Eve of Redemption Read Free

across the street flashed BUDWEISER in red and white letters that illuminated his reflection on the smudged glass of the shop. He could hear the steady whine of electric cars in the street behind him as normal people carried on with their normal lives.
    A sudden gust of wind snapped the aged awning taut. The breeze reeked with the stench of garbage and stale alcohol. It carried something else as well, something nearly hidden in the stink. He turned his face into the wind and inhaled deeply. He was certain it was the perfume Laura used to wear. The thought of her brought a stab of pain to his heart.
    Burke reached a shaking hand into his jacket and pulled a picture from an inside pocket. Smiling faces in happier times. His wife, Laura, their daughter, Sara, and himself. All of them with that goofy look that said all was well with the world. He closed his eyes and let the scent of Laura’s perfume wash over him until it became too real, too close. He forced his eyes open, and there she stood like a ghost reflected in the dirty window. With each flash of neon light his reflection appeared next to hers, as though they stood together in the dark store. She looked just as she had when he last saw her—long, chestnut hair in a ponytail, wearing a sleeveless white summer blouse and the jeans she practically lived in when not at work.
    He stood frozen in place as another ghost swirled beside that of his wife. This one was smaller, but as the image materialized it became clear that she was a miniature of the older woman. Her daughter.
    His daughter.
    Burke stood in the rain, staring at the specters only he could see. Both images looked up at him with identical accusatory looks. You did this to us, their eyes said. This is your fault! His conscience, his dreams, and now the apparitions before him had made that very clear. He accepted his guilt. Without releasing him from its dark stare, the figure of the child moved its hand until it pointed at the display case. Yes, she knew, too, that death was the answer, that justice was not fulfilled while he still walked the earth. The ghostly images of his family faded, leaving him again gazing at the display case and the peace it offered.
    “No.” Burke gave the picture of his family one more look before slipping it back into his pocket. “Not yet. You’re out there somewhere, and I will find you.”
    Tears mixed with raindrops as he limped into the night.

 

     
    J ohn Burke stumbled through thick darkness. He sensed things lurking all around—dangerous things, waiting to pounce. His daughter’s shrieking wails surrounded him. His wife’s anguished sobs faded in and out of the background. He struggled to pinpoint the direction of the cries—every time he thought he had, they moved. Hostile eyes bore into him from deep within the blackness.
    Is this death? Did I finally do it?
    A manifestation in the darkness brushed against his probing hand. He flinched and pulled away. Again he reached out, and again something deflected his hand. This time came the realization that the shrieks and sobs had subsided, replaced by the sounds of chirping birds.
    As the dream faded, Burke felt the presence of someone else. He opened his eyes to see a dirty little face inches from his own. Through the dirt and grime he could tell he was looking at a girl no more than four or five years old. A matted mop of red curls framed her dirty face before dropping over tiny shoulders. At first she simply stared at him. Then, her face broke into a huge smile like she was about to have her picture taken. The girl extended her skinny arm toward him, and Burke’s gaze followed it to where it disappeared into his jacket. She giggled, spun around, and took off. As she pulled away, her hand slipped from his jacket and brushed against his own. A jolt of electricity shot up his arm, traveling through his shoulder and neck and erupting in his mind like a supernova. For a brief moment it was as if the universe opened up to