Shiver

Unkindness of Ravens

{Originally written in 2019.}

The elderly lady that the whole town knows as Edna sits amongst all of the other bums – as if she believes she’s one of them.

I walk past, swiftly. I know I must get to work on time; it won’t turn out too well if I’m late.

“Ruryk Alynev?” She calls out in a raspy voice.

I stop in my place. “Who calls upon me?”

“Edna,” she says her own name.

I turn to her. “Oh Edna! I never saw you there. You shall be careful, after all you don’t want to be hit be automobiles rushing through at high speeds.” Then I mouth, “Hopefully not.”

Out of nowhere she grabs my arm as if she doesn’t want me to go.

“Don’t go,” Edna rasps. As when she told me, her plentiful missing teeth had been shown to the world.

I try to say as nicely as possible, “I know you want to look out for me – and I appreciate that but if I don’t get to work soon, I will be fired. I will be forced to live amongst these bums!”

Edna looks slightly taken aback.

Ruryk, next time don’t be so rude to the elderly lady, I note.

“Beware of the ravens,” Edna says.

I’m clearly confused. “The ravens? Why so?”

“The ravens shall bring a warning. A warning that Ayhs shall rise and bring this world to its knees. Bring it to hell!” Edna screams; followed by many sobs.

Since she’s finally let go of my arm, I dash away to work. Not once thinking of if Edna is truly all there in the mind.

**

I walk past town. An unkindness of ravens fill the streets. The streets where people once traveled upon have now been consumed by ravens. Each one with deathly beady eyes. Each one is death.

**

I sit quietly in my bed. The long hours of the night ticking away; the darkness seeps through the small cracks in the frozen-over windows. It’s almost as though there is no light – no light at all.

Somewhere within the house, floor boards creak.

“Is anyone there?” I ask, with only a slight sense of wavering in my voice.

There’s no response.

“Hello?” I call.

The response I get this time is a low hissing noise.

Once more I call, “Hello?”

“Ruryk,” the voice that once hissed to me calls.

I start to shiver now. “Maybe I need air; fresh air.” I stalk to the window. It doesn’t budge. With all of my force I yank it open.

Once the window is open, I am greeted by an unkindness of ravens that swoop swiftly into the drab room that I am standing in.

“Pesky ravens,” I mutter to myself in quite a low tone. I carefully put one leg in front of the other.

One raven eyes me as if he’s no longer sane; as if I’m his next meal.

He goes right for the face.

I try to duck but it’s no use. The ravens all help one another to kill me. As if I’m a fiend; as if I’m their enemy.

The unkindness swoops toward me and makes me back up in pure fear.

The fear makes me not look where I’m going. I step and am greeted by plummeting out a window.

It’s as though my life just might be flashing before my eyes.

I hit the ground with a thud.

I open my eyes, in which I had shut due to the fall.

Above me is a hovering figure. The figure has gleaming eyes.

I know for some unknown reason that he has evil intentions.

“Ruryk,” he smirks.

“Who are you?” I’m trying to back away.

“Ayhs.” He laughs ominously. Ayhs repeats my name, “Ruryk.”

“What?” I ask, trying to build up my confidence.

“You’re coming with me.” Ayhs lunges toward me.

**

Everywhere I turn there’s dismembered bodies. Heads with no other; bodies with no identity.

“Why is it like this?” I ask Ayhs.

“It’s how it’s like. No need to explain. Humans like you would forget before too long anyway.”

I ask the next question that’s on my mind, “Why not kill me?”

Ayhs turns to look at me. His dead red eyes lock to my blue eyes.

I can’t look away as much as I want to. I can’t run; he has some sort of spell on me.

Ayhs licks his lips. “I was created to bring this world to its knees. To make Earth a living hell. I was told after that I’d get to choose a human to torture for all of eternity.”

I shiver and shake. “Who did you choose?”

Ayhs cackles. “You.”