Eau de Fear

I never knew that terror stank.

It's a smell that means your balls are against the wall. There's nowhere left to run. You made a wrong move, and now you're gonna pay. All you gotta do is figure out what the price is gonna be. And all you know is, you can't afford it.

All your life you stayed two steps ahead of the game. Duckin' and divin', showing off some fancy footwork. Never reaching the lofty heights, but Christ, you did OK.

You start lookin' around at what other people've got and you're on the road to a whole lotta hurt. It's not smart to have dreams, anyone'll tell you that.

Thing is, you gotta take your chance when it comes your way. It's not like there's a whole cherry tree full of chances in your back yard just waiting for you to walk up and take your pick.

"Get up shit-for-brains." Vinny's henchman was not impressed.

I got up. Slowly.

"Vinny don't take kindly to being double-crossed. And you're so shit-stupid, you couldn't even get it right. You fucked up, you got greedy. We caught you, so say goodbye."

Damned if that cherry tree didn't have a few precious jewels on 'em. Damn right I picked 'em.

Vinny could kiss my ass.

I rolled Vinny's henchman up in the tarp and shoved the red ruby between his teeth, the smell of his own terror clinging to his quickly drying sweat.

One Crow Sorrow

The night is dark, but the moon casts its light over the open field, covering it like a blanket soaked in mercury. The trees at the edge of the clearing beckon like blackened skeletons, calling me closer, closer, drawing me in.


“You are the keeper of all knowledge. You are the sacred law. You are an omen of change. Through you, I will know the truth. Tell me what I must know.”


The crow does not answer, mocking me harshly with its grating cry. It knows I will follow. I am compelled. I have no choice.


“What message do you have for me? Enlighten me, please! What am I supposed to learn?”


Deeper into the night, deeper into the heart of the shadows, the crow is silent as it cuts a path through the frigid air, taking me where I understand that I must go.


“What do you want from me?”


The crow speaks, “My son, you must change your path. This way darkness lies. You have a good heart, but it grows cold and empty. You have dreams, but you do not seek them. You have life, but you do not live it. You walk alone.


“You were a child and can hold no blame. It was not your fault.”


“But I trusted…”


“And you were betrayed. Trust yourself now, love yourself now and peace will follow.”


The crow wraps me within its soft, gentle wings and leads me toward the warmth of the rising sun.