LEFT OF SINISTER

CHAPTER FOUR

The pavement ended as it met the yard of the large clapboard home that was covered with vinyl paneling, a somewhat spacious yard and when adorned with various shrubs and during the midst of the season attractive arrangements of flowers. A large oak tree stood prominently in the near portion of the yard. An oak tree whose canopy of early spring leaves was an umbrella for the egg shell white Dodge Durango SUV parked there just in front of the hedge that surrounded the exterior of the home and as well his brother's red four door Ford Taurus sedan.

The SUV was in Candy's name by virtue of his credit rating although his stepson and his common law wife were the ones who used it and as well paid for it. Down to the left in the far distance of the yard toward the south was a concrete square of pavement that had a basketball goal positioned at its edge sunken into the grass tilting back and forth with the increasing velocity of the wind its tattered net wrapped around the metal hoop unable to withstand that strong wind that was encroaching with the storm.

The rain was pouring now as Earl made his way and parked beyond the Ford Taurus nearest to the corner of the large extension of the house that sat at an angle to the porch. An evergreen hedge lined the home all around standing two feet away from the structure of the residence and this newer portion of it containing his large den.

Glancing to his left as he pulled in looking down toward the concrete pavement with the basketball goal he thought he noticed some movement. And then he realized inexplicably enough it was a small child, a little girl perhaps, a dark haired child dressed in a black outfit, a little girl who looked oriental strangely enough.

But he didn't see her for long for after briefly looking at his brother with some astonishment she was gone. A mere moment later he looked back to his left but no longer saw the little girl.

"Did you see that?" he asked looking at his brother once again. "See what?" Candy asked. "Down there where the basketball goal is a little girl, she was standing at the corner of the house, or at least I thought she was–she looked Asian as far as I could tell." Earl said.

"A little girl out in this weather?" Candy said with a chuckle. "I know it sounds ridiculous." Earl said. "It is ridiculous Earl my nearest neighbor lives maybe two miles away and they don't have any kids at home anymore. Nor are they Asian." he said rather sarcastically.

"Maybe it was just a trick of my eyes." Earl said then. "Let's hope so, better that than you hallucinating. That's a sign of Alzheimer's disease or that Lewy body syndrome that Robin Williams had, both can make the sufferer see things." he said in a particularly serious tone.

"Christ Candy you'll have me in some rest home with talk like that." Earl said once he'd removed his shoulder harness. "Relax I don't think you're losing it, it probably was just a trick of the light like you said. And we just got through talking about a little girl's death. Your mind's playing tricks on you in this weather. Unless of course you're taking something I'm not aware of." he said with a laugh. "You should've seen some of the stuff I used to see when I dropped acid." he said then removing his own shoulder harness.

"I wouldn't ever do something like that Candy. You'd have to be crazy." Earl said. "Are you calling me crazy–crazy how?" Candy asked with a somber near menacing expression.

Taken aback Earl quickly declared to the contrary. "Lord no Candy–I just mean it sounds crazy to me. Just one man's opinion okay?" he said his reaction turning somewhat angry. Candy smiled and gave him a shove indicating he was pulling a Joe Pesci on him like in the scene in "Good Fellas" when he went after Ray Liotta with the "Funny how?" routine. At last Earl figured it out and laughed himself.