American Hypocrites: Short Series of Graphic Revenge

by Mackenzie Stark

  “Hypocrite?” Madison asks, half under her breath and with spit flying out of her mouth.

  “Wow, you really don’t get it,” Butch says, “you’re a funny one A-list, just keep walking!”

  But Madison can barely walk at this point. She’s tired, drained and scared to death. It’s then she sees the Hollywood sign. She hiked to it back in the day, but doesn’t remember it much. Today, they came up the backside and the sign now sits in front of them.

  Butch stops the group, “Well now, we’re on top of the world, isn’t it grand!” he calls out, throwing his arms into the air. He sets his backpack down on a big rock that is next to them and pulls out two zip ties. Sunny takes them and secures Madison’s arms together out in front of her and then speaks directly to Madison, “Okay now, this is the important stuff, think you can listen? We’ll see if you can understand more than scripts, lines and speeches,” she pause, “You know, most of my life I really thought you were something! But then, then you had to go and ruin all that!”

  Chapter Six: Act II

  Meryl Streep, Oscar Speech:

  “Hollywood is crawling with outsiders and foreigners, and if we kick 'em all out, you'll have nothing to watch but football and mixed martial arts…which are not the arts.”

  *****

  Sunny pulls out a black bundle from the backpack next and from that, pulls out an Oscar award. Madison’s mouth drops open, and she lets out a gasp at the sight of it. She knows it must be one of hers.

  “That’s right!” Sunny says, “Did a little exploring today and look what we found!” She turns the Oscar around in her hands, admiring it. “Must feel real good to get one of these, for a great performance.”

  Madison doesn’t say anything.

  “Well? Did it?” Sunny yells, wanting an answer, “I mean, we’ve been watching some of your performances lately and the only thing that could possibly be award-worthy about them is how full of bull they are!”

  “My awards mean a lot me…of course,” Madison gets out.

  “Of course,” Butch repeats, mocking her.

  Sunny looks out down the hill, “Some great homes down there. Like your house for instance…all tucked away all nice and safe. Wish I could feel that safe, but I don’t!” she yells. And then, without another word, she slams the award into Madison’s gut, “Here’s what I think of all your damn security!” She raises the Oscar again and throws it down toward the Hollywood sign and into the night.

  Madison has a hard time catching her breath and is spitting up saliva. To her surprise, Butch pulls out another Oscar, “Oh now, lookie here…here’s another one…wow, you really are amazing!” he says, holding the award tight in the grip of his large hand. His evil laugh is intimidating and has Madison cowering to the side.

  “Know what surprised me the most about your place?” he says, “You had your help, which I wasn’t very impressed with by the way, and nice things and all, but that was it. So…what’s up?” he glares down at Madison.

  “I-I don’t know what you mean?” Madison doesn’t know what any of it means, and her thoughts are all over the place. Who are these people? How did they get into my house?

  Butch keeps going, “Well, where were all of the people you wanted here? You know, those people that without them we would have nothing to watch and do? They should be welcome you said! But none were at your house…you just had your help and your pretty things, like this!” He holds up the Oscar.

  “Well…I-I…” Madison’s at a loss for words. Her eyes are filling up with more tears.

  “What, do you stutter in real life or something?” he’s holding the Oscar in front of her face now, “Are they not welcome at your house? And I mean, I never see them welcome at your parties like the one that got you THIS either!” he shakes the Oscar in front of her, “Why keep people, that you want, so closed off when there’s no one better to give them their big chance than you?”

  Madison’s now crying uncontrollably and can’t get even one word to come out of her mouth.

  Chapter Seven: Act III

  Fox News Insider, Robert Davi:

  “Open the gates in Bel Air and let the people camp out. Why have any boundaries at all.”

  *****

  Butch isn’t done, “Look, we know they’re not all dangerous, don’t get me wrong, but what’s amazing to me is that people like you think they are all safe! Open borders! Screw vetting!” He screams before grabbing her by the hair and pulling her head back.

  He plants a kiss on her bloody lips, “Better yet, screw you lady!” He let’s go of her hair and then takes the second Oscar and throws it past the sign and down the hill, just like Sunny did with the first one. He walks behind Madison pushing his body against hers and reaches his hand up into her shirt. He starts rubbing and squeezing her breasts. She cringes and starts shifting under his touch.

  “Do you like to be felt up by a stranger?” He rips her bra apart and starts squeezing her nipples, “I bet you do,” he puts a hand down her pants, “why haven’t you offered these safe and loving people shelter? You obviously have the room! I mean, Hollywood needs them…Hollywood is them! Isn’t that what you said? So what’s the big f’ing deal!” He pushes into her hard and Madison’s body is vibrating.

  “Maybe,” Butch says, “just maybe, they aren’t with you because you’re too good for them, even though you preach all day about how we should all be so accepting and considerate!” He takes his hands back and lets go of her.

  Sunny starts in, “Let’s get to the truth here A-list…deep down, you don’t want those scary strangers in your house! You don’t want to find out what they would do, or maybe what they would steal, right?” Madison is breathing hard, but says nothing. Sunny smacks her and she falls over, “Right?”

  “Okay, it’s time to get serious,” Sunny says, “You give your talks and your opinions and insult all that I am, and tell me I’m the one causing the violence? You say your work is breathtaking and that you are compassionate. Do you even know what that means? I’m sick of you and all that you stand for, you ignorant bitch!” she raises her arm and slams the back of her hand into Madison’s face.

  Madison’s face is bleeding again and she spits out a tooth. Sunny continues, “You say it hurts you to see these people in our country with terror in their eyes? Well know real terror, and now so will you.”

  Chapter Eight: The Final Act

  The Daily Mail:

  “The refugee rapist had a machete and threatened her partner, 26, with violence.”

  “The 31-year-old asylum seeker tried to run when being arrested.”

  *****

  Butch grabs a photo out of the backpack and holds it up so Madison can see it and then sets it down in front of her, “She is beautiful, wouldn’t you agree?” he pauses, “And don’t even think about not answering me or I’ll throw you off this mountain right now!”

  Madison is looking at the picture, “She is…very beautiful.” Madison is also thrown off by the photo. It is of a young brunette, and the photo seems so personal. The woman is outside, and the sun lights up her hair. She is not wearing sunglasses, and Madison can see her big brown eyes. She looks innocent, and happy.

  “That’s right she is beautiful!” Butch tells her while he grabs another photo, “And this one?”

  It’s a picture of a child, a girl. Madison thinks may be eleven years old or so. Same beautiful brown hair and brown eyes. In the picture, she is holding a violin and looks proud. Madison is becoming more anxious about what is coming next. Butch sets the picture down next to the first one.

  “Do you think you are more special than these two?” he asks Madison, “Do you think they would be lost without you and your precious art? They had a LIFE, and it had zero to do with you, or this place!”

  “I-I…” Madison is mortified.

  “I-I”…you sure do stutter…who knew? Maybe it’s one of those crazy twitches people get. For you, it must be when you realize what a pompous, conceited ass you are!” Butch
has one more picture and he breaks it out and holds it in front of Madison’s face.

  A feeling of panic and anxiety shoot up Madison’s gut and into her mouth. She starts coughing again, almost gagging. The picture is of two very decorated coffins at a burial. There are red and yellow flowers with children and older folk standing all around them, “No!” Madison cries, “Are they…”

  Sunny screams in Madison’s face, “Dead!”

  Butch lowers the picture and sets it by the others. Madison stares down at them. She can’t control her breathing, her face hurts, her mouth hurts, and she is shaking with fear.

  “Our sister, Marlana, picked up her 10 year old daughter, Bella, from school and they had gone straight home, but there were no gates or guards at her house…just a man waiting for them. They got inside, and there was nothing they could do. He tied them up, he beat them, he raped them…and then he killed them…both of them!”

  Madison’s vision is blurry, and she sways a bit trying to focus.

  “Let me fill you in on the main point here A-list,” Butch says, “the man wasn’t from anywhere around here. You know, our country I mean. He came over in a group and put on the face of an innocent victim. But he was anything but innocent and had his own agenda. An agenda bigger than you or me. For sure, we did the best screening we could with our available time and resources. And in the meantime, I’m listening to your crock of bullshit on the big screen telling me how evil and mean I am. Open borders all the way, right A-list?”

  He kneels down in front of her, “Come to find out, he was not just one man, he was one of many, and he was the leader. He went on to destroy more lives until the big day he took his own in a suicide killing.”

  Sunny pulls out a pair of scissors and grabs Madison’s hair, “You talk the talk but just can’t walk that walk, can you? You’re all for them and you don’t know shit! You’ve been a fairytale person in a fairytale world. But not anymore. Today, you are nothing.” She chops at Madison’s hair, one big chunk at at time.

  Madison’s guts are tied in knots and she’s choking on her own throw up. She is too upset to do anything but sit there, squeezing her eyes as tightly closed as possible.

  When she opens them, she sees that Butch has one more Oscar. Of course he does, she had three. Regrets are flying through her head and desperation has taken over her whole body. But for Madison Leigh there is nothing else to do. Brought to her knees, stripped of all that she was, hard work discarded over a mountainside, it’s lights out for Madison.

  The last think she sees is the Oscar swinging in her direction.

  *****

  When the sun came up the next morning and Madison was found, it was shocking. Her body was hunched down, bloody and beaten, her head practically in her lap. No longer in zip ties, her wrists had been cut, causing her to bleed out right there on the hill. She sat there in death all night, and her body was cold.

  There was not one clue left behind as to who had been there the night before. All detectives found was a single poker chip placed in her left hand, and to the right of her a message written out on the rock:

  HOW CLEVER YOU ARE MY DEAR! YOU NEVER MEAN A SINGLE WORD YOU SAY.

  The Liberal Professor

  Chapter One: Exams Optional

  Fox News:

  Colleges and universities are encouraging students to cry, cuddle with puppies and sip hot chocolate to soothe their fragile psyches.

  *****

  School break is around the corner and for Joanna Butler it couldn’t come at a better time. Being an Economics Professor is no easy task, and the fact that it’s at one of the top Universities in the country, not to mention the birthplace of free speech, makes it all that more challenging.

  She thinks back on the last year as she stares up at the awards lining her office walls. There were many frustrations and irritations but today Joanna is glad that she has found her own voice in it all. A place where her views can matter and not be ignored.

  She lets out a sigh and looks down at the letter on her computer:

  Your emotional distress is my top priority and therefore I have made the decision to make your final exams optional this semester. As you can imagine, rescheduling this test would be near impossible and although I realize some of you may have studied and prepared for this, we have many that are experiencing extreme trauma from recent events.

  Please know, the choice is yours on whether or not to participate. Please also know that to be fair to all, I will be calculating grades both with and without this score. Please let me know your intentions by tomorrow AM.

  If any of you need additional comfort, Professor Stevens will be bringing his dog “Squeakers” into the office starting Monday.

  “Perfect!” She takes in a deep breath of satisfaction and signs it.

  All My Best, Dr. Butler

  She hits send and off it goes.

  “Knock, knock!” It’s one of Joanna’s TA’s popping his head in, “May I come in?”

  “Oh, of course! I was just sending out my email on exams,” Joanna says, “you should have it in your inbox.”

  Ding!

  “Sure enough!” He says. “Got it!

  “So, what’s up. What can I do for you?”

  “Well, I wondered about this,” he points to his cell phone in reference to the exams, “and I wanted to check in if you still needed me to help grade those papers this weekend.”

  “Nope, I don’t think so Daniel,” Joanna thinks for a minute, “I’m moving all of that to next week, I mean, with the event and all.”

  “Event?” Daniel asks.

  She reaches over to a small stack of flyers that are on her desk, “Did you get one of these?” It’s a flyer promoting the weekend’s festivities:

  Love not Hate Cry-in - Join us to Mourn, Encourage & Include (hot chocolate will be served)

  “I did not,” Daniel responds, opening up the folded flyer.

  “Just went out this morning. You were helping those students in the auditorium when it all unfolded. I expect you to be there!” She looks up at him more intently, “At least stop by Daniel and have some hot chocolate! It’s for a good cause you know and your participation will look great on your resume.”

  “Right…” Daniel starts out. He originally wanted to tell her about how his father is in town and it’s his birthday this weekend. But then he stops himself “…of course, I will be there! Wouldn’t want to miss it.”

  “Well good!” Joanna exclaims, “The more the merrier at these things. We are trying to make a point!”

  “For sure,” says Daniel, “okay, well, I’m gonna run now. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow!” He waves his flyer as she leaves and she wave back without looking up. She has already buried herself back into her computer.

  Daniel grabs his things and makes his way down the long hallway of the faculty hall. It’s Friday night and the students are all gone and he’s guessing there are only one or two professors left in the building. All is quiet. He folds up the flyer and puts it into his jacket. He’s already pushing it to make his dinner plans and is in a hurry to get out of there.

  Just as he’s about to walk out of the building, he sees a man sitting in the atrium, “You looking for someone?” he asks.

  “I’m fine,” the man says, kindly enough. He doesn’t look up though, “just waiting for someone, that’s all.”

  “Oh,” Daniel pauses. He then sees the man is holding a school badge and decides it’s all good. “Okay!” he calls out but the man doesn’t respond. “Prick,” Daniel says under his breath as he pops open his umbrella and walks out the door.

  Chapter Two: There is work to do

  The Observer:

  The university has become a therapeutic society where students want to discover and relish their status as victims.

  *****

  The man in the atrium eventually looks up and he watches Daniel take off down the quiet campus sidewalk, “A college full of ignorance,” he mumbles to himself.

 
He pulls out a crumpled up news article from his coat pocket and opens it. He lowers his head as he reads it and after a moment wipes tears from his eyes. After sitting for a few more minutes, there’s a knock on the glass door to the building.

  The man is startled by the noise, but then recognizes his friend at the door. He makes an attempt to fold up his article, and shoves it back into his pocket before getting up.

  He opens the door, “Max.”

  “Jack.”

  The two men are old friends. They served in the Army together after high school and both married young. They never did make it to a high-end college but they did continue on and made quite the careers for themselves.

  Using their military background they did many things over the years. Today, they are business partners and run a security company, providing services in and around the San Francisco area. They also have quite the poker group that gets together every first Thursday of the month. They they play hard and share in good times. They also discuss many things that don’t involve poker and that go well above and beyond the stakes of the game.

  Jack pulls out a large backpack he had set behind his bench and loads up.

  “Okay, so…” Jack is ready to start discussing the plan when a man from university security comes up the set of stairs to lower level, and walks over to them.

  “Hey Warden,” Max turns to the man, “how are we looking?”

  “The building is clear. Last one to leave was that TA and the only one left is Dr. Butler.

  “Sounds good,” Jack rubs his hands together and looks to both of the men, “we have work to do.”

  Chapter Three: Dripping with Pride

  Fox News Insider:

  College Students Want to Eliminate Grades Below 'C' and Written Exams.

  *****

  Joanna is on her phone and is all smiles.

  “Aren’t you relentless! This year has just gone so well, I mean, can you believe it? … I know, I know … It’s been amazing, thank you. I am actually quite proud of myself and the students are fantastic,” she starts laughing and spinning her chair around, “I haven’t had one student demand or complain in two weeks!”