Comfort

"Does nothing comfort you?" she asked. "The warmth of the season? The fellowship? The hope of better things to come?" He refused to answer her, hanging his head low. "Life!" her companion exclaimed excitedly. "Celebrate!" He groaned and ordered another. "Leave me be," he whispered when the glass arrived. "This is your wintertide, then? Lonely and lost in drink?" she pressed, touching his arm. He shrugged away. "Try!" her companion beseeched him. "LIVE!" Edgar looked straight ahead, glaring; he hadn't welcomed the ghostly company of Annabel Lee and he had no idea when the damned raven had started shrieking something other than, "Nevermore!", but it was beyond irritating. "I said LEAVE ME BE!" he hissed (and several of the other patrons looked at them, but saw only the solitary hunched figure at the bar).