Reading: "I, of the necromantic gloam" from COVEAL OF THE HEDONIC (A.Glass 2025) *This will be a last reading for awhile*

 

Gently setting the covers back in a neat way over the pillow. Darius, opens the side table draw to which Henley keeps her undergarments and lingerie, with only a handful left, with the majority packed away for her trip to New York City, he sees the Tarot card deck, opening it, he takes out the cards, placing The Devil card back inside, shuffling the deck, he inserts the pack into its cover. Closing it, he places the deck back into her bedside draw. Pushing the draw into place.
“I’ll visit her tonight...” he says to himself.
Standing, looking down at the bed ensuring that it is neatly left, he lifts the glass of vodka, walking back down towards the kitchen area. “...And I assume Ellie has the clothes that I requested.”

*

Melbourne,

1983

“Do you know what tram to catch?” Darius’s mother asks, whilst leaning over a sink washing the dishes, as Darius, sitting at the kitchen table, is flicking through a recipe book of cocktails. Leaning behind him, he opens a draw placing the recipe book into the draw and closes it.
“It’s the Fifty Seven, I’ll catch it from Elizabeth Street to North Melbourne,” he replies, looking at his mother. Who turns around, wiping a ceramic plate with a tea towel, placing it above a cupboard to her left side.
“What Street? Tram stop and house number?” She asks, making sure that Darius has remembered what she wrote down on a piece of paper, which were her written directions.
“Abbotsford St, stop Fourteen. Street address, One Hundred and Eighty Six. Near the corner of Queensberry and the Tram stop.”
“Alright, well you better head off. It’s going to be hot today, and she wants you there by 10:00 am...”
Darius stands, quietly pushing in the chair and his mother reaches into her bag, taking out her purse. “...Here’s money for the tram trip and some lunch, when you finish. Sharon will pay you after you have cleaned her windows…” Taking the money from his mother and placing into his back pocket. She leans forward and holds him close. “...Now be careful, it’s two trams to her place, and we live on the other side of the City…” Kissing Darius on his left cheek. “...Such a long way for a job.”
“Don’t worry mom, it’ll be ok. I go into the city all the time. It’ll be fun. Like an adventure.”
“Such is your nature,” she replies.
Darius nods with a smile, as he makes his way to the front door of the house, followed by his mother.
Watching him walking off, Darius’s mother continues to observe him, her expression is one of concern and yet with an equivocal awareness of he son’s disposition. She turns, closing the door behind her.

Arriving via the Tram, Darius steps off at stop Fourteen, which is situated on the corner of Queensberry and Abbotsford Streets located in North Melbourne. Crossing over Queensberry St, he passes by the a late Nineteen Seventies commercial style building, aware that Sharon’s home, his mother’s work colleague, is the first house on the left of Abbotsford St, south of the tram stop. As a cool breeze blows in from the bay, he looks up at the clear sky above. Moving closer towards the house, he notices a motorcycle parked out front, near where a small laneway connects alongside Sharon’s late Eighteen Hundreds built cottage, one of many that line the streets of North Melbourne, and in its resonation, still reflects its working class roots.
Darius checks his watch, noting that it is Nine Forty Five AM.
“A little early,” he says to himself.
Walking closer to the laneway, pausing at the entrance, he peers at Sharon’s house brick facade which runs parallel to the narrow walkway. He begins to walk down it, noticing the two windows which overlook the opposite house’s fence, as the laneway angles right, towards Elm Street. Darius eyes the first window, aware the it is slightly open, its blind drawn close to the window frame. The breeze that he had felt earlier, gently lifts the blind up, as it then falls back against the frame of the window. Moving quickly pass the open window, he hears a female moan, in its variation of pitch. The sounds of sexual fulfillment seem to be getting slightly louder. Darius edges himself closer to the window, so that he can view where the sounds are coming from, as the blind lifts again, he sees Sharon positioned on all her fours, as a man, to which Darius cannot see, is thrusting behind her, the blind falls back again, with a sliver now only revealing her naked shoulders, arms and her dark brown curly hair draped down, moving in tune with the man pumping into her from behind. Her breathing rapid and vocal, as her large breasts swinging back and forth. As the breeze lifts the blind in random movements, he sees the man’s hands grasping Sharon’s lower back and the hips of a male, in a mechanized motion, moving in unison with Sharon grinding up against his pelvis.
Darius hears the man grunt, in several loud successions, as the movement stops. The blind gently opens again, and he sees Sharon arch her head back, her eyes slightly closed, as a man’s hand stokes her back and shoulders. He hears further movement, as Sharon is no longer visible. Feeling his heart rate increase. He checks his wristwatch again, seeing that it is nearly Ten AM, Darius walks in the direction of Elm St, so that he can turn back down towards Sharon’s house on Abbotsford St. Turning right at the corner of Abbotsford and Elm street, Darius sees that the motorcycle has gone, knowing that the man has left, he makes his way to the entrance of Sharon’s house, opening the gate. Walking to the front door he knocks onto the wooden pane with his clenched left hand, hearing what sounds like footsteps upon wooden floorboards, the door opens.
“Adorjan!...” Sharon says, dressed in a dark purple flowing paisley one price skirt, lifting both hands, placed behind her neck, clutching her hair, she ties hair back with a small band. “...Please come in...” As Darius nods respectfully, slightly bowing his head in a coy way, he enters Sharon’s house. She closes the door behind him. “...Right on time too!…” Walking towards were the lounge and kitchen areas, is Darius eyes her from behind, the flowing skirt and her feet. “...Are you hungry?” She yells out, walking rapidly ahead of him, with Darius passing her bedroom on the left, viewing the large antique looking bed, with its sheets have been made up, also noticing the window from the inside, to which he had peered into from the laneway, watching Sharon having sex. Something he has never seen before.
Entering her lounge room, he looks around at the interior. In its bohemian style, with large pillows positioned on the ground, Middle Eastern murals and various esoteric ornaments line the interior. There is also a scent of exotic fragrances.

___

Reading: "I, of the Necromantic Gloam" from COVEAL OF THE HEDONIC (A.Glass 2025).