It was in the dead of the morning. Streetlights seemed like lonely torches radiating dull yellow glows in their hopeless effort to ward off a thin lining of fog that pulled in from the ocean. Only a fistful of stars made a sluggish attempt to pierce the grey mass. It made the small town of Saldanha an eerie place with its quiet alleys.
A set of footsteps bounced off the walls through one of the alleys. Roberts's lungs burned with exhaustion while his heart pounded with fear. Please dear Jesus, please spare me from this. I know I did bad things in my life, but please dear God...not this. Save my life, save my soul. Forgive me for all the things I've ever done.
Robert kept glancing back hoping that his followers or things changed their minds to spare him for one more day. He needed time for forgiveness and to mend his past mistakes.
His legs were numb from hours of running. Not exactly the thing meant for a fifty-eight-year body. He could not spend too long in one place either. The acute sense of the animals would soon discover him. Hope was diminishing by the minute and his chest could no longer contain his ever-scorching lungs.
I need to hide again. I can't take any of this much longer. Robert collapsed behind an industrial bin to catch his breath and rest his legs. He waited until his racing breath subsided and the pain in his chest faded a little. When he no longer heard the footsteps from his followers anymore, he took in his surroundings. The skip was close to a wall forming a V-shape, perfect for hiding. He could only see a wedge of lingering formations in the obscureness. He was close to the ocean for he could hear the waves. Patches of grass disappeared several meters away from him, sloping down to an old building on the beach suspended by thick wooden poles.
I'm safe here. The sea breeze will blow away any human scent. Thank you, God. Robert felt life returning to his body, and the fear subsided to the thought that he outran his followers. He survived for now. I'll stay here for a while and tomorrow I'll leave this place and never think about it again. This is nothing but a bad dream that's all. Tomorrow everything will be all right.
He listened to the soothing sound of small waves breaking nearby when he heard something that did not fit in with the natural environment, the crush of a leave. It was too close for his comfort. A dull knock on the rubbish skip followed.
Robert tried not to move or breathe while he listened. It might have been the wind or a cat on the hunt for small rodents he thought. Robert was about to relax a little when a dark figure approached from underneath the building on the beach.
Do they know I'm sitting here behind the skip? They could not have heard me. Are they still looking for me?
It was with no doubt a game of hide-and-seek, not the jubilant one he used to play with his cousins as a youngster. This game was for life. The kind he wished upon no one, not even his worst enemy. If you got caught, you died for real.
His relief was short-lived when a figure walked toward him. He knew his days were counted. There was no escape from this anymore. They were too close, and he was too tired. He had given his last bit of energy for salvation.
From the left, another one approached, eliminating his last chance for an escape. The knock on the skip was repetitive. It moved closer to the opening which evolved into a chest and face looking at him with a head askew. They were closing in on him with their tight black clothes which made them hard to see in the godforsaken night.
'Knock, knock,' the first young man said peeking around the skip. Robert recognised him. He was one of his mathematics scholars.
'Who's there?' the second boy asked, shifting in next to his friend and resting his arm on his shoulder.
'It's Robert here,' the first boy said. 'Robert the fuck-head.'
Robert noticed a sadistic smile on the boy's face. His senses peaked and he could hear the insects in the surrounding area including the chuckle coming from the third boy who blocked Robert's escape route. Robert tried to understand the character transformation these boys had. No one would ever suspect them capable of any sinister acts. He hoped for the one thing that might save his life, a little respect for the elders, but that was also a twinkling thought. There was almost nothing human about these kids.
'So, did you think you could get away from us?' the first boy asked squatting in front of Robert with his forearms resting on his thighs. He wanted to have a better look at the fear on Robert's sweaty face.
Robert noticed their grim expressions. For a moment, he thought he noticed something sincere, but he knew the cult the boys were involved in. There was nothing good about it.
'You are such bright boys, full of potential,' Robert tried to persuade with a trembling voice. 'You don't want to get involved in something you'll regret later on in life.'
'Regret?' the first boy asked. 'Did we ask for your opinion? I think you are way out of your league. I don't see a classroom around here.'
Robert heard the other two chuckle, mocking him. They were close enough for Robert to see the dark side of human nature. There was no sign of remorse. Robert knew his chances of persuading them were diminishing like the hours he had left to live.
'You've got so much talent. The three of you are amongst the top 5 in my class,' Robert said trying to get his voice under control.
'You mean were,' the first boy said. He looked over his shoulder to his laughing friends and smiled. He turned back to Robert, 'I've got a mathematical problem I can't seem to solve. Maybe you can help me with it.'
'Sure, I'll try my best.' Robert expected nothing good from the riddle that was about to follow, but at least he could buy a little time for himself. More time to live. Hopefully, they will change their minds and let him go unharmed.
'What is the mathematical equivalent of...tonight you die?' the first boy asked getting up from his squatted position.
The other two laughed. Robert felt a stab of anxiety. He wondered if anyone else could hear them, but he soon dismissed the hopeful thought with the fog now thickening. If anyone could hear them, they would suspect nothing sinister with the situation for there was nothing out of the ordinary. The first boy looked over his shoulder at the other two. From the side, Robert could see something that defied the laws of physics he knew well. In a matter of split-seconds, their faces alternated between their human forms to something demonic. Extreme anxiety and exhaustion might have Robert imagining things. They all stared at him with sombre faces, human at least for now, but something was not right with these kids. They were like superhuman beings, or things waiting to snatch his soul at any moment.
'What do you think we should do with him?' The first boy asked regarding Robert for a moment before looking at his friends. 'I mean we had good fun tonight chasing him around and all.'
'Yeah, but I think we ought to have more fun,' the second boy said. 'I'm not tired yet. He's got me too excited now.'
'Me too,' the third boy said.
'Okay then,' the first boy turned his head back to Robert, 'get up you cunt.'
Robert pushed himself up from the ground, aware of their eyes upon him, penetrating his body and into his soul. His body felt heavy on his legs and his mind was confused with anxiety. He tried to fill his lungs, but the panic inside only allowed for a shallow breath. At least he could smell the salty ocean mixed with the freshness of the fog. Robert wondered if he would ever have another opportunity to enjoy the smaller things in life he never appreciated until this terrifying moment, but he doubted it. He knew these children and what they have done in the past. Robert cursed the night he witnessed the crime. Even if he shared the experience with his most trusted colleagues, nothing could ever erase those horrible images from his mind. How was he supposed to know he could not trust his colleagues?
'Come on you fucking spy,' the first boy said. He pushed Robert from behind into a direction leading away from town, heading towards the ocean.
Robert lifted both his hands up in a retreating gesture. He did not know where they wanted him to go, but nowhere good his brain told him.
'You see Robert, you should've known better than to poke your nose around and into our business. It would've been all right, but you told people about it, didn't you?'
Robert was certain nothing would change their minds. He could not see the ocean, but he could hear the waves roaring not too far. The fog had never been this dense, but then again, maybe he never noticed. He looked up expecting to see stars, but the sky was obscured, matching his state of mind. There was nothing he could have done to avoid his situation.