The Enchantments: Book 3 - The Key of Sorcen

Chapter 8: The Soul Shadow

The threat of storm turned the street into the remnants of a ghost town. The wind, which had been picking up over the past few hours began blowing debris along the gutters like tumbleweed in an old west town. The only light to break the dim came from an old overhead streetlight that had seen better days and a building on the far side with dirty unkempt windows.

The Salisbury street mission had stayed open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week for as long as the people of New Hampton had known. Catering to the low life of the aged city, every once and a while a person would come in that really needed the help.

Arian Sallo was that sort of person.

A harder working individual there never was, goals of a life filled with love and prosperity had seemed to pass him by. Life had thrown him a curve ball and he had struck out on three pitches.

With the onset of war, Arian did what any patriotic person would do for god and country. He fought with the allies until he as an unsuspecting soldier was caught in the crossfire of a major battle and was injured.

The recovery was long and painful and as events occur he came home to find his wife had died not six months earlier almost precisely the time he was shot. Since many on this side of the Atlantic thought he was dead in the battle, his kids were placed in an orphanage and were soon adopted by others. In an effort to retrieve his kids he began working in the steel mill until it to closed down and he was left with no money and no hope.

As despair took over he soon found himself doing things he never thought he would ever do. Although he never broke the law and never would, he like Fin a few years ago found himself with no place to live but a cardboard box in an alleyway a few yards from the mission. It was there that he dreamed of a better life and the ability to pull away from the gutters and be productive again.

Tonight Arian stepped forth from the Salisbury mission, his belly full of a good meal and a renewed sense that things might be better from that moment on. Pulling his collar up to the upcoming storm he swung his ragged coat that much tighter and shivered.

'It's gonna be a nasty one,' he thought to himself as he looked up to the turbulent clouds.

Arian brought his hands to his lips and blew in them quickly trying to keep them warm from the biting cold sweeping down the street. He stepped from the curb and began slowly walking down the asphalt away from the mission. He decided to take a little bit of a walk to clear his head and to check along the street for any of the business that might be needing help. It had been a long time since any type of work passed his way that the thought of a little money in his pocket might be a welcome sound.

Crossing the street he felt the numbing cold seep under his jacket and suddenly wished he had just gone back to the alley and scrunched up inside his cardboard box. It was at that moment he decided to turn around and forgo the walk, but just as he turned something caught his eye in the alley to his right.

"Hello!' He shouted through the wind. "Is anyone there?"

As he had expected no one popped out to get him, and there was no sound from the darkened space. He took in a deep breath and headed back in the direction of the mission. But not ten steps closer did he catch another movement just inside the entrance.

"OK, this is getting out of hand, who's there?" He yelled, his voice echoing through the empty street.

Feeling a little shaken he stepped forward again. His footfalls began to scare even him and all he wanted now was the small confines of his box. It was then he suddenly had the urge to run, but he stopped instead.