The Ravens of Nevermore

Like every night terrifying-scary, conditioned minds, alert and wary,

Preparing for the frightening tortures of the night and numerous times before-

While they nodded, never napping; suddenly they heard the slapping,

Hearing and imagining their mother’s skull smashing, cracking on the floor.

They held each other closely – huddled tightly on the floor-

Till there was silence and nothing more.

So long ago, still the little girl remembered, life before he met her mom was simpler.

When the little souls within them were not ghosts of shadows on the floor.

Sadness came with each morrow, of new nightmares, tears, pain, and sorrow.

Memories from the past she borrowed- borrowed from a time before-

“What happened to yesterday? Will I ever get to feel the light once more?”

A foolish girl with foolish questions-nothing more.

Every night it was certain- when the sun set behind the curtain

Fiendish- chilling terrors would enter through their bedroom door.

They tried to calm their hearts rapid beating, quiet prayers they kept repeating-

“Please let him pass us- without desire to come through the door; -

Please father in heaven- don’t let him hurt us anymore; -

We ask you this heavenly father and nothing more.”

The young girl began to grow stronger, as the night hours grew longer,

“Maybe,” she whispered, “tonight we will be ok- his rampage is calmed, and he will not be angry

anymore.

Perhaps-we can rest with no need for napping, no more sounds of cries or slapping,

Or bursting in, no knock or tapping, snapping hinges off the door,

Can you hear anything dear brother- do you hear something on the other side of the door?” –

Silent darkness and nothing more.

Deep in the darkness she lay peering, at the moonlit bedroom ceiling-

Fearing for her mother, brother, and her life once more.

When the silence remained unbroken, her brother’s quiet snoring was a token-

Her one worded prayer she had spoken, was a pained word, “Nevermore.”

This she whispered and repeated till it echoed through her brain and heart “Nevermore” –

Simply that and nothing more.

The young girl with stomach churning, peace was what her soul was yearning,

Yet again reality struck much harder than before.

“Certainly”, she thought “this will not always be our life; when I get older, we will run away and never

again darken the front door.” How she prayed each day quickly pass, to begin to live once more.

She thought, “Silly, dreams and nothing more.”

Deep in the night he threw the covers, covered her mouth to hear no mutters,

Making her forget her childhood, replacing them with fears like night before.

She pushed and resisted but never got free, five minutes of torture on the nightly-

Just as quickly as he entered- he quickly unlocked and exited the bedroom door-

Leaving the girls young brother to console her as she laid curled up on the floor-

Cried and hurt- again, once more.

Then the dreadful event defiling turned depression into psychotic smiling,

As she thought of him poisoned, stabbed, freak drowning – even the funeral suit that he wore.

“I will make him pay.” She said, fears no longer craven. Imagining the grim memories fading into their

life before.

Quipped her brother, “Nevermore”.

To hear his word so quiet, plainly, her ears had to do great straining-

She marveled at that uttered word and the meaning that it bore.

Even the blind void of seeing could sense the evil of that being

And would pray to stop his breathing to stop hurting them anymore-

What a blessing it would be if he never again walked through their bedroom door,

Hoping and praying for their Nevermore.

Next night-sitting quietly together; unspoken thoughts repeated the one word it cried many times

before.

No sooner after silent thoughts not muttered- he raged in and made them shutter- with all her strength

she uttered,

“Please don’t hurt me, my brother, or my mama anymore more. Please sir, I’m begging you to stop- we

can’t take the abuse much more.”

Then there was darkness as his hand hit her face, then she the floor.

She woke up startled, with skin broken, the comfort of her brother was calm words spoken.

“Damn this”, she whispered angrily, “He will get paid back for all his abuse before.”

She thought, maybe his father treated him like a bastard-now he aimed to make their life a disaster.

Suddenly their hearts beat fast, then faster, when they heard footsteps go past their door.

She vowed from that night forward to refuse to live in fear anymore- she uttered

“Soon we will be here…nevermore”.

Again, the event defiling, turned into psychotic smiling, after the house slept, she crept to the kitchen

then rushed quickly back to their bedroom once more.

“I will make him pay.” She said, her fears no longer craven. Imagining the grim memories fading in to

nevermore.

“That bastard is going to pay for what he’s done to us and then some more.”

Quipped her brother, “Nevermore.”

The girl smiled slightly from what her brother said faintly he reminisced of dreams remembered plainly.

Though his eyes spoke otherwise- hope did lie beyond the door.

Blade close, she began divining, the monster’s death that she was pining

Staring at the walls that the moonlight bathed the room o’er,

Fantasizing of his blood spilled upon the floor,

Till he breathed, nevermore.

Startled from sleep, she felt the air grow denser, she grabbed the blade from between the mattress

meant to defend her,

Anticipating his entrance as his footfalls creaked against the hardwood floor.

“Leave” she cried, “or by God, I will take you out, before you further hurt my family- heaven’s angels I

call upon you to please come and aid me.

Leave- just leave and take your horrid memories, so we can have a life whole once more.

Please, oh please don’t come in here, forget we even existed or that you even darkened our front door!”

Screamed her brother “Nevermore!”

“Get out!” she shrieked, “man so evil- spawn of the hellish devil! -

Whether you believe me or not, one of us will not leave alive through that door-

Will you not heed my warning? Are you foolish enough to try and hurt once more!”

He grabbed her brother and bashed his head till the little boy breathed no more.

“Bastard!” she cried, “man of evil- soulless puppet of the devil!

By the God I serve- I will stab you, until you breathe no more-

Your body will be bathing in your blood that it’s containing,

No more families will you be maiming- as this knife stabs you through your core.”

She looked at her brothers lifeless body, which breathed nevermore.

With a curdled scream her murderous intent was starting, to begin his soul departing-

“Go back to hell you monster, cease to breathe anymore!

Leave no memories of your existence or the family that you have broken!”

With a final plunge, ribs broken the man lay bleeding on the floor.

With his dying breath he pulled out the blade and stabbed the girl quick and deep in her core,

With dying breath, she spoke “Sweet Nevermore”

Now the Ravens once among the living, on the cold floor where once were sitting

Lay sprawled out lifeless corpses, reaching for the sanctuary of beyond their bedroom door.

Sweet eyes that should have never seen- things only meant for movie nightmare dreams,

And the moonlight bathed and streamed the room with crumpled bodies on the floor.

Now their souls live in the shadows that lies floating on floor

Resting peacefully- forevermore