Concerning A Murder

Chapter Four: The Moon and the Lake

Mort shut the door behind the two of them, smiling all the while at the afternoon sun. He turned and put a hand on Alex's shoulder.

"What made you change your mind, kid?"

Alex shrugged and let out a sigh. "I wanted to ask you a couple questions…"

"Questions? Those are always fun." Mort let out a chuckle and picked up his walking stick from its normal spot next to the door. "Ask away. I'll answer nearly all of your questions."

Alex gulped quietly and watched Mort as he led the way down the steps and along a path leading toward the lake. He followed slowly, thinking about how he'd word his questions without making himself seem too concerned with other people's lives, as well as trying to keep Mort from asking him questions about himself.

"Okay, my first question… Why do you live in a cabin in the woods all alone?"

Mort turned and looked sideways at his companion, reaching out a hand and draping his arm lightly over the boy's shoulders. "Just stop. Stand here and take a look out into the wonder that is this lake."

They were, in fact, right in front of the lake at that moment, staring over it at the setting sun. The sky was tinged with about seven different shades of pink, with the sun hanging about halfway below the sky. The lake shimmered with a golden-pink reflection of the sun and sky. It really was the most beautiful thing Alex had ever seen.

"This…" Mort closed his eyes with a slight sigh. "This is why I live out here. Away from the hustle and bustle of the world. I live here because I am an artist of sorts, and this is the perfect landscape for an artist. I may not work with an easel and paints, but it doesn't matter. An artist is anyone who expresses their feelings through the means of art, and literature… is an art."

Mort let Alex go then and continued to walk, silently following the edge of the lake until it slipped away into the woods. He stopped here, on the edge of the forest, staring at Alex with a questioning glint in his eyes.

In fact, Alex had not left his spot. He hadn't expected such a passion from a hermit like this man. He'd expected him to say something simple, like he didn't like people or he didn't want to get bombarded by fans all the time. This man had said nothing of the sort. He'd said that it was for the art. And that look in his eyes when he'd said it. He meant it.

"Next question?" Alex looked up to see Mort staring at him.

"What?" Alex muttered, in slight confusion.

"I asked about your next question…" Mort chuckled and tilted his head to the side, watching Alex as he caught up.

"Okay. Next question." Alex racked his brain, thinking about what he'd say next. "How about… What was your wife like?"

Mort turned away, beginning to walk away from Alex. A lingering silence fell between the two and Alex began to wonder if he'd offended the author. They passed several wide clearings in perfect silence. About four clearings into the woods, Mort stopped and sat down on a stump, turning to face Alex. Squinting in the growing darkness.

"I forgot a flashlight," Mort sighed as he realized the importance of what he was saying. "When we decided to walk… What time was it?"

"About three in the afternoon." Alex sat on a stump across the clearing from Mort, looking about in a state of growing nervousness.

Mort nodded and laughed a bit. "Three was when we decided… Then, I got a phone call. That was a long bit of time. I don't think we got out of the house until about… five. Maybe five-thirty."

Indeed it was about five-thirty when the two had left, Mort having been stopped by a mysterious phone call from his latest editor. The conversation had lasted a good hour and a half as Mort had stumbled about the house searching for the information the editor had needed. Then, the two had sat in silence in the living room for a while before Alex had looked up and asked if they still would walk. Mort had nodded and responded with a yes, they were.

Alex sighed. "It's too dark already."

"I know," Mort's voice sounded strained from across the clearing. Alex couldn't see the other anymore. The moon, full tonight, was hidden behind dark storm clouds. "I'm a little worried about that."

Another short silence filled the space between the two.

"My wife…" Mort's voice sounded quiet, calm, sad. "Her name was Amy. I loved her so much. She was everything to me. She made me laugh when she was around. She made me cry when she was gone. We were perfect for each other… So I thought. I guess the life of an author isn't always perfect. She left me for another man. She said that I was… never there anymore. That I was lost in the stories I wrote. She wanted a man that was there. So she went to Ted.

"We were going through some rough times. Amy and Ted kept trying to get me to sign the divorce papers and I was trying to get the rest of my stuff out of the house we shared. The house got burnt down. Ted and I had a few violent arguments. Then, Amy died. I-I-I don't know how. She was dead. One-one day… she was just dead. Ted moved away and I haven't heard from him for several years."

The silence fell again, heavier this time than any other that night. The clouds above them began to shift away from the moon. Alex could see once again, and when he looked up toward Mort, he wasn't there.

Alex stood, shaking, looking around for Mort.

"Hey! Mort!" He turned around quickly, searching franticly. The man had just been there. Where was he now? "Mort? MORT?"

"Alex? You okay?" Mort stood over Alex as the other lie on the couch. Alex opened his eyes and stared up at Mort.

"What the hell?" Alex sat up straight, falling back against the arm of the couch as the whole room swam before his eyes.

"Easy there, Tiger," Mort let out a small chuckle and placed a cold, wet cloth over Alex's eyes. "Leave that there for now. You tripped, Alex. Out in the woods last night. I'd gotten up, because my eyes had adjusted to the dark. I was about right next to you when you jumped up and hollered for me. Sorry I scared you like that. You turned sharp and tripped over a root. I tried to catch you, but my reflexes were too slow. You hit your head on the stump."

Alex nodded slowly, understanding. "Oh. Okay. That's okay."

"Yeah," Mort laughed again. "I think you'll be fine. Just a small scratch. Try not to move too quickly or anything. You could aggravate your condition."

Alex nodded slowly once more, pressing his hand to the cloth at his eyes, making little bursts of light go off behind his eyelids. "Can I sleep more?"

"You don't want to ask anymore questions?" Mort sat carefully on the chair near Alex's head.

"No," was Alex's only reply.

Mort nodded and watched Alex fall back against the couch. "Maybe later then?"

"Yeah, later."

TBC

That is an interesting turn of events. I'll tell you something. Every chapter is as new to me as it is to you. I write it maybe a day before you see it. So, let me know how it's going. I'd love to know. Good and mean reviews welcome, though mean ones may make me cry… J/K. Hope you enjoyed.