Prologue
He knew it wasn't right to be outside this late. He knew that his sister wouldn't be pleased if she found out he'd been out of bed and walking hand-in-hand with the strange man this late at night. The new moon lit their way as the strange man led him through the winding paths of the forest, keeping a tight grip of his hand. He felt the cold night breeze whip up under his pyjamas and raise the flesh on his little legs; he shuddered against the cold and drew himself closer to the strange man. The strange man seemed to notice this and chuckled slightly under his breath, the breath that escaped his mouth making a little cloud of white that floated off into the dark sky. They came to an abrupt stop, he looked up at the strange man but he couldn't make out his face, it was too dark. He looked down at his toes, squelching nervously in the mud and hoped to continue moving quickly. He truly could not see anything now, the trees obstructed his vision and he began to feel scared. His hands were trembling as the strange man dropped his contact with him and stood to face him, his small round face lighting up with a smile. He knew that the smile was meant to comfort him but it made him feel worse. He tried his hardest to fight back the tears that were forming in his eyes. He wished he'd ignored the strange man and stayed tucked up in bed.
"Now," said the strange man, kneeling down on the muddy forest floor. His face inches from the young boys. "You've been a very good boy, haven't you? The strange man raised his eyebrows expectantly. He could only manage a nod in response, while the strange man placed his hands on child's shoulders. "You've done exactly what I've asked you?"
Another small nod.
"And you remember what I've asked you to do next?"
Nod.
"Good," the strange man patted him on the head. He instinctively flinched away from him, earning another chuckle from the strange man.
"I'm going to give you something now," the strange man reached for his suit jacket pocket, and produced a slip of paper. He could hear it rustling against the fabric of his jacket and then of the man's gloves. He shook violently with fear now. He was terribly cold and afraid to open his mouth just in case the terrified sob that was building in his chest broke out and pierced the tranquil of the forest.
"It's a note" the strange man began, taking his hand and placing the paper in it. "It says something very important that you're not to forget. Do you understand?" he stood rooted to the spot, petrified to move. "Do you understand?" the strange man pressed, a little edge to his otherwise soothing, gentle voice. He noticed the subtle change immediately and nodded again, he hoped that the strange man could see his response.
"Good," he said again. "When you do what I've told you to do, you will have this note on you. Do you-"
"I understand" he squeaked out, interrupting the strange man. His voice raspy and sounding foreign in the empty yet claustrophobic space of the forest. He could sense the strange man smile which caused his skin to crawl.
"Excellent," the strange man produced a lighter from his jacket pocket and lit it, illuminating the space between them. He could see the strange man's features well now. The prickles of hair around his mouth, his tender brown eyes. He flashed him a smile and raised his eyebrows again and opened his mouth to speak. "Because it's most imperative that that note be found,"
"Why?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. He fingered the note that sat in his open palm and waited for permission to open it. The strange man nodded his consent and watched as the note was opened.
He read the note once and flipped it over and searched for anything else. It didn't make sense, it was just a name. "John Watson?" his voice quivered as the strange man moved his face closer to him and in that sweet Irish lilt repeated the name.
"John Watson."