The case of William Pratt and Spike began on a crisp winter morning in 1895. Rupert Giles, a London lawyer, had a habit at the time to take walks on a Sunday with friend, client and socialite, Liam Brooke.
Brooke was heavier set than Giles, and from the North of Ireland with a strong accent. He would wear a scarf and keep a pipe burning on cold days, such as it was. He had a deep voice and an eye for the fairer sex. None of his housemaids were safe from the devil.
Liam was quite the man around town, and although he and Giles rarely spoke on their Sunday strolls, Giles looked forward to them immensely.
On the Sunday in question they happened to stop in a park opposite a particular building. Liam lit his pipe then gestured with it.
“You see that door over there?” He finally said. Giles nodded. “It is connected to my mind as a very odd story...”
After a long pause for effect Liam continued:
“It was three o' clock of a black winter morning, I was coming back from... some place or another, and my way lay through a part of town where there was nothing to see but lamps. I'd walked in silence for some time, when all at once, I saw two figures. One, a girl of maybe eight or ten; what she was doing out at that hour God alone can tell, but she was running flat out westward... Eastward came the other, a gentleman stamping along a good pace. Naturally they ran into one another at the corner...” He looked up to make sure he had Giles' attention. Satisfied that he did, Liam continued the tale.
“Then came the horrible part, for the man, with no change of speed or direction, and being the heavier of the two, knocked the girl to the ground... Then proceeded to trample over her stricken body.” Liam winced at the memory. “It sounds less than it was, but I swear to you, had you been there... He wasn't like a man. He was like a Juggernaut. Well, sir, I caught up with the fellow and brought him back to where the child lay screaming and crying. By now, there was quite a group; people woken up by the noise, other passers-by, the girl's parents and – what was most fortunate – a doctor.”
Liam seemed to get caught up in his memories. A large crowed surrounded a small hysterical child.
“Everyone,” the grim faced doctor spoke up, trying to talk over the angry rumbling of the mob. “The child is all right; more shaken up than anything else.” he explained in a monotone.
Suddenly someone noticed the aggressor and quickly surrounded him.
“What were you thinking of, you monster? My little girl! My little girl!” the girls mother exclaimed.
All at once the crowd all started shouting at the man.
“You could have killed her; don't you know that?”
“You're evil!”
“A madman!”
“What is your name, sir?”
“Evil!”
“Hurting and innocent child!”
“Name, sir!
“Evil!”
“Monster!”
“Madman”
The farther of the girl stepped forward. “We'll make such a scandal of this, your name will stink from one end of London to the other”
Now, it seemed like the crowed would be ready to kill for the sake of a child's cuts and bruises. The men had to hold the women back, and even the doctor appeared sick with desire to do the man harm.
The man just stood there, at the centre, his face fearful, but with a kind of black, sneering coolness.
Liam turned back to Giles to finish his story. “Finally the man spoke. 'If you want to make something of this' he said, 'I am helpless. But I would rather not cause a scene. Name your price.' I mean 'name your price'? Did you ever hear the like? The mother cried out for a hundred pounds and soon we all joined in demanding the money. 'Follow me' the villain said, and everyone of us followed. He led us to a old, blistered door and produced a key. He went inside, then returned with ten pounds in gold, and a cheque for the balance, signed with a name I wont mention, safe to say you know the gentleman. After that... Well as you know, too many questions lead to trouble, so I asked nothing more than the villains identity. He replied but one word... Spike”
squawks
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!