The Lonely Raven

Chapter 6 - The Man From Her Nightmare

As Poppy's figure soon became non-existent, Raven snuggled into her coat to remain warm. She looked around her surroundings and noticed that the streets were flooded by people trying to get to their day jobs. With the sudden crowds, Raven quickly jogged in the opposite direction. Her rosy cheeks puffed in and out as she breathed in the cold air into her lungs. She stopped in her tracks to find herself in front of a park which had been run down for a few years.

The playground equipment was rusty and only a faint bit of colour remained. The eerie sound of the swings squeaking sent shivers down her spine. It was empty and not a soul was present. A sudden gust of wind forced the park gate to swing open, as if it was welcoming Raven. She admitted this park was creepy but didn't want to turn back with the crowds of people swarming the streets. The grass was severely overgrown and many weeds sprouted from the ground. Raven walked through as she imbedded her footprints onto the now flattened grass. She approached the swings, she gripped the rusty chains and began to slowly sit down on the swing. She begged it wouldn't collapse with the sudden weight. The chains creaked and squeaked as Raven sat down and slowly swung back and forth. Her feet were slowly grazing the ground so she wouldn't go too fast. This reminded Raven of times she went to the park with her mother, with having no friends throughout her childhood her mother was the only one there.

Raven kept swinging until she noticed the dark clouds in the sky. It felt like they were closing in on her. She pushed her feet onto the ground in order to stop the movement of the swing. The wind was now much stronger and sent Raven's hair flying in all directions. She placed her hands onto her face attempting to sort her hair out. By sliding her hair behind her ears, she could finally see clearly again. Her eyes widened as she gazed over at a tall man dressed in all black clothing. His hair was jet black and was combed into place with thick hair gel. She grasped as she recognised the clothing and quickly shut her eyes as she pictured the photo that was in her dreams. The man turned around and now Raven could clearly see his face. Skin as pale as hers but dark brown eyes... He matched the photo. Her stare grew more intense, it seemed like her gaze was piercing into his soul. He was now aware of Raven and began to approach her. It felt like it was in slow motion, she bolted towards the park gate and ran as fast as she could. Faint footsteps were heard behind her until she ran through an alleyway back onto the busy streets. With no time to panic, she pushed through the crowds and made her way towards the apartment building. Raven was certain she had lost him, she turned around and he was nowhere to be seen. With losing him, she made her way back home.

As she approached the door to the apartment building, she was not aware she was being watched. He ran his hand through his hair as he watched her enter. His lips curved into a smile as he stepped back into the crowd.