An unexplained death
He came in on a stormy night.
He really looked quite a fright.
Clothes soaked,. hair all a mess.
He was scary, as you might guess.
Straight to the fireplace, he did go.
Shaking off water just for show.
He said “Don’t go out there. Death awaits.”
Suddenly, it got real quiet in the place.
I was about to take a drink of beer.
I set it down with a hint of fear.
“I saw the Grim Reaper with sickle bright.”
“He appeared out of the dead of night.”
“He didn’t seem to be looking at me.”
“But, I didn’t wait around to see.”
“I took off running like a bat out of hell.”
“He started moving really fast, as well.”
‘That’s when I saw your light & came in here.”
‘He is out there waiting , I fear.”
“What kind of guff is that?”
“I ought to smack you right where you’re at.”
“Coming in scaring everyone here.”
“This is a respectable saloon, ya hear.”
The bartender was a little miffed.
He wanted to throw out the stiff.
Then, rap, rap, rap, rap on the door.
“That’s him!!” yelled the wet stranger.
“Run, you’re all in danger!!”
“Shut your mouth” the bartender said.
He went to the door shaking his head.
He looked out & no one was there.
“Is this a joke’ he said with a stare.
“Have you got a buddy out there?”
“No”, stammered the guy, “I’m telling the truth.”
“I think you’re just being uncouth.”
Then, from outside came a blood curdling scream.
“Someone’s going to die, or so it would seem”
The bartender grabbed his shotgun under the bar.
“Everybody stay just where you are!!”
He pointed the shotgun by its bore.
Then, there was scratching at the door.
The bartender fired blowing a hole in the door.
They didn’t hear the sound anymore.
They looked outside. “It’s Billy McGuire!!”
“You killed him dead. The stranger wasn’t a liar.”
“Where did the stranger go?” asked someone.
“We have to find him. This isn’t fun.”
They searched around but, he wasn’t there.
He just disappeared. He wasn’t anywhere.
They listened. Maybe to hear a word.
A fading laugh was all that they heard.
The storm raged on outside.
But, within, all lost their pride.
All were shaking in their boots.
They felt fear right down to their roots.
What happened that night was never fully explained.
People never said much for fear of going insane.
It was ruled an accidental death.
No one said it was the Grim Reaper that they’d met.
——————————————————R. W. Johnson—–(2014)