Like a Raven's Wing

Strong arms grabbed her from behind, dragging her away from the streetlamp. A hand stifled her scream...

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Blame Jennifer Lawson. Already so successful at twenty-two! Allie, almost twenty-one, had accomplished nothing. The best years of her life were passing her by. Blame her parents, her tightly religious upbringing. Blame Curtis.

Allie met Curtis at a local fun day, captured between his piercing eyes and his odd little smile. I understood the universe and got the joke, it said. Wanna hear it?

She'd been a girl. A caterpillar. Drab. Under his apparently spell-bound gaze, she blossomed. He seemed fascinated by her opinions, in a voice that faltered.

She'd thought her hair thin, shapeless, but when his lips moved against it so beautiful, like a raven's wing... she felt beautiful.

"Come back with me to the Farmhouse. It's amazing... it'll be even better when you're there." He spoke of a grand jigsaw, where she wouldn't just fit in, she'd complete the picture.

They arrived. She clutched his arm. He handled her like a goldfish in a bag.

He withdrew as a lover, but replaced intimacy with powerful belonging. He urged her, and the others, to fix their thoughts on a higher purpose. Unity. Acts of Service. Words of Affirmation. Sacrifice.

This, he said, was True Love. Not the paltry carnal act between two people, but a powerful bond forged through everyone, that could bring about World Peace...

He sprinkled love-crumbs, hinting that she, my raven, was his favourite.

Weeks stretched into months. Those in his inner circle submitted to intense control. Allie, in love, and dazzled by high ideals, cut off contact with family and friends, and gave everything to the Community.

Infractions were punished. Beatings, fastings, drugged water. Ostracisation. Good behaviour was rewarded. Better food. Your own clothes. Trips out for charity work or recruitment.

Allie was walking from the soup kitchen to the campervan, when they grabbed her.

"Allie! It's me!"

Allie recognised her brother's voice. She struggled harder, biting his hand.

"It's Raven," she spat. "Let me go!"

"No," he said, voice cracking. "I'm saving you."

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Edited to add author's note:

Word count - 366

(NB. This excludes the title, subtitle, and authors note.)

Submitted on Tuesday 10th September

Author's Note A Year of Stories: I'm writing (and submitting, here) a story every day this year. This continues my 254 daily microfiction story streak since 1st January. Please consider lending your support to the other creators on this madcap "a story every day" adventure. They're putting out excellent content every day! Rachel Deeming Gerard DiLeo

Thank you

Especially if you are one of the wonderful people who has been staunchly reading these daily scribbles since the start of the year. I see you, and appreciate you very much indeed! Thank you to those who leave feedback/comments. I will do my best to respond to each one and reciprocate the reads.

If you enjoyed this one, the very best compliment you can give me is to share it, or read another!

Here is a recent Top Story of mine:

My new Dollar Challenge! Please give it a look:

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If you'd like a longer bit of fiction, this one won a challenge. I'm proud of it, and it's probably worth a look if you haven't already seen it.

And now for something completely different!

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