the chariot 12-20

20

'So now you got me out....' Harry began to say as he stepped outside the door.

He felt it push gently behind him as it clicked shut, and the rest of the sentence melted away at his lips.

The figure had vanished.

There was no one here.

His eyes flickered around, taking in his surroundings. He was standing in an alleyway, just as he had expected. It was a narrow and confining walkway, stretching thinly into the distance before turning left around a remote corner. The open sky was an infinite murky ceiling, covering its length.

'Where are you?' he asked.

He took one step forward and called out the beckoner's name.

No reply.

The dark bricked walls closed in on either side as he began to advance.

He called out the name again and frowned.

What was going on? Why was he not being answered?

He stopped and stood still as he called out the name for the third time. He listened carefully but again there was no reply.

He walked a few more steps ahead.

He would call one final time and if no one answered, then he'd go back inside.

'Are you still here?' he asked the dark lane.' Because if you don't say anything, I'm going to go back in...' he took a deep breath and listened for any movement or sound.

He wasn't alone. He could sense it.

'I'm here.'

It was a faint reply and seemed to be coming from further up.

From around the corner.

He wet his lips and tread carefully as he took a few more steps away from the door.

He could smell the dampened walls, and the cobble-stoned ground crunched with a slightly gritty sound under the soles of his shoes. The rain continued to trickle down insistently and he could feel the raindrops whisper against his skin and hair.

'Why did you go down so far?' he asked in a louder voice as he walked on.

'Because we were too near the door,' came the faint reply again.

'Ok,' he said.

His heart suddenly fluttered in his rib cage and he stopped again. He was about half way down the alley.

' Why don't you come out here now, so I can see you at least, we're not that close to the door.'

He heard the words he was saying and cursed himself for the unexpected attack of nerves.

You're being silly. Just go ahead and walk up, and see what was going on.

But something was holding him back.

Something didn't feel right.

'No Harry, you come here. I'm not that much farther," was the response.

Harry felt his skin prickle.

'Please?' the voice added as an after thought.

He was nearing the voice. He didn't have far to go.

Not far at all.

He could actually feel the presence gravitating towards him. Feel the person just around the corner. Feel it just like when you approach a room where the TV is on standby. That electrical charge that ripples through the air and travels to you and about you. You can feel it.