ELIAS

“Iverain, I’m back!” The black iron bell chimed overhead as rain pelted against the hard mossy bricks of I & E Books and Potions. Shaking his loose-fitting green cardigan off his shoulders Elias hung it off the brass hooks by the open back door behind the counter that’s glass showed the potions and trinkets by the dull lights above. “Mervin’s got a new deli boy running the back,” He starts placing the bags on the counter his ashen grey eyes searching the open library of tombs. “He almost doubled charged me.” He grumbles adjusting his golden wired frames as he walked back up front, his red converse making the floor creak with every step. “You think he’ll do it again?” He questions turning the closed sign on the front door to open his callused ink-stained fingers turning the lock.

         “I will have a word with him later.” Iverain’s voice sounded muffled as it seemed to bounce off the walls as Elias turned back towards the front of the counter. The lights above brightened comfortably as though the store itself was awakening from a long night of slumber. “We have a few copies to finish before our regulars make their appearance. Would you like Potions or Ink?”

         “Ink, always!” Elias smirked his gaze, moving up the stairs spotting the silhouette as Iverain made his appearance, his dark fingertips grazing the banister as leather shoes bounced off one step at a time.

         “Good.” He breathed the soft stream of smoke pooling from his lips for a second. Reaching the bottom step, he moves towards the front of the store, his footfalls slow and shift against the sturdy wood as the lights above dimmed. Taking out a brass key he puts it into the lock, flipping the sign back to closed. He hovers above Elias for a second, his eyes sharp and golden against the dark as his fingers calloused and warm wrap around their arm pushing the tacky short sleeve up to graze old scars.

         “Being very sentimental today big guy?” Elias jokes, Iverain’s grip tightened as he hums.

         “Two years ago, you were pulled into my shop.” Iverain recalled taking his hand off Elias’ arm. “Would you change anything?” He whispered.

         “More like ceremoniously tossed but I’m not complaining one bit.” He grinned.

         In this quiet, ivy-covered bookstore tucked between crumbling bricks of olden days and forgotten alleyways. Elias Gray, the soft-spoken clerk with ink-stained fingers and a knack for finding the perfect book lived and breathed. But that was not always the case.

Two years ago, worn boots bounced over cracked cement the early morning rays just peeking behind the concrete jungle that Elias called home. The early police sirens and honks of bustling cars an ongoing symphony in his ears as he kept a raggedly gloved hand on the worn pack slung on his back. Elias’ wildly unkempt rustic-colored hair knotted and loosely tied behind his neck, a green patched beanie keeping it all in.

         Elias walks, weaving through the morning crowds as the sky above begun to gray. Adjusting his crooked glasses back onto his nose he slips off the main sidewalk and towards the Food Market the lights above flickering off as he strode up to one of the many early risers.

          The world outside the market as bustling and thriving as it was had yet to reach the stalls of fruit, the putrid smell of rot flared in nostrils as he passed a particularly ripe stall, some fruits molding under fresh produce. Not evident unless you were looking. But that smell gave far too much away as he shuffled passed. The stout man behind thew stall in a stained white tank top, brown shorts, and sandals worn down to the sole watches him with glassy eyes. Seeing the soft trill of smoke pour into the air above his body Elias quickly everted his gaze moving to another stand.

         But those glossy eyes bore into his back until the overwhelming chill rolled down his spine in conscious waves rising goosebumps to attention under the loose-fitting stained button-up. The worn through windbreaker tied to his waist as the sound of shuffling footfalls slid closer. Elias does not dare turn as he grabs an orange off the stall. Examining it closely the trail of smoke wafts passed his blurry peripheral.

         “Are you going to pay for that?” The voice behind Elias wheezed cold like death against the base of his neck. His posture straightened his shoulders tight, his jaw setting as he slowly turned his head.

         “I’m sorry what…” Elias slid his leg back making space between them. The man’s head tilts his glossy eyes wide, his pupils’ pinpricks in the void of white.

         “Are. You. Going. To. Pay. For. That.” He repeated each word punctuated with a sharp jab to Elias’ chest.

         “Y- yes why wouldn’t I?” Elias questioned back a slight stutter to his words, but in reality, he was not planning to pay for anything, a classic slip in and out he had done one too many times before. But today was different the man who usually would ignore his very existence was now standing in front of him with an almost pungent expression, the skin around his eyes hung loosely as though an ill-fitted suit.

         The man nods slowly his mouth opening and closing like a dead fish gaping for water, his nostrils flared, and his mouth finally fell open as wheezing words drifted passed dried lips.

         “LIAR…” He hisses, hand shooting out to grip Elias’ wrist tightly causing him to drop the orange.

         Yanking his wrist back sharply Elias holds it seeing the indents of fingers, the dark smug and smell of stale cigarettes making my nostrils flare in disgust.

         “Look I was going to pay I don’t know what your problem is man, but you need to back up!” Elias shouts making the stall attendant behind him sit up straighter and passersby stop a spell. The man watches me with those dead glossy eyes for a second before backing up his appearance taking on a more seething expression.

         Quickly Elias ducks passed the man and through the growing crowd as morning light breaks between the stalls. Breaking out into a nearby alleyway Elias leans back against the wet bricks a smirk giving way onto his face as he pulls out an orange and apple from his pockets.

         “Success.” He mumbles at himself as he pushes off the wall and with goodies in hand he makes his way towards the station.

         Dragging his feet he weaves down another alley, putting the food in his pack before flinging it back over his shoulder. Soon heavy footfalls moved towards him, fast and angry, with a purpose Elias firsthand didn’t want to find out. He dodged and weaved through the thickening crowd in an attempt to lose his pursuers. Only to have a large hand grasp his shoulder roughly yanking him backwards the strap of his back giving way and scattering what little belongings onto the now dampening concrete. His back roughly met the moist brick and scratching up the thin fabric of his shirt and leaving redden marks on his back he didn’t want to deal with later.

         “So, you think you can just run without paying your dues?” The rough voice seethes against Elias’ face, the grip falling off his shoulder and to the front of his collar where he is repeatedly shoved into the brick, glasses sliding off his nose as the back of his head meets the wall.

         “I- I didn’t…” Elias insisted his eyes squeezing closed. “I was going”- His voice croaked as the man moved his free hand to Elias’ throat digging the back of his head into the brick. Removing the other hand from his collar Elias feels cold fingers grasp his chin pulling his head to the side and making him look to the end of the alleyway he just came from. There standing in an almost jagged sway to his step was the stout man from before his eyes clouded over as he shuffled his feet against the concrete and closer to us.

         A full body shiver rolls down Elias’ back, fingers, and down to his toes as the man’s form twisted and shifted the soft crackling of bones until the man looked more like the embodiment of smoke and the smell of burnt flesh wafted up his nose nearly making him gag.

         “Please, it won’t happen again.” Elias pleads heat rising off his cheeks.

         “Oh, don’t you worry that pretty head of yours little bird you won’t do anything like that ever again.” The larger man leans closer his hot breath now smokes pooling from his lips like greying wisps dancing against the corners of jagged teeth sharp as he whispers darkly against Elias’ ear. “The hard way.” The man’s voice distorted, making Elias’ blood run cold.

         The heat against Elias’ cheeks doubled as now dancing over his neck as the sound of clicking tongues reaches his ears, a language seemingly long forgotten in time but familiar as the words formed in his mind.

         “Look at his eyes my brother, Pretty price for those of the dead. Not many more left.”

         The other man stepped closer the smoke pooling from the clothes as his body vanishes within. A patch of smoke grips Elias’ face now as though inspecting a prized piece.

         “Ripe for the picking.”

         Fuck fuck fuck! The panic that settled within Elias’ bones was new as his brain whirled with unruly thoughts. FUCK IT! – He struck his leg out hitting the bigger of the two in the shin as hard as he could. Feeling the grip disappear he ducked down grabbing and shoveling what he could back into the pack before running like his life depended on it, and right now it defiantly did.