The Iris Epidemic

The Rush

After getting rid of the body i heading on my way back to the tailor shop. My plan was to grab my shit and go cause after that, there was no way i was gunna resume my craft of the mask. I was going home to thing that was less dramatic and terrifying. While keeping my head down low, i walked through the deserted foul stench of dead bodies terrain. With one hand fitting a cloth up to my nose and mouth, the other hand fiddling with my ring with my fingers nervously. I stop walk instantly as i here a snap of a twig...

With The cool air slowly coming in and being what i thought to be the only one here. I got a haunting presence near me, and believe me i was ready to book it running. I already had to deal with dying people, i don't wanna deal with ghosts too. Or that matter other things around these areas outside of town. I tensed up my shoulders and gripped the side of myself over where i have set my tools.

And there again.

I heard it. It has to be some someone walking around.

I turned around slowly to see nothing,as the area fell silent again. And i remember spending a few mins looking around silently not moving before trying to leave once more. My head was saying that maybe it's some joke from the kids that leave the city boundaries to do stupid nonsense, witch did happen occasionally. But usually there a group of then and the vibe i was feeling was the opposite...

The more i walked the more i looked around. The more i got further, the more i was uneasy. With my gutt feeling like it was forced up into my throat i stopped again to look behind me. This time quicker than the last.

Still nothing.

It was a moment until i turned back again and was greet with a tall male figure just inches from me looking down upon me. I stumbled back and managed to fall on to my hands and knees.

Startled by the surprise showing, i looked up as i tried to regain my standing stance.

" Sir. I do mean no harm. But you can not be about this area outside of town. Especially if you are gonna scare the lights of a poor soul..." i spoke very hesitant but instructive.

"im sure this smell isn't too great to your nose either..."

“I-I-I what?” the man spoke finally with a calm,yet confused foreign stutter.  The more i stood there the more i took in to who i was greeted with.

With a tattered worn out dirty shirt, with holes, some ripped and some witch seems to cut with some scissors, To the muddy pants he wore. He definitely was not from here. I've never heard the language before and i wondered how the hell he even got here.

“ are you from here?..” i spoke slowly,like i thought for some reason it was gunna help him in anyway to understand me but once again he looked at me questionly. So i gave a small sudle wave towards him, getting in return a vigorous,shaky, and content wave back. Seeing the state he was in, i was suprised of the happy jesture, though by the constant twitching of his upper body and hands stated that maybe he was alittle different then others…

I looked around once more before looking back at him, giving a small smile

Motioning to come along with me, i decided that it be best that he was in a save part of our town, not in the outskirts of it. As i would of guessed it, he followed me with almost a skip in his step.

Eventually, Not to long after our first meeting, i find out the anwsers to my questions and plus more than that.

He deffantly was not from around here he originated up north east side of the world. Where it is always cold they say, up in Russia.

“ Hi!  My Name is Robin Rush!” The man finaly wrote down on a little napkin i just picked up from the saloon table.

We managed to make it back into town and found a place to sit since i realized that he was gonna follow no matter if i yelled at him or not.

I watched as he wrote a sentence again in his shaky scratchy writing.

“I come from up north but i do not know where i am now. I was sent to the hospital here at Pitié-Salpêtrière."

“oh…” i mumbled to myself before writing down my reply as best as i could in english.

“Hello, Robin. It is nice to meet you.  I am Renan Iris and you are actually located now a little bit to the west from where you came from.” i paused for a moment to let him read it at his pace before i continued.

“ You were sent to the hospital? How come? “

“My father sent me off. He said i needed to be far away because i was a risk to my family and town.” he wrote, then lifted his head to look at me.

I looked right back at him and sighed.

A death of an acquaintance, having to drag his body to the pile of more bodies left to rot and to have the stench our air. Now being face to face to a foreign man purposely ripped away from his family because of some differences from his own father.

Ugh..

I wrote further to express my worry for him. The Pitié-Salpêtrière did not treat their patients as good as they do now a days when i look back at it.

“ That is no good Robin, they are all twisted there. They will not cure you of anything”

“That is the reason i got out of there. I feel like i don't belong.” he replied again with a look in his eye.

It was a long while of back and forth writing. Span across 8 napkins to a good 4 hours till midnight. I learnt a lot that night about that crazy man, and more i shall learn as the years went by.

I looked up and out the window from time to time to judge my time. Wondering if i stay or should i go soon. Should i bring him? Or should i not risk this? But before i could answer my own question Robin got up and off his chair excitedly. I watched as he wrote one last thing before he left that night and it just just simply read.

“ it was nice meeting you but i must go see my wife. She is waiting for me at the edge of town.”

I nodded and gave a small smile as i watch him confused as he left quickly out the door of the restaurant.