Summer in Winter

A Story by Johnny Sorrow

a short fantasy story

A thin, dirty man sits in the alley, cold, and miserable. His whole body shakes, the constant downpour of snow builds a white blanket over his small and tired frame. No one notices him, and those that do shuffle past quickly, "it's none of my buisness" they tell themselves.

His eyes slowly droop, the freezing air slowly sapping the life from his body. He fights it, but it's just a matter if time. Finally his eyes close and his head droops, the end is almost here.

From the darkness of the alley a shadowy figure emerges, quiet as whisper. He walked forward and crouched down by the man, gazing at him with cool blue eyes. Frost covers his face and his very breath seemed to make the air colder.

"Seems the time has come, buddy" he says. His voice is almost cheerful, as though he is glad to snatch the soul from the dying man. This is in fact his very purpose, a mean little demon with winters cold touch, a touch that kills the body and soul.

The demons hand reached out towards the man's chest........and stopped an inch from his heart, something felt wrong. He glanced to his right and saw the thin sheet of Ice covering the road start to melt away. "Damn" he said, barely hiding his disgust. He stood up and gazed into the shadows at the opposite end of the alley.

Out of the darkness came another figure, as quiet as the demon had been. Unlike the demon, who was wearing a leather jacket and jeans, this character was well dressed with a long winter dress coat and a black hat perched atop his head.

"Don't you have better things to do.....boy?" the contempt in that last word the stranger spoke was evident. The demon scowled, "don't YOU have better things to do? Can't a guy take some nobody's soul anymore without somebody coming along and sucking the fun out of it?"

Now it was the strangers turn to scowl. The demon couldn't see his eyes underneath the brim of his hat but by the firm set of his jaw and his lips pressed tightly together it was rather obvious. The stranger stopped a few yards from the demon and the man, the snow beneath his feet started melting, clearing a small patch of street.

"I have warned you, time and again, that I will not permit you to steal the souls of man. Yet here I find you, preparing to take another." The strangers voice was subtle but had a dangerous tone. The demon scoffed, " And now I do believe I've had enough of you meddling"

The demon walked over to a pile of metal pipes on the ground, selecting one about 2 1/2 feet long. He ran his hand down the steel pipe till it was covered in a thick layer of ice spikes. "You ready for this old man?" He sneered.

The stranger put his hands together and slowly rubbed his palms till they glowed like embers in the fire. For the first time he lifted his gaze so their eyes could meet, his eyes burned like hot coals. "Come."

The demon blurred forward with incredible speed towards the stranger, slowing just a little as he got close to swing his spiked weapon at his opponents rib cage. The stranger, however, was far more experienced and patient. As soon as the demon slowed his advance and started to swing he rubbed his palms together with force, sending a shower of sparks into the face of the advancing demon.

The demon snarled and shut his eyes to the stinging pain, but still swung with all his might. All he hit was air. He had just noticed as his vision cleared that the stranger was no longer in front of him. A split second later he also noticed the iron hard fist hitting his gut with the force of a Jackhammer.

The stranger, now standing beside the demon, withdrew his fist from his stomach, grabbed him by the collar of his jacket, and tossed him back down the alley several yards.

The demon rolled on the ground for several moments, clutching his belly. Finally he rose to his feet, a murderous look in his eyes.

The stranger shifted his feet further apart, lowering his center of gravity. Now the real fight would start. The Demon came at him again, but much more cautiously this time.

Getting close enough for his spiked weapon to maim yet far enough away so the stranger couldn't grab him.

The demon swung over and over, trying any way he could to hurt the cloaked man, but try as he might the stranger dodged every swing. The demon grew more and more exasperated, spittle flew from his mouth and his breathing was becoming ragged. "Any time now" thought the stranger. Waiting for the demon to make a mistake, then he would strike.

But the demon was more cunning than he had anticipated. In order to effectively dodge the attacks the stranger had slowly been moving backwards.....away from the man on the ground. Now the demon saw his chance. He darted back to where the man sat and raised his weapon for a killing stroke.

"NO!" Cried the stranger and lept forward, arm out stretched. The spiked pipe sped down in an arc towards the man's head.....and stopped a hairs breadth from his scalp. The demon looked up and his face twisted in a cruel grin. The strangers hand was pierced in several places by the long ice spikes. Hot crimson blood dripped from the weapon onto the dying man's head.

But....he had stopped it. Barely. "Aww What's the matter?" Asked the demon in a mocking tone. "Can't multi task?" For a few seconds there was silence, then the demons face adopted a puzzled expression......the stranger was laughing. Not a loud hearty laugh, just a small quiet chuckle. He looked directly onto the puzzles demons eyes....."gotcha"

Before the demon could blink the strangers free hand darted forward and grasped his face with an iron grip. With a grunt the stranger lifted the demon off his his feet till he was dangling almost a foot off the ground. The strangers hands went from a red-ish glow to white hot. With an explosion of intense heat and force from his hand the stranger sent the demon flying a dozen yards back, skipping along the ground like a pebble on a pond.

The demon had dropped his weapon as soon as he had been grabbed. The ice spikes still kept it anchored to the strangers palm. With a grunt of effort and a blast of heat he shattered the ice then tossed the pipe aside.

Turning to look down the alley towards the demon he found he had already risen to his feet, though he looked a little unstable.

A nasty burn in the shape of a hand covered his face and his hair was smoking. The demon let out a whimper of pain, then eyed the stranger with a venomous look. "We'll meet again" he spat, then melted into the shadows, and was gone.

The stranger raised an eyebrow, "cliche much?" Bending down he pulled a silk white handkerchief from his pocket and cleaned his blood of the dying man's head and face, Then he placed his against against his heart. Instead of a hot yellow his hand now adopted a cool blue glow. After several moments the man breathed a big breath, and color began to creep back into his cheeks.

Satisfied the man was out of immediate harm the stranger pulled a cellphone out of his coat and hit speed dial #1. After a few moments waiting someone answered. "Hey, it's me. I have another one......yes.....the alley on 42nd......put it on my usual tab.....thanks"

The stranger took the bloodied handkerchief and wrapped it around his wounded hand. Then he straightened his coat, pulled his hat brim down low, and walked away into the cold.....his footprints leaving a melted trail behind him.