Take a Chance

“You shouldn’t have heard that.”

He was fidgety and nervous, glancing at the young man sideways like some bird ready to take flight. Between his fingers danced a small gold coin as if it were a mere trick of the light. Most of his other features were hidden behind his large hat and coat — buried in darkness within darkness between towering buildings blocking out the streetlights.

By some stroke of misfortune, Sam heard the stranger’s muttering and decided to investigate. He cursed himself now for his curiosity and planted his back firmly against the cool brick wall that the stranger cornered him on.

“Heard what? Just…just heard you mumbling. Nothing else.”

“Mumbles! Mumbles he says,” the bird-like stranger whispered, almost a hiss, as he drew low and nearer Sam. “You shouldn’t have heard even mumbles.”

Sam dared to glance to his right, deeper in the alley, at the unmistakable shape of some poor soul unmoving on the cold concrete and pulled halfway behind a dumpster. He hesitantly shook his head.

“Heard nothin’, saw nothin’, we’re cool. Just let me squeeze by you…”

Sam inched to his left and his heart nearly stopped when, with a faint hiss, the strange bird-man took a large step right to block his path. He was being herded deeper into the alley. His fingers groped along the wall while he slowly moved away from the…creature? He still wasn’t sure what he was, but he knew it was dangerous. For a moment Sam had to marvel at how fluidly he moved from one mood to the next — nervous, anger, and now to curiosity.

“Coooool,” it crooned out. “Are we? Uncertain. You weren’t meant to hear but you did. How did you? All our shadows to drown out the noise, useless!”

“What kind of game are you playing?!”

“We like games,” Bird said. His head perked up and his posture moved to unmistakable excitement. He offered the hand with the coin, still dancing along its knuckles, forward to Sam. “Do you?”

Sam’s heart skipped a beat. He still wasn’t sure but now he had hope — hope that there was a way out of this trap. His voice was soft, hesitant, but Bird waited patiently for Sam to find his words.

“If I play…will you let me go?”

“No…but if you win, you can.” Bird offered the coin forward once more and Sam stared at it in silence for several long seconds. He didn’t know what game the stranger wanted, or what rules to expect, and knew that meant the odds weren’t in his favor. But it also meant he had odds at all and so with a trembling hand, he reached for the coin.

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