Dark Gate

Abraham left the grim looking building without looking back. He crossed the damp and dark yard through a small pebble road that in any other hour or in any other circumstance he would actually find beautiful. But not today. Not tonight. He went on walking in a daze, feeling lost, even in such a small trip from the front door to the black gate just ahead.
He was a tad bit confused. He didn't quite understand what had just happened. The whole thing seemed too big for him to start grasping. He needed time to digest it. But that wasn't going to be an easy task. In one hand he felt he should walk quickly, and hastily get out of that house, he felt that only crossing the gate would give him the opportunity to push forward and get in schedule with destiny, but on the other hand he felt afraid. Well, maybe "afraid" wasn't the right word. No, he felt fearful or burdened with heavy doubts. In a way he didn't want to reach the gate so quickly and soon. He needed time to stop and get himself together.
Of course he knew that this wouldn't be allowed to him. No. Not in this World. You have to keep going unless you want to get trampled underfoot by the World. He smiled for a bit and remembered the Led Zeppelin song which he so much loved. He dwelled and appreciated the few seconds of distraction the thought of Led Zeppelin gave him. But he also remembered he was losing time. The gate was getting nearer and he still was lost. He knew he couldn't stop in the middle of that yard because of the damned pit bull oddly called Dinky, but he also felt he badly needed to stall, to buy some time, something...he needed time to decide. He felt he was reaching some sort of crossroad and no, for sure he wouldn't find there any type of devileech being that would help him decide. It was really up to him. Damn cold, lonely World he thought. But he also knew everyone has to make the best of it.
As soon as he got to the black gate he knew he had to open it. That seemed the only way to go. He quickly considered his chances on going back that pebble road into the red brick mansion. He surprised himself when he found in his heart that a part of it wanted to go back that way.
His heart. His heart was always the problem. He decided that, for a change, he would just hurl himself forward, just like Paul Newman and Robert Redford did in that movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. He remembered the movie's famous song by B.J. Thomas and he grinned weirdly, almost an expression of pain. And then he couldn't avoid a somewhat sarcastic smile when he reflected that if he was Butch where the hell was his Sundance Kid? Or the other way around for that matter. "Typical" he said out loud. I'm on my own, and that's what it has to be.
He opened the gate and rapidly went through it and closed it behind him.
And now? He looked left, he looked right and he simply didn't know where to go. The doubt and uncertainty still populated his mind. At least he felt a bit proud that he was able to go through the gate and close it without many fuss. That was done. At least that. Next.
He closed his trenchcoat feeling, rather surprisingly, the chilling wind, and headed left....towards the light.

Gunther Dünn