by James Hoch
"Madeline Blackwell," I uttered the repulsive name nervously.
"Yes, that's her name," Jack said as he sat down in a large overstuffed chair.
Sela and I sat close to each other on the sofa. She put her hand on my knee as if to assure me that I could tell them what we knew.
"Well, what do you want to know? I've been aware of her evil and malevolent intentions since I was in junior high."
"Yes, I know what you mean," Vonnie said, walking into the room with three plates of pie. Missy followed her with the other two.
For the next three hours, Sela and I shared our experiences for the past year. Jack and his family also contributed their stories of Madeline's influence.
However, I nudged Sela with my knee when she was about to divulge my supposedly supernatural powers. She got the hint. I was still struggling with the whole prospect of me being somehow a superhero or force or whatever you want to call it to confront Madeline and I didn't think anyone would believe me anyway. The last thing I wanted to be was locked up in a straitjacket somewhere in McKinney, Texas.
Jack looked at his watch and said it was almost midnight. Missy had fallen asleep leaning next to her mother. Sela was fast asleep on my shoulder as well.
Just as Jack stood up, a wolf bayed. Its bloodcurdling sound was especially loud.
"Oh, don't worry. We hear that every night. We have people patrolling the area and they keep our livestock from any harm. The wolves have increased in number along with coyotes. They're all hungry."
"It's not the natural wolves I'm worried about. It's Madeline's demons with glowing red eyes that concern me," I said.
Jack assured us that we'd be fine. I suddenly realized that Jerky had been outside for the longest time and I went to the front door. The cat was curled up in a tight ball on the front porch swing.
"Can she come in?" Sela asked Jack.
"Absolutely," he answered.
I gently reached down and picked Jerky up. The cat purred loudly. "She's our best advanced warning system."
Jack smiled, closed the door and bolted it. "I'll show you to the guest room."
After he left, Sela went into the bathroom and showered. I put Jerky on the bed and waited for my turn. As I walked around the room, a weird creepy feeling welled up inside me. I went to the window. There was a half-moon so there weren't many shadows, but from the edge of a tree line where the shadows morphed into complete darkness, I could see a faint set of red eyes staring at the house.
Chapter 13
Starting with Bloody Super Bowl Sunday, Madeline's power grew exponentially after each tragic event. It wasn't long before chaos and anarchy spread across the globe. The year martial law went into effect in the United States, Madeline Blackwell had assumed power and from that point on there was no stopping the machinations of evil.
Madeline sat on a park bench next to the reflecting pool at the National Mall. Four of her bodyguards remained close behind, all the while scanning the area. A huge grin spread across her face as she thought of the famous quote from John F. Kennedy-"One person can make a difference and every person should try." And Madeline Blackwell did make that difference and without having to try very hard. All she did was give humanity a simple push down a path to destruction.
It wasn't a nuclear bomb.
It wasn't a pandemic.
It wasn't a plague.
It wasn't another world war.
It wasn't even global warming or a new ice age.
It was Madeline…one person who made a difference.
"I bet Mr. Kennedy didn't think that it'd be little ol' me who'd make such a dark difference."
Turning to one of her bodyguards, she said with a lecturing tone, "You know, throughout history, there have been events that have…hmm…shall we say culled the population. I'd say humanity is doing a splendid job of helping out the planet by reducing some of the riffraff. It warms my heart to know that the survivors are eager to try something new. And I will give it to them."
She looked over at the bodyguard whom she was having a one-sided conversation with and saw that all four men were gone. She jumped up scanning the field behind her. No one was in sight.
"Yes, you will give them something new," someone behind her said.
Madeline sighed heavily, recognizing the voice. She turned around and extended her hand. "Hello, Mr. Barker. Nice to see you."
Barker ignored the salutation and sat down on the park bench. "You've done a remarkable job bringing our plan to this point. The events that you have orchestrated have demonstrated some astounding numbers. I am very impressed."
"Thank you, Mr. Barker. It is going very well."
After several minutes of silence, Barker leaned closer to Madeline, making her more uncomfortable. "I take it you discovered a bit of a problem emerging."
Madeline wrinkled her brow, trying to portray a questioning facade. "Not sure what you mean."
Barker stood up slowly from the park bench and began to pace in front of Madeline. "Casey…Heckel Casey. I know you are aware of him and you've been tracking him. That's good. It has come to our attention that he could be the…" Barker stopped and tapped his mouth as if he were hoping the right expression could be coaxed out.
"The proverbial fly in the ointment," Madeline said proudly.
"Yes, that's very good, Ms. Blackwell. I like that. At any rate, your attempts to eliminate him need to be ramped up, and that is precisely why I am here." He continued his pacing in silence. With each pass in front of Madeline, she became more visibly irritated.
"The dogs I sent were almost successful. They took out that stupid friend of his. Then that little thunderstorm I brewed almost did in his new little sweetie," she said with a cocky tone.
Barker clapped his hands in anger producing an earsplitting crack of thunder. "Almost! Almost is never good enough. It cannot be a part of your vocabulary. It means failure. Do I make myself clear?" he said standing directly in front of Madeline.
Taken aback by his sudden, vicious change, she didn't respond.
Barker grabbed the side of her head and squeezed. A dim blue luminescence glowed from around his hands. Madeline went completely limp. Her eyes rolled up into their sockets.
When she awoke, it was dark. Her four bodyguards were behind her.
"Son of a bitch," she mumbled, rubbing her temples. "I feel like shit."
"Can we get you anything, Ms. Blackwell?" one of the bodyguards asked.
Madeline didn't respond. She got up and walked to the black stretch limo parked on the street.
The next morning as Madeline lay in bed visualizing her encounter with Barker, she wondered what he meant by ramping up her efforts. And what the hell did he do to my head! Suddenly, her thoughts focused, sharpened as if they were displayed on a gigantic HD flat-screen TV in her head. "More power," she muttered slowly. She knew what Barker had given her. Special tools! Tools to kill. A sneer of disgust and hatred inched its way across her face. "Heckel," she intoned slowly.
The covers flew off the bed. She got up and walked to the window, all the while feeling her new talents coalesce. Dark clouds flashed across the sky. She placed her head against the window, fixating on the storm brewing.
Humming a singsong, childlike melody, Madeline played with the curtain, slowly twisting it as if she were wringing out a wet towel. "Heckel, Heckel…come out and play with me. I've got some new toys to show you."
The demonic little tune she hummed grew louder and louder.
Chapter 14
The day after arriving in McKinney, Jack took Sela and me to a house he thought we'd like. He kidded with us saying the owners were eager to sell and that the down payment was very affordable. I asked what the interest rates were like, and he thought we'd have no trouble getting a loan. Banks were practically giving houses away. It was a few blocks away from his. There was even a barn out back for the horses. It didn't take us long to say yes, especially when Sela heard the word barn. Missy and Sela got the horses secured in t
he barn. Jack turned the water on and made sure we had some hurricane lamps with a supply of oil.
At one point when Jack and I were alone in the house, standing in the kitchen, he stood in front of me and asked, "Heckel, do you believe in…um…the supernatural?"
Biting my lip nervously, I looked down and mumbled, "Excuse me?"
"Things we can't exactly explain by science. You know…the supernatural, like those bikers who were after you."
Funny how the subject of those possessed bikers never came up last night at dinner. I know Sela and I didn't want to bring it up.
"Ah, those bikers," I mumbled as I walked into the living room. "Yes, given everything that's happened, I do believe there is something going on that is more supernatural than natural. Why are you asking?"
Jack put his hand on my shoulder, turned me around and whispered, "Are you sent here to lead us?"
Whoa! I took a step back. His question hit me hard, reminding me of the time in geometry class when the teacher asked me to name all the theorems for something or other. My palms got sweaty and my heart beat faster.
"Um…not sure what you are talking about, Jack," I said haltingly.
"It's become pretty evident that something weird is going on. I mean besides the bikers, we've had other bizarre incidents, such as horrible violent storms, packs of wolves, and…a…" Jack's voice became faster and more agitated as he listed all of Madeline's attacks. He presented his case as if he were the most experienced lawyer Texas ever saw.
After a while, I found a chair to sit down in as Jack paced around the room presenting his theories.
At one point, he stopped in front of me and asked, "What the hell does she have against little old McKinney, Texas? I mean…for Chrissake there are numerous other little cities around, why is she attacking us? Why are we of any importance?"
The answer hit me like a test-car dummy hitting a wall. Attack the town, attack me. She knew I was coming here and that these people would help me.
When he was done, I said, "Listen, I know what you are talking about. We have experienced many of the same attacks from Madeline. She must be out to exterminate mankind or something. She's done a pretty good job of it so far, I'd say." Now there was a brilliant deduction! I felt like an idiot.
"That's why we have to stop her and maybe you were sent to lead the charge," Jack said putting his hand on my shoulder.
I was about to jump up and ask why he thought I was 'the Chosen One,' words that seemed so cliche and Hollywood, when Sela, standing in the doorway to the living room calmly said, "Heckel, he's right, you know. Tell him."
Caught. Sela was absolutely right. I paused and guardedly asked, "Tell him what?"
"Heckel, you know what I mean. Tell him what you have done. The power that you control," she said sternly walking up to me. "We can trust these people. I know it."
I paced the room in silence for the longest time. Finally, I stood in front of the large picture window and narrated all the ways I, more or less, attacked Madeline back. After each account, Sela would elaborate and give her take on what I did. It felt like I was again in a courtroom with my defense lawyer bolstering my deposition. I don't know why it felt like I was in a courtroom; I'd never had to hire a lawyer or anything. It must have been from watching too many law shows on TV.
When I was done spilling my guts, I asked, "Now what?" as I threw my hands up in the air, pleading for an answer.
No one said a word. I didn't realize it, but at some point Missy had joined our little group. She was the one who finally said, "You take one day at a time, and you'll figure it out. We'll help you."
I smiled at her, feeling as if the weight of the world were strapped to my shoulders. Right, easier said than done. Figure it out? Figure what out? I felt completely useless and afraid. Now other people were getting sucked into this…battle or war or whatever you want to call it.
Jack sensed I was upset and said, "Heckel, if it's any consolation, I'm behind you and I think this entire town will be at your side."
Great, more pressure. Sela flashed me a warm, comforting smile. I sat down next to her, and Jerky, my personal bodyguard, came strolling into the room, jumped in my lap and began purring.
Vonnie walked in and said, "How's it going?"
I burst out laughing, followed by the others. "Oh, just fine," I said.
"What'd I miss?" Vonnie asked.
"I'll fill you in later, honey," Jack said, standing up. "How about some lunch?"
With all in agreement, we went over to Jack's house. The conversation at lunch gravitated toward more mundane topics as well as funny stories. Thoughts of Madeline kept pushing into my head.
After lunch, Sela and I moved all our meager belongings over to the new house. She let the horses out into an adjacent field. I lay down and fell asleep.
Over the last year or so, all my dreams seemed to center around Oregon. In the past, I would have dreams where I was on the coast, enjoying the ocean views, while other times I was in the mountains. None of those dreams ever had any bad things going on. In those dreams, I was always alone and not feeling threatened in any way. However, the dreams I had during this nap were much more focused. I stood on a large field, surrounded by trees. At first, I was alone. One by one, people materialized behind me, carrying a myriad of weapons-pitchforks, swords, clubs, guns and spears. The power, which I had felt seethe inside me during that storm or when the Madeline avatars appeared, burst forth like a floodgate opening. A bright blue ball flew from my chest; two other ones shot out of my hands.
I yelled and sat up. My arms flew up into the air, flailing like one of those wacky tall inflatable arm-waving tube men at car dealerships.
"It's okay," Sela said, putting her arm around me. "You just had a bad dream."
I was panting so hard from yelling.
She hugged me tighter. "What was it about?"
"Oregon. We have to go to Oregon."
Over the next several weeks, Sela and I both found ways to help out working around the town. The town leaders had done a remarkable job with the whole business of food, such as storing, preserving and allocating. I was really impressed how everyone contributed in some way or another. I had always been pretty good working with wood, so I joined a group of carpenters who currently had a project building wagons. Sela enjoyed working with the assortment of animals, including goats, chickens and cattle. She assisted a couple of the town's veterinarians as well.
One afternoon walking home, Sela asked, "When do you think we can start heading out to Oregon?"
"Hmm…I'd say maybe in a few months-as soon as spring starts to show itself."
"Do you think they'll come?" she asked.
"Who? Jack and his family?"
"No, I mean the whole town."
I stopped, looked at her and laughed. "What? You're kidding right? Why would they do that?"
"No," she said punching my arm. "I'm serious. I think the whole town will follow you."
"Sela, that's nuts. Why would they?"
"Because they believe in you," she said, turning and walking.
I froze. My stomach got those pesky butterflies again. They kept finding their way inside. Obviously, by now there must have been numerous road signs or Google maps to my belly. I'm still not ready for this, I thought.
As if she could read my mind, Sela said, "You will be."
Great. Now I have a mind reader on my team. Hell, I didn't even know I had a team.
We walked up the front porch stairs and Jerky met us at the top step.
"Hello, Jerky. How's my trusted alarm system?"
The cat rubbed its head on my leg and purred.
"Looks like all is secure and no bad guys coming." The minute I said those words, I got a chilling sensation and a terrible taste in my mouth. I looked to the east, down the road we came in on, and stared intently.
"Everything all right?" Sela asked.
I didn't say anything.
The next three months progressed without any incid
ents. We continued to make great friends. Besides all the hard work, the town knew how to have a good social gathering. We'd have barn dances, bingo and potlucks. It was during a warm early spring evening that the evil returned.
It was a little before six o'clock. Sela and I were helping out at the barbecue, passing out potato salad. Everyone was in great spirits, most likely because of the return of warmer weather. A bluegrass band was playing a rollicking tune when one of the scouts came running into the field. Gunshots immediately erupted.
"Everyone get inside quickly," someone shouted.
Sela and I ran up to the teenager who came running into the field.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Snakes. Thousands of rattlesnakes are coming up from holes out at the edge of town. They're coming this way!" After reporting his gruesome news, he ran off. More shots disrupted the festivities.
I stood looking out at the direction of the evil approaching. I had that funny taste in my mouth. Sela stood next to me and gently took my hand. She didn't say anything.
That funny feeling within me began to grow. It wasn't the butterflies; it was the power. I let go of Sela's hand and said, "Go back to the house."
"Not a chance," she said. "I'm staying with you."
"You need to take care of Jerky. We can't lose her."
Sela didn't move and flashed me a determined look.
"Please. I don't want to lose either of you. I'll be fine. I can take care of this," I said holding her hand.
She kissed me tenderly and said, "Okay. I know you can."
I hugged her tightly.
As she ran off toward the house, she turned one last time, flashed a big smile and hollered, "Send them all back to hell!"
That smile seemed to fuel the power inside me and I marched defiantly toward Madeline's latest assault.
When I got to the field, I was stunned by the magnitude of snakes. The scout who announced the attack didn't quite have the numbers correct. It was more like millions of snakes and there weren't just rattlesnakes. There were cobras, black mambas, vipers, coral snakes and some I didn't even recognize. Where in the hell were they coming from? There aren't any cobras in Texas. Then I saw something that really made the hairs on the back of my neck stand erect. I even shook my head, thinking I wasn't focusing right, that maybe my eyes had something in them. Nope, they were fine.
