The Better Life
Reyes flicked the butt into the night watching the glowing trail disappear into a puddle of water. He checked on his watch and swore under his breath as the cold trickle of rain seeped down his neck. The awning under which he stood offered scant protection from particularly persistent drizzle.
Where the fuck is he, wondered Reyes. He was sure that he had seen the same street in his vision and his visions were rarely wrong.
He leant back against the wall wishing that the wind would switch directions so that there would be more cover from the rain. He stared blankly into the cool mist of rain as he probed through the recesses of his memory.
"Give me yer money," the man had hissed before flashing the trusted blade at the startled gent. The mugger's eyes glinted maliciously but his face was tinted with desperation. He needed no more trouble and hoped that he would be third time lucky. The other two he had knifed earlier in the day had very little money but they had paid for their resistance. His knife would vouch for that.
"Hold on, buddy. You are wasting your time here because I've very little on me," the victim had said.
"I'll be the judge ah that. So jus' shut up an' empty your pockets."
"Alright, alright. Keep your knife off me and I'll do as you say," the man had said as he emptied his pockets slowly. The mugger looked on intently as the raindrops beat against their frames gently. The victim's watch flashed briefly before the mugger’s eye and...
Reyes had been able to make out the date and time on the watch before the scene went blurry. But he knew that unless he intervened, the man would be dead. He knew this because there had been others who had died right then when he had chosen not to act.
For some, his gift was their curse. But it did let him lead the better life
But the time didn't add up, pondered Reyes. He was sure that the watch had read "20:15" and it was 8:30 already. His throat ached for a warm drink while his balls froze in the rain.
"This better be worth the wait," he muttered, impatience tempering his mood.
It was then that he heard the pitter patter of hurried feet through the pool of water. He squinted through the rain and spotted the dead man. He isn't dead yet, he reminded himself and smiled.
As Reyes followed his footsteps, he could make out the shadowy built of the mugger waiting by the alley. The mugger stopped his quarry and flashed his blade at the man.
It's time to act, Reyes decided.
He rushed towards the alley and screamed, "Freeze, Police!" This usually worked with muggers and small time crooks and it worked this time as well. The mugger panicked and slashed at the man before disappearing into the darkness. Reyes caught up with man and asked him if he was alright.
"I'm fine," he said, clutching his right arm, which had a superficial cut. "Shouldn't you be rushing after him?" asked the man as he gestured towards the blind alley.
"I would be if I were the Police," said Reyes, a little sheepishly. He looked towards the alley and then realized that it had stopped raining.
"You aren't the Police?" queried the bewildered man.
"Not really."
"That was awfully brave of you then," he said, a little awestruck.
"I guess it was," said Reyes with a weak grin.
"You saved my life!" the man exclaimed as he moved in closer towards Reyes.
"You're not going to kiss me, are you?" Reyes asked, a little uncomfortably as he took a step backwards.
"Don't worry, mate. I'm not one of those queer fellows," he said with a guffaw. "So, how can I possibly repay you?" asked the man as they walked away from the scene.
"You could offer me a drink," Reyes suggested. His throat was parched.
"A drink? That's all you want? A drink! If I can't offer my guardian angel a drink, I'll be damned," said the man, shaking his head as he walked away from the scene.
"Where do y-" started the man but Reyes cut him off before he could finish the question. Reyes's fangs dug down deep into the man's neck, who never saw it coming. Reyes lapped up the warm fluid greedily as the man thrashed about wildly. Having drunk to his fill, he let the almost lifeless body fall down onto the damp street. He was about to leave when his eyes fell on the watch, which still read 20:15. Reyes shook his head and smiled.
"Thanks for the drink, buddy. Besides, you were living on borrowed time anyways," whispered Reyes as he left the man to die.
Where the fuck is he, wondered Reyes. He was sure that he had seen the same street in his vision and his visions were rarely wrong.
He leant back against the wall wishing that the wind would switch directions so that there would be more cover from the rain. He stared blankly into the cool mist of rain as he probed through the recesses of his memory.
"Give me yer money," the man had hissed before flashing the trusted blade at the startled gent. The mugger's eyes glinted maliciously but his face was tinted with desperation. He needed no more trouble and hoped that he would be third time lucky. The other two he had knifed earlier in the day had very little money but they had paid for their resistance. His knife would vouch for that.
"Hold on, buddy. You are wasting your time here because I've very little on me," the victim had said.
"I'll be the judge ah that. So jus' shut up an' empty your pockets."
"Alright, alright. Keep your knife off me and I'll do as you say," the man had said as he emptied his pockets slowly. The mugger looked on intently as the raindrops beat against their frames gently. The victim's watch flashed briefly before the mugger’s eye and...
Reyes had been able to make out the date and time on the watch before the scene went blurry. But he knew that unless he intervened, the man would be dead. He knew this because there had been others who had died right then when he had chosen not to act.
For some, his gift was their curse. But it did let him lead the better life
But the time didn't add up, pondered Reyes. He was sure that the watch had read "20:15" and it was 8:30 already. His throat ached for a warm drink while his balls froze in the rain.
"This better be worth the wait," he muttered, impatience tempering his mood.
It was then that he heard the pitter patter of hurried feet through the pool of water. He squinted through the rain and spotted the dead man. He isn't dead yet, he reminded himself and smiled.
As Reyes followed his footsteps, he could make out the shadowy built of the mugger waiting by the alley. The mugger stopped his quarry and flashed his blade at the man.
It's time to act, Reyes decided.
He rushed towards the alley and screamed, "Freeze, Police!" This usually worked with muggers and small time crooks and it worked this time as well. The mugger panicked and slashed at the man before disappearing into the darkness. Reyes caught up with man and asked him if he was alright.
"I'm fine," he said, clutching his right arm, which had a superficial cut. "Shouldn't you be rushing after him?" asked the man as he gestured towards the blind alley.
"I would be if I were the Police," said Reyes, a little sheepishly. He looked towards the alley and then realized that it had stopped raining.
"You aren't the Police?" queried the bewildered man.
"Not really."
"That was awfully brave of you then," he said, a little awestruck.
"I guess it was," said Reyes with a weak grin.
"You saved my life!" the man exclaimed as he moved in closer towards Reyes.
"You're not going to kiss me, are you?" Reyes asked, a little uncomfortably as he took a step backwards.
"Don't worry, mate. I'm not one of those queer fellows," he said with a guffaw. "So, how can I possibly repay you?" asked the man as they walked away from the scene.
"You could offer me a drink," Reyes suggested. His throat was parched.
"A drink? That's all you want? A drink! If I can't offer my guardian angel a drink, I'll be damned," said the man, shaking his head as he walked away from the scene.
"Where do y-" started the man but Reyes cut him off before he could finish the question. Reyes's fangs dug down deep into the man's neck, who never saw it coming. Reyes lapped up the warm fluid greedily as the man thrashed about wildly. Having drunk to his fill, he let the almost lifeless body fall down onto the damp street. He was about to leave when his eyes fell on the watch, which still read 20:15. Reyes shook his head and smiled.
"Thanks for the drink, buddy. Besides, you were living on borrowed time anyways," whispered Reyes as he left the man to die.
This entry was posted
on Sunday, August 07, 2005 at 4:14 PM.
|
