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Harrison was slumped in the rear seat of the
limousine. A worried Henri glanced back. The man was toying with a
small quirt, hitting himself on the groin whispering curses and
then pleas.
They passed a Conservation crew in dayglow orange
jumpsuits clearing the debris from the attack site. A black
Harvester van was parked near it, with two men pulling body parts
from the woods.
Henri glanced away. He was over sixty, and his
day was coming. With a near reverent hate, he touched the collar
around his neck and sighed.
“So?”
The Guardian appeared on the seat next to him.
The big spirit reached over to slide the flask from Henri's coat
pocket.
He raised it, said, “Scholta,” and drank
half.
“'So' he says. So?
So maybe I'm too young to go with them creeps.”
“Nah.” The Guardian wiped his mouth off
with the back of one scarred hand. “Ain't never to young to
escape this hellhole.” He pointed at the trees bugging along the
road. Here and there a redbud put out delicate coral blooms. A
wild apple tree had a few white blossoms on it. The air was filled
with new life and the joy of another Spring.
Growing morose, the Guardian said, “This
whole place is not but death and tears." A tear ran down one
lean cheek. “Compared to the Forest of the Sun, this is the deep
end o' the methane digester. This is the dead lands.”
Tears wet the face. Snatching up the hem of his
robe, the Guardian blew his nose in it.
Henri snatched back the flask.
“Man, but ain't much worse than a whining
drunk. Get a life.”
“Got one.” The guardian stared out the
window. “Got you. Got your old daddy and granddaddy and all the
way back to Red Earth Man. That's all I got to live for,
watching you try to throw yourself into Hell. That, and a few
tears.”
All anger gone, Henri tipped the flask up,
draining it. He glanced at it wishing for more.
The window whined down, and he threw it into the
trees.
He glanced into the mirror. Face a pale mask of
hate, Harrison was watching him.
Smiling and innocent, the twins waited until
Carl was busy. They slid into a hole in the wall. A nice cow was
there chewing her cud.
Trixie sighed.
Dixie slicked her lips.
“Steak.”
“Ham-buggers.”
“Yum.”
The cow's ears shot up. The aging Ayrshire
lowered her horns and snorted.
Dixie held up a pinkie. Trixie linked with her.
Together, they smiled at the cow.
Under the splayed hoofs, a little wisp of steam
arose to be lost in the cool air.
From the house, Anna said, “If anyone if
bothering that cow, they're goose is cooked.”
Trixie shivered. Dixie said, “Be brave,
Sis.” She gave her sister a kiss on the cheek.
Carl's innocent rumbled followed Anna's.
“I found a two-by-four, honey. Where are the twins?”
Eyes wide and trembling, the girl leaped from
the cow-byre and ran to the front of the house.
They slipped in to sneak back to the bedroom.
Benny was lying next to Sue. He was sound asleep, his mouth
slightly agape, with Sue stroking the hair from his face.
Seeing the twins, Sue held a finger to her
lips.
She smiled, beckoning them in.
On tiptoes, the girls moved in.
They peered at Benny, then grinned at Sue.
“He's a mean one, Auntie Sue.”
“You all got to take care of him.”
“Men ain't too bright.”
“See? Got himself hurt.”
“Carl?” Benny opened his eye to glare at
the twins.
They zipped out of the room, through the
kitchen and out the door.
One stopped to close the kitchen door. She
smiled, then saw the two-by-four in Carl's paws and gasped. The
door slammed shut.
Scowling at the door, Carl sighed. He shoved
the piece of wood up under the table and wired the broken leg fast
to it.
He gave the table a slap. Satisfaction in his
voice, he said, “There. That ought to hold it.”
With a long, sighing groan, the table
collapsed.
A shriek came from outside.
Carl dashed out with Ama and Anna plowing into
him. One of the twins had a hand wrapped around a piece of black
wire, the second was holding of her twin. The braids stood out and
sparks snapped off their teeth. Carl knocked them down, and both
girls collapsed.
“Gee,” Dixie said.
“What cha do that for?”
“It was fun.”
“Look.”
Pinkie's linked, they pointed at a cockroach
scurrying along the wall, and lightning cracked from their
fingertips.
“Wow. Let's go see Unca Benny.”
They bounced up but Ama stood in the doorway.
“Go play. Sue don't need nobody messing
around.”
The girls scowled, but Ama gave them a warm,
gentle smile, and they bolted down the street.
Glancing at Carl, Ama said, “See? They good
babies. No need to be beating on ‘em. Just show them love.”
She turned to step back in the house. Anna
frowned. She plucked something from Ama's back, dropped it with a
grimace of distaste, and stepped on it. The monkey demon wailed in
pain.
Ama stopped. She glanced around and shivered.
“You hear something, honey?”
Anna smiled. She gave the old woman a quick hug
and kiss.
“Freedom, Auntie.”
©2004 StoriesByEmail.com
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