March Writing Prompts

March 9, 2023

Prompt: Write a short story titled Crow.

Crow.

An entire ditch full of dead people at the city line didn't stop Julian from stepping foot in Perishville again. News articles of their untimely deaths flooded the papers to the point of having a completely separate newspaper designed just for them, Corvus Crimes. Yet, it did not hinder his drive on this mission for even a second.

ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK the new sign stated. It was big enough for probably even aliens to see and just outside of their city limits. Still, he shrugged and continued on his way to the center.

(9:47 pm)

Robin
Why do you have to do this?
What purpose will it serve?
It's not going to change
anything that happened.

It won't change anything, but just the thought of the revenge and justice he would feel was enough. They took his brother from him, and he would be sure to take everything he could from them, no matter the cost. Robin reminded him over and over that he had more of a chance of dying than making it back alive.

He didn't care.

Lights beamed overhead as he made his way down the sidewalk. It had been years since he was here, but he was able to notice each little change they'd made. Some new houses, some patches in the road, and even brighter streetlights than they had before. Was it to see them easier? He wondered as he saw the bountiful amount that stretched down the road he was on.

Every change seen was acknowledged, analyzed, and then stored in his brain for further use. Getting out of here would not be easy. Knowing everything along the way would only help his escape once the job was finished.

A flutter flew over his head as he surveyed the area. For a moment, his heart stopped. The muscles in his neck stayed tight in order to not look up. Not a soul in town could see his face or he would never make it out alive. But, as the flutter continued over his head, he wondered if that was really plausible at this point.

Get it done first, he thought. With that, the pattering of his footsteps grew lighter, and he pulled the strings of his hoodie even tighter. Get in, get out.

(9:59 pm)

Robin
It's not too late to turn
around and just go home.

Julian could turn around, but he was too far in now. He was less than a quarter mile away from the hub. It wouldn't take long to take them out and get back on his way. The plan was flawless in his head, but Robin had told him many times that his plan was only without error because he was so set in his ways.

"You really need to think about this a bit more. You don't think they'll see you? You don't think they'll come after you?" She would ask, never finding the answer in his responses.

Getting caught didn't matter. Dying didn't matter. What mattered to him was ending the reign of these terrible pests by taking out their leader. Perishville may have felt safe to its residents, but the rest of the world did not feel the same.

Julian
I'm almost there. I'll be
in and out within 5 minutes
just like we talked about.
Stop worrying about me.

He knew she never would. To worry was her purpose.

Approaching the hub felt more anxiety-provoking than he'd imagined previously. He'd never been during his prior visits. Even the loss of his brother had happened on the opposite side of town. Most people knew not to visit the hub unless they were in danger.