Chapter One

Death

Rain slammed onto the dark man's wide-brimmed black hat as he made his way slowly down the curvey, uneven sidewalk. His long, swaying trenchcoat splashed into a mud puddle that ran off into the street. Thunder boomed overhead, rattling several of the darkened lamp posts that stood on the corner of each sidewalk.

The deserted New Orleans street was littered with trash from the recent Mardi Gras parade that was quickly canceled due to the approaching hurricane. The dark man kicked a dead dog out of his path. It made a digusting plopping sound as it rolled across the cobbled street and settled into the grimey gutter.

The dark man's destination was a nice French Quarter apartment located on St. Peters Street, right above a voodoo shop. Its occupants, Gavin Miller and Ana Smith, weren't home. They were making their way home from the hospital, were Gavin had been treated for a broken arm earlier that day. Both were soaked; no taxis were out in the storm and the trollies had been shut down.

"Does it hurt?" Ana asked him, picking at the sling which held the white plaster cast.

Gavin put his good arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. "Nah. The doctors gave me some pain killers before we left. Remember?" He lifted Ana's face to his and bent his head to kiss her. The rain poured down their faces, into their mouths. They didn't care. Their wedding was only a few weeks away, but they didn't want to move from that spot. Finally, they pulled away from each other and made their way back to the apartment.

A small hallway lead them for about five feet before a flight of stairs brought them to their front door. Gavin pulled the keys from his left pocket and shoved them into the key hole.

"Hey cracker." Gavin turned around in time to see three black men, all built and mean-looking, standing in the shadows before a large fist landed itself onto his cheek, hard. Gavin hit the ground spitting blood from his mouth. The world was rushing around in his eyes, clouding up. What's happening? Is this a dream? he was thinking to himself. Then he heard Ana screaming.

"Gavin! Gavin! Help me!"

That was what roused Gavin from his stupor. Ana was in trouble. A boot-clad foot buried itself into his back before Gavin could stand up. Another boot struck him in the jaw. Then the foot in his back was gone. He felt a hand reach into his back pocket and grab the wallet.

"This chick got anything?" Gavin heard one of the men ask. He managed to turn his head and see Ana. Two of the black guys were holding her arms. The biggest one slapped her once, twice, three times. Blood flew from her mouth and splattered against the wall. They're hurting her! They're hurting her!

Gavin finally managed to struggle painfully to his feet. He approached the man hitting Ana and smashed the heavy plaster cast into the back of the man's skull. A loud crack resonated throughout the hallway and down the staircase. The man sank to his feet. Blood poured down the back of his head. A large chunk of white plaster fell to the floor. A few strips of skin clung to the edges of the broken cast.

The two standing men let go of Ana's arms and began advancing on Gavin.

BANG

The gunshot and thunderclap rattled the walls. A hole the size a quarter appeared in Ana's chest. As her body fell smoke began rising out of the bloody wound. Gavin jerked his head around to find her assassin. A man, tall and brooding, stood at the top of the staircase. His black trenchcoat hid his entire body in the dark night. He look like a shadow. Even his face was hidden underneath the black wide-brimmed hat. A silver revolver was pointed at Gavin. Its long barrel looked sinister as it still smoked from the bullet that had killed his fiancee.

The two black men had quickly gathered up their huge leader and run off in all of the confusion. "Hello Mr. Miller," the dark man said before he pulled the trigger. Gavin felt the bullet slam into his stomach and pierce his organs. The heat from the metal ball had singed his wet shirt and the skin around his belly button. Gavin crashed to the ground, trying to help the blood rush from his body. I need to be with Ana. His head flopped over limply. He found himself staring into Ana's vacant, angelic eyes. A small, bright stream of blood ran down her face from the corner of her lips. The bright, exhuberant color rushed from her cheeks as the blood pumped from her body. She shouldn't die alone, Gavin thought to himself.

"Don't worry. She won't die alone Mr. Miller." the dark man said, as if reading Gavin's mind. Gavin heard the dark man holster the gun and pull a knife from somewhere inside his trenchcoat. Gavin knew that he wouldn't die as easily as Ana had. He knew that for him, death would be slow. But death meant that he would be with Ana again, so he could wait a few more minutes. The dark man's heavy footsteps got closer and closer. Gavin heard him crouch down. He felt gloved hands on his chin. The hands turned his head upwards.

No! I want to see Ana!

The dark man's face remained hidden. The black-gloved hand showed Gavin a large, intricately decorated knife. Gavin felt his shoulder-length black hair being pushed behind his ears. The dark man turned its blade down, straight into Gavin's right eye. The blade slowly, precisely cut the eye away from Gavin's head. He was in so much pain that he couldn't even scream. But one thought kept the pain at a low minimum. I'm gonna see Ana again soon.

The eyeball made a sickening sound as it was popped from Gavin's head. Surprisingly, not too much blood came from the wound. Only a light trickle at stopped at his cheekbone. The dark man moved on and slowly removed the left eye with the same accuracy as the first. The two gaping holes glistened in the dim light. A tiny stream, identical to the first, flowed from the left eye.

"Goodbye Mr. Miller." Gavin felt the knife slide gracefully over his neck, spilling the much-needed life blood that kept Gavin alive. The last thing that Gavin saw before falling into oblivion was Ana, broken and bleeding, in the hallway.

Chapter Two

Resurrection

The old crow flew over the old city, over its filthy streets, over the filthy river filled with rotting bodies that no one knew about. It had a mission; to find the body of Gavin Miller and resurrect him before anyone else found him. The crow could have waited until he had been buried, but she was an old bird; her powers weren't what they used to be. It was getting harder to resurrect the ill-fated souls after they had been buried. She could still do it easily if the body was above ground.

St. Peters Street was beginning to flood. The crow caught a familiar scent. Blood. Blood and death.She swooped into the street, where a small stream of blood was flowing into a gutter. The crow followed the blood into a hallway, up a flight of stairs, and straight to the bodies.

CAW

The crow landed next to the stiff body of Gavin Miller. His eye sockets were filled with drying blood. The blood that ran down his face resembled teardrops. Tears for the innocent. It was a gruesome sight. But the old bird had seen worse.

She waddled until her beak was next his ear, where she began pecking at the ground. She sent her powers through the ground. The powers of life. They rushed into Gavin's body. The bullet hole in his chest slowly closed. His lacerated throat stitched itself back together. The bone in his arm mended itself. The white cast crumbled into dust. His bruised face healed. But his eyes had been removed; they could never be replaced, not with her old powers. Maybe if a younger crow had come, but not with hers. he would be able to see, but he wouldn't have eyes.

Finally, she rammed her beak into the cement hard enough to made a crack. The jagged crack branched out underneath Gavin's head.

Gavin jerked into a sitting position, couching, gagging. He couldn't catch his breath. The feeling throughtout his whole body was gone. Pins and needles poked every inch of his skin, as if his body had been asleep and was just waking up. He writhed in pain, trying to bring circulation back to himself. But no blood flowed through his body.

He began rubbing his chest, trying to ease the pain, and his hand ran over the spot where the bullet hole had been. A quick flash in his mind showed a bullet slowly entering his chest. Gavin's head jerked back. The flashback hurt. He remembered getting shot.

Gavin ripped his white, blood splattered T-shirt off and threw it onto the ground. His neck itched from where the skin particles were still sewing themselves back together. Gavin didn't know where he was. He looked around the dim hallway, and his "eyes" fell on Ana's body. Gavin's head jerked back again as he watched Ana get shot by the dark man. Her body almost doubled over and crumbled into the heap that it was in now. It was too painful for Gavin to see. He flung himself against the wall, banging his head against the weak mortar. But no blood came. Gavin stopped. He saw that his apartment door was ajar.

Chapter Three

Rememberance

Gavin flipped through the photo album. It was one that he and Ana had put together in rememberance of their first year. Several pictures of them at Mardi Gras. Dozens of them just hanging out around the French Quarter. One of when Ana had accidentally spilled frozen coffee in his lap at Cafe du Monde. All of the memories were good memories, but they were painful to Gavin. It was painful to remember such good times when he knew that they were gone forever.

One memory hung in his mind stronger than all of the others. The day that he had asked Ana to marry him. They had both taken a day off of work and explored the old city, window-shopped, examined the painter's works in front of the St. Louis Cathedral. Ana had fallen in love with one certain painting. It was an image of St. Louis #1 at nighttime. The tombs had been painted in dark and light gray. A beautiful woman clothed in white stood in the center of the painting. Bright light burst forth from her long, flowing cloak, piercing the darkness around her. A single tear dripped from her eye. Gavin had seen Ana's face light up when she saw the picture. She didn't buy it though. Instead, they looked around a little bit more, then returned to the apartment. As Ana was taking a nap, he returned to Jackson Square and found the artist as he was packing his things. He bought the painting and quickly returned to the apartment. He delicately stuck tape onto the painting, then placed the ring to the adhesive.

"Wake up, sleepy head."

"Who…oh, Gavin. You scared me."

"Sorry 'bout that. Look what I found"

"Oh, Gavin! It's beauti…Is that a ring?"

"Will you marry me?"

"Oh Gavin! Of course! I love you so much."

The voices haunted his memory, tore at his dilapidated sanity. It hurt so much for him to think of her. She was so happy. How could God let her die the way she did? Seeing her dead body through the open doorway ripped at Gavin's soul. He felt as if he were being hurtled into an endless oblivion of pain and despair.

Gavin looked up at the swirling storm clouds through the windows, looking as if he could find God in them, or possibly Ana. "God, how could do this? How come only the good die in bad ways? She had so much to live for. Why didn't you just take me? Would my soul not suffice your sick needs?"

A sharp razor rested in the bathroom drawer. Gavin ventured into the green-tiled room and found it. He looked into the mirror and saw for the first time how his face looked. The two bloody black holes on either side of his face. The two bloody teardrops. They scared her before she died. They will be afraid too. Gavin brought the blade to the teardrops and cut a long gash into his face, making the blood trickles permanent. He then wiped away the dark blood oozing down his face, letting it fall into a puddle in the palm of his hand. He dipped a finger into the red and smeared it on his lips, like some sort of cannibalistic lipstick. He continued by turning his finger up, painting a smile onto his sad, tormented face.

The photo albums were strewn across the living room. Gavin walked by them and felt more memories fighting their way into his mind. He made it past them and into the hallway outside. Ana's limp body lay crumpled on the ground. Gavin walked to her and laid her out in a more reverent, seemingly comfortable way. "Oh, Ana," he said to his dead fiancée, "I am so sorry that I didn't protect you. I have to find the people that did this to us."

Yes Gavin. Now you are understanding.

Gavin jerked his head around, trying in vain to find the speaker. "Who's there?"

Look on top of the door.

Gavin looked, and sure enough, a large black crow was perched there.

Do you know what you have to do?

"Avenge what was done to us."

Find the dark man and kill him.

"And the other three. I'm gonna find them too."

But Gavin, they did not kill you. Do not jeopardize your task by going astray from it.

"They hurt her. That's enough."

Gavin knelt and brushed away the blood on Ana's face. He bent his head and gave her one last kiss on her cold lips. Then, not listening to the crow's protests, the dead man turned and stalked away into the night.

Chapter Four

Fear

Ghost stood next to the flaming oil drum, hoping against hope that the rain wouldn't put the fire out. Tyrone and Corey had already left to go make the stuff they would be selling throughout the week.

His wrist was still sore from where that white chick had bitten him. He remembered holding her and Corey slapping her. He also remembered that big dude shooting her. That had freaked him and Tyrone out. They had grabbed Corey and run.

Corey's head had been bleeding pretty badly, but they finally were able to make it stop. He was really mad at them for letting that cracker sneak up on him. They had finally gone and bought him a rock, and that made him calm down. Ghost looked down at the bloody stump where his finger had been before Corey woke up and got angry.

The alley that Ghost was in had once been a place that slaves were brought and stored until they were sold at auction. Some people talked about how they had seen ghosts and felt spirits in this alley. Ghost had never seen or felt anything, but it could be that all of the drugs he was always on dulled his senses.

Now there was nothing in the alley except garbage piled three feet against both walls. The stench of death radiated from the trash. Ghost was sure that there was a dead body in there. No one that he had ever killed, but maybe Corey had. If Ghost ever killed someone, he always threw their bodies into the canal.

Something rustled at the end of the alley. Ghost looked quickly and caught a flash of movement from the corner of his eye, but then it was gone. All of a sudden, Ghost found himself on his back in a puddle of foul-smelling water. A man stood over him. A man with no eyes. Only two bloody eye sockets. Two bloody tear stains streaked down the man's face, as if he was crying. His chest bore a large scar of a bullet hole. The man began laughing.

"Hello Ghost."

"Hey man, who you?!" Ghost shouted at him. But the man was gone. Ghost looked around the alley; not a soul in sight. Insane laughter resounded throughout the alley. Ghost picked himseld up off of the ground and began running, running for his life. he heard footsteps echo throughout the alley, coming from every direction. Something struck Ghost in the cheekbone. He felt the bone shatter as he crumbled to the ground, crying. The man stood above him once again.

"You don't remember me, do you?" the man asked. He cocked his head to one side, like a bird eyeing its prey. "How can you forget the people that you helped murder so easily?"

"Man, I ain't murder nobody man!" Ghost cried, holding his broken face, trying to hide his tears.

The man began approaching Ghost slowly, sinisterly. "Maybe you didn't kill anyone tonight, but you did help hurt Ana. Only a little while ago. And for that," the man knelt down and whispered in Ghost's ear, "you must suffer."

The man grabbed Ghost by the throat and yanked the junkie to his feet. Ghosts arm flailed around limply, and accidentally struck Gavin in the chest. It brought back a memory. Gavin's head jerked backwards, taking the pain of the flashback. Ghost holding Ana, stoking her hair, whispering obsene and cruel things into her ear.

Gavin punched Ghost as hard as he could in the stomach. Ghost doubled over, but Gavin wouldn't let him fall to the ground. Gavin's fist smashed into the crackhead's teeth once, twice, three times. Several broke off at the rotting gums. Ghost screamed for mercy, but Gavin would show him none.

The last thing that Ghost saw in this world was a brick wall rushing to greet his face as Gavin slammed his head into the wall over and over, until Ghost's face had turned into a bloody pulp. Having no need for anything on the body, Gavin disposed of it by throwing it into the roaring oil drum fire. Ghosts blood was splattered on Gavin's chest. He began making intricate designs in the blood, drawing strange, unknown symbols on his body.

You have now killed one of them, so let it be done and go after the dark man.

Gavin looked up and saw the crow perched on a barred window. Her black eyes pierced straight into Gavin's soul.

"But there are still two of 'em left."

If you waste much more time on them, your powers might begin to fade.

"What powers?"

The powers of the crow. You cannot be injured. If you are shot, the bullet hole will close and you will feel no pain. But I am old; if you waste time, your powers may begin to fade. You are still hear to avenge yours and Ana's murder, not the robbery.

"But they hurt her. Besides, it's only two more guys. I can have both of them finished off in an hour. Then I'll find the dark man."

Chapter Four

Despair

Tyrone was sitting on an over-stuffed couch watching TV. The St. Louis #1 cemetery shown through the window everytime lightning struck. Water leaked through the roof and plopped onto the moldy carpet. The needle finally fell out of Tyrone's arm, drawing a few small beads of blood. It clanged to the floor, shattering.

Drool from his mouth slowly creeped down his chin and fell to his chest, sliding slowly down his body. A window somewhere in the run-down apartment broke, but Tyrone was too stoned to care. A large shadow appeared in the doorway leading to the kitchen.

"Hello Tyrone."

Tyrone managed to mumble a few words. "Get...outta here...man." But the shadow only approached Tyrone. The shadow stopped in front of the coffee table littered with cigarette butts and dirty syringes. He selected a needle filled with a brown liquid.

"You here to kill me man?" Tyrone slurred. The shadow looked at him and nodded. "Just don't hurt me man. I been wantin' to die a lot lately, but never had to guts to do it myself. Can ya make it easy?"

The shadow approached Tyrone. A brilliant bolt of lightning struck outside. The light illuminated the shadows features. A fairly built man without a shirt. He was wearing baggy black jeans. Strange, demonic looking symbols wear drawn in red all over his chest and stomach. Wet, tangled black hair fell over his face and almost to his shoulders, but Tyrone could still see the most horrifying part of the man. He had no eyes. Just two bloody eye sockets. A small line of blood resembling a teardrop fell down the man's face, cut off at the top of each cheekbone.

The man began to speak. "For you, I will make it easy. But only if you tell me where I can find Corey."

Tyrone thought hard, but the drugs had clouded his mind. It took him a few moments to remember. "Oh yeah. He's out in that cemetery, cookin' up a new batch." Tyrone pointed out the window to St. Louis #1.

"Thank you." The man advanced quickly on Tyrone. "This is for Ana." He plunged the syringe into Tyrone's eye. Gavin could feel the needle cut throat the soft tissue of the eye and into the brain. He mashed down the plunger. Tyrone's body began convulsing, jerking into strange positions as Gavin jumped out of the window.

Chapter Five

Irony

The cemetery was dark. Even when lightning lit up the graves, the light barely reached the ground to show the path. The tombs held the rotting corpses of people long dead, and the stench was terrible. But a different kind of stench radiated from a tomb close to the center of the cemetery.

Corey lit the fire underneath the large pot. Dozens of chemicals swirled in the mixture. Dave sat in the corner, trying to decide how he was going to get away. Corey had jumped him while he was visiting his mother's grave. Dave's wallet was now nestled into Corey's back pocket. He looked terrifyingly at the pistol that protruded from Corey's belt. A large, bloody wound covered the back of Corey's head. Dave could only guess where that had come from.

CAW

A crow swooped into the mausoleum, landing on Dave's head. Dave tried to scream, but the duct tape over his mouth prevented him from doing so. He would have swiped at it, but his hands were taped behind his back. Corey whipped around quickly, gun drawn, and fired at the bird. The bullet shattered the wall, sending pieces of broken stone flying into the air. But the bird was gone. Dave shivered, on the verge of tears.

"Don't worry, cracker. Ima let ya go after you test out this batch and make sure it ain't bad."

A large black shape appeared in the doorway. Corey quickly drew his gun again and fired. The bullet should have sent the shape backwards into the mud, but instead, the shape didn't budge. In fact, it advanced. The light in the tomb came from a few dozen candles and the fire beneath the pot. As the shape stepped into the light, it became a horrible monster. Its chest was covered in strange, bloody symbols. A large scar wrapped around the front of its throat. And it had no eyes. Only bloody holes. Two teardrops of blood had stained its face to the top of its cheekbones.

Corey fired three shots into its chest. All of the bullets left large holes, which were closed in seconds. Corey looked horrified. He jumped backwards and yanked Dave to his feet, holding the pistol to the frightened prisoners head.

"Don't come any closer, freak! I'll blow his head off!" Dave tried to scream. A large, wet stain spread across his pants.

The man didn't move. "But Corey, don't you remember me? I'm the one that gave you that wound on the back of your head. You are the one that beat Ana. Now you must own up to your crimes." Gavin took a step toward Corey and Dave.

BANG

Dave's head disappeared in a mist of blood. Brain and bone matter decorated the mausoleum wall with a loud, sickening splat.

Gavin lunged at Corey. He caught the gun and tried to avert the barrel. Corey pulled the trigger again. The deafening shot shook the walls.

CAWww

Gavin looked and saw the bird. She had been flying towards Corey. When he shot, the bullet had crashed into her chest. Blood and feathers fell to the ground with her ruined body. She tried feebly to flap her wings and fly, but it was no use. She was injured too badly.

Gavin punched Corey in the jaw. He felt the bone crack and turn in a grotesque angle. Corey's mouth was pointing in two different directions. Blood poured from his broken teeth and tongue.

Hurry up and finish him, Gavin! I'm trying to heal myself, but I do not know if I can! Hurry! if you do not destroy the dark man, your soul will perish and you will never see Ana again! Hurry!

Gavin shoved the gun into Corey's mangled mouth, making the huge man gag violently. "Do you remember those people that you robbed earlier this evening? The girl that you beat?! This is for her!"

BANG

Chapter Six

Broken Wings

The streets of New Orleans were filled with vile, stinking water. Trash floated over the sidewalks like water over a waterfall. Gavin's boots splashed through the small river as he ran. The crow was nestled in his hands, slowly healing herself.

Gavin knew where the dark man was. He was in an old abandoned warehouse. The only other occupant of the building was a little girl, about eight years old. She was tied down to an intricantly carved wooden altar. Dozens of tiny knife wounds covered her small body. The dark man stood over her, chanting his evil words. Dozens of body parts littered the wide open space. A few heads were latched onto hooks that hung from the ceiling. Most were people in their mid-twenties. All soon-to-be newly-weds. The dark lord always called for the sacrifice of lovers before joined in holy wedlock. But some were small homeless children that had just happened to wander into the warehouse.

Dozens of candles lit the room, casting gloomy shadows over the dark man's wrinkled face. He finished his chant and raised the knife that had killed Gavin above his head.

With no gust of wind, the candles blew out.

Thunder rumbled and lightning struck outside as the dark man looked around the room, trying to find...something. He didn't know what. Although he didn't see anything, he felt a presence. He heard heavy footsteps coming closer, closer.

"Who is there?!" the dark man screamed, frightened, into the dark.

A sinister voice echoed from the shadows, "An avenging angel."

The dark man drew his long-barreled revolver from inside his black trenchcoat and fired in the direction of the voice. He heard a flutter of wings resonate throughout the warehouse. He fired another shot. The bullet caught something. The dark man heard a body fall to the ground with a thud.

CAW

Gavin lay crumbled on the ground. The bullet had brought back images of Ana. Her broken body laying in the hallway. the blood trickling down her face. He felt the bullet hole close up, slower than usual; the crow was still healing herself.

Gavin struggled to his feet. Even without eyes, his vision pierced though the darkness and found the dark man, almost a shadow in the black. A clap of lightning illuminated the room, and the dark man caught sight of Gavin. He pumped off another shot. It hit Gavin in the neck, but he was prepared for the impact, and the flashback wasn't painful. It was a good one. Him and Ana visiting her grandmother's grave.

The dark man had forgotten about the little girl. She lay on the altar, trying to grow smaller as the two forces battled. If the sad man won, she was sure that he would free her. But if the dark man won...

Gavin lunged at the dark man, slapping the knife from his hand. It sailed through the air...and landed right in the crow's back. She cawed loudly in her death throes, then crumpled into a large ball of feathers and died. The dark man let off another shot, which slammed into Gavin's shoulder. An unbelievable, firey pain shot down his arm. He grabbed his shoulder and fell to the ground screaming. Blood pumped from the wound as the the dark man retrieved the knife, raising it above Gavin's head. "Now you will die...again."

Gavin kicked the dark man's feet, sending his sailing into the air. The knife clattered onto the floor. Gavin could feel himself becoming weak from blood loss. His vision began to dim. With the crow dead, he was losing the power of sight. But the dark man was on the ground next to Gavin. Gavin climbed on top of the man, straddling his stomach.

"This is for all of the innocent people you killed. Especially for Ana." He drove the knife to the hilt into the dark man's forehead. The dark man's eyes began to shrivel and fill with blood, then they slowly dissolved into nothing. Blood poured from his gaping mouth, but Gavin had already pulled the knife out and was busy cutting the little girl loose.

"I need you to do me a favor," he told her when she was on her feet again. "Run to the hospital. Tell them that there is a man at the entrance of St. Louis #1 that is dying. Can you do that for me?" The little girl nodded her head. She gave him a big hug then ran into the night.

Gavin rose to his feet. The wound in his shoulder was still bleeding profusely, but he had done what he came to do. He would be with Ana soon. And his vision was fading. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him to the entrance of St. Louis #1, were an ambulance soon arrived. They found him lying on the wet ground, playing dead.

He was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead. They carried him to the morgue and placed his body on one of the cold metal slabs. After the room was emptied of any living person, Gavin rose from his slab and walked around the room, searching for Ana. He finally found her body in one of the metal drawers that lined the wall. He crawled into the drawer with her and held her close. Then he died.