Dark Thorn - Grim Oak Press

S HAWN S PEAKMAN
them, no doorway he could discern. Nothing presented itself.
The knight was about to investigate when movement stopped
him. Two police officers walked out of an alleyway farther down
from where Bran had vanished. They were young men, new to the
force, Richard wagered, placed on night shift in one of the darkest
parts of Seattle. They spoke in hushed tones as they passed where
Bran had been and beyond where Richard hid, laughing at some
shared joke before entering the next block.
After the cops had strolled on, Bran reappeared as if by magic
and traveled on.
Richard frowned, curious, and approached the spot where the
boy had disappeared. A gap not a foot wide separated the two
buildings, a tiny enough space for Bran to hide from the police.
Smart lad, Richard thought.
The knight followed anew, knowing to be more careful. Richard
had never seen Bran in Seattle but the boy knew the Bricks
well. Bran had to have come from the derelict and disenfranchised
part of a different city.
The Bricks changed, became darker, the distance between
the street lamps increasing even as the buildings fell into greater
disrepair. Richard kept alert. Pioneer Square could hide any number
of evils and become a dangerous wild creature if one was not
careful once the sun had gone down. Bran did not seem to mind
the change, never deviating from his direct path, and he crossed
into an empty parking lot where two buildings joined to form a
bordering ell.
An orange light glowed ahead, fighting against the night.
Richard slowed and angled to get a better view. At the base
where the two buildings met, a small fire flickered lowly. Specters
in ragged clothing huddled around it, unmoving, stealing the
flaming light and its warmth. The scene was muted like a cemetery
in winter.
Bran walked straight toward the group.
Richard hung back.
The boy approached without hesitancy. He was only a few feet
from them before a gaunt man turned, the hint of a downtrodden
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