The Stranger’s Dilemma

           It was strange that night, I had not noticed how quickly the darkness had fallen; and that a stirring fog had risen off the cobbled streets. I remember stopping, looking up, and just as I was coming out of my reverie, I had become aware that the storefronts were being shuttered, and that the throngs of people from earlier had thinned, until only a few stragglers bustled up the road. I had no real purpose that evening, other than to get some air, and mull over my perplexing situation.
       It all began about a fortnight ago whilst I was talking to an acquaintance. We had met just outside one of our local public houses, a half hour before eight, when suddenly a man came staggering down the road, hollering and screeching. At first my acquaintance smiled, and commented how it seemed someone had had a very merry evening in deed. I remember smiling back, and then shaking my head in the direction of the man. However, it was not a second later that the drunken man had fallen against my friend, breathing rapidly and slurring.“I know you, guvenor…” he had gasped out, and then he just slumped to the ground. People quickly milled around, bustling and pushing, and I still remember distinctly the smell of foul ale on some of their breaths as they shoved in to get a closer look, and the sense of the sense of revulsion I felt.
“Ere! I know that old geezer, that be old Bob, he lives not far from ‘ere”, a tall, thin, bedraggled man grind-ed out. His mouth was a stumpful of decaying teeth, and his breath had nauseated me.
“ What that be in his ‘and, it looks somik like..’ere is that blood, gord en bennett, what gives. Bob! What be goin’ on?” He had looked up and then eyed us suspiciously, as he nudged another man, who also looked up at us, glared, and then gave us a sniff of disapproval.
       In all that chaos I had not noticed the look of absolute terror upon my acquaintance’s face; his white sickly pallor, and, his eyes a haunting stare. I had then felt him slump against me, he was sweating profusly, and I had staggered back slightly in order to catch him. It was as I was trying to steady my friend, that I heard the harsh, peircing shrill of a peeler’s whistle, and then the sound of pounding feet coming towards us. My acquaintance, Phineas Winter, now managed to look down at the body lying on the damp cobblestone floor. By then a larger crowd had formed, creating a barrier for the peelers.
“Move aside! What’s all this, move aside I say!” The huge man, in uniform, pushed his way through. Now it was in that one second, Phineas suddenly fell to his knees, fumbled over, and, knocked the ailing stranger’s hand. I stood there numbed, as I observed Phineas, quickly snatch something up and slide it into his shoe. Then he staggered back up and grasped at my coat to try to steady him-self. I acted as if I had seen nothing, only his act of falling.
“What the devil is this??” The huge man looked down at the body, and then turned to push people aside so another peeler could get closer.
“ Foul play?”
“Dunno, ain’t it usually?” The other peeler answered.
“I saw somik in his ‘and, see there, ain’t that blood..?” The tall, thin man slurred out. “That be Bob, from up the street!!” The peeler kneeled down to get a closer look.
“Quick there!! Get a wagon, he’s still alive…move along!!!” The peeler, pushed at people impatiently, and eventually the mob moved, just leaving a few lingerers. The other peeler helped to move them, so a cot could be pushed through. The man on the ground groaned slightly now. My companion and I, just stood quietly watching. We occasionally glanced at each other, but I could not look Phineas in the eyes. The lamplight created morbid shadows, and the din of the tavern strained into the street. I could hear some beveler singing, his voice a crescendo of drunken slurring, and I shivered from the damp air. I was confused as to what had all happened. This was most peculiar. Myself, and that of Phineas, had rather a typical life, we were nothing extroadinary, especially for anything unusual of any nature to happen to us. I tried to relax, and reassure myself that this was all a ghastly mistake, by my instincts were rattled. I could not forget Phineas sneaking the object from the man’s hand. My acquaintance was about to say something to me, but he stopped, for he was staring at the huge Peeler speaking to the tall, bedraggled man from earlier. I felt my stomach lurch, as I saw the peeler turn and look at us suspiciously. He stared intently at my acquaintance, and then his huge body sauntered over, his cocky step, denoting authority.
“Okay sir!!” He pointed at Phineas, “it has come to my attention, that this here person” he pointed to the grubby sling bed that carted the injured stranger, “knows you sir!”
“No! No! There is some mistake…I have no knowledge of this person.” I remained quiet. The peeler looked at us sternly, then after observing us for a moment or so, he then seemed satisfied with our demeanors, and even relaxed slightly.
“Well!! Well I guess you genteel men, were just owt gettin’ a little air, and there has been a blunder!”
“Yes absolutely!! There is clearly some mistake…we were just about to take a little beverage, when this…this, man, the one in question came, and fell…..” The peeler scrutinized us again. I held my breath.
“Alrighty then…well it is still my juty, to ask you gentlemen fa yer cards….sos as I can contact yoo incase, incase… I need ta question ye….both of ye!” We both quickly fumbled in our pockets and produced our cards. I silently noticed Phineas’s hands were shaking slightly. This was unusual; he was clearly out of sorts.
      After our quick interrogation, we both curtly nodded to the peeler and then walked off, leaving him to yell at some of the younger men underneath him.
“Watch what yer doing there, yer droppin’ him now! Move it! You sir, move on! The tall, dirty man had left just before us, but he kept looking back, staring at Phineas, until he slunk into some dimly lit alley. I walked on next to Phineas, I wanted to be out of earshot. I then stopped, was to about confront him, as I wanted some answers, when he quickly mumbled something, and took off, almost running.
       Over the next couple of weeks, after this incident, I tried several times to contact Phineas but to no avail, I had not seen, nor heard from him. On inquiring at his home, one evening, I was greeted by his butler, who usually amicable and respectful, was tight-lipped, and curt. He stated that the family had gone abroad and would not be back for several months, and then he had quickly slammed the door in my face. I had just stood there, my mouth agape and my mind reeling and quite confused. I also felt quite betrayed. Had I erred? Unknowingly insulted my friend, surely not? There was definitely something quite out of sorts, perhaps quite sinister for now, when I think back on it, Walkerton, before slamming the door in my face had looked so intently at me, and I was positive then, and I’m even more now, that I had seen fear in his eyes, but why?
       There was also one tired evening, when coming home, that I was convinced I saw Phineas. It had to be him, or perhaps, it was just the low lighting of the gas lamps. I had desperately called out his name, but he either did not see me, or did not want too. In that quick moment I was acutely aware of how, his usual jovial gait; seemed more like a desperate trot and his normally ramrod back, was hunched and troubled. I had called out to him again and even tried to persue him, but he had ran and disappeared down some darkened alley.
      I exhausted every avenue I could think of; I even went to his place of employment, but they said a note had been delivered to them, stating, that he would not be coming back, that he was resigning his position immediately; it was all a mystery to them, and of course more, to me. I even tried enquiring after the stranger -Bob, who had collapsed that fateful evening, to find he had disappeared also. The nurses stating with empathic relief, that one evening he was gone, just gone.
“No trace!! Nothing!” Even the peeler that Phineas and I had fearfully encountered that same evening had been re-assigned to a different district of the city. Oh how I have lamented in these past weeks, was it some sort of bizarre joke? My perplexity had suffered my work, my mind, even my wife had begun to suffer for me. I did not sleep, and my appetite wained. And then I found myself again, outside the same ale house, of that very evening in question.
       It was as I was shrugging off that confused daze, realizing how late it was getting, that in the fog I noticed a man across the street just staring at me. Even though I could not see his eyes, I sensed that he was, for he did not move, and his focus seemed to be in my direction. I felt so on edge at that moment, and looked about me to see that there really was no-one else about. Then he started to slowly move towards me……I stood there transfixed, unable to move. He continued to move slowly towards me, still staring in my direction. He was of average height, averagely dressed, and yet there was something akin to the bizarre about his overall appearance. It was as he got closer, that I started to be aware that his clothing, even though not of a great quality, or expense, was mismatched. The charcoals of his clothes were all wrong. He wore a tie that was so out of fashion, and I was sure his shoes did not quite match either, and yet he seemed to feel no hesitation or embarrassment what so ever. In fact, as he became finally within a few feet of me, he smiled quite pleasantly but again without taking his eyes off me. I felt a shiver of revulsion, but I still could not understand why. Other than his awkward attire, he seemed quite normal. He finally held out a card, as if we had an appointment.
“Sirrr!!!” he lisped, “I have been expecting you”
“Expecting me!!! How can that be….I am not familiar with you.” He did not answer me at first, but just stared, and then he laughed, A hideous chortle. “Aaaah!!! Sir, how wrong you are….I can assure you. I have been expecting you.”
“ That I assure you sir is quite impossible!!” He dismissed what I said, with a quick flick of his hand.
“Perhaps we could step into this establishment, wet our whistles, and become more acquainted. Pray sir, you will join me?”
“Confound it sir!!! I will not step anywhere with you, until you, explain yourself.” He suddenly laughed again, whipped off his hat, and bowed ludicrously before me.
“I am, let’s say an acquaintance of your friend…the one you are so desperately looking for.” And he stared darkly at me, with a hint of a threat in his voice. “Pray sir, do join me!”
His words struck me, as if I had taken a physical blow. I looked back at him, and his now grim expression. He stared straight at me; his eyes were hard, and dark. I was able to push myself to walk forward, even though I felt a slight nausea, and my legs felt frozen with fear. He stepped aside, doing a slight jig, but never taking his eyes off me, as I headed for the door.
      I entered the establishment. I walked in as if in a dream, quickly though, my eyes adjusted to the dimness of the room, and my senses returned. The smells of the ale house hit me, and the sounds seemed magnified as I surveyed my surroundings. He saluted the barman with a slight nod, and the barman nodded back, “Right ye are, guv” and rushed about whipping up two large glasses and plonking them in front of us before we had properly sat down. The barman nodded to the winstrel again, as if awaiting a pat on the back, and then turned and looked at me with a smug smirk on his face.
“Aahh! By jove, your service is impeccable as usual.”
“Thank ye gov, yur always welcome here”, but the barman continued to look in my direction with his smug smile; my stomach jolted, and the fury I felt forced me to grab the edge of the table to steady myself. The barman walked away chuckling to himself, and the stranger not taking his eyes off me noticed, my tenseness. I wanted to just lunge at him, and as if he read my mind, he then nodded over to the far corner of the bar, where a slight movement, made me turn my head to see two men, leaning in a corner, watching us intently. I understood my position, and knew I had to calm my nerves. It was obvious this man was well known here, and I suddenly wondered if my friend or I had ever been watched when we were here before. I had so many questions to ask, I suddenly blurted out, “Where is he?”  He just swatted my question away.
“Come let’s just while away the time…momentarily” he answered amusingly. I just glared back at him. He remained silent for a moment, and then his face seemed to contort into a mask of silent rage. His eyes darkened into a harsh flat granite, and the pupils almost shrunk before me, and the bemused smile he usually held deepened into a cruel line. With his hand gripping the his glass, he harshly whispered;
“Listen here, you don’t know how deep the quagmire is, so let me tell you, if you want to see your friend, you will remain silent. I want you to act like you know me until I say so!! Do you understand?” I nodded slightly, my insides felt like ice. I could hardly breathe, but finally, I was able to exhale. I then leaned back silently. The duplicitous smile finally returned, and he then took a long gulp of his ale. We made light conversation for a while, but I still remained intense, either he didn’t notice, this or he just ignored it. I never learned his name during this time, and during the conversation, I never took my eyes off him, and he never faltered in his observation of me. I noticed that his hands were surprisingly smooth, almost genteel, and his teeth were impeccable, not a stain on them, which was surprising considering his dress. His clothes were shabby, but clean. As well as watching me he seemed to be aware of everything around him. Just when I was contemplating this, that his attention suddenly became riveted to the door, and the same look of rage he had shown me earlier suddenly returned. His breathing seemed to become shallower, and his nostrils flared. It took my whole strength not to look towards the door, I wanted to but I felt it would be detrimental if I did. It took me a moment to realize how much quieter it had become. I turned cautiously to look around, and my eyes finally fell on the apparitions that had entered the establishment. I sat rooted in absolute horror, and revulsion. There walking in the door, or should I say shuffling, was an old man, and woman. They were both dressed fully in black, and I was sure for a moment that cobwebs hung from the woman’s cloak. The man’s face was so pale; in fact, they were both very white as if they hadn’t seen sunlight in a while. The skin of his face looked as if it had been pulled back, and what was left of his nose, was a scar. The skin on his neck hung in ripples and his neck was elongated, and stooping. When he opened his mouth to speak, there were just rotting stumps for teeth, and what was left of his hair was sprouted on his scarred scalp. The woman stooped slightly, and her hair was scrunched up into what used to be a bun, but now was just a tangled mass. Her eyes, which were barely visible, were just two piercing orbs. It was not necessarily their physical appearance that caught me off guard, for I have seen disfigured people, it was something else. It was as if there was a form of darkness about them, as if their own shadows were attached to them. Everybody seemed to have sensed it. Suddenly I heard a low whisper from the stranger,
“I want you to walk outside quietly, do not look back at them….now!” It took me a lot to turn away from the couple, and just as I was about to, the old woman turned and stared right at me. My heart skipped a beat. Her stare was like nothing I had ever encountered, and I remained riveted, but the stranger whispered something in my ear, very quietly. I could not quite hear him, but it was as if I had come back from a very deep darkness, and I was able to turn my head. The stranger just looked at me intensely and then got up and walked casually towards the door. He nodded to the barman, but did not look at the couple. I was sure for just a second he made a tiny nod, towards the men in the corner, and then turned, and left.

   It was so hard for me not to turn my head and look again at the couple, but I managed to force myself not too, I was able however, though quite rigidly to get up, and walk as calmly as I could to the door, and then I quickly stepped outside. The night air was so refreshing, compared to the staleness from inside. I had not realised strong a stench had lingered in there, and after stepping outside I had to take a few gulps of air. I even stumbled slightly, almost falling to the floor, until I felt a strong arm pull me up. The stranger stood there looking at me.
“ They are the key…”
“What?? I don’t understand…what are you saying??”
“If you want to see your friend alive….they are the key”. And with that he walked away. I stood there in shock for a few seconds, until I tore after him. I ran as fast as I could, but somehow he had disappeared. I stood there in the junction of the road, looking here and there, and yet he had gone, vanished. I thought perhaps I should go back into the bar, but an intense sense of fear and revulsion rose up in me, so I turned and quickly walked back towards my home. I was exhausted.
         It was several days after this incident that I was feeling so frustrated because I still did not know what to make of it, and how could I possibly help my friend. Now, however I really started to understand that he was in grave danger that I decided to not tell my wife as I knew it would really upset her, and she would readily try to deter me from the situation. I could not sleep anymore, she had started to notice, I tried to put her mind at ease, by telling her that something at work was troubling me. I decided again to go for an evening stroll, and again headed down to the area where it all began; I now strangely hoped to bump into the stranger, but that was to no avail. I stood there under one of the lamplights, just redundantly gazing around when I fell upon an image that made me freeze. My blood felt like ice, and the pit of my stomach knotted.

to be continued.

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