When The Raven's Feathers Fall

Chapter XII

~Suicide is a man's way of telling God 'You can't fire me-I quit.' (Bill Mahner)~

At about three in the morning the boy wakes crying, sighing I rub his back and lull him to sleep. I refuse to wake Raven, she needs her sleep. I wake to the boy moving about on the bed, I look and he is awake and staring at me. He sits up slowly all the while watching me, I stand from the chair and he reaches out grabbing my clothes. I turn to look at him and he shrinks away, "Where are my parents?"

"The underworld."

"Why?" He looks sad and I don't know why, it's not like it's a sad place it's actually very upbeat.

"I killed them, they died in the fire last night. The one that I saved you from."

The boy starts to cry and Raven is suddenly in the room, holding the boy, "I thought that you would be better at telling him that his parents are gone."

"He was going to find out sooner or later, I thought it would be better that he learn sooner." She shakes her head and rubs the boy's back.

The boy stops crying after a while, "Will he hurt me?"

He clings onto Raven, "No, he won't hurt you. You are safe here."

He nods and moves away from her and looks at me, "You're scary looking....who are you?"

"I'm the Grim Reaper."

"You look too nice to be the Grim Reaper."

I smile at him and shake my head, "Why do you think I was the one to take your parents."

He all of sudden gets this look of realization, "So you're a good guy?" I nod slowly, "Are you going to get rid of me?"

I look to Raven to see what she says, this is up to her, "Of course we aren't getting rid of you!"

"Really?"

She smiles and nods, "What is your name?"

"Devin."

"I'm Raven and we call him Grim." She is so cute when she's being motherly, "Why don't we go shopping for clothes for you?"

She pointedly looks at me, "Get the boy ready and we'll take him to the store." She jumps up from the bed and hugs me, I hug her back before leaving the room. Sighing I change, why did I save the boy? I've never saved a life before I met Raven....

******

Tomorrow is friday and yesterday the boy called me dad by accident but I didn't really get mad...I thought it was nice. Maybe if Raven wasn't a client of mine we could have a child together or maybe just raise the boy together. From the first day he started calling Raven mom but that was to be expected she gives off a motherly vibe when she's around him. Today we are going to do a family thing and I plan on staying out with them until morning.

"Where are we going dad?" There he goes again, he says it like it's normal...

Every time he says it I get this weird feeling in my chest and Raven starts smiling. "We are going somewhere special we are going to stay there today and tomorrow."

"Yay! Camping!" Ravens musical laugh fills the car and she starts singing with the radio. I smile as I drive across the state lines, we should arrive there soon. I hope they like it there, this would be the best last days with Raven if she did. I have lived alone for so long, I'm glad I could spend even just a month with her.

After about an hour Raven and the boy have fallen asleep and I hum quietly to myself, in about half an hour we will be at the cabin. I glance over at Raven who has covered herself with my jacket and has her head laying on the window. I'm really going to miss having her around.