The Raven
Original poem by Edgar Allan Poe
Re-written by Noelle (Doku-sama)
For some time now, I had been sitting in my arm chair, within the walls of my secluded house, reading a book that had been passed down for generations through my family. Every so often, a slow, subtle tear would travel from my eye, to the pages of the green hardcover novel, blurring the ancient script. At some points, I would sit and stare at a single word, sentence, paragraph, or page. The reason? Eleanor. I missed her dearly. I missed her frail figure gracing the halls and corridors of my estate, her dress sweeping against the carpet making a gentle swish as she took a step.
The small tick of the hands of the grandfather clock in the corner was in time with my heartbeat. Every second my metronome heart grieved for my dearest Eleanor.
"Why did she go…?" I would whisper in the dark silence. I fell into a trance.
Moments later I heard a knock at my door, and jumped.
"It is only the wind….I'm absolutely sure of it…" my body, weak from insomnia refused to move, and my mind complied and created an excuse.
The rapping returned, but slightly louder and quicker than before.
In my frustration, I got up, and walked quickly toward my entry way.
"You must excuse me" I spoke " I had been half asleep when you came tapping at my door at…" I glanced at the grandfather clock. "One thirty Am…?"
I paused for a moment before grasping the doorknob and revealing…nothing.
In slight shock, I stood, eyes wide, scanning the empty corridor, only to find a deep blackness. The void was only broken by the moon's glow through the windows lining the hall.
I closed my door, believing I was just hearing things
"I must be tired…" I said to myself "I've been up since…" My voice trailed off as another series of bang rang through my room. This time, louder than both before. Heart feeling as though it would jump from my panic-stricken form, I attempted to calm myself.
"It's only the wind…nothing more.." I repeated to myself. "It's only the wind…nothing more…It's only the wind, nothing more…" another loud bang sounded. My ghost was about to spring from my body, when I flicked up the clasp that held the window closed.
A soaring black shadow fluttered around my chamber, without showing any hit of respect, and perched its self on the bust above my door.
Although my heart skipped a beat, a small sense of peace came to my shaken mind.
"It's only a raven….what a relief…" I closed my eyes, while sitting down in my comfortable armchair.
"Nevermore." My eyes snapped open and my head twisted toward the raven.
"What…?" I laughed. "I must be tired, I thought I just heard that raven say—"
"Nevermore." The raven cooed from atop the threshold.
"Who…what are you…?"
The raven sat and looked at me, occasionally quirking its head to view the room.. It seemed as though an hour had passed before the black omen spoke.
"Nevermore."
I snapped, grasping a small lamp in my quivering fist, I flung it at the foul.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT?! You are of hell!" I screeched.
Nothing. Silence, and nothing. The raven, nor I said word, or moved…just…nothing…
"He's been twitching, and muttering something under his breath for over an hour…should we call the doctor?" a voice inquired.
"I'll go get him." Another replied.
I tried to move, but couldn't. Finally I realized after five minutes of struggling, that I was in a straight jacket, with my eyes covered, and mouth forced shut!
"Alright, get the 'treatment' ready…" A male voice spoke.
"what…?" my voice cracked as I spoke in a muffled voice "w-where am I?" I slowly picked my head up, attempting to scan the room with my working senses. I could feel a soft wall against my back, smell a latex-like odor in the air, and hear the loud clicks or fancy shoes against linoleum before long I put two and to together..
"I'm…in an insane asylum?!" I screamed through the cotton-metal bands. Once again, I struggles and flailed mercilessly to attempt to escape my entwinement.
I began to push forcefully against the smooth tight and strong cotton to try to get out of my predicament, still blinded by the band across my eyes. Suddenly I felt a cold sharp object push into my arm as two people held me down to the cushioned floor.
"Keep him steady!" one shouted on my right. Their grip tightened as I felt something being forced into my body from the sharp spike in my arm.
"Hey, why is he in here again?" a husky voice asked from my left.
"Something about a raven driving him crazy"
'I'm not crazy!' I thought body weakening from the fluid traveling my bloodstream.
"The raven! I tried to scream "the raven is evil!" I repeated my last few lines until everything fell silent; I was engulfed by nothingness, never to wake from my eternal slumber.