The Act of Purifying

Chapter 1: Raven

My earliest memory is of staring at a bird flying through the sky. Black and sleek and untouchable in the air.

"It's called a raven, son."

Something about it was majestic and pure and despite its evil eyes, it was cleaner than the world around me. I was so young, yet even I knew that.

"They mean ill fortune, sweetheart."

But I didn't believe that. I thought it was beautiful. I thought its long wings could carry all of the nasty and wretched things in this world away. And even if it couldn't, at least it could escape so far and so fast that it would never be caught again.

To me, that bird symbolized freedom and hope. The way it dipped and dove and flew around was like a silent promise. A promise that everything can be free. No matter who or what you are. A promise that nothing could be as bad as you thought it could be.

"Bad luck will befall you if you see a raven."'

I didn't want to believe. When I saw that beautiful raven soaring in the sky caw cawing, I thought I was going to be free. Free of all the scary stories and the cloudy eyes and rants and raves of what's good and what's bad. Away from this scary thing called life.

And the bird landed a few feet in front of me, just past my red ball, tilting it's head, as if confused. I heard mommy scream and the birds eyes looked sad, and at that moment, I knew one of those ill fortune things mommy was talking about was the only promise the raven could give me.

I don't remember if I felt any pain. I do remember mommy's wail, though. The one that was immediately accompanied by my baby sister's. They mixed together like some high pitched siren filled with pain and fear and worry. And hopelessness.

Nothing like the eyes before me now. The police man before us, glared and begrudgingly says, "You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."

"You have the right to remain silent, any shit you say can and will be twisted around for our benefit and used against you in a court of law." Teegen whispers under his breath. I press my lips together.

"You have the right to an attorney. If you can not afford an attorney one will be appointed to you," the officer continues, trying to ignore Teegen entirely.

"You have a right to an attorney that you don't have because you're just an average Joe who hasn't needed one a day in your life. If you can't afford an attorney cause your a useless sack of shit, a cheap and unfaithful one will be appoint to you to ensure your destruction."

"Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?" the officer snarls, glaring daggers at Teegen.

But Teegen refuses to yield. We're being arrested; there is nothing that is going to stop him from getting the last word in. "Do you understand your rights as they have either been mockingly or begrudgingly read to you?"

"That's it, smart ass." The officer takes a threatening step towards us, more so Teegen than I, but us nonetheless before his partner calls out to him.

"Willows, one of them has a warrant!" I glare at Teegen.  "And the other's name is false!" Teegen glares at me.

The officer grabs Teegen's handcuffs and snarls something I can't make out into his ear, to which Teegen only snorts and looks away. The second officer grabs my handcuffs and they radio in for dispatch.

"Dispatch, we have a third time offender and a young man who refuses to give us his born name," the first officer says.

Teegen looks at me. "I thought your name really was Ivan Fartine." I crinkle my nose at that.