It's Still Life

At an Intersection Named After an English King and a Saint
Six Sentence Story: Part 37

A Familiar Signature

Pierre drifts from the shadows of his room, rubs the flood of kitchen light from his eyes, and blinks ghostly spots away whilst biting into the fish finger sandwich meant for my grandmother – Hanzō gasps … Nick sits quietly studying a man who’s been through a Gate and back … Pierre swallows, and smiles, “Baise-moi!” …and then he finishes my beer.

I’m mimicking Oliver Twist’s pleading expression (‘Please, sir, I want some more,’) in Hanzō’s direction, but Nick preempts him with a stretch of his legs and a walk, taking the most meanderingly circuitous route to the fridge to fetch beers for everyone as he says,

“… that’s so fucking amazing, Hanzō, because Kaminogō’s tunnels are a shitload maze of traps!” and Hanzō nods, “Suffocatingly so – Kaminogō castle is a dark labyrinth-web of damp stone passageways, thick air stale with the scent of old iron, and shadows that bonded to us like hungry ghosts …” he pauses so as to not stumble headlong on the memory.

“Invisible tripwires stretched across the ground,” Hanzō continues, “and my dearest friend, Fujibayashi Nagato, fell victim to them; he triggered one of the wires that was connected to small bells hidden in alcoves and walls, and they rang out, a tinkling echo on echo – each different note speaking to our enemy of Nagato’s exact location in the tunnel … and the enemy launched a barrage on him, arrows flew from holes in the walls and ceiling, and pierced through him. But I couldn’t stop – I hurried on because I am Hanzō; I am samurai; I am a quiet disruption for my lord Tokugawa Ieyasu.”

Pierre gasps and can only manage a whisper, “… no Hanzō, death came to your friend, too …” and the fog from his own ghosts lifts, and the magic between us finds my hand in his … we are warmed by the essence of what brings humanity and forgiveness to ones heart through a single touch.

And Nick sits quietly, watching us, his cigar smoke inscribing the air with what seems like a familiar signature … and he turns to Hanzō and says, “Please continue, my brother…”

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Words: 419, Reading Time: less than 2 minutes. Written for Denise’s Six Sentence Story including the word “Bond”.  Some artwork is created using Midjourney AI, and is identified as such in the ALT text or captioned. Images are copyright and not to used without permission, which I willingly give when asked, and when not for commercial use. Imagery and poems/prose ©Misky 2006-2024.