I could only shake my head. “You’re strange, do you know that?”
“And you’re my hero!” she answered with a grin.
* * *
Flea’s pep talk had done wonders for my mood. That’s not to say I was happy, but I didn’t feel quite so disgusted with myself anymore. What I needed was rest, so when I spied a little hut half-hidden in the trees, I approached the window and peered through the dirty glass.
“It looks empty,” I said.
But Flea and Rosie were already inside, the two of them busy exploring what appeared to be a lived-in bedroom.
“You need to be more careful,” I said, stepping through the door.
“Pfft. What for? I’m not scared.”
“Yeah, but whoever’s in here might be.”
It was empty, all right. And relatively tidy, with an assortment of everyday objects decorating a set of drawers and a pair of matching tables.
“Looks like the Scavenger’s getting lazy. There’s some good stuff here. Ever seen one of these?” I asked, holding up a yellow plastic pencil sharpener.
The imp shook her head.
“Now let’s see if I can find a pencil. Well, what do you know, there’s one sitting right here. So you see how the tip’s all dull? Well, a few twists, and voila, it’s all ready!”
I held up the newly sharpened pencil only for Flea to wrinkle her nose. “What is that? A weapon?”
“No, silly. It’s a pencil. You write with it. Here, look,” I said, grabbing a conveniently placed sheet of lined paper. I wrote FLEA in big block letters. “See? That’s your name.”
The imp’s face lit up. “Really? That’s my name?” She traced the letters with her finger before turning her attention to the pencil. “But you could still stab someone with it, right?”
Before I could answer, Flea swiped the pencil from my hand and began running around the room, stabbing imaginary foes in the eye with her newly found graphite spear.
Rosie, meanwhile, was relaxing on a queen-size bed. She looked comfy, and taking off my boots, I joined her, resting my head on my arm while I smoked a cigarette. It felt good being off my feet — too good — and I searched for something to talk about to keep from falling asleep.
“It’s weird to think this is how a person enters Purgatory. Why a bedroom of all places? Why not a living room? Or a kitchen?”
“Are you still talking about that?” Flea asked, jumping onto the mattress beside me.
“It’s because it’s the truth. You know it. I can tell by the look in your eyes.”
“You’re delusional.”
“So why are you turning away? Come on,” I said, raising myself onto my elbow, “look me in the eyes and tell me I’m wrong.”
She looked me in the eyes, all right, and then smacked me on the forehead.
“What the hell was that for?”
“For being delusional.”
I returned to using my forearm as a pillow, blowing smoke rings and watching as they slowly made their way to the ceiling.
“I wonder what happened to the person who lived here? How’d they die? And when? Couldn’t have been that long ago, or a scavenger would have picked it clean already.”
“Would you stop talking about that?”
“Why?”
Flea brought her orange face to hover over mine. “Because you sound crazy!”
“You’re one to talk,” I grumbled. “I wonder if it’s got anything to do with a bedroom being someone’s personal space? A living room is shared. So’s a kitchen. But a bedroom, that’s yours. That’s a part of you.”
I yawned, fighting against the weariness in my eyelids.
“You know what’s weird? I don’t remember my bedroom. I mean, I remember it, but not as a doorway for coming here. My parents remember their bedroom, but I don’t remember mine at all. Isn’t that weird?”
A silence fell upon the room, and finishing my cigarette, I took to blankly staring at a crack in the ceiling, my mind sliding into the shallow end of a dream.
“What are you going to do now?”
“Huh? What was that?” I asked with a start.
“I said, what are you going to do now?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t had time to really think about it.” I rolled onto my side, replaying my time in the SYS building in my head. “I still can’t figure out why the angel sent me there. Risking my life like that. Surely there must be a reason.”
“I know what it is,” said Flea.
“Really?”
“You met me, silly!”
That made me chuckle, and I turned onto my back once more while the imp played with my hair.
“I just wish I knew what I was supposed to do,” I said. “I can’t go back to Harkness empty-handed. Not after promising my dad. If only the angel had been clearer, then maybe I’d know.”
“But that’s how it is, isn’t it? Deities are always sending champions on important quests with only the barest facts. It’s silly. If this ‘angel’ of yours is really so powerful, why doesn’t he get rid of Bill himself?”
“Because that’s not how it works.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know. I’m tired.”
I wasn’t going to tell her, but Flea had made a good point. Why didn’t the angel take care of Bill himself? It was a question I asked myself over and over again until I fell asleep.
Chapter 12
I’d never experienced water so blue. It was perfect. I had no idea how far down I was, but I didn’t care. I had Sam with me. We were like dolphins, swimming effortlessly in all directions.
I was shocked to discover my brother down there, but once that initial surprise wore off, I was more than happy to swim with him. He looked good. In fact, he looked the same as the day he died. In some ways, it was a shame we weren’t on land. I would have loved to have talked to him, ask him what he thought of his younger brother looking so old and tired.
The water was so warm, so soothing. I made the mistake of closing my eyes, because when I opened them, Sam was gone. I looked everywhere, but he’d disappeared.
It wasn’t fair. I wanted to apologize. It wasn’t right what I did.
I tried calling his name, but a man’s voice doesn’t carry underwater. And so I went deeper, propelling myself with my arms. The water wasn’t warm anymore. Nor was it blue. I’d made a mistake descending this far, and was about to turn around when I sensed a presence in the murky depths below. I couldn’t see it. I didn’t need to. It was massive, and it was coming to greet me. I’d never been so scared, and I shot upward, aiming for the pale light of the surface. I was fast, but the giant was faster, and I glanced down to see the shadow of a whale approaching me.
I gave everything I had, but it was no use. I was running out of air.
Please! God! Help me!
The whale was right behind me. I didn’t know anything could be so huge. I was a speck in comparison, and in a desperate bid to escape I reached for the water’s surface only for my lungs to give out on me.
I sat up in bed, gasping for air. I didn’t know what was happening, and for a moment I swore I could feel the whale brush against my feet. And then I understood: it was a dream.
I collapsed onto the sweat-soaked mattress, gazing at the ceiling while my heart rate returned to normal. I’d never experienced anything like that before. It was so vivid. No, that wasn’t merely a dream. That was a message.
I remained in bed while my conscious self made sense of what was shown to me.
I knew what to do now.
Rosie and Flea were nowhere to be seen, and grabbing my gun, I was making my way to the door when I noticed the piece of paper on which I’d written the imp’s name. It didn’t just say Flea anymore, but the name David had been added, surrounded by a swarm of hearts. It was strangely touching, and I folded it up and stuffed it in my pocket before going outside.
I fully expected to see Flea and Rosie waiting for me, so when all I saw was empty road, my stomach t
ightened.
“Rosie?” I called. “Flea?”
My calls were met by the familiar flapping of a demon as it perched on the roof of the hut. It felt like ages since I’d last seen one of those little fellas, and I walked up to it, happy to see a familiar face.
“And how are you today?” I asked.
The demon cocked its head, and in a most unexpected gesture, responded with a series of clicks and whistles.
“Can you understand me?”
Again it spoke, regarding me with an expression of amusement while I reached up and touched its leathery wing. I thought it would fly away. Instead, it leaned into my hand.
“You like this?” I asked, gently stroking its wing.
It must have, because its eyes flipped to shiny black, and after a few moments of softly clicking, it broke into a hearty chorus of the sound. It was glorious, and I closed my eyes, allowing it to penetrate my soul. I could have stayed there forever, but without warning, the demon flew away, and I was left wondering why when Rosie came crashing out of the trees, the imp astride her back.
“Where were you?” I demanded.
Flea leapt off Rosie’s back and handed me two unopened bottles of chikka.
“Where’d you get these?”
The imp grinned. “It’s a secret.”
I was almost ready to let it go when I noticed the blood on Rosie’s chest and mouth. “What the hell did you guys do?”
“I told you. It’s a secret.”
“She’s not hurt, is she?” I asked, rushing to examine Rosie closely.
“Oh, don’t worry. That’s not her blood.”
“Whose is it, then?”
Flea groaned and stuck out her tongue. “Why do you have to ask so many questions? All you have to know is that me and Rosie got some unopened chikka for you. So go ahead and have some. You look like you could use it.”
She wasn’t wrong, and ripping the cork out with my teeth, I proceeded to drink. It felt so good, and I leaned against the door of the hut, allowing the purpleness to consume me.
“How long were you gone?” I asked, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.
“I don’t know. A few hours?”
“A few hours? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You looked so peaceful. I didn’t want to wake you. I’ll tell you one thing, though. You weren’t lying when you said Rosie’s dangerous. I’ve never seen an animal fight like that before.”
“Okay, now you’re just trying to make me mad. Tell me where you went.”
“Uh, uh, uh. I told you. It’s a secret.”
“You and your stupid secrets.” I reached into my trouser pocket and pulled out the paper with my name surrounded with hearts. “What’s the deal with this?” I demanded, holding the paper in front of her face.
Flea looked overjoyed. “Oh, good! You found it!”
“I thought you said you didn’t know how to read!”
“I said nothing of the sort.”
“You certainly acted like it when I showed you your name. Why didn’t you tell me you knew how to read?”
“You looked so proud of yourself. I didn’t want to ruin the moment.”
She could be so annoying, sometimes. Returning the piece of paper to my pocket, I lit a cigarette, expelling the smoke from my nose.
“The angel spoke to me last night.”
Flea’s eyes widened. “Really? How?”
“He appeared in a dream.
“What did he say?”
“He told me everything. How to kick my addiction. How to get out of this place. But most importantly, he told me how to get rid of Bill.”
You could practically see the electricity crackling around her, she was so excited. “How are you going to do it?”
“It’s a secret.”
It felt good using the imp’s own line against her, and she glowered, kicking a pebble into the trees.
“But first, I’ve got a score to settle.”
The imp’s smile returned. “Oh! Tell me! Tell me! Who is it?”
“The Eggman.”
“But I thought he frightened you.”
“You have no idea. But as much as he scares me, I hate him even more. I’d do anything to get even with him and that witch.”
“Even if it jeopardizes your quest?”
Now that was a good question, and I leaned against the hut, scratching my beard. “Yes. Yes, I would,” I said, finally. “Is that bad of me?”
“I don’t know,” answered Flea with a shrug.
“I’d like to leave it alone, but I can’t. It’s like there’s a worm gnawing on my brain, and the only way to get rid of it is by getting revenge.”
“Let’s go do it, then!”
“Hold on a second. You’re coming with me?”
Flea stuck out her bottom lip. “You don’t want me to?”
“No. That’s not it. I just never thought about it. That’s all.”
“Good. Because I’m coming anyway. There’s no way I’d miss my David getting even with the meanie that killed his doggie.”
“So you don’t think God will mind that I’m doing this?”
This caused Flea to lurch back a step. “Whoa! I thought you were taking directions from an angel.”
“I am. But ultimately, angels work for God, right?”
“Look at you, getting all religious.”
“But it’s true, isn’t it? God’s like their boss. The angel wouldn’t be telling me to do something without God’s consent, would he?”
“Oh, wow. Next I’ll find out you pray before bed.”
“Yeah, well, maybe I should have. Then I wouldn’t be in this hellhole in the first place.” I flicked the butt of my cigarette onto the ground, grinding it into the dirt with my heel. “You don’t think this makes me like the Scavenger, do you? He tried to kill me out of revenge, too.”
“Of course not,” replied Flea. “You’re much cuter.”
* * *
And so we departed, Flea astride Rosie’s back, while I prepared myself for the work that was to come. The events at the little cottage must have really affected me, because I was a wreck. I kept imagining shooting the Eggman in the face, only for the demon to emerge unscathed and slice me in half with his butcher’s knife.
And it only got worse as time wore on. I felt physically ill, and in a bid to brighten my spirits, Flea recited Humpty Dumpty.
The symbolism wasn’t lost on me.
“How do you know these things?” I asked. “First Robin Hood? Now Humpty Dumpty?”
“I know lots of things,” answered Flea. “How about this one:
There once was a boy named David,
Upon whose head Heaven’s favor shone,
He killed the giant from Gath,
Using only a sling and a stone.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think I know that one.”
“Aw, that’s too bad. How about this one, then:
Hey diddle diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon.
The little dog laughed,
To see such sport,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.”
She loved that one, laughing so hard she had to grab Rosie’s ruff so she wouldn’t fall on the road.
And then it appeared. The cottage. It looked so harmless, with its picket fence and stone chimney.
“So what do we do?” asked Flea, leaping off Rosie’s back.
“Keep your voice down! I don’t want them knowing we’re here. Not yet.”
The situation had taken on a surreal quality. I was there to avenge my friend. My friend who died in that building’s basement, but who was also standing beside me. Did she even know why we were there? Hair standing on end, I knelt down and gave Rosie a hug.
“So what are you going to do?”
“Just hold on!” I said, returning to my feet. The imp seemed to have no concept of what it meant to whisper, and I grabbed her by the arm, ushering her
to a spot further down the road where we could plan without the risk of being detected.
“So what are you going to do?” hissed Flea.
“Now you decide to whisper?” I shook my head, returning my focus to the task at hand. Unfortunately, I was so worked up I could barely think, and I began pacing back and forth across the road.
“I know. Why don’t I throw one of these through the window?”
Flea was holding one of her origami stones, and for whatever reason, it appealed to my sense of humor. “We can’t do that,” I said with a snort.
“Why not? I’d just sneak up and throw it through the window. Or you could do it.”
“How much damage would it do?”
“It would flatten it.”
We were both grinning like fools, and I actually had to walk away as I was overcome by giggles.
“Come on, David! You know you want to!”
I don’t know if it was the stress or what, but the idea of her little origami grenade exploding while the old lady was reading one of her books had me doubled over in laughter.
“Here,” said Flea, offering me the stone. “It’ll be the greatest thing ever.”
It was so tempting …
“No,” I said. “This is something that has to be done face-to-face. I want them to know before they die that they crossed the wrong man. I’m going to walk up those front steps and blow their heads off.”
Flea’s body sagged. “Aw! That’s no fun. Can I at least knock on the door?”
“I don’t see why not.”
Like a shot, Flea was gone.
“Hold on! I’m not ready yet!”
“But I want to knock on the door!”
“Just wait. I need to psych myself up first.”
While Flea hopped in giddy anticipation at the bottom of the cottage’s steps, I visualized myself storming through the front door and delivering retribution to the demons inside. I’d never experienced butterflies like this before. It was too much, and recognizing I was a hair’s width from walking away, I signaled Flea to do her thing.
The imp didn’t need to be told twice. Up the stairs she went, flashing me a grin before hammering the door with her fist.
Planet Purgatory Page 14
