The Raven came to us through the gripping poetry of Edgar Allen Poe, “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary…” That raven might have cawed “Nevermore,” but that indeed was not the last word from ravens, or about them.

Writers chased black wings for stories this week. Ravens feature in the tales they inspired.

The following are based on the March 1, 2018, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story that includes a raven.

***

Everlore by Chelsea Owens

Once within a forest clearing, whilst I sought my heart some cheering,
With num’rous sorts of very unhealthy choc’late treats I most adore –
While I wandered, knapsack-snacking, dropping errant candy-wrapping,
I thought I heard a quiet flapping, flapping from the forest floor.
“‘Tis no predator,” I whispered, “wrapping from the forest floor –
Only garbage; an eyesore.”

Then came hum’rous Fate permitting; sending to me, most unwitting,
The view of who had made the flapping, from the littered forest floor:
Eager girl scout sitting, beaming, as I jumped up, scared and screaming –
I’m out of words; there is no more.

###

Raven by Colleen Chesebro

stealer of souls
when seen in groups of three
Goddess Morrigan’s familiar
trickster
Augurs interpret messages
by which way the bird flies
divine omens
rebirth

The crone found it hard to dispute the wisdom of the Runes. Her predictions usually rang true. If so, the harbinger of death was on his way.

The corvid flew in from the east landing in an oak tree, chanting, “I’m not here to claim your soul, I’m here to set you free.”

The trappings of age fell away. She rose from the Chrysalis shedding her sheltered state. Then, she began to write…

###

The Beast from the East by Anne Goodwin

Twirling snowflakes clot the air, a ballet best appreciated from behind a double glazed window. Those who can, remain indoors, muting traffic to a whisper, but some must brave the blizzard. “It’s suicidal,” I said. “I’ve no choice,” he countered.

A raven perches on a bare branch, harbinger of doom. He was due back hours ago. His phone goes to voicemail. No juice, no signal or worse?

Tyres crunch on frozen snow. Did I see a raven, or a smaller cousin? He’s home. He knows: a raven here’s as improbable as this Siberian weather.

###

Raven by Robbie Cheadle

The raven visited her in a dream again last night. She felt sure it was some sort of prophecy. First came the raven, silently slipping into her mind. Then she found herself in the water maze. She was in a flat bottomed boat, rowing frantically through the dark water. The overgrown foliage was so dense it completely blocked out the light. She tried to follow the shouts. The shouts were her Father’s. She had to find him quickly, she knew time was short. Every night she searched for him. She could never find her way through the sinister maze.

###

Mine Eyes by Bill Engleson

From my window, I can see the web of wires, stepping stone rooftops of innumerable lives, a distant mountain, a sky, dancing with darkness.

When I say, ‘my window,’ I mean Room 602 of County General.

I’m here temporarily.

Not by choice.

Strapped in.

Unvisited.

Tube fed.

My eyes, worn, tearless, face the window.

I notice them.

They arrive in twos and threes.

They land deftly on the wires.

They land in rows on the rooftops.

They occupy the darkening sky.

Crows. Ravens. Seagulls. Birds of many feathers.

A collusion of ravenous fowl.

A Hitchcockian horror come full circle.

###

Raven by Nicole

A shadow crosses the windshield.  I look up – a raven looks back over its shoulder. “Follow me” it says. I think I want to go back to my tent, forget the world for a few more days. But something makes me follow the raven.

Out of the dark woods men emerge, blood on their hands. Swastikas on their rifles, a Klu they are not shooting for food.

Down the mountain the raven leads, through New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, around the Beltway. It lands atop a white dome.

Below, the streets are full of righteous children chanting “never more.”

###

Raven by joem18b

A raven adopted me at my cabin in the north woods. I named him Edgar. We had a casual relationship, based on food and togetherness.

Edgar roamed the woods at will. One day, he brought home a crow, whom I named Allan.

Allan generally gave me a wide berth, unlike Edgar, who would perch on my shoulder. Allan and I competed for Edgar’s affections. I sensed that Allan was gradually winning.

When the two birds built a nest together and Allan laid eggs in it, I changed her name to Ellen.

The hybrid babies took me for their godfather.

###

Raven the Midwife by Paula Moyer

When Jean was pregnant with Lydia, she binge-read the previous decade’s literature on the childbirth reform pioneers Those women raised their fists for things the things that were standard for the next generation.

Jean loved reading about the rebel midwives, daring to help women have their babies at home. Her favorite was Raven, a lay midwife in California. Her hair was as black as the feathers of her bird namesake. At one chapter’s end, Raven, surrounded by sister-midwives, gave birth to her youngest child.

Jean was planning a hospital birth. But when Lydia came, Jean hoped to channel Raven.

###

Raven by Pensitivity

The pain was excruciating, and she was alone and afraid.
Breathe. Short pants.
With a final push, she delivered her child into the world.
Spent, she looked into her newborn’s face, then wrapped it to her.
The bird was the last thing she saw.

The poacher believed both to be dead until the babe started to cry.
The girl couldn’t have been more than fifteen. Undernourished, she didn’t stand a chance.
A bird circled overhead, dark against the blue sky.
The child had jet black hair and blue eyes.
‘I’ll call you Raven,’ he whispered and took her home.

###

A Raven’s View by calmkkate

Got a circuit I do most days
farmhouse near the river
pensioner’s balcony in town
park at lunch time is a sure bet!
Basically I cruise where I can get
the juiciest morsels, easier than
hunting for myself if these daft
humans want to provide but
road kill is still my favourite
fresh eyes you can never regret
they beat the packaged meat
These kind folk who feed me
have no real idea of the tasty
joy a fresh kill provides us
No idea why they need such
big nests and it must be awful
not to fly free!

###

Seeker by Michael Fishman

The fortune-teller extended a bony hand toward me. Thin translucent fingers pressed against my chest sending a chill into me.

She pulled back and raised her hand and was holding an amorphous black glob in her palm. “This,” she said. “Is what lives inside you.”

I frowned.

“This means you need to clean your spirit; your soul.” She explained. The fortune-teller closed her hand and the bubbling image evaporated.

“How?”

A thin smile spread across her wizened face. “Find your guide.”

Outside, squinting against the sun, I saw the raven, perched on the light pole, looking down at me.

###

Bran’s Blessings by Jan Malique

He sits on the branch, looking at me with one eye and then the other, looks between two worlds, that of the living and the dead.

A Messenger with preternatural sight and deep wisdom. What news do you bring from the Otherworld Blessed Raven?

The Cauldron of Rebirth appears, invites exploration. Again I ask, what news do you bring from the Otherworld Blessed Raven?

“Their Rebirth” he mutters.

I look in your eyes and only see the unknown and secrets buried within secrets. You give me sight of things only dreamed of and utter legends half forgotten.

###

A Raven Speaks by Liz Husebye Hartmann

“What did you see at the North Falls, Silas?” Sylvi looked into his dark eye.

He searched for words. His head teemed with questions and sensations. Few people gave him his due, mistaking him for his smaller-brained, raucous cousins. No mind. He and Sylvi understood each other, having traveled many miles together. He shook his feathery black beard.

“Who kidnapped Maeve?” she stroked a finger down his hooked beak, to calm and center him.

Ruffling his wings, he stretched his neck and croaked, “Wyatt!”

Sylvi straightened, laughing in relief. No harm done, then. Wyatt and Maeve were already betrothed.

###

Raven by EluminoraCreations

Enveloped in disguise, Nathaniel listened. Though he could transform well for an apprentice his age, he was less skilled at ravenspeak. Besides that, the ravens were talking over each other as usual. He had to concentrate hard in order to understand anything. His heart, deep under a thick layer of black feathers, pounded so hard he feared they would notice. But his master had ordered him to get the facts of their conspiracy and to come back alive.

Assasination. War. Three days. He launched himself into the air. He had heard the words that no one wanted to hear.

###

All’s Well that Ends Well by Anurag Bakhshi

The raven-haired beauty has stolen my heart
And made a hopeless romantic out of a crusty old fart

Too late have I realized this, I squarely blame my ego

If I had even an iota of sense, I wouldn’t have let her go

She came by last night, and fondly bid me adieu
I poured my heart out to her then, hoping she’d say I Do
But just like the inhabitants of Spanish mountains would find a downpour surprising
I was thunderstruck when I found out that my Eliza was now the Fair Lady of my friend Colonel Pickering

###

Messanger of Doom by Deborah A. Bowman

Tell Me, What Lies You Bring, Raven?

It wasn’t a dark and stormy night

A golden sun was shining

But the color wasn’t right

Too bright, too orange, too blinding

The coarseness of the beast

Not fit to be a craven fowl

His beak open, demanding a feast

Nothing to quench his howl

Not a bird of prey

A large animal, depraved

He does not fly or soar

His voice, a primal roar

He stalks my garden walk

On torn barren legs

No feathers, just tangled dregs

Like a monstrous wild cat

Screaming too loud!

I fall as my heart shivered

My breath stops … message delivered

###

The Ravens by Michael Grogan

The Raven family lived two doors up from me. They were an unhappy lot dealing with not only history but mythology as well. Raven’s were a known symbol of bad luck, foretellers of death and had been written about in Shakespeare’s plays in the most disparaging way.

They once took a holiday to the Tower of London where they attempted to release the captive ravens much to the horror of the guards.

Life was a never-ending series of trials for the Ravens, no one liked to rub shoulders with them and you never stood near them at a funeral.

###

The Raven by Stephen Lodge

We lived in London, close to the Tower. They told us all about it at school. Our parents told us.

If the ravens fly off,
The Tower Of London will crumble and fall,
There will be nothing left,
The Crown Jewels will be gone and all.

We peered over the wall and saw the ravens in the Tower grounds still there. To this day, remain they do, though no carrion keeps them there. Not since the Last Executioner was himself beheaded by Madaxe the Saxon around 1115, although some say it was as late as two in the afternoon.

###

Raven by Ritu Bhathal

“It is a worry indeed, Your Majesty, yes. We’ve had to sack three of them this year, and getting decent replacements, well that is an increasingly tough task.”

Beefeater Chambers looked out of the window, whilst speaking to the Queen on the Royal telephone.

The requirement was six ravens to be guarding the Tower of London at any one time, or the Tower and Kingdom would fall, and this new generation, well they were useless.

They didn’t have the spunk of their ancestors, calling in sick all the time, too busy posing for the tourists and Instagram selfies.

Really!

###

Giving Him the Bird by Geoff Le Pard

‘Bloody parakeets, Logan. Pushing out our native birds.’

‘They’re pretty, Morgan.’

‘They’re foreign. They’re frightening the sparrows and robins. It ain’t natural.’

‘So what’s the solution?’

‘Stop these foreigners coming in, taking our seeds and nests. Keep the proper British birds. They’ll not fly away once we get rid of the immigrants.’

‘Like the ravens?’

‘What?’

‘The ravens. At the Tower of London. They clip their wings to make sure they stay.’

‘That’s barbaric. Why?’

‘If the ravens leave the Tower, England falls.’

‘Whose idea was that?’

‘The Normans, I think.’

‘Bloody French, coming over here, taking our crown…’

###

Marry Me, Jane! by Luccia Gray

‘Soon I shall be a bridegroom,’ said Mr. Rochester.

Jane looked down at her plain, governess dress and remembered Blanche Ingram’s extravagant clothes, noble features and glossy, raven hair.

‘I’ll leave at once. Miss Ingram will have plans for Adele.’

Jane refused to witness the man she loved marry a beautiful, yet unworthy gold-digger.

‘You would have me marry that frivolous woman?’ Rochester shook his head. ‘You think so little of me, Jane? I ask you to pass through life at my side as my best earthly companion.’

Rochester kissed her hand. ‘Jane, say Edward I will marry you.’

###

A Thousand Times…by Anita Dawes & Jay Marie

Blue eyes look back at me from the puddle I drink from, my feathers shimmer as the water moves. I know myself and remember that I have died a thousand times.

If I could speak, I would tell you the tale of my many lives. I come back from the Summerlands, I am the white feather of legend and my coming was foretold. I shall bring back the old magic.

Scavenger they call me. My wings clipped, I guard the Tower lest it should fall.

I am the white RAVEN.

###

The Dream by Pete Fanning

Dinner was lively with song and laughter. In the spirit, I allowed myself to smile.

“Oney?” Mrs. Wilks’ voice like a lash.

“Ma’am?”

“What has gotten into you?”

I set my eyes down. “A dream, Ma’am.”

Mrs. Wilks’ eyes flared, her mouth tightened. “Of what did you dream, Oney?”

It wasn’t enough for her to own me. She wanted my dreams, too.

“Oney?”

I told her I’d dreamed of ravens. Or crows. Anything but the Queen Mother and son—the future ruler of the kingdom.

Mrs. Wilks waved me off, talking birds and primitive culture.

###

American Royalty by Charli Mills

Cory grabbed bags of Doritos, kissing his wife before she retreated to the mall with their daughter “Drive safe with the princess.”

He grinned, now king of his castle with a tv remote scepter. A few buddies arrived with prerequisite beer to gain entry. Cory illuminated the big-screen. Unfettered cheers rose — no work, no church, no wives. At least for four quarters.

Breaking News.

Another shooting. Cory dropped his beer. Obvious as a black raven against white snow, he recognized his wife’s purse and sprawled hair. Pools of ruby and brass surrounded her head like an American crown.

###

Why? by D. Avery

Cronk! Raven’s call. “Diet is varied and opportunistic”. Cronk!, announcing carrion. Big black bird of varied reputations, mythical, dark. Cronk! Associated with death.

Why? Raven, not hawk nor dove, just a witness, an opportunistic feeder. Raven hears the gunshots, raven flies in, watches, waits.

With each bullet fired

Obliterated childhood

His own soul fading

To himself brings brutal death

Innocence is carrion.

Cronk! Raven calls in her family, teaches them to thrive. They, opportunistic feeders, learn to listen for the gunshots. Carrion eaters do not wonder at the source, do not wonder why there are so many fallen children.

###

Act of Congress by Molly Stevens

Dorothy abandoned her dishwashing to view the spectacle outside her kitchen window. A bald eagle circled overhead, closing in on a raven’s nest in the crotch of the big pine tree.

There must be babies in that nest.

She shuddered at the vulnerability of the chicks, on the menu for an overwhelming predator. Returning to a stack of pots and pans, she sighed and looked away from the brutal drama.

The clamor of angry birds reclaimed her attention. They waged a riotous protest, and the ravenous eagle retreated.

No mass murder today. Babies saved by an act of congress.

###

Mr Craven by Juliet Nubel

The whole school knew him as Raven. It was the way his black cloak flew behind him as he stormed along the corridors, screeching as he passed.

“Be quiet!” Don’t run!” Stop laughing!”

Never a smile or a nod. Just those piercing eyes staring down his crooked beak of a nose.

In class he hit us with his ruler, slapping hard on the backs of hands or legs. He brought it down so hard on my head one day that it drew blood. He looked pleased, not ashamed.

His real name was Craven. The extra C stood for Cruel.

###

Freedom by Kay Kingsley

Paralyzed, I laid in bed, unable to move even to scratch my nose. If I tried hard not to think about it I kept that imminent feeling of insanity at bay. I didn’t look at the calendar to know the date. I didn’t care anymore. Every day was the same. The godawful same. Gazing out the window tugged at my heart. I couldn’t see trees, houses, or even people. Only gray and freedom flying. Black ravens. Carrying the invisible strings to my heart, like dark dreams, my weighted freedom. I was jealous of birds… so I set them free.

###

Sign From God by Heather Gonzalez

“God, please show me a sign.”

Sam prayed as Katherine attempted to make a fire. They had been lost in the woods for days and hunger was really beginning to set in. Being a former girl scout meant that Katherine felt much more confident of their survival than he did.

“It is summer. Why do we need a fire?” Sam gripped.

Out of nowhere, a raven hit the ground hard in front of Sam. He knew it was a sign from God but was it good or bad? Before we could decide, Katherine picked it up.

“Oh good. Dinner.”

###

Black-Winged Messenger by Sarah Whiley

“They are the black-winged messengers from beyond,” my friend Bridget decreed, mystically.

I rolled my eyes. “You know they’re a real problem on farms?” I countered.

I remembered my farming mate telling me how the ravens particularly liked his grapes and soft fruits; and even how some of the larger ravens attacked the lambs! I’d seen them frequent Australian roadsides, feasting on the carcasses of the dead. Personally, I thought them altogether, quite opportunistic and horrid.

But I kept my mouth shut, as she continued, “When magic is near, the Raven will appear”.

Each to their own, I thought.

###

Raven by FloridaBorne

Why had I allowed her behind the wheel of my beloved Isuzu Trooper?

Teeth gritted…I knew it was coming.

“Bird!” My sister yelled out, slamming on the brakes. “Would you look at that raven!”

“Do I have to?” I grumbled.

Driven, she travelled another hundred feet along the lonely dirt road.

“Bird!”

While she stared through binoculars at another flock of feathered vermin, I opened the passenger’s door and jumped out.

“What’s wrong?”

“As if you didn’t know!” I replied, glaring at her.

“Normal people love birds!”

“I’m tired of flying into the windshield.  I’m not a passenger pigeon.”

###

Feeding the Ravens by Susan Sleggs

When visiting Grandma, I asked, “May I feed your friendly ravens?”

“Boy, you stay away from those evil birds. They’ll peck your eyes out!” my father snapped.

My mother disagreed. “I’ve fed those birds all my life. Only mythology and superstition say they are evil.”

Grandma settled the argument when she handed Dad her I-pad open to a fact page about ravens; they mate for life, use tools, can learn human speech, play in the snow, fly upside down, recognize human faces, voices and kindness.

Dad stomped up the stairs.

Grandma, Mom and I went out the back door.

###

Quoth the Raven (Jane Doe Flash Fiction) by Deborah Lee

Jane bends to scatter crumbs from her morning muffin. Will Edgar come today?

Ravens. Birds of Apollo and Odin, messengers from these gods of prophecy. Harbingers of death and loss. She can’t lose much more. She’ll feed her raven instead; give him a name.

Flapping heralds Edgar’s arrival. He pecks his breakfast, fixes his unnerving gaze on her. He hops aside and she sees it.

She edges forward but Edgar has already retreated, perching on the fence. She stoops closer, in awe. A ring, gold in color only, plated finish well-scraped.

“Yes, Edgar,” she laughs. “I love you, too.”

###

Raven Mum by Lisa Rey

The raven knew how she was perceived. As a bird full of venom and darkness, ready to peck your eyes out. She blamed these horror novels that were distributed around. In reality she was just like the other bird Mums out on her travels looking for food for her young: three sons and two daughters. Their father had being a loser but she diplomatically called him a ‘free spirit’. He had left when the babies were young and could literally be anywhere right now. She swooped down in battle with a crow Mum to get the piece of bread.

###

Winged Memory by PTSD Gal

They sang on the porch, but only for my father. He found them after a summer night’s thunderstorm. One of the few memories I have of him was when he was more of a father to them than me. Or so I thought.

As the Ravens grew stronger they would take their wings out for a test drive. ‘You see my love when they are strong they will leave and not return. It’s easy to let a creature go. You, I truly love and I’m afraid one day your wings will take you away and I can’t let go.’

###

An Uncommon Raven by JulesPaige

Raven watched her brother sweep the Nintendo villains in the
futuristic shimmering grove. Her father, on the balcony
drinking his Kingfisher beer and kicking off debris with his foot
into the void of the space below, not seeing his wife sighing
into her glass of Burgundy. When had the virtue of her family
turned into a single tonal resonance, lacking real life?

Raven hurried, she’d reach the bridge that spanned the
connection of this bored little town into the city. There the
library awaited. Her sanctuary. There she could read and
perhaps create a plan to save them all.

###

Naming a Superhero by Joe Owens

The discarded suggestions still hung in the air as the room fell silent. After all, it wasn’t every day you had the opportunity to hang a name on a super hero. This could be the stuff of legends.

“We must dig deeper folks,” Chairman Jim said pounding the table with his fist.

Well, Hawkman is taken!” Louie announced.

“That’s a stupid, bird-brain name anyway,” Linus replied. Linus never needed encouragement to continue, so he laughed as his own joke.

“I know,” Fred began as his face slowly bore a solid grin before he nodded his head in confirmation. “Raven!”

###

Arrival by John See

We watched from the kitchen window. The creature had wings, arms, and dark, iridescent feathers. Tufts of feathers grew in unlikely places. Ugly and beautiful, awkward and graceful–a misbegotten, overgrown raven.

Standing a few feet from the sycamore tree that dwarfs our backyard, it opened its mouth. Its thunderous caw was so loud it chased sparrows from the sycamore and sent two small boys scurrying away. A shoelace hung from its beak, as though it had just devoured a teenage boy.

All that was when there were just three of us and we still enjoyed each other’s company.

###

Served by TinTins

Her hair was as opaque as a raven’s jacket. Perched at the bar, her eyes searched, pursuing prey.  Her slinky red dress left nothing to the imagination; intentional.

She’d taken payment earlier that morning. Flaxen haired with emerald eyes; not your typical ladies’ man.   Still, there was something captivating about him; easy to place.

“What are you drinking?” the smooth operator probed.

“Your wedding band?” she countered.

Bemused, he removed the ring from his finger.

Seemingly satisfied she proffered her cheek and whispered, “I’ve a message for you.”

Intrigued he advanced.

“Your wife will see you in court sir.”

###

The Conspiracy by Reena Saxena

Her mother believes that ravens bring bad news, and gets rid of them quickly, if they land on the balcony.

Rowena is born with a special ability – to see beyond words. It has been more of a curse than a gift, as she fails to gain acceptance in social and professional circles. Her presence terrifies people, and they find reasons to get rid of her. She may not speak a word, but her overall demeanor gives those scary, all-knowing signals.

The raven has been shot down, and her mother looks relieved. She sees the dark conspiracy finally getting her.

###

The Grave Watcher by Gloria

Nancy sobbed as her father’s coffin was lowered into the six-foot hole. Her mother wasn’t crying or watching her husband being laid to rest; instead, her eyes were firmly fixed on the raven that perched on a nearby gravestone. Her mother left the cemetery but she never returned home.

Thirty years later, Nancy watched from a distance as a small crowd gathered in the cemetery for the burial of her estranged mother. She didn’t cry, nor did she watch as the coffin was being lowered into the ground. She was distracted by a raven landing on her father’s gravestone.

###

A Summer Reckoning by JulesPaige

Amber thought the butterfly was born under the sign of Cancer.
Once fairy like, the sun bleached, layogenic colors had turned
into a sideways transparency. Would that be enough to suppress
the hovering raven’s appetite? Warning colors gone.

Amber, while drinking her chamomile tea, watched the insect
rest in the empty granite birdbath. Farfetched to think that by
not filling it, she had given the bug sanctuary. There were no
assurances in regards to her own nature. One moment
gregarious and the next autophobic.

Amber went into the back garden. She’d save the butterfly
from being eaten, at least.

###

Dear Virginia Clay, by Denise Aileen DeVries

You were hard, unwelcoming,
allowing only the familiar
or the most intrusive to flourish,
then clinging, hanging onto everything.

In the right light, your forest
full of hanging vines, brambles
and poison ivy resembled the banyan
where I played one magical year.

But you were nothing like the rich, red
island soil that nurtured sweet fruit.
And while the sunlit vaults of your pines
recalled my fine old Colorado school,

benevolent ravens roosting above,
attic trusses serving as branches,
your woods offered no haven,
tripping me, ripping flesh at every turn.

Now, Virginia Clay, in a new landscape,
I remember you as a Lothario, full
of broken promises, my inability to mold
or conform to you shaping who I am today.

###

Mrs. Bird’s Children by JulesPaige

Brân was one of those boys at birth that you wonder how they
fit within the confines of their mother… He was born with a
full head of black hair. Like his father, yet he grew to be a
gentle giant. Very much unlike his father. Who once the lad
grew tall enough to keep the husband from dissing his wife –
left.

Mother and son, lived well enough without him. And grew
their family by a foundling on their doorstep. A girl with
raven hair, loving them both without ever questioning her
origins. No need for any DNA testing.

###

Ravenous by Kalpana Solsi

It slithered around the rough bark climbing up. Twenty pair of black claws impeded its
progress. However, the scaly creature defied the cacophony of cawing and clawing to
reach the eggs cocooned in the nest on the highest branch. It was a war, a war of one
species versus the other. Nikhil held the pink slip between his fingers and un-spooled in
his mind, the war fought in the boardroom with his own species. The Law of the Jungle
was very much evident in the urban concrete. He had to fight his own battles. The ravens
were still cawing.

###

Ravens in Reflection by Wallie & Friend

“But it’s just a bird!”

The man shook his finger at the children around him. “You’ll hurt her feelings if you talk like that. Ravens are the soul of wisdom. They are harbingers.”

The girl who had spoken wrinkled her nose and folded her arms. “Don’t look wise to me!”

“And that tells you how useful looks are.” The man took the raven on his wrist. “This bird is very wise. A century or so in Heaven, and this is what we say to critics. When do we let them trouble us, friend?”

The raven stretched her wings. “Nevermore!”

###

The Raven by Rugby843

I see you there, eyeing me, wondering how long it would take to raise your bow and pierce me with that arrow. I see you, contemplating, but think of this: For my species, I have an unusual memory and you will rue this day for eternity.

My eyes are keen, my feathers swift, and a twitch of your finger and I’ll be off, out of sight.

Then in the night when you think you are safe in your bed, I’ll come calling. Keep your windows locked, for I am a very strong and clever bird. This my final warning.

###

Raven by Kim Blades

Mark’s gnarled hands tried desperately to dig deeper. But as fast as his crooked fingers dragged the dry grains up and over the rim, so the sides collapsed and the sand slid back downwards.
He stopped digging for water and sat back, exhausted.

The sun was too close in these lonely desert lands
Lands that shimmered like an endless sea in the heat haze.

He knew he was not alone.

It watched him from the sandstone cliffs.
Watched and waited.

It would not be long now.

Mark knew that soon his open, staring eyes would be the raven’s prize.

###

Raven’s Eyes by Miriam Hurdle

“Do you have any water left, Dave?”

“I still have some. Take a sip. Your lips are badly chapped, Ben.”

“We have been lost in unpaved hiking trail for five days.”

“We only have water enough for two more days! I hope we could locate water soon!”

“Look, Dave! A raven is circling in the air and ready to dive down.”

“It spotted a dead deer and wanted its share. I think.”

“And the deer was drinking water!?”

“That may be our hope for water, Ben.”

“We could reach down by nightfall.”

“I hope this raven saves our lives.”

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Raven Haired Women by Eric Pone

Maryann’s raven sat on her windowsill cawing happily. Maryann was so excited as it was the first time in weeks that the girls were going out. The chirp of her phone stopped that excitement. “Go for Maryann.” Ducky cheerfully answered back. “Hey, girl Ginger around?” Maryann nudged Ginger awake. “What Duck?” Ducky sent them the pics of the kings’ mother and his former girlfriend. “Holy shit.” Ginger breathed. “Your guess was right. Eowyn is redirecting the operation you two are to meet me in Lagos.” Maryann and Ginger looked at each other. “Ono?” Ducky replied with a laugh. “Busy.”

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Raven Down by Frank Hubeny

There are plenty of explanations for the same data but what Randy wanted was to understand it at all.

He watched a bunch of crows tussling in the air and got out his phone. When he realized that one of the crows was being picked on lethally he switched the app to record video.

Aren’t birds supposed to be peaceful at least toward members of their own kind?

A select handful pecked the target repeatedly making sure its body could no longer move. Others flew about apparently guarding and watching.

Then it was over. Those who remained living departed.

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Nothing to Crow About by Norah Colvin

Brucie had to get there first to stake his place at the very top. He didn’t slow on the still-wet grass, and only momentarily to laugh at Jasmine who slipped as he brushed past. From his perch, he smirked at the disappointed faces below.

“Caw!” said a crow, alighting alongside.

“Shoo!”

It didn’t shoo–more came.

Brucie shouted, waving his arms.

The crows shuffled closer.

Brucie thrashed wildly.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Jasmine banged a cricket bat against the frame.

The crows flew away.

“Are you okay?” asked Jasmine.

Brucie nodded, then let the others play.

The crows never returned.

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Wearing by D. Avery

Sighing, Miranda looked through her closet, as if something new might have appeared. She finally took down the tired slacks, blouse and sweater that she usually wore on Wednesday. It would serve, though it’d serve better if she hadn’t packed so many pounds around her middle.
So much besides her weight had changed since she began teaching; changes that were demoralizing and depressing.

Sighing again she adjusted the accessory that now completed her outfit. Her Raven brand concealment holster used to tuck more easily into her waistband. Now the gun she carried, like her dispiritedness, was harder to conceal.

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Never So Simple by Roger Shipp

“Mamma… Mamma… The raven is back!” Mika ran breathlessly onto the back porch of the small trailer where her mother was removing the last fleshy remnants from the hides hanging from the rafters.

“Don’t worry child. It’s grown hungry and is raiding the fields just like the other birds.”

“But Grandmamma said…”

“I know what she said.” Mama clutched me close to her bosom. “Unci believes in great meanings from all the forest animals.”

“Does that mean it’s not true?”

“Grandmamma would never lie to you, Mika.”

“So, it is true.”

“The truth is never so simple, my child.”

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Dumpster Duck! by odysseyofhappiness

They flew cawing, laughing.

Dumpster Duck!

He followed, behind, avoiding attention.

Move dumpster duck!

Bodies slammed him

He struggled to remain in flight, wings trembling with sadness.

The cloud of feathers moved onward through the azure expanse.

He looked downward at the land of the legged, and flew as a falcon.

Downward.

The boy jumped in his seat by the window.

“Haha what a pussy!” Another boy jeered

“Scared of a birdie, FAGGOT!?” Yelled another, throwing an eraser, hitting the boy.

He turned, tears in his eyes, and looked down upon the lifeless bird.

Downward.

Another Raven.

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The Craven Raven by Graeme Sandford

That’s what they called him.

It wasn’t his fault, he’d been frightened by a loud bang and a scary scarecrow when just a fledgling. Since then he’d been a nervous type.

But, it was an unkindness that the other ravens kept on about it; and it didn’t help his confidence that there was a constant conspiracy to keep him from leading a normal raven’s life.

The other ravens mimicked ‘bangs’ and dropped straw on him whilst he slept. He woke to the confusion that his dreams, where he was haunted by marauding scarecrows, had become reality.

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Strange Bedfellows by Lisa Listwa

“Everyone thinks you’re ridiculous,” taunted Raven, circling around his companion.

Unicorn drank from the cool, sparkling stream.

“No one laughs about rainbows when I’m around,” Raven prodded.

Silent, Unicorn continued walking along the shore.

“I strike fear in the hearts of men,” he boasted, puffing out his chest feathers.

Finally, Unicorn stopped.

“And what of you?” she asked. “Many believe you bring light and gracious provision, that you usher in transformation. You do not know yourself.”

Uncomfortable, Raven flapped his wings.

“It is you who needs to transform,” he muttered.

Moonlight cast Raven’s shadow over Unicorn’s pure white form.

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Raven, Brother Raven…by Raymond Roy

Raven, Brother Raven, Is there a message that you bring? Mysteriously different from other birds, who choose to chirp and sing.

Raven, Brother Raven,

Blue-steeled feathers, ebony-onyx colored eyes,

Curiosity and character,I’m bewildered at your size

Raven, Brother Raven,

Poe did quoeth you “Nevermore”, with his somewhat twisted mind,

Natives legends infer, you created all mankind.

Raven, Brother Raven,

Your caw has my attention, omen of certain revolution, a cleansing kindred spirit,…leading to ascension.

Raven, Brother Raven,

Heed your sacred clan,

Put aside your trickster ways, for the benefit of man.

Raven, Brother Raven…

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Raven by Rebecca Glaessner

Starship Raven

Departing Earth orbit

Onboard systems reduced

Power rerouted to propulsion system

Maximum acceleration

Destination arrival time: 42,327 Earth years

> 44,564-07-23

Destination reached

Asteroid mining drones dispatched

Planetary entry sequence complete

Metamorphosis protocol activated

Generational fleet arrival: 27,424 EY.

> 57,309-04-14

Sea levels 62%

Atmospheric composition: 12% oxygen, 81% carbon dioxide

Surface vegetation 77%

Habitation modules 4%

Fleet arrival: 14,679 EY

> 71,988-10-17

Ecosystem 100%

Habitation modules 100%

Human fleet population 72%

Starship Raven shutdown

> 73,651-03-07

“Raven, help, activate.”

Systems rebooting

Ecosystem: critical

Human population 2%

Repair protocols activated

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Pal Says by D. Avery

Think his name was Ernie, they called him Ornery. Once had a woman, a whiskey maker. He loves her still. Her name was Wanda and that’s what she did. She wandered away when she found her Will. She and Will got a goat ‘cause she wanted a kid, left ol’ Ornery, but he loves her still.

Wanda and Will, hear they’re livin’ clean. Ol’ Ornery’s up in the hills, livin’ by the rushing still stream. Under the pines he parses corn, he thinks of Wanda, but doesn’t mourn, ‘cause he loves her still. Talks to the ravens, ravin’ drunk.

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