It was a most curious evening.
The festival of Easter was upon us and yet the dark evening air hinted of a cold chill perhaps even snow, not the promise of spring, daffodils and croci.
I had retired for the evening with my journal and my thoughts when a whistful glint caught my eye from the pavement below.
Startled, I jumped from my chair and blew my candle light, allowing the room to sink into darkness. Again the glint appeared – directed at my window – directed at me.
Was I being stalked? Watched from afar? I edged slowly to my lead-lined window and rose to peer through, a solitary bead of swear beginning to form on my brow. Two stories below, skulking beneath the illuminated streetlamp stood a dark shadow.
My heart stood still, my pupils dilated: This shadowy figure was staring at me, his eyes burrowing into my soul like a pair of red hot irons. My darkness did not conceal – and this demon had come for me, of this I was sure.
He beckoned – gently at first, but then with more fervor. Subtley, yet with distinct distress.
Could I deny this ungodly wretch my attention?
I peered closer as the glint once again hit my eye – he had coins – MY GOD HE WAS SHOWING ME COINS!
I nodded once and backed gently into the darkness of my room feeling for my long coat, my peaked hat, my pistol and my cane.
Silently and stealthily I exited my home, locking and double locking my door for fear of assailants that may take refuge in my humble digs. The dully lit hallway which lead to the leadlined elevator groaned and creaked as I skipped across from side to side, ensuring that the eyes that peered from the portrait artwork on the wall would be distracted should they wish to challenge me.
As I approached the front door, I noted that my mystery visitor had retreated somewhat from the bath of light, cascading from the overhead streetlight – he stood, nervously under a barren, leafless tree. A wave of confidence covered me, filling me with renewed courage. This was no demon – just a man.
A man in need of my help.
I slipped out of the door, immediately bracing myself against the snowladen air – it had not fallen yet, but it was not far away, ready to bury the city under yet another blanket of frozen white.
I edged nervously across the street, never breaking eyecontact with my mystery pursuiant… he appeared agitated and nervous, clearly a man with much on his mind.
I approached and said nothing.
“Mr LeClair”, he said, never raising his dark, troubled eyes from the pavement, his feet moving fleetingly as if ready to take flight at a moments notice.
“I needed to see you… to ask you… to beg of you…”. His voice trailed off, terror streaming from his eyes.
“You must help me, I understand that you can. Help?”
“My good man”, I said gently, “I am at your service, what I can do I will, but do tell – what is it that troubles you so?”
“It is the air. It is filled with evil”. The man lurched at me, grabbing my lapels, his eyes pleading with mine.
“I cannot breathe…”. He began to choke, the very life of him seemingly disappearing before my eyes.
“The poisonous air… where does… it… come from…”.
He respired once more, and expired.
Panicked, I looked around, the very blood drining from my face as I heard the distant wail of sirens approaching. Looking left, then right I saw no man or woman on the street – it was barren. I dragged the corpse of my newly expired associate into the undergrowth of the neighbouring appartment building and deftly covered his slight frame with whatever aged leaves and dirt lay beneath the bush I had deemed suitable for his grave.
Then it hit me.
As I scraped throught the dirt, the first whiff of fowl, putrid stench. It was encompassing, surrounding, overwhelming. I wretched, not once, but two times and dug deep into my pocket, searching for my handkerchief to cover my nose and mouth, sweat pouring from my brow… as I raised the cloth to my mouth, I let out a small almost silent scream as the stench grew stronger… was I to be overcome in the same manner as my dead colleague??
My throat began to close as my vision became blurred and my muscles failed.
I tried to scream as my body finally succumbed to the poison and I collapsed under the bush, as the first flakes of Easter snow began to fall…
