The Night Walk Men by Jason McIntyre

 
    The Night Walk
Men
     
    A Novelette by
    Jason McIntyre
     
     
    <> <> <>
     
     
    Published by &
Copyright © 2011 Jason McIntyre
    Smashwords Edition
     
     
    Fiction titles by Jason McIntyre:
    On The Gathering Storm
    Shed
    Thalo Blue
    Walkout
    Black Light of Day
     
    Learn more about the author and his work
at:
    www.theFarthestReaches.com
     
     
    All rights reserved.
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part
of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into
a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means
(electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise)
without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner
and the above publisher of this book. Thank you for respecting the
work of this author.
     
     
    <> <> <>
     
     
    First: The Fuse Is
Burning
     
    You want to chat about the
weather first?
    Well, fine.
    We can talk about that
first. If it’s important.
    Before that, though, you
need to know one thing.
    This is going to be
painful.
    This is going to be a
bowling ball dropped from waist height on your toes. A dentist’s
chair plus a drill plus small talk. This is going to be coming down
from on high. Or finding your spouse in bed with another. Or
murder-suicide. Or heavy metal from the neighbour at three in the
morning. This is going to be the doctor telling you it’s
inoperable. Or a chemical burn on flesh. Or pepper spray and a
wrongful conviction. This is going to be a fire eating your life’s
work. This is going to be Your First Time. Or Your Last Time. This
is going to be twelve fresh body bags going under the yellow tape
and into the house at the end of Sheppard Street. This is going to
be malevolent eyes in the dark staring down into a crib at a
screaming baby. This is going to be painful.
    But we can chat about the
weather first. That’s no big deal.
    I’ll start by telling you
something you didn’t know, something you’ll probably think is
trivial. Something that even your local weather man likely hasn’t
heard.
    More people die when it’s
raining. Did you know that?
    Certainly, when it’s
oppressively hot for days and days, even for weeks at a time,
you’ll hear about the old and the infirm and how they just can’t
make it through. How they’ll lean back in a chair, fade away and
expire. That happens all the time when it’s hot. And during the
holidays, that’s a big time for us too. You’ll have large numbers
of folks simply switch off like bulbs in the attic. The lonely and
the depressed, they’ll up and do something regrettable while
they’re alone or they’ll succumb to sheer emotion – two outcomes
that don’t offer an “undo” option.
    But it really is raining
when the lion’s share take that last bow. There’s just something
about it, something that doesn’t jive with human guts. Dollar for
dollar, day for day, soul for soul, it’s the rain that finishes
most life sentences with that final period. It’s the patter of
water on pavement, water from sky onto road and roof, water against
the clapboard siding of an old home that brings most of us out to
do our Work.
    Be aware. When it’s mild,
when it’s temperate, we’re there. We’re always there and that’s a
promise. But when it’s raining, we’re there in droves. We’re there
for keeps.
    That’s a
guarantee.
    You want to chat about the
weather first?
    Fine. We can definitely
chat about the weather first.
     
     
    <> <>
<>
     
     
    Second: The Gathering
Gloom
     
    This is the story of a
beautiful young girl named Gabriela who would live a beautiful life
but take a bad step.
    And, before details of our
fair young one, you want to know who I am, don’t you? You want to
know who I am and what I have to do with all this – what I have to
do with our dear Gabriela.
    Well. All I can say to you
is: In due time.
    You’re not ready just
yet.
    But I will tell you. No
wink, no smile, no foolin’. I’ll tell you everything you need