The Merchant of Shadows

The storm raged on as the lifeless body of the young man lay in front of Vincent, a tragic spectacle that the old man could hardly process. John had been struck by a lightning bolt so fierce it seemed the heavens themselves had ripped through him. The boy with the tabby cat in his hands had fallen back screaming in horror as the thunderous crack of the strike shattered the quiet. The cat frightened had been flung into the air landing far from the boy. The boy's sobs were raw, desperate but Vincent unmoved in his purpose was already calling for help from anyone who might be nearby.

The cyclone had torn through the region knocking out all communication. The nearest hospital was miles away and only a passing stranger could bring help to this broken town.

Vincent had rushed to check on John, his heart pounding with dread! The sight before him was too horrific, the lifeless body sprawled on the muddy ground, the mark of the storm still etched in the air. He knelt beside him feeling for a pulse. There was none. No breath. No sign of life. The terror in Vincent's chest began to settle into an unbearable sadness! He had seen death before but this was different!

His hands trembled but he tried what little he remembered of first aid, pushing aside the feeling of helplessness but it was all for naught. He sighed, defeated. "Caught between the earth and sky, you've gone where even the storm cannot follow."

As he sat there gazing at the body something caught his eye—a pendant around John's neck. He carefully unclasped it, fingers brushing the cold metal. His heart skipped a beat. Something about it was familiar. He couldn't place it, not yet but it tugged at the corners of his memory. The pendant was small, simple, a faded inscription on the back that seemed like it had been worn down over time. Vincent's fingers lingered on it for a moment, before slipping it into his pocket unable to part with it just yet.

The storm raged on and John's body remained there, still and cold. Hours passed before the police and ambulance finally arrived. The town was small and no one had known the boy. He was just a stranger to this place, a quiet figure who had passed by frequently but who had never spoken much to anyone.

Officer Ralston, a young man with tired eyes came over to Vincent to ask what had happened. The driver who had been in shock, was being taken away for questioning and the police needed to piece together the events.

"Mr. Vincent, I need to get your account of what happened. We're piecing this together and there's something about this that doesn't quite add up," Officer Ralston said, his voice calm but firm.

Vincent looked back at the body, his heart heavy. He had tried to save him but it had been impossible. "I saw the whole thing," he began slowly "The boy was standing there with the cat ... the cat was trying to cross the road. The driver did not see the cat but in his panic state, he swerved—and hit the man."

Ralston's brows furrowed as he took a note. "So, the accident was caused by the driver?"

"That's right" Vincent nodded. "It happened so fast. The boy—he was knocked down but he was still alive. I ran over to check on him. Then, I tried to help. But before I could do anything, a bolt of lightning struck him. I couldn't believe it... it was like the sky itself reached down and took him."

Ralston's expression darkened and he scribbled quickly in his notebook. "Lightning strike... that's the cause of death, then?"

"Maybe," Vincent replied, his voice quiet, "but I don't think it was just the lightning. He was still alive when I tried to help him. He was breathing for a moment... but after the lightning hit, everything stopped."

The officer's eyes lingered on Vincent for a beat before he spoke again. "What about the driver? What can you tell us about him?"

Vincent turned toward the driver, who was sitting on the curb, still in shock. "The driver... He didn't mean for it to happen. He just didn't see the cat and the man. He's shaken up. He's not a bad man, just scared."

Ralston nodded, but his eyes stayed sharp. "We'll need his statement and we'll need yours too. The timing, the sequence of events—everything needs to be clear."

Vincent sighed, wiping the rain from his forehead. "I've told you everything I know. The driver tried to hit the cat, but he hit the boy while the boy was saving the cat. I saw it with my own eyes. Then I ran to check on him... After that, it all happened too fast."

Ralston paused, looking at Vincent with a level of scrutiny. "Did you notice anything strange about the man? Anything that might give us more context? Any reason why he might've been out here alone?"

Vincent felt his heart catch but he shook his head. "No, he was just a kid. Didn't seem like he had anyone with him. Didn't know him, didn't see him much around here. Just... someone passing through."

"Strange," Ralston murmured to himself!

Ralston glanced at the young man's body, then back at Vincent. "What happened to the boy who was with him?" He pointed to the spot where the tabby cat had been thrown aside. "The one who fell back after seeing it happen. I've spoken to him, but he's too distraught to make any sense of what he saw."

Vincent sighed deeply, struggling to maintain his composure. "I don't know what to tell you about the boy. He was... just a kid who worked for me.I told him to give first aid for that man.He didn't know what he was walking into." His eyes drifted back to the pendant that still lay in his pocket, hidden from the officer's view.

Vincent still shaken, asked quietly, "Do you know who he was?"

Ralston paused, glanced at his notebook and then answered, "His name was John Evigeni. No family, no relatives. Just… a man who kept to himself!"

Vincent stood still, staring at the Officer Ralston. There was something about that name something gnawing at the back of his mind. He had seen that name before, but where? He could feel the weight of the memory pulling at him, but it didn't come. It just hovered, elusive. He turned to leave but just before stepping away, he heard the Officer Ralston add to another officer that, "He was at his retirement party recently. We'll need to talk to everyone who was there, find out what happened."

Retirement party? Vincent's mind raced as he tried to connect the dots. Retirement party? Of course. That's where he had seen John's face and name before, though only in passing, a fleeting glance. But then something clicked—something deep in his memory! The pendant!

Vincent's heart raced. He went back to his shop and sat down heavily on a wooden chair. His eyes wandered but his mind was elsewhere. That pendant! He had seen it before, hadn't he? His ex-lover had worn a pendant just like it, the same shape, the same design, the same faded inscription. The memory hit him like a wave and for a moment, the world around him faded.

He rummaged through his pockets, pulling out the pendant. The turning of the piece revealed the name that had been worn down by years of use, yet still visible. His name. His ex-lover's name. The connection became clearer! The face of the boy, the way he had looked, how he had reminded Vincent of someone he once knew... it wasn't just a passing resemblance!

And then it hit him. That boy wasn't a stranger at all!

Vincent's thoughts spun and he found himself staring at a photograph in his hands—one taken years ago, a moment of happiness, a birthday surprise with friends. In the photo, his ex-lover wore the same pendant! Vincent remembered how he had always hated how the pendant was so close to their hearts, so much a part of them. And now, that pendant had found its way back to him in a way he could never have anticipated!

Tears filled his eyes as he whispered to himself, the words carrying a heaviness that only he could understand! "I never thought I'd see you like this... but now, I wonder if fate had always meant for us to meet like this."

And with that, Vincent threw the pendant into the wind, watching as it sailed through the air, his heart breaking with each second. He closed his eyes and a single tear fell, a silent tribute to the boy who might have been his son, a son he never knew!