A House of Night Story
The Raven Mocker
Each cry of torment whistled around me like a steaming volcano; ready to explode at a climax. But, the climax never came. It rose higher and higher in a never ending increase that would never reach it's peak; never stop; there were too many souls. There were too many souls and too many voices painfully demanding to be heard. I was surrounded by darkness; a senseless mind-numbing darkness. This was the place I had chosen to stay. I curled my head down and surrounded myself in my feathers to keep myself hidden; to try and hide from the screams. But, they violated my space, they cursed in my ear and they howled my name; Luna.
This was where I had chosen to hide, no, not to hide but to stay. Here was familiar and safe, no matter how mind numbing, and out there; out there with my father was strange and unnatural. There would be no wise spirit of the Earth like there used to be but now there were homes that touched the sky and that the whole world was made of concrete. Here I could still taste the summer's breeze on my tongue and hear the crunching snow of the winter. I could see the vibrant reds of autumn and hear the wind roll over the vast green hills that stretched as far as the eye could see. Only hear in darkness could I still hold onto that piece of memory. Out there I would be robbed of it; out there I had to face reality.
"Coward," a voice snapped in my ear. It was low and almost a hiss of a snake and I could tell it came from snarled lips below eyes full of hatred.
"Hello Fargon," I said hiding my head still within my comfort; my eyes shut tight. Fargon was one of my many brothers', one who still wander here with me in spirit form within the darkness.
"Luna;" the voice snarled. "Join us with our father and do what we were created to do." I tried to block him out; refusing to answer him. "You hide away in here like a cat in the thunder storm; get out there with us when we are called upon." I slowly raised my head and faced the spirit that was my brother.
"Fargon; you are only a few years older than me; but you are much more hateful than any brother we have." I said slowly. He scowled and turned his head away from me. Fargon looked like a typical Raven Mocker; his large raven head and wings towered over me and his human like eyes of sapphire blue held that hatred which burnt within them. His bare body was pale and the ripped shorts clung to his waist loosely. I shook my head.
"Let me be," I said softly closing my eyes.
"So be it," he screeched through his massive, razor sharp beak, "it is time!" He screamed out in battle and raged up towards the top of the black darkness followed by a screaming hoard of brothers. They almost drowned out the souls that resided hear in eternal torment.
I waited for the screaming to stop and I curled up into a tight a ball as I could and I slept; waiting for the day I knew I could leave the darkness.