[ WP ] A police officer releases a criminal sociopath each night from prison to clean up the streets .

The night was very calm and quiet; the town was silent but for the soft clopping of the lamptender ’ s horse across the cobbles. It was gone midnight, and the citizens of the town were all in their houses. 
 
 The little town was exceedingly respectable, and took pride in the fact; the houses, each with a prim slate roof, were all a cheerful shade of pastel, many with flowers growing on the walls or in small beds in the front. The main street ran up the hill, the stony road passing between the multitude of jolly shops on each side. At this time of night, the shops were naturally all shut; in the daytime, however, they were ablaze with colour and a cacophony of light. 
 
 The lamptender, having completed his rounds, drove his cart placidly to the stables and took himself off to bed. It was now one o ’ clock, and the town was entirely silent; even the bats and night-time birds were foraging elsewhere. In the town square, the door to the police-house was opened, and a man in a navy overcoat emerged, pulling on his gloves as he came down the steps. He smarted slightly at the cold, and whistled softly. He turned and made a laughing comment to the person inside the police-house, and then hastily closed the door as a shout of outrage demanded that ‘ stop that goddamned draught! ’ 
 
 The policeman stamped once or twice, stretching after a long time sitting, then strode off to the other side of the square. The town square was not very large. In the centre was a fountain, the surface of which was thinly frozen over; around the edges were a medley of pleasant restaurants and the various official buildings –the registration offices, the lawyers ’ court- and the town hall, an imposing building, at least by the town ’ s standards, made from sandstone. It took up nearly a whole side of the square by itself. It was all immaculate and supremely peaceful, as though it had come from a fairytale picturebook, thought the policeman. Winter always made him feel strangely nostalgic and romantic, and he enjoyed his night-time patrols. 
 
 He stopped at the corner furthest from the police-house, and, without looking around, opened the door of a small building with a one of the keys on a ring that he kept in his pocket. This was the town prison; it was not a big one –when the land was first settled, the town had not had enough inhabitants to need one of any size, and although the population had multiplied greatly since then, the need for a large prison had not- and it held only one person. The policeman walked softly to the first cell, his breath hanging in the air, and knocked quietly. 
 
 ‘ Stefan! ’ He called. ‘ Stefan! ’ 
 
 A bearded face appeared at the grill in the door, wobbling slightly as though its owner was having to stand on tiptoes. 
 ‘ Cedric! ’ Stefan said excitedly. ‘ You came, tonight too! Thank you; thank you so much! ’ 
 
 Cedric, seeming slightly embarrassed, opened the door to the cell and gestured to the light of the square. 
 ‘ It ’ s clean, ’ he said; ‘ It ’ s always clean. But remember, if anyone asks, tell them that you ’ re being permitted to sweep the streets. I- I read that that was allowed once, so it should hold a second time. ’ 
 
 Stefan, though, was not listening. He had walked quickly to the door of the prison, and stood there oblivious of the cold, drawing great breaths of air and looking round with enchanted eyes. 
 
 ‘ It ’ s beautiful! ’ He declared. ‘ Look at the light on the frost- look at the hall, and the moon… ’ His voice tailed off in delight. ‘ I shall paint this, ’ he said resolutely; ‘ I am in here only for another month at the most, and as soon as I am out, I shall paint it. ’ 
 
 Cedric caught Stefan ’ s arm, aghast. ‘ No! Do you not remember what the magistrate said? It ’ s not proper! Stefan, listen to me. You can not carry on with your- your daubings. That is why you are in here. Things have changed, Stefan! The country has a new government. You need to find work- to be productive. You can not continue to dawdle and- ’ The policeman seized his brother by the shoulders and shook him violently, suddenly caught by emotion. 
 ‘ I promised to look after you! If our mother knew that you had been declared a counter-productive sociopath, she- ‘ He broke off. Stefan had turned white, and was gasping. ‘ Stefan? ’ Cedric said, his eyes widening in alarm. ‘ Let's go back to the cell. I think, ’ he added heavily, ‘ that perhaps it would be a good idea to wait until we next go for a stroll. ’ 

