Ravenwings (Imaged + Completed) [1st in Trilogy]

Part II: Chapter 25

I couldn't help it.

"What'cha drawing?" I asked casually, setting my book aside in curiosity. He hadn't flipped the notepad page in an hour. He hadn't stopped moving that pencil either. What was he spending so much time on?

I suddenly saw him again after so long of silent scribbling. His eyes were wide, his face pale as if he'd seen a ghost, as he stared blankly at the paper.

"R-Raven?" I asked, concerned. "Are you alright?" What the hell is he drawing?

At the sound of my voice, he looked up at me, startled, and dropped his pencil.

He had that look in his eyes. The look of a wild animal, cornered. Trapped. Defeated. Terrified.

...Raven...?

I rose to my feet and crept towards him slowly.

"Raven, are you alright?" I repeated. He swallowed. He was tense. He glanced around wildly. His wings twitched. I put my hand out to to settle him down, but...decided against touching him, considering how that ended when he looked at me like that. He wasn't stable when he was having an episode. "Raven..." Not again...

His breathing began to pick up its pace. His eyes focused on my hand, I could see it reflected in his eyes, raised above him, reaching at him, trying to grab him. Trying to snatch him to beat him into submission and punish him for something or other.

He blinked hard, shaking his head, trying of shake off a bad memory, one second looking straight at my friendly hand, the next looking for an escape, fighting against a daytime nightmare.

He tried to scramble away from me into the wall, still blinking, reaching for his neck, grabbing at his wrists. His chest heaved until his lungs hurt and his eyes glinted in fear, his eyes focusing and unfocusing as the world around him uncontrollably flickered between the attic and a dark place I knew nothing about.

He cowered, his eyes blurring, tears suddenly beginning to silently stream out of his terrified eyes.

"Raven, it's alright, it's just me, Melody," I whispered. 

I wanted to reach out and hug him and tell him everything was alright, but as my hand got nearer, his breathing got more desperate, his eyes more scared, shaking in fear.

I backed away slowly. "Raven?" I breathed in disbelief. "It's just me..."

I reached down and picked up the sketch. I swallowed. "Who...who is this?"

It was a portrait of a man, and a good-looking one at that, neglecting the ugly scar across the bridge of his nose. What was striking about him in a positive way was hard to pinpoint though, especially considering the rest of his complexion. I think I see a few wrinkles. So, early-to-middle aged, with his long hair tied back in a ponytail. He even had a smug look on his face. 

Is this...him? That evil sicko who hurt Raven?

Raven swallowed, his eyes still darting looking around for an escape. He was braced against the wall, looking like a dog with its tail between its legs.

"Raven, look at me. Raven. Raven."

He steadied his gaze for a moment, but not his panting. And then he went back to flipping out.

"Deep breath. It's me. It's Melody," I said gently. "Melody. You're safe."

That look in his eyes. Like everything was closing in, the air itself was thinning out and choking him, no matter how hard he tried to breathe. That drawing was giving him major flashbacks.

"Calm down. Don't look at that, look at something else. Think of something else. Happy thoughts, good memories. Block it out."

I spotted a stray rubix cube on the floor. I picked it up and held it out to him. Happy memories. Something to pull him back to reality without me physically touching him and scaring him.

He looked at it thoughtfully, and began to steady himself.

I offered it to him... But he didn't take it.

I held it out more insistently, and he finally reached out to take it.

The rubix cube. All those peaceful times when he had nothing to worry about but matching the colors on a box, just so I could unscramble it again. Figuring out things so few others could.

But then, he swept the cube aside and let it fall to the floor, taking my hand instead.

He took my hand in both of his, holding on tight.

Happy memories.

Physical contact already made, I didn't have to be afraid of touching him. I reached out with my other hand and stroked his hair out of his face, resting my palm on his cheek.

"Are you alright?"

He nodded slowly.

"Come here," I said, and gave him a big hug. He was shaking in my arms.

Oh Raven, what did he do to you?

He took a deep breath and breathed me in... He had finally let me in. He had finally let me help him...

Happy memories.