Devil's Soul

Chapter 50 (something in the shadows)

It wouldn't have mattered, anyway. If I had listened to his warning, I mean. As I went to shove her inside, I saw a flicker of movement in the shadow beyond the reach of the lights spilling from the building windows. I hesitated, looked back. There was nothing. Yet...there'd been something familiar about the movement. Clearly my imagination. After all, what could be more familiar to me than that?

Arabella took advantage of my lapse in attention. She clumsily pulled away from me, taking a shaky step back. Toward the shadow. I reached out to grab her, and she jerked away, throwing her off balance in her weakened state. She teetered backward, her arms flailing out, instinctively clawing for the closest thing. For my hand, which was already falling back to my side. Slowly. Like a deflating balloon. An action without either meaning or thought. Just the necessary completion of something already initiated.

And she fell. I could have extended my arm again. Maybe her fingers would have found my hand. Maybe I would have pulled her into me to finish our mission to enter the police station, where they would have treated her out of obligation, and she would have flown away through the bars, free as a bat. But that's not what happened. She fell. And she disappeared. Into the shadow.

Silence followed. I stood for a while, staring at the spot. Not thinking, just staring. There wasn't much to think about, I suppose. Or I was just tired.

A cop came out to check on me. He asked if I was okay.

Just hunky dory. I sleepwalked here.

He asked me if that was my car.

Yes, I'm an excellent driver while I'm sleeping.

He laughed nervously and sent me on my way, choosing his battles, just like the rest of us.

I drove back. Climbed into bed. Continued dreaming.