A MAZE OF GREED

"Eighty seven, eighty eight, eighty...."

Mr Payne was engrossed in counting the logs of wood. He had to be sure of the number. This particular kind of wood was very expensive, and the factory had to pay a hefty amount for getting this from the seller.

Mr Payne did not want even a single log missing, and for that, he decided to stay behind even in the dark to count all the logs.

After some more time, he was done with all the counting. He smiled proudly. He had gained a week's wages as a bonus for this work, and now he could take his wife and Ruth for lunch at the 'Baker's Delight' where they were planning to go for quite some time now..

Ruth and his wife would be very happy with his surprise. He again looked above at the dark sky. He could not understand if it was the absence of light or the covering of the dark clouds that had hindered his view of stars and the moon. The natural light was near to absent.

Now that his work was done, he could get back home peacefully. He realised how late in the night it was. Ruth was at Rees's house, and that was a relief in a way. Or that girl would have come searching for him even in the woods.

Then his mind ran to his wife. His better half. His companion for decades. She had been with him through every thick and thin. They together saw hard times, enjoyed little moments, and endured the loss of their only child.

She always stood strong by his side. He loved her dearly, but she loved him more than that. She must be worried about him. He was mentally prepared to listen to her scolding for hours. He should have at least send a message to her that he would be late. But he forgot that in haste.

'I will make it upto her by buying her a rose-her favourite flower.' He thought with a smile.

The woods were strangely silent tonight. He had difficulty seeing in the dark. He walked at a slow pace, examining the path and taking careful steps.

His foot slipped a couple of times on a stone in a way. But he held onto the nearby trees and branches on time. He did not understand why tonight there was no moonlight. Why the dark clouds gathered in the sky out of nowhere?

There was no wind, no insects chirping, and no sounds of animals or owls hooting. The whole place felt lifeless.

Mr Payne cursed when he lost his balance in the dark. He could not find the branch or a tree for the support, and he fell to the ground. His hand was scraped by the stones on the ground.

He checked for any injury, but there was nothing serious. He tried to get up but found it difficult. He was tired after a busy day in the factory. Then he had to spend the whole evening receiving the order. Then he had to count all the logs. He was exhausted.

He coughed a little as his throat felt dry. He wished for some water, but how could he found water in the middle of the woods where no one lived?

He decided to rest for five minutes. He was tired and hungry. And now due to an itchy throat, he needed water. He did not move from his place and sat comfortably on the forest ground. He inhaled through his nose and exhaled through his mouth.

Beads of sweat rolled down his neck, forehead and his back. His chest heaved up and down as he breathed.

He scanned his surroundings in the dark. He could not make much of it, but there was nothing else than trees to notice. The silence of the woods was calming to his burnt nerves.

His mind wandered to the five murders that happened in the recent months in Vincardine. He wondered how could people get scared of such a beautiful place?

He was working for hours in the woods and not even for a single second he felt any danger. Humans get scared easily, he thought.

The day's fatigue washed over him, and his eyes turned heavy. The silence of the place lulled him to sleep, and he gave in the urge to close his eyes.

Moments passed slowly, and his mind started turning numb. When his brain was on the verge of shutting down, his eyes shot open by a rustling sound. Amidst the serene silence, that soft sound was hard to ignore.

Mr Payne looked around him, but the darkness did not help him. He thought it was his mind playing the tricks with him, but then he heard another sound this time.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" He called.

He waited to strain his ears to listen to the response but received none. With a confused face, he decided to stand up and start walking again. He could not spend the whole night in the woods. His wife was waiting for him at home.

He forced himself to stood up, and after a couple of tries, he succeeded. His hand was hurt, but he ignored it and started walking in the direction of the town.

He did not hear another sound for some time. Maybe it was indeed his mind playing tricks with him.

Mr Payne halted again in his track when his eyes noticed something strange. He saw a dim light to his left. It was coming from behind a large tree. It was dark with no moon then where that light came from?

It was not a torch as it was a bluish-white light. Curiosity got the best of him, and he turned to the left.

"Hello?" he called.

He kept walking when he got no response. A chill ran down his spine as he felt the sudden coldness in the air. The coldness bit his skin, tearing chunks of his confidence with every bite.

He shivered but kept walking. With a thumping heart, he carefully came to stop at the backside of the said tree. He did not see the source of that light, but he saw a figure sitting resting its back on the tree trunk.

The cold sweat broke on Mr Payne's forehead. Was it the killer? That was the first thought that crossed his mind.

Gulping down nervously, he made sure to keep a safe distance between them. The figure had not sensed his presence yet as the man had his head bowed down. His elbows rested on his knees that were folded. His head hung low in between his vertical legs.

Before the man could sense Mr Payne's presence, his eyes searched for some defence. He found a large stone nearby and a wooden stick that was enough to beat a person.

Securing the stick behind his back, Mr Payne again looked at the man, who still had not moved an inch. The fog clouded his vision, and the coldness intensified.

Mr Payne thought of leaving the man to his condition, but his heart did not agree.

Taking another breath, he took a step towards the man.

"Excuse me?" He called. But the man did not move.

"Hello, mister? Are you in a problem? What are you doing here at this time?" Mr Payne tried again.

By this time, his shirt was wet with sweat, yet every hair on his body stood up in alarm by the chilling air.

After a brief pause, the man slowly rose his head. Mr Payne watched the young man in his late twenties. His dark hair fell on his forehead. He could not see the colour of his eyes from the distance due to the fog.

But his eyes widened when he saw dirt on the man's white shirt that was torn at places. By the looks of him, he seemed to belong to a good family. Then what was he doing here in the woods in the night?

Founding more courage, Mr Payne neared him some more. With every step he took, the coldness kept rising. But that was not his priority for now.

The young man looked blankly at Mr Payne without uttering a word.

"Young man, who are you? What are you doing here?"

The man did not blink but opened his mouth to speak. "Who are you?" He asked instead of answering.

His voice was gentle, soothing, compassionate. Mr Payne had never heard someone like him before.

"My name is Mr Payne. I live in Vincadine. I will help you, do not worry." He said with a soft voice.

He was sure that the man was in some problem and he needed help. But Mr Payne had many questions in his head.

What was he doing here? Who was he? Why was he sitting here alone like that? What happened with his clothes?

But he did not want to frighten the man. So he decided to first gain his trust, and then ask all those questions.

The man looked at Mr Payne without blinking.

"You will help me?" He asked.

"Of course, I will. Just tell me your name and what is wrong with you." Mr Payne smiled assuringly.