That day had been notorious. I had strolled across the tribe-island where I had glimpsed a raven perched sternly upon a birch branch. I had gazed at it but had not met its eyes. My grandma had warned me over again as a young boy to never look, not even in a time of weak curiosity. I would question why and she would reply, ‘Danton, it will bring with you much danger and bad luck. The red gleam of light that comes from a ravens’ eyes will weaken the soul of any that look into them; just like the sun is danger to eyes on a searing day.’ I had gazed at the black plumage of the raven perched there as I recalled her words, and my feet had become unsteady with terror. It had begun to squawk, to make a racket with its heavy wings; then it had flown from the branch, over the bank towards me; the shadow of its span had buried me into darkness, and my legs had begun to crumble beneath me. Its sharp beak had struck my head many times. I had fallen to the ground in pain, in silence, frozen with fear. Then it stopped, and as I looked at it I had witnessed my own blood stains drenched in its feathers; red on black luminous plumage; so beautiful, so ugly. Then it had flown into the sunset horizon, leaving me marred with its violence. I was twelve years of age on that notorious day, and there has been no day pass since, when I haven’t looked a raven in its eyes.
©2013.alittlebirdtweets
a little bird tweets 
Very nice!!! Flash Fiction Chronicles
Many Thanks, Flash Fiction Chronicles. You have some inspiring prompts!
“The Raven” reminds me of the a Zen tale told by Lao Tzu. Your recognition of patience and compassion, Ms. Henderson, rather than anger and revenge, is a giant step toward peaceful resolution of Global turmoil: it starts at home and it begins as a single drop of thought.
Simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies,
you accord with the way things are.
Compassionate toward yourself,
you reconcile all beings in the world.
– Lao Tzu, [Tao Te Ching]
Thanks so much Larry, your comment is very inspiring! I guess sometimes we are blind to our own work, and you have certainly made me look at this story in a whole new light by mentioning those first three words of Lao Tzu. I thank you for that – and for also taking the time to visit my blog. Your blog is amazing and I will definitely visit again soon 🙂
That was very captivating. You have a very smooth and beautiful way with words.
Thanks so much for your kind words 🙂
Thank you for visiting my blog today. I appreciate the time you took to stop by. May your day be filled with joy and peace.
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!
Thank you also, for taking the time to visit my blog 🙂
I enjoyed this. The harm and beauty of nature blended in a simple procession of words. It made me smile. Thank you for following my blog and I intend on following yours as I progress with my work. BTW, check out my twitter experiment! @conlabentis
Bless you, thanks so much for your lovely words. Your blog is great and your writing is wonderful. Seeyou on Twitter 🙂