Burn, Baby, Burn by Michael Seale (Chapter 35)

 Chapter 35

Scorned…

Kimber was angry. Angry at herself, but more angry at him. She bounced back and forth between. How could he and I’m so stupid? She wanted nothing more than to give him a piece of her mind. After wallowing in self-pity all day, she had finally decided that the only thing that would help would be to hash it out with him. She hated that, knowing that she was going to argue, going to fight with someone. 

His car wasn’t parked outside when she got there. She rang the bell anyway. No answer, of course. 

Of course, no answer, she thought, he’s off fucking another whore he found at a bar somewhere. Fuck, she always fell for such assholes. Her blonde hair pulled back into a tight bun. She was on a mission now. She would find him and let him know what she thought. 

***

We sat together on what looked like a floor, but I need to remember everything here was a mere projection. I am nowhere but in myself right now. The boy is sitting next to me playing with a GI Joe that I had had when I was younger. It is strange to talk to a younger version of myself, one with the wonderful memories. 

I don’t think that I have many good memories. I have tried my entire adult life to block out my childhood and now sitting it is sitting next to me. It, the other part, was the memories that it (he) had made when it (he) got into the light as it (he) called it. Those were memories I will never know, because at that moment it (he) was here. Just as I have no idea what was happening now. I don’t care to know. I just want to be back in control. For all I know, the other him was at home jacking off.  

“But how is that possible?” I asked.

“I dunno know,” the boy said.

“But you have to have done more than that.”

“I didn’t.” 

I turned to the old man, who seemed to be constantly watching. “How did you do it?” 

“I came to you in dreams, it easier. When I go to him, I go to his mind, only he can see and hear me then.” 

“What do you mean, you go to him?” 

“I have gone to him, tried to stop him. He beats me every time. I can no longer go. I…” he trailed off.

“You what?”

“I allowed him to do what he did the first time. I could have stopped him, but I wanted it to happen. I wanted our father to pay for the pain. I never thought he could do this.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

The mini me and the old me seemed to be confident in their plan. I had my doubts. How could a simple lullaby work? The boy had said that when he believed that I was asleep, he would sing a lullaby that our mother had sung to us when we were a baby. Everything would calm and he could take the control. He would see the light at the end of the tunnel growing brighter, even in the dark of the night. There he could be me or himself or whatever the fuck you want to call it. 

For now, I would have to wait the other me was busy. I didn’t know what he was doing, but our mind raced. 

***

The fire burned bright and hot. Choking black smoke billowed from the nearly one hundred-year-old furnace. Mike had found an old metal rod that placed one end of in the fire.  There were many fine utensils here in the cellar. He had decided it was definitely a cellar and not a basement. It was unfinished, rough with a gravel floor. Whoever built the house never gave the cellar a second thought. It was a place for junk, perhaps food and the old Lennox company furnace. 

Trish had grown silent, exhausted from struggling and fear. Her tears had dried in salty river ruts that slid down her cheeks. Her thoughts were about herself, they were for Bill; he was only here because of her. She loved him; she knew it now. Yet, she hadn’t even told him yet. Now she never could. 

Mike took the red hot metal rod from the fire and without a word pressed it to her left cheek. She screamed and shook from the pain. Bill tried to lunge at Mike, knocking himself to the floor. 

He returned the poker to the fire. He stared at the flames that rose from just inside the door. Mike walked back to Trish and pushed his thumb into the fresh burn. Twisting his wrist. He licked his thumb and smiled. 

“Bill, Bill, just wait, you’ll get your turn. Don’t be in such a hurry.”

The grey black smoke from the old furnace slowly filled the cellar. Choking out the early evening light from the small dirt covered windows. Bill sat erect in his chair, his hate for the man in front of him raged in his eyes. Trish's red blistered cheek glistened with salty tears. Her gag choked her, drool spilled from her chin. 

“The truth is the light and the path to the light is pain.” Mike put the pliers to Trish’s manicured thumb nail. He clamped down, pinching just a touch of skin along with the nail. Her eyes widen with horror. Her body rocked back and forth. Bill rocked and yelled behind his gag. Trish passed out. 

He knelt to Bill with the bloody fingernail in his hand, “You see, a bit of pain helps us on our way.” He dropped the nail onto Bill’s lap. Bill sobbed. 

“Trish, my love, you need to wake up,” he said. 

The smoke continued to fill the room. The fire box was red hot, ready to be fed. 

“She needs to be awake for this part.” He told Bill. 

He yanked her head back, pulling on her long messy ponytail. She coughed and slowly opened her eyes. Mike smiled at her and bent to her face. His lips caressed hers. 

“You could have been mine.” he whispered. 

He plunged the knife deep into her stomach and slid it left, disemboweling her. Blood spurted from her mouth into his. He wiped his chin and smiled. He savored the taste of the rich iron laden blood. Bill screamed behind his gag, wet tears rolled down his cheek. 

He worked quickly. The fire was eagerly waiting. Her head barely fit in the small door. He knew she was cleansed now. Bill’s head hung low, defeated. It didn’t matter what came now, the only woman he loved gone, the monster took her from him. 

“Bill, I know you hate me… I don’t blame you. But you will see, it will all be over soon.” He was calm, calmer than he normally was; he realized there was an eerie connection here. Two people, lovers, both connected to him or at least to the other, both to be cleansed. It was at that moment he realized what he needed to do.