Covering Up the Facts

The investigation into Allyson and Jennifer’s deaths that followed after that night was largely half-hearted and the evidence in the matter was heavily doctored so as to frame a few gang thugs for the crime. Rexler and Porter even made sure to kill those that the falsified evidence pointed to. They claimed that when they confronted the suspects on the matter they were fired upon and had to retaliate by returning fire. In the ensuing “gun battle”, the suspects were killed. In reality, the “suspects” were executed and another major miscarriage of justice was carried out to make the story believable. In the end, Allyson and Jennifer’s case was closed and the truth was neatly buried.

In what could be considered a true slap in the face, every single person who was there that night attended the funeral that followed. Jennifer and Allyson only had each other in respect to family, so the guilty party didn’t have to worry about any relatives making a fuss. They had gotten away with it, and they were happy about what they had done. As far as they were concerned, Allyson and Jennifer had gotten what they deserved.

However, one night six months later, a pair of crows flew into the cemetery and landed on Jennifer and Allyson’s headstone. One gave off a loud caw and pecked at the gravestone. The other spread its wings and gave off a caw as well. As it did so, the skies blackened and the sound of thunder rumbled in the distance. The crows grew more restless and flapped and cawed even more. Then a bolt of lightning streaked down from the heavens and struck the headstone, causing the two crows to quickly fly away cawing to a nearby tree branch. Slowly, the ground in front of the head stone began to move. With no warning, both Allyson and Jennifer burst forth from the ground and let out great gasps to take in air for the first time in months. Allyson recovered first and looked about. “Well,” she said. “This is interesting.”

Jennifer kept quiet and was lost in thought. “What is this?” she asked finally. “Where are we?”

“Well,” said Allyson as she began to climb out of her grave. “From the tacky way I’m dressed, I think this must be hell.”

“I doubt it,” said Jennifer. “The last thing I remember is the alleyway by the club. We were raped. We were killed.”

“Yeah,” said Allyson matter-of-factly. “And I’m confused as to what’s going on.”

“I’m not,” stated Jennifer, her voice suddenly cold and dead. “I know exactly why we’ve come back.”

“Well?” said Allyson as she finished getting out of her grave. “Are you gonna let me in on it? Or are you gonna keep it to yourself?”

“We have to kill them all,” said Jennifer as she too got out of her grave.

“Them?” asked Allyson as she began dusting herself off. “Them who?”

“The rat bastard mother fuckers who put us in the ground,” said Jennifer with her hate very evident. “Tonight we put them in the ground.”

Jennifer felt winded by her twin’s statement. “Jen,” she said. “I don’t know. You’re talking about committing murder.”

“No,” said Jennifer powerfully. “I’m talking about avenging our murders. I’m talking about getting even with them. Now, are you with me or are you against me?”

“Jen,” said Allyson hesitantly. “You know that I’ve never gone against you. But what you’re suggesting is an awful lot.”

“Is it?” hissed Jennifer. “They killed us. We kill them back. I think it’s kind of fair.”

“Just wait a second,” said Allyson as she pointed a finger at her twin sister. “IF we do what you’re suggesting, we have to be smart about this.”

“Of course,” said Jennifer.

“AND we need a change of wardrobe,” continued Allyson. “I will not be seen running around L.A. killing cops in a dress.”

“Fine,” hissed Jennifer. “Then how do we start?”

“I have a couple of friends near here,” answered Allyson. “They’ll get us what I want. Let’s go.”

“Lead on,” seethed Jennifer.

“Don’t give me any sass,” said Allyson pointing her finger again. “That’s my job.”

As the two of them walked, their crows flew after them overhead. Once they got to the base of the steps to the landing of the building they were looking for, Jennifer’s crow swooped down and landed on her shoulder. Jennifer looked at it tenderly and gave it a smile.

“Hello, pretty bird,” she said to it as she reached a hand up to stroke its beak. “Do you think you can find them for me?”

“Jen,” said Allyson. “You’re scaring your sister.”

“Why?” asked Jennifer a little wide-eyed as she brushed her cheek against her crow’s head. Her crow let out a loud excited caw and flew back up into the air. “He’s going off to find them.”

“Them?” asked Allyson. “Jen, I think you’ve lost your mind.”

Jennifer frowned and glared at her sister. “What I’ve lost is not my mind,” she said. “What I’ve lost are my illusions. You should feel the same way that I do.”

“Jen,” began Allyson before her own crow landed on her shoulder, interrupting her train of thought. “AGH!”

“He’s yours,” said Jennifer. “He’s here for you. Say ‘hello’ to him.”

“Um,” stammered Allyson as she barely petted her crow. “Nice bird.”

Jennifer smiled. “What were you saying?” she asked.

Allyson gave her sister the briefest look of fear before speaking, “I, uh, I lost my illusions about the world long ago. C’mon, let’s get going.”

The two of them climbed the steps to the front door and Allyson rang the buzzer for the loft. After a few moments, the intercom crackled on.

“Who is it?” asked the voice on the intercom. “I told you Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons to fuck off and die already.”

“Marcus,” began Allyson. “It’s me, Allie. I need to come in.”

“Allie?” stammered Marcus. “But, but you’re supposed to be dead. What, are you now like some kind of vampire or succubus and you want my blood?”

“Oh this is ridiculous!” shouted an exasperated Jennifer. “Listen, tell this stupid fuck to open the door!”

“Calm your hormones,” said Allyson in a warning tone as she pointed her finger at her sister again. “Marcus, please. We’re in serious trouble. Let us in.”

“WE?” asked Marcus. “We who?”

“Marcus,” whined Allyson. “Please, just open the door and I’ll tell you all about it.”

There was no further reply from Marcus. However the buzzer to the front door rang. Allyson smiled and opened the door after politely shooing her crow away.

“It’s about fucking time!” hissed Jennifer.

“Jen,” said Allyson as she closed her eyes and tried to steady herself. “I am going to say this once and only once. You’re getting on my nerve endings. Shut all the fuck up and don’t say another fucking word. ‘Coz otherwise, I’m gonna put you right back in the goddamn fucking ground! Got it?”

Jennifer smiled at her sister, but said nothing. Without any further word from either of them, they trudged up the steps to the loft where Marcus was waiting in the doorway for them. Marcus didn’t look like he believed what he was seeing when they came into view. “Allie, how?” he asked Allyson.

“I don’t know,” said Allyson as she and Jennifer pushed passed him into the loft. “I need a drink.”

“I think that makes two of us,” said Marcus as he moved inside and closed the door.

“Pour us a drink while we get cleaned up,” said Allyson as she took Jennifer by the arm and guided her towards the bathroom.

“Will do,” replied Marcus as he watched the two of them enter the bathroom.

Once inside the bathroom, Allyson quickly stripped out of her funeral dress and helped keep Jennifer focused enough to get undressed as well. Then they stepped into the shower and began cleaning off six months of death. Allyson took comfort in the feel of the shower, as though she were washing away a bad dream rather than physical grime. Jennifer didn’t seem to really notice, and due to her indifference, Allyson ended up having to basically wash the both of them.

In the kitchen Marcus was busy pouring drinks when both crows flew in the nearby window. Their sudden appearance startled him and he knocked over the drinks. “What the shit?” he said disbelieving as he looked from the crows to the bathroom and back again. “It can’t be.”

Not bothering to clean up the spill, Marcus rushed over to his bookcase and began feverishly scanning the titles contained therein. Once he found the book he was looking for, he grabbed it off the shelf and began to quickly scan its pages. “Found it!” he said. “The legend of the Crow. People once believed that when someone dies, a crow carries their soul to the land of the dead. But sometimes, something so bad happens that a terrible sadness is carried with it and the soul can't rest. Then sometimes, just sometimes, the crow can bring that soul back to put the wrong things right. Holy shit, the legend’s real.”

Allyson finished her shower, stepped out, and began toweling off. Jennifer merely stood in the shower stall like a zombie. “I always knew death would mellow you out,” began Allyson. “But this shit’s too fucking much.”

“We need to kill them,” responded Jennifer.

“Not wet and naked we don’t,” retorted Allyson as she wrapped her towel around herself. “Come on, Jen, get on the fucking ball!”

Jennifer just looked at her with a blank stare. Allyson frowned and threw a fresh towel in her face. Once Jennifer seemed to allow the moment to sink in, she started drying herself off as well. Allyson shook her head and let out a big sigh before opening the door to go talk to Marcus. “Got that drink for me?” she asked as she strolled towards him tussling her hair.

“Allie we need to talk,” said Marcus in a slightly frightened tone. “There’s something you should know.”

“What is it?” asked Allyson as she walked into the kitchen and poured herself a drink. “By the way, do you have any of my stuff?”

“All of it and then some,” said Marcus with an unexpected smile. Then his face turned grim and he let out a low sigh. “Allie, you’re dead.”

“You mean I was dead,” corrected Allyson as she took a great gulp of her drink. “I’m clearly not dead anymore.”

“Allie,” said Marcus. “Come here. There’s something I want to show you.”

“Okay,” said Allyson as she picked up her glass. As she moved towards Marcus, both of the crows, who had been silently observing the whole time, began to caw loudly. Allyson was taken aback by their reminder of their presence. “Fucking birds.”

Jennifer finally emerged from the bathroom in a towel as well and rejoined her sister. “We have to leave,” she said. “There is much work to do.”

“Don’t start with that again,” said Allyson.

“Actually Jennifer’s right,” interrupted Marcus. “You have a lot of work ahead of you to get done.”

“What sort of work?” asked Allyson.

“Come here the both of you,” answered Marcus as he sat on the sofa. “This book will explain everything.”

Both Jennifer and Allyson sat next to him and were shown the book. The next minutes passed by in utter silence as the two of them read the legend. When they were done, Marcus closed the book and looked at them seriously. “Now you know,” he said to them.

“This can’t be!” shouted Allyson as she stood up.

“Those two crows over there prove that this story is not just a work of someone’s imagination,” said Marcus.

“I told you,” said Jennifer. “Now we go out and put them in the ground.”

“Wait just a second,” said Allyson as she paced around the room. “Can’t we just not?”

“No,” said Marcus with a shake of his head. “You two HAVE to do this.”

“Why?” asked Allyson on the verge of hysterical tears.

“A great wrong has been done to you,” said Marcus. “To the both of you. Your souls won’t be at peace until you do this.”

“What exactly are we supposed to do to set things right?” asked Allyson.

“Exact our revenge,” said Jennifer.

“That’s one way of interpreting it,” said Marcus.

Allyson just stood there looking at the both of them with tears in her eyes. Suddenly, her crow flew over, landed on her shoulder, and pressed its head against her cheek to comfort her. “Thank you,” said Allyson before realizing that it was her crow that had comforted her. “Oh my God!”

“That crow is a part of you, Allie,” said Marcus. “It’s like an extension of you. Accept it.”

“Our time is running out,” said Jennifer as she stood and held out her hand for her own crow.

“Jennifer’s right,” said Marcus. “You have to get moving.”

Allyson got a confused look on her face. “What do you mean?” she asked.

“One way or another,” began Marcus. “This whole thing ends at dawn.”

“And what if we haven’t finished by dawn?” asked Allyson.

“Then we won’t know peace,” said Jennifer coldly.

Allyson breathed out a strong exhale. “Fine,” she said at last. “Um, where’d you put my stuff?”

“In the guest room,” said Marcus with a weak smile.

“Good,” said Allyson. “C’mon, Jen. Let’s get dressed so that we can do this.”

“Yes,” said Jennifer with wide eyes. “At last.”

Allyson and Jennifer walked into the guest room and shut the door behind them. “Let’s see what we’ve got here,” said Allyson with as much enthusiasm as she could muster as she opened her trunks of clothes. “I love my wardrobe.”

“You actually wear this?” asked Jennifer as she picked up a very sheer black top and examined it.

“I wouldn’t have bought it otherwise,” said Allyson with a smile as she slid a black g-string on under her towel. “You want to wear that one?”

“Not at all,” said Jennifer disdainfully. “I prefer to wear clothes that leave at least something to the imagination. And do you have any underwear that isn’t a thong?

“Of course I don’t,” said Allyson with a smile as she removed her towel. “You know, you’re beginning to sound like your old self again. Thank God. Oh shit!”

“What is it?” asked Jennifer concerned as she removed her own towel.

“I just realized that my piercing is missing,” said Allyson.

Jennifer ran her fingers along her own stomach and discovered that hers, too, was missing. “They must have them,” said Jennifer with anger. “Bastards.”

“We will get those back,” said Allyson almost as angrily. Then, realizing her hate, she bit her lip to try and quell her thoughts. “Come on, we shouldn’t dally. Oh look, this is the least skimpy thong I have.”

Jennifer examined the thong that Allyson was indicating. “IF I must,” she said as she took it from her sister and began sliding it on.”

“Well either that or go commando,” giggled Allyson.

“I don’t go commando,” said Jennifer indignantly as she finished putting on the thong.

“How does it feel?”

“It’s a little snug, but otherwise it will do.”

“Well, the hard part’s over. Now for the rest.”

--

Marcus paced back and forth out in the main room for what felt like an eternity. “What are they doing in there?” he said to himself. The crows looked on from the window and cawed as if to answer him. “Even dead Allyson has to look the part. God!”

“I heard that!” shouted Allyson through the door. “Stuff it!”

When they finally emerged, their crows took flight. “We’re ready,” said Jennifer with a smile as her crow landed on her shoulder.

Allyson closed her eyes to quell a small tinge of homicidal excitement that was welling up within her. “Let’s do this,” she said. Jennifer wasted no time and exited the loft with a purposeful stride. Allyson held out her hand for her own crow and gave Marcus a glance. “Regardless of how this whole thing goes, when it’s over I want you to have the both of us cremated. And I want you to scatter our ashes into the ocean.”

“Allie…” began Marcus.

“Please,” begged Allyson. “I just want this to be over when it it’s over. I don’t want us coming back a second time.”

“You got it,” said Marcus. “I’ll do it.”

“Thank you,” said Allyson as she gave him a small kiss on the lips. “Goodbye, Marcus.”

“Goodbye, Allyson,” said Marcus as she turned to leave.

Once Jennifer and Allyson were outside Jennifer turned to look at her sister. “This whole thing will be fun,” said Jennifer. “Trust me.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” said Allyson.

Jennifer just smiled again and took her crow from her shoulder so that she could look at it. “Find them, pretty bird,” she said to it. “Find them so that we can exact our revenge.”

Both of the crows gave off a loud caw to acknowledge Jennifer’s command. Then they both took flight to begin looking for those who were responsible for this whole situation.

“And so it begins,” said Jennifer emotionlessly. “I’m so happy.”

To be continued…