Raven Begins

A graphic novel without the graphics

written by Thom Garrett
edited by Danna Colman

The two of them sat on the cold concrete floor and leaned into each other, back to back. He liked her with her piercings and tatts, her hair dyed as black as tar, and her naïve kindness. Too bad she’d be dead in a minute or two.

“How you doing?” asked Petey.

“I’d feel a whole lot better if that bullet had hit you like it was supposed to.”

“I’ve been meaning to apologize for that. See, it did hit me, but it bounced off.”

She started to laugh and then coughed. He could see the blood where she spat.

“So, what? You’re bullet proof now? Somehow I didn’t take you for the Superman type.” She fidgeted with the pistol, its cold heft unfamiliar in her hands, like holding a ticking bomb.

“Yeah, I get that a lot. Turns out most of us don’t much like him.”

“Most of who?”

“Oh, you know. Guys like me.”

“The cape would be enough for me to hate him. I mean, who the hell wears a cape?

“I know, right?” Petey twisted around so he could look at her, liking her more and more.