Wednesday, August 3, 2011

The Unknown - Chapter 4b - by nova

Chapter 4b

They had a pair that the guy had never came back for. Bobby told me "It's been two years and I'll have your boots done in three days. Odds are pretty slim he'll come back and if he does, well we'll find something else. Just don't scuff them up. Please."

"Sure."

I pulled them on. They were tight. "What size are these?"

"Eleven and a half." He shrugged. "That's the best I got."

"It's okay sweetie. You can walk from one end of this town to the other in five minutes."

She had a point.

"Okay. Anyplace you can recommend to get something hot to eat and cold to drink?"

Without hesitation she told me, "The Roadrunner. Make a left on the boulevard and you'll see it."

Bobby didn't like that. "What about the Dock? Better crowd."

"Honey. Does this man look like a rough crowd is a problem." She laughed. It was a strange laugh, the raucous cry of a crow. For a second I felt a cold chill run down my spine. I looked closer at her. I got zero feeling from her. She had no presence. It hadn't set off any alarms because it wasn't a threat. Very strange. It was unique but I had run across people like before. Back in the day. I didn't want to think about back in the day. I shut it down. It wasn't a threat -- it wasn't a problem.

"You go have a bowl of chile. You'll like it."

"Thanks."

I walked out the door and made my left. I heard that damn crow laugh in my head until I found the Roadrunner.

11 comments:

  1. "...got zero feeling from her."
    That's one of the creepiest things I've come across.

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  2. Header says "4b" but the entry says "4c"...

    Thanks, this is great!

    Trey ~

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  3. Anon,

    That's one of the creepiest things I've come across.

    Good!

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  4. Trey,

    Thanks. I lose track sometimes when the writing starts to happen

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  5. Does she cast a shadow? Can she be seen in a mirror? Do birds fall dead from the sky when she goes outside? Do dogs like her?

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  6. Anon,

    Sounds like a cat person to me.

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  7. Very cool. I almost expect to hear Rod Serling and his cigarette break in any minute. "There's a signpost up ahead".

    Drive on.

    Jim in MO.

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  8. O.K. - when will you fill us in? Or, does it really matter?

    "Got zero feeling from her" -- how ancient is she? Who is the one-eyed shoemaker?

    Please, keep it coming.

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  9. Ancients?
    Crows and a laugh like the sound of a crow?
    And she is with an old one eye and they aren't too worriede about Unknown going to a rough place...

    Would they happen to be any relation to Freya or Friday?

    Is Volundr going to make an appearance as well at some point?

    Yep, as the phrase goes "I'm loving it!"

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  10. Ah Tckaija...

    You caught it... I was wondering if anyone would.

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