Under the Mango Tree: 101 Tales (2)

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Challenge No.32 - Lesser of Two Evils.

A knock on your door reveals a stranger who hands you their business card, claiming they are The Lesser of Two Evils. Write a scene or story that reveals what happens next.

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As with most members of the human race, Sara had a job that ran during the week, with a side gig to supplement her income and as hard as that was, the weekend was harder. As much as possible Sara's weekend was work and work as she cleaned the house, prepared her meals for the week and got her clothes washed and ironed. It was non-stop work. Work for the boss and work for herself - it just never stopped.

It was in the midst of this organised chaos that the tiny terrier began to bark. His voice split the air. He stood at the front door to her apartment as he raised the alarm that something was wrong.

The knock on the door confirmed the dog's alarm.

"Who the hell is that, better not be no Jehovah witnesses - Bonn." Sara spoke to no one, wiped her hands on a cloth and headed for the door.

"Paddy! Hush!"

The dog paused for a split second, then raged again.

Holding him under one arm, she opened the door with the other. "Yes?"

The man before looked like he'd escaped from a funeral directors' convention. Tall, gaunt, brown-skinned he looked like he had not been out in the sun for months. He looked pale and sickly.

"Yes?" Sara repeated.

He handed her his business card, "I am The Lesser of Two Evils."

"Is that right?" She struggled to keep Paddy still.

He repeated, "I am The Lesser of Two Evils."

"Is that supposed to mean something to me?"

"You're supposed to give the counter password." He intoned.

"Uh-huh." Sara was very wary of the man.

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"I think you have the wrong person."

"Is this apartment 759?"

"No. That's over there. This is apartment 758."

"My most abject apologies."

"No worries." With that, she shut her door.

Why the man had come to her apartment, Sara could not fathom. After all the numbers were large enough on each door. They even glowed when the quality of light was low. Only then did it occur to her that she should have used the new security system that her brother had installed for her. It was so recent that she had forgotten to look at the screen first before answering the knock.

With Paddy in her lap, Sara booted up the system. The CCTV gave her a one-eighty-degree view of the hallway. She watched the ethereal looking man knock on the door of apartment 759. It opened. Sara assumed that he had used the same ridiculous line. It seemed to have worked. The door opened wider and he entered. She was turning away when her peripheral vision caught the light. She refocused on the screen. A green glow emanated from the apartment, framing the door, giving it an otherworldly look.

Sara wiped the file and turned the computer off.

If that was The Lesser of Two Evils, that was fine - she had no desire to see the Greater of the Two.

© 1 April 2022

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