A Strange Encounter #household - photograph The soft glow of the bar lights were comforting,that and the few glasses of rum were working their magic. Now relaxed and no one bothering me in the empty pub I had some time to think,tho no answers were springing to mind. Shure I thought I was crazy,but I didn't feel insaine,well no more than usual. I couldn't just have imagined it, no one could just imagine something like that, unless they were on some acid trip. So the only option left if I wasn't crazy or spiked with some hullicnagen was what happened really happened. With that thought my stomach began to churn again. Either that or the alcohol wasn't sitting to well on an empty stomach. I ordered another drink and some nuts to go with it just realizing how hungry I was but not wanting to leave the comfort of the bar. Taking my beverage and snack I returned to the corner booth and back to my musings. Playing over the day again in my head,trying to find some reason why today was different, what happened that made the impossible possible. Sipping the Bacardi now, rather than draining it, my mind focused on thinking of the daily routine, shit,shower,shave then onto work. Nothing was remarkable, I talked to no one different, I even ate in the same little cafe at lunch that I been going to for the last six years. So wrapped in thought I never noticed the stranger that now stood by my side until my reverie was interrupted by a cool dry voice, sounding almost frail but with a certain sureness that gave it power. It was that authoritative tone and not expecting to be disturbed in my cosy corner of my new found refuge, that startled me so much. Grabbing my drink and the remnants of the nuts, looking up with my heart pounding "What!?" was all I could manage to say. "Is this seat taken?" repeated the mysterious newcomer,with that voice that chilled me though I couldn't say why. "No," I replied "work away." Only after answering realising how strange the request was in this nearly empty bar. The man sat down opposite me. At a guess he was in his late thirties,early forties. He was wearing a tapered black suit that looked hand made,with a deep red open neck shirt the true definition of dressy casual. Tho he wasn't body builder big he was broad and looked in good shape. His hair jet black and neatly cropped along with his equally black tidy goaty beard and tanned skin made me think he had some italian heritage, tho his accent didn't suggest it. In fact his voice was so contrary to the mans appearance, it jus added to the mystery and this odd encounter started to unnerve me even more. "Ah.. are you waiting for some one?" I asked, starting to feel a little more annoyed than frightened by the mans intrusion. "Not waiting no, I never wait. However I am looking for someone and I have a feeling you might have seen ... him." With that pause and the wry smile before saying him, I knew he could only be talking of one thing. My stomach sank and I could feel the blood draining from my face. If I didn't faint I was sure I was going to throw up as the horror in the ally played out in my mind once more. The man sitting opposite me took something out of his pocket and slid it towards me, it was a Polaroid picture. "What's that?" I asked with a sense of dread building in the pit of my stomach. "Just a picture. Please take a look and tell me if anything looks familiar." I had the sudden urge to run, this place which seemed like a safe haven now felt wrong and if I were to look at that picture, it wouldn't just be my #life in danger, but my eternal soul or at least my tenuous grip on sanity. I wanted so much to run from that man and this lunacy, but curiosity got the better of me. I would never erase what I saw from my mind and I needed some answers no matter how unpleasant they might be. My hand trembled as I reached out gingerly with great trepidation and slid the picture across the table till it was face down in front of me. The black back of the Polaroid looking like an abyss that I could lose myself in. With a long exhale as if about to rip off a sticky plaster, I turned the photograph over. (authors note - sorry for the non ending due to time to slip this in to the household challenge, but would love to hear what you think is going on. Who's the man, what did I see and what's in the picture? I have a few ideas and will finish it in a further post. If some one guesses what I write or give me a good idea you'll get full credit for it and a high five!)