The Ravens Of Duskwood

Chapter 1:My own Study in Scarlett

Disclaimer: I do not own Duskwood and I am not profiting from this work. The only thing I own are the thoughts that our MC has, her back story, and any OCs I may add. Because I’m from the United States, any statistics I use will be from here. In my mind Duskwood is located in a fictional world parallel to ours and therefore I get Writer Privileges to add or change a few things.

Please enjoy!

I’ll be cross posting this on A03, FF.net, and WattPad. The rating is subject to change based on how the story goes.

Day 30 of my intentional exile started just like every other day. Waking up at 10 am because any later than that and my depression starts to show. Not that there’s anyone to see it. I left my last job, my family, everyone I knew. I had enough money saved up to allow myself to wallow and the only bills that really needed to be paid were just utility, phone, internet, and food.

Groaning, I reached under my pillow to grab my phone, swiping away the alarm and checked my notifications. YouTube, a few games, some emails about classes I was taking before I fell into my slump, and one of my brothers asking me to send him $10 for cigarettes.

I dropped the phone onto my chest and stared up at the ceiling. The popular “popcorn” effect of the 70s showed dust gathering. Rubbing my hand over my face, I picked my phone back up before sending the $10 my brother wanted. If he was messaging me that means no one else would give it to him. He’s the only one that ever pays me back so why not.

Finally deciding to get up, I stretched before taking my phone off the charger and making my way out of my bedroom, my over sized t-shirt hung off one shoulder and the skin of my legs prickled with contact from the cold air as I made my way to the bathroom for my morning ablutions. As I cupped water in my hands to rinse my face, my phone started to ping. Blindly, I rinsed with one hand while reaching for the nearby hand towel with the other, drying it before grabbing my phone from where I had set it on my bathroom shelf.

“Chat request from Thomas”

Who’s Thomas? I wonder, idly using the towel to dry my face before dropping it.

Making my way back through my bedroom I head to the kitchen as I unlock my phone and accept the request.

T: Hello?

T: Are you there?

Don’t think I’ve had a stranger message like this before… it’s always “Hello beautiful” “Y R U Ignoring me”. Making it to the kitchen, I shoot off a “Do I know you?”, set down my phone, and open my cabinets. I start rustling through them to grab the filters, my favored brand of coffee, and my measuring spoon.

I’m so glad I filled the machine with water after I cleaned it last time.

Popping open the compartment, I throw a filter in and pop the lid off of the coffee before dropping in three spoons, snapping it shut and pressing the on button.

Heading to the opposite cabinets I grab the largest cup I had when my phone starts going off.

*bzzt* *bzzt* *bzzt* *bzzt* *bzzt* *bzzt* *bzzt*

That’s a new record.

Setting the cup down, I grab my phone.

T: I don’t know

T: No matter how I put this, it’ll sound crazy

T: I’ve e gone over this so many times in my head

T: Wait a sec

T: I have to add the others first

T: Please don’t go

+Thomas added Cleo