The Job

Two

Dominic left the car behind him as he walked in the direction that the man in the suit had pointed to. He looked to the sky as leaves fell from the trees wrenched free by the cold October wind. The car carrying its unusual occupants pulled away from the curb and started down the street.

Dominic paused for a moment staring at the bloated moon that was above and than back towards the houses that were in front of him now. His eyes counted at least four possible locations in a dead end that could possible hold the book he was looking for.

He reached into his pocket and grabbed yet another cigarette.

His late wife hadn't been a fan of his newfound vice while she was still alive. To be honest he had taken up smoking in the hopes that somehow, some way, these purveyors of lung disease and cancer might quell the feelings of apathy that had been slowly building inside him.

But no, that had not been the case at all.

Now, he was igniting the cigarette once again with a gentle flick of his wrist. But, this time he was moving his other hand and willing the carcinogens he blew out to show him the house he needed to find. The smoke swirled in the moonlight, twirling leaves like a dance partner and cutting through the wind, not once dissipating or straying from its target.

"C'mon," he said pointing forward.
"Which one?" He asked as the smoke circled his head and than shot out towards the homes.
The cat that been chasing the can jumped to try and swat the tendrils of smoke away. It looped around the cat's frame once, than twice, toying with the cat for a moment.

Dominic forcibly sent it on its way.

"No time." He said.
The cat, seeing Dominic coming closer, darted away from him. It took a moment to hiss it's displeasure at how close Dominic had been before it disappeared down the street.
The tendril of smoke finally stopped just shy of the front door of the home that he was now standing in front of.

It was a modest home. Nothing picturesque. There were well manicured bushes in front of windows and pots holding flowers on the porch. Window clings of pumpkins, ghosts, and tombstones peppered the window to what Dominic assumed was the living room.

But there was something else.

On the sidewalk, stretching the length of the front of the home were chalk drawings. There were brightly colored puppies, cats playing with what looked like mice, little girls with fairy wings and magic wands.

There were also glyphs.

Scribbled frantically on the concrete of this sidewalk mixed in casually with the other drawings. Glyphs that represented the Esoteric Order of Dagon.

Dominic smiled.