by James Hoch
We both sat in silence for a long time munching on our combined food sources and staring at the candle. Occasionally, a burp or soft moan could be heard as we enjoyed the food.
Jerky finished off her dinner, following it with an extensive grooming session. When she was done, she curled up on my backpack and went to sleep.
After dinner was over, I stretched out on the floor. Leonard leaned back against the wall. He moved some of the boxes and other debris to create a cushion for himself.
"I can't remember the last time I actually slept in a bed," he said, still trying to arrange the cardboard.
"I know what you mean. My back wouldn't know what to do if it had a nice comfortable mattress to stretch out on. I'd probably sleep for days."
We each recounted the various horrible places that we had to sleep in or on. After about an hour, Leonard looked intently at the candle and muttered, "It's all that bitch's fault."
"Huh?" I asked, raising myself up on my elbows. Jerky lifted her head slightly to express her indignation for being disturbed.
"What?" Leonard replied.
"You said it was all that bitch's fault. Who is the bitch?"
It took Leonard a long time to respond. I waited patiently. His facial features formed a nasty look as if he just tasted rotten, maggot-filled meat.
He hesitated, almost reluctant to say the name. I wondered if he were afraid to say the name, thinking that if he said the name, the vile bitch would appear. For some reason, I thought of the old movie, Candyman. In that story, if a person stood in front of a mirror and said the name Candyman three times, he would appear and kill you. Finally, Leonard found the strength to spit out the bitch's name.
"Madeline Blackwell."
Chapter 2
Yup, I knew it and yes, it was the same bitch that unilaterally and unequivocally was responsible for the collapse of our society. She was the same unadulterated evil that I ran into several times, the first being in ISS way back in junior high. Madeline and her little sycophants over the years brought about the numerous destructive events that caused the collapse of everything.
"I know this Madeline Blackwell," I said with disgust dripping on each word. I found my usual upbeat smile turn into a nauseated curl of the lip.
Leonard looked at me with an increased seriousness. He reached into his pack to bring out another candle. He waited until the first candle was nearly extinguished before lighting the new one.
"How do you know her?" he asked with a slight tremble to his voice.
"I first met her…sort of…when I was in junior high. She messed with the minds of all the kids that were in ISS with me, but for some reason she wasn't able to get into my head and my parents got me out of school before she could find out why I was different. When did you run into the malevolent Miss Blackwell?"
Leonard settled back into the cardboard, trying to get comfortable. "I first met her way back when she was probably seven or eight years old. I was a new doctor, fresh out of med school. I think it was about 1975. Her mother brought her in for an examination one day. Madeline was a pretty, charming young girl."
I wrinkled my forehead, trying to do some math regarding her age. I was about to interrupt when Leonard shook his head as if he knew what I was thinking.
"I know what you're thinking. She doesn't age. She should look like a woman in her early fifties. Instead, she looks perpetually like she is in her late twenties."
That's exactly what I had observed before the collapse. Every time I would see her on the news or in the media somewhere, she looked exactly the same as when I first encountered her when I was thirteen.
"So, what was Madeline like as a six-year-old?" I asked, sitting up with my legs crossed.
Leonard explained that his first examination of her was very uneventful. "She seemed like a normal six-year-old. Her mother brought her in for a checkup. I looked her over and Madeline was the picture of good health. She seemed like a normal, happy six-year-old. However, later that year, something happened that made my blood turn to ice. I was in the local drugstore and spotted Madeline standing in front of the candy rack. Madeline turned around and glared at the woman behind the desk for the longest time. I watched as she picked up a handful of chocolate bars and started walking out. The cashier started to speak, but was immediately silenced by Madeline, who turned to stare at her as if she were sending a laser beam into the woman's brain. The woman's eyes rolled up into her head. I wanted to do something to stop…whatever she was doing to the woman, but I was in shock and couldn't move. After what seemed like an eternity, Madeline simply smiled at the cashier and walked out of the drugstore. From that moment on, I knew there was something evil about that little girl."
I hung onto every word Leonard spoke. I shivered after that first accounting and looked around to find anything I could cover up with. I saw an old curtain on the floor over by the window. Hurrying, I grabbed the cloth and sat back down next to Jerky who only lifted one eye to see what I was doing.
Leonard yawned, and commented on how it was getting chillier each evening. "Hope it's not an early winter. I was planning to get to the West Coast before the snow flies. Looks like I'll have to head south. Maybe get down to Arizona or something. Then head up north."
"Yeah, me too. So, tell me more about the early days of Madeline. The more I know about this…whatever she is…the more I can defeat her," I stated confidently.
"Defeat her?" Leonard asked incredulously, followed by a slight snigger. "Yeah, right. Highly doubtful."
I debated whether I should tell Leonard about my little secret. Something happened to me a few months back. Leonard's the first person I've encountered since my discovery.
He looked at me as if I had sprouted another head. "Are you insane? You can't stop the evil that enshrouds her. She is a master at deceit and deception. I've heard the stories as well as saw with my own eyes what she is capable of. She is not human."
"Can you tell me anything else about Madeline's early days?" I asked, hearing the first light drops of rain hitting the sidewalk outside. That rain-on-the-concrete smell drifted in and filled the room.
"Sure glad we found a place to hunker down for the night out of the rain. I miss having weather reports. Whew, I've gotten caught in some real downpours," Leonard said, shifting his weight. "Okay, another story it is. I've got a few more about Madeline before she left the little town I was practicing in."
I nodded my head to encourage him. Having this back-story on Madeline could be helpful, I thought. "Please continue."
"The next time I encountered Madeline was even more traumatic," Leonard said with a slight quaver to his voice. He looked around the room nervously before he continued.
"Madeline's mother came to me for one appointment without Madeline. Her mother's name was…um…oh, shit what was her name?" Leonard scratched his head. "Oh yeah. Her name was Claudia. Nice lady. How she spawned such evil will always remain a mystery."
"Maybe she didn't. Was there a father?" I queried.
"Not that I know of. Claudia never spoke of one and there was no name on any medical forms regarding Madeline. Anyway, Claudia came in to ask several questions. For example, she wondered if it was normal for a child of six to never get sick. I told her that she should feel lucky that she had an extra healthy child."
"What else did she ask?"
Leonard leaned forward and whispered softly, "She asked if Madeline could be possessed."
"Possessed?"
"Yup. Of course, being a man of science I never thought much about the supernatural. Heck, why would I. Oops, I just used your name. Sorry."
I laughed and told him that it happened all the time.
"Of course, I became very interested in why she was asking such a question. She told me of several unusual and creepy things that took place with Madeline. She recounted one time observing Madeline playing with her dolls and they all started to dance and sing. Claudia explained another occurrence that gave me chicken skin."
I
laughed. "Chicken skin?"
"You know, chicken skin. I guess some folks call it goose bumps."
"Funny."
"Well, it sure wasn't funny at the time when she told me how Madeline got mad at her once and all the knives in the kitchen flew at Claudia stopping an inch from her face. After seeing what Madeline did in that drugstore, I never doubted anything Claudia confided in me."
Leonard continued recounting story after story about Madeline. Some of the stories were from Claudia or events that he had witnessed firsthand. As the candle dwindled and the shadows seem to encroach upon us, I almost thought the stories were becoming more farfetched; however, I believed every one that Leonard described. I knew Madeline and what she was capable of.
"Ya know, Heck, our world just let evil walk all over it and consume it. Madeline was the architect and contractor. She found our weakness and manipulated it toward our destruction. Humans have always been a violent species. She simply planted seeds that fostered, nurtured and spread a destructive path like…um…knapweed."
"Knapweed?"
"That purple weed that kills everything and is nearly impossible to eradicate. It was rampant in grassy fields or along roadsides. She planted seeds in us that acted like knapweed. You remember when the killing began."
I watched as the candle was nearly at the point of extinguishing and thought about those early tragic events. My eyelids were getting droopy. I pushed those horrifying details back.
As the last of the flame died out, Leonard said, "Madeline tried to kill me once."
"What happened?"
"She was in high school. I think maybe a junior, not sure. At any rate, she came to me concerned about a growth on her face. It was a harmless mole. I told her that some people considered them beauty marks. She got very upset and said that she couldn't have any blemishes on her face. I asked why and her anger mounted. Everything in the room started to vibrate and increased as she became more agitated. She insisted I take off the mole. I said fine and offered to take the mole off. After I completed the procedure, she became furious about the small incision and ranted about having a scar. I assured her that over time it would go away. That wasn't good enough. She got so angry that a scalpel flew off the table and positioned itself over my jugular vein. Slowly, I felt the knife slice into my skin. I was frozen either from fear or something she did. All my muscles felt stiff and rigid. Sweat beaded on my forehead and ran into my eyes. It was unbelievable."
"How'd you stop her from killing you?" I asked as I heard the rain coming down harder.
"I closed my eyes and simply said, 'Jesus help me.' Well, you'd think I'd turned on a blaring alarm or something. She screamed, covered her ears and ran out of the examination room. The scalpel immediately fell to the ground. It took me a few minutes to recover. My nurse came in and asked if everything was all right. I made up some stupid story about Madeline being afraid of blood. From that point on, I didn't see much of Madeline. She never came back. I heard more stories and gossip about things that had happened at the high school. People did go missing in that little town, probably one too many. I finally had enough after I heard how Claudia died a horrible death. They said it was suicide. She gouged out her eyes, cut her wrists and slit her own throat. I'm not so sure it was suicide after I had experienced Madeline's fury and her use of my scalpel."
I heard him yawn and shift his weight around, no doubt trying to find a comfortable position.
"I'm beat. Enough stories for one evening. We can continue more tomorrow. Sleep well, Heckel. It's a pleasure to have your company."
"Likewise. It's nice to have a friend these days. They are hard to come by. Your stories were very illuminating and helpful. Goodnight, Leonard."
Leonard was already snoring.
His last story was perhaps the worst and I worried I was going to get nightmares. That was assuming I would even be able to fall asleep.
"Goodnight, Jerky."
A soft purring came from the cat.
Before drifting off, I looked out the front door at the dark, rain-soaked night. I shivered at the darkness knowing that it sheathed an evil presence just waiting for the right moment to devour.
Chapter 3
Madeline Blackwell's meteoric march through the ranks of political appointments was nothing less than spectacular. The evil seeds that she planted decades before the gradual meltdown of civilization proved to be valuable. One by one political figures catapulted her to major positions of authority. Her early days in Washington started with a post that was perfect for monitoring evil's progress.
"Congratulations, Miss Madeline, on being appointed Director of Homeland Security. Our country will be a much safer place with you at the helm," a young intern said as he stood in front of the dark-walnut desk.
Madeline Blackwell could tell by the look on his face that he was working hard to suck up and impress. She was sure that he had been one of the kids she had visited years ago and had planted the evil seeds of despair and hatred. Maybe she'd be able to use him after events slipped into motion, she mused. "Thanks, William. I appreciate that. When is the move to Washington?"
"Next week. The movers come on Monday. I've made plane reservations for you to fly out in the afternoon."
"Will you be traveling with me?" Madeline asked with a slightly flirtatious tone, yet still with an air of quiet demure.
"I didn't know I could still work for you," William said nervously.
"Yes, you can, but not as an intern. How would you like to be my executive assistant?"
For a moment, Madeline thought William was going to wet his pants. He practically jumped up and down with excitement.
"I'll take your body's shaking as a yes," she quipped with a laugh.
"Absolutely, Miss Madeline. Thank you so much. I will be the best executive assistant you've ever had," William said, taking Madeline's hand and shaking it to the point that she felt it might be yanked out of its socket.
"Just be certain of that or…" Before Madeline could finish her statement an elderly gentleman stood at the office doorway. He had a black raincoat draped over his arm and held a cane with his left hand.
"Excuse me, is this the office of the future Director of Homeland Security?" he asked with a very slow southern drawl.
William spun around with an eagerness to initiate his new position as executive assistant. "Yes, it is. May I ask your name?"
With a condescending smile, the enigmatic, self-assured man replied, "Harold Barker."
As William was about to inquire further, Madeline stopped him and asked him to finish the travel arrangements to Washington. He nearly tripped over a chair in his eagerness to return to work.
"There's an admirable, hardworking young man. That's a rare thing these days," Harold said softly as he sat in one of the overstuffed chairs facing the desk. He set his raincoat on another chair next to him.
What does this pompous ass want? Madeline wondered. "What can I do for you, Mr. Barker?"
"Please, call me Harold."
She nodded her head slowly and said, "Okay, Harold. How can I help you?"
Harold got up from the chair and walked around the office, looking at the pictures covering the wall, many of them showing Madeline posing with important political figures as well as a few famous entertainers. He stopped in front of a photo of Madeline with her arm around Michael Jackson's waist.
"It is time," he whispered. The tone of those three words may have been spoken softly, but in Madeline's head she heard them as if he had said them with a bullhorn. Her insides twisted with a delight that she hadn't felt in a long time. She could feel a power inside brewing as though it were an indomitable tempest or fierce tornado ready to devastate.
"From this point on, evil will spread across the world and devour it," Harold said, picking up a prized sculpture. "And you will orchestrate its progress. The years of laying the foundation have come to the point where we are ready. The pendulum has begun to swing in our favor."
Madeline remained
silent with a slight grin on her face. She didn't want to be too proud in her achievements so far; however, inside she was ready to flip the switch to unleash anarchy and destruction. It was part of her DNA.
"I have just the event to kick things off…the Super Bowl," she said, laughing at the intended and clever pun.
Harold didn't laugh. Apparently, she thought, he has no sense of humor.
She went on to explain the details of how the Super Bowl would be the first in many events that would lead to the destruction of mankind. She touted the plan as the ultimate push to set a catastrophic domino effect.
When she was done, Harold had returned to his chair, crossed his legs and said, "Splendid. I knew years ago that I made the right decision in picking you. The last time I saw you, you were a charming, beautiful little girl with ringlets of jet-black hair. You've grown to be such a commanding and alluring young woman. I look forward to seeing your considerable talents put to use. Your leadership will be well rewarded."
Harold stood up, put his raincoat on and said goodbye. Madeline watched him as he walked toward the door and slowly vanished in a swirl of smoke.
Seconds later, there was a soft knock at the door. "Come in," she said sternly.
William poked his head in, looked around the room and asked, "Where is Mr. Barker?"
"Come in, William, and close the door," Madeline said with a sinister undertone.
That was the last of the charming young intern. William became something…new.
Chapter 4
Having a large cat walk on you and knead its claws into your chest is definitely one way to get you to wake up.
"Good morning to you too, Jerky. Maybe the next time a simple lick on the nose would be better. Guess it's time to get up," I whispered looking over to see that Leonard had already gotten up.
"Good morning, Heckel. Did you sleep well?" Leonard asked as he came in from the back room. He held up two newly discovered cans and had a triumphant look on his face. How amazing that a simple can of tamales could bring such joy.
