The Wishmonger, New Fiction for steemit, Episode 18, Links to previous episodes

The crowd sat in stunned silence. The mayor appeared to be undergoing core meltdown. The only person that seemed unfazed was the man in dark glasses that now stood at the microphone.

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It was the man in black! Without the black scarf Roger thought the man looked vaguely familiar.

“Citizens of Wishful, listen to me.” The crowd was coming alive. Scattered murmurs were hushed by the man’s next statement, “Your town is in grave danger! The man you just witnessed stealing your wish is a despicable character."

"He and his cohorts are plotting a diabolical scheme to turn the hearts and minds of every citizen of this town away from the steady course that has guided you for the past fifty years. He and others like him do not believe like you and I. They will stop at nothing to destroy your town, your livelihood, your very way of life. They are determined to stop progress in its tracks. I am here to see that that does not happen.”

With that the man took a golden coin from his pocket and without so much as a glimmer of hesitation flipped it directly into the fountain.

He left the bandstand followed by the mayor and two other men in dark suits. The crowd’s eyes followed the man as he and his entourage swept out of the square and leapt into a black limousine, speeding off in the direction of the Fountain Park.

Suddenly Roger knew what it was that was familiar. He looked to his left where James Pine sat with his face buried on his mother’s shoulder. Minus the dark glasses, the man in black looked exactly like his father!

The Pine family rode home in silence. Joey had opted to ride home with his parents. Roger’s mother caught his eye in the rearview mirror. She was driving, his father was too upset.

“So, now you know,” she said.

But he didn’t, he didn’t know anything and something told him that now was definitely not the time to ask. The next morning was Sunday and Roger and his mother went to Church by themselves for the first time in recent memory. His father was still soundly asleep thanks to two extra-strength sleeping pills.

Roger and Joey sat together on the outside aisle talking quietly, “So, your Dad’s pretty wigged out, huh?”

“You could say that. Wouldn’t you be?” Roger asked.

“Yeah, I guess so. So the man in black is your uncle, huh?” Joey’s eyes were as big as dinner plates.

Roger squirmed uncomfortably, “That’s about all I could get out of my Mom. She wouldn’t even tell me that much until after my Dad fell asleep. I get the impression that no one has seen him for a long time.”

Joey scratched his ear absently, “I wonder why?”

“Me too,” Roger thought to himself.

When Roger and his mother got home the long black limousine was parked outside their house. Roger’s heart felt like it would explode! His head was tight and he could hardly breathe. The man in black was sitting in his living room!

“Well, hello Benedict. Roger this is your father’s brother, Benedict Pine.” Roger’s mother said all of this with icy politeness.

“Hello, Roger, you can call me uncle Ben,” the man in black held out his hand. Roger felt his mother’s hand on his shoulder gently, pushing him toward the man in black. He looked up at her, pleading.

She smiled at him apologetically, “Shake hands with your uncle, Roger.”

The man’s hand felt like ice. “Look at this, almost a man and never met your uncle Ben. That seems a shame.”

Actually, Roger couldn’t think of anything that was less of a shame, “Where’s my Dad?” he asked.

“ I don’t know. The door was unlocked so I let myself in. I thought he was at Church with you.” The man said.

Shuffling footsteps announced James’ late arrival to the family reunion, taking place in his living room, “You,” he said quietly, “Are not welcome here. You need to leave.”

Benedict Pine didn’t scare easily, “I just came to meet Roger.”

“ You’ve seen him. Now you need to leave.” Roger knew that his father had chosen that word carefully, -seen-, if it was intended to hurt it had no visible effect on the man.

“You should be careful who you try to intimidate. I just came to “see” my nephew. Roger, I wondered if I might talk to you alone?” Benedict smiled, sending shivers down Roger's spine.

Roger swallowed, hard, “Alright, but then you go, deal?”

Benedict Pine extended his hand, “Deal.”

Roger led the blind man out of the house without shaking his hand. They stopped on the driveway, “I came to warn you. You and your little friend don’t know what you’re messing with. You have no idea the power that fountain can wield.” Benedict spoke calmly.

“You sound scared,” Roger said. The next thing he knew his feet dangled in air and his uncle’s face was so close he could feel his stubble.