It was a dark October night. A cold wind swept through the town, leaves blew through the air and the tree branches shook as if the trees themselves had been brought to life.
Robert walked quickly down an old, uneven sidewalk. His long coat blew in the wind as he hurried along. Roberts route, destination and habits that day were all very typical but there was something strange carried on the wind that night, something unsettling.
Robert’s shoes clicked against the stone as he walked, the streets were empty and no other noise could be heard. The flames in the street lamps flickered and swayed as the wind crept through the gaps in the glass. The light from the street lamps held back the encroaching darkness of night and provided Robert of gentle comfort and gentle comfort would be the only boon he received that night.
As the night went on Robert grew increasingly uneasy and in his nervous stride he tripped over something protruding from the ground. He clambered along the stone walkway for a moment then stood up right. He turned to look at what had tripped him and discovered it was a fallen tree branch. This would have been the end of the investigation but Robert then spotted a shining metal object attached to the fallen branch. He reached down and plucked it free.
The metal object was a large door key which had been stuck around the branch. Robert stared at the key in bewilderment as he held it up to inspect it. He glanced around to see if anyone was around, perhaps out looking for a lost key, but the street was empty.
Robert pocketed the key and continued to move along his path. As he walked a cold gust of wind picked up and knocked his hat off the top of his head. The hat bounced off the road and rolled along as if the wind was carrying it away. It was at that moment that Robert looked up and saw his path split. One path would keep him going towards his destination and closer into the heart of the town, the other path was where his hat went, carried off by the wind. Robert decided to go after his hat, then would double back and return to his correct path.
The hat continued to roll away as Robert walked briskly after it. He walked down the road and was almost able to catch his hat several times. The hat would stop and settle, then just as Robert was close the wind would pick up and carry the hat further down the road. This was all so frustrating that Robert didn’t realize that the street lamps had become dimmer and the houses and building were more sparse.
Robert walked himself to one of the outskirts of the town, a section he was completely unfamiliar with. The last house in town was behind him and before him lay an open field dotted with bare, leafless trees with branches that swayed in the wind. The trees moved forward then back as if they were reaching for Robert. A field of trees all trying to uproot themselves just to snatch him up.
Robert glanced over the area and spotted his hat stuck to a jagged tree branch. The wind blew and the trees moved, each breeze was like a breath and each sway of the trees was a reach closer. Robert moved closer to the trees, slowly he walked as he kept a nervous eye on his surroundings.
Finally he was close enough to take his hat, he reached out.
“Don’t take your eyes off that tree”
Robert heard a voice and was so startled that he snapped his hand back and stumbled backwards. He looked for the source of the voice but no one could be seen. It was an empty field in the dark of night and his hat still blewin the breeze as it was stuck to the jagged tree branch.
Robert was about to reach for his hat again but thought better of it. It had dawned on him that he chased his hat to the outside of town and was now alone in the dark. He wasn’t one to entertain idle fantasy but the fear of wild animals and dangerous criminals coming out at night was a real concern of his.
Robert gave one last look at his hat and as he did the branch moved forward as if the tree was offering the hat, daring Robert to take it. Robert knew it was just a trick of the light and the strong winds of night and nothing more.
Robert began walking back into town. He hurried along in an attempt to make up for lost time. As he walked he noticed that his hand had been fiddling with the large door key that was in his pocket. The key was maybe two inches long and made of brass. It was a simple design and other than its size was ordinary but still Robert couldn’t leave it alone.
Once Robert entered town he used the light from the nearest lampost to look at the key for further detail. The key had an engraving that read “H.R. Rumsfred”. Robert knew right away who this was. Mr. Rumsfred had been missing for over a year and his picture had been posted on the town hall message board. Robert felt more unsettled as he realized he was holding the key of someone presumed dead.
“Don’t follow that path. Just go home”
The voice was faint like a whisper on the wind. Robert wasn’t sure if he was hearing things and seeing things or if something unnatural was happening all around him. He looked up the road. The road was lined with leafless trees that swayed and creaked in the wind. On most days, the neighborhood and the trees were a welcome sight, but that night all Robert felt was danger and dread.
Robert turned around and began to head back to his home. The uneven sidewalk almost tripped him several times as his steps began to hasten. The wind blew and the trees swayed. Each tree branch appeared to reach forward. “Join us. Join us” whispered a chorus of strained voices. These voices were new, numerous and threatening.
“Just hurry home”
The voice of warning was warm and concerned. Robert heard these different voices every time the wind blew. If Robert had ever met Mr. Rumsfred then he would recognize the voice on the wind telling him to go home.
Robert rushed down his street, his hastened walking turned into a sprint as the wind blew and the trees cried out. The wind grew louder and louder. Light flashed and blinded Robert for a moment. “Get out of the road, jerk!” shouted the motorist. Robert’s panic dissipated as he realized he had been running along the middle of the road. The car drove around Robert and continued down the road.
The voices stopped, Robert’s pace slowed. He arrived back at his house some time later. He went inside, closed the door and took a breath. He felt anxious from his experience but kept telling himself that it was all his imagination. He made a phone call telling his friends he would not be able to attend the festivities that night. He made some decaffeinated coffee, drank it black with sugar and started to get ready for bed.
The whole experience was troubling but Robert’s mind was clear and calm when the morning came. He shook off the events of the previous night and told himself that it was all in his head. He gave Mr. Rumsfred’s key to the police and told them where he found it. Then he continued on with his day.
Rober slowly convinced himself that there was no danger and the stress of the day had gotten to him. Yet he would never again return to that field where he lost his hat.
In the field, on the outskirts of town was a tree. On the large, old tree was Roberts hat, it was hooked onto a branch as if being grasped tightly. At the base of that same old tree, under the roots and several inches underground laid the body of H.R.Rumsfred.
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