Ravyn

Chapter 12: After

November 2nd

My swollen eyes open slowly. I cough and it brings the realization that my throat feels like sandpaper. I lick my lips as I sit up, dropping my head into my hands. I let out a raspy, low groan as the realization that morning has come, hits me.

"Are you just gonna sit there and feel sorry for yourself?" Ravyn's voice asks. He leans againts a wall with his muscular arms crossed over his chest. I look up with anger burning in my eyes. I stand and stalk over to him.

"Look, Ravyn. Nobody's perfect. We all make mistakes and dumb decisions. You can blame me for Nicole's injuries and Katie death, but don't you dare say I just feel sorry for myself! How dare you think that? Do you realize what I have to deal with now? The death of my best friend and it's my fault. Do you know what that's like?" I rant in a hoarse voice. He raises a thick, black eyebrow at me before pulling out a concealed canteen beneath his arm. He holds it out in front of me. I snatch it away from him in order to sip the warm water and let it slip down my throat. A drop of water dribbles out of the corner of my mouth as I pull the canteen away from my lips. Before I can wipe my mouth away with my sleeve, Ravyn raises his hand to my mouth and brushes the drop of water away with the pad of his large thumb. My breath catches in my thraot.

"Yes," Ravyn states bluntly. My eye twitches in annoyance as I raise my eyebrow.

"Oh, really?" I counter. He sighs as he walks past me to sit on the couch, stretching his legs out onto a coffee table.

"Sit," he commands. I grudgingly obey and plop down next to him on the couch. My eyes search his for answers as he stares at the wall while he tells his story. My imagination wanders and pictures every detail he explains.

*****

Ravyn sits next to a girl with long, thick black hair like his. Her piercing dark blue eyes are filled with love as she smiles at him. She looks exactly like her brother in every single way.

"Adam, aren't you excited? We found other people!" she squeals with happiness. Her voice is high, but not loud or obnoxious. It's feathery and delicate like a white dove released at a wedding, fluttering through the blue sky and fluffy white clouds.

"I suppose," Ravyn answers lowly. "But, I'm not sure if I trust them." Her plump pink lips turn down in a frown as her big eyes widen in concern.

"Adam, you don't think they'd do something bad to us, would they?" she asks quietly. The hot fire blazes in front of them and warms their cold, pale skin. He presses a finger to her lips to silence her as a small group of people approaches them.

"Ravyn, Xandria, we brought back some food." Cody states. Jason smiles gently at Ravyn and his siter as Conner and Cody look at her with a hungry look in their eyes.

"Adam." Xandria whispers into Ravyn's ear. "Why do you insist that they call you Ravyn?" He shakes his head.

"It doesn't matter to you. You don't have to call me that," he scolds. She blushes profusely as her eyes slide to her hands. Ravyn smiles with guilt as he slides one of his hands into hers.

They all eat their food around the fire and talk about previous life before curling up in sleeping bags and going to sleep.

Suddenly, Ravyn awakens to the sound of low groaning and whimpering. His eyebrows furrow together in confusion as his eyes slowly drag open. He looks over to find Cody raping his younger sister. He yells in anger while shoving himself out of his sleeping bag. Conner shoves Ravyn to the ground. Ravyn continues yelling as Conner forces Jason to hold Ravyn down while he and Evan attack Ravyn.