Martha hummed along to the sound of Davido’s latest catchy tune on her tiny silver pear tablet. She tapped her feet along to the rhythm of the afro~beats. Then her current favorite song was interrupted by a sound of a buzz, alerting her that someone was calling. She looked at the caller ID: Greg.

Martha shook her head, sighed, and then answered the call: Hey. What’s up? You disturbed my jam sesh.

The line suddenly went quiet, and then out of nowhere Martha heard a loud, piercing scream. Her heart skipped a beat. Then she finally mustered the courage to interrupt the awful, disturbing noise: Hey, Greg. This isn’t funny. If this is one of your silly pranks. I’m not buying it.

Martha hang up the call, and continued listening to “With You” by Davido, ft. Omah Lay. Then she received a text:

THIS IS NO SILLY PRANK, MARTHA. GREG IS TIED UP AND IN THE METAL SEAT. COME RIGHT AWAY TO THE PINNED ADDRESS TO SAVE HIM. IF YOU DON’T…WELL..IT’LL BE GAME OVER FOR GREG.

She dropped the phone and felt her world spinning out of control. They had left her a voicemail, too, informing her not to contact any local police authority. Martha felt a sudden urge to throw up. They didn’t want any money. So, what did they want from her, or Greg?

Martha hurriedly walked out of her home through the kitchen back door. She looked around to see if there were any cameras, and someone who was filming her for some odd prank show for YouTube. But there was no one hiding behind any of Martha’s gigantic succulents that she had somehow managed to shape into something resembling her partner.

She cruised out of her driveway, and made her way into the main road in a flash. Maybe the cops would pull her over for speeding, but then again she had to be careful not to get their attention. Not right now anyway.

When Martha pulled close toward the pinned location, she decided to wait a short while before she would step into what looked like an abandoned farmhouse. She clasped her hands together, and quickly said a little prayer.

The moment she stepped into the abandoned building she was greeted by a bunch of what she assumed to be some crazy, hungry, and lost spirits. Martha at least now seemed to be a little bit more at peace. Maybe she could reason with them and simply ask them to let Greg go.

The spirits were not pleased at all with her simple request. They wanted Greg to pay for what he had done. The spirits lifted their voices in unison: We want Greg to pay for his crimes against nature. He has killed, hunted, and hurt a lot of animals. For these actions, he needs to pay with his life!

Before Greg was whisked away to the spirit realm, Martha snapped her fingers and Greg was free. Martha chanted a quick spell underneath her breath and the earth opened up underneath the spots where the spirits were standing. They fell into the holes in the ground.

Greg wiped the beads of sweat trickling down his forehead: Phew! I’m sure glad that’s all over.

Martha squinted her eyes and stared at Greg: See…next time you better stop to bless your catch when you go into the hunting patch deep in the forest.

#CORVUS

Mercredi 21.05.2025

His hands are beneath my skirt but his eyes are fixated on mines. We talked about this before it happened, the phone call was long and very detailed.

His hands are beneath my shirt now but his bulge is against my thigh. We talked about this before it happened, tongue in cheek in his car tonight.

Her fingertips strum on my skin

beneath my weight while she lets me play. I thought about it all last night before it happened.

Her thigh merges with my swelling pants with a jolt. I thought about this all night before it happened, finger unhooking her bra.

Her fingers dance with my pulse every tap a key to unlock my moaning yearn. I didn't think about this until it happened.

He nurses my tongue between his two sweet lips. His elongated parts nestled where his face ought to be. I think about this how it will happen, my lips throbbing, aching and calling out.

We are entangled and I can feel it my exposed parts trickling liquid. His lips kissing my inner thigh. It didn't hurt as much as I thought for my first time and all. Not as much blood as the movies portray.

I run my fingers over the two tiny punctures. My thigh still thumping from the bite.

“You promised you didn't bite!” laughter in her voice. He kisses her temple and they cuddle in the back seat plunged in in moonlight.

"They were born like this."

"No, I wasn't." I think, looking at the screen and watching a stranger talk about my psychology. They have no idea what happened and they never will. I smile to myself. It is a smile of pain. It's the smile of suppression. A smile just for me, from one cruel bitch to another. They'll never know what I went through, they'll never know what I do to myself and that makes me laugh: one long cruel laugh, a laugh that never stops because... If it did, I don't know what would happen next.

So, I laugh. I laugh and I hope it never stops. I hope this cold, dead face never stops because if hell is worse than this then there is a type of fear I can never comprehend.

I laugh. I laugh so hard my ribs begin to burst. Pain, I feel pain. I hold on to that pain. I cling on to that pain for dear life. It's a life line. Still, I laugh. Hysterically, I laugh. I laugh because of the absurdity I live in. I laugh because they still think there's reason behind this horrible world. I laugh because they try to grasp at the strands of the insane. Don't they know I already tried that? When I started spiral... felt my mind slip... into the abyss. Don't they think I tried as hard as a could to find some reason behind it all? I laughed, because there is nothing I can do but laugh.

I laugh,

at the absurdity of this world.

I laugh,

because there's no where left to turn.

I laugh,

because they're still trying to find reason when its long since left.

I laugh,

because even I don't know what I'll do next.

—————————————

DISCLAIMER:

This is a work of fiction.

Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner.

NOTE TO READERS:

Please sit back, comfortably, preferably in a comfy reading spot, kick off your shoes, & maybe read this while sipping on your favorite hot/cool drink/beverage and with a few snacks or treats nearby, too.

CHARACTERS:

Jack (a young lad; dreams of becoming a knight, but he is not of noble blood)

Diana (a young princess who just wants to break free from being within the castle~ most of the time)

—STAND BY ME.

[Curtain opens.]

{Enter fishermen, and village folks within the busy, loud, fishy marketplace that is close to the beach}

Fishermen: (chanting) O, here we go another working day in the blazing sun in the land of Pan.

Village folks: (in response) Say, fishermen, what tales do you bring from the lands across the borders, and way past across the vast seven seas?

{Enter Jack with his trusty pal named Sal}

Jack: Now look here, Sal. I have a dream of one day becoming a knight. The boldest, and bravest of any man in the land of Pan.

Sal: Jack, come now. Leave that dream only to the noble man. Think of your father, Dan. He hopes you will become a fisherman.

Jack: (scoffs) Oy. That’s not something I’d even wish even for my worst enemy.

{Enter Diana, with her p.a.}

Sal: (bows his head) Jack. Please show some respect.

Jack: To who exactly, Sal? (Stares around the marketplace like his a lost puppy).

Diana: (meets Jack’s eyes, blinks in dismay) How rude….wait until my father has your head…how dare you to not acknowledge the presence of a royal, in fact your future Queen in your presence!

Jack: (snickers) There is a royal in my presence?

Diana: (sighs) I will let you go, but only for now.

Jack winks, and waved goodbye to the princess leaving her still in a sense of disbelief of his rude behavior. No one in the rest of the entire kingdom behaves in a disgraceful manner like Jack did.

Later in the evening, Jack heads back home. Then he smiles to himself, now not only thinking of becoming a knight, but also marrying (the princess) Diana.

*********************************

Sometime close to midnight, Jack wakes up to the sound of a severe thunderstorm. One of the trees close by is about to fall onto his house. He lets out a scream calling out for his father. There is no response.

He decided to rush over to his trusty pal’s place. But he finds the place empty. He decides to dash over back to the marketplace, there something, or someone catches his eye.

Jack thinks he has spotted the princess, Diana. He pulls her out of harms way right before a heavy branch comes flying out of nowhere.

The princess seems to be out of sorts. She can’t seem to realize that she is standing outside in a thunderstorm.

Jack tries to cover the princess’ head, and then something hits him hard right on the back of his neck. He stumbles backward, and now sees that the princess is not there anymore. Instead he is staring at a seven foot tall monster that looks like a griffin. The creature pecks at Jack’s face using its beak, and tears his skin with its sharp talons.

It flapped its wings, and carried Jack into the air. Then dropped him into the raging waters by the marketplace.

[Curtain closes]

FIN.

08.05.2025 Thorsday.

#CORVUS:PAN.

A very sunny evening

I found a paper

just a piece though

with nothing on it

they told me to get rid of it

frankly, I do not know how a piece of paper upsets anybody or threatens their daily life

it was pink, my favorite color

mind you, it only triggered my family members

who were terrible at the thing called “life”

they were horrible together and more so to me. Like a gang up you might say

and, there were 30 of them

So, the pink piece of paper triggered them because my name “Lola” was written in all caps in an endearing calligraphy

I loved it

but under the page it was signed by no other called “death”

made me question so many things

why me? is this like a chosen thing?

i was living separate lives in one, so what does this stand for?

i started to believe I was dead and that was a gift from a higher authority

eh, who knows?

I killed them all.

and the funny thing is, the piece of paper never got filled up

Inaudible as the message was,

that information was being shared

served as a comfort and we waited

for the clarification coming,

but the seconds turned to long minutes

becoming in us a helplessness

that drove us to a point of madness

and of one accord, we became Death.

All but the conductor was rescued.