Once again I have another exert from a story that I've been working on; which I am pleased to say is almost finished. Please enjoy and I apologize for my long absence.
After seven grueling hours, three stopovers, an hour waiting in line at U.S customs for a cavity search that luckily never came (I'm a paranoid flier), and a tortuously hot cab ride through a Texan summer. I arrived at 2050 West Gray Street, which it turns out is a Starbucks, across from another Starbucks. Perhaps it was the stress that the ordeal of my hasty travel had brought on, or maybe it was the unbearable heat, but I felt like I had arrived at a place of power. Like a Ley Line ran right under my feet and straight through these two coffee shops that were separated by nothing more than four lanes of traffic.
"It's nothing that fancy you know." A familiar ragged voice rang from behind me. "It's just two Starbucks across from one another."
I turned quickly to be greeted by a visage of filth, a man as ragged as his voice sat before me, his clothes were tatters and a large dirty beard framed his greasy face. I struggled to speak but stumbled on my words, the unkempt man wasted no time interjecting,
"Go on inside and get yourself something cold to drink, you'll get your interview." I hesitated trying to push out a response, "Go on now." The unkempt man gave me an order and despite his appearance and bearing I decided it best to listen.
Only once I was inside the Starbucks ordering my iced venti Chai Tea Latte with an extra pump of Chai did it hit me that I was entirely insane for coming all the way from British Columbia to talk to a homeless man with dirty facial hair. I decided to leave quickly once I had my drink and put the Starbucks on 2050 West Gray Street, Houston, and the whole state of Texas behind me as soon as possible.
This of course would never happen, that wouldn't make for a good story after all. Instead of making a quick get away I ended up being stopped by a familiar, sinister voice.
"Going so soon? Didn't you want that interview?" The voice felt like it grabbed me by the collar and yanked me right around. Right around to face a grinning man shaved clean, only his raven black eyebrows were intact. His jutting chin shot out at me, and his sharp cheek bones made him look more skeleton than meat. He was wearing what appeared to be a suit of black and blood red worth more than I made last month, and his eyes were hidden behind a pair of dark rounded sun glasses. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as I stared at him dumbly.
"Go on outside, it's a beautiful day and I'd rather be out enjoying it during our little pow wow." The only response I could think up was a half hearted affirmation. We sat down outside, I felt the confusion scrawled across my face while I stared at the stranger sipping what appeared to be a steaming cup of coffee. I broke the silence.
"What happened to-"
"The disgusting homeless man who never heard of a comb?" I shook my head in response, "Gone."
"Gone?"
"Gone, I didn't need him anymore, so he's gone." The stranger spoke coldly.
"Gone where? Did you do someth-"
"Are we going to do this interview? You're not getting any younger after all. And you do have bills to pay; I'm also not the patient type, so it's in both our interests to get going." Something in the pit of my stomach churned and I knew that pursuing further into the fate of the bearded man was not wise. I quickly fumbled through my satchel and dug out my note book and pen.
"First who are you? I mean the call I received-" The stranger interjected again.
"I'm the devil." My stomach churning sense of fear made way for a brain tickling sense of disbelieve.
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