An October Night's Walk

With his tattered mechanic’s suit zipped and mask pulled on, The Loner tapped his gleaming knife on the sign above his door which read, “Change Someone’s Life Today”.

The Loner slowly roamed Eastbury, pausing at times under the shadow of an immense oak to survey empty streets. The October night shifted from reds to grays until only porch lights aided the half-moon. From behind a hedge, he spotted a man in a hoodie, cutting between some houses, heading south.

“Hmm.” The Loner turned south.

Striding down the street, eyeing between the houses, he heard a shriek up a ways. The Loner stopped, head swivelling to face the direction of the scream. A woman in a pant suit and heels stood before a cluster box unit, arms full of mail, mouth agape staring at The Loner.

He waved.

She yelled in terror and took off down the street.

The Loner looked at his waving hand. It held his knife.

“Oops.”

To his right, he saw the hooded man dash through the backyards. The Loner walked after the woman.

“Slow down—”

“Get away from me!” she screamed, looking back.

He pointed past her with his knife and she ran faster.

“Those leaves are—”

The woman slipped in mushy wet leaves at the corner, crashing into the street.

“…slippery.”

The woman yelled for help, scrambling to her feet. Dashing up a front porch she lunged for the door, frantically working the keys. The Loner collected a sealed envelope from the ground.

Junk mail.

“Slow down—”

“Please, please,” she begged the door. It finally opened. Dashing inside, she slammed the door.

“See. Slow down to go fast.”

The Loner then saw the hooded man slip through her yard toward the back. Raising his knife, The Loner pursued the man. This time, he ran.