Umbrella Man: Happy Birthday

The party hall looked as though it was to be the site of a magnificent event. Streamers wafted in the breeze, and clusters of black and pink balloons hung around the pillars of the hall.

The doors to the hall were flung wide to make easy entry, and the windows were open to let the light of the setting sun flood the space.

The party table was bedecked with all varieties of foods, from cakes to cream-pies, from bars of chocolate to loaves of candy-bread, from fizzing red soda to smooth brown milk. The table was able to seat a hundred people at the very least, and each one could eat till they were bursting and still food would be left over.

High about the table, lights slowly changed colour, from hazy blue to a playful violet, and then to a sickly green...

But these lights were wasted, as were the decorations and the bountiful food - wasted on the solitary member of the party - the host.

He sat at the head of the table, the breath slowly rasping from his mask, his hollow eyes gazing down the table, inspecting each empty chair with interest as his black gloved fingers lay twined together, in front of an empty plate.

The setting sun slowly sank lower over the horizon, and the rays slowly danced down the wall as Umbrella Man sat alone, his umbrella propped against the table.

Without warning, he rose to his feet, and raised his hands for silence, reaching down a moment later to scoop his glass of black champaign into his grip and held it aloft.

He spoke to the deserted hall, his words reverberating from the brick columns.

"My friends, a moment of silence if you will, as I wish to make a speech. I shall not keep you from your food for long I assure you."

He lowered his hand and held the black liquid before him as it bubbled and fizzed under the motion. At the same time, he snapped his fingers and the artificial lights went off, so only the dusk light and the candles of the cake remained shining.

"Firstly, I would like to welcome you all here... it is wonderful to see such a turn-out on this, my most special day, my birthday..." He waited for the silent cheering to subside.

"You represent the best of my friends... those who cared, those who wanted, but most importantly, those who remembered..."

He nodded and once again raised his glass aloft.

"I know, I know, and I am very grateful for each and every one of you." He couldn't help but hide the note of bitterness in his voice.

"I didn't ask for much on this, my birthday... only that you remembered. It was all I asked... and I can see now how my devotion has been rewarded." He looked around the empty hall.

"Therefore... I propose a toast, to you, my friends..." He raised the cup as high as it would go before tilting it back and pouring it through the holes in his mask filter.

"And now!" He said triumphantly as he sat back down and faced the burning candles on the cake before him as they burned still lower...

"To blow out the candles..."

As he leaned forward, the sun disappeared beneath the horizon... As he breathed softly on the flames, they too were extinguished, and the room was plunged into utter darkness...

And then there was only the echoing whisper...

"Happy Birthday..."