The Fringe Dwellers

by Patrick K. Ball

  “It don’t matter where I go, that thing will find me. Only chance I got is to find it ‘fore it finds me.”

  “I know you ain’t talkin’ ‘bout that jive-ass, man-eatin’, bullshit demon you always scarin’ the young-uns about.”

  “It ain’t bullshit! It killed Hulk last night, and it almost got me!”

  “You trippin’, man.”

  “Fuck you if you don’t believe me. I’m goin’ back. You do whatever you want.”

  “Yo, man, we cool. I’m just sayin’, how you gonna find this monster of yours? You don’t know where it stay; you ain’t gonna find it. You dig? Since you ain’t gonna find it, you betta just get the fuck away from it. You feel me?” Kane ignored him and began walking in the opposite direction, back towards Edge Key. “Hey, man, wait up, I said, we straight.”

  Snow was wrong, Kane knew he could find it. He might not know exactly where to look, but he had a few ideas. There were several abandoned buildings in the Vagrant-ville area of Edge Key. None of the transients would dare go into any of them though. It was one of the Vagrant-ville Commandments: Though shalt not trespass nor take up refuge in a dwelling that dost not belong to thee, lest thee bring the wrath of John Law down on all ye fellow man. The Commandments were sacred. Anyone caught breaking a Commandment would be immediately expelled from Edge Key by the Vagrant-ville regulars themselves, before the police had an opportunity to crack down on the transient community as a whole.

  Kane also felt like he was somehow being pulled towards a confrontation with his creature. It was like he could sense it on some level, although those damned croakers would probably attribute this feeling to his mental illness. All it would take was some intense concentration on his part, and Kane would be able to follow the trail to his creature as easily as following a trail of breadcrumbs. He hoped it would be this easy anyway. The only problem was what to do if he did find his creature. Kane figured the solution would come to him when it was needed. He hoped so anyway. Kane was doing a lot of hoping.

  Snow wasn’t wrong about everything, however. Ivory Rock most likely knew by now that Kane was missing, and they’d be looking for him. Kane needed to be careful. Snow and Kane spent the remainder of the daylight hours hidden under a bridge on the mainland side. They didn’t even attempt to cross the bridge to Edge Key until after midnight as an extra precaution. They reasoned that if anyone had been looking for Kane, they would’ve given up by then, presuming Kane was long gone.

  “Yo, man, be cool, that’s the pig chief over yonder,” Snow said as they approached Kane’s alley.

  “Yeah, I see him,” Kane said. “You think he’s on a stakeout?”

  “Maybe for you, man.”

  Over the next couple of hours, they kept a discreet watch over Captain Nash as he alternated between sitting in his car and walking into Kane’s alley. It seemed like he was waiting for someone. It was also odd that he was using his personal vehicle instead of a police cruiser, like he didn’t want to be spotted.

  Eventually, another car did arrive. Kane didn’t recognize the car, but he did recognize the people who got out.

  “What the hell are they doin’ here?” Kane said.

  “You know them people?”

  “That’s Torrie, ah, Dr. Wilson, you know, from the clinic.”

  “Who’s the dude?”

  “That’s my nephew, Eddie.”

  “You don’t think the pig chief’s been waitin’ fo’ them, do you?”

  “I dunno.”

  “There he be. Man, that don’t look right, your people rappin’ with the man. That ain’t right at all.”

  Unfortunately, Snow and Kane were too far away to hear their conversation. They didn’t know that Captain Nash considered Torrie and Ed’s appearance as suspicious. When the three of them headed down Kane’s alley, Snow and Kane decided to follow them, but not through the alley. Snow and Kane didn’t want to run into the cop if he decided to backtrack.

  Snow and Kane took a roundabout route through a different alley that would lead them into the woods. Both of them knew the woods like the back of their hand, so they figured that they could catch up to Ed, Torrie and the pig chief before too long, especially since those three would probably stick to the well-traveled paths.

  Snow and Kane were barely into the woods when they heard someone coming their way. Torrie was there, but she wasn’t with Ed and the pig chief.

  “Who’s that?” Snow whispered.

  “I dunno. Never seen him before, but I don’t like the looks of it. We better stick with ‘em.”

  Whoever the person was that Torrie was with, he knew the woods as well as Snow and Kane; they could barely keep them in sight. The mystery man led Torrie out of the woods and past several neighborhoods all the way to the other end of the island—where the rich folks lived.

  “You hang back while I take him down,” Kane said as they continued their pursuit down the beach. “My nephew’s sweet on that girl, and I ain’t gonna let anything happen to her. But you get your ass up there in a hurry if there’s trouble.”

  “Don’t worry, man, I got yo back.”

  Kane sprinted towards Torrie and the mystery man, not caring if he was seen, which he was. The mystery man turned around and waited for Kane to catch up to them. Snow was within a hundred yards, not close enough to hear, but close enough to back Kane up if he needed it.

  “Hello, Kane,” the mystery man said when Kane reached them.

  “You!! Whatchya doin’ with that girl, you bastard?!” Kane said.

  “Relax, brother. Don’t you know what I do? I help people with their fears. I can even help you with your fears. You want me to help you, don’t you, Kane?”

  “Help me, yesss.”

  “All you have to do is believe. Just let it flow.”

  “Flow, yesss.”

  “I only need to know one thing, Kane. What scares you? WHAT SCARES YOU?!”

  Snow couldn’t tell exactly what was happening, but when Kane collapsed to the ground, Snow ran towards him to help his friend. The mystery man and Torrie continued down the beach. Snow couldn’t believe what he saw when he reached his friend. Kane didn’t appear to be breathing, but that wasn’t the worst of it. Kane’s hair had turned solid white, his mouth was frozen in mid-scream and, worst of all, blood was pouring out of his eye sockets from where Kane’s eyes had been ripped out.

  CHAPTER 33

  “I just got a call over the radio. Austin was spotted trying to ram his car through the gates of the HBK estate,” Captain Nash told Ed. They were still at Trish’s house watching the crime scene investigators work, and hoping for a clue to Torrie’s whereabouts.

  “Did they catch him?” Ed said.

  “No. He made a run for it, but they think they’ve got him trapped in his house.”

  “Let’s get over there. He might have Torrie in there with him.”

  “I don’t want to get your hopes up, Ed. I specifically asked if a female was with him, but the officer informed me Austin was alone. Austin might not be responsible for Torrie’s disappearance.”

  “I don’t care what you think. He’s involved in this somehow, I’m positive of that. Now, are you going to take me there, or do I have to find my own transportation?”

  When Captain Nash and Ed arrived on the scene, there were already three police cars on the scene—two county, one Edge Key—plus Lieutenant Bischoff’s personal vehicle. The officers had established a perimeter around Dr. Austin’s house, but no one seemed to be making a move towards it.

  “What’s the situation, Bischoff?” Captain Nash asked.

  “Austin was observed by one of our officers crashing his Mercedes into the front gate of the HBK residence causing damage-”

  “Will you speak like a human being? Just give me the bottom line,” Captain Nash snapped.

  “Austin knocked the gate down, but when he saw the police car, he took off. The officer lost him momentarily, but saw his car parked in front of the house. We think he’s holed up in t
here.”

  “You think? So, he could’ve got away?” Ed said.

  “Who the fuck do you think you are?” Bischoff said. “What’s he doing here anyway, Captain?”

  “Ed, I’ll handle this,” Captain Nash said. “Do we know for a fact that he’s in there or not?”

  “Um, we’re pretty sure, but, um-”

  “But what?”

  “One of the officers thought they saw movement on the beach heading in the direction of the HBK place.”

  “This is like the friggin’ Keystone Cops!” Ed said.

  Bischoff was quicker than he looked. Ed was splattered on top of a squad car in less time than it took to utter the insult; Ed never saw it coming. Fortunately, Captain Nash grabbed his lieutenant before he was able to throw a punch.

  “Stand down, Bischoff! Ed, shut the fuck up!” Captain Nash was standing in between the two of them with his arms stretched out as wide as possible to keep them separated. “Bischoff, get over to the HBK house in case Austin did escape over there, and make sure you stay in radio contact at all times. Ed, you want to stay here, go sit in my car, stay the fuck out of the way and let us do our jobs.”

  Bischoff obediently took off to the HBK estate. Ed, on the other hand, was less compliant.

  “Look, I’m sorry, Captain, but he’s a jerk. Plus, I’m worried as heck about Torrie. I’ll stay out of the way, but I’m not going to sit in the car like a little kid. I’m press, and I’ve got a right to be here.

  “Besides, I might be useful. Dr. Austin has already confided in me about other things. Maybe he’ll be willing to come clean about everything. I’ve seen it before, people with hostages who’re willing to surrender, but only after they’ve had an opportunity to tell their side of the story to the press.”

  “I think you’re too close to this, Ed, but I’m not gonna be your babysitter. You wanna stay, fine, but you’re on your own. I’m gonna make another phone call to Austin. Excuse me, I’ve got work to do.”

  Ed watched him walk off and use his phone, but he was back within a couple of minutes.

  “Austin’s in there. He claims to be alone, but obviously, there’s no way I can confirm that. Um . . . he asked for you, Ed. He said something about cleansing his soul and you being the only one who could accomplish that. He sounded unstable. He could be capable of anything. Ed, I don’t really want to ask you to go in there . . .”

  “I’ll go,” Ed said quickly. “It could be my only chance to save Torrie.”

  Five minutes later, Ed was entering Dr. Austin’s house, but not without first being outfitted with a bulletproof vest that Captain Nash insisted on him wearing.

  “Hello, Ed.” Dr. Austin said as Ed closed the door behind him. He was slouched over, staring at the floor in front of him and looked like he’d been awake all night. “Thanks for coming. I want you to know everything. It’s all . . . become . . . so . . . messed up.”

  “What has?” Ed asked.

  “I just wanted to help people . . . cure them of their phobias. Do you know how debilitating a phobia can be? It’s amazing, the irrational things that scare people.”

  “Everybody’s afraid of something.”

  “Is that so?” Dr. Austin said as he stood up straight, suddenly looking invigorated, and looked Ed right in the eyes. “What scares you?”

  CHAPTER 34

  Bischoff was still pissed off as he pulled up to the front of the HBK mansion. He sure would’ve taught that asshole a lesson if Nash hadn’t pulled him off. It was even more infuriating that Nash sent him on this mission to the HBK house. Bischoff may not have been positive, but he was about ninety-nine percent sure Austin had been contained in his own house. Nash had simply sided with that reporter. Bischoff knew that the only reason he was sent here was so Nash could protect that loud-mouthed reporter’s ass.

  Bischoff’s anger diminished, replaced by a feeling of awe as he took in the enormity of the HBK residence. It was the largest house he’d ever seen. Actually, it was more of a castle than a house. He’d never been here before, and he didn’t know anyone else who had—didn’t know anyone who’d even seen it. The house was obscured from view—even from the water—by a thick forest of trees that surrounded it. If you believed the rumors, the house had been sitting empty for years—except for the spirit of HBK, who wandered the halls at night. Bischoff had always thought that was just stupid fucking gossip. But now that he was here, alone, the house seemed pretty spooky, especially in the dim light of pre-dawn.

  The house looked unkempt and deserted. The grounds were not meticulously maintained as you would expect on a lavish estate such as this, but were instead extremely overgrown, and the house itself looked like it was in serious need of some general maintenance due to years of neglect.

  “This is a fucking waste of my time,” Bischoff mumbled as he used one of the heavy knockers on the double front doors.

  As expected, there was no answer, so Bischoff walked around the circumference of the house looking for any signs of recent occupation or forced entry. As he walked around the garage area, he saw an open door to steps leading down into what appeared to be a cellar.

  A cellar? In Florida? That must of cost a fortune by itself, Bischoff thought. Cellars are a rarity in Florida because of the proximity to the water table.

  Bischoff pulled his gun and a small penlight, and began cautiously making his way down the steps. The stairs led into a small room containing a mattress; an antique, stand-alone, full length mirror; and a single, large hurricane candle for light. Torrie was sitting on the mattress. She was alive, but she was staring straight ahead in a zombie-like state.

  “Hello, Lieutenant Bischoff,” said a man who was standing off in the shadows of a corner of the room.

  Bischoff immediately trained his gun and penlight on the man. “Freeze, asshole!”

  “There’s no need for a gun, Lieutenant. There’s nothing here to be afraid of. But since you obviously are afraid of something, I think it’s my duty to help you. Nobody should live in fear. All you have to do is believe.”

  “Believe, yesss.”

  “Just let the fear flow out of you. Just let it flow.”

  “Flow, yesss.”

  “I only need to know one thing, Lieutenant. What scares you? WHAT SCARES YOU?!”

  CHAPTER 35

  “Speak the truth, but leave immediately after.”

  —Slovenian Proverb

  “Not knowing where Torrie is scares me,” Ed answered Dr. Austin.

  “I would always begin my treatment program with the search for the answer to that one simple question: What scares you?” Dr. Austin said, seemingly oblivious to Ed’s answer.

  Dr. Austin was speaking as if he was reliving some long forgotten memory, but his behavior was peculiar in contrast to the composed physician Ed had observed during their previous meetings.

  “Once we’d developed our new hypnosis-induced, flooding treatment method for curing phobias, our success rate was phenomenal. Unfortunately, there were some severe risks associated with the treatment method.”

  “Like what?” Ed asked.

  “Huh?” Dr. Austin mumbled. He’d forgotten Ed was in the room. “Oh, the risks. I guess we didn’t have a complete grasp of how the human mind operates. Yes, our research brought us further along the path of understanding the brain, even beyond what is currently known among the scientific community, but we still ran into problems with our treatment method due to certain, um, miscalculations. You see, we were able to directly tap into the subconscious mind. When the human mind is that open to suggestion, it’s not too difficult to push a patient over the edge.”

  “Over the edge?”

  “Yeah, over the edge. Remember, the idea of our treatment method was to produce an intensely real fear situation based on the patient’s phobia so that the patient, having survived the worst situation possible, would never again be afraid of any real life phobic situation. Unfortunately, in certain cases, we pushed a person too far—the mental images we
re too intense—and their mind . . . cracked.”

  “What do you mean, ‘cracked’?”

  “In certain cases, we lost them. The patient would withdraw into his or her mind so far that they never came back out, remaining in an eternal vegetative state. In other cases . . . well, you’ve seen the results of the other unsuccessful cases.”

  “White hair, frozen scream, eyes clawed out . . . death.”

  “Yes.”

  “Then, you’ve been responsible for all those bodies over the past forty or so years?”

  “It wasn’t Trish or myself who were directly responsible, but we are ultimately responsible. It was our method that was used in a perverted way . . . and it was another unsuccessful case that was the direct cause.”

  “I’m not following, Doctor.”

  “There was a reason for our focus on phobia cures beyond its potential application to a large segment of the population. Our research grant came from a very wealthy individual who was only interested in us finding a cure for one individual—his son.”

  “Let me guess,” Ed said. “That wealthy individual was the founder of Edge Key.”

  “I knew you were getting close, but . . .” Dr. Austin trailed off, and started walking away. Ed followed him into a large room that seemed to be a combination library-office. Dr. Austin took a seat behind a large oak desk. Ed remained standing. “You’re a better reporter than you give yourself credit for, Ed. I guess it’s no matter though. I invited you in here to tell you everything anyway.

  “Yes, our research grant came from Mr. Kendrick, HBK as you probably know him. You see, he had a son who was born with an allergy to bee stings. In most cases, this isn’t a major medical problem. Although a person with this particular allergy can die from a bee sting, it’s easily treatable with an adrenaline shot, and getting stung by a bee isn’t too common in the first place. I mean, how many times in your life have you been stung by a bee?”

  “Maybe once.”