The Crow: A new beginning

[Mistriss_Isis]

It was December 23rd, and it turned out to be the most horrible day of my life. We had been so happy, our world was our paradise. When I met Dorien it had been like meeting another part of myself that I had long since forgotten. He sparked something inside me that had no chance of being realized. We spent our days in happy bliss, and the day he proposed was the happiest day of my life. Then two months later, it all went wrong..

We were laid in our room, it was early morning, and the sunlight was filtering through the dark blinds we had up over the large windows. Dorien’s artwork hung on the walls and I smiled as I awoke in his arms, naked and curled up beside him. He was an artist and I was a writer, I worked for the local paper after publishing my first novel. I leaned up and kissed his lips, I remember it clear as day. He only smiled and opened his eyes, and soon, we were tangled together, our bodies heaving for each other’s touch.


I made breakfast that morning, something I almost never did, but it was a Sunday, and I made pancakes. Dorien had told me he would need to go into his studio today and I was going to do some cleaning up around the house. I kissed him, and he went off to work, promising to be home in a few hours. I turned on some of my favorite music and worked on the house, cleaning, dusting, vacumming. I didn’t mind, I knew tonight would be good. I wanted to have the house perfect for him when he got home, and be laying on the bed waiting for him, I had bought a new outfit and I was so excited to wear it for him.

Hours passed and I showered and dressed. I layed out on the bed to wait, I knew you would be home any second. I laid on the bed as if asleep, and only tried to hide my smile as I heard the front door open slowly. It wasn’t until I felt a large hand over my mouth that I knew it wasn’t him. I tried to scream, but it was no use, there were two men, two huge men. I tried hard to fight, I kicked and screamed, but the cool steel of a gun was pushed painfully against my temple and I stopped. They ripped my corset, it was flimsy so they had no trouble with it, or the flimsy thong. Tears slid down my face as they abused me, it seemed like forever when I heard the door open once more. I felt my tears come faster, I thought it might be more men, and I didn’t know how much more I could bear.

But it was him, it was Dorien, there like my knight in shinning armor. The men let me go and went after him. I ran, holding my tattered clothing around me as I rushed to hide in the closet, making myself as small as possible as I covered my head and heard the gunshots go off. I knew immediately that they had shot him. I darted out of the closet as I heard them laughing. I was kneeling by his body and I could see him taking labored breaths.

“No, no…NO!” I sobbed out as I knelt by his body, my hand was shaking as it slid down his paling face. “I…I love you…” I breathed as I kissed his trembling lips and curled up beside him sobbing as I heard him take his last breath. I laid there for what seemed like forever, and called the police.

Today is December 26th, and I’m burying the love of my life, my soul mate. As they lowered the casket, I felt a piece of myself sink into the ground with him. The service was over and I knelt near the marble headstone, my fingers trailing delicately over the engraving. “Dorien…” I whispered as I had to stop myself from collapsing yet again.

I walked home in the rain, and when I got home, those two men were waiting for me.

OOc: Alright so I'm starting this in the theme of the crow. I need one main man, PM me if you're intrested. If you would like to play any other characters feel free to post them up here.

 

[RavenMaiden]

((ooc Wow, I'm not sure what part I can play in this story, but I love your introduction. ))

 

[gagonthis]

It was December 23rd, and it would be the last day of my life. It started out as the perfect day. I awoke with Bradan in my arms. Looking up into her beautiful eyes I smiled, seeing another painting taking shape in my mind. She was always my inspiration. Her soft loving eyes, the smooth skin. I smiled sleepily up at her as she leaned in to kiss me. Soon my hands were grasping at her body, fervent with need as they took pleasure from each other.

She fixed breakfast, and I stood in the doorway of the kitchen, watching her, loving every small movement she made. She stood in one of my shirts, looking as beautiful in it as she did in anything. I knew I had to get to the studio, I had business to do, and ideas now burning in my head, but I stayed and ate, enjoying every second I got to steal with my Bradan. Finally though I could delay no longer and I rose, kissing her sweet lips after having dressed. I left with my spirits high.

I made my way to my studio through the morning chill. It was another bright clear morning, though they had said snow was on the way. I loved mornings like these. I threw open the windows in the studio and let my creativity flow, the brisk cold air invigorating me. I glanced at the clock and blinked in surprise, the hours had rushed away from me. Bradan would be wondering where I was. I grabbed my coat and threw it on, deciding to save some time by taking the bus back.

I could sense something was wrong before I even got to the door. I ran up the hallway, seeing the door ajar. I felt a horrible lump forming in my stomach as I dropped the food I had gotten for dinner, dashing into the apartment. I took in the scene quickly before me, seeing Bradan sobbing on the bed as two men attacked her. I screamed a wordless cry as the two looked up, coming towards me. I saw Bradan run and I ran forward, hitting the first man with my fist like a wrecking ball, knocking his teeth in. I’m not a strong man by any means, and I’ve never been a fighter, but rage commanded my actions and lent me strength.

The gunshot pierced the air like a thunder crack. I paused, wondering why I felt so detached. A second later the pain caught up to me and I grunted loudly as I felt a fire in my stomach. The man I hit stood up, laughing as I keeled over to the ground, feeling his life drain away from him. The men left and I did my best to crawl to where Bradan had ran, but my limbs would not respond. I saw Bradan come running out, her mouth moving but no sound reaching my ears. I felt my eyelids become heavy. I felt her lips on mine. I tried to talk, to tell her I loved her, to get her to stop crying, but sleep overcame me.

I awoke in a place of grayness, surrounded all around me by what seemed a thick fog. I called out but no sound came. Frowning I stood there, calling out to no avail. Finally in frustration I began walking. For what seemed an eternity I walked, no sound or light to guide me. A faint wind picked up and I turned, following the breeze listening to the sound around me. A brief beating, as if something was flying on the breeze. I turned, gazing around but still seeing nothing. Suddenly I noticed it, ahead of me in the fog, a single gnarled tree, growing out of the misty ground. I approached it hesitantly and as I neared my eyes made out the image of a lone black bird sitting on a branch, it’s dark eyes peering directly into mine, as if reading my soul. I shuddered slightly, but moved closer seeing a basin of water at the base of the tree. The bird kept its stare directly on my eyes as I moved forwards, the same lump forming in my stomach as he stopped before the tree.

The bird, a crow, turned and stared into the basin, letting out a loud caw as if to signal that I should move forward and look in to the water. I did, and gasped at the scene that unfolded in the crystal clear water.

The bigger of the two men grabbed Bradan as she entered the apartment, his hand instantly going to her mouth, the other wrapping around her waist. The other man stepped out of the shadows holding his finger to his mouth. “Shhhhhh…. Not a sound or we’ll gut you.” He said with a smile as he flipped a butterfly knife around his hands. I could hear every word clearly, I reached my hands in, trying to get to the man, but only came up with water dripping down my arms. The crow cawed again, drawing my attention back to the basin.

The man stepped forward, ripping off Bradan’s coat and using the knife to slice her top, ripping it off her body. I screamed in rage as I watched helpless as he fondled her breast roughly, laughing manically as the other man pulled her head back by her hair, letting a knife come up to rest on her throat. “We’re going to take what your dead man denied us, and you’re going to love it.” The man holding her said as the other man ripped her skirt, exposing her underwear. I looked around frantically looking for a way to interfere, but I couldn’t, whatever was happening they didn’t know I was watching.

The scene flashed to the bedroom as I saw one of the men pin her down and tie her to the bed while the other grinned a toothless grin at her, dropping his pants and forcing himself inside her. I looked towards the crow screaming a wordless scream. It cawed again, and with pain in my heart I turned back towards the basin watching as Bradan was violently raped by both men, not once but twice. I saw the tears in her eyes, and she tried to scream but the gag in her mouth prevented it. After both men had had their fill and I felt as if I could endure no more pain I saw them gather her up, the big man exclaiming that it would be good to keep “a bitch” like her around.

I collapsed, feeling as if my heart would give out when the crow flapped its wings landing before me, the black eyes staring into my soul. Suddenly a voice cracked in my head like a sledgehammer leaving me gasping in pain. “Dorien… You are no longer amongst the living.” I groaned loudly, each word feeling like an explosion behind my eyes. “You have been buried for three days, for three days Bradan has mourned you. And now the men who killed you have come for her. You have a choice. Accept your death and move into your afterlife, free from all worries, even those of your love, or seek your vengeance. The crow will be your instrument of revenge. Make your choice.” I knew I had no choice at all and so did whatever phantom lay behind those words. The crow flew upwards, soaring into the sky. My eyes followed its flight, noting with fear as it dove towards me. Talons raked at my eyes, blinding me. I screamed a wordless scream…

And awoke, opening my eyes, surrounded by blackness. I had been betrayed! I thrashed about, then realized that I was not blind, simply confined. I fought my way out, sitting up to look around. A body bag. That was what had held me. A morgue… I was back amongst the living.

 

[Mistriss_Isis]

I had walked home, it was raining and I was soaked to the bone by the time I got my door. There they were, just inside the front door of my cold, empty apartment. I was quite ready to drink myself to sleep, the walk home even made me thinking of ending it, just to end the pain in my heart.

My thoughts were in vain, neither of those were a possibility the fates had destined. A hand slid over my mouth as I stepped into the darkness. It was them, they had come back. My body was shivering from the cold, my clothing being soaked through. They cheered me on, thinking it was the sheer fear of them. Little did they know I had nothing left to fear, death would have been a welcomed end to the pain. They toyed with me, tears slipping down my pale cheeks as I was manhandled. I didnt fight back, only sobbed as I was dragged into my bedroom and tied to the bed.

My underware were shoved into my mouth as they had there way with me, my head fell to the side as my screams of pain came in vain. I was alone and no one would rush into save me now. My knight had fallen and I was alone.

I was lost in the pain, the emotion and the physical the men caused me. I closed my eyes, by the time they had finished with me I was unconsious. I could see him there, I could see Dorien, how he looked that last morning I held him. The last morning before the world took him from me.

I woke what felt to be weeks later but was in fact only hours. I was tied up to a bed, it wasnt mine. The air stank of old beer and sweat, and who knows what else? They had taken me, I concluded. My body ached from their abuse and I was sure I had a few bruises. The gag was gone from my mouth now and I closed my eyes. I could will it all away, it was all a horrible nightmare. I tried for a long time, to no avail. All it got me was a headache.

"Just kill me, why torture me Gods?" I whispered in vain, new feeble tears slid down my cheeks as I heard the door open.

 

[gagonthis]

I looked around, still unsure exactly what had happened to me. I was in a morgue, that was for sure, and I had just emerged from a body bag. Those men, they had shot me… had I died? Was that what that gray-misted land was? No, I couldn’t be dead. I must have been mistakenly taken here. After all I was clearly alive. But wasn’t that what the crow had said? That I would live again to take vengeance on those who had wronged me and my….. BRADAN! I nearly screamed her name out loud as I remembered what I had seen in my dream. Those men had come back for here. I had to go help her… but how? I didn’t even know where to begin looking.

A flapping of wings drew my attention away and I turned wide-eyed to see a large black crow land at the end of the examination table. His large black eyes stared into mine and I felt cold fear creep into my stomach. What if it hadn’t been a dream? What if I had died and rose again with the crow’s help? I staggered up, off the table and to my feet realizing I was quite naked. I searched around, finding my possessions piled in the corner awaiting, most likely awaiting destruction. I refused to acknowledge the crow’s presence in the room as I dressed, glancing around nervously every time I heard any sound. I did not want to be discovered, to have to try and explain why I was not still laying a cold dead body in a body bag.

The crow cawed loudly as I finished dressing, turning to stare out an open window on the other side of the room. I gathered the rest of my possessions and slipped out the window just as I heard the sound of the two night coroners returning to the room. I closed the window and lingered to look back through it, nothing their surprise when they came in and saw me gone. They had truly believed I was dead then. It was not some cruel hoax. It came rushing back to me then, the men, I had tried to stop them from having Bradan, and they had shot me, twice in the chest. I looked down and saw the large scars on my chest, felt them, expecting pain, but feeling nothing at all. They still had Bradan and she needed my help.

Suddenly hate was all I could feel. Gone was my nervousness; gone was my trepidation for the whole situation. Rage flooded my soul. I would make these men suffer for what they did to me and for what they did to my Bradan. The crow gave a loud, almost triumphant caw, as if announcing that I had found my calling and it was time for the bloody work to begin.

First place I stopped was our old apartment. I found the door still cracked open and I pushed it aside, striding in. There were little signs of struggle. I had seen what had happened, but to be at the scene now just increased my hatred even more. I saw the bed and growled a wordless hate filled noise as I was again reminded of what they had done to her. I had to find her, but I had no clue where to begin the search. A loud caw brought my attention to the window. The crow again; he had followed me here. What shadowy compulsion motivated this animal? I walked over to where he was and looked out the window into the alley below, smiling a wicked smile at what I saw. A drug dealer, plying his trade in our neighborhood. The residents of our building had tried to have him arrested multiple times, but he always seemed to walk. He would know… and I would make him talk. I grabbed a heavy kitchen knife and walked out the front door of the apartment, heading down to make a new friend.



The door swung open and the two men stepped back into the room, smiling at Bradan menacingly. “Been nice and quiet all day…. That’s good. Listen, we’re havin’ a little party here right now…” The smaller of the two said as he took a long pull off a half empty whiskey bottle. “And we’d be a bit remiss if we didn’t share the goods with our friends… so yer going to come out here and we’re all going to have ourselves a good time.” The bigger man moved forward, grabbing Bradan roughly and yanking her to her feet, his breath reeking of cheap alcohol as he groped her roughly. They pulled her into the next room where three other men sat around, drinking and passing a crack pipe about. All three smiled as they brought her into the room, their eyes full of animal lust.