K. Marvin Bruce

Terah chose wrongly.   As he tried to scramble down the dark corridor he hit an unseen snag and felt himself falling.   Throwing his left foot out he had a moment of optimism that he’d be able to right himself against the momentum, a hope that diminished by the time he got his right foot ahead.   Gravity was winning and even pinwheeling his arms couldn’t help.   Concrete met bare hands and enthusiastically banged his left knee.   The presence behind him engulfed and then passed over him.   Aching and obvious about his location he let out a groan.   No one responded. Mich, it seemed clear, had had enough and had abandoned the place.   Maybe he’d come to his senses and returned home.   Still, in the short time their paths had crossed, Terah had grown to like the boy.   His consistently dropped g’s suggested lack of education, but he’d demonstrated himself bright and capable.   Groaning again, Terah rolled over and slowly sat up. ...

Who isn’t afraid of the dark?    Anyone sensible knows you should be. Terah stood frozen.    A rabbit caught unawares by a downwind dog.    His own hand clapped on his mouth made him miss Mich, the younger, wiser man.    He waited, ears straining for approaching feet.    Seconds passed.    A minute.    An infinity.    No steps. He weighed his options.    Terah couldn’t stand here for the rest of his life.    Standing on concrete was uncomfortable enough.    He didn’t dare risk the stairs without a light.    He’d never be able to find the red trail left by Mich.    Reaching out his right hand, he found the wall.    This meant the doorway was just a step back, and to his right.    As silently as his untrained tread allowed, he took that step.    A little grit grind.    Stop.    No reaction from outsid...

His heart exploding like a hand grenade, Terah stood stock-still with Mich’s hand clapped tightly over his mouth.   Someone else was coming in.   Flashlight off, they stood motionless in the dark at the head of the stairs.   The route to get to them was labyrinthine, but the knowledge that someone—who they had no way of knowing—was freely wandering inside with no time limit brewed an undertone of terror.   How long can a person remain silent?   Terah could hear the gurgling of his intestines.   He had to pee in the worst possible way and hadn’t asked about how Mich ordered this particular part of his house. Even if he were wanted, Terah reasoned, the authorities would take considerable time tracing him here.   He’d accepted a ride or two, and his scent would be broken.   He doubted they’d even made the connection between him and Stanton Station yet.   Any homeless person could’ve started that fire, and if there was a natural resource not i...