MUSICAL STORIES
TWO ALBUMS, TWO WORLDS, ONE VIVID EXPERIENCE
Enter the Stories Behind the Synths
To celebrate the Edge of Darkness and the upcoming Eye of the Storm albums, Paradox of Ravens have created something rare. A collection of original short stories, each one paired to the lyrics and atmosphere of an individual track. This isn’t background lore. It’s an immersive companion, designed to expand your imagination while listening. Turning every song into a scene,a character, a memory, a moment you can step inside.
Listen Deeper, Feel More, Remember Longer
These story-and-song pairings add weight and meaning to every synth line and chorus. You’ll hear details differently, connect emotionally faster, and get pulled deeper into the shadow-lit world Paradox of Ravens build with every melody. The result is music that doesn’t just sound good, it stays with you!
What you will get from this experience:
A richer listen: Each track becomes a narrative you can picture, making repeat plays more addictive and rewarding.
A stronger emotional impact: The stories amplify the mood, dark, vivid, and unforgettable.
A collector-worthy connection: Owning the music means owning the world around it, something streaming alone can’t replicate.
Do you want more than a playlist? If you want an album that feels like a midnight film unfolding in your mind, this is your invitation to step into the Paradox of Ravens universe and take the music with you!
The following short stories are paired with the album and music track of the same name.
Musical Stories From The Edge Of Darkness Album
Ground Control
Last Words from Space. Floating in space the dream of being where few have ever been. Now looking down on Earth and seeing the world in new eyes. I really have a "view to die for", in this vastness of space . It brings back the memories of the life I once had on Earth You get used to the the lack of gravity in the vacuum of space. A feeling in your belly which is constantly like doing the first drop on a rollercoaster. I should have better secured my tether as it broke away, leaving me floating deeper into space. Calling out for help from Ground Control was my last chance to survive. I’m feeling calmer now as I realise that even though help will not come the reality of dying in space is now inevitable as I cry for help "I am Dying, I Know, HELLO... Hello...... hello"..............
Al Capone
Capone chose to view the killing of rival gang members a necessary evil “Killing a man in defence of your business is like the law of self defence, a little broader than the law books look at it” On May 7th 1928 Al Capone held a banquet to which he invited three associates who he knew had plotted to assassinate him. Drunk and full of food the three men found themselves surrounded by Al Capone’s men who tied them onto their chairs. Al Capone pulled out a baseball bat struck and beat each man to death. Al Capone by 1929 had amassed a fortune of around 30 million but no income tax had ever been filed in his name and this would be to his eventual downfall. President Hoover instructed Elliot Ness and his men to find a way to put Al Capone behind bars. To establish proof they had to find someone on the inside willing to betray Al Capone but that proved hard, as no one would talk without knowing the consequences if they were found out. On a raid in 1926 they found a book of ledgers with documents alluding to the name of Al. From there, these ledgers identified the handwriting to a Mr Leslie Shumway who Elliot Ness detained and hid him away until the trial. About two weeks before the trial, Al Capone had managed to find out who was on the jury to convict him. Apparently these members had all been contacted by Al Capone and threatened or bribed. So on the day of the trail the Judge asked the bailiff "Go to his courtroom and bring me his entire panel of jurors, take my entire panel to another court room. In one encounter in court where the Prosecutor Wilson asked Al Capone how long he had had a large income? Capone testily answered by saying “ How is your wife Mr Wilson” It was Leslie Shumway evidence that proved Al Capone guilt and Judge Wilkerson said that it was time to impress upon the defendant that if is utterly impossible to bargain with a Federal court. He imposed a prison sentence on Al Capone for 11 years of which he served 8 year He was released in 1939 due to ill health having suffered from syphilis. Al Capone died of a stroke in 1947.
Future Of AI
According to the Bible, God created mankind in his own image. Are we doing the same, creating an intelligent race that would one day rule over us, thats if any of "us" ever manage to survive the human Holocaust. Where as "us" humans are fragile creatures, being born to die as age creeps in and we become frail creatures, eventually dying and return to dust. Happy thought. Dust to dust, ashes to ashes. Now, our curiosity has led us to create artificial intelligence or Ai for short. These creations could potentially live for hundreds of years, have the ability to learn faster and then have the capacity to think for themselves. 50 years ago calculators where a tool of the modern world, then with the onslaught of computers and wi-fi technology we pushed the boundaries of communication. Ai now being ever present and robots running faster than man. Eventually, there will be no need for schools as Ai machines take control and quash our capacity to learn, become educated, so we become slaves to "their" world. HG wells story, "Time Machine" had the Morlocks feeding off the simple Eloi. Maybe this is not too far from the truth as the Ai machines take control and dominate us by stripping us of the benefit of education so we are just content being their ignorant slaves. Ai Machines would live far longer than humans, gather experience, knowledge and therefore rule the world. They would have no need for greed or be a wealth gathering monster like our society where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Space travel to distant planets would be achievable as time is no disadvantage. Neither would their be a lack of survival in uninhabitable planets, as they won't need to breathe air to survive. A sobering thought when we wrote the future of Ai.
Time Stands Still (A tribute to Ian Curtis from Joy Division)
Do we honour the dead or honour the living, On 18th May 1980, Ian Curtis, the lead singer of Joy Division, a band based in Manchester decided, for his own personal reasons, to commit suicide. The loss sent shivers around the music world as the band had just begun to gain notoriety as they were about to embark on an American tour. For that split second of time, Ian stepped off a chair in his Kitchen and the band, Joy Division was left wondering what would have been, as they sat around the table in the wake of his passing. Fortunately, Joy Division's music lives on and has acquired a cult following. However, for the three remaining member's it could so easily have been a closure, as they tried to comprehend the impact of Ian's untimely action. Their "never give up" attitude spurred them on to create a new band which we all know today as New Order, producing one of the most iconic records of the 80's, Blue Monday. So for Ian, "Time stood still", as that was his claim to fame yet for the band, time was on their side as they carried on to develop their unique sound. So with the sad loss of Ian, we gained the iconic sound which we celebrate not only Ian's quality as a front man but also the birth of "New Order". Long live the memory of Ian Curtis.
Have To Say Goodbye
There’s a special bond which brings people together to form a friendship. A lot of the time it’s based upon trust. Without trust, it’s very hard to build upon any kind of friendship. With this in mind, a break in trust can bring friendships down. Friendships can last for years but by breaking trust it can be difficult to repair. This track highlights this point of trying to forgive, but then, when all said and done, the friendship takes on a very different perspective to the point, both parties slowly move on. However, as time passes you begin to miss the friendship you once had and then you begin to ask the question, why. Why did you turn your back on a great friendship and have to say goodbye.
Save My Soul From The Edge Of Darkness
My mother and I were extremely close, like two peas in a pod, some people would say. My father had decided to leave a few years ago, which I could never forgive him for, as I was left to help my mother get through this difficult time. I don't think she ever recovered from this although she would never admit it. In time, I could see her health was beginning to fail under the strain of everything to the point that one day she fell asleep never to wake up. Now I’m sitting alone in the house I grew up in with the memories of my mother and this feeling of disbelief that she is gone. The world suddenly changes as the covid virus spreads across continents like wild fire. Towns and streets become deserted as "Lock down" takes a grip on the country. I feel so terribly alone, I can’t sleep so I find myself sitting up in the middle of the night hearing the rain on my window. The shadows of the street lights reflecting on the wall like flickering candles and I really feel I can’t go on. Nowhere to go and non-one to talk to I feel myself slipping away into a dark place in my mind. The four walls seem to crush my sanity as I snatch the car keys from the kitchen table and drive into the night with no thought of direction just to escape from this Edge of Darkness that threatens to engulf me. As I travel down the road I find myself beginning to panic, I steer away from this endless darkness as I continue on trying to escape this dark place I need to leave behind. Suddenly I see the warm glow of dawn appear in the horizon as the new light of a day emerges. I feel reborn within myself as I pull off the road into a lay-by. I sit there and stare out of the window watching the sunrise and then a wave comes over me like I feel the presence of my mother around me. I gasp for breath, check my pulse and feel the beating of my heart breaking the silence, as I realise there will always be a light at the Edge of Darkness. I know my mother will always be with me if not in body, then I feel her soul will always be their to guide me to a better place. I am no longer alone as I begin to steer away from present dangers.
Dance Of The Vampires
It seemed as if to me as if I was in a "dream". It was like I was floating downstream, my body being swept up and pulled into a wake of water. I could feel cold lips kissing me as her presence moved further down my neck and then fixed into place. I felt the pain as something was being drawn from me. I felt the pleasure of ecstasy, something that I have never felt before. Then suddenly, I felt uplifted as her cold hands invited me to the darkness of the cold, mid-night court yard. The bats flew amongst the shimmering light of the moon as they cast their spell upon me. I danced all night until Dawns Early Light broke through and I woke up exhausted but satisfied. Perhaps the myths and tales were true, and in my dream state I joined "The Dance of the Vampires”.
Ravens
I saw a flock of 100 Ravens that passed by my eyes as their shadows formed around me. Enveloped into darkness, I tried to breathe within a mass of claws and feathers. This is my curse as I wake up screaming as these dreams come back to me, night after night. They started when I was a young boy. I found a fledging raven in the woods near my home. I assume it had fallen from its nest being too young to fly or pushed out by its stronger siblings. I decided to look after it and took it home where I would hide it in my tree house. I put it in an old bird cage that was unused which I found in the loft. I fed it with scraps from the dining table and for days and weeks the Raven grew. I wanted it to be my pet, but I was startled the first time I opened the cage. It flew at me with a vengeance, its beak scratching at my face. I pushed it away, slammed it down towards the floor and grabbed it before forcing it back into the cage from where it came. I was filled with fury. I should have let it go but my anger was so resolute that I decided in my anger to watch this creature starve so as to teach it “not to bite the hand that feeds it”. “Let this cage be your grave”, I shouted uncontrollably to the Raven. As the weeks went by I saw the Raven get weaker and weaker but the satisfaction I thought I would get through seeing it suffer, now filled me with dread. Before long the Raven lay motionless on the floor of the cage as the guilt to my actions began to overwhelm me. I quietly disposed of its corpse as I tried to forget the cruelty I had inflicted on it. Then as the moon cast its spell upon me I was haunted by the nightmare of the Flock of Ravens descending on me, night after night, in my dreams. This is the curse of the Ravens! Never to have a peaceful sleep to the day I die!
Rosary (Dedicated to James Steven Pattern - 1996 to 2018 - Sara's Son)
In 1996 my son James was born . At the age of 4 he was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, a terrible disease that atrophied all the muscles in his body. By the age of 7 he was in a wheelchair as he found it hard to walk unaided, though it was a relief as he often fell over and hurt himself when his legs gave way up to that point. The next few years he had to have a spine operation to keep his head up to help him breath. and after that to cheer him up I managed for him to meet his hero Robert Downey Jr at the Avengers premier in London. After this his health started to fail him. He had to have a machine to help him breathe at night, but as time went on he needed it all the time. By this time he could not swallow food so had to be fed by tube and he could only move his fingers on his body. But all through this time he had courage and a sense of humour that made him a joy to be with and on the last night before he died we chatted and talked and told each other how much we loved each other. Rosary is a song dedicated to my son about that last night and a heartfelt tribute to my son James.
Oblivion
Standing on the edge of oblivion with all my friends dead beside me Do I Surrender on the edge of Oblivion. The men who point and goad when we just wanted to live a life fulfilled. But pulled aside for the colour of our skin or for the love we gave. On and on through history Do I Surrender on the edge of Oblivion. As they close all around me I feel I shouldn’t have stood out in the crowd, I should have pretended to be like them. But that was never for me. Proud to be different, dreaming of a time we can all be free, Do I surrender on the edge of oblivion. So as they close in all around me and the blows come from all sides, I smile in bitter sadness, I’m the inventor of my destiny. I will never surrender on the Edge of oblivion!
More Musical Stories From The Eye Of The Storm Album
Dawns Early Light
She walked down the hill arriving at the gates of the graveyard. It was 4.00 am in the morning and the cold winter air bit into her thick winter coat. She was startled as she swung open the creaking gates. She looked back and saw, what she thought was a shadow of a wolf, alone on the hill, cast by the glare of the moon or maybe was it a trick of the light. She pulled her arms around herself helping to keep herself warm. Then she moved into the main graveyard towards the gravestone where her beloved was buried. She noticed a Raven sitting on his gravestone as if standing guard over it till the night she would return. As she got nearer the Raven spread its wings and flew close to her head. She involuntarily ducked and saw it fly into the nearest tree as if to witness the magic she was about to invoke. Her mind was in a whirl as she reached into her coat pocket and pulled out the torn parchment that she had bought in an antiques shop. After buying the parchment that contained ancient text which she could not understand, she began to have dreams, night after night, which could unlock its secret's of resurrection. Somehow the idea that had appeared to her in dreams gave her a way for her beloved to return. As the sun began to rise heralding the dawns early light she started to recite the words over and over again. Each time reading her beloved’s name aloud until through exhaustion she collapsed at the base of his gravestone sobbing loudly. Suddenly the ground began to move as the hand of her beloved reached out from beyond the grave. The howl of the wolf could be heard in the distance as the Raven scooped down from the tree, picking up the parchment in its claws and then flying away into the distance.
Crying From The Inside
When the darkness overwhelms the light like a curtain being drawn across the window, is it that time to stop, think and pull back. Do you just accept your state of mind and leap into a void of depression? I felt I was shutting down, my brain confused and losing sight of any reality. My brain was playing tricks on me and my awareness of things around me seemed blurred and distant. A fog weighed heavily on my mind which was hard to clear. I felt more comfortable just letting the quick sand take control and absorb me in body and soul. Deeper and deeper I went into the void of uncertainty. At this point all I remember is being escorted into a van and taken away. I did not resist, I just accepted my fate as I was driven away staring motionless to the outside world that was now beyond the window. I was totally in the hands of these strangers in white. I still remember the journey which continued for some time. Then once again the door of the van opened and I was escorted into a building. I walked up some stairs and stepped through a sequence of doors which slammed behind me. There was no escape. A lady, strip searched me in a corridor, making notes on a pad as she disregarded items I had in my carrier bag of bits gathered in haste prior to my journey. I was then taken to a room, already deprived of sleep she insisted shinning a torch in my eyes every half hour. Her excuse for this torture was “suicide” watch. The next few days I grabbed as much sleep as possible to try and pull myself together and preparing myself for the evening suicide ritual. I could see an evil behind their reasoning to make me want to stay locked up in their control accepting their medication as and when they felt it necessary. Eventually I gathered up an internal strength that brought back the reality of my situation to the forefront of my conciseness. Requesting to see a Doctor who, after a long discussion, granted me my freedom much to the distaste of the white suited brigade waiting patiently behind the Doctors door. This is my story, one of survival which I have translated to music. When I look back, I still continue to cry from the inside.
Rise Of The Clowns & Dark Clowns condensed into one story
My Father needed a new lease of life after the passing of my mother. He always had an interest in antiques and when a shop became available he decided to take a look with the intention of buying and taking over the business. I had no choice in the matter so I had to up root and head north to Lincolnshire which was a shock to the system as I had to leave all my friends behind in London. I had just left school so for the first month I spent time helping my father in the shop. I tried to make friends, but unlike London where I seemed to fit in with my friends I had grown up with, I seemed to be out of place in this laid back village I found myself in. This made me feel rather isolated as my confidence began to fade trying to socialise and adapt to my new way of life. At least I kept myself busy in the shop helping my Father sort out the items he had bought when he took over the shop. My Father had gone out for a walk to clear his head and asked me to come with him but I felt content with my own company, so I decided to go into the loft space of the shop and see if there was anything hidden there. Apart from a lot of dust and cobwebs I could see nothing of much interest with my fading torch. There was a small box with a parchment inside with strange symbols on it, not that you could make head or tail of it, especially as it was covered in dust. As I turned to go back, I thought I heard a faint echo of laughter which was odd, as I hadn’t expected my father back so soon. I pointed my torch in the direction of the laughter and noticed a cylindrical object that looked like a model circus tent. I picked it up and went downstairs to see if my father was back. He had just come in through the door and he asked me what treasure I held in my hand. I showed him the circular model, painted in red and white strips which was covered by a pointed hat, similar to that worn by a clown. Hence my description of the circus tent. He took a closer look, removed the hat and laughed. "It's was a Zoetrope machine" he said. I looked blankly and asked him to explain. He smiled and told me that before there were movies, these machines were capable of making a picture move like animation. He dusted it down and spun the device. I looked closer, staring inside and noticed an image of a horse on a pole moving up and down like a "Merry go round". I was fascinated as I continue to look at the view generated by the Zoetrope. However, something took my attention as I suddenly noticed a clown appearing from, what looked like behind the horse which appeared to stare at me. I stood back in shock, as a cold shudder went through my body. I asked my father to take it away as the image of the clown remained firmly fixed in my mind. "Don't be silly", in those days it was a magical thing for all children to see, he said, as I tried to explain what I had just witnessed. Instead of being compassionate and taking it away, he just left it on the sideboard in full view. That evening I went to bed but was unable to get the clowns image out of me head. I slowly drifted in to the darkness of sleep as I drew the covers over me. Through the night I felt uneasy and restless. I was woken to contentiousness by what I thought was a light coming from under the doorway. I got up, my father was asleep by now as I followed the source of the light downstairs. The light was emanating from the zoetrope. It was like a candle flickering inside it. I didn't feel scared this time, as it drew me closer towards the light. Suddenly, the zoetrope began to move, gradually at first and then picking up speed. I slowly bent down as if to look inside it. The light got brighter as I felt compelled to go closer and closer towards the light. Then as my eyes were fixed at the spinning Zoetrope the light source suddenly disappeared and I found myself in a room, filled with darkness. I could see no walls, just a dark cavern of emptiness. I spread my arms out wide hoping to feel something around me, and then spun myself around. Around and around I went like a Merry go round. My mind and soul felt helpless in the dark, emptiness of space. In the distance, I could hear an eerie laugher getting closer and closer. Then I felt the warmth and smell of stale breath lingering around my face. I tried to call out, but no voice came form my mouth and then I heard the striking of a match which, to my horror, revealed my worst nightmare as the clown's face that haunted me that night appeared, staring directly at me with a mischievous grin. A cold shiver spread through my body and then I awoke, finding myself mysteriously back in my bed. "A dream", I gasped, as I gazed up with my blurred eyes only to see a candle hovering at the foot of my bed and the shadow of the Dark Clown, with its eyes glaring malevolently at me. I tried to scream but this was drowned out by the hysterical laughter that was echoing through my mind. I had fallen prey as his next victim. The next morning as my body laid motionless in my bed. I could not breath, I could not see, I could not talk, yet my mind was "wide awake" to the haunting laughter of the "Dark Clown".
Don't Buy Me Flowers
“I’m only telling you this because I love you”. How many times had she heard this statement addressed to her from the man she once loved. 3 years into their marriage and this confident woman has become a pale shadow of what she used to be. Always being questioned,”where have you been” and “who had she talked to.” Mark her husband seemed such a kind man, always attentive before their marriage. He always made her feel like a princess so naturally the romance developed into what she thought would be the perfect marriage. However, soon after they got married things began to change dramatically. He became possessive, questioning her every move and making her feel as though it was always her fault. So, thinking of ways to try and please him, she would put on make up only to find that he would quiz her, why she was doing this. She felt depressed even to the point that when they went out together, which was rare, he would question her even if another man smiled at her. Then, after about a year he would have sudden tantrums which would lead to abuse, push her about and then blame her for his actions. When things calmed down afterwards, he would apologise and buy her flowers to make things all good. Eventually he insisted on her not working which made her feel more isolated and insecure. To family and friends he was the perfect husband. She tried on several occasions when the opportunity arose to mention the abuse she was getting from Mark but nobody believed her. One day she decided to just pop out to the shops and on her return he was there having just returned from work. This caused so much resentment that he beat her to the ground and knocked her unconscious. She didn’t remember much more until she had woke up hours later still on the floor. This was the turning point as she said that enough was enough. With bruises still prominent on her face all he kept saying was sorry and he wouldn't do it again. She waited till he went back to work and took herself to the local casualty. The nurses contacted the authorities who then took her to a woman's shelter where she met others who were in similar circumstances. Eventually a restraining order was put on her husband to enable her to escape from this monster she had married.
Twisted In My Mind
I kneeled down and began to offer my desires to the heart of God whilst In the presence of Lady Divine. I was seized upon by an incredible power which overcome and bound my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me as I gazed upon her beautiful form. Exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me from this Evil Woman, but it was to no avail. I held her hand and screamed “ Don’t let go”, my voice a choking rasp, as I felt darkness overcome me. My last thought was that this Divine Woman had twisted my mind, enslaved me in body and soul. My last request is that God would forgive me and enable me to warn others from beyond the grave of the evil that lives in this woman’s soul.
Black Widow
My sweet Lady Devine, Black Widow. We first met in the summer of 1874 through a mutual friend . I lived in Brighton and was broken due to the sad death of my wife in a riding accident. I must admit that I had buried myself into my judiciary work but my fellow barrister knowing the Lady Divine, who herself was a widower and therefore was left a substantial fortune. It is unusual, in these times that a lady could support herself so my friend decided to arrange a meeting with her, on my behalf. After our first meeting we communicated through our letters and my love for her increased though I was not accustomed to writing letters, but love it was. After a year of courtship and odd meetings she readily agreed to my proposal of marriage. We were married the following summer in 1876 and had our honeymoon in Brighton the place we first met. I would have liked to say that our marriage was an instant success but I did find it hard that she maintained to keep the fortune that had been gifted to her from her late husband, in her own control. Not that I had wished to take her fortune but I did feel it uneasy to be a man living in a house paid for by my new betrothed. In my opinion, a woman knows not the best way to handle money. Aside from those qualms we seemed to be having a blissful marriage and we even discussed children but as the year progressed my heath seemed to be failing and by 1877 I was bed bound with an illness that had taken over my body. My Lady Devine administered me medicine that just seemed to make me feel weaker. She had made me sign my money over to her just in case things worsened. I wrote this letter as my health was failing and as my vision began to fade all I could see was my beloved standing over me wearing a black veil like the spectre of death ……but I still love you My Lady Devine. .
Evil Woman
My duties often call for me to assist the police as a physician on certain delicate matters and so I was asked to help out on a postmortem on a gentleman of our community who had died in mysterious circumstances. The gentleman in question was a member of the judiciary service and though I had only met him occasionally in passing when I had to make court reports I knew he was from a respectable family. His family, questioning the sudden change to his last will and testament so close to his death, and requested, further investigation. They had the means to get this done unlike the many I serve in the community who die unmarked and unmourned but as a surgeon I can only do as I am instructed. On examining the body I found that from the state of his gums had become extremely bloated and of a brick red colour I could only infer that he bear symptom's of being poisoned. Further research led me to believe that the only thing that could cause this was the secretion of the Cane Toad though where he could have come into contact with it, puzzled me, as they were not native to this shore. It was at this time that I first came into contact of the deceased’s widow the Lady Devine. She was stunningly beautiful dressed in mourning black and I felt ashamed of my feelings when I first saw her and offered my condolences to her at her husband’s funeral. I asked if they had been abroad recently to try to explain how he could have come into contact with a Cane Toad, though I didn’t specify my reasoning as not to alarm her. She replied in the negative way saying that his time had come much too soon. I offered my services to her not that I expected much but I felt I needed to get to know this lady more. She replied that it was very kind of me and asked to meet in about a week. I was bewitched by her beauty and I kissed her hand as we said goodbye. She felt cold as ice. The week flew by and I arrived at her Manor House early in the afternoon. The servants informed me that the lady had not returned yet, so I waited. This gave me a bit of time with the servant to ask a few questions about what had happened over the weeks prior to their masters death. The servant said she had attended the master on a daily basis and noticed the change in his well being. "I would attend everyday to make him as comfortable as possible", she remarked. On one occasion I noticed an envelope while the master was sleeping next to a glass of water. I picked it up, she explained, placed it in my pocket as to tidy up, disposed of the water and took the glass downstairs. I took the envelope to the drawing room, placing it into a cabinet amongst other stationery. Can you show me the envelope? I asked. She went away for a few minutes to return with the envelope. She put it down on the table as I was about to examine it when we heard the lady Devine return to the house. The servant hurried off leaving the envelope on the table. I picked it up and placed it in my pocket. I had the most delightful time with the Lady Devine and felt guilty that I was taking advantage of this Lady’s time for my own pleasure but she was an incredible woman. Finally taking my leave I arrived back at my residence and pulled out the envelope. Inside was some sort of powder that I at first I couldn’t identify so I sent it away for more further examination to a learned friend. The results was as per my gut feeling being the dried remains of a Cane Toad. If indeed the Lady Devine had been administering this to her husband then there can only be one reason and that was to kill him. So with a heavy heart I notified the police to arrest this Evil Woman.
Judgement Day
It is on this day of our Lord on the 24th of September 1877 that I bear witness as a reporter to the Evening Herald to the hanging of the Lady Devine. A most unusual case which has become famous across the UK as the Black Widow killings. She was found guilty of poisoning and killing her first two husbands . Through the trial, she looked defiant and beautiful if one could say of such an evil woman The only time she looked shocked was when the Honourable Judge passed sentence “It only remains for me to pronounce upon you the last sentence of the law” “The time for us in this world is short, with most of us, it is uncertain but in your case, it is numbered “ The Judge put on his black hat and sentenced her to be” hanged by the neck upon a gibbet till she be dead” There was a moments pause in court as the words sunk in. The Lady Devine looked straight up at the Judge and said in a calm, steady voice “Is this Heaven or is this Hell” “Will the Devil take my Soul. The Judge ordered her to be taken away as she walked defiantly, following in the footsteps of the guards back to her cell. Which brings us to this day of 1877 to see this evil woman hanged. She was escorted to the gallows, I could swear I could hear "Ravens" cry, as she climbed up the walkway. The hangman with his face obscured by the black mask he was wearing, tightened the noose around her neck. She still looked defiant and just before the pulley was pulled, she cried out but this time in a shrieking scream. “Take my Soul on Judgement Day” Then she fell the full 4 foot with her neck cracking as the weight around the noose came to an abrupt end. What I found most strange, was that as she fell, a small parchment which she must have held in her hand fell to the floor. It landed unnoticed to the officials as they looked at Lady Devine’s limp body, suspended in the air. As her body was taken away I picked the parchment off the floor. Later I looked at the contents and noticed that the message was of a language that I couldn’t perceive. Although my instinct was to throw it away, something compelled me to keep it. I seem to be obsessed with the secrets contained within it but perhaps the true secrets of Lady Devine will not be told until I find out what these words mean .
Eye Of The Storm
She had not answered my phone calls and with the storm knocking out most of the phone lines I had been unable to contact my friend, Maria. She lived on a beachfront property which most residents had evacuated with the coming of the Storm. Maria was in her 80’s and had lived alone in the property that she had once shared with her late husband. Perhaps, it was the ghost of his memory that haunted this place that made her compelled to stay. I decided to drive the short distance to her house to check she was safe. I called her name as I knocked loudly due to the sound of the escalating wind, which made me wonder, if she could hear it. The door was unlocked so calling her name, I entered her house. She was sitting in her front room gazing out of the window as the rain smashed against it with a loud intensity. I tried to convince her to seek safety with me, but as it was her house which she had lived in for over 60 years she replied that "no storm would ever make her leave". It was then that the window caved in as the huge tree that had been in front of the house smashed down forcing the branches through so the wind and rain would now gain access to the house. My first thought, I’m ashamed to think, was to flee but seeing Marie still sitting helpless in the chair with the storm throwing more and more debris into the room I decided to grab hold of her and lifted her up. She was surprisingly light as I tried to work out where to go. She pointed in the direction of a hatch that led down towards the cellar. I opened the hatch, switched on the light and carried her down the cellar steps closing the hatch behind us. There was a threadbare sofa in the corner that I placed Marie on and she sobbed as she realised that everything she knew was being literally torn apart by the storm. Suddenly, there was an incredible crash as I felt the house had fallen apart above us and the light flicked and then disappeared as we fell into darkness. Feeling myself around the cellar I came across some candles and matches. I went back up stairs and tried the hatch but something must had been forced against it as with all my strength I could not open it. My only thought was to comfort her as the storm raged above us whilst we were safe, albeit trapped in this small basement cellar. I needed to keep Marie calm and occupied whilst the storm abated and rescue could arrive. Looking around there were relics from her life of which I found an old photograph album that I passed to Marie to look through. She told me about her life and how she had met her husband when she worked in the library. He was smitten with her although he was too shy to ask her out. yet every day took a book out and pretended to read them just as an excuse to see her. Eventually he asked her out which allowed their romance to blossom. She showed me a picture from the album of a young man with a ginger moustache. He had a shy wry smile about him. She talked about her life and their love for children although they had never been blessed with them. It was a happy life as her husband Daniel had made it so complete and his death hit her hard as the whole world seemed to revolve around them being together. The storm began to drop suddenly as it appeared we had entered into the Eye of the Storm. Knowing the hatch was stuck I tried to work out our options which looked grim unless I could find a way of letting someone know of our location. For some reason, the storm seemed calmer but due to our predicament I found it hard to sleep through the night. At times I heard Maria call out her husband’s name. The next morning Maria was still asleep so I gently tried to wake her. Her skin seemed cold to the touch though there was a faint pulse. I needed to get help to her as soon as possible. I wrapped her up in my coat I was wearing to try to keep her warm and returned to the task of opening the hatch door. I tried several times but to know avail. It seemed that the whole weight of the house had condemned us to a slow death, trapped inside this cold cellar. Then, without notice, the hatch seemed to fly open by some incredible force and I assumed that rescue had arrived. As the light projected down from the opening it took a short time to adjust my eyes. I went up the stairs and looked about to see the remains of Maria’s house scattered all around me. The debris of the house that had buried the hatch had been miraculously moved. I saw no one about so I was extremely confused and amazed how we had suddenly become free. I went back down to collect Maria and I glanced at a mirror that was propped up against the cellar wall. Just for a second, I thought I saw a figure behind me in the mirror, of a man who was smiling. I turned round to see who it was but their was no one there. It was much later after I had got help to Maria that I remembered the picture she had showed me and recognised the face of her deceased husband, Daniel, the same image of a man that I had seen reflected in the mirror. Could Daniel have helped us from "beyond the grave" to save us and see us both through the Eye of the Storm.