The Chaser is a short story written by John Collier, first published in 1941. It tells the tale of a young man named Alan Austen, who is desperate to find a cure for his elderly uncle's failing health. In his search for a solution, Alan turns to a mysterious figure known only as the Chaser, a man who claims to have a potion that can cure any ailment.
As the story begins, we are introduced to Alan, a young man who is deeply concerned about his uncle's health. His uncle is an elderly man who is suffering from a variety of ailments, including a heart condition and a kidney disorder. Despite the best efforts of the doctors, the uncle's health continues to decline and Alan is desperate to find a way to save him.
One day, while walking through the streets of London, Alan meets the Chaser, a mysterious man who claims to have a potion that can cure any ailment. Intrigued by the Chaser's offer, Alan agrees to purchase the potion, even though he is skeptical of its effectiveness.
The Chaser tells Alan that the potion must be taken at exactly midnight, and that he must recite a special incantation while drinking it. Despite his reservations, Alan agrees to follow the Chaser's instructions and sets out to try the potion.
As the night wears on, Alan becomes more and more anxious about the potion's effectiveness. He paces the floor of his uncle's room, waiting for the stroke of midnight. Finally, the moment arrives and Alan takes the potion, reciting the incantation as instructed.
To Alan's surprise, the potion seems to work. His uncle's health begins to improve almost immediately and he is soon back on his feet, much to Alan's relief. However, as the days pass, Alan begins to notice strange changes in his uncle's behavior. He becomes increasingly agitated and paranoid, convinced that someone is trying to kill him.
Despite Alan's best efforts to calm his uncle down, the old man's paranoia only seems to grow. Eventually, Alan realizes that the Chaser's potion may have had unintended consequences and he sets out to track down the mysterious figure to try and reverse the effects.
As he searches for the Chaser, Alan discovers that the man is a fraud and that the potion he sold him was nothing more than a placebo. Disheartened, Alan returns home and tries to come to terms with the fact that he may have made a terrible mistake in trusting the Chaser.
In the end, The Chaser is a cautionary tale about the dangers of trusting strangers and the importance of careful decision-making. It serves as a reminder to always be cautious and to think things through before making a decision that could have serious consequences.
