I missed a blog (and I didn’t like it)

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I missed a blog
… And I didn’t like it…

The rain hammered down like nails from an iron-shod sky and ricocheted off the pavement, soaking everything it touched, including the hunched form of McDuggan, his body pressed hard into the side of the alley wall, as if trying to merge with the bricks themselves. A brief flash of lightning lit the alley for a second and McDuggan pressed himself further into the shadows as he spotted a tall, spidery figure standing at the far end. Although its face was hidden from view, McDuggan knew from the jerky movements of its head that it was looking for him and would not rest in its search until he had been located and subdued. The figure took a step into the alleyway and then paused, its head twisting to one side as if it was listening to a high-pitched dog-whistle or inaudible radio transmission. Then, it turned on its heels and began to make its way back onto the main street, completely oblivious to the mass of water that was crashing down around it.

McDuggan breathed a sigh of relief as the figure vanished from view and then realised that he’d been holding his breath during the entire encounter. Why they were picking on him, he had no idea. All he knew was that he had to get back to his apartment and send the transmission before five past midnight, otherwise the people that depended on his regular updates would be without news. And without news, they would likely start jumping to conclusions: bad conclusions. Once that happened, McDuggan knew that he would have no more followers and would effectively be on his own. The mysterious spider-men would see to that without a doubt.

Inching himself away from the safety of the wall, McDuggan glanced slowly up and down the now deserted alleyway. Then pulling his hat down low over his face, to the point where it nearly touched the upturned collar of his sodden raincoat, he set out into the storm, moving as casually as he dared, all the time his heart thumping in his chest like a bass drum accompanying a marching band.

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They’re all out to get you!

The apartment was only three blocks away, but it might as well have been three miles. As he joined the main street, his feet splashing on the waterlogged sidewalk, he spotted more and more of the spider-like figures, most of them standing on the street corners, or loitering in the shadows, patiently scanning the passing crowds, all of them looking for him and him alone in the mass of sheep-like bodies that were braving this foulest of nights for unknown reasons of their own.

A sudden impact momentarily span him around as a passer-by bumped into him and it was only because he was already terrified beyond belief that he didn’t cry out in shock and surprise. He did, however, drop the small, metal stick he’d been clutching in his pocket and spent a few frantic seconds scrabbling to regain his hold on it, lest it slip onto the sidewalk through a hole in the fabric and be lost forever in the sea of sidewalk flotsam that oozed to the surface of the city’s streets whenever a downpour occurred.

Avoiding the temptation to look up, which would surely have led to him being spotted by the spider-men, McDuggan instead hunched his shoulders and continued on his way, doing his best to melt into the crowd as he wove in between the seething mass of damp bodies, drawing ever closer towards his goal. Up ahead was a familiar intersection and beyond that, another alleyway, which would take him directly to his apartment and the relative safety that it promised.

As he neared the intersection, he cursed softly to himself. The lights were against him, so he’d have to wait with the others until he was able to cross. Standing there, looking fixedly over the shoulder of the person in front of him, McDuggan suddenly froze. Not daring to shift his gaze, he felt the strange static-electric feel of one of the spider-like figures standing right next to him. This was it, he thought, as his heart began pounding once again. What to do? If he broke cover, then he’d be spotted for certain and having seen how many of them were looking for him, he knew without a doubt that he’d be captured and taken away to face who knew what fate. But standing right next to the thing was also surely tempting fate to a ridiculous degree? It was only a matter of time before the creature glanced down and spotted him and then he would be done for as well.

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And the rain fell like iron from the sky.

Instinctively, McDuggan felt his body begin to tense as it readied itself to either run or fight. With his heart now hammering even louder than the pouring rain and struggling to keep his breathing under control, McDuggan was just about to make his move, when the lights changed and the crowd surged forward, carrying him along with it. A few quick sidesteps and he’d put a few feet between himself and the spider-thing. Moving with all the nonchalant grace of a seasoned city dweller, but still very much aware of the figure’s presence behind him, McDuggan allowed himself to drift towards the waiting alleyway that would take him home. Timing the ebb and flow of the crowd to perfection, he slid out of the mob and ducked quickly into the alley, pausing for a moment to see the spider-man carried helplessly on past him, unable to navigate its way out of the pulsating throng of bodies.

Suppressing a smile, McDuggan turned and ran down the alleyway, the sound of his footsteps echoing noisily off the walls as he splashed desperately towards his apartment. With the rain now starting to ease off, he was relieved to see the familiar dark green doorway of his apartment block appear before him. With one last glance to make absolutely sure that he wasn’t being watched he rammed his key into the lock. To his surprise and horror, he didn’t need to turn it, the door was already open. As it fell inwards into the lobby, a tall, spidery figure appeared and loomed over him. Without pausing to think, McDuggan punched the creature as hard as he could into what he imagined was its stomach and smiled in grim satisfaction as the thing doubled over in pain. Shoving it to one side, he made his way to the stairwell and taking the stairs two at a time, not daring to look back, he finally made it to his apartment. Thankfully, the door was still locked. Obviously, they had somehow found out where he lived, but not discovered the actual apartment. Why it was that only he seemed able to see them was a mystery to McDuggan, but one that could wait to be pondered upon later. There were more important things to be done, like getting into the apartment for one: his keys were still in the door downstairs! Reaching above the doorframe, McDuggan thankfully withdrew the spare key and within seconds was inside the apartment, shoving as much furniture behind the door as he could. He had no idea about the intellect of the strange creatures that were pursuing him but had little doubt that they would soon start trying the keys that he’d left in the main door in the various locks of the apartment building. It was now only a matter of time before he was discovered.

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Come on, you spider-freaks!

With the door barricaded as best as he could, McDuggan reached into his pocket and withdrew the small metal stick from his coat pocket. Making his way into the living room, he stopped dead as his eyes fell on the screen of the computer that sat in the middle of the bay window. 00:06 read the display. He was one minute late. The stick dropped from his hand and bounced on the wooden floorboards, as the realisation struck him. He’d missed the transmission deadline. There was no point in sending the blog. No one would read it. The information he’d fought his way across the city for was old news now. Pointless electronic garbage. Nothing more than that.

With the exception of his footfalls, the apartment was silent as McDuggan made his way across to the tiny kitchen and took out a cold beer from the refrigerator. Then there was a thud, as he slid slowly down the wall of the living room, facing the hallway. McDuggan took a big swig of beer and belched as the gas hit his stomach. Then he took another and wiped away the moisture from above his top lip. A thin smile crossed his face as he nodded sagely to himself. Now all he could do was wait. It didn’t matter about the spider-men anymore. He’d missed the deadline; his followers would already be leaving in droves. By the morning, there would be no-one left. Yes, the news mattered, but only the latest news. Some young upstart would already be taking his place, even now, mere minutes after the deadline had expired.

So, come on you spider-freaks, thought McDuggan bitterly, as he reached inside his coat and withdrew a mean looking, stub-nosed pistol from its folds. Come, do your worst. Devour me whole, or piece by piece if you must. I’m ready for you, whatever you are. I’ve got nothing to lose anymore.

THE END

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Image credit: Frank Miller, Sin City (Fantastic graphic novel and movie).

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