Zeke

by Wodke Hawkinson

  Crying, Sue backed into an autopsy table and cringed away from him. “Why are you doing this to me?” she shrieked. “You’re scaring me!”

  Immediately, a change passed over Zeke’s face and his features settled into an expression of sorrow and remorse. “Oh god, Susie,” he choked, his hands hanging at his sides. “I’m so sorry. It was an automatic response. It comes from my childhood. You see, my dad used to beat me and I’m still not over the effects of it. I just reacted without thinking. I would never hurt you.”

  “But you did hurt me.” Tears ran down her cheeks as she held her arms where he had grabbed her.

  “I didn’t mean to, honey.” Zeke was contrite, his eyes moist. “I didn’t know what I was doing. I kind of lost it there for a minute. Come on, bunny. You know I wouldn’t hurt you on purpose.” He edged over to Sue and timidly put his arms around her. He pulled her to his chest and murmured comforting words into her ear.

  She didn’t resist although all her senses were telling her to run. To get the hell away.

  “Are you okay?” His voice was soft. “Susie?”

  “I can’t breathe.” Her words caught as she wept.

  “Yes, you can. Just calm down now.” He moved his hand in a circle over her back. “Shhhh.”

  Sue took a deep quivering breath. “Why did you do that to me?”

  “Susie.” His voice was stern. “Think back. Who hit who in there? You hit me. After I warned you not to.”

  “Not hard.”

  “Maybe not.” Zeke nodded slowly. “But you can’t blame me for my reflexes. I’m the one who should be mad at you. I was just teasing and you went ballistic on me. You can see that, can’t you?”

  “I guess so.” Her mind scrambled for reason as her emotions leveled off. There was a certain truth to what he said. After all, she struck first. But he’d also made her stick her hand into that hole when he knew she didn’t want to do it.

  “At least I scared away the freaks,” he tried to joke. “Now, let’s both just calm down, chill for a minute. It’ll be okay. Everything’s fine now.”

  He put his arm protectively around her and she let him lead her to the steps. They ascended to the ground floor.

  “Let’s see if we can find a way to get upstairs. I want to see what’s up there.” Zeke smiled at Sue, attempting to placate her.

  Sue was still sniffling as they searched the first level for another set of stairs. She usually enjoyed exploring, but the fun had gone out of it now. She followed meekly.

  Zeke finally sighed and gave up on the adventure. “Okay, honey, we’ll leave.”

  He ushered Sue out of the building and they saw the eerie inhabitants gathered around the van.

  “Get away from there!” Zeke shouted, abandoning Sue on the veranda. He ran crazily toward them with flailing arms. Snatching a rotted board, he swung it menacingly. Slowly, the group backed away and he tossed aside his weapon before flinging open the door to the van.

  “Come on, Sue, get in,” he called to her.

  She picked her way through the vegetation and around the debris on the ground. Sliding into the passenger seat, she pulled the door shut as Zeke ran around to the driver’s side and got in.

  “These people are too weird.” He started the van and revved the engine. Slamming it into gear, he whipped the vehicle around. “We sure can’t stay the night here. They might murder us in our sleep.”

  Sue turned in her seat and watched the asylum recede behind them. Relief washed over her.

  “They acted like zombies. Who could they be?” Sue asked, her feelings still bruised but trying to regain some normality.

  “Zombies. Ha. Well, it would be tempting to say they’re former patients, but that can’t be right because this place closed years ago. I would think most of the old patients would be dead by now, unless they were locked up here when they were children.” Zeke mused. “Nah, they couldn’t be former patients. Probably some kind of cult or something. Maybe homeless people. How the hell would I know?”

  “Maybe they’re ghosts.” Sue shivered.

  “Yeah, right, Sue.” Zeke snickered. “They’re ghosts.” He lit a cigarette and fiddled with the radio, finally settling on NPR.

  Sue rubbed her arms absentmindedly and stared out at the passing fields. She was angry. First, she had to endure the arranged rape, and now his treatment of her in the basement room. Still, she attempted to see things from Zeke’s point of view; the harsh sting was fading a little. She determined to try harder not to irritate him now that she realized what a hair trigger he had. More confusing than anything, however, was her illogical need to hold onto him while simultaneously wanting to run as far away from him as possible. He scared her sometimes but other times he made her feel wonderful. She was convinced she might never find anyone else who saw her the way he did. She thought she understood his fits of temper; he wanted her so much it made him crazy at times, that’s all.

  It had been magical in the beginning, and that amazing first-love feeling was like a narcotic. They might have had their rough spots, but the good times outweighed the bad. Desperately, she hung on, waiting for that sweet feeling to come back around. It just had to.

  The Love of a Good Woman

  Darkness began to descend and a shelf of low-hanging clouds threatened overhead. They drove into sleet about an hour later, and Zeke had to keep stopping to get out and break the ice off the wipers. The defroster might as well have been pumping out cold air for all the good it was doing; the inside of the vehicle was frigid. The road twisted like a snake, edged by close-growing trees on either side, leaving little in the way of a shoulder. Zeke’s mood grew foul.

  “We have to find a place to stop,” he grumbled. “It’s gonna be way too cold to stay in the van tonight.”

  Sue’s hopes immediately rose. A shower and a bed to sleep in sounded like heaven.

  Their headlights picked out a small sign advertising a town just up the road. By the time they pulled onto the main drag, the streets were icing over and cars were sliding out of control. Further travel was impossible.

  Edison turned out to be a sleepy town of about eighty-five hundred people. There were only three motels and the first two they tried refused to rent a room to anyone without a credit card. Luckily, the last one agreed to accept cash. Of course, they had to pay a steep security deposit, which they’d get back at the end of their stay, providing the room had no damage. Sue waited in the van while Zeke made the arrangements.

  “I gotta admit, this is the way to go,” Zeke announced as he tossed his bag on the chair. “It’s a nice change, but not something we can afford to do every night.”

  The room was shabby, but clean, the bed neatly made with a garish yellow and green floral spread. A square bedside table held a phone, an ashtray, a book of matches, and flyers for local restaurants and attractions. Faded brown curtains hung despondently over the only window, billowing out on occasion from the fan on the heater below. Near the door sat a tattered maroon recliner, its upholstery shiny with wear. Along one wall was a small built-in counter with an old television, an ice bucket, and some paper-wrapped glasses. The pink-tiled bathroom was small, but had a deep tub and fresh towels. Although the motel had seen better days, Sue couldn’t have been more grateful if someone had handed her keys to a penthouse suite.

  Zeke fiddled with the heater and soon luxurious warmth filled the room. His mood improved immediately.

  “Since we’re splurging, how about we order a pizza?” He picked up the phone as Sue agreed enthusiastically.

  She decided to take a hot bath while they waited for the delivery of their food. She felt filthy from her encounter with Billy and Tim. Plus, the moldy smell from the old hospital clung to her, and she was covered in dust and grime.

  Zeke was solicitous, even volunteering to carry in the rest of their things. He encouraged her to stay inside where it was warm. It looked like the good times had returned.

  He kissed her when he came back in, his lips cold and his
hair dripping with freezing water. He set their sacks and cases in the corner, and shrugged out of his wet coat.

  Without waiting for the request, Sue dug in her purse and handed Zeke money for the pizza before heading to the bathroom. When she sank into the deep tub of warm water, she sighed with pleasure. She imagined watching television later, snuggled close under the warm blankets. They’d buy snacks and treats from the vending machines in the lobby, and eat a hot breakfast in a home-style café the next morning. She thought about washing their stinking clothes in the Fast Wash Laundromat they had passed, breathing in its steamy air filled with the scents of detergent and fabric softener.

  The incident with Tim and Billy, and Zeke’s earlier outburst, were dark spots in her reverie. But she pushed them from her mind as she slid down in the tub and soaked the tension from her muscles.

  When she came out of the bathroom, the spicy aroma of pizza made her mouth water. She and Zeke sat on the bed and watched television as they ate. The motel room took on a homey feel. Sue pretended for a moment that they were in a small cozy apartment, and that she and Zeke lived there together. She took pleasure in this fantasy. He looked at her suddenly and she wondered if he was reading her mind. He winked at her and she smiled.

  After they ate their fill, Zeke disappeared into the bathroom, leaving the door open a crack. She soon heard the sound of water running in the shower. When she was sure he was busy, she picked up the phone and hurriedly dialed.

  “Mom?” Sue’s voice was tentative and she spoke softly so Zeke wouldn’t hear her.

  “Susie! Oh, honey!” Her mother wept for a moment, then called to Sue’s dad. “Frank! Susan’s on the phone.”

  “Let me talk to her!” Sue heard her father’s voice in the background and it gave her an unpleasant feeling of shame as images of Ernie popped into her head.

  “I don’t have time to talk to him,” Sue said quickly. “Mom, please settle down. I need to tell you something.”

  “Oh, Susie, come home! Where are you? We’ll come get you,” cried her mother. “Just tell me where you are.”

  For one brief moment, Sue considered telling them. Imagined them coming after her, taking her safely home. But then she thought about Zeke and how much she loved him, in spite of recent events. When she spoke, it was to tell her parents she was where she wanted to be.

  “It’s okay. I’m in a motel. But, Mom, I don’t want to come home,” Sue said in a low voice. “I’m living my own life now, okay? I just called to tell you I’m fine so you wouldn’t worry. And to say I love you both.”

  She could still hear her parents’ excited voices as she laid the phone gently back in its cradle.

  “Sue?” Zeke called from the bathroom. “What are you doing?”

  Sue froze. Had he heard her?

  Then, her fears were allayed when he continued, “Come in here and wash my back for me.”

  “Okay, coming.”

  When she entered the room, Zeke pulled back the shower curtain and she stared at his body, glistening under the spray. Everything about him was beautiful, she thought. So symmetrical, so lean, so sensuous, so graceful, so strong. She couldn’t give him up, she just couldn’t. She’d made the right decision to remain. As she watched him, he eyed her knowingly and reached down to fondle his privates. An invitation.

  Sue undressed hurriedly and stepped into the shower. She soaped his back, felt his muscles yield beneath her fingers. He turned around and she lathered the front of his body, lingering over his chest. Moving her hands over his abdomen and lower, Sue felt her pulse race. He backed under the spray and rinsed off, then grabbed her thigh, hoisting it up. Kneeling slightly, he worked his way upward and they clung together under the warm water, moving slowly as the sounds of their passion echoed off the tile.

  Afterwards, they tenderly dried each other and crawled into bed. Sue experienced that odd mixture of exquisite bliss and piercing sorrow that became more pronounced the further she got from home. Everything would be fine, she told herself. Zeke was relaxed now and things were calm. All he needed was her love, and his mood swings would level out. The love of a good woman has changed many a man, she assured herself.

  “You ever think about marriage, Susie?” Zeke’s voice was dreamy.

  She felt a warm softening inside. “Sure,” she replied, scared to say too much. Worried he wouldn’t go on.

  “Well, someday, we might want to settle down and get married. Have a nice house of our own, maybe raise a couple of little Zekes. I’m going to ask you to marry me someday, bunny, as soon as we get all the running out of our systems. When that time comes, I hope you’ll say yes.”

  “You know I will,” Sue whispered happily.

  Over her shoulder, Zeke couldn’t help but smirk. He repressed his scorn, held his silence, and let the moment flow.

  Curled around each other, warm and sated, they slept like hibernating animals, waking only once to make love before falling back to sleep.

  The Greater Evil

  Will Falstaff’s cell phone rang. He picked up to hear Roxie’s excited voice.

  “Will, the girl called home,” she said. “I just got off the phone with her father.”

  “Tell me they got a phone number.” Will prayed the Cox family had at least made the small concession to modern conveniences and gotten caller ID.

  “Sorry. They don’t have caller ID.” Roxie heard the disappointment in Will’s sigh.

  “What did the girl say?”

  “She didn’t talk long, and she whispered like she was afraid of being overheard. But she said she was okay and that she didn’t want to come home. She also said they were in a motel.”

  Roxie answered Will’s next question before he asked. “No. She didn’t give the name or the town. She hung up before they had a chance to ask her much of anything.”

  “Damn. I thought we might get lucky.” Will realized he was chasing a young woman who would probably refuse to talk to him, much less allow him to take her home to her parents. Nonetheless, he had a bad feeling about this situation.

  “In light of what she told her parents, do they still want me to continue?”

  “Absolutely. They’re more determined than ever to find her.”

  “Good. So am I.”

  He didn’t intend to give up until he saw her face to face and heard from her own mouth that she wanted to stay with this character. If that happened, Will would make a decision about how to proceed. It might well be the lesser of two evils to subject her to prosecution in order to get her out of the clutches of this ghost, a man Will was beginning to regard as the greater evil.

  Will pulled his thoughts together and mentally reviewed his schedule. “Okay, here’s what I want you to do. I’ve already stopped for the night and I’m too wasted to drive anymore, not safely anyway. You bring in Melvin, offer double pay. Both of you start calling all motels within two hundred miles of my location.” Will read the address from a small notepad on the bedside table. “Are you still at the office?”

  “No, but I’m dressing as we speak.”

  Will briefly considered Roxie’s attire, or lack thereof, and paused as a salacious image popped unbidden into his mind. With a shake of his head, he brought himself back to the subject at hand and told her what questions to ask the motel clerks. He knew she could figure this out on her own but he desperately wanted to find this girl. He sensed she wasn’t as safe as she might think.

  “Okay, got it,” Roxie agreed to his tactics.

  “Anything else going on that needs my attention?” Will asked, though he couldn’t bring himself to care much at this time. Still, they were partners and he needed to be kept apprised of all their business dealings.

  “We’re still working on the Morris Industries case, but haven’t gotten far. Oh, and we got a call. Cheating spouse thing.”

  “I hate those kinds of cases.” Will sighed and drummed his fingers on the cheap blonde nightstand.

  “Me, too,” Roxie agreed.

  “B
ut, we took it, didn’t we?”

  “Of course. I’ll give you more info tomorrow. Right now I’m gonna head back to the office and get Melvin on the line.”

  “Good luck.” Will signed off, knowing they’d need all the luck they could get to find Sue.

  Will sat on the side of the bed, thinking. Unless he got new info he would still take the time to explore the abandoned asylum that was next on his list of possible stops for the pair.

  Stripping to his boxers, Will climbed between the thin motel sheets. He tossed and turned for some time before sleep spread its net over his mind and dragged him into oblivion.

  Candy is Dandy

  The next morning, Sue awakened to a series of soft kisses leaving a delicious trail of excitement down her back. Stretching luxuriously, she rolled from her side to her belly, burying her face in the pillow. She detected a faint trace of bleach on the case and it reminded her of home. She hurriedly pushed the thought aside.

  Zeke’s mouth moved lower and her heartbeat accelerated as she mentally followed his trail down. Gently cupping her bottom, he covered her cheeks with soft kisses. She felt tingling warmth spread through her pelvis and down her legs.

  Drifting on the sensations – her eyes sleepy, the touch of Zeke’s lips, the clean scent of bleach, and the warm mattress beneath her – she was awash in pleasure. Her ecstasy was shattered by a sharp pain on her left buttock. The shock propelled her off the bed, her foot accidentally connecting with Zeke’s jaw.

  “Son of a bitch!” she wailed. “You bit me!”

  She ran naked to the bathroom and locked the door behind her. Sobbing, she turned and looked over her shoulder in the mirror. Scarlet teeth marks stood out lividly on her pale flesh. “You bit me!” she hollered, the words bouncing off the tile. “You bastard.”

  “Well, you kicked me,” Zeke said from the other side of the door. He was standing very close; she could hear him breathing. “And don’t call me names.”