Dr. Nathan Yair – A Short Story

     By Linyang Zhang

     His hair was raven black, a little long, and a pair of rimless glasses perched upon his pale cheekbones. When he took off his black coat he was dressed neatly in a plain suit, as expected of a college professor. Even with his occupation, however, he didn’t look anywhere past thirty.

     “Let me take your coat,” I offered, and he gave me a smile and thanked me. It was heavy, and I assumed that it contained many things in its pockets, but when I patted it over, they were empty.

     The other guest of the night was a tall young man, dark in face and hair, perhaps around twenty-five years of age, dressed like a recently graduated student. The professor’s assistant, or so I heard.

“Jocasta, this is Dr. Nathan Yair, and his assistant, Mr. Jack Crowley,” my husband, Matthew, introduced.

     “A pleasure, Reverend Carnell.” Dr. Yair smiled, the lamplight in the sitting room glinting off his glasses. “Your wife is indeed lovely. Modest, too. And these are your children?”

     “Greet our guests, Luke, Rebecca,” my husband said, waving for our son and daughter to come out from behind the staircase where they had been hiding. Both were shy in the presence of strangers, but Dr. Yair took it in good stride, smiling and giving them a little wave.

     The food was starting to burn, so I excused myself and headed back to the kitchen. I tasted the soup; only barely singed.

     As I listened to the men converse outside, it seemed to me that Dr. Yair was not exactly as my friend Anne had described him to me. As she had told me the other day:

     “I myself was very excited to meet this esteemed professor. Have you heard of him, Jocasta? You know, the one who published that paper last year? Well, won’t you believe it, he’s been traveling from place to place and he decides to pick our town. Our little town of Arlingwood. Well, the mayor was hosting yet another party the other day, and you know how I always attend his parties, and this professor, he showed up as well.” She paused to catch her breath.

     “I heard that the mayor personally invited him, and he was too polite to decline. Well, of course I had to catch a glimpse of this man, and won’t you believe it, he was dressed quite appropriately for the occasion, though a little plain in his black suit. And his assistant seems a fine fellow as well, although a little too tall. It’s always a hassle to turn around and bump into him. But, you know, this professor…” Here Anne had lowered her voice, “he radiates some sort of…darkness. You know—like a demon. But not quite. Not as…menacing. But just as dark. I’d watch out for him if I were you, Jocasta, especially since you’re hosting him tomorrow night. If he tries to murder you and your sweet children in your sleep, well, personally, I’d take a knife and finish him off first.”

     My friend Anne can talk a little too much. But I suppose that’s why she’s friends with me, because she can make up enough conversation for the both of us.

“Mrs. Carnell.” Mr. Crowley was standing by the kitchen door. “Might I help you with anything?”

“I’m all right, Mr. Crowley, thank you for asking,” I replied. “Everything is almost ready.”

“I’d hate to trouble you, ma’am,” the young man said. “Let me help you carry the dishes over.”

     I let him help; he was an able-bodied man, his footsteps soft, his movements gentle. I distinctly remembered Anne’s words:

     “And that assistant of his! He scares me, to be completely frank. You never know when he’s going to be standing right behind you. And there’s dark energy from him as well! You know, I heard from the other ladies at the party that there was a long, ongoing rumor…” Once again she lowered her voice, “that Yair is Faust and Crowley is his demon!”

     I saw none of that here, and I had dismissed the words, much like the rest of what Anne said, as “utter foolishness”.

After dinner began my husband asked Dr. Yair what he taught.

“I’m quite knowledgeable in several fields, like philosophy, medical knowledge…but I usually teach history.”

“Oh? And do you enjoy teaching it?”

     Dr. Yair gave a faint smile. “Every year there is always more to teach. Some years I ask to teach something else, but the faculty always insist that I teach history, because of my ‘unique take’ on it.”

“Unique take?”

     “I teach history through the lens of death, Reverend.” But seeing as how the table had gone silent with only the clinking of silverware against ceramic, Yair glanced at my children, gave another smile, and changed the subject.“What is the topic of your sermon this coming Sunday, Reverend?”

Matthew seemed pleased at being asked this. “I am going to be preaching from Genesis chapters 18 and 19.” 

“Oh? The tale of Sodom and Gomorrah, is it?”

“Yes, it is. Are you a man of the Faith, Dr. Yair?”

     “I consider myself to be, Reverend. Through my studies, I’ve found that there are some things that do not make sense without faith.”

“True words, Dr. Yair,” my husband said. “Perhaps you would like to stop by the church this Sunday?”

     The professor and his assistant exchanged glances. “I’m afraid that we’ll have left Arlingwood by then, Reverend. But we will keep you in our thoughts then.”

     Dinner continued. “Ma’am, this bread is perhaps the second best bread I have tasted in my travels,” Mr. Crowley said, smiling.

“Oh? What is the first, then?” I asked.

     “My mother’s, of course.” And the quiet laughter that surrounded the table had been one which had not been in our house for quite a while.

“If I could be excused for a moment...ma’am, the...?” Dr. Yair rose, and I pointed him to the washrooms.

“Just down the hall, second door to your right.”

After he left, conversation lulled, and my husband turned his attention to the professor’s assistant.

“So, Mr. Crowley, what do you help the professor with?”

     “Oh, just Jack is fine, Reverend. I help the professor with a lot of things, such as his research, looking over our itinerary...”

“Oh? You must be a big help, then. Are you a student of his?”

     “I was. When I graduated, the professor asked if I would be willing to help him in his research, and I agreed. It’s been a great experience, overall.”

     Dr. Yair returned, and we finished up dinner. I began clearing the plates. Both of our guests offered to help, and while I declined, they brought the plates and dishes over to the kitchen anyway.

     “That was a great dinner, madam,” Dr. Yair said, a smile on his face. “Especially the bread. It’s been a while since I’ve had such a pleasant night.”

     The lamplight glinted off his glasses, and once again I remembered what Anne had said about Faust. But I shook it away with a smile. “It was my pleasure, sir. Here, leave the rest to me.”

“We would be glad to have you join us, madam. Do come if you’re not too busy.”

     Once again, the men returned to the parlor. We had an old piano there, and I heard someone running his fingers over the yellowing notes.

“Do you play, Dr. Yair?” Matthew asked.

“When I was younger. It’s been a while.” But still, there was a sort of longing in his voice.

“Do you mind playing a song for us?”

     “Of course, but be warned, my skills are a little rusty...” A few laughs, then quiet, and then the creaking of the piano bench as Dr. Yair sat down. A few hesitant notes, a quiet cough, and then...

     He was, indeed, out of practice, but after a few measures, he began to pick up the pace again. It was a waltz, with fluid notes and a sweeping melody. Familiar, from some music lessons or concerts years ago, back when we had such things.

     The professor finished. After a moment of silence, my husband began to clap, and I with him. “That was beautiful,” Matthew said. “Which song was it?”

     “It was a Chopin waltz,” Dr. Yair replied, rising. “Back when I played, his works were almost all that I studied. That one I remember particularly well…” He trailed off, then looked up and added, “You have a nice piano, Reverend.”

“It’s old and needs tuning.” Matthew laughed a little. “Thank you for bringing it back to life, though.”

“It would be nice if your children could learn.” Dr. Yair looked at Luke and Rebecca. “Do you two like music?”

     Both my children were the shy type, so their response was drowned out as I began to wash the dishes. What Anne had said...I really couldn’t see it. He was the perfect gentleman, as far as I could tell.

     Just as I finished the dishes, the phone rang. Against my better judgement, I picked it up. It was probably Anne. She called frequently, and if I didn’t pick up, then she would go on and on about it the next time she saw me.

“Hello?”

“Jocasta, my dear, are you all right? Are those men still in your home?”

“Why yes, they are. We’ve had a very pleasant evening.”

     “Jocasta, you must listen to me! Those men…you must get rid of them as soon as you can! I tell you, it really is Faust and his demon, if not something worse! They’re not human, I tell you!”

     “Look, Anne…” I leaned against the countertop. “What are you going on about? What proof do you have? Just the other day you were telling me about how excited you were that this renowned professor was coming to our town, our small Arlingwood! And I tell you, he seems perfectly normal to me.”

     “Jocasta, my dear…”Anne lowered her voice. “You, of all people, should see this! You’re the minister’s wife, for heavens’ sake! Do you not sense the darkness radiating from him?”

     “Darkness…” I quieted, watching the candlelight flicker before me. Of course there was darkness. There hadn’t always been darkness surrounding this small town of ours, but these days…Matthew was afraid to let me and the children go out to town alone. There were many friends whom we no longer associated with. Others had moved away, and had urged us to do the same. There was always just this uneasy dread… Of course, they didn’t dare act up in front of the minister and his wife, but rumors flew. And news spread.

     “I’m telling you, Jocasta! You must get rid of him tonight, otherwise he’ll have all our heads! He’ll murder you and your sweet darling children in your sleep, I tell you! Look, Bartham and the other men came up with a comprehensive list of irrefutable proof that this man is not human! I’ll tell you, if you’ll let me. Look, if you don’t dispose of him tonight, while he is sleeping, then tomorrow, the men will come and take him themselves! Provided that we’re all still alive, of course…”

I sighed. “Fine, Anne. Go on. I’m listening. But do hurry, because I must attend to our guests soon.”

This was mainly to get her to quiet down.

     And through whispers, she told me of how they had not managed to trace any of Dr. Yair’s past, not his birth town, not his family, not his age, even. How every time he and Jack Crowley went to a town they had always left it burning—with many dead. The towns she spoke of had even been wiped off the map.

     “Look, Anne, if this were all true, then why wouldn’t we have heard of this beforehand? These all sound like very serious matters.”

“Because he’s not human, Jocasta! Of course memories will be wiped, witnesses turned into salt pillars…”

“Anne,” I said abruptly. “I really ought to go. Good night.”

And with that, I hung up.

     After taking a few deep breaths and wiping my hands on my apron, I headed into the sitting room, forcing a smile on my face. “Hello…how goes the evening so far?”

     Dr. Yair looked up at me like he had heard every word of our conversation, but there was no judgement in his eyes. Instead he said, quite calmly:

     “We’ve had quite an enjoyable evening. Much better than that party at the mayor’s the other day, if I must tell you the truth.”

“I’m quite glad to hear that.”

     The professor glanced up at the clock, then at his assistant. “Ah…we should turn in soon. Though, Reverend, would you mind showing us around your house first? I take a great interest in architecture, and yours is quite fascinating.”

Matthew laughed, and rose. “It’s a little plain, a little old, but sure, if you want to.”

     Dr. Yair and Jack Crowley followed him out. I glanced at the clock as well; it was indeed getting late. Already completely dark outside…

“Come, Luke, Rebecca, it is well past your bedtime. You should be asleep by now.”

As I tucked them in bed, however, Luke said to me, “That mister looked scary at first, but he’s actually really nice.”

“Is that so?” I murmured, giving him a good night kiss.

“Yes,” Rebecca chimed in. “He’s very nice. He doesn’t look at us the way other adults do.”

“I’m glad to hear that you like him, dear. Well, good night.”

     I closed the bedroom door behind me, and Anne’s words about him murdering us in our sleep echoed through my mind once more. I tried to think of something else. Through the window at the end of the hallway, I saw my husband as well as our two guests standing outside, as if inspecting something. Dr. Yair looked up at me and gave a wave. I waved back. He then turned and said something to his assistant, and they both moved out of sight.

I felt chilled to my bones.

     Just then, the men came back in, still talking. I met them with my hands clasped and a smile on my face. “If you want, I’ll show you to your rooms now.”

“Thank you, madam. Yes, that would be lovely.”

As I closed the bedroom door behind Nathan Yair, I said, “Good night.”

“And you as well.”

Was it just me, or were there more shadows in the room than usual?

     I knew I shouldn’t have listened to Anne. I tried to tell myself that she was just an old gossip, but…no. I had to find out for myself. So I called her again.

“Anne,” I said, sitting at my desk with a map out and several books around me, “Can you run over the list that your husband and the others came up with again?”

As my fingers traced the places on the map, even the candlelight seemed to waver in fear.

Because everything that Anne had told me just now was true.

     Dr. Nathan Yair was held as a prestigious professor, but truth be told, had I ever heard of him before he came to our little town of Arlingwood? The places that he mentioned he had been before, I saw only ghost towns on the map. Among the rumors that had been hidden from us, I could only assume that there was news of disappearances and flames. And if this pattern followed, then that meant…

Dr. Yair had come to Arlingwood to destroy us.

“Matthew?” I called, a tremble in my voice. “Matthew, are you there?”

He opened the door. “Yes, dear? I’m just adding some notes to the sermon and then preparing for bed.”

“Ah…all right. I’ll be there soon.”

“Was there anything you wanted?”

I swallowed. “No, no. It’s nothing.”

     “All right. Thank you for the lovely meal tonight, dear. You did wonderfully.” He gave me a gentle kiss on the cheek, then gave me a hug around the shoulders. “Don’t stay up too late. You must be tired.”

“Yes…I’ll come right to bed.”

     But sleeping, if anything, seemed to make everything worse. Vivid dreams haunted my mind, of fire and salt and filled with grotesque screams…

When I saw Luke and Rebecca, I jolted awake.

     As I sat there in bed, I could only hear the ticking of the clock on the wall and Matthew’s gentle breathing besides me. Lighting a candle, I saw that only a few hours had passed. 

     To calm my beating heart, I went to go check on Luke and Rebecca. Both were sound asleep. Good. They were safe…for now.

     Outside, a tree branch creaked quite soundly, its black shadow moving across the window. Why was everything so frightful at night? I told myself that it was all nothing. Nothing at all. Just a nightmare. Nothing more.

The phone rang again. I jumped, and quickly darted to the kitchen. “Anne?”

Her voice was faint on the other end. “Jocasta…you are awake. Good. Please, listen to my words…”

“I’m listening.” I held the phone closer to my ear. “What is it?”

“You must do as I tell you, if we all want to live. Here, look around in your kitchen…”

I listened, I nodded, I made sounds of agreement. Then I hung up the phone, and was left in silence.

The night had never felt so terrifying before.

     Sliding open a kitchen drawer, I found a knife. The sharp kind that draws blood with a single touch. One that I used for chopping up the toughest meat.

     As I crept upstairs, I tried to hold my breath. I felt as if my heartbeat was loud enough for the whole world to hear. Every single creak that the stairs brought nearly caused me to impale myself on the blade.

     As I approached the professor’s room, I blew out the candle, and set it on a stand. The door opened with less than a creak, and I stepped inside.

     Light breathing against the dark. He was sleeping on his side, the top of his shirt unbuttoned. I approached, praying that he would not wake.

     But just as I lifted the knife, he grabbed my arm and sat up. “Ah, madam,” he said, gently lowering the weapon. “You’re just in time. I didn’t want to trouble you to wake me up, but here you are.” He reached for his glasses and swung his legs off the side of the bed. “Could you go wake Mr. Crowley for me, please? Tell him that it is time.”

“I…of course. Will you be wanting your coat as well?”

“I would be most grateful to you, madam. Greet your husband for me, please, and apologize for our abrupt leave.”

He gave me that reassuring smile of his, and I left, closing the door behind me. 

     The knife in my hand was still a knife, but I no longer knew how to use it. So I set it back where it had come from, lit the candle again, and went to go wake Jack Crowley.

     “You know, madam,” Dr. Yair said to me as I brought him his abnormally heavy coat, “you have a very sharp eye. A sharp eye indeed. But why must you listen to those around you?”

“What do you mean?”

     “It is true that we have come to bring destruction upon Arlingwood. For the Lord has had enough of the rampant evils here. You and your family shall be protected, however, for you have been righteous. I already had Jack sprinkle salt around your home earlier today. It should hold, so long as you don’t cross the boundary.” He looked directly at me. “Do not worry. Your children shall be safe. And your house is located at the very edge of Arlingwood, so you will have avoided most of it.”

“I’m…I don’t know what…”

     “Then don’t say anything. Mrs. Carnell, I must thank you again for your hospitality tonight. We will surely remember your kindness. Jack? Are you ready?”

     “Of course, sir.” Jack Crowley seemed rather somber as he put his cap back on. “Thank you, ma’am. That dinner was excellent.”

As I opened the door, I finally managed, “It was a pleasure meeting you. Stay safe out there.”

Nathan Yair smiled. “Of course.”

Out in the moonlight, the shadow of his coat seemed to take the form of a large pair of wings.

     “What’s going on?” Matthew asked from behind me, rubbing his eyes. “Have they left already? You should move away from the door; it’s getting cold.”

I nodded, my mind still numb. “I’ll be right there.”

“What are you thinking about?”

Outside, it seemed that I could already see the shadows of the flames that were rising.