Sepia Moon - short story

Moonlight crept across the cobble stone path, blistering and puncturing the canyons with sweeps of pale white light. A cold mist clung to the edges of the forest, anchored by the contorted limps of long dead Aspen Pine trees. Between the edges of the guarded path, the evening darkness stretched, clawing to take you into its care.

A whisper of autumn leaves danced across the path as branches bent and cracked far off, displacing creatures deeper into the untold world within the forest. Lights twinkled mischievously from beneath the brush as a large wooden beast rumbled atop the uneven road. The eyes followed the beast, staring up in hesitation as a glowing orange fire filled the beasts body, leaking from slits along the side. The beast’s head turned, surveying the night as it tightened around its soul. The beast lurched as a cobble stone fell apart, damaging a mighty foot as those curious raced away.

A long blast of shaky air left the coach driver as he dropped from the high backed drivers bench, muttering in frustration, as the wooden wheel lay splintered and dead, smashed beneath the broken axel.

It was destined, he swore, that tonight of all nights the mysteries of the world would rear up to lay claim to the chaos. He tightened the coat harder, the blood draining from his hands as the cold air enveloped him. Quickly, he risked a glance into the coach, relived to see the jarring had not awakened his passenger. He added a quarter can of oil to the lamp to ensure it would not extinguish, and prepared to replace the axel.

Metal clicked and scraped as the driver struggled, all the while his mind drifting into memories of a warm fire set within the heart of a seaside living area. High backed plush chairs rested as a woman hid in the shadows, a hand reaching out, slowly stroking the coals. The driver stood in the archway, coat and top hat clenched in his hands, his eyes transfixed on the fire.

“They claim that you are the best Mr. Davien,” the woman spoke airily, her words sewn together in a hint of a foreign tongue.

Mr. Davien smiled for the first time since entering. “I do not consider myself the best ma’am, I do however take my profession serious.”

“They also stated your modesty.”

“I promise nothing less than getting you to your destination.”

The hand paused, considering his answer. Mr. Davien shifted on his heels, feeling that unseen eyes were stripping away his clothes and skin, penetrating his will and soul.

“You would need to leave within the hour.”

“I am prepared to depart now ma’am, if you are ready.”

“Not me Mr. Davien, something far more valuable.”

This stopped him. He held his tongue and remained silent as the details were announced, a knot tightening in his stomach, his eyes growing slowly. Once she had concluded Davien cleared his throat. “It shall be done ma’am.”

A crow cawed within the trees, ripping Mr. Davien back to reality. He chastised himself for the momentary lapse of relaxation, knowing that he had to be at the destination before the morning sun awoke

He continued jockeying the wheel and axel into place but froze, hearing the distant footfalls of an animal. He whirled, racing a wrench in self-defense. The path behind him was deserted save for a shaft of moonlight. The footfall’s continued, growing louder and closer. Davien strained his eyes staring at the bend in the road as a shadow materialized, bathed in the light.

A horse stood on the cobblestone path, its head shaking as two bursts of air bled from the snout. A figure rode atop, all discernable details lost in the shadow. “Hello there!” Davien shouted, drawing the attention of the horse. “May I request momentary assistance?”

The horse remained still, the figure reached into his overcoat, extracting a thin object that glinted in the light. He brought the object up to lip as the horse nayed. All at once, the air around Davien tightened and collided against his body. His eyes burst open in pain as he crashed to his knees, screaming air roared in his ears while a weak gurgle of air seeped from Davien’s mouth. The pain seared deeper crushing nerve endings in his back and arms. Davien smashed his eyes closed, praying the pain would pass swiftly.

The pain intensified forcing his eyes open again as a stream of blood erupted from his right eye, bathing his left in a crimson veil. A pain erupted in the back of his head as suddenly all noise seized. Through the pain and blood, the horseman approached slowly, standing above Davien. The crushing air vanished, Davien’s body collapsed. The man returned the object to his vest pocket, a checkerboard of teeth smiled beneath a wide brimmed hat.

“I’ll be relieving you of your burdening cargo Mr. Davien,” the voice laughed.

Davien could only stare out his left eye as the burst eye continued leaking blood adding to the pool forming from his ears. He watched the man’s mouth move, unable to hear a word as the man blurred, moving toward the coach door. He tried to speak, to reach the man, but only produced a liquid gargle. He coughed, but the blood continued to fill his burst lungs.

The man stared into the coach, lifting up Davien’s package. The skin glistened a pale green in the moonlight, a swatch of black hair fell from the tight blanket as the child stirred in its sleep.

“We have been waiting for you, son of Frankenstein.” The man roared as Mr. Davien stared down the darkened tunnel expanding before him. The man lifted a pistol from his belt, chanting in a foreign tongue as he shifted the baby in his arm and fired.

The forest echoed with the gunshot as Mr. Davien slipped into universal darkness.