Behind the Gate

image from Pinterest

Every morning the black raven was seen perched on top of the iron gate. There was a mansion beyond the gate. Rumors said it wasn’t occupied, but no one knew for sure, for no one ever ventured through the gate. People were intimidated by the black raven, they felt its dark eyes staring right through them.

Nothing scared John Robert the 3rd though, and he had decided that he would go through the gate. He considered himself the bravest man around, not to mention the most handsome. He scoffed at the fact that people were afraid to go through the gate. People were such chickens these days. Why be afraid of a bird?

When the sun started to rise on Monday morning John Robert the 3rd was up and ready to go. He looked in the mirror for the 10th time, slicking back his hair, making sure every hair was in place. He couldn’t wait to brag to Angela Rose about going through the gate. Surely by him doing this he would get her attention.

She had turned him down again last night when he asked her for a date. She said she was going to visit her sick Grandma. He was a little perplexed , he thought the last time that that he had asked her she said she was going to her Grandma’s funeral. The poor girl, he thought. He would just keep asking, she needed his comfort. The other week she had said her cat was sick and she couldn’t go out. Before that she had needed to stay home and paint her nails.

With thoughts of Angela Rose in his mind he headed down the street towards the mysterious, iron gate.

He heard the sound of the raven calling before he saw it. It was perched proudly on the gate, making its shrill call.

John Robert felt the raven’s eyes on him as he neared the gate. He hesitated for a moment, feeling a little bit of trepidation. Then he remembered who he was. Nothing scared John Robert the 3rd and he unlatched the gate and walked through. The raven’s call became more shrill but John Robert kept walking. When he heard the flapping of the raven’s wings is when he started running.

Angela Rose stared at the empty chair beside her at school. John Robert the 3rd hadn’t been at school all week. No one knew what had happened. Angela Rose was lost in thought as she walked home that day, passing by the raven that was keeping watch, perched upon the iron gate.