An Encounter Under the Lamppost
The lamppost stood tall and straight in the evening shadows. There was a little rust around its base, and its light had dimmed with age, but it was still the same beautiful lamppost it had been all those years ago when oil lamps first lined the city streets. Those were the days before kerosene when whale oil was still popular and the whales were not extinct. The lamp had been converted to burn kerosene, but even that was becoming rare as the wasteful age of fossil-fuel energy was finally stalling out.
Preserved by city decree, the lamp stood as a testimonial to forgotten years when men wore tall hats and women wore elegant dresses and exchanged smiles of goodwill and gestures of kindness. Those were the days when a handshake still sealed a deal and men honoured their word. All that had changed now. Smiles were tightlipped mockeries of the original thing. People hid behind deceptions, insinuations, lies, and half-truths, shaking hands as a leftover formality from bygone years.
Zachariah felt like the lamppost. He did not fit in with the bustle and hustle of the modern world. He did not understand computer games and car racing games. Instead, he learned to whittle wood. Sometimes he thought he had inherited more than just his great grandfather’s name. Sometimes he thought his great grandfather was in him, a part of him, guiding his hands as he cut and carved until the soul of the wood was set free in beautiful ornate carvings.
It was late evening. The harsh light of day had been replaced by the soft glow of the city lamps. Zachariah sat with his back pressed against the lamppost eyeing his last carving. It was a bear. The proportions looked all right, although it was hard to tell for sure. He used pictures to guide his carving. Somewhere behind him, he heard the sound of footsteps cracking on the old, cobblestone courtyard. Time to go, he supposed, tucking his whittle knife in his pocket.
“Where do you think he got to?” a harsh, guttural voice whispered. Zachariah froze.
“He’ll be here,” a second voice said.
“But he’s late.”
“Shhh,” the second voice hissed. “People will hear you.”
“There’s no one here,” the first voice complained.
“Shhh,” the second voice hissed again. “Your impatience will be your downfall. Remember, you are here to observe only.”
‘I know, I know,” the first voice whined, “I stay hidden in the shadows. I don’t say a word. You do all the transactions.”
“Good. Now get back. I hear someone coming.”
There was a shuffling of feet as the hoarse-voiced man shifted back a few paces. Just as Zachariah was contemplating whether to run or stay, the thick crunching steps of a third person came out of the shadows.
“Have you got the item?” a sinister voice asked. There was a rustling sound of an object exchanging hands. “The scroll?” the voice asked.
“Yes.”
“Good. You know what to do next?”
“Yes.” The scuffling feet moved off back down the alley.
“What do we do next?” the rough young voice asked, staring after the departing shadow.
“We kill the king,” the older voice said with a sigh.
“What? That wasn’t part of the deal. You never said anything about killing anyone.”
“Do you want to save your sister?”
“Of course but –”
“Then you must accept the consequences of the deal.”
“But . . .”
“Either you are a man and you will go through with this or you are still a sniffling boy from the back alleys of Tyr. Which is it? Decide now.” There was a harsh edge in the second voice, an edge that showed neither weakness nor sympathy. Zachariah found himself drawn to the voice. Bit by bit, he eased his body around until his chest was pressed against the lamppost. He poked his head out just far enough to see two burly shapes dressed in black.
“Ho, who are you? Who’s that?” the smaller figure said, pointing.
Activity
This story is very mysterious. Many details are left out, and the situation is unclear. You are to choose one of the two following creative writing activities:
1. Rewrite this story from the perspective of the two mysterious figures. Take the information from the story and make up a situation that would have caused them to come to this meeting under the lamppost.
2. Write an ending to this story that explains the situation from Zachariah’s perspective.
Your story should be 1 to 1 ½ pages, double spaced, typed if you have a computer available to you, or neatly written if not. Remember the elements of short stories (plot diagram) and make sure that your story follows this structure.
