Night in the City

Esther stepped off the bus and wrapped herself in her coat to keep out the rain. She’d left the bar early, being in no mood to celebrate with her friends. Now it was nearly 11:00 p.m., and the streets were dark. She decided to take the short cut home. It took her through an alleyway, but it would cut five unpleasant minutes from her walk. Esther had lived in the city for more than two years now. She knew to walk purposefully, and to look straight ahead, making no eye contact with the people she passed.

For the first block, on 12th Street, she was headed into driving rain, and she turned up the collar of her coat. The shopfronts she passed were mostly closed, and there were few cars passing by. There weren’t many people standing around, due to the weather.

As she turned off 12th Street and into the alleyway, she thought she heard someone speaking – not words, but a quiet murmuring. She increased her pace slightly, holding her purse clenched close to her body. The alleyway was narrow and dirty, with trash bins spilling over the path. There was only one light in this stretch, and it was flickering fitfully. As she drew closer to it, she heard a noise behind her. A skittering noise. Was someone following her? Or was it an animal? A raccoon, perhaps, or a very large rat? Breathing steadily, she passed under the lamp, which flickered one last time as she approached, and then went out completely.

Once the light was out, she couldn’t see where she was going, and the noise behind her sounded more like footsteps. She imagined it was a person – or people – behind her in the dark, and that they sped up when she did. Now thoroughly frightened, she started to run, hoping to reach the next street before they caught up with her. The alleyway seemed much longer than she remembered it. In the dark, she tripped and fell hard on to the ground.

The sounds had ceased. Their prey was caught. She put her hand in her purse. There was a phone, a rape whistle and a small handgun in there. There was no one nearby she could call for immediate help. The whistle would scare an animal away, but it wouldn’t deter a human predator. And in this part of the city, no one would come outside to see what was happening. Her hand closed around the gun, as she crawled to the side of the alley, back against the wall, preparing to stand her ground.

There was a shuffling noise, and she felt that there were shapes moving around her in the dark. “Stay away! I have a gun, and I’m not afraid to use it!”

She heard a sharp laugh from the shadows. A harsh voice said, “So do I, sweetheart. Let’s see who’s afraid now.”

Still sitting on the wet, dirty ground, she raised the gun and pointed it towards the source of the voice, trembling. Then she heard a very different voice coming from her left side. “Get away from her!”

A powerful flashlight shone around, lighting up three people surrounding her. In her mind, they had been young and strong, but in the light, she saw that they were old and decrepit, winos who thought they’d found an easy target. She couldn’t tell if they were male or female, just hunched figures in tattered clothes. When the light hit them, they dispersed and faded into the shadows. Breathing a sigh of relief, she turned gratefully to her savior.

She couldn’t see him clearly, but his warm, comforting voice sounded like a middle-aged, educated man. Perhaps a professor or a scientist. She put the gun back in her purse and started to stand up. He offered his hand, helping her to her feet. He played the light over her. “Oh, my dear,” he said, “You are wet and covered in dirt. Why on earth did you come down this alley late at night? Never mind, let’s get you inside and warmed up.”

Esther was too shaken up to argue with him as he led her to a door and opened it to let her in. “Thank you so much. It was stupid of me, but I wanted to get out of the rain quickly. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t been there.”

Now that she was inside and could see properly, she looked at her knight in shining armor. He was a kind looking man with pale, watery eyes and round glasses. He was probably in his mid-forties, stout, and dressed in an old brown suit. Smiling at her, he shook his head and said “Well, you’re safe now. My name is Reginald Farrow. I’ll find a towel for you. Mrs. Stevens, can you take our guest’s coat? It is soaked through; we need to dry it and get her to the fireplace.”

Esther hadn’t even noticed the presence of an older woman until Farrow addressed her. Mrs. Stevens stepped forward and helped her to peel off her coat. As she did so, a ring on her hand caught Esther’s right cheek just below the eye, and Esther recoiled with a sharp sound. “I’m so sorry, dear, clumsy of me. Come with me to the fireplace, and I’ll make you a nice hot cup of tea. What is your name?”

“It’s OK, no harm done, I was just startled. I’m Esther. Esther Martin. I’m afraid I was chased in the alley and fell and Mr. Farrow rescued me.” Esther was beginning to wonder whether she should leave. These people were kind, but the house seemed strange. Who has a big open fireplace these days?

As she stood in front of the fire, Farrow returned with a towel in his hands. He handed it to her and helped her wrap it over her dripping wet hair. He seemed to sense her concern as he rubbed her hands to warm them. “We won’t keep you long, my dear. We’ll let you warm up a bit, have a tea to steady your nerves, then Phillip will escort you home.”

A new voice sounded in the room. “We have a guest. How delightful. Miss Martin, please come and sit on the sofa with me. We can have tea together and then I shall take you home.”

A tall young man moved towards her. With dark hair and very pale skin, he was strikingly good-looking. He smoothly took her arm and guided her to the sofa, seating her close to the fire. “Good evening, Esther. I am Phillip. Welcome to my home. I am sorry to hear about your troubles. A strong cup of tea and a warm fire have great restorative powers.”

He sat next to her, smiling as she dried her hair with the towel and then placed it by her side. He took it and left the room. While Esther swiftly took a comb to her hair, wanting to look her best for this imposing stranger, Mrs. Stevens walked into the room, carrying a tea tray. Phillip returned and took it from her, saying “Thank you, you may go now. Enjoy your weekend.”

Farrow and Mrs. Stevens left the room, and Phillip brought the tea tray over to the sofa, and asked her whether she wanted lemon, milk, or sugar in her tea. He poured a cup for Esther and handed it to her. As he leaned in, he frowned slightly and raised his hand to her cheek. “Oh, you have a cut on your face. Let me put something on it.”

“It’s nothing, really,” Esther protested, but he was already dabbing at the scratch. He hummed with satisfaction, and then turned to pick up his own tea, and sat beside her.

For a few minutes, he spoke about the house. “I know it’s old fashioned, but it’s been in my family for nearly a hundred years. It feels like home to me. Now, tell me about yourself, Esther,” he added conversationally. “How did you come to be in the alleyway when Reginald found you?”

She sipped at the tea. “I was trying to take the short cut home because of the rain. Not a good decision, in retrospect.”

He laughed with her, then turned serious, staring into her eyes in a flattering manner. “No, not a good decision. You could have been in considerable jeopardy. Is someone waiting at home worrying about you? Do you need to let them know you’re safe?”

“No,” she replied, “I have a studio apartment. If I lived with someone, I’d have phoned them when I started to get scared.”

Phillip nodded. “A most distressing experience for you, I’m sure. But if no one’s waiting for you, perhaps I could persuade you to stay for a bite of supper? I have some friends coming over for our traditional Friday night get-together. They’d love to meet you.”

Esther was becoming very aware that she was sitting with a man she didn’t know. It seemed that Farrow and Mrs. Stevens had left her alone with him. No matter how attractive and polite he was, she wanted to apply the brakes for now. “That’s very kind, Phillip.” She wished she knew his last name, it would add some much-needed distance. “But I had dinner earlier with my friends, and I just need to go home and get some sleep.”

“Of course,” he acknowledged calmly. “I should have realized that you need to rest. Finish your tea, and I’ll get you home.”

She relaxed. She was imagining things. Probably because of the chase in the alley. She sat back a little as she continued to sip the tea. It was hot and strong and together with the heat from the fire, it was making her feel much better.

A door opened, and she turned, expecting to see that Farrow had returned. But three strangers walked into the room, a man and two women. Like Phillip, they were tall and pale and attractive. Maybe they were all goths, although they seemed rather old for that. Phillip greeted them and brought them over towards the sofa. “My friends, you’re early tonight. Allow me to introduce my guest, Miss Esther Martin. Reginald rescued her from an encounter outside with some undesirable characters.”

The unknown man approached her and said in a quiet, raspy voice “How terrible for you, Miss Esther. This part of the city is not safe at night, I’m afraid.” He reached his hand out, and she went to shake it, but he raised her hand and put it to his lips. “I am so glad that Reginald was there to assist you.” He held her hands for a few seconds longer, smiling as his eyes took her in.

She smiled nervously when he finally backed away from her. “I am pleased to meet you all, but I really need to leave now and let you get on with your supper. Phillip, you’ve been very kind, but I’ll let you enjoy your evening. It’s only five minutes to my apartment. I’ll be quite safe alone.”

Phillip moved to her side as she stood. “Of course not, my dear, I wouldn’t dream of turning you out alone. I’ll find your coat and then I’ll escort you home.”

She nodded gratefully. Phillip walked her past his friends to the middle of the room, then stopped. Suddenly his hold on her arms seemed stronger, and as she tried to move away, she felt as though she was held by iron shackles. She was seized by an inexplicable fear. “P-please let me go,” she whimpered.

“But I am going to escort you home, my dear,” said Phillip comfortingly. She felt a sharp sting on her left cheek, and now she was sure that both sides of her face were bleeding. The group of strangers all made sounds of appreciation. “Just relax, and we’ll take care of you.”

The others moved forward so that she was surrounded. Each of them reached out to touch her, and she was unable to move away.

Far too late, she realized that she was trapped, and that these people meant her harm. For a moment, she told herself that she was imagining it. Then one of the women leaned in and took her arm, raising it to her lips and then biting with full force. Esther let out a small scream, and then they were all biting her at once, on her face, her neck, and her arms. She felt her life blood draining away as they enjoyed their supper. Phillip was taking her home, but not to her apartment.