CHASE

Chapter 20

     A few nights ago, he frequented the tavern after finding his motivation to continue with his plans. He always sat at the corner table. Covered by the shadows, he sipped his beer, absently, analyzing those who appeared there. Those who looked at him with a false fraternization induced by the outsider himself. The establishment was a little vacant. As a result, he abandoned that place and strolled relaxed in the moonlight. A distant breath and heartbeat mingled with whispers in his ears.

     "Arlete?"  A young boy was walking, surreptitiously, along the cornfield paths looking for his beloved.  "Arlete? Arlete?"

     The boy who had run away from home in the middle of the night to steal a kiss from the girl his heart sang for was unaware of the infernal presence that was chasing him. He who had great skills to even touch a mere leaf being quieter than silence itself.

     "Oh, sorry..."  The boy was terrified by the appearance of a strange figure.  "I..."  His ability to argue stopped when his eyes were locked.

     "It was a nice night! Now, it's time to go!"

     These words echoed in the boy's brain along with a fraudulent voice. The perfect imitation of Arlete's voice. Treacherously convinced, he wandered to the spot from which he had fled before.

     A careless stumble appealed to the infamous creature. This time he didn't mind the noises as he traveled the distance. He felt her moving towards him. He inhaled the pure scent.

     "Elias? Oh!"  Panic flooded her.

     "Shhh."  He touched her with his index finger on the full lips transmitting tranquility.  "I'm Orsmund."

     The girl's huge hazel eyes quieted. She paid attention to the polite aspect of the incognito individual. The Viking released her from the bun that covered her honey-golden hair. He took a lock of her hair and ran his fingers through it in a slow, elegant gesture. This move made her shudder inside. He lowered his head and rested his nose on her shoulder. In a tone of defiance, he brushed her neck, absorbing her, deeply. Her skin prickled at the same time. Arlete's body tensed when, close to her ear, the cold mouth brushed her. No one has ever touched her like that. Not even Elias. Even more, she thought she was dancing over the precipice when the male hand groped, where no one had ever dared to reach that point of reaching her. She surrendered to his charm. Eagerly he lifted her to the level of his hip without any effort.

     "Oh!"  Moaned.

     Arlete's head reeled back and Orsmund's teeth pierced her pulse. She gave a despondent scream from the loss of energy. As the young woman lost her color her organism became mute. Presently, satiated, he took her in his arms to lay her on a more visible area so that the moon wouldn't be her only witness.

     The following night, Orsmund came to check on the progress. As he had come to predict, exaltation fluctuated without stability. Chaos set in little by little. He stopped by the tavern that was closed.

     "Today Raimundo closed the door."  Muttered the man leaning against the wall.  "Uberto."  He lowered his head while holding his hat, introducing himself.

     "What happened?"

     "Unfortunately, he lost his niece. Sad man... he treated her like a daughter."

     "A misfortune."  The voice was neutral.

     "They'll finish him off!"  He added when Orsmund turned away, calling his attention to turn around again.  "I didn't want to be in his shoes."

     "He?"

     "Yes. The delinquent! For now, he because they still haven't identified him. Lack of evidence..."

     Orsmund looked for Raimundo. He found him at his brother's house, where they were watching over Arlete's body. That's when he dared to enter after an invitation. Realizing through the sideways glances that they were suspicious of him. In this case he played a character with an apparent innocence. Showing himself to be distracted, he was aware that Raimundo got up from his chair to expel him. Besides, he was one of the men who had been suspicious of him from the start. However, two individuals prevented him from advancing. It was also obvious that he would not be able to present himself at the time of the burial, which gave rise to speculation. These suppositions which served as proper advantages to his designs. So, he was absent for three days and two nights.

     Without affronts, he revealed an air of common dismay and sat down on his usual bench. He knew that Raimundo was spitting obscene words. Apparently impartial concealed perversity.

     "They should understand when they are no longer welcome..."  Someone spoke to the air.  "Understanding the good..."

     "Or bad..."

     Camouflaged by the inconvenience, Orsmund tipped them with the incentive to provoke them and left with his head down. As he walked away, he heard them collectively leaving the tavern and closing it. He was aware that they were following him, deliberately. He could feel the dry footsteps on the sidewalk floor. They organized an ambush.

     Far from the dazzled luminosity where they were walking, a lightning ripped through the skies, revealing the positions of those who were chasing him. Naturally, he was already watching them because of his supervision and not because of the sudden flash. He let himself be cornered. They attacked him with strong punches, nothing fatal. They thought it was too easy when they saw him fall to the ground. They took him by the arms and dragged him back to the tavern. To the clandestine basement.

     "What did I do? I didn't do anything wrong!"  He pleaded as they tied him to the column.  "I'm innocent! Innocent!"

     "Yeah, yeah..."

     They tortured him for hours, but that didn't make him go back on his word. At dusk they dragged him out of the village, swollen and bloody. This dirty blow made them regret it. Desperate, a kid came knocking on the door to call them when they got back. Well, they came to discover that another misfortune came to haunt them during the assault of the one who was going to declare himself innocent. They tried to rescue him to save him from what they did to him, but he had disappeared. In the state in which he was left he was not in the proper condition to move about unless assistance was involved.

     "We'll look for him later."

     They determined that the affairs of the village itself would henceforth be of greater importance. They felt cursed. At least, they thought that was the case.