The Darkest Gift

A Meeting in Crimson

A young woman sat on a boulder overlooking the ocean while it was raining. She couldn't look away as the waves came in and out. Her head was pounding and her Adrenalin was still pumping. She couldn't believe what she had done two hours prier to this. Her forearms were covered with blood,bruises and scars and the knife that she has used on her once best friend was near her thigh. "Fuck.." was all she could say. She had nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Her family disowned her when they found about her true colors several years back. They never loved her anyways. All they were after was what money the government payed them for taking her in. She tried to calm herself down by turning her attention back to the bellowing waves. She put the knife into her pocket of her black jeans to keep some of the evidence with her.

The deep blue called to her in ways a living breathing person never could. She walked down the towering slope that she had perching herself upon. Soon as she at the shoreline she let out a long breath. She wanted the waves to claim her as there own. She was so exhausted with her existence. How many battles with herself, with supposed friends and what she thought were loved ones, and strangers had she faced. Soon she was waist deep and laid her arms out. The rain started to pour and the sky was soon cast into darkness. The young woman was suddenly startled she couldn't help but to thank someone was here watching her.

She turned around and on the shore there stood a man in a bone white hoodie, his raven black hair fanning ever so lightly in the wind and his sicking chelsea smile twisted her stomach. "Girl, what the fuck are you doing" his raspy voice sent shivers down her spine. She reluctantly retreated from the piercing water and made her way to the shoreline to see what this man wanted. Once again her head pounded but this time it sent her into so much pain she was on her knees in the dank sand. The male circled her with his repugnant smile "So succumb to the insanity I see...ah not to long ago I was there. I killed a couple of kids at a birthday party...good times." He let out a dark mincing laugh. His breath had the slight trace of cheap alcohol and cigarette smoke. "So girl what is your name anyways? It seems you and me are going to be seeing each other quite often seeing as the boss sent me on the mission to retrieve you."

Her head pounded but she could still pick up on his words. "R-Raven, Raven Edner is my name...Wait sent you to retrieve me." She shook her head trying her best to pull herself back together and stand. She slightly stumbled and almost fell upon the coast yet again. "What do you mean. What do you need me for?!" The young man looked at her in curiosity he sighed he anticipated for him to question him. "Look all I know is my boss sent me to recruit you. He said you have potential and could aid us in the future. Besides would you rather be on the run from the cops by yourself or would you rather tag along with me and not rot in prison?"
Raven thought for a moment and turned towards him "I suppose your right. " She walked to his side. Once she got closer to this man she noticed he didn't have eyelids,his skin was burned white and his "smile" seemed a bit jagged. She could have sworn she had recognized him from somewhere but thought it was just coincidence. She shrugged and decided it was best not to ask what happened to his appearance. "Good, I knew you would see it my way. Now follow me and we will be at the manor in no time." Manor, she thought to herself. Who exactly were these people she was about to meet and who was this man that suddenly appeared.

She followed him murky woodland that was near the shoreline. "So, whats your name anyways?" she said. He chuckled "Jeff, Jeff the killer...you may have heard of me from the papers or news" Raven was shocked she couldn't believe what she had just heard. She didn't know if she should run or stay near him. Raven knew she saw him somewhere before but she didn't expect it was from the local newspaper. She stopped walking once he introduced himself and he had noticed this right away. He scoffed at this and walked over to Raven. Her chocolate brown hair hide her face from view. "Look...umm Raven was it? Your not in any danger. I am just a proxy and even if I wanted to kill you I would be in deep shit with my boss. Your fine, I promise" Jeff pushed her hair out of her face and Raven flinched. Her sea green eyes meet his black and he smiled slightly more.

"So Raven tell me what happened when we get to manor after you meet everyone. I would love to hear more about whatever made you this way." She smiled and went to his side yet again. After about an hour of walking through marshy water and braving the local wildlife they reached a dark forbidding manor. "Woe...you weren't kidding" Jeff looked over at her and chuckled and shook his head. "No, I told you. So when you meet the boss don't freak out okay and try to be chill. He can be a bit intimating. She nodded. "Okay, be chill and calm are there anymore tips you got for me Jeff?" she gave a nervous smile at him. "Nah, you got this. You will be fine trust me on this one." He opened the door to the dimly lite manor. She already felt intimidated when she saw the manor how could she possible not be nervous. All she knew she had no idea what she got herself into.