Help!
The help he needs
The tracker
Stumbles and bounces back, a dead branch of a tree dissolved in the wind. It’s just another dark shadow passing with its noise between the eyelashes- tree of the world asleep. That same small universe able to host a light wind, strong enough just to caress the hair of the small children intent to watch the stars give a sense over the night sky.
The night
The black tongues of the streets disappear with no sound after the yellowish light of the lamp posts. Between all this, a figure passes and stop in front of two wooden thin lips. Two knocks at the door and a man with a rough face appears. The lips turn into something solid, and the door closes leaving a street mute and blind, outside. On his toes, silk steps turn into wool. The doubt that makes you shivers, the wool pullover, gifted by your grandma. Fate wrote this date, this day, this night at 10.30 pm, but why? Fate knows before the others, but nothing would do without the human marginal actions.
The dark
Outside, a dog starts barking against the hissing of the fresh air of the night. He barks loud, with rage, even though this fresh air refreshes him, moving his soft ears behind. Anyways, barking it’s too much fun.
So
Starts the flat voice with the rough face. His fuchsia socks and the hand well cured motionless.
Finally you came to visit me
How did you know I would have come?
Oh, you’re not the first stranger I meet in the bar with a worried face. I knew a day or another you would have come here to ask for my help. Even though I still don’t know why
S. appears to be hesitant, moving his body weight from one shoe to the other. A scale which doesn’t decide yet were the truth stays. Over that heavy man with the hat or with this tracker.
Remember, Mr. S.
Continues the rusty voice of the tracker.
Remember that I don’t sell truth, but I just help the right question with right answers. So, spit your question, Mr. S.!
I’m going to the Well of Souls
What? The Well of Souls?
For the first time the cool gaze of the trackers, KI, changes. A second, in which the jaw just barely drops, leaving the rest of the skull, the nose and ears. It seems lost in the world, probably for the first time in his life, just for a second. S. is a good observer and he cannot refrain commenting.
Do you know the Well of Souls, don’t you?
This… this is a good question, son
The voice came back all at once, with the facial expressions and the jaw. Then, the jaw drops again, this time to talk.
I know the Well of Souls, even though it’s a place I’ve never been to. No one apparently ever set foot there. The only way to reach it it’s the lullaby all the children know here nearby:
The Well of Souls is in a forest that before was a desert, or a desert that before was a mountain.
Anyways, the place could be anywhere
Not anywhere, I have a lead
The jaw again perfectionates the surprise drop. This time S. continues
See, Mr. KI, I don’t need your help to find the Well of Souls. Actually I don’t want to set foot there, at all. I need something else, something more refined from you
Re-refined? I’m all ears
I made a pact with the person that is now going to the Well of Souls. I will help her to get rid of a stalker and in exchange she will give me what is mine
I cannot really see how can I help you out, here
Mr. KI, you are a tracker, no? I gather you’re specialised in finding details which lead you to what you’re searching for. Am I wrong?
No mistakes, you just describe my job
So, if for once I would ask you to do the opposite, it’d be even easier for you
Keep talking
Your job will be to create false leads for the stalker. That will help me to follow the woman without any further problem
You’re a man full of surprises, Mr. S. In my whole career it’s the first time someone asks me to create a lead, instead of following one. I will do it, but I’m not cheap
That’s not an issue. Put your price on a piece of paper and when everything will be done you’ll be repaid. What that woman have now somehow in her hands has a greater value than my own life
Oh, I hope the stalker is not a jealous husband. I don’t do personal…
No, no, you’re wrong. It’s not a jealous husband. Everything is exactly as I told you. Now I will describe him, for you it will be the easiest job ever. The only thing is he never has to be close to the woman. M., by the way, her name is M. The man’s name it’s still unknown for me
It will be taken care of
And without adding anything else, S’s feet turn and pass through the door, outside, over the trees, over the street with poor light, over the small noses looking at the sky.
Behind the door, the tracker is already working on a plan, with a grin in his face.
The Well of Souls- The Well of Souls- The Well of souls
He repeats constantly, scratching his forehead and watching in front of himself.
— And next week… The trap works! —
This story will be published once per week only, with all rights reserved for the story and its translations by Flyingstories.org and in the person of Daniele Frau.
All the graphics are handmade and designed with different techniques by Gabriele Manca, DMQ productions, who reserves all rights.
All English articles published in Souls (alive) proofread by Elisabeth Corcoran
