Disclaimer: Nothing aside from the story idea is mine.

Warnings: Suicide, Character death, foul language

This silly little thing contains the lyrics from and is heavily based upon/inspired by the nursery rhyme and pixelated indie horror game "The Crooked Man."

There was a crooked man

And he walked a crooked mile

He found a crooked sixpence

Upon a crooked stile

He always dreaded coming back from battle. Seeing just how many never returned and never would again. Even for the soldiers that did make it back, the only thing they were left with was the bittersweet reality of a semi-victory. It often made him question everything he stood for and whether or not it was worth it in the end.

But it wasn't all bad. In fact his own reason to continue enduring this hell was in the form of another person: Eren.

He bought a crooked cat

Which caught a crooked mouse

And they all lived together

In a little crooked house

Life certainly was not perfect, in any shape or form. Eren, however, made their shitty situation much easier to continue living through. He could pretend like a gruesome death was not an imminent threat every waking hour. During the few serene moments they had together, it was so easy to forget about the rest of the world. They found their peace in each other's arms; the only place he ever wanted to be again.

But the crooked man was sad

And once he had a thought

Why should he be crooked

When others; they were not

It's such a complete waste of time to complain and despair about your situation, because at least you're alive, right? No matter how many times he told himself this, he could never stop his overflowing despair. Of course nothing is fair; it never is, but why should he have to fight? He was so tired of being "Humanity's" anything. Why can't he just live like everyone else, have a family like them. All of the citizens in the city, when did their lives become important to him? Why shouldn't they have to fight for their right to live as well as him? What did he do to deserve this?

Everything was worthless

He heaved a great sigh

And went and found a rope

And tied it to the sky

Eren. The only good thing in this entire fucked up world. In another life I know we would be together, we were always meant to be. I'm sorry I couldn't be strong enough for you.

Upon a chair he stood

His eyes blank and dead

Without another thought

He went and hung his head

It was never meant to be this way. He had lost so many people he cared for. Family, friends and now even his love was gone from him. How was he supposed to live, when even Levi could not? The only answer came from the desperate cries of the city, and the families that had already lost so much too. He would continue to fight; else everything he worked for would all be for naught.

Now the story's not yet over

For this tale is myth-ed and old

Go hide under the cover

There's something not yet told

Finally, I'm free. Truly and honestly free. No more wasted efforts, bloodshed and countless bodies. I can be without a care, go wherever I want. Yet, I cannot go without the one I want. Eren, my poor Eren. I can't just leave you in that wretched place to die at the hands of those monsters. It seems I have to save you one last time.

There once was a crooked man

Who had a crooked smile

And if you lived his crooked life

He'll send you through a trial

"You don't deserve this shitty life Eren. You deserve the whole world. Those pieces of shit are just using you to save themselves. What do you think they'll do once the titans are finally all gone? That's right, you'll be the last one left, a danger to them all that they can't afford. They'll kill you, Eren, with as much mercy as they give other titans. Even if they were grateful to you and scared enough to want to keep you as protection just in case, they would keep you imprisoned forever. You would never get to see the ocean, Eren. Either way you'll never be truly free, not here. Come with me, Eren. I'm the only one who actually cares for you. I need you."

He lives for your torment

Makes it full of strife

And he won't be content

Until you take your life

End

I came up with the idea to write something like this after falling in love with the nursery rhyme after watching several play-through's of "The Crooked Man." I really love subtly creepy things like this and imagined so many different directions the game could have been taken. With so many different ideas running around I just had to write at least a little something. I hope the pov changes weren't too confusing and at least some-what indicative of who it was that was thinking/talking. I thought Levi would be perfect for this, considering he lives a very crooked life. I know the rhyme has a rumored actual meaning, but I interpreted it a little differently. I hope you enjoyed.