THEY sat in deep silence for a long while, uncertain of what to do, fearful of her unbridled fury on a path of revenge.
“What do we do?” one of them asked.
“How did she get such power?”
No one answered for a long time, and then another suggested, “My mother knows a good spiritualist from Suriname, so maybe he can give us some form of protection from her.”
“Good idea,” they all agreed, finishing the bottle of vodka.

The spiritualist arrived one week later, and during that week, the killers had some unnerving close mishaps on the road while driving. The distraction was the sudden appearance of the crows that caused three of their cars to be written off. Aryana was having fun watching their frustration, and she said, “Don’t worry. Your families have money, so you can buy more.”
They related to the religious man the incidents with the crows and their fear of being wrongfully accused of a crime they didn’t commit.
“Our sons are innocent,” their mothers affirmed, “How can they be protected from this evil?”

“If they are innocent, they have nothing to fear,” the spiritualist assured them.
He closed his eyes and meditated for a long while, then took a sharp, uneasy breath after reopening his eyes.
“That dark force was called for from a place our spiritual minds can’t cross. The agony and anger of the one who made that call are so deep. It has become evil and deadly.”
“There must be something you can do,” the mothers pleaded.

The spiritualist could feel Aryana’s presence; he could feel her burning fury, and he got up hurriedly to leave.
“Sorry, there’s nothing I can do.”
Families and true friends were still praying for her soul to ascend to heaven and rest in peace, but none she heard, for her soul now belonged to the dark force. Her mother’s voice, though, was heard from afar.
“Please, my baby, come into the light.”

“I’m sorry, Mom,” was all she could say.
The media continued to follow the story, giving regular updates to the nation that put the police under tremendous pressure for answers from their investigations. Not long after, the four of them were picked up for further questioning, but they stuck to their story of the mystery guy who took her home. They did not crack under the intense questioning because of their high-profile lawyers.
“Money is playing a big role here now,” Aryana stated as she sat under the mangrove tree on the lonely beach, “But the end will come soon, and when it does, it will be unforgettable.”
In the meanwhile, the sound of the crows could still be heard and for all those who believed, they knew her restless soul was still around. Aruna and Preity hardly went out anymore, breaking up with their boyfriends, and whenever they went out, fear and regret always remained in their eyes. One bad decision had caused them to lose their best friend and in such a horrific way.
“If only we can rewind time,” Aruna expressed.

“Yeah, if only,” Preity sighed, “She would be here laughing and chatting with us.”
Tears filled the eyes of both girls as they went back to their homes, their spirits broken. Aryana felt no empathy for them, for her heart was dark and cold. She was no longer in their world and would no longer dance, laugh, or smile.
“Now, I just wait,” she voiced to the wind, sand and sea.

Not long was her wait before the lab results came back and were conclusive enough for the police to charge the four young men with her murder. The news shocked the community and captured the interest of the nation, as the four accused were sons of well-known, influential figures in society.
The press and electronic media ran the story like a drama series, and the caption read, “Her soul will now find peace.”
But it was long from over.

The boys’ lawyers were already preparing a case to prove their innocence. Aryana listened to everything and smiled cynically, “We will see about that.”
A huge crowd gathered in front of the courthouse as they were brought in for the start of the case. Throughout the proceedings, everyone heard the cawing of the crows and the judge, lawyers and jury looked around with a little unease.
The crowd outside cheered the crows, and the judge ordered all windows and doors to the courtroom to be closed. The atmosphere in and outside of the courtroom was charged, as though everyone was expecting something dramatic to happen.

Something beyond the world was indeed about to happen!
The prosecutor had wrapped up her arguments and presented her case to the jury, but then the defence addressed the jury. Their lies found loopholes in the prosecutor’s case. Aryana called her emissaries, who alighted outside the glass windows. She did not send them in to create havoc but went in herself through the closed door with a heavy gust of wind that blew papers all over the room.
The smell of death filled the air as her vision appeared, sending everyone in shock. She stood there in her torn dress, tears and sand on her face, bruised lips, wounds on her shoulders and arms. There was soft crying and stifled gasps, for the scene was not a movie or a dream. It was real. It was now her time to present her case.

She lifted her hand, pointing to her killers, who had horrified looks on their faces, and one of the mothers screamed, “No, it’s not my son”!
The fury burning inside of Aryana unleashed with all its force as she screamed, the power of that sound pitching the woman across the courtroom. The piercing scream shattered the windows and the crows flew in, attacking her killers, tearing at their flesh and clothing until they broke down, confessing to their crime.
“Stop, please stop,” cried the one who had drugged her.

“We drugged, assaulted and killed her. I’m so sorry,” he cried, down on his knees, blood all over him.
Aryana raised her hand, and the crows stopped their attack. She flew out back through the windows and looked at her mother and father, who were crying in grief. She smiled and left the courtroom.
The images, videos and witness testimonies of the havoc she created in the courtroom shocked the community and nation beyond words.
It was something beyond anyone’s wildest imagination that a restless, angry soul could unleash such dark power.

“Unforgettable,” she had said.
She stood at the water’s edge as dusk approached, looking at the far horizon. Heaven’s soft light still shone as the angels waited, but the angels of the dark force also waited.
“Aryana,” her mother’s soft voice spoke,” You’re a good girl. Heaven is your home. You do not belong in the dark world.”
“I have no choice, Mom,” she said in a voiceless whisper.
“I used evil to fight evil.”

She closed her eyes, “I’m sorry, Mom, that I’ve caused you so much grief, but the lord wouldn’t have empowered me to avenge my death, so I sold my soul to the devil.”
She heard her mother crying helplessly, and she wished she could wipe her tears and comfort her, but she must now leave to keep her end of the bargain. She opened her eyes and beheld a bright light that had awaited her since that tragic night, and the dark angels were gone.
She gasped as the light touched her and she looked at her mother, who could now see her in that heavenly moment.
“How did this happen, mom?”

“I never stopped praying for you to find peace because your heart is filled with love and compassion, my sweet child.”
The light disappeared, and as the mother stood on the beach where her beautiful child’s body had lain in the sand, she felt a feeling of peace within herself.
She saw white doves flying on the horizon.