The Youth Pill

Greed is a sin that is probably the most tempting out of all the sins. A good ruler could become a bad one if they start becoming greedy for power. Gluttons become gluttons because they are greedy for food. That's just to name a few. 
I also have become accustomed to greed's grasp. How? Because of one pill. One pill was the thing that sealed my fate. 
Let me tell you about it. 
It was a hot, humid day. I was out in the fields working tirelessly, and I was exhausted. I wished that my old age wouldn't slow me down. These days I was having trouble keeping the work on schedule. I did the field work all by myself. I had no children. No wife. No friends. Nobody helped me, and I do admit that I lived a sad life. And if you pile arthritis and vision loss on top of all that, work is extremely difficult. 
I wiped the sweat off my brow, and gathered today's pickings to take at the village market. I placed everything in my horse driven wagon, got on my horse (a beautiful mare, who had a white diamond on her forehead), and rode off. 
I was nearly at the village when I suddenly saw a figure. I slowed down, seeing if the person was lost or needed a ride. 
"Top of the morning to you sir! A fine day it is. Do you need a ride? Are you lost?" I said. 
I finally got a good look at the person. He wore a black cape with a hood which covered the person's upper half of his face. The man was old, from what I could tell, and his wrinkled mouth creased into a smile. He started to mumble. 
"You seem like a perfect fit, a perfect fit indeed. Yes I think you'll do. Yes, yes." the man in the hood rambled. 
"Sir...?" I tentatively said, startled at what he was saying. 
"Have you ever felt like you can't do work like you used to?" the old man said ubruptly. 
"Why yes. It only makes sense of a man my age-..." I began, but got cut off. 
"Have you ever thought about whether or not you can feel young again?" proposed the unknown elderly man.
"Er, yes...?"
The man grinned, and dug in his pocket, pulling out three small, marble sized black balls. 
"Take all three of these pills. It will not work with less. If you take less, it turns moreover a poison, and you'd rather not know the consequences. Remember, all three."
I took the shining, black, glistening balls. Well, I should probably call them pills, the man said they were. I put the three pills safely into my pocket, and thanked the man before riding away to the village. 
. . . 
I came back home, with a good amount of money. Today was a good day of selling, and I was quite pleased. I tied my horse up to its post in its stall, and, while walking to my house, took out the three youth pills. I put one toward the sunlight, examining its features. Suddenly, right out of my hand, a raven snatched the shiny black pill. I stood in shock, and once I finally processed what happened, tried to run after the bird, knowing full well my legs couldn't handle it. I was correct, and I sadly watched as the bird flew with my one way ticket to being young again. I collapsed to my knees, and yelled in frustration, burying my face into my hands. 
I slowly trudged back to my house with the two now useless pills at hand. I threw them into a bowl, (just in case), flopped onto my bed, and I fell into a dreamless sleep. 
. . . 
I woke up to the sound of cawing. I shot up from my bed. The ravens might be damaging my crops! I ran outside to shoo them off and froze. 
The largest flock of ravens you could possibly imagine had now congregated at my small patch of land. And there, the ringleader of the chaos, was the raven who stole my pill!
But it looked different. It didn't look like a raven at all. It was a mangled mess of gore and organs. It had many bald spots, and eyes growing everywhere in growths. The irises were all red, and a yellowish substance oozed out of each eyeball, sometimes with bubbles forming as well from the liquid. It was undoubtedly the biggest raven here. And there, forming between its eyes, was my pill. 
I froze, as every single beady eye was upon me. Staring into my soul, like they were seeing my entire life in a glance. 
"W-what do you want from me!" I stuttered out. 
They continued to stare. 
"Look, I'll give you all the corn you want! All of it if you like. Just... just please, give me back my pill." I pleaded. I couldn't believe I was begging a flock of birds for a pill, but I was desperate.
My pleas fell on deaf ears. Those stupid little feathered rats just kept staring. Staring, and staring, and staring. I could just gouge my eyes out, and while I was at it, commit a mass murder against this flock. But, before I went crazy, the... monster raven opened its beak. Its extremely large toothed beak, now. That was pretty unsettling, seeing a pair of canines in a bird's mouth. A wheeze parted from the creature's beaks. 
But then, a word. 
"You... greedy." the raven breathed out. 
I was completely flabbergasted, then downright furious. How dare that bird-brain INSULT me! The creature eyed me, and opened its mouth again with its raspy voice. 
"Will... not treat... us... give food... normal," said the feathered monstrosity, "only give food... when I want... so-something. Pill... you want... for self. Care... only for... self."
I was dumbfounded, and angry. Practically red to the face. This deformity was calling out MY flaws. That piece of crap had so many, it wasn't even funny! Yet it talks about that I'M selfish! I stormed off back to my bedroom. I opened the drawer containing my gun. If this bird wasn't going to willingly give me what I wanted, what I needed, then I'd have to get it the hard way. I walked out, gun in hand. The flock immediately went berserk upon seeing the weapon, crying, cawing, crowing, and flapping in a frenzy. I couldn't see anything at all. I attempted to point at my target. And I pulled the trigger. 
A raven fell down. I then realized. I shot the wrong bird. The flock freezes. It was almost like time stopped. The birds surrounded their dead companion, in sorrow. 
Then, the monster looked at me. Every raven turned its head toward my direction. I gulped as sweat dripped down my face. I dropped the gun, fear paralyzing me. 
"Kill him." 
Upon those words touching the ear drums of the birds, they went crazy. I screamed as a flurry of birds charge in my direction. They surrounded me, flying around me, trapping me. I was in the middle of this terrible feathered vortex. And I was terrified. 
The ravens started to scratch and peck at me. I howled in pain as one pokes my eye out. My screams of agony were probably heard from the town, miles away. I tried feeble attempts to push away the hellions, but my actions were useless. They continued to peck, scratch and gorge my body. I collapsed in complete and utter pain, but the birds were relentless, and continued their siege. 
My ear was ripped, and I was in even more pain than I was before. I was literally being eaten alive by birds. 
I soon started to feel numb, and soon, I didn't feel anything at all. I lifted a measly, half eaten finger, but it fell back to its original position. That was the last thing I ever did. 
I was found the next day by some villagers. My body, mangled, and destroyed to nothingness. I could still see that same wretched bird, peering at me with its many eyes. 
And that little black pill the size of a marble, attached to its head. 
Category:Animals
Category:Dismemberment
Category:Items/Objects