As The Snow Falls

Prologue - Twin Peaks of the Mind

The spotlight illuminated the dark, dank room. 

The corners of the wooden table had rotten with the damp.

She could just make out his silhouette on the cusp of the shadows, he was a fool to think he could hide in the darkness.

He leant forward into the penetrating beam of the spotlight, he had rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, it hadn't been washed for some time, as it was now more of a grey. He had fat forearms and stubby fingers, which he knotted together after resting his elbows on the table. He had undone his top button and slid his royal blue tie down, the Windsor knot now hanging just above his sternum.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, he let out an exasperated sigh and tugged at his collar with his finger, his short, receding hair almost glistened with sweat, a bead found its way down his round face and onto his thick neck.

There was no air conditioning system.

The only refreshment a cool breeze that managed to find its way under the door, but it could hardly be felt.

He withdrew a cigar from his shirt pocket and stared at it longingly; a dark stubble was breaking through the five o'clock shadow on his face, he scratched it.

He rolled his eyes up to look at her.

She hadn't said anything in the forty-five minutes she'd been there; they had blindfolded her, brought her here, put her in the chair, handcuffed her to it, and taken off the blindfold to the blinding spotlight.

She hadn't so much as flinched.

Her white suit and gloves the brightest things in the room, she had sat there, gazing around the room as if he was speaking in a language she didn't understand.

Her features were sharp - like a knife.

Her eyes could cut any man down. They were truly vibrant, almost alive; they lit the room more than the spotlight.

'I'll put it this way,' he said.

He reached into his trouser pocket and took out a silver lighter, put the cigar between his corpulent lips, flicked the top with a jerk of his thumb, ran his thumb along it, making a deep orange flame jump to life, he lit his cigar, closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Slowly he breathed the thick smoke into the air, reducing visibility that little bit more; now, through the smoke, she was but an enigma.

'No-one knows you're here,' he spoke with an attempt to mask his face with a falsley smug air.

She stopped staring into the emptiness, and slowly pivoted her head with a purpose, and looked him in the eyes; she was so stunning, she could have killed him with a batter of her lashes.

'My master knows where I am,' she had a burning passion in her voice.

His eyes lit up.

The light soon left them when she nonchalantly looked away, he was becoming tired.

'What is he? Omniscient?' he snapped, taking a harsh puff of his cigar.

Her eyes were on him in a flash, 'Blasphemer!' she screamed. Her eyes were fire. Her suit was glowing. She was fury. 'Only He is omniscient! You will pay for your blasphemy!'

A loud crack resounded in the room as she stood up, the handcuffs broken, falling to the floor with a sharp clatter. She stood up and broke them all in one motion. Her arms surged with a pure ruby red, she pointed her palms to his chest; he did nothing, too awestruck to move. A giant pulse of the same colour surged from her hands, sending the man flying against the wall with a deep thud that shook it.

The light had been blown.

Hurried footsteps could be heard outside the door, a lightswitch and a light under the door.

They burst in - but she was already gone.