PLANS IN MOTION

Chapter 57

The sounds of owls hooting pierce the stillness of the air. Darkness looms suddenly, chasing away the last glimpses of the sun. The walls of the building begin to look like living creatures to the man as they close in on him. He looks around- at the plastered walls where no paint graces them, and then at the floor which is littered with sand, broken blocks, and wood. His eyes sweep across the bare room and beyond it, then cling to the windows and the broken shutters hanging from the rusty hinges as they rattle against the walls.

His lips curl in disgust as he shakes his head. "This whole building is a picture of decadence." He laughs and shakes his head once more before settling for a shrug. "It's a price I have to pay for what I'm going to do. I can't fail now."

He stands from the stool he is perched on and stretches before walking to one of the windows. Even in the dying light, he can make out the tombstones rising from the earth a short distance away from the house. H