...The Man with the Plywood Violin
Saturday, 30 October 2010 · 20:00 The Fiddler's Elbow, 1 Malden Road, London
Georges stood at the side of the road. There was nothing to look at; the abandoned crossroads were deep in the desert stretching for miles in all directions. An odd place for a tip off. He adjusted his shades in the encroaching gloom as the sun shot its final rays across the dying sky. He’d never felt so lonesome as on this sterile promontory overlooking an unknown country, his life like the landscape in its quintessence of dust. If only he could stop running, maybe then he could rest, sleep and maybe even dream. Not the adrenaline fuelled nightmares of his present existence indistinguishable from his waking hours, but the peaceful slumber he now thought would only be possible in death.
‘Why hello Mr Kaplan’
Spinning round Georges realised he was in almost complete darkness. Having let his thoughts get the better of him he had failed to realise that night had fallen like a hammer blow.
‘I like a man who keeps his word; just as well, I’ve brought you what you’ve always wanted’
He made out the silhouette of an extremely thin, extremely tall figure. Suddenly, the landscape was burning, the crossroads encircled by a ring of fire. The high wail of a violin cut the air as the fateful papers and a penknife were placed in his hands.
‘Just sign, and it’s yours’
The sensation of falling from a great height as the flames grew higher made his temples judder. Heart pounding like crazy he tried to organise his thoughts amidst the unbearable heat.
‘Don’t lose this chance, you won’t regret it’
His hands moved without consent and he realised that the forefinger on his right hand was bleeding; leaving bloody prints on the document he was holding. Panic stricken he tried frantically to wipe the stains away but it was too late.
‘As I said, you won’t regret it’
A leering smile glinted in the flames and then he was alone again in the cool of the desert evening, the stars glinting icily in the firmament. Taking a sharp look around, everything was as it had been. But he knew that his life had changed for ever...