I SEARCH THE NIGHT By Ethan Gray I step through the night, darkness draped about me like a cloak. The night and I are old lovers who have shared much of our lives together and long ago given up the pretense of coyness. I step through the night in search of her. I have seen her only once in a dream and it was so long ago but I will know her when I find her. I search the night for I know she is out there and I will find her, I will find her tonight, for tonight she waits for me. I walk the streets, a cold mist seems to cling to the air and blunts the illumination of the streetlights giving the world a fuzzy haze. As I walk a hear a soft gasp and then a nearly silent scream. I find the alley and with soft and quite footsteps I quickly move deeper into the shadows following the sounds. I see a woman, but it is not her, two men are standing over her as she lays on the ground. The woman is filled with fear and a sense of triumph glints on the faces of the men. I confront them, the two men turn to face me. I can now smell the fear that clings to them. I see the sweet on their faces, they are ruled by hate and fear. “Get him!” the smaller of the thugs encourages his friend. Knife in hand he come towards me, I can see the fear in his eyes, the hates for all things. He charges towards me. I grab his wrist and pull throwing him off balance, at the same time I bring my elbow down on his arm. I can hear the dry brittle crack of a breaking stick as the bone in his arm cracks and then breaks. It is then followed by the sound of a wet crunch and the smell of blood fills the air as the palm of my hand smashes the cartilage of his nose. Laying on the ground thoughts of fighting flee his head like rats from a sinking ship. His friend draws his gun and starts to point it in my direction. Mistake, he is to close and has no chance to get a shot at me before I have closed the distance between us. My hand is around his wrist. I punch and he receives a fist full of brass knuckles in his face. The smell of blood and vomit fill the air as he falls to the ground. Down on his hands and knees he is spitting out broken teeth between the retching of his stomach. I check on the woman. She is shaken but otherwise not badly hurt. “A police car is one block to the north of here. Go there and tell them that these two will be waiting for them when they get here.” She is up and running. I watch, she is headed in the right direction, but I wonder if she will really go to the police or just keep running. I remove two plastic strips from my coat and tie the thugs to a nearby garbage dumpster. “You two need to find a new lifestyle,” I advise them as I step back into the night. I am back on the street, this was but a brief interlude from my search. Interludes such as this seem to fill my nights. She is out there somewhere I know it, I can feel her and she is waiting for me. I will find her before the night is over, the years of searching will come to an end this night, I know it will. I hear a cry. A child is crying in the night. I search and find her in a dumpster, she has been thrown away. Could she be any more than a few days old? I pick her up and speak to her quietly. I tell her not to worry and that I’ll take her to a safe place. Safe Harbor is nearby a place for lost women and abandoned children. I give her to Marie who promises she will take care of her. She wants me to stop and rest for a while, but I can not. I bid the baby good-bye and return to the night. Down a long forgotten alley I find them. Three lost souls of the night, gang members, selling poison. A deal is going down where witnesses to their dark deeds are not welcome or wanted. “Kill him!” one of the three barks and the other two rush towards me. I have to move quick so I charge. They are surprised as I run past them and stop. They are caught off guard. As they turn a soft wet thud fills the air as my ASP connects with one of the thugs heads and he falls to the ground. A quick twist and his friend follows him to the ground. The remaining thug fires his pistol, but fear and haste take their toll and throws his shot off. It was his one chance and he blows it. I close the distance even as the bullet flies harmlessly by and he follows his friend to the ground. I leave in the hands of the night. Once more I am back on the street. As I pass by several clubs I see her! She stops and looks at me. I can see the recognition in her eyes. She knows me and smiles. I reach for her my quest is done. For now I know as we reach for each other she is my light. Then, there is a cry in the night. I pause, I hesitate, then I turn from her. I turn from the light and step once more back into the darkness and the caress of the night.