In The Town Where All Things Are Possible: Part 18
Need To Catch Up?
In The Town Where All Things Are Possible, Alexandria slammed the front door of The Wider World Books and Novelties while the Man watched from outside. He lingered as Alexandria wound through the store, ascended the stairs, and prepared for bed. Alexandria was relieved to look back to the window to see the Man Who Held The Town Together was finally gone. Her disgust with the Man and his town were overwhelming. When she wept, in the dark, hidden beneath her sheets, the tears were angry and crippling. Once she was exhausted, Alexandria forced herself into a frightful and restless sleep.
And when morning came, the killer stood outside the front window.
Alexandria noticed him as she rose from bed to retrieve her pink silk robe. Though the killer was almost featureless as the sunlight poured around him into the shop, she knew the tall, wide silhouette as well as she would know her own reflection. She hesitated to move. She thought of his promise. One day. She had one day. She decided to be bold. She tied the belt of her robe, crossed in front of her bed to snatch the kitchen knife from a side table where it had been resting on a well-worn copy of Jane Austen’s Emma.
She descended the stairs quickly, striding through the bookstore toward the killer. He didn’t move from his spot. As she neared, his face came into full view. Handsome on one side, but mangled from a deep, red scar on the other. He’d kept that side of his face hidden from her while she was captive underground.
“Hope” the scar read in the clumsy, looping letters of an iron brand. It stretched from his jawline to just beneath his eye, which was a light, milky blue as opposed to its bluish-green brother.
Alexandria held the knife tight, but she kept it at her side as she stepped to the window, looking up at the tall killer.
“My day is not over yet,” Alexandria called through the glass.
The killer smiled, then pressed two fingers from his right hand to the window. He ran them across the glass, leaving a trail of black sludge. His fingers turned, moved down the glass, then finished the loop of a large “5″.
“I have until 5 pm?” Alexandria asked.
No response as the killer’s predatory smile held. His hand jerked up and slapped against the window, pressing a card onto the glass. The lettering faced Alexandria and she read:
Don’t Let Alexandria Leave,
Jeffrey Brown
She knew the card existed. The Man admitted writing it, but seeing it in the killer’s hand burned of betrayal. Her left hand twitched as Alexandria considered unlocking the front door. The knife felt stable and ready in her right hand. The man was tall and strong, but not invincible. No man was invincible.
“Move away from there!” a voice called, accompanied by the “click, click, click” of Mrs. Gratherson’s approaching walker.
Mrs. Gratherson hurried across the street toward the store, her stern eyes barreling in at the killer’s back.
“Leave that poor girl alone!” Mrs. Gratherson shouted.
The killer’s eyes still rested on Alexandria, only breaking away as he turned from the old woman, stuffed the card into his pocket, and strode toward downtown. Toward God’s Blowhole.
Mrs. Gratherson continued to the store, gingerly scaling the curb and clicking her walker toward the front door. Alexandria unlocked the door and stepped past the old woman to watch the killer walking away. She considered pursuing, but allowed the old woman to coax her back inside. Alexandria locked the door behind them. Mrs. Gratherson gave Alexandria a somber smile, then turned her eyes to the store.
“I haven’t been in here in ages,” Mrs. Gratherson said as she uncoiled a knitted scarf from her neck. “It has always been such a cute shop. We desperately need something like this in the Town, but we can never find an owner that will stick it out.”
“Books are a dangerous business,” Alexandria said.
Mrs. Gratherson turned to Alexandria, frowning at the comment, then exhaled a long, weary sigh.
“We had such high hopes for you, my dear,” Mrs. Gratherson said. “The way he looked at you, it was love. Just like the last one. We hoped you could make him happy, keep him stable. We just can’t lose another Man. But you were just like his poor wife. Too many questions.”
Alexandria’s hand was trembling. She sat the knife on the counter beside the cash register. She realized that she was sweating and suddenly felt very hot. The adrenaline, she decided. She slid behind the counter and turned on a small fan resting on a stack of books.
“I don’t deserve this,” Alexandria said as she looked down into the fan as it groaned awake.
“No, you don’t, and we are all very sorry. Leave. Forget about the Town.”
“So you can make room for another girl for Jeffrey?” Alexandria asked, the fan blowing into her face.
Alexandria glanced back at Mrs. Gratherson, who wore a grave frown.
“You have fight, my dear,” the old woman said. “It would be charming if you weren’t such a fool. Leave, while you still can.”
Alexandria laughed to herself. She sat on a stool and retrieved the knife. She placed the point on the counter and casually spun the knife, steadying it from the heel with the tip of her forefinger.
“It may not be that simple, ma’am,” Alexandria managed as she watched the blade spin. “But I will try. Today. I might even take Jeffrey with me.”
Alexandria met Mrs. Gratherson’s eyes, studied them.
“I am not sure what you know and do not know about this Town,” Mrs. Gratherson began. “But the Man cannot be easily replaced. It is a very difficult job and most people will never understand it, but I do. I remember darker times when weaker Men were not quite so discerning with their work. It was chaos.”
Mrs. Gratherson took in a breath and approached the counter.
“You cannot take Jeffrery. The Town will not allow it, nor will we. I truly am sorry that we brought you into this, but you seemed right for him.”
Alexandria wanted to say something bitter and hateful, but she knew it wouldn’t help her case. Instead, she stopped spinning the knife and sat it on the counter. She searched for the correct words as the whir of the fan filled the silence.
“I accept your apology,” Alexandria replied. It was a difficult thing to say and the moment felt as false to Alexandria as she imagined it felt for Mrs. Grathersson.
“Thank you,” Mrs. Gratherson said, awkwardly.
Alexandria circled around the counter and past Mrs. Gratherson. Alexandria unlocked the door, then held it open as Mrs. Gratherson moved through. Before closing the door, Alexandria paused.
“Who else is on the council?” Alexandria asked.
Mrs. Gratherson didn’t turn and waited a few beats too long before answering.
“I don’t know what you are talking about, my dear.”
Alexandria smirked. “What will you do if I decide to kill that bastard?”
Mrs. Gratherson didn’t reply. Instead, she clicked her walker away, following the sidewalk toward downtown. Alexandria watched the woman and considered pursuing the matter, but decided that her time would be better spent packing.
When the Man arrived, an hour later, Alexandria allowed him inside. They didn’t talk as Alexandria finished folding her clothes. She allowed him to take one of her bags and open the door for her. As they walked toward the edges of downtown, she allowed him to take her hand. The thing that burned in her heart no longer felt like love, but his hand wrapped around hers was still comforting, in a small way.
“Are we going to walk out to our bus stop?” Alexandria asked, thinking of the aged bus stop that sheltered the pair when the rains came.
“Not today,” the Man answered, leading her to the bus stop where Alexandria originally arrived to the Town.
“A shame,” Alexandria said, but not meaning it. She was in no mood for romantic gestures.
A handful of morning commuters loitered around the empty bus stop bench. They watched Alexandria and the Man approaching. A few nodded casual “hello”s.
“This won’t work, will it?” Alexandria asked. “The bus will break down or the driver will have a heart attack. That’s how this works, right?”
“Yes,” the Man answered. “The Town is clever and has many tools to get its way.”
Alexandria could tell the commuters were eavesdropping. She wondered how much they knew.
The Man turned to Alexandria and smiled.
“I have never tried to smuggle someone out of the Town,” the Man whispered. “To be honest, I have no idea what is going to happen.”
“Kind of exciting, isn’t it?” Alexandria asked.
“I suppose it is,” the Man managed.
Alexandria squeezed his hand, then looked to the approaching bus. They stood and the Man took her luggage into his arms. She studied him for a few moments, then pressed a soft kiss against his lips.
“You are a really terrible boyfriend,” Alexandria said, her face lingering next to his.
“I know.”
“Then be better,” she urged him.
The Man held her hopeful gaze.
“I will try.”
