He Left The Light On…

"The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window."

Mia was exhausted, but she had to find out if what Junie was muttering about in the bodega was even the least bit true.

She got off the train about five forty-five or so; and its stop was right under the neighborhood corner store where Mia would stop for a Pepsi & a pack of Newports on her way home from work.

On this particular evening, Mia went to open the bodega door when Junie, the neighborhood connoisseur of malted alcoholic beverages, reached around her to pull the door open. The bells fastened at the top of the door clanged half drowning out Junie’s apology.

“I’m so sorry there Ms. Mia I wasn’t fittin to startle you none, go right ahead.” Junie slurred a little this time of evening, but he ain’t mean no harm. He stepped aside so Mia enter the store.

She playfully rolled her eyes as she went inside with Junie following behind her.

“Thank you June. And I know good and darn well you wouldn’t hurt me as far back as you and I go?”

Junie smiled wide exposing his one broken, top tooth that he constantly flicked with his tongue. “Y..you…you’re rrr right about that Ms.Mia we go way back like two back flats on a Cadillac!!!” Then Junie laughed.

Loudly.

Like a siren. It started everyone within earshot in the bodega and the folks who were in there uncomfortably shuffled around to get away from Junie who was now leaning over to whisper in Mia’s ear.

“Don’t forget the corn meal for the bluefish Sam’s bringin home.”

The feigned look of embarrassment on Mia’s face was replaced by one of shock and horror.

“Junior Stiles! What in the entire hell did you just say to me?” She seethed through clenched teeth over her shoulder.

Junie took a step back then to the side so he could take a gander at Mia’s expression. Junie was sad to see Mia so scared and he put his hand on her shoulder as if to calm her, “Ms. Mia,”, Junie chuckled nervously, “I ain’t mean to ruin the surprise nah, but when I went down to the lake, Sam said he was fittin to bring some bluefish home to ya, but he wanted to clean them first.”

Just like that the fear left Mia because she knew good and damn well Sam wasn’t about to clean no fish. He had no parts of it. Mia didn’t mind cleanin them. And when she did mind, she would just take the bucket of em to the market and have em clean em and wrap em for her.

“So Sam said he was fittin to clean a bluefish and bring it home for me to fry up, huh Junie? Man, if Sam was alive he would knock the rest of yo tooth out”

Junie’s eyes got wide, “But Ms. Mia, Sam at the cabin…”

Mia pushed by Junie to get to the cooler to grab a six pack of Pepsi. Then she shouted over the plastic petition to the clerk, “Aye, Kev, grab me two boxes of Newport 100s and ring me up for this here Pepsi.”

“No can do Ms. Mia, Sam bought the last two long boxes. I got shorts.?”

When Mia reached the register with Junie in tow, her large, dark eyes darted back and forth between the pair before becoming mere slits, “Really Kev, you been sippin on Junebug’s special juice too, or is it clown the hell outta Mia day?”

Mia surveyed Kevin’s face for any inkling of insincerity but found none.

The door clanged open again and everyone jumped because a car backfired right outside the bodega.

Mia glanced at Junie who was now staring at her with concern.

And then Mia felt her knees give out.

She began to cuss herself out for skipping lunch, because that was the only reason she, all of a sudden, felt lightheaded, hot and breathless.

She also felt angry.

Pissed even.

So pissed she kind of threw the money at Kevin as she grabbed her plastic bag and pushed her way out of the store.

With the cowbells clanging behind her, Mia’s heel got caught in a crack in the concrete. She spun around but caught herself before she lost her balance.

Her breathing became heavy as she shuffled to the corner and peered up the street to the cabin at the top of the hill.

And she couldn’t believe her eyes.

There was a small orange light coming from the back of the cabin at the top of the hill. Then Mia saw a shadow block the light. She gasped for a couple of reasons. For one she was startled because no one else had the keys to the cabin. Only her and Sam.

And Sam was dead.

Mia loved him so much and he disappeared on her. One evening, he went out to get cigarettes and never came home.

The pain in her chest was just as unbearable then as it was right now and Mia was flooded with memories that spilled down her face. She began jogging up the hill to the walk of her abandoned cabin. Now panting she reached the front steps and had a hard time grabbing the door knob, so Mia fell into the French doors of her cabin.

She was unable to move but she heard footsteps coming towards her. The pain in her chest excruciating and when she placed her palm upon it blood oozed between her fingers and her gasp was beginning to become a gurgle.

The footsteps had a flutter accompanying them. She was able to make out his face in the golden glow.

It was Sam as the Angel of Death.

He left the light on; so Mia could find her way.