Modern Merlin

by Jason Paul Rice

  The crows streaked across the moon, and the passage of flapping silhouettes against the bright white background continued for about thirty seconds. Once they were gone, the woods returned to an ominous state of quiet. They continued toward Houlihan’s Circle in frightened silence.

  The fierce moon shone down through the tree branches and illuminated the circular pattern of boulders. Mike tried to swallow the lump in his throat to no avail. A metallic liquid rose up into his mouth from his stomach as they stepped between two boulders and entered the Circle.

  “Alright, let’s find the spot,” Mike stated the obvious.

  Emily nodded and pointed toward the marked spot. Mike’s legs threatened to go on strike. They wanted him to turn around and run out of these haunted woods. Despite the bodily warnings, Mike pressed forward and found the area.

  He handed Emily the gun and started digging. Slamming the shovel into mother earth, he stepped on the head to dig in, and flung the dirt to the left and right. Ferociously, he dug until his arms started getting sore.

  Mike had made it two feet into the earth. He dropped to his knees and started passing the dirt through his hands. “Bring that flashlight over here. This is about two feet or so. I’ll go down further, but we’d better start checking this dirt.”

  Emily put the gun in her pocket, steadied the flashlight in one hand and picked up a handful of the loosened soil. A few minutes fell off the clock and they hadn’t found anything. Mike panicked even more. He grabbed the shovel again and dug deeper. He carefully set the dirt to the side of the hole so they could search for the treasure.

  At about three feet below ground, he dropped the shovel. “Do you know how big this broken amulet is? Or what it looks like?”

  “It’s an amulet for a necklace, supposedly. So I guess it’s pretty small.”

  Mike didn’t appreciate the word supposedly. It didn’t breed much confidence into the young man as he kept sifting through the dirt. At last, Mike detected something other than dirt in his right hand. He pushed his open hand toward the flashlight’s beam and noticed a silver sparkle. Hope careened through the dark valleys of his heart as he dusted off the object.

  But then he recognized the object. A Heineken beer bottle cap. Mike tossed it aside as the stench hit his nose. He knew exactly what that smell indicated.

  George.

  Despite the warning smell, he continued searching. Emily tapped Mike on the shoulder and he nearly jumped out of his skin. He turned his head and Emily extended her palm, full of dirt and a tiny golden object. She wiped off some more dark soil and held it under the flashlight. It was a solid golden heart that had been unevenly broken in half.

  “We got it. Now let’s get the hell out of here.”

  The aroma of death increased as Mike tossed the shovel aside. “Let me get the gun back.”

  She dug into her pocket, pulled the gun out and handed it to Mike.

  Emily picked up the flashlight, turned it off and extended her closed hand to Mike. “Here, you hold it. I’m notorious for losing stuff, and we can’t afford to misplace this.”

  Mike reluctantly held out his hand, and she dropped the gold amulet with green patina spotting into his palm. He shoved it into his side pocket and poked his fingers into the corners of the pocket to make sure there weren’t any holes.

  Mike pushed Emily through the boulders, and they walked at a brisk pace back to her car. He still hadn’t seen the beast, but kept expecting the killer to jump out from behind a tree or something.

  A rabid sounding growl erupted from behind. Mike didn’t slow down, peeking periodically over his shoulder.

  Focused on escape, he smacked his forehead on the low hanging branch of an oak tree and dropped the gun. The moonlight betrayed him right at that moment and retreated behind a dense cloud. Mike dropped down and tried to find the black gun. His head throbbed as he moved around on his hands and knees trying to locate it.

  “Hey. I need that flashlight,” Mike whispered. He raised his head and realized Emily was gone. He stood up and spun around but still couldn’t locate his partner.

  The new wizard was about to leave the gun behind when he stepped on a solid object. Leaning down, he picked up the Glock 43, and continued in the direction he hoped would take him to the vehicle.

  A brutish howl, even louder than the previous one, precipitated Mike to take the safety off the gun.

  Chapter 19

  THE HAIRS ON THE BACK of Mike’s neck not only stood up, they danced an Irish jig and sent jagged chills down his spine. Alone in the dark with George was the last place Mike wanted to be. Not to mention being on the legend’s home turf.

  Mike was ready to shoot anything that moved. His gun hand was shaking as he quickened his pace. He ducked under a tree branch and ascended a slight incline.

  “Mike,” Emily called out, but Mike’s frantic reaction had already started.

  Mike detected movement from his peripheral vision, turned and fired twice.

  Horror flashed through Mike’s eyes. Had he just shot his girlfriend? He waited for her to fall, but she never did. Mike thanked his lucky stars and his nerves. For the first time he was glad that he was a terrible shot.

  “Holy shit. I’m so sorry.”

  She ran over and hugged him. “You still have the amulet, right?”

  “Yeah. Let’s get out of here now since we’ve just revealed our location.”

  Mike grabbed her hand and they ran ahead. He could feel the blood pumping through his fingers and palm as he dragged her up the hill. At the top, he let go of her hand and reset the safety on the gun.

  Before long, the unmistakable malodor of George hit Mike’s nostril hairs and threatened to singe them with its intensity. Still, they kept moving.

  The couple continued running through the dark woods, and Mike breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the faint light of the street lamps through the trees. They exited the woods and hustled the final hundred steps to the car.

  They jumped in. The car wouldn’t start. Of course. Mike thought about using the limited magic he had learned to help start the car. He turned around and checked for George as Emily kept trying to start the car.

  Chugga...chugga...chugga...

  The smell grew stronger, but Mike still hadn’t seen the legendary murderer as his head whipped around in every direction, checking through the darkness.

  Finally, the car started, and Mike’s heartbeat and breathing calmed down. Emily peeled out, and they cruised down Avalon Avenue and away from Houlihan’s Square. Mike couldn’t get comfortable in the passenger seat. The smell still remained in his nose and triggered gruesome flashbacks of Kyle’s death.

  He rubbed his eyes to rid himself of the visions.

  Emily broke the silence. “We’ve just made a boat load of cash. You still have the amulet, right?”

  “Yeah.” Mike dug into his pocket and pulled out the little piece of gold.

  Emily screamed with excitement. Mike extended the broken charm toward Emily so she didn’t have to take her eyes off the road. The tiny amulet was smaller than his thumbnail. He stuffed it back into his pocket.

  Emily pulled out her phone. “Here.” She handed her cell to Mike. “Find Tarot Reader in my contacts and call it. Once it starts ringing, hand me the phone.”

  “Okay.” Mike found the number and pressed dial. After a long pause, the phone finally rang.

  He passed the cell to Emily. She held the phone to her ear with one hand and steered the car with the other. “Hi Tucker. Great news. We have the object. I mean, I have the object. We as in me and you have it. Anyway, give me a call as soon as you get this and it will be all yours.” She pressed End Call and set the phone in the center console.

  What the hell does she mean by him and her? Is she embarrassed of me or something? Is she setting me up like Alayna has been saying? That was weird.

  “As you can tell, he wasn’t home. I don’t know if we should go by his house. That freak is probably waiting outside my house righ
t now anyway. It’ll be the first time I’ve ever wanted him there.”

  She’s overcompensating for it. She knows I heard her slip up so she’s trying to trash talk him now.

  Mike suggested, “Why don’t we go to your house and call him again? It is kind of late. He might be asleep for the night or something.”

  “He told me to call anytime if I got the amulet.”

  I’ll bet he did tell you to call him anytime.

  Emily guided the Jeep into the driveway and they went inside. She invited him to sit on the couch, and she disappeared into the kitchen. A couple of minutes passed, and Mike began questioning her extremely suspicious and lengthy absence.

  Just as he was about to start snooping around for her, she suddenly came around the corner with a bottle of booze in her hands. She stopped in front of Mike and presented the bottle with a big smile on her face. “I’ll admit, I don’t really know what it is. My dad gave it to me and said it was an expensive bottle. That’s all I know. Ooohhh, forgot the glasses. Do you want ice?”

  “I think you might ruin a liquor like this if you put ice in it. It is supposed to be savored as is.” Mike didn’t know where the sudden injection of refinement had come from.

  “Listen to you, Mr. Sophisticated. Be right back.”

  Mike stared at the label on the bottle of caramel yellow liquid.

  CADENHEAD’S

  SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKEY

  from ARDBEG DISTILLERY

  DISTILLED 1975

  The phone rang in his pocket. It was a text alert, and Mike checked to see who it was. Alayna again. He didn’t even look at the message, just put the phone back in his pocket.

  Emily entered the room again with two rocks glasses. Mike opened the bottle and poured two glasses about half-full. He leaned for a deep snootful and didn’t enjoy the aroma.

  “Cheers,” Mike said, and they both picked up their glasses and clanged them together.

  “To us,” Emily said and took a drink. She spit the liquid back into the cup and ran out of the room.

  Mike took a sip. He didn’t really like the harsh taste, but he could only concentrate on her words. ‘To us.’ The words calmed Mike’s earlier doubts about her. Emily popped back in the room with a 20-oz. bottle of Coca Cola.

  She sat down next to Mike and held out the bottle. “This helps.”

  “I don’t mind the taste. Not the smoothest drink I’ve ever had, but it’s not bad.” He got used to the harshness of the booze after the first glass, and now he really enjoyed the finely aged Scotch Whiskey.

  They crushed about half the bottle in an hour, and Mike grew to love every drop of it. His face and lips were buzzing, and he felt like he was floating on a cloud. “Why don’t you call that guy again so we can collect that money?”

  “I did when I was in the kitchen. We should drive by his place now. Flush that gopher out.” She giggled.

  “I don’t think you should be behind the wheel right now. You’re...you’re drunk.” Mike struggled with the words.

  “I think you should be behind me right now.” She attempted to speak in a sexy manner but she ended up laughing and spilling her mixed drink on the couch.

  Suddenly, Emily jumped up and grabbed her car keys off the mantle. She shook the keys around. “Let’s take a little drive, shall we?”

  Mike stood up too quickly and fell back onto the soft cushions of the couch. He shook his head to clear the cobwebs and placed his palm on the coffee table for assistance. With focus and determination, he slowly rose from the couch and followed Emily out the front door.

  They got into the vehicle, and Emily fumbled the keys. She finally located the correct key and scraped it around the ignition before sliding it in. She turned the key and the engine fired up.

  They drove down the street, and as Emily increased the speed, the car jolted into gear. Mike could tell the transmission was slipping and wondered if she knew about it. He wasn’t about to bring it up now.

  The scotch calmed Mike’s nerves as he fingered through his side pocket to get the amulet. He found it stuck in the corner and slid it out. As he squeezed the tiny object in his hand, he could feel its dark energy, as a strange tingle emanated from the object into his palm and ran up his left arm.

  They pulled into a nice neighborhood, and Emily slowed the Jeep down to a crawl. “I don’t remember exactly which one it is. Just look for the big red van in one of the driveways.”

  “Okay. Oh, what about that one in the open garage right there?” Mike pointed to his right.

  “Bingo.” Emily steered the car into the driveway and parked. She turned off the ignition and pulled the keys out.

  Chapter 20

  THEY GOT OUT OF THE Jeep and moved toward the burgundy door of the small lavender house. Mike read the black sign with gold lettering above the door frame.

  Tucker’s Tarot Reading

  Emily turned to Mike. “Go ahead and knock.”

  Mike wondered why she didn’t do it herself. He made a fist and pounded on the door.

  She slapped his hand down. “Not like that. Don’t do a cop knock. He’ll never answer if you do that.”

  “Sorry. Just making sure the old man can hear it.”

  They waited a few moments, and Emily said, “Knock again. But this time do it much lighter.”

  “Why don’t we just go through the garage?” Mike pointed to the open door. “Do you know him well enough to pop in and make sure he is alright?”

  “God, no. I just met him when I was getting my reading. We started talking, and that’s how this crazy opportunity came to pass. But I would never walk into his house. He’s way too creepy for that.”

  A rush of solace cascaded over Mike’s body and his jealousy of Emily’s secret relationship faded. Just using the word creepy to describe the man gave Mike comfort. “Should we come back tomorrow? It is pretty late. Maybe he’s a heavy sleeper and he doesn’t wake up for anything.”

  “I guess. He doesn’t answer his phone after dark either. You want to go back to my house and do some fun stuff?” She poked him playfully in the belly, and the gesture made Mike think about Alayna.

  “I think maybe I should just go home, and we could get together tomorrow. It’s already late.” Mike had no idea where the responsible words had come from. He thought Emily would argue with him, but she quietly agreed and they left Tucker McSeamus’ house.

  Emily took Mike home, and much to his surprise, Alayna wasn’t there. He lay down in bed and only thought about one person.

  That fuzzy feeling attacked Mike’s throat again and he began to choke. He rolled onto his belly and hacked for several minutes, causing deep pain in his lungs. He expelled a bloody wad onto the floor next to his bed. Mike knew his time was near.

  THE NEXT DAY, MIKE went to the Forester Cemetery. The overcast morning hadn’t dried the dew on the long blades of grass in desperate need of a fresh cut. Grave markers ranged from almost non-existent to towering monuments over ten-feet tall. Mike noticed flowers and wreaths, and felt stupid for not bringing anything.

  He knelt in front of a humble rectangular gravestone that stood about twenty-four inches high. The gray headstone had been deeply engraved but hadn’t been cleaned in a while. Mike took the bottom of his shirt in his hand, moved in close to the head stone while paying close attention not to kneel on his mother’s burial area, and wiped out the letters.

  In Loving Memory

  Brighid Parker Boyle Merlino

  Mother. Wife.

  That’s it? Not even her birth and death dates? Did the engraver get tired or something? Or did my dad buy drugs with money that should have gone to this? Probably. Wife and mother. She was so much more than just that.

  Mike looked around the cemetery to make sure he was alone, then spoke softly. “I’m at a crossroads, Mom. I found a girl that I really like. And she likes me. We’re going to get out of this town. Go to a big city maybe. But there’s another woman that is teaching me a lot of great things. Only problem is she
wants me to stay away from Emily, the girl. I know that’s a lot of problems to lay on you.”

  A bird sitting on top of a ten-foot-high grave marker squawked and broke Mike’s concentration. He jerked his neck and watched a cardinal fly into the overcast sky. He turned back to his mother. “Anyway, I don’t know what to do. I don’t think I can have both. I’m going to try to keep both of them happy, but I don’t know how it’s going to work out. I’m confused as all get up if you can’t tell.”

  On the walk over to the cemetery, Mike had rehearsed beautiful, poetic words of praise for his Mom, but none of them came to mind right now. He didn’t know what to say to his own mother. He stood up and folded his hands, fighting back tears, and tried to think of something to say to his mother. But he couldn’t.

  He just stood there, staring at the little grave marker. Mike dropped down to one knee.

  “You’re a good son, Micheal,” said a soothing voice.

  He turned toward the sound. Alayna walked a few steps closer.

  Mike shook his head. “I’m a good son? I’m a good son? Me? This is the first time I’ve been here since the funeral. That’s how good of a son I am. You sure you aren’t talking about someone else?

  “Now’s not the time for you to start doubting yourself. This might be the first time you have visited your mother here, but how often do you think about her?”

  “All the fucking time.” Tears burst out of their ducts and streamed down Mike’s face.

  Alayna carefully worked her way closer to Mike, avoiding the sacred areas. He remained on one knee. She sidled up next to him and hugged him from the side. She wrapped one hand around his belly and her other hand around his back. Mike draped his arm around the faerie and squeezed.

  Alayna’s warmth gave him a sense of reassurance and confidence. “Mike. What’s important is that you think about her often. I know you love her and so do you. I’m pretty sure she knows it too. In fact, I’m pretty positive she knows.”