A night to remember

I began my trek back home after a long night of drinking. A normal weekend night for me, having worked the entire week at the factory. It was a cool summer night and I was extremely thankful for that, having spent the evening at a friend’s apartment where the air conditioning was under repair. I walked along the sidewalk, watching my steps for whatever reason, making sure to keep my pattern of two and a half steps per slab of concrete. I decidedly lived approximately three blocks from my location, a route I had taken time and time again, in my time off. It was a maze that had become second nature, up two streets, down one, through the alley and up the stairs.
Realizing my unnecessary caution to the breaks in the world of separated concrete, I looked ahead and began focusing more of my attention on the street lamps that illuminated my path; the blur of the undirected light piercing the veil of the well-known unknown darkness. Across the way I heard the sound of a nearby substation. The 3:45 bustled in with night-dwellers eager to reach their house in time to have a halfway decent rest before the following shift. Lights flickered as the communal transportation came to a halt, a common thing do due to neglect to circuits keeping such luxuries alive.
There was something in the air that I couldn’t place my finger on though in all honesty I couldn’t place my finger on anything without a few practice runs. It was a stench I could almost hear, a taste in the wind I could almost see. The exoticism nearly brought me to my knees and tears to my eyes, it was unlike anything I had ever experienced. A blood curdling feeling wrenched my gut as I traversed the sea of streets I had known better than I knew myself and the more I traveled, the more I failed to ignore. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in attempt to regain my composure. To no avail, I eagerly gave up my earlier dinner to the sidewalk.
Having made my donation to the filth of the streets, slumped to the wall and with a fairly shaky hand attempted to light the cigarette I was sent with. A good luck charm, the sacrifice my friend made meant he would go without so that I could have peace of mind if only for a few minutes, and I wasn’t about to let the sacrifice be made in vain. Three tries of the flint proved my luck wasn’t nearly what was intended, so I tossed the scratched, used-up, white lighter aside to be dealt with by the late-night street cleaner. I released a reluctant sigh as I came to terms that my good luck charm had brought just the opposite. I put the smoke stick behind my ear.
Just moments later I decide to complete my journey, only half a block from the building I could already see between me and the distant gleam of lights guiding me home. The subway made a loud squeal as it began its final trip until morning, as if to push us both along to our apt destinations. An inspiring sound if only to escape it.
Making my way to the stairs, a breeze wisped by cooling my alcohol-fueled boiling blood. As I basked in the coolness I waited for the gust to end, needing the encouragement to enter my dead aired destination. But the breeze tempted me so, and I sat down on my stoop to enjoy the unending rush of air dictating my every move, or lack thereof. My eyes shut for a second and suddenly the root of euphoria I was experiencing came to a sudden halt. Assuming the hint had been made, I began to rise and fulfill my destiny; when suddenly I noticed a faint silhouette of what I could only assume to be the shadow of a nearby tree. It danced in the still air to my amazement and I felt myself mesmerized by its presence.
Following it’s every move, I watched as the shadow waned and waxed in the now distant light. It appeared to have rhythm, even more than I could say I had myself. Further-on it appeared to be consuming my porch, creating an uneasy darkness around me. Not so trusting of what the darkness held, I quickly stood and began searching my keys for the correct utensil to enter the premises; but apparently I had risen much more quickly than my body had anticipated and lights began dancing in my vision as I struggled to stay upright while the darkness quickly consumed the world. But my body overcame and my keychain went tumbling to the ground. Before I could even grasp the fact that I had stalled my one chance at escape, a chuckle seemed to resonate behind me and all throughout the architecture of the building.
“Who’s there?!” I managed to decrypt as it exited my mouth; turning to face the masked cackler. But no one was there. A brush of relief overcame me as I began to amuse the thought that my mind was simply playing tricks on me. I searched the horizon for any other explanation for the interruption and came up empty. Red in the face, I turned back to the situation at hand and once again began attempting the enigma of the front door.
“Mind if I bum a smoke?” the voice seemed to come from everywhere, with no point of origin. The raspy voice, sounding as if the owner had already taken a cigarette from everyone on the block, sent chills down my spine as I turned to the only place I hadn’t searched; a nearby alleyway separating my own building to a small butcher store next to the property. “I’ll make it worth your while…” chattered the faceless intruder, still a bit of humor resonating in the vocals.
Locating the dark shadow I now faced, I quickly spurted out “This is actually the last one I have, I got it from a friend. I’m sorry I can’t help you out...” fear quickly taking place of a now seemingly courageous disposition I had held before. “There’s a 24-hour one-stop shop not even 4 blocks away where you could find more.” I added.
A cackle lit the air and seized all remaining wits I had about me. “I don’t need a pack of cigarettes, I want yours.” Spat the voice. A flash of light from deep in the sky seared my corneas, yet gifted clarity of what I was hearing. There was, in fact, no hidden assailant in the nearby walkway. To that conclusion, I could see there was no one around at all. I glanced around uneasily, trying to recall my original plot of escape. A light rain began to fall. Off in the distance, under the luminescence of a dire red light indicating a halt of transportation among the railways I saw a presence that appeared to be staring to the floor from a metal bench. My gut spurred my inability to enter my home and I sorted my keys as I kept an eye on the only figure I could sense.
“That’s not the right one” explained the voice, my fingers slipping past the incorrect choice. “Not that one either” it enticed as I grimaced, assuming I would never make it within the confines of my home. “You’re almost there” the voice teased, thunder booming as if to add affect. The figure was now on its feet and was standing eerily next to the missing subway as if waiting for its arrival that wouldn’t come. Red light appeared to shower it but still would not reveal any distinct form.
“Leave me alone!” I exclaimed to the lifeless shadows all around me. I anxiously tried at the door, ready to pry it open with the tips of my fingers, should it be necessary. My blood was now boiling to release the torture I was failing to endure. The wood holding tight, I raised my foot to the door and began kicking manically at the handle desperately seeking refuge. Much to my surprised, and relief, the entrance finally gave in, releasing me into the home I had so recently welcomed to be my own. I slammed the door behind me, my mind and the weather pounding as one, and what was left of my sanity quickly diminishing. I began adjusting every piece of furniture within a close vicinity to barricade the only thing keeping me from the torment outside.
I forced my heart to slow and gathered what little composure was left to me, and went to the window to examine the horror I had fled. The warning of intrusion was still all too real; the figure down the street had turned to my direction and now appeared to be, as far as my limited eyesight would allow, glaring deeply into the window I was returning the gaze from and moving towards me at a fast rate in the torrent quickly picking up. Quickly turning away and replacing the blinds I had so eagerly pushed aside in search of a last redemption attempt to myself in vain, as swiftly and quietly as I could I darted up the stairs. Sure to not warn the being what my plan was I slowly pushed open the bedroom door and slipped inside; so far without incident. I crept across the bedroom, slowly making my way next to the clean knit covered bed.
An evening I will never forget, I reached for the nearly empty box on the nightstand guarding the bed and shook it. Thank god, there’s still a cigarette left. Grabbing the ragged old white lighter standing beside the pack. I solemnly lit the smoke-stick and took a deep drag. The profile of my nightmares watched disconcertingly from the door I entered from, accepting every movement I made as its own. The one light in the room reflected from its eyes as I returned the gaze. A light pocket knife lay on the small table and I took it in my hand, inspecting it deeply. The black eyes burned into my soul while I slowly removed the blade from its lock. I traced the edge along my finger to test its ability. My eyes darted to the shadow to find nothing there. Simply a doorway, still shut. My eyes remained and I shoved my tool with both hands deep into what lay before me. The stench of blood overcame the smell of sweat as the smoke of the last cigarette, the lucky cigarette, filled my lungs and empowered my decision. The gurgling stop as quickly as it had begun, and I once more puffed at my now only friend. The burning ember burned brightly, the familiar face I had spent so much time with now lifeless still with its own device lodged deep inside its throat. I took a drink from the bottle of liquor we had shared just hours earlier and chuckled lightly in the darkness. The crimson light of the cigarette refracting from my pupils I stare deeply into the dark abyss…

Alternate Ending


The enemy I had gained the trust of, whose existence tortured me beyond any former limitations had learned the error of his ways in the only way suitable. Years of pain and planning finally coming to an end. A justice done to the world ridding it of the worst kind of scum it produced. I could rest easy. My mother’s killer lay dead in front of me. A tear fell to the floor as quickly as my being, and I sat there waiting for a new day’s first hopeful light.