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       #Post#: 2819--------------------------------------------------
       Quoth The Raven
   DIR By: Wolfy
       Date: October 31, 2013, 4:14 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
  HTML http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa285/Danisvampiress/Untitled-1-36.jpg
       Authors Note
       Quoth The Raven was a very morbid story I wrote sometime before
       Christmas last year, so you'll have to bear with me and I
       apologise if it's a bit much. I know still how I was feeling
       when I wrote it and those wounds are still pretty fresh, but I
       hope it isn't too difficult a read. There may also be mistakes
       and many of them, because I was so out of it at the time.
       Anyway, I hope it isn't too terrible :l
       Attire
  HTML http://www.polyvore.com/sally_owens/set?id=62733764
  HTML http://www.polyvore.com/sally_owens/set?id=62733764
       {I hope you don't mind that I'm using my recreation of an outfit
       Sally wore in Practical Magic}
       Playlist
       Dead Souls - Nine Inch Nails
       It Can't Rain All The Time - Jane Siberry
       Change - Deftones
       Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me - Roger Daltrey
       How Soon Is Now - Love Spit Love
       #Post#: 2820--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Quoth The Raven
   DIR By: Wolfy
       Date: October 31, 2013, 4:27 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Midnight could still smell the welcoming fragrance of his scent
       all over her. Each day since he had passed, she would walk
       through Elm Forest in the hope of finding herself again. That
       small spark of wishful thinking would never come. Since losing
       the only man she had ever loved, her life was no longer worth
       living. She gave herself a time limit; that if she could not
       find inner peace to go on without him within six months, it was
       time to end it all. That dreadful day was coming faster than a
       speeding bullet. In just a few weeks, her mind would entice her
       to pull the trigger of her deceased husbands pistol, and she
       would go ahead and do it. Nothing was standing in her way
       anymore. His death had ruined her; broken her. Since he was
       killed all those months ago, her life had been but a mirage. Not
       a single thing made sense, for he was not there with her to
       bring happiness through anything. In no way was she holding a
       grudge against him. In every way was she holding a grudge
       against the despicable, heartless, vile man who took his life.
       The man who had taken her husband away from her, leaving him to
       rot in the ditches of this very Forest. Midnight had found him
       torn and beaten beneath a pile of sycamore leaves. Her heart had
       been unable to beat since she first caught sight of his lifeless
       body. She wondered how long he had been there, though knew in
       the back of her mind it could not have been all that long. He
       had ventured out into the woods in search of any kind of culprit
       that had been making suspicious noises. The noises, much to
       Midnights displeasure, had given her the creeps, and the only
       reason he had gone out that night was too make her feel better.
       How she regretted complaining. Had she been brave, he would
       still be with her right now. She could be curled up in his
       loving arms, whispering sweet nothings into his ear all night
       long.
       It is most likely worth mentioning that she found him only
       minutes from death. Despite her own conclusions given the state
       of him; he was in fact still alive, though barely. Midnight knew
       from the moment he murmered something that he would not make it.
       Tears had sprung from her eyes as fast as a flowing river in the
       middle of spring. He tried with all his might to open his eyes,
       though it was a great struggle. Laying her hands on either side
       of his face, she gently pulled him around and rested his head on
       her lap. Soothingly, she told him of how much she loved and
       adored him. She told him how he was going to be alright; knowing
       full well he would never recover from the injuries he had
       sustained. From the corner of her eye, a pair of bright red eyes
       fell back through a tall brush near one of the huge oak trees.
       Frightened as she was, she tried to hide her fear for her
       husbands sake. Though, in the coming months, she would soon find
       the familiar orbs of death head on. As her husband lay still in
       her arms, breathing with difficulty, he managed to open his eyes
       for just a brief moment. Midnight allowed her tears to flow
       freely, knowing he would understand one way or another, why she
       was crying for him. With his eyes fixated on hers as best he
       could, he looked up at her with a love that seemed almost
       impossible. His breathing became shallow, and through his agony
       and what was to be his last breath, he told her he loved her
       deeply and would be waiting for her on the other side.
       As his final words seeped through his dry lips, Midnight placed
       the softest of kisses upon them, her tears giving them moisture.
       He had not been able to add pressure to the kiss, but gave her
       one last smile before allowing his pained body to collapse in
       her arms. She bellowed for hours, but no one even came to see
       what the damage was. At first she believed it a curse, that no
       one cared about them. Then, she realised his death had not been
       in vain. He had died trying to protect her; to keep her from
       harms way. She would repay his gratitude, in this life or the
       next. Nothing would stand in her way. With great determination,
       she set out to find and murder whoever had killed her husband.
       It became her destiny and final choice the moment he breathed
       his last breath of air. Saddened as she was and with the
       likelihood of failing miserably, she would give it her all in
       order to take revenge for her loved one.
       Days went by painfully slowly since she managed to carry his
       body back to their house. Rather than have a formal burial, she
       would keep him within her reach. Sickening as her mind was and
       no matter how many times it screamed to her that what she was
       doing was wrong, she did not care. Her only thoughts were of
       keeping her nearby; it gave her the smallest amount of comfort.
       To her, it was better than nothing. Weeks went by and she began
       to notice the colour change in his face. What was once dealthy
       pale and white as snow, was turning a horrible shade of yellow.
       Midnight broke down in tears beside his body on the sofa,
       holding one of his hands in hers and allowing her mournful cries
       to swallow her grief. Eventually, she would have to give him a
       proper burial, but she could not bear the thought of having him
       beneath the earth and more than five miles from their home. She
       wanted him as close as possible, dead or alive. Her sanity had
       ridden away with his soul up to heaven, for there was not a
       clear thought running through her head. In disgust with herself,
       she attempted to harm her own body. She repeated this action
       almost daily, following a very strict and undisturbed routine
       and gashing slices on her stomach. No one would know if they
       existed, for she never showed more than her hands and legs
       anyway. To everyone else, she was on the mend.
       With that dreadful suicidal day approaching, Midnight did not
       have long left to find her husbands murderer, but nothing was
       going to stop her now. After months of searching for all kinds
       of clues leading to where the dead man might be hiding, she had
       picked up just a few bits of information. Bewildered as she was,
       it was the towns people who had given her hints of his
       whereabouts. Still, she kept herself calm and steady. Though the
       people in their town disliked her and her husband very much, for
       reasons unknown, they still had a hint of a heart within their
       stone chests. For that alone, she was happy to know their names.
       Further thoughts invaded her mind as she went on one final walk
       through Elm Forest. It was the one and only place she figured
       would lead her straight to the man. With it being such a huge
       piece of land, absolutely covered with oak trees and brushes and
       lakes, she knew that somewhere, there would be evidence. It
       boiled her veins to popping point whenever she returned home
       again without finding anything, but today was her last in
       searching. Tomorrow, without finding a single thing, she would
       act on her suicidal thoughts. Even though she was a woman with
       high standards and saw such poor acts as an escape from the
       harsh world we live in, it was becoming evidently clear to her
       just why some people choose to live no more. Her loss had
       impacted not only her life, but her mind and her heart had
       refused to follow their normal paths. Without her husband around
       her, she was not the same person she had been. Though his body
       slept peacefully in his favourite clothes on their sofa, he was
       not with her, not really.
       The snapping of twigs beneath her boots only angered her more as
       she bounded through the Forest. In her left hand she held the
       pistol that would take her life; in her left, a knife that would
       take the killers. With hot tempered determination, she growled
       into the night, frightening a few bats and birds from their
       burrows in the trees above her. In her moment of weakness and
       rage, she looked terrifying to all. But, she wondered, would she
       be equally as terrifying toward this man; would he see how much
       trouble he had caused. All of her questions floated about like
       shadows in her mind, dauntingly realistic. She wanted to know
       the answers and she wanted to know them now. Waiting was not an
       option anymore; she did not have the time for it. In a few hours
       when the sun comes up, her life will be over, and she is hoping
       his will as well.
       A rustling sound garnered her attention as she passed the same
       bush she had spotted those bright red eyes months ago. Without
       regard for her own life or whoever was hiding behind that bush,
       she stormed through it with her knife, slashing in every
       direction. Stopping, she realised the bush was quite large and
       overgrown, for she was still standing in it. Confusion and worry
       coursed through her, and she turned back the way she came, her
       knife outstretched just in case. Out of the corner of her eye,
       she saw a glimmer of red. Her anger came rushing back to her in
       bursts and the look on her face showed absolutely no mercy.
       Midnights hand slashed and thrust forward as she approached the
       glowing eyes, fearful still of what it was. In the back of her
       mind she knew them to be human eyes, given their shape, but
       their colour was not of normality. It made her shudder. Still,
       she would keep her promise to her husband. After repeating over
       and over every night before she went to bed that she would find
       and kill his murderer, she wasn’t about to quit. With great
       courage she had never before experienced, she charged through
       the bushes, following in the footsteps created by the owner of
       those eyes. She knew just by glancing at them, with their evil
       glare, that it was the man who had committed such a horrible
       crime. Though she herself was about to do worse, she did not
       care. No one could ever hope to lock her behind bars if she had
       already imprisoned herself and sent her soul into the afterlife.
       In all of her wildest dreams since her husbands passing, not one
       of them had allowed her to fail. On his behalf and for the sake
       of justice, she would get her hands on this man and murder him
       in cold blood.
       Midnight reached the other side of the bush, noticing she was
       back where she started, at the beginning of Elm Forest. That was
       certainly a long bush indeed. Now though, she was furious. The
       man had gotten away from her and she had not been concentrating
       on which direction he had escaped in. She flung herself to the
       ground after tossing the knife, and lifted the pistol to her
       temple. She kept her eyes open; daring herself to face her
       fears, for she would very soon be reunited with her husband.
       Just as her finger pulled on the trigger, a giant raven swooped
       down from the sky, landing gracefully on the ground before her.
       A little frightened but also intrigued by the beautiful bird,
       she lowered the gun and set it down beside her. The raven looked
       up at her, tilting its head so she could see into its huge black
       eyes. As it peered at her, it released a horrifying squawk.
       Midnight fell back onto her hands, her legs still bent in front
       of her. The raven took a step closer before hopping onto her
       knee. It occurred to Midnight that this was not common among
       such birds, and as she dared to stroke the soft feathers on its
       back, an old tale from her childhood slipped into her mind. Of
       what she could remember, and what is supposedly mythical, ravens
       are messengers of God. Now, despite never believing in such lore
       throughout her life, after all that had happened, she was
       willing to assume this raven that had taken a liking to her, was
       in fact a messenger of sorts. She forgave herself after putting
       the pieces together and realising nothing else would encourage
       the bird to approach her as it did.
       The raven, much to her surprise, allowed its feathers to be
       petted. Midnight smiled genuinely for the first time in months.
       But the comfort of this bird was not enough to keep her from
       wanting to end her life. As she reached over for the pistol and
       held it in place, the raven went mad. It flapped its wings in
       her face and pecked harshly at her clothes. It was difficult for
       Midnight to do anything other than drop the pistol in an
       instant, frightened of being mauled to death by this nouty
       little bird. She frowned, shoving it off her lap and stood from
       her spot on the cold earth. She walked toward the pistol once
       more, but this time had no intention of trying to shoot herself
       in the head. Picking it up and taking a long, hard look at it,
       she tossed it into the Forest with all her strength. Looking
       back at the raven, she noted it hopping alongside her as she
       walked back to their home. It was strangely comfortable having
       the bird follow her home; it was almost as though nothing could
       harm her in having it around. Perhaps those tales of protection
       and observation had been true after all. Not to mention her
       favourite tale; of these beautiful creatures being sent down
       from heaven. Or, the opposing end of the afterlife; hell.
       Midnight shook her head to rid it of such morbidness. She saw
       absolutely no reason as to why the Gods would send her husband
       somewhere he did not belong.
       The anger that took over her body just thinking about such a
       thing was scary. As she walked up the path to their lovely home,
       she was reminded that she would be sleeping alone again tonight.
       For how long would this pest of a raven keep its watchful eye on
       her, she did not know. She did not like it. Her need to be with
       her love was so strong, she would give absolutely anything to
       have it happen. The sooner the better; though with this bird
       around it was likely to be a while from now. She did not think
       she would cope. It was torture from morning till night, even
       with his body laying about the house; it was no longer a
       comfort.
       A strong and chilly breeze brushed by the pair of them as
       Midnight climbed the steps to the front door. With the raven
       following close behind her, she seemed almost at ease. The
       question of whether or not she should allow it inside was a
       whole new story. Perhaps, the company of such a kind bird would
       change her point of view on certain things; perhaps it would
       not. She would find out one way or another, and as the raven
       crept close behind her when she unlocked the door, she made up
       her mind to let it in. At first, it seemed almost afraid of what
       was in their house, but once Midnight closed and locked the door
       behind her, the bird flew straight into the main room. Panic
       coursed through her veins as she realised her husband was laying
       there on the sofa, wrapped up in a blanket and pale as ever.
       Rushing through the hallway and into the main room, she spotted
       the raven perched happily on the arm of the sofa. It was gazing
       down at her husband with a curious look in its eyes. With one
       loud squawk, it jumped down and landed right on his chest.
       Shrieking like a banshee, Midnight raced over to shoo the raven
       away, but it bit her hand in response. Small drops of blood
       seeped through the wound and with an angry cry, she left the
       bird alone with her husband. Whilst in the kitchen and searching
       high and low for a bandage, she heard groaning. That is quite
       odd; no bird she knew ever made groaning noises like that
       before. As a matter of fact, she knew them not to groan at all.
       Midnight left her wound uncovered and ran back to see what was
       going on. The raven was prancing around the room as though it
       owned the place. That was no surprise really, after all it had
       done so far. But, the atmosphere within the room had changed
       dramatically. She had only been in here moments ago, and it now
       felt as though the devil had walked into her home uninvited.
       With a confused mind, she figured a bargain with the big red guy
       might be of positivity. After all, there was nothing left for
       her.
       The same groan as before echoed around the room. Midnight froze
       just behind the sofa, frightened by the idea that someone or
       something had gotten into her house. Though she reminded herself
       over and over that she had locked up, fear gripped her body.
       Another groan sounded, but this time a call for help followed.
       It was no time for her mind to be playing tricks on her. She
       turned on her heel and headed on upstairs, away from the
       eeriness of the main room. She could only hope the raven would
       find a comfortable place to stay for the night. Her worry over
       the bird pecking at her husband was no longer present. She was
       much too frightened. For the first time in months, she felt just
       how unstable she had become.
       Midnight slipped under the covers of their bed and lay on her
       back for hours, staring up at the ceiling. Her mind raced back
       and forth, replaying all that had happened in just one night.
       What could have possibly made all that noise; she did not know.
       It was certainly not the raven by any means. Her imagination was
       wild, but that was stretching it just a tad. Slowly but surely,
       her eyelids closed of their own free will. She dreamt horrible
       dreams that night, dreams she knew were likely after all she had
       been through. What had happened to her husband was the worst
       thing in the world, so anything else would be a walk in the park
       now. Tossing and turning and even jumping up screaming made her
       restless. Glancing at the clock as soon as she woke up, she took
       note of the dominant 3 that looked back at her. With tired eyes
       and a need for something to soothe her aching throat, she
       climbed down the stairs and into the kitchen. As she passed by
       the main room, the raven was sitting beside a person. The person
       gave Midnight a terrible fright, for they were leaning over with
       their legs crossed; the ends of their hair just about touching
       the carpet. It looked as though someone had kicked them in the
       stomach and they were doubled over in pain. Midnight thought for
       a while as she stood there, before daring to take a few steps
       toward them. As she did so, her heart bounced up into her
       throat. On the sofa, was nothing. No body of her husband, nor
       the raven, which was of course still seated quite happily beside
       this cold and shivering person. Could it be…no, it most
       certainly could not. The idea that passed through her mind was
       one of complete and utter insanity. In no way, shape or form
       could this person be that of her deceased husband, for he was
       exactly that; deceased.
       #Post#: 2821--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Quoth The Raven
   DIR By: Maggie Flannery
       Date: November 1, 2013, 1:42 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Oh my lord! Lisa-Marie you've hit me right in the feels! I adore
       this and you've outdone yourself my dear! Don't you dare
       apologize for anything dear, I've found the best stories come
       from those dark places we all have and I can feel this, this is
       really something. You made me cry! Oh lord, I think I need a
       moment. The gif sums me up at the moment and I have to thank you
       for sharing this, *hugs* I loved the outfit and the place as
       well, and that banner! I wish mine came out that nicely!
  HTML http://data3.whicdn.com/images/76991400/large.gif
       #Post#: 2825--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Quoth The Raven
   DIR By: Wolfy
       Date: November 3, 2013, 8:12 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I apologise for the enormous amount of emotion in this one! D: I
       have never written anything quite like that before, nor have I
       written anything like it since but with the way I've been
       feeling lately, another might be due sometime soon, heh. That is
       such an emotional gif! I'm so sorry for upsetting you like that,
       but am glad you enjoyed the story either way ~hugs~
       unfortunately, there is more to this story so I'll share the
       rest below. This next extract completes it, so there'll be no
       more misery after this. I also apologise for any errors you
       might find!
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       She stepped closer, afraid in case it was someone dangerous.
       Trying to find her voice was no good either. It had vanished
       right along with her bravery moments ago. Still, she kept on
       moving closer and closer, until she was standing directly in
       front of the stranger. She knelt down to their level and reached
       out her hand toward their shoulder. With shaking hands, she lay
       it in the desired location and barely had time to say anything
       at all. The stranger was certainly no stranger to her; but he
       had grabbed her hand in his and pinned her down on her back
       before she could even blink. A wave of multiple emotions crossed
       over her face and she did not know whether to laugh out of shock
       or cry out of happiness.
       All of these things mingled with one another and Midnight ran
       her hands up and down his arms, mumbling nonsense about him
       being okay. Despite her best efforts to speak normally, she
       couldn’t seem to form coherent sentences. All the while, he was
       gazing down at her with the same amount of love he always had,
       it just did not seem the same anymore. Of course, through his
       eyes she could tell her loved her deeply, but there was
       something else within them that would soon make itself known.
       For some reason, and it was something she could not deny, a
       glimmer of revenge flickered across his face. Midnight opened
       her mouth again to tell him she loved him, but he brought his
       hand up immediately and covered her lips. Confused, she squinted
       and frowned up at him, but he simply smiled down at her and
       removed his hand, replacing it with his lips. Surprised but
       absolutely delighted, Midnight wrapped her arms around his neck
       and kissed him back hungrily. It had been far too long since
       they last tasted each other; and it felt no different.
       Something about his kiss felt odd however. It seemed it was
       highly urgent, almost as though he would never be able to kiss
       her again. In her minds eye she could see all that he had been
       through since his death; it all seemed quite lovely. Though,
       through it all she saw the pain behind it and how badly he had
       wanted to be with her again. It brought fresh tears to her eyes
       and as he kissed all over her face, he tasted the saltiness on
       his now moistened lips.
       Pulling away with force, as he did not wish to, he looked down
       on his lovely wife and caressed her face gently with his thumb.
       He cupped her cheek within the palm of his hand and watched with
       happiness as she leaned eagerly into it. Her own hands came up
       and held his in place, refusing to let him move it. For so many
       years, he could only ever imagine why she adored that gesture so
       much. Either way, it did not bother him to any extent at all. In
       fact, he rather loved it himself. He allowed her to hold his
       hand in place a while longer, before regretfully moving it away.
       The pain across her face as he did so haunted him. He sighed in
       defeat. Standing up and staggering a little, he made his way
       over to the window. Midnight stared after him, attempting to
       calm herself before getting up and following.
       “How long has it been?” he whispered.
       His attention was focused severely on all that moved outside.
       For some reason, he seemed to know that something out there was
       not friendly. He knew, the man who had killed him, was no man at
       all. Midnight approached him and stopped right behind him. She
       wrapped her small arms around his waist and felt how much had
       needed to eat. Though, now was probably not the best time in the
       world. She rested her head against his back and allowed her
       hands to travel over his body; but their trip was cut short once
       she noticed a beating heart was not part of his chest. There was
       no beating there at all.
       “Six months… Draven, why has your heart stopped?” she said,
       backing away from him.
       Draven turned only his head to look at his darling. His eyes
       told her everything she needed to know, but it was still too
       much to take on board. He was back; but he was not really back.
       Her head began to ache as she realised he would soon be leaving
       her again. With that thought in mind, she retraced her steps and
       gave him just enough time to turn fully so he could catch her.
       Midnight jumped forcefully into his arms, wrapping her legs
       firmly around his waist and planting kisses all over his face.
       She knew that if they did not have long together, she was going
       to make it worth their while. Draven seemed to approve. With his
       beloved still in his arms, he carried her as she had landed up
       the stairs and into their bedroom. He would make it a night to
       remember, for he knew just as well that he would not be hanging
       around.
       Thousands of I love you’s floated around the room as the pair
       made love. Nothing held them back on this night and they made
       sure it would never be forgotten. Draven dropped Midnight onto
       the bed and crawled slowly over her like a snake. His face still
       seemed a little lost, but his eyes remained as they always had;
       full of nothing but love for the woman who lay beneath him.
       Midnight stared up at him and with shakey hands, she reached for
       the waistband of his black pants. It was all very familiar of
       course, but given the emotions running through her body right
       now, her unease was expected.
       With his pants now flung across the room and his shirt
       unbuttoned, Draven stripped his love of the little clothing she
       had been wearing until she lay bare below him. His eyes
       marvelled at the sight of her, as they always had. Midnight
       blushed deeply and reached up to grab his hair in her hands. She
       pulled him down to her level after leaning up a little and
       kissed him passionately. Her kiss was needy, and he gave her
       everything she was begging him for. Small whimpers escaped her
       mouth when he pulled away and tormented her neck instead. She
       wanted his mouth on hers terribly, but knew he was better off
       having his way with her this night. Draven continued to tease
       her neck with his tongue and teeth, then made his way down her
       chest toward her stomach. Midnight froze for a moment as
       butterflies swam around inside her. It was always the same. He
       knew exactly how and where to touch her. Remembering such
       moments made her forget all of her worries, and she pulled him
       up again to give him another kiss. He kissed back with just as
       much urgency, allowing Midnight to remove the unbuttoned shirt
       from his torso. He watched her with a grin as she pulled off his
       boxers, her eyes bulging still at the sight of him. Though, she
       knew very well of his size. The shock on her face always made
       him laugh. Sensing his amusement, she parted her legs further
       and wrapped one of them around his waist. She did something in
       that moment that he never thought she would be brave enough to
       do; she grabbed his ass with both hands and pulled him right
       down against her. He’d guided himself just in time to fill her
       with his entire length, and her moans of pleasure caused him to
       pump in and out of her fiercely. She did not mind, knowing it
       would probably be their last time.
       “You have no idea how much I love you” he cooed, slowing his
       rhythm.
       “If that is true, you have no idea how much I love you either”
       she said, running her hands over his back.
       At his slow pace, she felt tormented. Draven smiled sweetly down
       at her, knowing just what he was doing. It took Midnight only
       seconds to realise he was playing with her. She smiled just as
       sweetly back at him and began to lift her hips to meet his each
       time he thrust inside of her. His delightful sounds of bliss
       pleased her greatly. She smiled wider, her eyes closing of their
       own free will.
       The pair were still entwined in the early hours of the morning;
       both incredibly exhausted from all the movement and changes of
       pace and positions. Midnight giggled for no real reason at all
       as she snuggled close into her husbands chest. Her arms clung to
       him so tightly, she thought he might be unable to breathe, but
       then she recalled his heart was not beating anyway. Another wave
       of sadness creeped over her, and he noticed. Draven pulled her
       tight against him and kissed her forehead gently.
       “When do you have to leave” she asked, gazing up at him.
       Draven sighed at her morbid question, but answered honestly.
       “Baby, I really don’t know. I don’t even know what I’m doing
       back in the first place. Maybe I have unfinished business.”
       With that being said, an idea sparked in Midnights mind. She sat
       up in bed beside him with a look of pure wonder on her face.
       Dravens eyes followed her as she stood from the bed and walked
       over to the window. It was already beginning to brighten
       outside, and as Midnight stood before the sunrise, his eyes
       twinkled. She looked absolutely beautiful to him; he did not
       believe he would manage leaving her again. He would of course do
       all within his power to prevent their parting. When she turned
       back to face him, he noticed something he had not the day
       before. Perhaps he had been too busy pleasing her to spot such a
       ghastly slice on her stomach. Midnight hurriedly walked toward
       the bedroom door with the intention of showering as an excuse to
       hide her cut up body. Just as she reached the door, it slammed
       shut in front of her. Draven was no longer in the bed, and the
       curtains had been closed, darkening the room. She could not see
       a single thing. Her breath caught in her throat as she tried to
       feel her way back to the bed. Using the walls as guidance, she
       made sure not to trip over anything and called out her husbands
       name quietly. If he was playing around it was certainly not
       funny. He knew just how clumsy she could be.
       “What have you been doing to yourself?” his voice whispered,
       pushing her right up against the wall.
       With her left cheek pressed up against the wallpaper, she
       shivered. Such a position would normally turn her on to no end,
       but she was more worried about him finding out she’d been
       harming herself.
       “Nothing.. I haven’t been doing anything. That was an
       accident..” she lied.
       “Of course it was” he said, speaking directly into her right
       ear.
       Further shivers gathered and her skin went up in flames. His
       touch sent her into overdrive; her legs weakened below her and
       she felt herself falling. Draven pressed his body closer into
       hers to keep her steady as he parted her legs ever so slightly.
       Midnight cried out in pleasure when he slipped into her from
       behind, giving him the ability to thrust as deeply as he wanted
       to. Her hands clung to the wall as much as possible as he pumped
       in and out of her, taking care not to harm her stomach in any
       way. After what felt like hours, he turned her around without
       even pulling out of her. His excuse was that she felt nice and
       snug.
       The sickly comment made her blush a thousands shades of red, but
       still she would not complain. Each stroke felt like heaven; to
       them both. He knew more than her what heaven really felt like,
       but this could be nothing short of a single sparkle in the
       clouds above. He slowed eventually, pulling out again and
       keeping her against the wall so she did not collapse on him.
       Smiling down at her, he watched as she slumped against him, her
       body shaking with happiness.
       “So” he said, picking her up bridal style and carrying her back
       to bed, “What did you do?.”
       “I did what I had to do” she murmered, burying her face in the
       pillows and curling up into a little ball beside him. She
       snuggled closer when she found that she was not close enough.
       She kept this up until she was pretty much laying on him
       entirely, her head resting on his chest.
       The lack of thumping beneath her left ear bothered her, but she
       relaxed knowing he was unable to leave with her so attached to
       him. Perhaps the Gods would be kind enough to let her have him
       back. If only they worked in such a way.
       “Baby, you hurt yourself for nothing” he said, brushing his
       fingers through her oaken hair.
       “I couldn’t take the pain” she mumbled, audibly, allowing sleep
       to take over.
       Though he had known very well just how much she truly loved him;
       this was the full extent of what his death had done to her. She
       was harming herself every single day; God knows what would
       happen if he had to leave her again, all alone. He could not and
       would not allow it to happen. If this is the result of him not
       being with her, he would do anything to take it all back. He
       could not leave again and watch with sorrow whilst his beloved
       tore herself to pieces day by day.
       Draven held her tightly in his embrace for hours. He held her
       until the sun left the sky once more. Realising he would have to
       get up and get moving soon, he gently shifted his sleeping love
       onto the other side of the bed. Marvelling at how peaceful she
       looked; he smiled to himself.
       “Where are you going?” she mumbled, barely opening her eyes.
       “Just for a walk, around the house” he said, stroking her cheek
       and waiting as she closed her eyes again.
       Once he was sure she had fallen asleep again, he removed his
       hand, smiled one last time and walked out of the room. A pang of
       guilt ran through his bloodless veins knowing he had lied to
       her. He was going for a walk; but he was going into the Forest.
       It would take him most of the night to find the man who had
       killed him, but he was no mere mortal anymore. His strength had
       more than tripled and there was no chance of being murdered
       again. For months, he had been watching Midnight pacing
       throughout this Forest in search of her husbands killer. It was
       time to put an end to it; it was time to take his revenge.
       Draven spotted red eyes as he walked cautiously through the
       Forest. He had no weapon in either hand and planned instead on
       using his fists if he had to. The eyes were watching him with
       wonder. It looked a lot like disbelief to him. He too was
       suffering from disbelief as to why he had returned. Never in a
       million years would he have thought it possible to come back.
       Walking deeper into the dark Forest, closer and close to the
       eyes that remained on him, he wondered how he would go about
       this. For, it was most likely impossible to harm whoever was
       watching him. Their red eyes made it so. No one had red eyes,
       unless they wore contacts. This seemed to spark his interest
       even more. He sped through the leaves and the tall bush as quick
       as his feet would carry him. He stopped and frowned when he
       reached the other side. He had only come back to where he had
       first started. But there was something else to worry about;
       Midnight was making her way down toward him. Along the dirty
       path leading to the Forest, she walked quickly. Her face was
       screwed up in anger and she held a knife in her right hand.
       Draven knew he should have told her the truth; now he had them
       both in danger.
       “Midnight, what are you doing out here?” he yelled, rushing over
       to her.
       Before she could open her mouth to respond, the red eyed man
       swooped down from somewhere above, shielded her for a split
       second, and was gone before Draven could blink. He had not
       stopped running toward her when the man had flown down. Dropping
       to his knees in front of Midnight, he spotted the slice on her
       stomach and noticed it was bleeding through her clothes. In her
       eyes, he saw severe pain. But he also saw a great amount of
       love.
       Midnight collapsed to her knees, holding her stomach in agony.
       Though she had wanted to end her life for some months now, she
       had not thought about it once since having her beloved back. Now
       however, she realised they could finally be together, for she
       knew she was not going to survive the depth of this wound. It
       stung like nothing she had ever felt before, and a cool breeze
       made the gaping hole even worse. Draven dropped to his knees as
       well. He crawled over to her and held her in his arms for some
       time. She was growing weaker by the minute and he could see it.
       Though he had no heart in his chest, his eyes began to water in
       abundance. They spilled over Midnight like a fountain, adding a
       glisten to her pale cheeks.
       “I love you” she whispered.
       “I love you too, baby” he said, finding this all too familiar to
       his own death.
       Midnight did not even recall such a moment. It seemed she had
       chosen to shut out that horrible night the second he had come
       back to her. Now, through the pain in his eyes, she could
       remember bits of it. Her own eyes began to water with the
       realisation of it all, but she did not allow herself to cry out
       loud. Tears slipped down her cheeks and onto his chest as he
       held her tightly against him. Midnight tried in vain to wrap her
       arms around him; finding them to be too numb to move. This alone
       made her scream, though quietly. Draven expected it, and with
       all he had in him, he kissed her with all the forces of the
       universe. He too felt the life creeping away from his body.
       Smiling, he pulled away from her and reassured her they would be
       together very, very soon. Midnight smiled up at him as best she
       could, clinging to the hand he had lay out for her to hold. They
       lay together on the Forest grass with poppies surrounding them.
       In no more than half an hour, both passed, at the same time. The
       breath in each of them escaped one last time, after one more ‘I
       love you’, and they were lost to heaven for all eternity.
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