The Bedtime Villain
The rain began to pour on the ground as a lightning bolt sailed through the sky. Nicolae was just closing up shop at "Back Alley Bargains". As he began to stroll home in the rain he noticed a fallen civilian. He immediately ran over to the fallen man. As he picked him up, the man spoke about a great villain. Nicolae heard a loud "BANG" come from the alley way. He then ran over to the alley way and as he looked in it...
...a shiver vibrated down his spine. A dark hooded figure faded into the shadows just as Nicolae spotted him. He hadn't seen the face of the cloaked individual and Nicolae was unsure whether to chase after him or run in the opposite direction. The light from a nearby street lamp flickered, causing the alley way to glow for a moment. Was that...was that a body on the ground, in the shadows where the cloaked villain had vanished? Nicolae slowly crept into the alley, his hair clinging to his face from the rain.
The fallen civilian whom Nicolae had previously helped, called after him. "You're walking into your doom!"
Nicolae ignored his warning and continued into the dark toward the lifeless body. "H-h-hello?" he whispered into the silence.
A limp arm rose from the rain-soaked ground, and the man's head lolled to one side. "Where...What is the meaning of this!?"
Nicolae rushed to aid the yelling man, and kneeling in a mud puddle, he helped the man sit up. He quickly scanned the body for any visible wounds. Aside from the droplets of blood falling from the corner of the man's lips, he seemed fine. A flash of lightning lit the alley for a brief second and Nicolae gasped, the man's serious face triggered a recognition.
"Edmund!" He placed his hand on the H&R Wesley shop keeper's shoulder. "Are you alright? What happened? Did you see the man who did this to you?"
Edmund squinted his eyes angrily and flung the hand from his shoulder. "Cease your continuous questioning! I haven't the slightest idea to what you are referring."
Nicolae pointed to his lips and it was then that Edmund realized that he could not even lift his right arm to touch his fingers to his lips. He used his left hand to wipe away the smear of blood. "I cannot move my right arm." He mumbled.
Nicolae assisted Edmund to a standing position. "Please allow me to escort you home, my good sir."
Edmund nodded and the two slowly left the dark, damp alley.
~Later at Edmunds home~
"How is he?" The civilian that had warned Nicolae about the villain had helped escort Edmund home. His injuries were less severe than Edmund's, he had only received a few scrapes and bruises.
"He should be fine. The doctor did say that his arm is broken." Nicolae closed the door to Edmund's bedroom. "I didn't catch your name." He held out his hand politely.
"I apologize." The stranger clasped the hand in his own. "My name is Jerome." Jerome then started to recount his run-in with the monstrous villain. "I was on my way home when the rain started as a light sprinkle, and I decided to sprint home to avoid the downpour that I knew would come soon after. But I, being the klutz that I am, tripped over my own feet and landed in the mud. " Nicolae had led the poor man into a large room that seemed to be a seating area or living room. Edmund's house was quite exquisite.
They both sat down upon luxurious cushioned chairs, and Jerome anxiously continued his story. "As I looked up after falling, I saw a cloaked figure gliding down the street, as if he were dodging the rain drops. He walked in a slightly 'zigzag' pattern and as he came near, I realized that his face was covered by a mysterious mask. That alone struck me as odd, but I then saw within his hand, a whip. A long black whip that ruffled in the wind. For a moment, I thought the monster saw me laying in the mud, but his mind must have been on something important, for he walked right past me and into the alley way." Jerome nodded, signaling to Nicolae that this was the moment when he arrived at the scene.
Nicolae stroked his chin, pondering what was just said. "I believe that I shall revisit the scene in the morning."
~The next morning~
The rain had stopped sometime around midnight, thus the puddles had dried. The sun beat down on Nicolae's head and he thankfully took shelter in the same alley in which he encountered Edmund the night before.
"Is this the one?" He had brought along Sam, Gaia's mechanic, to help him look over the alley to see if any clues had been left by this strange, cloaked villain.
"Yes, I found Edmund over here." Nicolae motioned Sam to follow him. Even in the day light, the alley was still filled with creepy shadows. He told her that the mysterious dark individual had disappeared fairly close to where Edmund was discovered.
"I don't know, Nic, there doesn't seem to be anything here." Sam kicked at a large dumpster that was pushed up against the alley wall. She spoke too soon. As the dumpster rolled a few inches to the right, she discovered a small black object. "Wait, look at this!" Nicolae hastily ran to her side as if she had announced, "Look, I found a giant bag of Gaia cash!"
He took the object from Sam and turned it over and over in his hands. "It's a mask." He finally concluded.
"A mask." Sam echoed, with a great deal of excitement in her voice.
Nicolae ran his finger down the side of the dumpster, but jerked it away, proclaiming, "It's dented, and there's blood on it!" He grabbed Sam's elbow. "We should take a swab of this blood for analysis and dust the rest of the dumpster for fingerprints!"
"And where do you suppose we get the equipment for such things?" Sam was the rational thinker, and her comment reminded him of the reason why he brought her along.
"So, what do you propose we do?" Nicolae waved the mask in her face and placed his hand on his hip like and impatient school girl.
"We should take the mask to Edmund and Jerome. Maybe they will remember something when they see it." Sam whisked the mask out of Nicolae's hand and walked out of the alley, toward Edmund's home.
"I agree. Great plan."
~Back at Edmund's~
"I realize that this may come as a shock to you, but this could not possibly be the mask of this 'cloaked villain' you speak of. This is my night mask, or sleeping mask." Edmund shook the dirt from the black cloth.
"No sir, this was most definitely the mask that covered the villain's face." Jerome stole the mask from his hand. "I know what I saw, my good sir. Please, Nicolae, you must believe me."
"What kind of weirdo wears a mask while they sleep?" Nicolae chuckled.
"I beg your pardon?" Edmund grouchily crawled forth from his bed and slipped on a robe.
Sam was pacing through the bedroom, scratching her head and muttering to herself. If anyone was to figure out this mystery, it would be her.
"You're going to wear a hole in my floor, young lady." Edmund slowly attempted to pull his robe over his broken arm, while complaining to Sam. (He was excellent at complaining.)
"Edmund, do you sleep walk?" Sam walked over to the man and assisted him with his robe. She held up the strip of cloth that hung from the robe that was used to tie the robe closed. "I believe, in the dark, this black tie might look like a whip. Do you agree?"
The entire room was silent. "Sleep walk?" Edmund whispered, "I suppose I do sleep walk from time to time."
Jerome started laughing. "My good man, you make quite a dreadful sleep walking villain."
Sam, Nicolae, and even Edmund joined in with his laughter.
The End
The rain began to pour on the ground as a lightning bolt sailed through the sky. Nicolae was just closing up shop at "Back Alley Bargains". As he began to stroll home in the rain he noticed a fallen civilian. He immediately ran over to the fallen man. As he picked him up, the man spoke about a great villain. Nicolae heard a loud "BANG" come from the alley way. He then ran over to the alley way and as he looked in it...
...a shiver vibrated down his spine. A dark hooded figure faded into the shadows just as Nicolae spotted him. He hadn't seen the face of the cloaked individual and Nicolae was unsure whether to chase after him or run in the opposite direction. The light from a nearby street lamp flickered, causing the alley way to glow for a moment. Was that...was that a body on the ground, in the shadows where the cloaked villain had vanished? Nicolae slowly crept into the alley, his hair clinging to his face from the rain.
The fallen civilian whom Nicolae had previously helped, called after him. "You're walking into your doom!"
Nicolae ignored his warning and continued into the dark toward the lifeless body. "H-h-hello?" he whispered into the silence.
A limp arm rose from the rain-soaked ground, and the man's head lolled to one side. "Where...What is the meaning of this!?"
Nicolae rushed to aid the yelling man, and kneeling in a mud puddle, he helped the man sit up. He quickly scanned the body for any visible wounds. Aside from the droplets of blood falling from the corner of the man's lips, he seemed fine. A flash of lightning lit the alley for a brief second and Nicolae gasped, the man's serious face triggered a recognition.
"Edmund!" He placed his hand on the H&R Wesley shop keeper's shoulder. "Are you alright? What happened? Did you see the man who did this to you?"
Edmund squinted his eyes angrily and flung the hand from his shoulder. "Cease your continuous questioning! I haven't the slightest idea to what you are referring."
Nicolae pointed to his lips and it was then that Edmund realized that he could not even lift his right arm to touch his fingers to his lips. He used his left hand to wipe away the smear of blood. "I cannot move my right arm." He mumbled.
Nicolae assisted Edmund to a standing position. "Please allow me to escort you home, my good sir."
Edmund nodded and the two slowly left the dark, damp alley.
~Later at Edmunds home~
"How is he?" The civilian that had warned Nicolae about the villain had helped escort Edmund home. His injuries were less severe than Edmund's, he had only received a few scrapes and bruises.
"He should be fine. The doctor did say that his arm is broken." Nicolae closed the door to Edmund's bedroom. "I didn't catch your name." He held out his hand politely.
"I apologize." The stranger clasped the hand in his own. "My name is Jerome." Jerome then started to recount his run-in with the monstrous villain. "I was on my way home when the rain started as a light sprinkle, and I decided to sprint home to avoid the downpour that I knew would come soon after. But I, being the klutz that I am, tripped over my own feet and landed in the mud. " Nicolae had led the poor man into a large room that seemed to be a seating area or living room. Edmund's house was quite exquisite.
They both sat down upon luxurious cushioned chairs, and Jerome anxiously continued his story. "As I looked up after falling, I saw a cloaked figure gliding down the street, as if he were dodging the rain drops. He walked in a slightly 'zigzag' pattern and as he came near, I realized that his face was covered by a mysterious mask. That alone struck me as odd, but I then saw within his hand, a whip. A long black whip that ruffled in the wind. For a moment, I thought the monster saw me laying in the mud, but his mind must have been on something important, for he walked right past me and into the alley way." Jerome nodded, signaling to Nicolae that this was the moment when he arrived at the scene.
Nicolae stroked his chin, pondering what was just said. "I believe that I shall revisit the scene in the morning."
~The next morning~
The rain had stopped sometime around midnight, thus the puddles had dried. The sun beat down on Nicolae's head and he thankfully took shelter in the same alley in which he encountered Edmund the night before.
"Is this the one?" He had brought along Sam, Gaia's mechanic, to help him look over the alley to see if any clues had been left by this strange, cloaked villain.
"Yes, I found Edmund over here." Nicolae motioned Sam to follow him. Even in the day light, the alley was still filled with creepy shadows. He told her that the mysterious dark individual had disappeared fairly close to where Edmund was discovered.
"I don't know, Nic, there doesn't seem to be anything here." Sam kicked at a large dumpster that was pushed up against the alley wall. She spoke too soon. As the dumpster rolled a few inches to the right, she discovered a small black object. "Wait, look at this!" Nicolae hastily ran to her side as if she had announced, "Look, I found a giant bag of Gaia cash!"
He took the object from Sam and turned it over and over in his hands. "It's a mask." He finally concluded.
"A mask." Sam echoed, with a great deal of excitement in her voice.
Nicolae ran his finger down the side of the dumpster, but jerked it away, proclaiming, "It's dented, and there's blood on it!" He grabbed Sam's elbow. "We should take a swab of this blood for analysis and dust the rest of the dumpster for fingerprints!"
"And where do you suppose we get the equipment for such things?" Sam was the rational thinker, and her comment reminded him of the reason why he brought her along.
"So, what do you propose we do?" Nicolae waved the mask in her face and placed his hand on his hip like and impatient school girl.
"We should take the mask to Edmund and Jerome. Maybe they will remember something when they see it." Sam whisked the mask out of Nicolae's hand and walked out of the alley, toward Edmund's home.
"I agree. Great plan."
~Back at Edmund's~
"I realize that this may come as a shock to you, but this could not possibly be the mask of this 'cloaked villain' you speak of. This is my night mask, or sleeping mask." Edmund shook the dirt from the black cloth.
"No sir, this was most definitely the mask that covered the villain's face." Jerome stole the mask from his hand. "I know what I saw, my good sir. Please, Nicolae, you must believe me."
"What kind of weirdo wears a mask while they sleep?" Nicolae chuckled.
"I beg your pardon?" Edmund grouchily crawled forth from his bed and slipped on a robe.
Sam was pacing through the bedroom, scratching her head and muttering to herself. If anyone was to figure out this mystery, it would be her.
"You're going to wear a hole in my floor, young lady." Edmund slowly attempted to pull his robe over his broken arm, while complaining to Sam. (He was excellent at complaining.)
"Edmund, do you sleep walk?" Sam walked over to the man and assisted him with his robe. She held up the strip of cloth that hung from the robe that was used to tie the robe closed. "I believe, in the dark, this black tie might look like a whip. Do you agree?"
The entire room was silent. "Sleep walk?" Edmund whispered, "I suppose I do sleep walk from time to time."
Jerome started laughing. "My good man, you make quite a dreadful sleep walking villain."
Sam, Nicolae, and even Edmund joined in with his laughter.
The End
