A man walks down the empty Street of Cunning Artificers in Ankh-Morpork. In any other mystery fiction, it would have been an innocent man, going on about his innocent business. He would probably even be married; perhaps he would even have a few kids. But this is Ankh-Morpork and there is nothing like the 'innocent man' or 'innocent business'.
The street is murky from decomposed autumn-leaves and his step makes a sloshing sound as he hurries down the street. It is midnight and the moon is as ghostly gallon on the black draped sky. He knows, of course, that he should never walk alone, outside, in the dark, specially in this city, were misfortune happened to those who dared to define the laws of logic, or any other law for that matter.
However, he figured, that if someone was going to smash his scull in, it could just as well happen in the middle of the day in a crowded mob. It probably would happen in the middle of, the day in a mob, so what did he have to loose.
This night, just his life.
He rounds a corner and stops, the street ahead of him is empty, and the glow from the few lampposts cuts through the darkness. From his left, there is a strange gurgling sound, almost like growling. He hesitates and casts a quick glance in the direction of the noise. There is nothing there but a dark alley, but then again dark alleys never contributed to anything good.
"I have paid the guild, you know," he says, hoping the sound of his voice will frighten whoever is growling, or calm his nerves.
Suddenly he feels a chilly wind creep up his back, and he swear he can feel an icy hand on his shoulders, he turns around and sees two glowing dots in the air, almost like eyes. He shakes his head and the image and feeling of dread disappears, and for a moment he wonders if they were ever there.
"Stop scarin' your self" he mutters and is about to continue his journey home, when something suddenly jumps towards him from the darkness.
It happens so fast; he does not even have time to notices that it happens. One moment he is standing, in the next, his breath gets knocked out of him and the road greets him as he slams down on the wet ground.
For a moment he is still, staring up at the round moon, then he slowly stumbles to his feet and dusts some dirt off his coat. He hears the sound of somebody running and he lifts his fist in its direction and yells.
"And…..stay away from me, you hear!" then there is a moment of total silence.
"That was unpleasant," he says and is about to continue walking when the chilly wind suddenly enfolds him again and a voice speaks to him from inside his head.
The voice thumps like, heavy iron doors closing in a very dark dungeon, and it echoes through his scull.
"MR. CARTER"
"Oh, it's you" he did not even try to hide the disappointment in his voice. "Guess…that thing killed me then, just my luck" Mr. Carter mutters, and for the first time noticed his body lying on the soggy pavement.
Well, somewhere in the gory pulp of flesh and blood.
"It couldn't have happened a little less messy? Maybe, even a little bit 'eroic? You know, I could 'ave saved some little old lady from getting a flowerpot in her 'ead or something?" he asks the tall, dark clad figure standing in the road.
"NOBODY GETS TO CHOOSE, I AM AFRAID." the figure answers dully, and Mr. Carter nods slowly, understanding. His spirit blurs and starts to slowly disappear.
"Yeah, I guess…. but…what was that thing?" he says gesturing to the remains of his body.
"DOES IT MATTER" he asks. He could never understand why humans wanted to know what, or who killed them.
"Er….I guess not" Mr. Carter says and then he vanished.
It starts to rain, a heavy rain that drenches everything and everyone within minutes. It was not typical autumn rain, but just rain, typical for Ankh-Morpork.
It drums profoundly on the roofs and splashes off the road. The water mixes it self with Mr. Carter's blood and carries it down the street until it vanishes in the sewer or the river (not that there was any difference).
The moon starts to cloak it self in the dark clouds that drifts slowly over the sky.
In the distance, there is a howl.
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