The Dead of Night

Midnight Service

Gray clouds sneaked over rustling trees. Owls and ravens took flight with frigid wind beneath their beating wings. The small creatures of the forest floor laid hidden; shivering in their burrows and thickets.

A fawn stumbled through the trees and walked onto a dirt path. The clouds moved with the wind and the fawn noticed something sparkle in the dirt. It prodded around the spot with its snout, searching for the object. Yet the fawn's search attracted the attention of another forest creature that did not hide from the cold.

Glowing eyes lurked in the bushes along the path. They weaved through the bushes and low branches, careful not to expose the rest of the body in the dull light of night.

The fawn threw his head up at the sound of a cracking twig. It looked up and down the path, only to see some leaves break off from their frozen branches.

The eyes blinked.

The clouds parted, the object sparkled, and the fawn moved his snout back to the path.

The eyes moved through the bushes and onto the path. The grey, bushy creature bared its white fangs. Its black button nose stayed pointed toward the fawn.

The clouds darkened the shadows of the woods.

The creature's body dragged on behind its head. It crept forward, then back, careful to stay in the darkest shadows of the trees tops.

The fawn picked up its head. It turned up and down the path and backed closer to the safety of the trees.

Nathaniel bowed his head and pulled his black ulster coat around himself. With every gust of wind, he stumbled. With every fresh chill, he pulled tighter on his coat. Though, he continued down the wooded path.

The fawn jumped at the sight of the hunched over figure coming down the path. The wolf leaped after the fawn, but was kicked by the excited fawn's hind hoofs.

The wolf howled in pain. Nathaniel jerked his head up right and stopped mid step. He stared at the wolf, rubbing its face against the dirt.

The wind picked up. The light from behind the clouds lit the path. The object sparkled, drawing in Nathaniel's attention from the wolf.

The wolf recovered its senses and looked toward the woods that the fawn had just disappeared into, but its attention was taken by the sparkling object.

Nathaniel took a step toward the object. The wolf stepped back from the object.

Nathaniel took two more strides and whispered, "She invites me to this midnight glade, and to my pleasure, a fortune I have made."

Nathaniel reached down for the object. The wolf bared its fangs with a growl.

"Oh, is this your coin?" Nathaniel said to the wolf.

The wolf stepped back from Nathaniel.

"Guess not."

Nathaniel picked up the coin and looked back to the white fangs staring at him.

"Move, dog. You cannot keep me."

The wolf took another step back, toward the trees the fawn had left.

" You shall not like my second offer." Nathaniel started walking down the path again.

The wolf let out a howl and leaped into the cover of the trees. Nathaniel stopped where the wolf had howled.