Man in the Woods


        "Nigel Heller has returned, I tell you! I swear, man, it's true. I seen him."

       "Nigel's dead, Horace. He got killed when his kitchen stove exploded." I wiped mustard from my chin and belched. The onion rings mixed badly with the craft beer. 

       "Barney! I saw him. I saw him." Horace cupped his hands around his beer mug, as though clasping an amulet to protect him from the Evil One. "He was in the woods."

      "The woods? You mean the Washington Memorial Woods?" Kathy asked.  She was shaking her head in disbelief. "You were always afraid of shadows, Horace."

      "You don't believe me. Come on. I'll show you." He stood up with frenetic force and tipped his chair over. 

     "Your brother's gone off his rocker," I said. 

     Horace ran to the exit and turned around. "Come on!"

     "He makes me so mad," Kathy said. She grabbed her bag. "But come on. Let's humor him."

     We chased after Horace for the six blocks to Washington Woods. Panting, I rested a hand on his shoulder. "OK, Horace, where is Nigel?"

      "There, there. You can see his eye peering at us from behind the branch."

      I couldn't make out anything in the dark shadows of the trees. I turned to Kathy. "Can you see anything? Can you see Nigel?"

     She squinted her pale blue eyes to adjust to the darkness. 

      "Well, can you. Kathy?  Can you see, Nigel? Can YOU?"

      


      

      

         

 



 

Location: Pacific Grove, CA, USA

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