by Mark Tufo
Talisker did not rise to the bait, if he even noted it at all. “About a month ago, Easter came to me and told me to get three strong men with tight mouths. We had an errand to perform. I didn't question the man. We drove a couple of miles out of town. When he told me to park and that we'd walk from there, I shut the truck off and got out. A mile later we were on the front porch of the Bowdoins’ run-down house. “Take them alive,” he told us, “they must atone for what they have done. They must first face God before they are eternally damned.” I was scared, I had no idea what we were getting into. Easter had turned around and was looking up to the sky, his bible clenched in his hands. Tears streamed down his face. I kicked the door in, probably could have leaned on it and it would have broken open it was so termite infested. Damn near fell into the living room but I recovered quick enough. The first of the Bowdoins, Les, came running from the kitchen. He had no drawers on, but so far no law had been broken as far as I could tell. How a man wants to dress or not in his own home is no concern of mine. Felt somewhat bad as I used the butt of my gun to drop him to the ground.” Talisker's full tone, easy demeanor and his honesty made for a very captivating story.
"And then his other two brothers, Donny and Lyle, came running from the kitchen. But the funny thing, at least that was what I thought then, I'd change my mind soon enough, was they were also without trousers. I was thinking that it just wasn't warm enough to be running around like that, and I mean technically we were still at war. Who the hell wants to get caught with their talliwacker hanging out?"
I laughed, I agreed. “When I die I want it to be with a gun in my hand, not my penis.”
"I like you Mike,” Talisker chuckled.
"How does everyone know my name?"
Talisker continued on with his narrative, disregarding my question altogether. “The three guys with me quickly rounded up the other two brothers. Easter told them to 'make them unconscious, that they did not deserve to see the light of God's day.’ Donny almost died that day when the black flashlight Red was carrying crashed down on the top of his skull. His legs flopped around like a puppet controlled by a palsy victim. The batteries flew out as the metal casing ruptured from the assault. 'Alive!' Easter shouted at Red and then Easter placed his hand on the man's head. Now, I'm not saying he healed Donny, but those legs stopped flopping around. What came next was the worst thing I had ever seen in my life.” "Talisker, I don't think I want to know.”
"You don’t want to know,” He answered honestly, “But I can see it in your eyes, why am I blindly following a man who a few months ago was barely making a living wiping up kiddy puke in the cafeteria and cleaning toilets, so now I'm telling you. There was a boy, maybe seven, maybe eight, too tough to tell. They had him tied to the stove and they were using that boy in ways that go against all the laws of man, nature, and the Bible.” Talisker began to cry now, silent tears leaking down his face unnoticed. “And in between them taking their turns on the boy, they would burn him. It looked to be mostly grease; the boy was just all burned skin and blood. He died in my arms the second I released his bonds, almost as if he had been waiting for sweet release. I cried more that day, I believe, than I have my entire life. Even as my hands bled as I dug the grave, I cried. I wept the entire walk back to the truck and almost the entire ride into town. Easter calmed my tortured soul as we headed home. He said some things can never be forgotten, and they shouldn't. But there comes a time when we need to move on, that God had told him we have more to do. I have a heaviness that I will hold in my heart until the good Lord takes me from this life and lets me enter into the next, but for now I will do all that it takes to rid the world of the blackness that has descended among us.” "Damn, Talisker.” What argument did I have against the man at this point?
"When we got the Bowdoins back into town, we gave them a trial. They were completely belligerent, ranting about their rights to do as they pleased. Shouting that it was the end of the world and who gives a rat’s ass about one little boy and besides someone else had told them to do it. If I had been allowed to bring my gun in that day, I would have just shot them all dead and hoped that God would forgive me. When it was all over and the verdict came down as guilty, none of them showed any remorse. It was never about the boy's rights, it was always about their own self-serving needs. They started swearing and threatening to kill everyone in the courtroom. Easter had a couple of the bigger guys restrain Donny. Easter then walked up to the man and placed his hand on his head. He then told the two guys holding Donny to let him go. At first Donny shrugged them off and then it was like someone had taken a 220-volt live exposed wire and shoved it up his asshole.” "Which he would have deserved,” I threw in for good measure.
"Which he would have deserved,” Talisker echoed. “He stood so rigid, I thought Easter must have stopped his heart. He looked like a plank of wood, and then he arched over backwards so that his face was pointing straight up into the sky. I damn near shit a brick when Donny uttered just one word and it was a question. “God?” And as I stand here and tell you today, blood began to fall like tears from Donny's eyes. His brother Les started screaming that Easter had poisoned his brother and that he was gonna kill everyone here and then rape their rotting bodies. Donny heard none of it as fat globs of blood began to pool on the ground. Besides Les' ranting, the rest of the room was quiet. Oh, we were all standing and watching, and I've got to think that everybody was as scared as I was. Donny then stood straight back up and slumped back into his chair. Les asked him if he was alright. How Donny saw anything I don’t know, his eyes were burnt. Where there should have been his blue irises were now just red burned husks. And no, it wasn't blood covering them up. The entire eye was the color of a cinnamon ball like you used to get in the gumball machines. ‘I've seen God,’ Donny told his brothers, ‘and he isn’t the loving and forgiving kind, he's a vengeful and demanding God.' I think Les and Lyle were now beginning to see the errors of their ways. Lyle started running. He didn’t get too far with leg irons on and all. It was the same thing when Easter touched Lyle's head. Within a minute he was next to Donny, they were completely subdued. Donny was crying normal tears this time and Lyle just kept mumbling how sorry he was. Les was going nuts, swearing that Easter had better not lay his poisoned hands anywhere upon him. Then he did something that even Easter wasn't prepared for. Les began to say the Lord's Prayer in reverse. That courtroom darkened and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Easter might have faltered for half a heartbeat, but he recovered and slammed the heel of his hand into Les' head. The room immediately flooded with a light a hundred times brighter than I think we should be able to see and not go blind. It was like a super bright flashbulb, it was that quick. Les broke his back, he was flung so violently backward. He lay on the ground as he gazed upon his maker. He did not cry or beg for forgiveness. He seemed to want to go to the one upon whose allegiance he had sworn. We hung them that day.” I didn't know what to say, how do you dispute what the man witnessed?
"There's some canned goods up in the far corner,” a much more morose Talisker told us as he motioned for us to go through the door before he shut and locked it.
"Do you buy it Mike?" Gary asked as he rummaged around in the box until he found something that sounded good to his palate, a can of Mandarin oranges, “I mean, you’re the cynic and all.” "Well, he believes it, that's for sure,” Travis said in a subdued voice.
"Mass hallucination?" Gary asked.
"I hate that term, that's a Government term if I ever heard one. They invented that to cover up any number of eyewitness accounts of something they didn’t want people to see,” I said. “I'm more inclined to believe in Les' theory.” "Poison?" Travis asked.
"Really?" Gary asked, so perturbed that he dropped an orange in his lap.
"It's a possibility for sure, but the event as explained by Talisker seems just as real of a possibility.” Gary stopped, his hand mid-way to his mouth with the orange.
"I've been witness to a lot of events recently Gary that
I can’t explain,” I told him bluntly.
He thought about it for a moment longer and then finished the action of bringing the succulent fruit to his mouth.
"Either way, I'm not sure where that puts Justin,” I said.
"Or us.” Gary smacked down another morsel.
"Any more of those?" Travis asked, heading over to the box.
"How can you guys eat?" I said as I paced the room.
"Easy, we're hungry,” Gary answered.
Travis nodded.
By the time Talisker came to get us a few hours later, I had polished off two cans of oranges and one of pears. My stomach grumbled from all the fruit, might as well have eaten a three-alarm burrito for all the fireworks that were going off in my plumbing. I was going to make a great impression when I started releasing some of the internal pressure, so to speak.
We were not led to a classroom, but rather what was once more likely the teacher's lounge which had now been converted into Easter's living abode. I was relieved we weren't on trial, but not quite comfortable. We were still waiting to be judged and by ultimately Easter’s sole authority.
Justin seemed to have had better accommodations than us. He was sitting on the couch, a half-eaten sandwich and a small bag of chips off to his side on an end table. He even had some comic books on his lap and a blanket wrapped around his legs.
"Comfortable?" I asked him, relieved to see that he was alright.
"Not so bad,” he said with a sincere smile. I could still see a sense of nervousness etched in his features, but he was unharmed and that was a good way to be.
Easter came in through another door that attached to the cafeteria. “Welcome,” he said as he spread his arms. "Please sit. That will be all Talisker, thank you.” Talisker nodded once and walked out. He did not go far, however. I could see his shadow in the frosted windowpane.
“Ah, Mr. Talbot, I can almost see the wheels spinning in your head. You're wondering if you should overpower me and tie me up, or take me as a hostage until such time that you can safely let me go.” He caught me off guard but I recovered quickly. “Well, you pretty much got everything right until the part where we 'safely' let you go, as you put it.” "I feel that I should almost be intimidated,” Easter said with a jovial laugh. “Perhaps a few months ago I would have believed you.” "What changed, Easter?" I asked, truly wanting an answer.
"I can tell you before the End of Times came I was not a religious man. I had perhaps been in a church a dozen or so times in the last twenty years and those times were either for weddings or funerals. I did not see much sense in worshipping a deity I could neither see nor understand, I guess would be the correct phrasing. An omnipotent being that was threaded through all of our lives absolutely made no sense to me. I understood the comfort others got from His perceived presence, but that was as far as it went. Something happened the night the zombies came. It altered me in ways that I have not come to understand quite yet. That there is a God is no longer of doubt to me, that He is not the kind forgiving God of the King James version I find troubling, but I do not question His will.” "So you are merely a vessel? So if my son is not deemed to be 'saved' you will rid him of his life as you will ours?" I asked angrily.
"You were given the opportunity to leave of your own accord when you found that you were traveling with one that is marked. When you chose not to go, I believed that as free beings you wanted to be with him. Evil can be blinding in its own right.” I was livid. “Justin is not evil!" I spat.
"Sit, Michael,” Easter said calmly. “I know this, but he has evil in him.” I could not argue with that. I was well aware of that fact.
"If the boy were evil, we would not be having this conversation,” he said, his back to me as he poured a cup of tea. “Head still churning with thoughts of escape I see,” he said as he turned back around.
"Busted,” I told him. “And how do you know my name?”
"Easily,” he said without hesitation or doubt. “It is stamped on your soul. Shall we begin?"
"And if what you are doing here should fail, do you think I will idly stand by as you prepare to do harm to my son or the rest of us?" I asked him openly.
"I am trying to help you,” he said as he walked over to the sink. I watched as he applied a liberal amount of disinfectant soap to his hands before he scrubbed them vigorously and washed off the residue in a small flood of water. “I wouldn't want anything untoward to get on the boy.” "So much for the poison theory,” Travis said.
"One final time I will ask you Michael,” Easter said.
"What about my son and my brother?"
"Their will is theirs to do with as they wish… right now.”
"Not a chance, Mike,” Gary said.
Travis had a look of steel set in his eyes. “No, Dad.”
I turned to Easter. “If Travis leaves this room?"
"He would be welcome to stay or leave at any time he saw fit,” Easter said as he pulled up a chair next to the couch Justin had been reclining on since the conversation started. “There was a mild sedative in the milk I gave him, whichever way this goes it will not be pleasant for him,” Easter explained as he pulled the blanket up from Justin's legs and covered his chest.
"Alright, one more scenario,” I stated. Easter waited patiently. “Travis leaves the room, this thing with Justin does not go well. Gary and I fight our way out of here. Maybe we make it, maybe we don't.” "Yes, yes Mike, Travis would still be welcome.”
"Dad, I'd rather take my chances with you,” Travis pleaded.
"But your leaving is not a chance, Travis. I believe Easter, no matter his inner convictions, to be an honorable man and would do as he said here.” "Thank you, I think,” Easter replied mildly.
"Dad, he's my brother.”
"And he's my son, as are you. I cannot, I will not put the both of you in harm's way if it can be avoided. If this does not work out, do not do anything. Do you understand me? I can tell you’re listening but the set of your jaw is telling me a different story.” "I will do what I can,” Travis promised, but in which direction did the promise lie?
He shut the door slowly. With one final glance back, he looked at me like I had just told him Santa wasn't real AND that the fat man that played him at the mall had earlier that day also pissed in his cheerios. It was a withering assault; his mother had taught him well.
"Go!" I yelled through the door when I didn’t hear his footfalls echoing down the hallway. I heard a fairly good attempt at deception steps. “Not bad, now do it for real.” "I'm telling Mom,” he muttered.
"God, please, I hope that you do,” I said in a soft prayer.
"Didn’t make you to be a believer,” Easter said.
"When I perceive it to be for my benefit, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt,” I told him.
"Then you might want to start praying now,” Easter said as he placed both his hands on Justin's chest.
I did, too. Hypocritical? Sure, but when you're playing Texas Hold'em and all you’re holding is a ten high, what can it hurt?
Easter looked over at me, fat droplets of sweat beginning to form on his forehead. His mouth became a thin line, almost imperceptible as it got lost in his white beard, as he began to speak: “The evil within this boy will relinquish its right upon his being.” "Have you done this before?" I asked Easter. His forearms rippled from the strain he was feeling.
"This darkness has a strong hold. And I know Talisker told you what I used to do before. I've seen vomit that looked possessed and children that probably had small demons inside them, but I have never before tried to exorcise a demon. I never had much reason to believe in the men of the cloth, although I played one on television.” "Seriously!?" I asked.
"No, boy!" Easter said sternly. "Did your momma drop you on your head? Now stop asking me questions while I'm trying to work.” "I think I actually saw her do it on more than one occasion,” Gary said.
"What?" I mouthed, not wanting to disturb Easter.
"Drop you on your he
ad. I think I saw her do it more than once,” Gary finished.
"Do… you… mind!" Easter said under some heavy duress.
Gary and I both pointed to each other like third graders in trouble but at least neither of us spoke this time.
"Come forth!" Easter shouted, "so that I may see who I cast aside!"
I was thinking that wasn't such a good idea. Better to just kick her out before she had a chance to realize what was happening.
"Who dares to tinker with my pet?" came out of Justin's mouth but it was not his voice. I had heard the same arrogant tone once before coming out of Durgan's mouth.
The locket hung around my neck. The chain stayed relatively body temperature, but the skin where the locket made contact with my chest began to burn from the cold.
Easter tried to remove his hands from Justin, but in less than the blink of an eye Justin grabbed his forearms in a strength that was being intensified through supernatural means. The room was cool but Easter looked like he was baking under the Sahara sun. Easter pulled for all he was worth to get away. He might as well have been super glued to Justin. Justin was now sitting up and staring intensely at Easter.
"Charlatan! What kind of two-bit magician are you?" Eliza asked Easter.
"Let me go, the power of Christ compels you!” Easter shouted.
"The power of Christ? Your God is a false prophet to whom I will never bow down,” Eliza answered menacingly.
"Then who do you worship?" Easter asked her. I thought that we all knew the answer to that, but Eliza surprised us once again.
"Why myself, of course,” she said slyly. Eliza turned Justin's head to scan the rest of the room. “Michael, so good to see you again. I sense that you possess something that belongs to me, although what it is I cannot determine,” she said with a sneer. “Ah, and who is that with you, he bears a family resemblance, a brother perhaps? Is it not good to be reunited with family?" She asked, obviously sticking a dagger in my already broken heart with the loss of Tommy.
