Revenge of the Crow
Night 3 – Sasaki Kujuurou
By: Yin-Yang
Yamanouchi Naotoki, known on the street as Anubis, the Jackal/Wolf because once he got his teeth on his prey he didn't let go until they were dead, walked out of the brothel with a gleam in his eye. Tonight had been okay though; he had managed to use his new collection of knives on a police officer that had been getting too close now and had a good long romp with some of the girls inside. He wiped the blood on the leather jacket's sleeve and sheathed them inside. So he got a bit rough at times, hell at least he paid unlike that bastard Oni.
"Ahh screw it," he thought to himself and walked down the street, heading in no place in particular but ducked into a shower as a police car with the sirens flashing brightly zoomed by, followed by an ambulance and another car. He growled at the light and briefly wondered about the commotion but shrugged it off. It didn't concern him and he honestly didn't care. Maybe they found the guy he just killed but he doubted it, unlike the others he always disposed of the bodies when he was done with them unless they had a good reason to be kept alive.
"By the time they find that guy they'll be nothing left but grimy bones," he snickered to himself, imaging how the fish of the bay would take care of any evidence for him. And if anyone saw then he would deal with him or her. In this city Arago ruled with an iron fist and he had only one law, 'Obey and live, Refuse and die.' Needless to say there had been a few rebels but they made very good examples of what happened when you broke the law. Half of the police force were under his thumb and with each passing day more and more were being swayed but they continued to have trouble with the other stubborn half. "Damn bakas don't know what's in store for them." Yet he continued his way down the street, staying with the shadows as he had one more errand to run and then the night was his. He had no idea that a bird with jet-black feathers and matching eyes was watching him from a top a perch of a young woman dressed in black. Both were very quiet and blended in with the shadows as well, looking for all the world as angels of death.
The kids in the run down center were all having lunch in the large living room, using the worn pillows to sit on and ate the sandwiches and juice the grown ups provided them while talking and saying what they were leaning. Although there was a great deal of age difference between them they all got along great and did their best to protect each other against anybody. They looked up at a loud knocking noise echoed and watched as Shu went and answered the door. The next moment the littles grew scared ad hid behind the older kids as the young teenagers stood before them protectively.
Nasuti narrowed her eyes and approached the dark man. "What do you want, Sasaki?" she asked in a cold voice.
Anubis growled and leaned in close to face, watching as she didn't flinch from him nor show any sign of fear. "Don' call me that, you b-"
"Watch your tongue for there are children present," she seethed at him a warning behind clenched teeth and crossed her arms across her chest stubbornly. "Unless you have something to say then I highly suggest you leave."
"After we've talked." He reached out to grab a hold of her arm but she jerked away from him and the large youth was instantly at her side, warning him not to touch her. He just growled in amusement.
The young lady gently touched Shu's arm, nodding to him and walked to her office, not bothering to look back to see if that Dark Jackal was following but knew they young man would personally throw him out if he tried anything to the kids. Like her they weren't afraid of their reputations and knew that their strength was in the friendship they held so dearly. Once in her office she stood before her desk and narrowed his eyes as he closed the door behind him. She hated when he did that yet he knew and did it anyway.
"Let me guess, your Master wants you to come by and force us to pay for protection. Well I don't know what he'll get the hint but I will not let you all tear this place down. This is a haven to all the youths who seek a place to hide from all the chaos you and the others have spread. And before you start we do not need your charity. I would never live with myself to know that we would be using your blood money. So unless you have anything else to say then leave before I asked Shu to 'escort' you out."
"You know… you really turn me on when you get upset like that." He quickly advanced on her and smirked when she got behind her desk and held up an old letter opener. "You're going to hurt yourself with that now. Give it to me."
"Only way I'll give it to you is when I stab you," she warned, making sure the desk was between them the entire time. They kept going around in a circle and she actually came very close in going through with his threat when he reached out to touch her. She grew scared when he knocked the letter away with a growl and tried to make a dash for the door. She succeeded on wrapping her hands around the knob but that was it. A dark hand clamped tightly over her mouth to prevent her from screaming and thick arm pulled her against a broad chest. She tried kicking but refused to let go of the door, holding onto it for dear life.
"You little-let go of the damn thing!" he growled into her ear, pulling her back and gripped her face tighter to prevent her from biting down. He was unprepared when he felt a sharp and thin blade buried deep in his lower back, just barely missing the spine.
Mia leaned against the door heavily and watched wide-eyed at who had the gal to attack one of Arago's Mashos as he so charmly named them. It was a girl, younger than her by several years dressed in solid black and parts of her flesh she could see were a stark white. She knew she should run out the door and get help but she was frozen on the spot. The candle's light flickered shadows all around the room, making the girl's violet eyes shine with a light all their own. And they did not look happy.
Sasaki stood up with a growl and tried to lunge at the girl but she dodge and rammed her elbow sharply into the back of his neck. He crashed into the desk, grunting in brief pain and slowly turned to look at his attacker. His greenish-blue eyes widen in disbelief at what was going on.
"When a lady says no, it's usually a sign to stop whatever you were doing and respect her wishes," she said in a low tone, hand planted on her hip as if nothing was going on but her other hand held a bloody letter opener. She was making sure she was between him and Nasuti, looking like maybe this was just some lovers' spat but the look in her eyes said differently as she studied the jacket. "Nice jacket."
His lips twisted in a smile as he showed it off while secretly reaching for hidden glove he made himself in his pocket. On appearance it looked like a normal leather glove but he poised his thumb over a hidden switch nestle in the palm. "Arigato, Dark Angel. Got it from some brat, he's not gonna be needing it anymore-" He hissed and brought his hand up to his eye only to encounter blood. Embedded deep in the window's wooden frame was the sharp knife that had slit open his old scar. With a howl of anger he lunged at her, flipping the switch to extent three razor sharp blades on the back of his hand. He was prepared to bury them deep in her body and smirked as he watched her back up, still keeping the other woman behind her. He had the satisfaction of watching the blade bury deep into the ivory shoulder, watching as blood slowly began to run down the flesh and plunged it in deeper.
"No!! Leave her alone you monster!!" Nasuti was horrified at what this creature from the darkest pit of hell was doing to her savior and had to help. She picked up an old bat that the guys insisted she keep in her office and swung it with all her strength. She was satisfied as it connected with the back of knee, making him drop down hard and she tried again, aiming for his head this time but it was blocked and she was backhanded, sending her sprawling onto the floor while clutching her reddening cheek.
"You would hit a defense woman… just like you did to my mother." The girl snarled angrily, eyes seem to glow with a fierce light as she reached out with a hand and struck him, nails digging into the flesh and ripped portions away. He howled in pain and stumbled back only to have a large bird peeking at him with a rather sharp beak. He tried swatting a the offensive creature but it kept cawing angrily, picking at the torn flesh as the young woman hurried to Nasuti's side and helped her up.
"Are you alright?" se asked in a soft, worried tone.
"Hai but what about you…?" the words died from her lips once they passed as she witnessed the blood slowly seep back into the ugly wound on her shoulder and the torn flesh come together to become whole. Not even a scar was left in its place. She reached out to torn the smooth flesh to find it so cold to the touch, like ice instead of the warmth of living flesh.
"You little witch from hell!!" Anubis spat angrily, holding a hand over his scar face to leave one wit the old scar still bleeding but his eyes were blazing with untold anger. "Just who do you think you are?!"
The dark one looked at him with her own violet eyes flashing, a snarl on her painted black lips and slowly stood but made sure to stand before the young woman. "A year ago you killed a wealthy family because your boss wanted all they had: the money, the power, everything. And they were the only ones who stood up to all the hell and chaos you instill in my small neighborhood while everyone else cowered like frighten rabbits. When they refused to give in you all were sent to force us into it and in the process raped and murder the entire family in cold blood. That was my family you sick bastard! And its high time you and those other sick dogs paid."
His eyes widen in vague remembrance of that day, when the entire family died only one girl remained still alive. They had raped her until she bleed so much that she was literally bathed in it and threw her out the window, only to watch as she became impaled on the iron fence surrounding the large home. But she had died, they all saw how the sharp arrow pierced her chest completely through!! How could she be alive? He spat on the ground, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of the jacket, staining it with his blood.
"You died… we saw you, you can't be her!! We killed her!!"
The girl just smiled then began to laugh. It was a icy cold laugh that made your cold go stiff and chills race along your spine as the crow joined in, coming to rest on the girl's bare shoulder where her midriff was torn from his attack. "You can't kill what's already dead."
The door to the office suddenly was broken off its hinges Shu rammed his shoulder into it once again, stumbling to his knees and looked up at the dark man with deep hatred in his eyes. "You sunova-" The stocky youth bellowed like an enraged bull and charged forward, using all his strength to send him flying out the window and into the street. The man survived but limped away to lick his wounds, tail between his legs.
"Nasuti!! Are you okay??" Ryou asked as he knelt on one side and gently looked at her face. Touma knelt at her other side was looking her over, sighing in relief when he saw that she seemed all right. Shu was still looking out the window, waiting to see if the Jackal would come back and would be ready for him. No one hurts his friends like that. Seiji, his visible eye cold and hard slowly made his way to the girl and gave her a stiff nod with all the anger he was holding in.
"Arigato, young lady."
Death looked at him and nodded back, reaching up to stroke the midnight feathers as the bird cawed softly and made itself more comfortable on her shoulders. "I suggest you get some wood or something. I will board up the window while you all get some rest."
"Hey wait a minute! You except us to trust you?" Touma retorted as she stood, starry blue eyes dark with untold emotions but they stopped when the pale face meet his own.
"I expect nothing from any of you. But I refuse to let you die the same way my family did." She wordlessly moved to the window, looking out it as Shu looked at her and made his back to his friends.
"She's kinda Goth and creepy," he said in a hush whisper. "Can we trust her?"
"I do." The young woman looked at them and nodded. "She saved my life and something tells me she means us no harm."
"But Nasuti-chan…"
She lifted a hand and gave them a small smile. "It'll be alright. Now," she struggled to her feet with their help, "Shu and Ryou, take the old table in the back room and move it in here. We don't have any nails but it should be big enough to cover the window. The rest of you, let's get the littles ready for some sleep. We could all us it this night.
Hours passed since the incident and in the large living area all the children were sleeping in a large circle on worn pillows and blankets, clutching to either the stuffed toys or to one of the guys themselves. The girl who referred to herself as merely Death stayed in Nasuti's office, leaning against the wall as her friend the crow was scouring the streets for the Dark Jackal. He was marked for death and who was she to never get it over with?
"You aren't sleeping." It was more of a comment than a question as the young woman softly padded into her office, her shawl wrapped around her shoulders and knelt next to the poor girl.
"Can't rest just yet. Not when there's tormented souls to put to rest," she answered softly and pulled a knee to her chest, wrapping her arms around her limb tightly.
"May I ask you something?"
"Hai."
"Who are you? Really."
"… Why do you want to know?"
"Because I can sense such… anguish just flooding you. I want to help." She tentively reached out and took her hand in her own, trying to warm it.
Death looked at her hand surprised and looked into her caring greenish eyes. She was actually concerned for her and wanted to know what happen… for a moment a glimmer of hope came to her heart, making it skip a beat.
"… M-My real name used to Amalie… my parents were the founders and presidents of Soto Enterprise that used to be the biggest factory here, working on medical diseases and such. I was the middle child with an older brother of twenty-one called Garry and a little sister of six years called Nina. Everything was going along great until a man by the name of Arago wanted to buy into the company. Both my parents said no, saying they had heard things about him and frankly didn't want anything to do with them. He left our home saying that we'd pay and we did… his four goons, also called the Dark Mashos were allowed to roam the city doing whatever they please. In the process they killed many of our workers, set some of our offices in flames and frankly were just like demons. My parents tried to get the police to stop them but Arago had them eating out of his hand." She pulled her knees to her chest and held them tightly, her eyes turned dark and wet with unshed tears.
"One day… the Demons came to our home, saying it was our turn to pay and… beat up, raping us as well. Dad wasn't home, he had to work late and mom threaten them to leave our home. They hit her and tried to rape her but she put up a strong fight. I remember her screaming that she wasn't just some whore they could use as a rag doll. Then she… she…" tears began to fall down flushed face, lightly smearing the make up and was startled when she was pulled into a warm embrace.
"It's alright, you don't have to continue," Nasuti whispered softly, gently rocking her back and forth and petted the dark strands.
"Iie, I-I have to say it. Momma died… then Garry tried to avenge her and got hit with his own baseball bat. Those demons raped me and my baby sister… she was only six for God's sake!" She cried harder, clinging t the older woman as her memory came rushing back full force. She had lost everything all in the one night: her innocence, her family, her life. Why was this done to her?
They stayed like that for a long time, one finding release in the tears she had held in for too long and the other comforting her, whispering words of encouragement that she wasn't alone anymore. The crow echoed her words as it glided into the room and down to their level and perched on the windowsill, cawing softly as she hopped side to side. Amalie's mind was clearer yes, but there was still the mission at hand. The sooner it was completed the sooner she could rest.
The young girl took a deep breath, letting it out shakingly as she lifted her head up and wiped teary eyes. Some of the make up smeared her face but the rest remained stubbornly on. She slowly stood up and carefully the table away from the window just large enough for her to slip through but not before casting a thankful eye to the young lady.
"Arigato Nasuti-san… for everything," she told her softly, smiling a tiny bit. "Sayonara." And with that she slipped out and pulled the table back into place, taking off down the street with the crow lending her eyes to see where their next target was located.
She continued to stand there, leaning against the wall and rubbed her arms through the shawl as she prayed for her safety. She leaned back into a warm chest as she was pulled into a strong embrace.
"She's a determined one," Seiji said softly into her ear.
"That she is… but I can't help but worry." Nasuti turned to look up at him, green eyes wide in worry and concern. "We'll never see her again… will we."
The young man could only tenderly caress her face with his fingertips and held her close once more, petting her soft, reddish hair soothingly. Deep down he knew by some reason or another that the girl did not have much more time left. He could only hope that she did find release when this was all over.
"That little gothic witch--I'll make her pay for this!!" Anubisu growled angrily to himself as he ransacked his apartment for his prize weapon, a slim no dachi blade he stole from a robbery at the museum when Arago wanted some yorois but he museum wouldn't sell. He kept the sword as a reward for a job well done. He smirked as he found it and pulled it free from the sheath, practicing a few moves with it as he handled it exceptionally well with his other hand encased in a black leather glove with three knifes protruding from the back. "When I'm done with he she'll wish she was dead."
The sound of a bird meet his ears, making him look around but saw noting. Cautiously he moved over to the front door, pressing his ear to it and frowned. He could make out a sound but it was barely hearable. It sounded like footsteps just down from his door, marching in time with some unheard rhythm. He was sorely tempted to open the door but just pressed her ear harder to it. That's when he heard a sharp yet slow rapping right where his ear was, making him jump back and hold his clawed glove in reflex. A pause of silence and another sharp rap.
One. Two. Three. Four.
He didn't bother to ask who it was or look through the dirty peephole but stared at it, wanting this stranger to go away already so he could get back to his work. Nothing except another four raps, still slow and steady as the first two sets and then… pure silence. All the sound seemed to have stopped, leaving Anubis scared, wondering for a moment if he had lost his hearing for he could not even hear the honking horns outside or the yelling of people living on the same floor as he was.
That's when the door suddenly was kicked open, old floor flying across the room that once held the lock in place, slamming hard enough to get the rusty doorknob stuck in the wall to reveal the stranger dressed in black with pale flesh. A creature of death if you will… or maybe Death itself to court him. A large bird flew into the room, followed by a loud cawing sound at his face and swooped upward sharply to land on a flickering lamp with a torn shade, staring at the scared man with beady eyes.
"It's considered rude to ignore someone at your door but then again… you never struck me as the well mannered type," the girl sighed almost boredly, resting her hands on his hips and looked at him from beneath the fall of parted bangs. Violet eyes simmered in the weakening light, making them seem to dance about in a sick dance of sorts.
"What the hell do you want?" he growled, trying to shake off a sudden feel of dread but it was no use. Fear and something else had his heart in its icy and painful grip.
The girl smiled but not a pleasant one; not one by a long shot. It was if she was saying without words that 'I know something you don't know… Nor do you want to know.' She slowly walked into the room, pulling the door free and closed it but kept her back to it at all times, acting coyly as a predator would play with another predator who didn't know it was now the prey.
"Tell me… are you familiar with the works of a poet by the name of Edgar Allen Poe? The reason I ask this is because it strikes me as a sort of irony of the situation now. A black bird of death suddenly greets a man, all alone in his chambers. I know what you're thinking so it's not a raven, close enough my dear Jackal," she seemed to giggle and made her way towards him but stopped about a yard away. Raising a brow at he sword she lifted her face up, letting midnight strands fall across her face in soft caresses, making her twist her lips up in a cruel smile. "Is that sword you hold so tightly meant for me?"
Blinking his eyes he looked at the blade and matched her sickenly coy smile with a wolfish one of his own. "Hai… you could say that. Why don't you come over and get it?"
"Hmm. Why don't you come over here and give it to me? Unless you're scared of a little girl."
He growled and lunged forward with the sword, slashing at the air as she kept taking a step back then leaped over him with grace and ease. He barely had enough time to react when she pressed her back against his, looking at him over her shoulder with that same smile plastered on her painted black lips. He spun quickly on his feet, trying to take her head off but she crouched low to the ground, the thin metal sword slicing the air over her head making him look down at her stupidly but instantly regretted a second later.
This mere child gained the upper hand for the moment the blade passed over head she lurched to her feet with all the strength she contained, ramming the top of her skull directly into his face and was reward with a wet, cracking sound then leaped back on her hands and launched herself into the air once more, perched at the foot of the bed like a wingless gargoyle, watching him with gleaming eyes as he staggered back, holding his unarmed hand to his face but still dark red blood feel like rivers. She had shattered his nose.
"Ya boke mi nose!" he barely mumbled from behind his hand, cracking an eye open to glare at her and launched into another attack, using his claws this time but instead torn up his bed sheets and mattress. "Were ya go?!" he tried to roar and stared up at the ceiling where he heard laughter.
Death managed to loop her legs around the badly chipped lamp, arms crossed over her chest and face twisted into nearly insane laughter. "You sound ridiculous!!" she managed between fits, clearly having fun with all of this.
"Lougf tis off!!!" Had Anubis been thinking he would have known that aiming the metal sword directly at the frayed wiring was a very big no-no but this girl was teasing him, making him look like a fool; so he let a bloody rage take over everything, just so he could beat this girl and teach her a lesson but it seemed that the Seven Gods of Luck were not watching out for him this night. A surge of electricity ran along the blade and directly to ever nerve ending in his body, eyes open wide and mouth crying out silently in pain but the girl just watching, not moving, not saying anything, not thinking anything. She wasn't sure had long he had been standing there but the smell of cooked flesh hit her nose that she sighed and pulled on the remains of the bed sheets he was standing on with a sharp tug. He fell flat on his back, the sword looking almost melted along with the claws and any other knifes he had hidden on his body. His skin was blistered very badly with burns, hair standing straight on ends and blood running from broken skin that couldn't take anymore of the volts. Occasionally his body twitched but nothing as he started up at he ceiling with wide eyes, the pupils just tiny pinpoints.
Death slowly made her way over, crawling on the bed until she was straddling his stomach, hands behind her head and looked him over with a lazy eye. Not the kind of revenge she had for this one but it was better than nothing. The crow cawed at her, hopping down to where a matching glove on the nightstand that bore four knifes instead of three lay gleaming in the flickering light.
"you know… I think we should help him out," she smirked, reaching over and pulled the glove onto her hand. At once memories attacked her mind, making her falter back as she lived the memories of this hideous weapon. He had used this to skin people, alive or dead or give them scars that would never heal completely. And the sick part was he enjoyed it all, alighting at their cries of pain and mercy. She didn't realize tears were rolling down her cheeks until the fell on the glove itself, snapping her out of the haze. No… this was going to be a revenge that was well suited to this one… one that would forever punish him for all his sick actions.
Anubis couldn't move any part of his body, not even blink his eyes as the lids ad been fused open and eyelashes and brows burned completely off. He hissed internally as her rough clothing touched open burns and sensitive flesh but a small whimper escaped his parted lips as she looked over him with dark violet eyes and held the glove before his face.
'Oh kami no…'"You skinned people, whether or not they were alive with this… relishing in the screams of suffering, the pleas to stop, the feel as they blood stained your hands but you laughed… you laughed!!!" she practically screamed at him, gripping his chin in a very tight hold, the tips of the claws digging into the crispy flesh. He whimpered in fear and pain.
'No… don't do this to me! Yamato!' he tried to tell her but the words refused to spill out. All he could do was whimper… watch… and feel…
An hour later the young girl got up from the bed, looking at the gloved clawed as it was bathed in blood and looked up at the wall above the headboard. Quickly she scratched in a long message in a elegant hand, adding a picture of a bird with wings wide open at the end and threw the glove in the sink of the joining bathroom, running the water ice cold. The crow that had watched it all glided to land on her shoulder and rubbed her feathered head against her cheek, feeling tears still running down her face and perched there for now, guiding her mind to lead out of the apartment and to continue with the mission.
A small group of police officers had gotten a report of some unusual activities coming from an apartment that was registered under the name Yamanouchi Naotoki, better known as the Black Jackal/Black Wolf. He had a spreadsheet a mile long that mostly contained murders and inhuman actions he had performed on his victims but his boss, Arago, always bailed him out.
"Okay we have to act quick better. Remember, he may be armed and is considered highly dangerous." The only officers only nodded, holding their guns ready as one of them counted silently and rammed the door open. He lost his footing as the door easily swung open but managed to catch himself. Only seconds later did he run out into the hallway and begin to vomit. Some of the officers went to help him but the others went in and one by one they ran out, nearly losing their lunch as well.
In the room, most specifically on the bed was Yamanouchi Naotoki, skin sliced off on most parts of his body but enough so that the blood stained his shredded bed a sickly red color. His hand hanging off the side still held a sword that had stolen form the museum years ago within a glove, both weapons ha the metal practically melting. What was left of his skin was sever burns with popped blisters and something that looked like it was pecked at. Craved on the wall just about the gruesome sight was a rather long poem and a picture of a bird at the end, wings spread widely open. It read:
"THE RAVEN"
By: Edgar Allan Poe
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door-
Only this, and nothing more."
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow- sorrow for the lost Lenore-
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore-
Nameless here for evermore.
And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me- filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,
"'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door-
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;-
This it is, and nothing more."
Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
"Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you"-here I opened wide the door;-
Darkness there, and nothing more.
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "Lenore!"
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore!"-
Merely this, and nothing more.
Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
"Surely," said I, "surely that is something at my window lattice:
Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore-
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;-
'Tis the wind and nothing more."
Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore;
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door-
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door-
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.
Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore.
"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore-
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning- little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blest with seeing bird above his chamber door-
Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as "Nevermore."
But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered- not a feather then he fluttered-
Till I scarcely more than muttered, "other friends have flown before-
On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before."
Then the bird said, "Nevermore."
Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
"Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore-
Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore
Of 'Never- nevermore'."
But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door;
Then upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore-
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking "Nevermore."
This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!
Then methought the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose footfalls tinkled on the tufted floor.
"Wretch," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee- by these angels he hath sent thee
Respite- respite and nepenthe, from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil!- prophet still, if bird or devil!-
Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted-
On this home by horror haunted- tell me truly, I implore-
Is there- is there balm in Gilead?- tell me- tell me, I implore!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil- prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us- by that God we both adore-
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore-
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore."
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
"Be that word our sign in parting, bird or fiend," I shrieked, upstarting-
"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken!- quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!"
Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."
And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted- nevermore!
-THE END-