– Prolog –

– Prologue –

It was late Saturday evening, and I was walking dreamily through the streets. Suddenly, I saw her: A little girl was standing at the bus stop, set slightly apart from the other people waiting for the bus.

At first, I thought I was seeing an angel. She seemed so innocent and fragile. At first glance, she appeared entirely flawless. Her cheeks were slightly flushed. With her large eyes, fine mouth, and small snub nose, she was already a true beauty. Her golden hair glinted in the moonlight and fell loosely around her shoulders. Only her light blue summer dress seemed out of place.

Wasn't she cold? After all, it was already early autumn, and the first leaves had turned colourful. Even though it was a mild evening, the little dress felt somewhat unsuitable. In her hand, she held an umbrella, yet there was no trace of rain, let alone her parents.

When our eyes met, I knew it: This is my mission! My good deed for today! I offered her a faint smile, which she returned with quiet confidence. Reassured by this, I approached her and asked what she was doing out here all alone so late. But instead of answering, the little girl looked deep into my eyes. “Do you see the guy with the hood?”, she asked me.

I saw him. A few meters away, a man was sitting on the bench in front of the bus stop. He was perhaps in his early thirties with a short beard. His hood was pulled low over his face, and his furtive gaze rested upon us. I nodded slightly, and the girl continued: “He's stalking me!”

I stared at the little girl with wide eyes. She couldn't be serious! The expression on my face seemed to speak for itself, for without further explanation, she grabbed my arm and pulled me to the side. “Come on, I'll prove it to you!”

We moved towards the man. As we drew closer, he looked straight into my eyes. There was indeed something frightening about him—I had to give the girl credit for that. Slowly, we brushed past him. Only when we were out of his reach did the girl let go of my arm. I heard a soft rustling, and without having to turn around, I knew that the man had stood up. I didn't hear any footsteps following us yet, but the girl urged me to hurry nonetheless.

We ran down the street and turned into small side streets several times. I hoped the little girl knew her way around here, as I wasn't sure if I could find my way back. Suddenly, the girl stopped, and I leaned against a house wall—just to catch my breath for a second. While I was already lulling myself into a sense of security, the little girl whispered into my ear: “In one minute, we'll be dead!”

Startled, I jumped up, not knowing where to flee. As if she had foreseen my panic, the girl pulled me back and held onto my arm tightly. “He's waiting for us right around this corner!” The words came from her mouth entirely devoid of emotion. She gripped her umbrella firmer and held it before her like a weapon. In the glare of the streetlamp, the tip of the umbrella glinted. When she leapt confidently around the corner with it, it looked like a razor-sharp dagger. At first, I took it all for a bad joke. Could the man really have cut us off? How could he possibly know which streets we had taken? Nor could I fathom how the girl could know what awaited us around that corner.

Yet when I heard the distinct sounds of a struggle and a subsequent groan, I was taught otherwise. I snapped out of my thoughts and bravely took a step around the corner. To my horror, I had to watch as the girl pulled the dagger-like tip of the umbrella from a man's chest, only to plunge it into him once more. A mischievous lust to kill flashed in her eyes, and her smile seemed to widen ever further. It was indeed the man from the bus stop!

The little girl had been right—not only that he had been following her, but also that he had been lying in wait for us behind this corner. We might very well have been dead in the next minute. But now it wasn't us who got hit, but him!

After the girl had stabbed the helpless man again and again, I couldn't bear to watch this horrific spectacle any longer. I yelled at her, but she didn't react. This man could no longer do us any harm. With all my strength, I managed to pull the girl aside and snatch the umbrella from her. She was still driven by adrenaline, and I could barely calm her down. Only after I held the little girl tightly in my arms did she seem to register reality again. I let go of her, and she immediately shrank back from my embrace.

The girl picked up her umbrella and looked at me bitterly. “Let's get out of here!”, she commanded in a tone that brooked no argument. She didn't mention the man or the bloody deed with a single word. To make absolutely sure I wasn't dreaming it all, I cast a brief glance back.

The man was still lying there, doubled over, as a pool of blood slowly spread beneath his body. His hood had slipped back, revealing his face. In the pale light, it was emphasized even further, his prominent cheekbones standing out starkly. He had black hair tied back in a small ponytail. His dead eyes stared after me as we vanished around the corner.

I was still in shock, letting myself be led aimlessly through the alleys by the little girl.

A mystical spell lay between us. So as not to break it, neither of us uttered a word. It was the spell of forgetting and suppressing. Should it ever break, it would be time to confront this horrific act, to weigh the risks and consequences, and to admit to ourselves the mistakes we had made. But as it was, reality and the ghastly events were very far away, hidden behind a grey veil of mist.

We made it back to the bus stop just in time. The next bus was already approaching, pulling up at the exact moment of our arrival. The girl stepped right in, smiled at me, and waved goodbye. Then the doors closed, and the bus vanished into the night.

Along with the girl, the umbrella, and her motive. And I didn't even know her name.

© 2011 by Merci (based on a dream)