Midnight Rendezvous

Introducing my character Roderick Usher and his archenemy, Dr Callisto Cutler.

One is the loneliest number, as they say. Like the one Sour Cherry tree shivering in the midnight wind just outside Cutler's Mansion. And just like the one Roderick, who was being held at gunpoint at the end of a long, dark and shadowy corridor. The man in the penguin suit standing at the opposite end of the corridor held his right arm out, stiff like a board with his pudgy fingers sweating and slipping all over the trigger of his pistol.

Roderick could barely differentiate the black steel gun from the rest of the obsidian decor that Culter, or Soot as his army buddies called him, had put up to give the musty place some class. His eyes fought the urge dart back and forth to search fruitlessly for an escape route, fully knowing that the only way out of the spot was the large window standing right behind him. So, his silvery eyes had no choice but straight at ahead at the insidious Dr Cutler, who hided in the dark corners of the world. 

Luckily for Roderick, the moonlight that shone through the window just a few feet away from his backside made him look like the silhouette of doom to Cutler. Intimidation was key, and unfortunately for Cutler, they both seemed to be even on the fortune. Roderick looking like Death incarnate. Cutler able to bust a cap in his crown. 

"You know, Cutler," he said with a smirk, trying to get his opponent out of his nerves, "this reminds me something." 

"Oh!" Cutler replied with a maniacal grin splattered across his face like a trashy abstract artwork. He knew damn well what Roderick, the notorious King of the Parking Lot, was capable of, and he wasn't going to fall for it. Not this time, anyways. "What's that, Usher? I hope our conflict hasn't led you to start thinking up your last words. If so, make 'em good! Something nice to carve on your gravestone." 

Roderick's smirk slipped out of place as he realized Cutler had gotten good at the game. "Well, no, unfortunately." he said, trying to make small talk to throw him off. "However, it does remind of Andrew Jackson."

"Who?" Cutler snapped, getting more and more irritated by the second that Roderick's game was switching up every other word. 

"You know, the President. Turns out he was f*****g nuts. Caught up in s**t like this all the time, actually! In those days they called 'em... back duels. Familiar?" he asked, feeling but not knowing completely if he had the upper hand. If he knew one thing about Cutler, it was that the guy could put on a variety of poker faces. 

Cutler laughed silently to himself and pulled the safety off the gun. S**t, Roderick cursed himself, I coulda gotten out here with that chance. Rookie mistake!

"Yes, I'm familiar with back duels. Two men, opposite ends of a room, both pointing guns at each other. Once the whistle blows, they shoot until the other's dead--" Cutler explained.

"Or until they're dead." Roderick added in before Cutler could get a word in edgewise. 

"So, I have a gun. Where's yours?" Cutler smiled, feeling death pour out of his sweat glands naturally. Roderick was at the disadvantage. "Nevermind this foolishness. Before you die, I have something to ask you!" 

"Go on." he said quickly, hearing that Cutler wasn't playing games anymore. 

"Why'd you rip me off with those getaway cars?" he yelled at Roderick, his facial expression switching from amused to dead serious. It was hard to tell if Roderick was being held at gunpoint at all or if he was having Saturday brunch with a snarky old friend. 

"I didn't rip you off, Cutler! If you really wanna know--" 

"Oh, I really wanna know." 

"You're right hand man Francis has been sabotaging you for years! Only an idiot like you would take this long to figure that out."

"YOU LIE!" he yelled through his gritted teeth, tasting the shredded bone crush under the pressure of his anger. His finger started to slip around the trigger in frustration, deciding violently between pulling or keeping his cool. 

Roderick smiled, not that Cutler could see it anyways. "Fool. You damn fool!" And like the straw that broke the Camel's back, that one snappy remark made Cutler's finger tense and the bullet burned through the shadows like spitfire. Dodging the sloppy shot swiftly with only a tilt of his head, the lead blew through the window behind him and broke it into a million shards. "See you later, Soot." Roderick laughed and jumped out into the cold, Spring breeze of night. 

And before Cutler could run after him, Roderick was already speeding off in his '71 Dodge Charger. Old reliable. 

Author's Note

This is only a rough draft. I welcome all thoughts and reviews.

Reviews

[Thanh]

love it!!!

[cat]

cool i loved that he got away. can't wait to read it when you are finished