The Incubus

Chapter 2, Scene 5

Simon stirred his coffee slowly. He wondered how things would turn out in Samantha's household.

Samantha, he thought and a shiver crawled down his spine. How did I know her name? How did I know about her personal problems? He sipped at his coffee and thought back to many similar incidents in the past where he just somehow knew certain things about people without knowing how he knew it.

There was the lady with the missing dog, Simon thought and chuckled. There was the husband who had lost his wife to cancer. And then there was the missing girl; Lucy.

A few weeks ago, Simon had an urge to knock on the door of a certain house that he had never seen or been to before. He found out that the daughter of the couple living there had disappeared without a trace three days earlier. Somehow Simon just knew where they could find her. The father's brother had taken the nine-year old and had locked her up in his basement. The idea was to collect ransom for the girl before returning her to her parents. All parties involved were highly emotional. The parents were disgusted because a trusted relative would kidnap their daughter. Simon was bewildered because he had some sort of universal knowledge that he was not supposed to possess. Over time, he learned to embrace his "gift" and just go with it. Sometimes something would happen that still managed to surprise even him, but he realized that the more he listened and acted upon his instincts, the stronger it became.

'Spot,' a man said from the table behind Simon. 'We'll call it spot for now.'

A woman giggled.

'How much longer until we see something other than a black spot on the sonars?' the man asked.

'About two more weeks,' the woman said softly.

Simon smiled. The miracle of new life always made him feel good inside.

There was a moment of silence before the man spoke again. His voice was softer now; more concerned. 'We'll get through this, baby, you'll see.'

'I know,' the woman said. 'I'm just a little worried about our finances. That's all.'

More silence.

'We'll be fine,' the man tried to re-assure her. 'I'll try extra hard to get a job this week. I mean, how hard can it be to get a job in the computer industry with my qualifications?'

The couple finished their drinks while discussing their financial concerns and how to break the news to their families. When they finally paid the waitress, they stood up to leave. It was when they walked past Simon that he gently took hold of the man's arm.

'Excuse me, Justin,' Simon said. 'Am I right in saying that you're looking for a job in the computer industry?'

The man looked at Simon with a puzzled expression. 'Yes...?' he said reluctantly. 'I'm sorry, but do I know you?'

Simon smiled. 'My apologies,' he said. 'I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I overheard your conversation. Congratulations by the way.'

'Erm...Thank you,' Justin said and shook Simon's hand.

'I tell you what,' Simon said. 'Give me your contact details, and I'll pass it along to my employer. As far as I know, we are looking for more technicians at the moment.'

Justin looked at his wife. She merely smiled, but the look in her eyes and the nod of her head made it crystal clear that he should give his details to the stranger.

Justin borrowed a pen from a waitress and scribbled his details on a piece of scrap paper. He handed it to Simon. 'Thank you,' he said, unable to hide the bemused tone in his voice. 'I'm sorry, but I didn't get your name.'

'It's Simon.'

'Thank you, Simon.'

The two men shook hands again and, still baffled, Justin and his wife left the coffee shop.