Open Coffin - The Crescent Descent

Chapter 03 "Living On Borrowed Time"

Your feet dragged over what was left of the road in the cemetery that had been split open by centuries of floods and moving earth. The white paint of a few sparsely placed tombs was so bright you had to shield your eyes from the reflecting light. The trees swayed in the gentle breeze, diluting the light above into a shaded mess. There had never been an English word for the way the sun and wind interplay with each other to create dappled sunlight, but it decorated the entire tree-lined walkway.

Leaving the shadows, you turned the corner towards the far end of the cemetery, skipping some of Lafayette's prominent resting places, "Why the hell did I agree to this again?"

"Because you're taken with my personality?" Kaleb was walking behind you a step or two, taking his sweet time as if he had no trouble wasting seconds to nothing. He had convinced you to not kill him immediately with a promise of revealing his intentions. You agreed, knowing that if he walked you into a trap you could still end him with a rub of your fingers. It was a win-win, though a time consuming one so far.

And time was running out. You hid a bloody nose from his eyes when he was unconscious - the second one that day - and it was only going to get worse from here on out.

"You think if I'd be taken with you, I would've handcuffed you to a radiator?" You scoffed, ignoring his attempt to lighten your mood completely.

"I don't know," he shrugged, "you might be into that."

You rolled your eyes at his comment, progressing further. Passing another set of stones older than dirt, you adjusted the straps of the bag that carried your letters, fastening the metal handler around your shoulder. It was comforting to know that they were with you again and that they only fell into the hands of the stranger next to you. After a few more steps, the sound of shoes crushing loose stones under his weight grew silent.

"This is it," he said and nudged his head towards the building on your left.

You looked at the building towering next to you and it took a moment for you to scramble together where you are. Like a squared lighthouse, the second story building had glass windows on the second floor that wrapped around all sides. The first floor was used by the local witches as a place to congregate and meet with each other, while the second floor was full of plants, herbs and other ingredients for all kinds of spells. You knew the place all too well. Besides plants, it currently housed a newly moved in leech that fed on people's weaknesses. One that was followed by her offspring and one - that despite the meaning of her name - was the worst of them all.

Esther.

"Of course you're working for her. I should've known." You pinched the bridge of your nose, breathing out the weight of uncertainty from your lungs. Finally, the pieces revealing the stranger in front of you fell into place. Esther sends a distraction. Needless to say, you were not surprised.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you too are working with her?" He had a smug grin on his face as he replied as if he'd outfoxed your question. Smug Bastard.

"Let me guess, she's the one that wanted my letters?"You asked, and he confirmed with a nod "Why?"

"To exploit your secrets, I'd imagine." He shrugged, then opened the door to the building and stepped aside "After you." You brushed past him, brushing against his torso trying to fit into the outlandish small door frame. At least this time you were not wearing any hindering clothes as you did 100 years ago. You remembered that once a part of your coat ripped trying to enter this building and if you'd look closely you might even find particles of the clothing still littering the doorframe.