When The Raven's Feathers Fall

Chapter VIII

~I am death, a destroyer of worlds. (J. Robert Oppenheimer)~

After about an hour of digging I drop Evangeline's body into the bottom of the hole. Miss Musslehiem should be getting home soon, I take out a handkerchief and wipe the sweat off my brow. Miss Musslehiem runs up and hugs me from behind, "How was your day?"

"Well, I didn't get what I wanted done today."

She looks down in the hole and sighs, "How'd you do it?"

"I used a candlestick."

"Why a candlestick?"

She should be upset that her friend is dead and killed in such a brutal way, "She tried to make....she wanted to have sex and well I didn't want her plus I had just gotten the assignment. I grabbed a candlestick and beat her to death."

Sighing Miss Musslehiem sighs and lays her head on my chest as I hug her, "Well, I'll help you bury her then we can go to the store like you wanted." Smiling down at her I nod and we being throwing dirt onto the corps of Miss Evangeline.

******

We are walking through the store and Miss Musslehiem is picking things that she would like me to use when I make her breakfast, lunch, and supper. "What are we having for supper tonight?"

"I was thinking of making Risotto."

"I've never had that...."

"Well then I will make sure it is the best I have made, especially for you."

An older woman approaches us and places a shaking hand on my arm, "You two make such a fine couple. How long have you been together?"

"Oh we... we're not together...." Miss Musslehiem blushes as I scrabble for words.

"Oh deary, you needn't be embarrassed. Not many young couples now-a-days have such a bond, I hope you two have a wonderful marriage ahead of you." The woman smiles and walks away, I feel my cheeks burning and I see Miss Musslehiem blushing a deep red. I wish we were together. Woah! No NO NO! I can't be thinking like that. Relationships are a silly thing that only mortals have...that's not true the gods and goddesses have them...relationships are meant for people that are not me. Death is not supposed to have a partner.

~~~~~~

I am standing at the foot of my parent's bed, I don't know how I know it's my parent's bed but I do. My eyes are burning and my face is wet, my tiny hands grab the blankets. I know before I pull the blankets away that they are dead. There was blood on the door and on the bedroom walls and on the floor. I pull off the blankets and I hear myself, a small voice, cry out, "Mom? Dad?"

Of course there was no answer, I crawl into their bed and shake them trying to wake them. I scream as I shake them in vain, they aren't going to be waking any time soon. Maybe once they reach the Underworld they will feel better.

******

I'm standing at an altar looking down the aisle at a beautiful woman in a large white dress. She approaches me and I take her hand and lead her the remaining way to the altar. The pastor ties our hands together and begins the wedding ceremony. "Do you Grey Bloodsworth take Grizelda Hemstol as your lawfully wedded wife in sickness and in health for as long you live?"

"Until Death do us part, I do." I feel a churning in my stomach, I don't want to marry this woman and I know it's a bad idea.

***

"Grey!"

This woman never shuts up, "Yes?"

I stand and walk to the foyer where she is standing, "Why haven't you hired staff?!?! Am I supposed to take care of this damned estate and do the cooking all by myself?!?!"

"There is very little cleaning to do and I will cook, there is no use for staff."

"Then I'll just have to take your money and pay for staff myself." She runs at me with her hand held high, as she swings her arm down I see the glint of a silver knife. Before I have any time to react I feel a terrible pain start in my chest and spread out. She takes a step back and I look to see the knife protruding from my chest. "Oh bother...." She shakes her head before taking another knife and I feel the same pain start in my skull before everything goes numb.

"Wake," The voice changes,"Up," The voice changes one more time, "Young one." I open my eyes to find three women standing above me.

"My apologies but I do not believe I know either of you...."

I stand slowly, "Do you." "Remember your." "Name?"

"Well...I know my first name starts with a G....I think my last name is ....Bloods...Bloodsworth."

"Well," "Why don't." "You take a walk with us?" I follow them and they explain everything.

~~~~~~

"Grim? Grim! Goddamn-it Grim!!!!" I hear a beautiful voice screaming at me and I feel someone shaking me.

My eyes slowly open and I see Miss Musslehiem's tear stained face leaning over me. "Miss...."

"Oh thank god!!!!" She buries her face in my chest as she weeps and she whispers, "I thought I lost you."

As the pain of the memory subsides I move my arms so that they are encircling her body and I stroke her hair. "I'm not going anywhere for a long time."

She pulls away and looks at me with a small smile, I wipe away her tears and a man offers his hand to help me up. When I stand I notice that I was on the ground in the store and a group of people had gathered when I fell, "What happened, dude?"

"A terrible flashback." I help Miss Musslehiem up, "My apologies Milady, I did not mean to frighten you."

She shakes her head and hugs me again. "I wish I had a man that treated me like that." Several women sigh and make comments like that.

"Miss Musslehiem...."

Her embrace tightens around me, "I thought you were leaving me. You weren't breathing...."

"I don't need air but I breathe when I am near you so that you know I am living only for you." There are many awwws that sound from the crowd but they do not understand the meaning of my words, only the woman they were spoken to knows but....I'm not sure I truly meant them in one way... regarding my job to escort her to the Underworld.

In my memory there was a raven sitting out on the sill.

As I took my last needed breath.

One feather fell.