by S E Rise
I didn’t have a problem checking in on her Dad though and I made my way down towards the Deli. The buzz and ring of my phone startled me and I snatched it out of my pocket. Thankfully it’s not Brin and I answer it.
“Hey Jillian what’s going on?” I ask and I am actually hesitant to hear her answer.
“Hey sorry to bother you so late but I just thought I would let you know.” she paused to make sure she had my attention. “I have seen your eye patch idiot seven times tonight.”
“Really?”
“Yeah really, seems someone is trying awful hard to get your attention.”
“That stupid fucking idiot.”
“To make it weirder he just stands there next to the body and watches. How is he getting passed the Forget Me Spell Jack? What the hell is this guy?”
“I’m sorry Jillian, I didn’t know, I thought I was the only one he could see.”
“Nope and last time he told me to tell you something.”
“Jesus, seriously? What did he say?”
“He said, ‘If he plays long enough he is bound to hit a Black Jack eventually. Pun intended.”
I let out a long sigh. “Sorry Jillian, I will take care of this.”
“No worries, I’d just be sitting at home alone anyway doing nothing. Later Jack.”
She hung up and I once again felt the compulsion. I let out a long sigh and turned in the direction I was needed.
Seven dead just to get my attention.
Actually it could be a lot more than that. Those are just the ones from Jillian.
Chapter Twenty Nine
I am reminded of the Dunkin Donuts commercial where the guy meets himself coming and going. After three Reaping’s, that had absolutely nothing to do with Marley Jenkins, I find myself once again walking the familiar path to the Deli. The streets are empty in the dark early hours of the morning so I am surprised to see Jillian’s familiar face as she steps out of an alley directly in front of me.
“Hey Jack, what are you doing here?”
“Finishing up my night. You?”
Before I can answer we both stop and stare at the scene in front of us.
Well at least I know where my bodies went.
The bodies of the two thugs are propped up against the wall at the front of the Deli.
Shit.
What the hell is that?
“Actually, I am here for him. I have been chasing him around town for the last hour and I can barely walk.” She says and points to the hunched over figure eating on the flesh of my two thugs. I can see the faint tether stretching outwards to the ethereal figure.
“Double Shit.” I said aloud and the crouched flesh eating ghoul lifted his head and looked at us. I knew without seeing the man’s gore covered face that it was Brin’s father. It reacted to our presence, turned and charged. The ghoulish old man is running on all fours and headed straight for me. I know I can handle the old man and I decided to meet him head on. Besides, it wasn’t like I was going to run away from it, not in front of Jillian anyway. Behind it the tethered spirit of Brin’s Father followed and I braced myself for the impact.
Jillian waited until the last second to draw her scythe, the old man is not small and he has gained a surprising amount of speed is such a short distance. He smashes into my mid section and launches me on to my back. I see the blazing fire of Jillian’s Reaping Scythe as it passes through the old man’s tether. I expected it to slump atop me then but found myself still fending off the snarling biting beast atop me. Jillian’s boot tries to push the thing off and I see it happen as she does. The wraith of Ms.Henry pulls itself half way out of the old man’s body and lashes out at her.
“Well that’s something you don’t see every day.” she says, regroups and mere inches from my face, comes the impact of her boot against the things head. The impact was great enough to lift it up and launch it away from me. It lands with a tumbling roll, lets out a cackling laugh and scampers off towards the shadows of the dark alley.
The world is suddenly alive with red and blue lights. The police cruiser sees the two dead thugs propped against the wall and are now in pursuit of a fleeing suspect. Thanks to the Forget Me spell we are all but forgotten.
We took the moment to walk a distance away and I looked into my friend’s questioning eyes. I remained silent as I tried to think of how to start.
“Jack, we’ve known each other for a long time and I hate to get all up in your business but I have to ask. What the hell is going on here?”
“Jillian, I don’t even know where to start.”
“Start with the eye patch guy.” She said and began to stretch out her limbs. She had been tracking down Brin’s father for over an hour and I could see the relief of not being under such pain.
“Ok, his name is Marley Jenkins and he is a sorcerer. He is dangerous and should be avoided at all costs.” I rattled off and started to begin my second sentence when I saw the compulsion come over her.
Internally, I wondered if I looked like that when it came across me.
“Well Hell’s bells…Sorry Jack, it looks like there is no rest for the wicked.” She turned and began to leave. “Like I said before Jack, that’s one of the reasons I like you. It’s never boring. Later.”
I tried not to smile even as my own compulsion fell into place and I cursed the air that I breathed. Some nights were like this.
“Later my friend. Be safe.”
When was the last time I told another reaper to be safe?
Chapter Thirty
I held the phone in my hand in anticipation of Brin’s call and was lucky enough to answer it just as it lit up and before the ringtone chimed.
“Hey what’s up? You okay?”
“If you can call being woken up by two police officers in the wee hours of the morning fine, then I guess I’m about as fine as fine can be.”
“What? Oh God what happened? Are you okay?” I asked though I had a good idea I knew why. Two dead bodies in front of your store will do that. There was nothing I could do about it though. I had been working my ass off all night long.
“I’m fine; I am actually heading back to my place now. The police called to let me know that there were two dead bodies propped up against the wall in front of the Deli.”
“Oh shit that’s crazy. Did they say what happened to them?”
“No, but they said it looked like some of the alley dogs had been at them.”
“Oh wow.”
“They tried banging on Dad’s door but he still wasn’t home yet. So they called me.”
I remained silent.
“Sorry for calling you so early, I guess I didn’t have to ruin your morning as well.”
“No worries, I’m at work anyway.”
“Jack, I promise my life is really not this messed up. You just happened along at one of those crazy times.”
“Brin, I can think of no place I would rather be right now.” I said and heard her sigh into the phone.
“Okay, I’m walking up the steps to my place right now. Try to get some sleep when you can and call me if you want to do something. Later.”
“Sounds good to me, talk to you later.” I said and hung up the phone. I listened carefully for any sounds in the house and proceeded with the task at hand.
Chapter Thirty One
I wasn’t as lucky this time and in less than a minute my phone chimed again. It rang once and I snatched it up to silence it.
What the hell?
“Well that was quick.” I said in the nicest voice I could muster.
“Jack, something is wrong. I can smell blood, my apartment reeks of it.”
Oh shit.
Duty had called and I was a long ways from Brin’s apartment.
“I’ll be right over.” The compulsion to reap Daniel Gabeson told me that the boy was going to die at any moment. The mobile hanging above his crib sported a Giraffe, a Lion and an Elephant. The boy’s blanket lay still and I could see a few of his blonde strands of hair sticking
out in contrast to the sheet. There was more than one thing I hated about my job and this ranked near the very top. I felt the last beat of his little heart. The moment came and the spirit of a blonde little boy was suddenly standing next to his physical form. He looked up at me and I severed the tether.
“It’s okay buddy. Go back and try again okay?” the boy giggled and disappeared as he floated away.
“Where are you? Who was that?” Brin’s voice said in my ear and I had forgotten I still had her on the line.
Way to stay focused…
“The television.” I answered and silently kicked myself for making a rookie mistake. ”I’m on my way.”
“Jack, my dad is still missing. You don’t think…” she said and I heard the ragged edge of panic creeping into her voice.
“Is there a reason your dad would be in your apartment? Does he do that sort of thing?’
I heard her take a deep calming breath. “No, he doesn’t do that sort of thing unless I ask him to fix something.”
“Ok, are you sure that you are alone?” I traversed the house and let myself out the back door. The light suddenly came on and a dog suddenly sprang to his feet. I made eye contact with the dog after his first round of barking and shushed him with a finger in front of my lips. The dog immediately quieted and tilted his head to the side in regards to my presence.
I strolled out through the gate of the fenced yard and into the suburb.
“No, I’m not sure. The door was locked when I got home. I think I am though but…you know what I mean.” She said and I did know what she meant. How could she be one hundred percent when she was blind.
“Do you have a weapon of some sort? Maybe a gun?”
“Of course I do, criminals love blind people.”
“Good, get it and go to your front door. I want you to open your door and wait for me in the threshold. I will be right there.”
“Where are you anyway?”
I didn’t answer.
“You don’t live in my attic do you, Jack.” She said and I had learned to expect that sort of thing from her. She does it when she is nervous.
“Of course I do, I kind of get off on watching you pee.” I said and heard her give a gentle laugh at either what I had said or the response she had waiting for me.
“You’re not one of those…what do they call them…golden shower kind of guys are you Jack? I don’t mind being on my knees in front of you but…” She made a small yelp of surprise; leaving the sentence unfinished.
“Brin...Brin?” This was taking way too long and I was suddenly way too impatient. I engaged the first of my Black Traps. “Go to Brin’s apartment.” I told it and it shot off of my wrist. It must have reacted to my sense of urgency. I tried to calculate the distance it would have to travel and gave up on the math. The only reason I liked to know in the first place was because the distance factored into how long I would remain emerged in the black. Instead of being instantaneous there would be a few seconds delay.
“Sorry…I’m here. The neighbor’s cat picked a hell of a time to come looking for food. The damn thing bumped its head against my leg and I nearly kicked it across the street. I think it might be dead.”
“Really?” the thought of her launching the neighbors calico across the road made me laugh.
I suddenly had a really bad feeling about this. It had been enough time for the exit side of the Black trap to find its spot. I threw out the entrance side of it, watched it expand and stepped into the waiting darkness.
Chapter Thirty Two
And stepped out into Brin’s Apartment.
Where the hell am I at?
Shit.
I have once again made a mistake. I knew better than this. I should have been more clear on my destination. Brin’s apartment was spacious and everything was in its place; as you would expect to find in a blind persons house.
“Jack, I heard something in the living room…” she said and I heard her say it in the speaker of my phone and from down the hall way at the front door.
I am so screwed. I couldn’t step backwards into the black trap because it was the exit. I collapsed it behind me and called for the other one to return to me.
“Jack…Jack? Are you there?” Something in the way she said my name told me something was bothering her. Of course it was bothering her. The woman had exceptional hearing. Of course she heard her own voice as it issued from the speaker of my phone. I hung up my phone. I was just screwing this up left and right. My eyes did not need to adjust to the darkness and I looked for a place to hide and think. There wouldn’t be any of course because that’s not conducive to her needs. As I scanned the room and my situation, things suddenly went from horribly wrong to catastrophic.
I felt the second of my Black Traps return to my wrists but it didn’t matter though. There was no way this could have gotten worse. My mind stuttered and I stared up at the ceiling in shock. The scent of old blood was nearly suffocating and for the life of me I cannot explain why I didn’t notice it right away.
His arms and legs where spread in an X, his torso was spilt and spread open from his throat to his torso. Ripped and spread apart like some savage had opened him up for heart surgery. The hanging rivulets of blood had transformed into some kind of rope and had been used to pin him in place to the ceiling. Her father’s face was frozen in a look of pure agony, mouth open in its final howling screaming. I knew that Jillian had already reaped the man’s soul.
I felt a cool breeze across my cheek as it swept in from the open front door. I felt just as much as heard her footsteps as she slowly came down the hallway. I needed a moment to think...To figure something out…To fix this. This is probably the closest I have been to panic in a very long time.
Think damn it think.
Her footfalls suddenly stopped and I held my breath. My girl is not a dumb person, in fact I have often times thought she bordered on genius. But what she did next blew me away.
I heard her whisper two words.
“Call Jack.”
What did she say?
I nearly screamed aloud as my cell phone suddenly began to ring. The noise was like a trumpet in contrast to the silence and I jumped.
“Oh my God.” Brin’s voice whispered from only a dozen or so feet away. She had pressed her back against the wall to hide but I could see the shine from her cell phone light on the opposite wall.
Why would a blind girl have a light on her phone?
“Oh oh… someone’s in trouble.” The sound of Marley’s voice coming from her father’s mouth was obscene. It snapped my head around and up. Her father’s eyes swiveled in their sockets and then focused down at me.
The phone chimed once again…
“You might want to answer that.” Marley suggested from above.
I pressed the answer icon and pulled the phone up into place.
“Jack?” she said and her voice once again came from two different locations.
“Hello Brin.” I answered and Marley remained quiet in anticipation. I heard her intake another shocked disbelieving breath and I turned my whole body to face her.
“This is such a great seat.” Marley chimed in from above.
I left the phone to my ear as she asked the question in to the receiver of the phone.
“Jack, are you going to hurt me?”
“No.”
“This is getting sooooo good. The drama of it is just so compelling.” Marley said and I hoped to all that was holy that she could not hear him. Her eyes and head tilted towards the ceiling where Marley had pinned her father. It allowed her to focus her hearing. She was remaining surprisingly calm under the circumstances but continued to speak her question to me through the phone. The action allowed her mind to deal with the situation at hand. If she continued to talk to me in the phone then maybe it wasn’t real and I wasn’t standing here in her living room.
“Is my Daddy dead?” her voice wavered and cracked on the hardest word.
“Yes, Brin.”
> I saw her posture change in the darkness and I heard her anger push her sorrow aside.
“Did you kill him?” the tone of accusation warred with that of betrayal.
“No. I did not.”
Marley picked the perfect time to chime out to me.
“Hey Jack,” he said and waited for me to look up at her father’s dead face. Once I did he continued. “Remember when you took my eye? Guess what I am going to take of yours.” He finished and he shifted her father’s eyes onto the figure of his daughter. She took in a deep breath, held it and gathered the courage to release it. She hung up her phone and placed it in to her small purse.
“I hear what that other voice is saying Jack. You’re not one of those Heckle and Jeckle kind of guys are you?” I almost laughed out loud as she said the names of two cartoon magpies named Heckle and Jeckle.
“No, I do not like magpies nor am I doing a Doctor Jeckle and Mr. Hide routine…” I said and I wanted to smile to reassure her. It wouldn’t have helped her but it would have made me feel better. The black liquid tendrils coming from her father’s open torso where lengthening and stretching; creeping out like segmented spiders legs.
“Then who the hell is saying that? I know it’s not my Dad. Tell me what the fuck is happening here.” She demanded and her voice had once again escalated to panic mode. I couldn’t blame her of course. In fact, I couldn’t believe she was handling it as well as she was.
“That’s a little harder to explain.”
“Try me.”
As if he was in an audience, sitting on the edge of his seat, stuffing handfuls of popcorn into his face, Marley chimed in on cue.
“Oooh man this should be good.” He said and the eyebrows on her father‘s head rose to add to the effect of suspense.
“That…That Jack…that voice right there. Tell me goddamn it, if it wasn’t you…then who killed my Dad?” She asked and tears had begun to slide down her face. There was only so much I could ask of her and the deadly looking liquid black menace was gaining speed across the ceiling. It was now or never and this was a hell of a time to do this.
