Ashes to Ashes and Dust to Dust

T he street lamp flickered in the night as the trees were run through with the horrific screams of the wind. A homeless man sought shelter from the fresh bout of snow chunks riding the malicious gusts. There was someone watching the lone man, who was lumbering up a deserted alley. There were a few rodents that scurried about but were not heard above the thrashing of the incoming blizzard. The dark seemed to follow the stranger as he stepped in the old man's footprints, quickly gaining. The old man didn't even have time to turn around and when he realized what was happening, and, just like the rodents' scurryings, his screams were smothered. “A shlyn, you're going to be late!" I nearly banged my head as the shrieking voice reached my room. I braved a look at my alarm clock. "Shit," I muttered as I scrambled up and threw some clothes on. Thankfully I had enough sense to pick my clothes out the night before, not that it would make much of a dent