A Dark Secret

Zack didn’t want to go out on a freezing snowy night like this, but the note he received that morning was clear: “Give me $2000, or your darkest secret will be revealed. Meet me at Sallow Bridge, at 11:00 pm. Alone.”

He shivered. Who was this person? How did they know about his secret?

When he made it to the bridge, he waited, looking down at the black icy river below. 

Crunch, crunch, crunch.

He turned around. A figure came walking towards him from the darkness.

Crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch.

A tall man in a black cloak wearing a grey scarf around his face walked up to him. He had pale skin, and black hair sticking out of his brown winter cap. The rest of his features Zack couldn’t make out, especially not with it being so dark out and the lamppost being so dim. 

“Do you have the money?” the man asked.

“Yes, but who are you?”

“You remember me, don’t you John?” he asked snarkily. 

“My name’s Zack. Now, how did you get my draft?”

The man stared at him blankly. “...What?”

“My draft. The one about a knight who time travels through space and time with the help of a banana. That’s what you’re blackmailing me with, right? How did you get it? I thought I lost it.”

“Don’t play stupid, John. You know I’ve managed to find out about your phony dollar bills.”

Zack became irritated. “My name is Zack. Zack Callaway. And I don’t make stupid counterfeit bills. Am I being pranked?”

The man leaned in closer to him, then jumped back. “You’re not John!”

“I know. I just said so.”

“But that can’t be! I left the note at his address.”

“Wait, are you talking about John Ross?”

“Yes!”

“He moved three weeks ago. I just moved in.”

“Dang it!” 

Zack’s face became hot. “You dragged me out here into this blasted weather for nothing?!”

The man lowered his head in embarrassment. “Sorry,” he muttered. He turned tail and ran off, crunching through the snow as he went.

“I’m calling the cops!” Zack shouted. 

But there was no response. There was only the howling of the wind as the snowflakes danced down to the earth.