Nerium oleander

Hemlock

Living in Adelfa was an endless cycle of performative acts.

In the morning, the sunlight was dim, the air was colder and the paths were lonely. He would pick a coat to go out, one size too big so he'd look smaller, a pair of boots, a camera and a small bag with groceries.

The neighborhood was boring, everyone greeted each other, children would laugh and jump over the fences and mess up the flowers but at this hour, they would all be tucked in their beds. Everything was still silent, a lamplight flickered every three blocks. Remus, with it's energetic tail and curious nose, kept him out of the walking path and led him into the forest.

He chuckled, the dog knew where the interesting place of this town was, he had seen the crows gathering, flying in circles above the trees. It seemed like the town folks weren't used to looking above their heads.

Taking a deep breath, he understood why the dog seemed eager, the smell of death grew stronger, Remus' movements became sharper, huffing and barking. With a sigh, he tugged the collar sharply, a whine escaping the dog.

"I'm sorry." He said, stepping close to one of the trees and tying the collar to a branch. Remus started whining as he stepped away, yet he stood still, a very well trained dog it seemed.

Shuffling of feathers, flapping and the crunch of a branch resounded in the forest. Yao raised his stare, the flowery pattern of the dress contrasting with the dry branches. It was about time to get a response, though the delivery was rather unfortunate, almost insulting.

He had taken his time with Antonio, why was this scene so disappointing? A smile settled on his face, desperation, that's what it displayed. It wasn't fresh, it wasn't planned, a mere show of strength, or the lack of it, the only redeemable detail was the closeness in location, yet it seemed vague, accidental.

He stepped back, bringing the dog with him and shoving his hand on the pocket of his coat, the leaves crunching beneath his boots. As he walked further, an old wooden cabin grew visible, it's battered state made it grim, Yao scrunched up his nose, the perceptible odor of dampness made him frown.

He opened the door, the wooden floor screeching as they stepped inside, he set the groceries in the kitchen, preparing a quick breakfast, eggs, bacon, a bit of tea and of course a mix of dry and wet food for Remus.

The poor dog had worked so hard, it deserved a nice meal for the rest of it's retirement. He added little bits of meat for the dog and it started to devour them within seconds.

"You have done this before, haven't you?" He said, knowing very well that the dog would not reply, though it was nice to pretend, Remus was full of surprises.

The smile on his face faltered, as a scraping sound came from the floor beneath them, followed by a muffled whine.

Yao sighed, walking towards the back of the house, a cup of tea in hand, opening the trap door to the basement. Downstairs, the humidity was stronger, he left the door open, providing the place with a dim light and a slight breeze though it was futile against the odor.

"Did you know that you can sightsee a redstart bird in the forest. Dr. Kirkland?"

A vicious glare was thrown his way, Yao smiled, approaching him slowly. "There's a couple of those around here, though the female one is very hard to find, you see, she's not as flashy as her male counterpart."

The other man flinched as he reached to touch his hand. "Now, Dr, Kikrkland, I wouldn't want to repeat antics with you, Antonio was very loud and as you saw, I was forced to make him silent."

A small nod and Yao untied the gag on him, Arthur merely observed him. Yao placed the cup against his lips and he drank the red tea slowly.

Yao tipped the cup slightly, so the other could drink as much as he'd like. "I think, I asked you a question yesterday, are you ready to answer?"