“Something goes here.”

I spoke the words aloud, but they got lost in the wind. Leaves and blades of grass flitted across my field of vision, obscuring the already muddy issue at hand. If there was a moon I couldn’t see it. If there were stars they hid their twinkling reassurance from me.

A gaping hole in the Earth, a shadow in the silvery ripples of nighttime life, stretched and flexed, a trick of my weary eyes. No reasonable soul with any sense had business being out at this hour, least of all at this place.

With a waft of lavender and honeysuckle came the voice at my ear, “You pause, mon cher. You know.”

I didn’t look. In fact, I closed my eyes, which in retrospect was quite foolish. So many things are though, aren’t they.

She, my dark lady, persisted, “Laissez les bons…ooh, nothing good about it, is there, non?”

A light rain began to accompany the wind. Doubt brought a chill up my spine. Anger clenched my teeth.

“Just go,” I begged, knowing damn well she wouldn’t.