been fixated on her. First her clothes in the garden, then the crib..."

"No, Addison. Our daughter won't die."

"How can you be sure of that?" she said with tears in her eyes.

Derek sighed nervously. He couldn't guarantee anything. He had always been a very logical person. He didn't believe in myths or gods. Neither in spirits, nor legends, nor haunted objects. He only believed in science. In everything that could be scientifically proven or physically possible. Ghosts? Demons? That wasn't something verifiable by science, as all experiences and knowledge about them were based on testimonies, and testimonies were always so subjective if not, probably false. You never knew if they really were as described or if people added extra ingredients to make the anecdote more interesting.

But now, with all this crow business, he was starting to doubt. Especially because maybe it wasn't a coincidence that it appeared days before Halloween, a time when it was well-known that paranormal things happened.

Derek heard Amelia parking her car at the entrance and didn't hesitate to go after her.

"What the hell are you hiding?" he said straightforwardly.

"What's wrong with you, Derek? I'm arriving. Is that your way of greeting people?"

"What are you hiding?!"

"Why do you care? Why don't you mind your own business?"

"Whatever you're doing is affecting my life and my family's!"

"What are you saying?"

"What's in your room?"

"It's personal, it's none of your business."

"What are you hiding in your room and why do you disappear so suspiciously for days? Where were you? Who were you with?"

"Enough, I'm not going to tolerate an interrogation from you, you're not my father," she said, pushing him.

"I'll go to your room and check your things until I find what you're hiding!"

"You won't enter, it may be your house but that room is mine and I won't give you the key. Respect my privacy just as I respect yours."

"I don't give a shit about your respect. What are you hiding?" he said, grabbing her arms.

"It's weed! Okay? Just that!"

Derek let her go, surprised by the unexpected response.

"Weed?"

"I could've and have had worse things, I know. But I wouldn't do it in the girls' house."

Derek looked even more confused than before. He expected her to say she had a corpse, not drugs. But both sounded almost equally terrible.

"Are you doing drugs again, Amelia?"

"No, well... sometimes. It's just marijuana, Derek. It's legal in Washington."

"Alcohol is legal as well and that doesn't mean you can consume it. What's wrong with you? Do you want to end up in rehab again?"

"Of course not, it's something I have completely under control. I can go weeks without smoking it, it's just... sometimes I need it to be able to carry on with my life."

"Are you working at my hospital high?"

"No! Of course not! God, I'm not that irresponsible."

"Of course because you didn't steal my medical prescription pad to buy drugs or didn't crash my Mustang..."

"I was 16. I'm 34 now, I wouldn't do that, Derek. I've matured, I can control it. I only do it with my boyfriend when I'm off duty and..."

"Boyfriend? What boyfriend?"

"Ryan... he's a guy I met at..."

"Where? At an NA meeting?"

"I met him at a bar, he's a good guy. One day I'll introduce you to him if you stop being so unbearable."

"You have no idea how much I'm looking forward to meeting your druggie boyfriend."

"He's not a druggie! God, marijuana doesn't even count as a drug. Can you not make a scene about everything?"

"I want you to get rid of it already. In my house, near my daughters, I don't want there to be a single gram of the crap you consume. Did you hear me?"

"Okay, I'll get rid of it all, you don't have to worry."

~•~

On October 31st, Derek had promised Olive that they would go trick-or-treating with Arleth. She was still mad at him for not going to New York, but once she saw the witch costume he had gotten for her, she got excited.

Arleth had a cute pumpkin costume that received many compliments from her friends. Addison and Derek were matching, dressed as zombie doctors. They didn't need much makeup, as their tired faces added to the look.

Mark, Arizona, Callie, and Bailey also joined them, bringing Sofia and Tuck along.

"Look at all I got!" Olive said excitedly, showing her bag full of candy to her father.

"Wow, that's a lot, Ols. Remember not to eat it all today," he cautioned.

"Of course not, I'll eat some tomorrow too."

"That should last you at least a month," Addison said.

"A week, hehe," Olive laughed as she walked away with Tuck.

"What happened to the crow?" Mark asked as he carried Sofia on his shoulders, dressed as an angel.

"It's still there. It just stays on the tree outside our window. We can't even open it anymore," Derek replied.

"Have you thought about using an old-fashioned slingshot?"

"I'm not going to kill it if that's what you mean. It could be cursed and the curse might fall on me."

"Do you believe in curses now?"

"I ruled out that it was Amelia, and I ruled out that it was a spy, so... yes. It could be a bad omen. Addison is worried about the baby."

"These things only happen to you," Mark laughed.

"I hope it goes away when the Halloween season is over. I can't stand to hear that disgusting squawk at my window another night," Derek said.

"What are you talking about?" Addison asked, approaching them. She had been talking to Bailey, Arizona, and Callie further back.

"The cursed crow."

"Oh, it's not the time to talk about that now. Derek, can you give me Arley's bag?"

"Everything okay?"

"Yes, I just need to get her blanket, it's getting cold."

"MOM, THEY GAVE ME SPIDER GUMMIES!" Olive exclaimed excitedly. She had already consumed a good amount of sugar that night.

"Great, but stop eating everything you get. You'll have a sugar rush later," Addison warned.

"What's that?" Olive asked, tilting her head.

"Just stop eating candy, your stomach will hurt later if you don't."

"Okay!" She ran off again.

"And you, Daddy's little pumpkin? Do you want candy too?" Derek asked, touching Arley's nose.

"No, please, once they taste sugar, we lose them forever," Addison sighed.

Derek laughed and gently kissed his wife on the cheek.

~•~

"This will have to last you at least a whole month," said Addison once Olive emptied the contents of her bag onto her parents' bed, wanting to count how many candies she had.

"Can I take some in my lunchbox?"

"No, this is not food. You will keep taking your fruits, vegetables, carbohydrates, and proteins."

"But as dessert."

"Mmm... Only one per day."

"But if they're small, can it be two?"

"No. Only one sweet per day."

"Okay... tomorrow I want to take this chocolate then," she said, taking it.

"Okay, I'll save the rest and give it to you little by little. I don't want you to eat everything at once."

"Okay."

"There's that damn crow again, shit… I can see you, son of a bitch..." Derek said entering the room with Arleth in his arms. Olive covered her mouth to hide her laughter.

"Derek, I've told you to watch your language in front of the girls. They repeat it afterward."

"It's almost midnight, Halloween will be over in a few minutes... if it really comes with a curse, it should disappear in approximately 13 minutes."

"Stop thinking about that. And you, Olive, put all the candies back in the bag."

"It's just a matter of waiting a few minutes..." he said, staring at the bird through the window.

Olive started to put everything away, but accidentally a lollipop fell under Arleth's crib, and her small arm couldn't reach it.

Addison bent down to pick it up, and when she reached in, she felt a sticky texture at the bottom. She rested her head on the floor to see what it was, but still couldn't decipher what it was.

"What's wrong? What's there?" asked Derek.

"Pass me the flashlight."

"Shine it for your mother, Ols," he said, handing her a lit flashlight.

Olive shone it, and Addison could see that at the bottom, almost against the wall, there was a bird's nest with two small eggs inside. Carefully, she reached in to grab it and took it out.

"What is that?" asked Derek.

"A nest," replied Olive with all the calm in the world.

"Why is there a nest in our room?" asked Addison, looking at the girl.

"I brought it, I wanted baby birds."

Addison and Derek looked at each other with their mouths open, unable to say a word, realizing that all this time "the curse of the crow" had been none other than Olive's fault for stealing that poor mother crow's eggs.