The crow's gifts of blood and coin

"A crow had become my companion, always appearing near me, watching me with its sharp black eyes. Sometimes it came to me with a gift, a few bills or some coins, which it dropped into my hands. I accepted them with a small sense of pleasure, as if we had an understanding. But other times, it brought something else. A hand. A finger. They were still covered in fresh blood, yet they looked healthy, almost alive. The crow set them down in front of me calmly, as though it were no different from the money, and waited for me to take them. I never knew where the crow found them or why it kept bringing them to me. I only stood there, staring at what it had left, caught between the strange reward and the horror of it. When I woke up, my skin felt cold and my stomach was uneasy. I lay still for a while, the image of the bloody fingers lingering in my mind, glad to be back in my quiet, ordinary room."