The Crow:

Retribution

Part One: The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time

Raindrops softly fell upon the cold streets of Los Angeles as the midnight showing let out of the theater. The occupants quickly filled into teh street, some with umbrella's, some in raincoats, and yet others only hurridly ran in pursuit of their car.

Two of the theater's former occupants however chose to walk among the moon lit streets with no umbrella or raincoats, in pursuit of tHe gas station down the road on foot. The two figures, one male and the other female had been together for several years. At tewenty seven, the two were married just two weeks previous.

As thehy walked the empting street the male figure, Alex, placed his jacket on the other newlywed who tried to protest.

"Alex," the woman named Gail said. "I'm fine...It's not that cold out, and either way I'm going to be wet."

"You won't be as wet though beautiful." he leaned in and kissed his bride gently on the lips. "And I assure you, you will be cold by the time we get home."

Gail felt bad taking the coat and leaving ALex in his black t-shirt in the rain. Trying to remove the coat, she was stopped by her husband who placed his arm around her.

"Babe, I'm fine."

Gail smiled staring up at his brown eyes with her green and placing her arm around his waist. "I love you Alex. I don't think that I tell you enough, but I do."

"As do I you babe. As do I..."

By now the two companions had traveld almlost two blocks of teh total five to the store. From there their apartment building was only another two blocks. Although it was rainy, the two were acustimed to walking home in the rain as they preferd to not drive. The more time spent on the walk, the more time they spent with eachother. They had both felt that way for the twn years they had been togetehr.

"I love you." Alex whisperd pulling her closer under his arm as they at last reached the gas station.

"I love you too." Gail replied and their lips brefily met once again. By the time they were within the store it was nearly one in the morning and both Alex with his long dark hair and Gail with her long blonde hair were soaked to the core.

As they entered the store the clerk nodded his head in recognition. Both Gail and Alex had met the clerk previously, Alex having knwon him through school and Gail through a mutual friend. As they enterd the store, Alex released his arm from around his wife and instead the two held hands. True to Alex's word, even with the coat Gail was by now freezing. The two went to the small dairy section and Gail started to shiver.

Alex grabbed a half gallon jug of chocolate milk and pulled away from the freezer. "Is that all we need?" he asked gently. Gail nodded and the two proceeded to the checkout counter.

Upon reaching the counter, two other men enterd the store, both of which wore leather jackets. Alex handed the clerk a handful of change and then told both he an dGail that he would be back. He turned from the counter and grabbed a cheap card from the small selection of birthday cards they carried. As he turned back toward the counter he heard one of the newer men bark an order at the cashier.

"Give me all the money you have in your register. Now!" Alex peered around the corner to see that Gail was also pinned up against the counter by the second man, a man with dark hair missing two teeth.

"You too little lady. Give me what money you have and we may let you live."

"I-I don't have any..." Gailprotested in truth.

"Well then, I guess you'll need to make payment in another way." The man pulled a knife from his jacket in addition to the gun the first man held on th eclerk and reached a hand out for Gail's arm. Gail let out a scream and dropped the chocolate milk, pouring it all over the floor. In an instant Alex was behind the man with the intent of disarming him.

"Leave her the hell alone!" he said knocking the man aside and reaching to grab the knife. The man brought his knife down once to meet resistance from Alex's right arm, trying a second time he overpowerd Alex enough to slash at hi sshoulder. The knife cut deep into the skin and Alex barely held in a scream og agony.

The only thought Alex could think of was that he had to save Gail. He threw himself forward ontop of his advisary and heard a gunshot go off on his left. The following events happened so quickly he almosyt wasn't sure in whioch order tehy took place. Gail screamed as the clerk slumped over backwards, most likely dead, and she began to sob. A second shot went off and Alex felt a sharp pain in his stomach followed by a burning sensation where the second bullet had made contact with him.

Alex's vision blurred as he fell to his knees and fought to maintain conciousness, he saw the glinty of metal and saw that Gail had tried to defend him. From his knees he reached for his assailant who had now pulled the knife on his wife but he had neither the speed or strength left in him. Gail let out a second scream and then her scream was replaced by the unmistakable sound of a fluid being gurgled.

This time is was Alex's turn to scream as Gail fell forward with her throat slit. He took the last bit of strength left in him and tried to get to his feet and overtake the assailants. Undoubtedly, he failed. Falling back to the ground, the last thing he rememberd was the warmth of an already soaked knife making its way through his neck. Alex reached out with his right hand for that of his companion, using all of his strength to crawl to her. He placed his hand on hers and then blackness.

Bright lights. Alex awoke with the light shining in his face in the middle of a clearing. He could see that he was in the woods in a high place. There was a rope bridge before him. He could see another person standing at the other side of the rope bridge, but the bridge was far too long for him to make out a face.

"Alex!" he could hear the figure yell. He knew the voice immediatly, knew that it was Gail. He rose to his feet and ran half of the bridge where he met with his bride who had done the same. He threw his arms around Gail, taking in the beauty that was his beautiful bride.

"I'msorry," he said, sorrow in his voice. "I tried to save you, but I couldn't. I was too late."

"No," Gail replied. "There was nothing you could have done. Nothing anybody could have done."

Alex leaned in and kissed her gently, taking in the feel of her lips on his for what seemed an eternity. "I love you." He whisperd when they were done and leaned in for a second kiss.

As he released his lips from hers this time, a bird called out from above. Looking up the two saw a crow glide down to land on the bridge's railing. The wind began to blow and Alex could feelGail being pulled away from it's force. "Gail!" he called out, unsure of why this was happening. "I love you!"

"I love you too!" she called back. "Forever and always will I wait."

The crow swept down upon Alex and he tried to duck before it hit him. The result was Alex toppeling over the railing head first into the mist below. He could hear Gail's words echoing in his head, and then he only saw black once again.