Fog.

Author's note: This is my short story response to the second part of Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde. I tried to capture the repetition of face the author uses and the underlying mystery affect seen in "fog".

Moisture rolled silently down the panes of the window. The dense air crept through the cracks of the wood, making its way to my nostrils. The thick, suffocation only lasted seconds and passed on. The cycle repeated as I sat rocking. I stared blankly at the walls of the room, my seclusion hidden to the outer realms of the house. My arms lay motionless against the chipped wood of the chair. A light blinked unsteadily in the middle of the room, lighting up the corner and leaving it dark again—over and over. The lids of my eyes fluttered and my gaze switched to the window. Light poked through the deep mist. I stood up slowly, with quivering hands I grabbed hold of the cane leaning against the cold, cement wall.

I wandered to the window. My eyes squinted in an effort to see through the hazy screen that lay between me and the street. The fog corrupted my vision with a stirring emotion. I brushed the window with my fingertips and peered through the small sight I had created. A figure stood tall in the street. Lying beneath it: a dark, morbid shadow. The moon’s luminous glow deflected from a stream of red. The stream curled and bent through the valleys of the cobblestone street. I rose to the tips of my toes and stretched my neck to see the face of the hollow, gaunt victim. A face of innocence and purity shown through the night. The tall figure remained, staring down upon it with disgust. The scene lay clearer and clearer as the fog lifted and hung just below the tall man’s nose. A force beyond my control caused a smile to flood my face. The darkest depths of my soul screamed for more; my eyes glued to the deathly, oppressed silhouette. Curiosity drove my dark wander, and suddenly the fog returned and the haze flushed my nostrils once more. I ruminated in the vision I'd just seen, crawling deeper and deeper into it. I let my body fall to the chill of the floor, my knees curl to my chest and a sinister grin resided upon my face. And I shut my eyes.