by Scott Baron
He gave her a smile.
“Look, it’s not normal, if that’s what you mean, but you’re really cool, and Death or not, I’m having a wonderful time with you.”
She felt a flush warm her cheeks as she involuntarily broke into a broad smile.
Oh, what’s up with my stomach? Not now, I don’t want to be sick again! Not now!
Randy noticed the flutter of uncertainty flash briefly across her face. Even so, the moment felt right, and he started to lean toward her.
A massive crash echoed loudly from across the courtyard, the metallic bang of a cart overturning snapping them out of their moment.
They both turned, scanning the crowd, to see what the ruckus was all about. A few moments later it became abundantly clear as they saw Curtis walking toward them. Very, very out of sorts.
His face, and much of his head, was covered in cotton candy.
Oh no, please tell me he didn’t actually…
But before she could finish the thought, Dorothy caught sight of the overturned cotton candy cart.
He actually did, she thought, shaking her head in amused disbelief.
Curtis greeted his friends with a pained grin, looking none too thrilled.
“This is not nearly as awesome as I’d imagined,” he grumbled.
An exasperated, “Curtis, seriously!” was all Dorothy could muster.
“Oh, dude,” Randy chimed in. “You did not actually just do that.” He couldn’t help himself, the laughter finally seeping out. Curtis, for his part, didn’t seem to mind much.
“Hey, it’s all right guys. Yuk it up, really, it’s okay. Don’t worry about your poor friend Curtis. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
Their laughter continued, though they did rein it in just a little.
“Har-har. Laugh it up while you can, ’cause I’ll have my revenge on the track! I’ll meet you guys over at the go-karts. I’ve gotta make a quick pit-stop in the men’s room.”
And with that, as quickly as he had rejoined his friends, Curtis was off in search of the bathroom, picking bits of cotton candy from his hair, popping them in his mouth as he walked.
Though his fit of laughter was dying down, Randy was still unable to stop chuckling.
“That is one crazy guy.”
“You have no idea.”
He smiled and reached out, taking Dorothy by the hand. She felt her pulse quicken again at his touch.
“Well, come on,” he said. “It shouldn’t take him too long to clean up. Let’s go teach you how to drive.”
She looked at her hand in his for a moment, and a small grin crept onto her face as the pair started off along the path, hand in hand.
Pausing outside the bathroom, Curtis pulled a sticky ribbon of cotton candy from his hair and popped it in his mouth as he watched them from the shadows, smiling to himself as Dorothy and Randy strolled away. Satisfied things were going well, he stepped through the doorway to clean himself up.
Ten minutes later a race was underway.
It turned out that while Randy did not own a car, which in its own way had been fortuitous, as it helped Dorothy and Curtis avoid any awkward offers of a ride home, he was a rather skilled driver, at least as far as go-karts were concerned.
Dorothy had taken to it quickly, and wasn’t half-bad either, especially given it was her first time driving. Then again, she drove with no fear of death because if she crashed horribly, who’d come and take her? The thought had morbidly amused her when it flashed through her mind.
Of course, it would be hard to do any real damage anyway, since the karts had speed limiters on them.
Curtis, on the other hand, was a terrible driver, though he didn’t appear to mind one bit, and seemed to be enjoying himself immensely, even as he was lapped by other drivers. It fit his character, of course, and he simply reveled in the fun of the moment, not concerned with ranking or place.
All in all, it was a good suggestion on Randy’s part, and by the time they pulled into the pit stop area and climbed out of the karts, the three of them seemed to have bonded even further over the evening’s festivities.
The friends leisurely walked back toward the bus stop, leaving the colored lights and sounds of laughing youth behind them. Dorothy couldn’t seem to stop smiling.
“That was amazing. The wind, the speed—I feel… I feel… tingles. I feel electric.”
Curtis couldn’t help but notice her glowing from the experience.
“Adrenaline,” he said. “Told ya you’d like it.”
“Yeah,” Randy chipped in. “You’re a natural. You almost beat me a few laps there.”
“But, dude,” Curtis cut in. “You are a madman. Seriously, you’re really, really good. Why don’t you have a car?”
No, don’t go there, Curtis!
The thought passed through her mind, but she couldn’t even flash him a warning look. It was already too late.
Randy’s demeanor sobered a bit as a memory pulled him from the festivities. After a moment of reflection, he looked at his friends.
“There was an accident,” he began uneasily. “Um, it’s kinda hard to get into…”
“His wife was killed in a car crash four years ago,” Dorothy said quietly.
“How… how did you know…?” Randy stuttered.
Curtis jumped in.
“That Angela, man ,she’s sweet but sometimes she shares a bit too much. Look, man, I’m sorry I brought it up.”
“It’s all right. I just never really talk about it is all.”
“I can imagine. Well, like I said, I’m sorry I mentioned it. Forget I ever brought it up.”
Randy, however, felt it a bit of relief, as if now that the cork had been loosed, he was free to let out the ghosts that had been haunting him all those years. His gaze turned to Dorothy.
“You know, it’s kind of sappy, but I had always believed in The One but then… oh, man, I was young, we had a fling, and the next thing you know…” He paused, misting up a little. “Well, I flipped my shit at first, and it got kinda ugly between us. Not what I’d planned in the slightest, you know how it is. But then we talked it out, and I did the honorable thing and proposed.”
“Oh, man, that’s a tough one,” Curtis commiserated.
“We weren’t soul mates,” Randy continued. “But I did eventually grow to love her, in her own way. Then, when our daughter was three, her mother was…” He paused, reliving the tragedy. “The first few years after were hard on her. Hard on us both, really. After the accident, well, I kinda went on a bender. My folks stepped in to help, and eventually we moved away to stay with them and get a fresh start.”
“That’s tough, losing your mom like that.”
“Yeah, but you know kids, they heal fast. She’s eight now, and I figured it was time for us to come back home. She’s still staying with her grandparents for the time being to finish out the school year with her friends, but I’ve been working hard to make us a home again. She’s going to finally come join me when the school year is done.” He shook himself a bit, clearing the gloom from his head like an inconvenient cobweb he’d inadvertently walked into. “Anyway, enough dreary stuff. It’s been too fun an evening for me to get all morose and bring us down, am I right?”
“Amen, my brotha!” Curtis hooted, grasping the chance to lighten the mood with both hands. “Hey, did I ever tell you about the time I got locked out of the beach showers with nothing but a wash cloth?”
The bus rolled up a few minutes later, and much to the chagrin of the elderly woman riding with them, Curtis regaled them with ribald tales of his many shenanigans for the duration of the trip.
While it may have been a bit off-color, his antics also lightened the mood so well that by the time they arrived at their destination, all traces of gloom had been well eradicated, and they exited the bus with light hearts and bellies full of laughter.
It had been a fantastic evening, but it was finally time to go their separate ways, as they always did at the end of an outing, but
after giving Curtis a hug, Randy paused before saying goodnight to Dorothy.
“Randy, a pleasure as always. Great idea, it was a hoot,” Curtis said with a grin.
“Me too, I had a blast,” he replied, then turned to the girl who thought she was Death. “Listen, Dorothy, um, could I talk to you for a minute?” he asked, shifting slightly on his feet, uncharacteristically nervous.
Curtis took the hint. “Hey, I’m gonna start walking. I’ll catch ya at the bus stop. See ya, Randy.”
“Later, Curtis.”
He walked off, leaving Dorothy and Randy alone, two figures illuminated by the lone streetlight on the dimly lit avenue.
“So,” Randy began, “I had a really great time tonight”
“As did I,” she replied. “I never knew that fun could be, well, so much fun.”
“Like I said, maybe this being human isn’t such a bad thing.” He shifted from foot to foot, seemingly uncomfortable in his own skin. “Look, um, I was wondering, um, do you think you and I could maybe go out sometime without Curtis?”
“But you two seem to get along so well.”
“Yeah, he’s a great guy. I just thought it would be nice to get to spend some time on our own is all. Maybe grab some dinner, play some chess over a glass of wine.”
“Chess? I’ve never played.”
“Really?” he said, surprised. “Well, we can remedy that. What do you say, just you and me, next Tuesday night?” He pulled out his old blue watch and popped it open, glancing at the time before sliding it back into his pocket.
Dorothy thought about his offer for a moment and found herself not only wanting to follow up on the unusual timepiece, but also warmed by the idea of spending an evening with her friend.
“All right,” she agreed. “I think I can make it. Tuesday night. Ten o’clock.”
“Excellent!” Randy beamed.
Dorothy turned to catch up to Curtis when Randy put his hand on her arm, stopping her and drawing her closer. Nervously, he lightly cupped her face in his hand and leaned in, giving her a kiss on the lips.
It was quick, but it was also certainly more than just a peck.
What the hell was that? she thought as her insides flushed with a startling heat.
Randy stepped back, a happy smile in his eyes as he looked her over.
“Okay then, see ya Tuesday,” he said, then walked off toward home, stealing a glance at her over his shoulder before rounding the corner.
“Uh… see ya,” was all she could muster.
Only a few moments passed, but it felt much longer to Dorothy as she stood still, fixed to the ground, until, finally, she forced her legs to move and headed off down the street. She found her fingers lightly touching her lips as she pondered what had just happened.
Curtis popped out of the shadows, easily falling in step beside her. She didn’t even flinch.
“So?” he queried, features animated with obvious curiosity.
“So, what?” she replied.
“So what happened?” he clarified, growing impatient. If Curtis were a cat, his curiosity would have already likely cost him the bulk of his nine lives.
“The strangest thing,” she began. “He kissed me. Why would he do that?”
Curtis beamed like a proud parent.
“Boy meets Queen of Darkness, boy likes Queen of Darkness, boy kisses Queen of Darkness. Quite normal, really.” He chuckled. Dorothy threw him a look. “Ya know,” he continued, “I like him. He’s a really good guy. Has a good energy.”
He glanced over at his friend and noticed she looked a bit unwell, her hand on her stomach, though she didn’t quite look like she was going to be sick.
“Hey, you feeling okay?” he queried, genuinely concerned.
“I don’t know how to describe it. My stomach, it’s churning… but I don’t think I want to vomit… It’s…” She was at a loss for words. In a flash her friend went from concerned to amused.
“It’s called butterflies.” Curtis smiled a Cheshire grin. “You, my dear, have a crush.”
What is he talking about? I am Death! I do not get crushes.
“No, Curtis, it must be the coffee or something, that’s all.”
He just gazed at her knowingly with a cheerful gleam in his eye.
“Hon, we didn’t even drink coffee tonight,” he said, amused by the whole thing. “Wow, Death in love, who’da thunk it? Kinda gives ‘the kiss of death’ a whole new meaning, eh?”
Dorothy slugged his arm, but couldn’t help but be amused by his contagious mood. Nevertheless, she was disconcerted at the effect Randy had on her.
It could just be a side effect of his relic. That’s got to be it. The watch must have affected me, that’s all. Just part of whatever this cosmic plan is.
“Something good is on the horizon,” Curtis mused. “Funny, you’re getting more action than I’ve had in years, and you only just got here.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You’ve got a hot date to look forward to.”
If I’m still here, she thought as they made their way back to Camview for the night.
I’ve got some reading to catch up on.
Dorothy split with Curtis when they entered Camview’s empty hallways and stealthily made her way to her room. She quietly closed the door behind her, a grim look on her face despite the night’s previously light mood.
The watch isn’t panning out quickly enough. What am I missing? I’m running out of options.
Carefully, she pulled her bed from the wall, revealing the increasingly complex series of chalk runes and symbols hidden beneath it. In the weeks she’d been working on it, the language of symbols had begun making sense more and more, and the resulting glyphs were almost perfect in their design.
Digging under her mattress, she pulled out her book and piece of chalk, then sat down and began to carefully add to the already complex chalk circle.
For a brief moment she stopped, her fingers touching her lips, remembering the kiss and the warmth that accompanied it.
Despite the stress she was under, Dorothy found a slight smile forming on her lips at the memory.
Shaking it off, she forced herself to focus again on her work, laying out runes with ever-increasing precision.
It’s getting there, she thought, but will it actually work?
Working in the dim light, she was so focused that she kept at it until exhaustion claimed her. Just before sunup, she finally curled up in her bed and succumbed to sleep.
CHAPTER 22
The hip art gallery Randy directed was situated in an up-and-coming part of the city, as cutting-edge venues so often are. Gary had been able to pick up the building for a steal years prior, seeing the potential in its high ceilings, open spaces, and exposed beams and infrastructure, even if the neighborhood was still a bit sketchy.
Perfect for a trendy art spot.
When his long-time friend had finally recovered from the upheaval of his life and returned home, Gary didn’t think twice about bringing Randy in to curate a few shows. Hell, he’d wanted to headhunt him from his former gallery gig well before the accident, so it was quite serendipitous the way things worked out, timing-wise that is.
In no time at all, his feet back under him once more, Randy had shown that he still had what it takes, spotting great new artists and securing showings from well-established ones, and racking up solid sales even during a bit of an economic downturn in the art collecting world.
He had been nose-to-the-grindstone for the most part, focused on work seven days a week. Unfortunately, he was also ever-so-slow to come out of his self-imposed fun exile, which was why his appearance that morning took Gary by surprise.
“Hey, dude,” Randy chirped as he happily strolled into the building.
“Everything lined up?” Gary asked as he gave his friend the once-over, pouring him his daily ritual cup of coffee from a fresh pot.
“Yep, we’ll be good for the opening,” he replied. “The band confirmed, both
food trucks said they’ll set up out front, the email blast went out, and we got almost all of the online preview images up. There’s already a lot of interest in quite a few of the pieces. Ya know, I think we’ll have some solid pre-sales this month.”
Gary handed him the piping-hot cup of coffee, eyebrow raised quizzically.
“Okay, man, what’s up? You look like a giddy schoolgirl.”
“Nothing,” he replied, a slight blush rising in his cheeks.
“Uh-huh.” Gary didn’t buy it for a second. “Seriously. C’mon, spill. Is Sam moving back early or something?”
Randy hesitated for just a moment, then the excitement started to crack his cool façade.
“I… well I kinda have a date,” he finally admitted.
“Holy shit, dude, at last! I mean, no disrespect, but it’s about time. Tell me about her!”
The slow burn of a growing smile ignited on Randy’s face.
“I’m still getting to know her. I mean it hasn’t been that long, but so far she’s kind of amazing.”
“Tinder?”
“What? No! I met her at the diner, and things just sort of happened. I don’t know how to explain it, but it just feels right, you know? It’s like how when you’re trying to hang a show, and it doesn’t quite work, but then an unexpected piece arrives and as soon as you unwrap it the whole wall suddenly comes together and makes perfect sense,” he gushed.
“Wow, she really made an impression. So when do I get to meet this new girl?”
“Soon, I hope.”
“Awesome. Come on, tell me all about her while we unpack these pieces,” Gary said, glad to see someone was finally drawing his friend out of his reclusive funk and back to his old self.
Maybe even better than his old self.
Across town, lunchtime arrived in the nuthouse, and surprisingly the bulk of the residents were behaving themselves, at least for the most part.
Naturally, there were the occasional fits and tantrums. There were also those who just drooled on themselves because they were drugged to the gills, a direct result of their prior fits and tantrums. For the most part, however, it was a calm day.
