Chapter 2: The Raven Man October 19th 2019
Matthew was driving for days, trying to beat the predicted storm ahead.
I sat in the reversed car, passenger side on the left and driver to the right. I wasn't sure how to lighten his mood. All he could think about was the storm, Beat the storm. Stay out of the rain. Don't drive through the mud. Keep Mr. Willington's car clean.
I turned the radio on and instantly shut it off. The weather's report was on, adding more stress to Matthew's fear of arriving late to his parents.
I had no other choice but to sing.
The radio was hard to get a signal on and the weather report was not an option.
I sang love songs, oldies, hummed classical pieces and attempted opera.
As soon as I announced my attempt to perform hip hop, Matthew pulled over off the road and parked.
Next to us was an enormous forest.
"What happened?" I asked, not sure why he pulled over so suddenly.
"I need a breather. I also have to check the food in the back too. I hope the meat from the inn we stayed at is still good to eat." He rubbed his face.
I hopped out of the car and looked at the large forest. There was a soft breeze that was blowing towards the trees.
I looked at my watch. The hands were reversing and switching like mad. All I could hear was the ticking.
I looked back to Matthew. He hadn't looked up from the trunk of the car yet.
"Caaawww!" The sound of a bird drew my attention back to the forest trees.
A Raven.
Ravens were a weird omen for me. There was one at my Mother's funeral. One when Matthew proposed to me. Another when we had arrived at the last inn we stayed at. One right now.
It swooped down, talons open, and snatched my scarf from my neck.
"Hey! Give it back!" I shouted at the Raven as it flew into the forest.
Matthew looked up at me. "What's wrong?"
I was flustered. "That bird stole my scarf!"
"Come here, I'll grab you a sweater." He looked back down.
"No! I can't let him get away with it! That was my Mother's scarf!" I ran into the forest after the Raven.
"OLIVIA! COME BACK HERE! THE STORM!" Matthew yelled to me, but I was already too far away to make out anything else he shouted.
I ran blindly through the forest, my only goal was to retrieve my mother last gift I had to remember get by.
After what felt like an hour of searching, I heard thunder. Following that was a downpour of rain. I was lost.
There was a weird energy in the spot I stood on. The kind that brought back memories of my sixth sense.
I stood there locked in place, wearing a sundress, no coat or jacket to keep me warm.
The smell of lavender and honey filled my head, intoxicating my mind.
There was music within the air as well. An eerie melody playing, slow and haunting. The music pulsed through my veins, filling my soul with its sad notes.
There was a lightning strike about eight feet away from me, hitting a log.
The log did not catch fire, but an arrow was burnt into the bark, pointing to the left.
As if in a trance, I follow the arrow down a darker part of the forest.
Two minutes after following the path, I see the Raven. He's holding my scarf in his beak and swoops down to my height. It drops the scarf onto my head.
I watch it fly back to the branch it had jumped from.
I dropped to my knees and burst into tears.
Why did the Raven return my mother's scarf to me? What had I done to earn it back?
A hand grabbed my shoulder and a voice shouted in my ear, "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? WERE YOU MAD! YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN HURT!" Matthew yells at me.
I cried out, frightened by his tone.
"I'm sorry... It gave my mother's scarf back."
"I'm glad it's back in your possession, but look at you! Soaked to the bone no doubt and likely to catch a cold if you don't get back inside! And on top of that we are lost in a forest that's downpouring!"
I was ashamed for dragging Matthew into my mistake.
The Raven was still watching us.
"Follow me. I think we should find some shelter." Matthew helped me up.
We walked in the muddy forest for forty minutes. My watch stopped on 12:00 pm when I was facing left and went berserk when I turned right.
I saw a rusted iron gate to the left. The gates initials were E.D.
The path to the right revealed a fallen tree and tons of mud.
Matthew walked up to the iron gate and pushed it open. It creaked loudly as it parted.
We walked down the path for a while until a plaque appeared.
"EverDark Manor".
A Raven was on the emblem.
"I see a building! Perhaps there's somebody there that can help!" Matthew walked faster.
I felt lightheaded from the overall encounter I had with the Raven. It was somehow teasing me, luring me to this building.
The greenery had overgrown to the point where it made an umbrella of foliage over us.
The building was tall and the sun was not visible, giving the place a Gothic look.
There was no doorbell on the wall.
"Great! No doorbell! We'll be knocking for hours!" Matthews brown eyes rolled. He brushed his wet, curly ginger red hair away from his eyes.
I looked around well. I came across a large pull string Rope that hung above and behind Matthews left shoulder.
"Let's sew I they'll answer to this!" I pulled the rope. Bells that played the eerie song I heard in my head began to ring.
The Raven cawed from behind me. I looked over my shoulder and saw a man in its place. It was a young man with a black Gothic mourning suit, a Raven feather was pinned to his breast pocket. Pale moonlight white skin made him look like death. Ebony black hair that looked like feathers layered his head and coal black eyes that matched his soul. The energy he gave off was a toxic, draining and depressed feeling.
I looked away briefly, trying to gain my bearings. When I looked back he was gone.
The door opened and an old man and midaged woman peek out the crack.
"Can we help you?" The man asked.
"Yes, our car ran out of gas and we got lost in the forest. We couldn't beat the storm. May we use a phone and receive some shelter until the weather clears up?" Matthew says.
I look at him sideways. Out of gas? No wonder we stopped.
"You can't be here when-" the woman begins but is cut off.
"Ellian, Phinnian? Who is that at the door?" Another voice cuts in.
"Guests, Master." She responds.
"Don't let them stay out in the cold! The woman is soaked sick and the man needs to eat something warm. Bring them to the sitting room and prepare some tea."
The man and woman open the door fully and allowed us to enter.
We walk in when suddenly the smell of lavender and honey fill my head again. The inside was dark and goth indeed.
A grand staircase stretched out before us, taking us to a lower level.
The scent of lavender and honey grew stronger till I couldn't ignore it any longer.
"Do you smell that, Matthew?" I whispered.
"What?"
"Lavender, maybe some honey?"
"No. But I do smell a roast and cinnamon bread."
The older man, Phinnian, was dressed like a Butler.
Ellian was dressed in a maid uniform.
Not like 2019 maids and butlers, but Victorian era working uniforms.
We entered a room with several seats and a roaring fireplace. Books were displayed on shelves and there was a chess board.
There was a crack of lightning and the window was filled with blinding white light. In the seat at the far end of the room appeared the Raven man.
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