Hello reader,
My name is Hobblenock the horny hob-goblin, and it is my duty to write about events past and present that most folk hardly know about. The few that do know wish that they didn't, but being a horny hob-goblin makes it difficult for me to dislike any of the events that will be put into written word.
I should start at the beginning, but my brain ( being where it is ) doesn't function normally.
But all will be revealed, 'Heh, Heah!', if you see what I mean.
Time to write the story but I'm not Russian... I'll take My time....
*
It was a grey day, like one of the many grey days in Alterville. The overbearing sky was covered by a pattern of billowing grey clouds. Large crows always seemed to circle like black vultures, claiming the view overhead while the other birds avoided it. They perched on the gothic buildings of various height that punctured the scene, each making their contribution to a city that lacked any kind of colour.
A confused-looking man was wandering along one of it's many streets, trying to find his location on a map he was holding, but without much success. His only companion had been the constant noise of the traffic until the droning sound of a large-engined vehicle increased behind him. He turned to see a black limousine creeping along at his side, the make of which he didn't recognise.
It was a large, robust machine with unremarkable styling and looked Russian in design. He tried to catch a glimpse of a face inside but all he could see was a confused man holding a map. The blackened windows disguised its occupiers, making him nervous as the unseen watched him from within.
Fortunately, his growing apprehension didn't last long as the whirring of the automatic window revealed the drivers face.
It was the face of a man in his early 30's, although his tired features made him look like a person of 45. He looked drained and pale with dark shadows around a pair of red-rimmed eyes that seemed to be making a great effort to stay open. He wondered what the driver wanted. He surely couldn't have stopped to ask for directions.
"That will be no good to you.", said the driver. He adjusted his cap, his long hair hanging out the sides all tangled and dry like it was trying to escape in a last attempt to find life.
"I'm looking for Preston street."
The driver gave a bigger smile, finding amusement in his question then replied, " You won't find it. The street names have been taken away, they have no names any more."
The man approached the car, puzzled and even more confused than before.
"I need to find Preston street, my cousin Michelle invited me to stay for a while."
"Ahh! The trap!" . He laughed quietly to himself and turned to look at the road ahead.
"They put this place on the map but they never visit. They stopped coming here a long while ago because they disappear you know. There are no names and that map is totally wrong."
The man on the street looked distraught and bemused, he stared in the hope of finding some answer.
"If you have any sense my friend, get out and go back home. You don't want to be here."
The smile left his tired face and changed into a look of concern.
"Look... It is getting late. Why don't you get in and you can stay at our place until morning. Then you can get out of here and never come back, never give it another thought and carry on with your life."
He gazed upward at a sky which seemed to be more dark and sinister in the fading light of the late afternoon. The driver seemed genuinely concerned for him and he didn't look like he had the strength to do him any harm. His fingers tapped on the steering wheel, indicating that he would not wait much longer. He let out a long, laboured breath and turned to look at him once more, looking impatient if he had the energy to do so.
"Well?.. You could stay out here and find yourself somewhere to stay the night but I wouldn't recommend it."
Having made his decision, the man reached for the door which glided open to the comfort of leather and luxury. He stepped inside and the limousine eased itself away from the pavement to join the emptying road, taking him to a destination that he would seriously regret in the future.
The inside had been tastefully furnished and was very refined, contrasting with the vehicles box design exterior. The engine made a deep, powerful droning sound that relaxed him and took away most of his doubts about accepting the drivers offer. He was happy to be off the city streets that seem so alien but felt puzzled and angry that his cousin had deceived him as it was not in her nature to do so.
"I cannot believe that Michelle would deceive me this way", he said, trying to convince himself.
The driver remained emotionless and concentrated on the road. His tried eyes where visible in the rear-view mirror, continuously looking from the road to the back seat, unable to conceal his apprehension about having a stranger in the car.
"This place changes people. It changed me and it will change you."
There was a sound like another automatic window and a thick pane of glass began to rise between the driver and his passenger.
"Sorry... Safety measures... It's for my own protection while I'm driving."
He could understand the drivers cautionary measure, but a part of him started to feel uneasy about the situation. He took a quick glance at the door handle and wondered if they where locked and weather he could escape if anything was to happen.