Stroll in a Storm

by Heidi Burke

You clutch your carpet bag as you step onto the train station platform. The sky above is gray, threatening to drizzle rain upon you, and streaked with the soot from the stack of the very steam train from which you just disembarked.

Narrow cobblestone streets wind before you, flanked with shop fronts selling a variety of goods. A haberdashery's windows are filled with racks of stately gentlemen's hats. A bookseller's shelves are stuffed to bursting with leather-bound books, some with pages yellowed from age, and deep, earthy aromas waft from the tobacconist's doors. You briefly admire the goods through the window before hurrying onward. You can already smell the rain in the air, and your destination awaits.

A bell tolls noon somewhere in the distance, perhaps from the nearby university with its bustling halls filled with eager students and learned professors. Perhaps from a cathedral overlooking a churchyard with stone monuments and stately mausoleums. The sound echoes dully in the encroaching fog. You raise your face to the sky, and the first cool drops of an oncoming shower kiss your face.

You quicken your pace, but soon the storm is in full force, hammering against the awnings of businesses and forming puddles in the street as pedestrians rush for cover. A gray-bearded man in a tweed jacket with a matching newsboy cap offers to share his large umbrella, and you thank him for his aid. Ahead you see the sign: ornate calligraphy letters over a faded painting of a mug of ale. You point and your rescuer brings you to the door before bidding you a warm farewell and continuing on his walk.

You step inside and savor the warmth that wraps around you. Voices drone as patrons sip drinks and engage in conversation. In one corner two men are engrossed in a game of chess while in another a fiddler tunes her instrument, preparing to play. You find a table near the crackling fire and peel off your damp gloves and coat. Your hair is already starting to dry. On the table before you, a candle flickers seemingly in tune with the crackling of the fire. Its flame carries a promise: you are safe and cozy and will remain so until your next adventure.