Hunter to Raven

“Raaaaaaven, I’m boooooored” Neil whined to the girl sitting next to him. Her face was half in shadow from the flickering light of the bonfire before them, and previous to her companion’s loud complaint she had been contentedly daydreaming to herself as she studies the beauteous flame before her. Now her head was turned towards him, her brow furrowed in an irritated expression.1

“Do I look like I care? Go entertain yourself with one of the village girls or something” she grumbled, flashing him a cold glare. He recoiled, a faked hurt expression on his face.2

“Aw, Raven, don’t be jealous! You know you and your wondrous bust are the only ones for-huurk!” Raven threw out her fist and punched him in the face, not feeling patient enough to put up with Neil’s perverse ramblings tonight.3

“If you’re in THAT sort of a mood, I suppose I had better find something for you to do then… anyone got any ideas?” Raven raised her voice to address the rest of the group, who stopped talking and looked over to her.4

“Nope, sorry Rae. Nothing from me.” A black haired girl replied, opening an eyelid to look over at Raven from the arms of a contented young man with bright blue eyes.5

“Don’t call me Rae, Maya, it’s disgusting. Anyone else want to make a HELPFUL suggestion?” she drawled spitefully. Maya rolled her eyes and turned her head away. The boy whose arms she was in leaned down and whispered something in her ear, eyes glinting with mischief, and she giggled, further aggravating Raven.6

“Why don’t you get Hunter to play us something? He’s been strumming away on that old guitar for hours.” Sandy chirruped from across the fire. At the mention of his name, Hunter, a 19-year old with rusty red hair and gold eyes looked up, an inquisitive expression on his face.7

“Hn?” he asked, letting his eyelids droop lazily. Inside, Raven squealed at how adorable he looked.8

“Will you play us something Hunter?”9

“Uh, well, I only know a few chords, and I can hardly sing at all…”10

“Go on, just for me? If you don’t I have a feeling I won’t be able to keep Neil from doing something perverse out of pure boredom…” a slightly desperate look entered her eyes, and Hunter’s face broke out into a grin.11

“Well,” he laughed, “when you put it that way…” He positioned the guitar over one knee and began to strum a simple sequence of chords in a simple rhythm, producing a mellow, almost sad sound. Then, he opened his mouth and began to sing in a deep, slow voice.12

“I dreamt a dream where you were mine,13

And everyone was doing fine.14

Smiling like there’s no tomorrow, 15

Laughing, you could feel no sorrow.16

I talked to you and you talked back,17

Walking down a weathered track.18

The dirt under our feet meant nothing at all…19

Don’t you know?20

I’d walk naked in the rain21

Just to kill your world of pain.22

And if I thought I could, I would23

Do anything to hold you in my arms24

Make everything alright25

You belong to me tonight.26

Then I awoke and you were there27

Tears on your face, blood in your hair.28

I tried to help but couldn’t reach, 29

Your barriers, not mine to breach.30

So I took to sitting in the dark31

With my eyes I traced his mark32

Wishing there was something more to us…33

Don’t you know?34

I’d walk naked in the rain35

Just to kill your world of pain.36

And if I thought I could, I would37

Do anything to hold you in my arms38

Make everything alright39

You belong to me tonight.”40