The Unkindness of Ravens

by Russell Ruffino

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I awake from an uneasy sleep, my clock informs me that it’s 3am. Walking to the window I open the curtains just enough to peek through. They’re still there, one makes eye contact with me and I let the curtain fall back into place.

It’s been a week since they started following me, 4 days since I realised that’s what they were doing. At first I thought that there were suddenly a lot more ravens about, but it’s always the same seven.

I walk to my chest of drawers and feel under my t-shirts for the reassuring cold metal of my pistol. Rushing outside I point my pistol at the largest of them, it doesn’t move. I start clapping my hands hoping to scare them off.

They don’t care about the loud noises, the largest flies closer towards me, perching on a fencepost. Shouting at it as I take aim. I squeeze the trigger and feel the recoil, the bird remains unharmed.

The ravens all fly to a spot on the ground nearby, I look over the fence and see them sitting on a body, the body of the man I had just shot.

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Comments

Average Reader Rating: 5.0 stars out of 5

  1. The Unkindness of Ravens

    Capital "W" Writer (LoA's Geekus Awesomeus)'s Buddy Icon Capital "W" Writer (LoA's Geekus Awesomeus)

    Posted 5 months ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Very nice! Now, the question is: was the man he just shot an accident, or were the ravens trying to tell him that this was coming? I’m thinking it’s the latter.

  2. The Unkindness of Ravens

    Trying to Blend's Buddy Icon Trying to Blend

    Posted 5 months ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Ooh…nice…sharp ending!

  3. The Unkindness of Ravens

    Stovohobo's Buddy Icon Stovohobo

    Posted 5 months ago

    Hmm…very intriguing. Obviously, it’s very hard to read a piece of literature about Ravens without thinking of Poe, but this was a great deviation from that mindset. Very nice surprise ending, too. Are the ravens psychologically affecting him? May the answer come…if I sequel. =)

  4. The Unkindness of Ravens

    Capital "W" Writer (LoA's Geekus Awesomeus)'s Buddy Icon Capital "W" Writer (LoA's Geekus Awesomeus)

    Posted 5 months ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    I hope my sequel did your story justice.

  5. The Unkindness of Ravens

    OrangeOreos' Buddy Icon OrangeOreos

    Posted 5 months ago

    Wow…

    Not much to say but that!

    LoA

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