The moon danced across the ripples in the running stream as a rustling emerged from the nearby forest. The sounds of the raven’s cry filled the otherwise peaceful night as he landed on an outstretched branch reaching across the stream. Suddenly, Raven emerged from the shadows of the night, bent down, and placed his hand in the stream.
“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary…”
A wiry smile slid across his painted face.
“It’s pretty obvious that this is not my scene. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever spent a night in such a serene setting as this.”
In a swift motion, Raven slid to the ground, seated Indian-style by the bank of the stream.
“I enjoyed the nightlife. Darkness came to life with the hustle and bustle of hectic, urban adventures. However, she’d often attempt to broaden my horizons from time to time, making me venture into places that would be uncomfortable.”
The raven’s wings fluttered as he flew from the tree branch to the leather-clad man’s shoulder.
“She could always read my discomfort, especially when it was painfully obvious I didn’t belong.”
In a quick motion, Raven’s hand splashed down into the stream, causing the black bird to flee from his shoulder. After a few moments of thrashing, Raven pulled a large fish from the water. The fish thrashed in his hand, clearly struggling in its new environment.
“I guess you could say I was a fish out of water.”
Raven placed the helpless fish on the ground beside him, watching as its gills moved in and out, struggling for life.
“It’s amazing what happens when you take something out of its natural environment. Anxiety creeps in. The threat of vulnerability begins to infiltrate your mind, taking over any rational thought you might have. Thoughts of mortality grow.”
The fish continued to struggle, shaking violently upon the ground.
“We know what that feels like, don’t we Clay? The hands of the gods wrapping their hands around our throats, squeezing tighter and tighter, grasping for air, pleading for mercy.”
The raven landed beside the fish, staring into its black, bulging eyes.
“Fear settles in, Clay, fear of what comes next. I know what follows, I’ve seen what exists on that other side. You were shown mercy, you were given a reprieve.”
Raven grabbed the fish by its tail and lowered it close to the water as if taunting it with life.
“Some of us don’t get a reprieve, Clay. Some of us are made to suffer. We’re made to watch as hope is dangled within our sight, so close we can touch it, only to watch it pulled away in the fleeting moments of our existence.”
At the last moment, the fish is again slung to the ground and the life drained from its body.
“Clay, you don’t belong in this world. You’re the fish out of water. There is no mercy awaiting you at the end of this journey, no reprieve. In fact, you’re already dead, you just don’t know it. When our eyes lock in that last moment, you’ll know what awaits you…darkness. Quote the Raven, nevermore.”