LITTLE TUSK copyright2011 m.s

Emma hated yard sales. Her Mother, younger brother Ben, were dragged to a yard sale the week before Thanksgiving by her Aunt Flora.

They had to move in with Flora while Father was away stationed half-way round the world. Flora was alright, just a little odd, too odd for Emma's nine year old sensibilities. She cooked breakfast for supper almost every night, and played opera music while taking a shower. Even dressed her Pomeranian, Gus, as famous presidents. Flora had a strange habit of videotaping Cooking shows she never watched. She said she was saving them for when she had more time to study the Chef's expertise.

Evert item they came across Flora would sigh or become over excited. Emma's Mother talked Flora out of buying these items. If she hadn't, the car would've been full of Tupperware and Man’s clothing. Ben also showed enthusiasm for boardgames. Already he'd spent five dollars of his allowance, which he'd saved thirty-five dollars since last spring. That really irked Emma. She couldn't save a dime. Emma always seemed to buy too much Goobers or buy the newest video game for her DS.

Mother only bought a red scarf. Emma could tell she missed Father. Mother had several red scarfs, and always when Father was away. Emma heard Mother a few nights before telling the story of how she met Father. She was standing on a bridge watching the moon reflect off the water when the wind blew her scarf from her hair and she chased it until a sailor caught it for her. That sailor, of course, was Father.

They were almost out of the Yard sale when Aunt Flora saw the item that made her heart skip a beat. Emma was first to the car when she heard Flora cry out. Emma put a hand on her head and made a grunting noise.

“I can't believe I found it!” Flora exclaimed. “I need this for my collection.”

She held in her hands so delicately was a porcelain Elephant with white tusks. Yes, Flora did have a very large collection of porcelain figures, mostly of animals or circus related items. The worst of those were the clown figures. Emma hated those things. They unsettled her. Once in awhile when she was in the living room by herself watching Animal planet, she would climb on top of the couch and turn the clowns around facing the wall. Flora always asks who did that, no one would answer. Flora also had a terrible habit of naming her porcelain figures.

Aunt Flora placed the porcelain Elephant on the mantle next to her two porcelain circus tigers. She stood back and admired it. She looked at Emma and said, “Little Tusk. That's what I will call him.” She cackled and Emma plugged her ears with her fingers. Then Flora saw that her collection of clowns were facing the wall again. She was infuriated. “Who did this?” She exclaimed, her eyes shifting to all in the room. No one said a word. “One day,” She said. “I will find out who does this—this--terrible act!”

The next day, Emma awoke to a car hissing by her window. It sounded like a cat trying to sing. She wandered into the living room, eyes half closed. She stepped over Ben, who was lying in the middle of the floor eating brownie cakes and watch IRON MAN cartoons on TV. The house was very quiet. Emma spun around, trying to find the source of her confusion.

“Mama's gone,” Ben said, entranced by the screaming voices and exploding cars and buildings.

“Gone where?” Emma said in a drone voice. She was making her way slowly to the kitchen for a bowl of corn pops and raisin bran mixture. Emma was a genius of creating new cereals.

“Last night Daddy called. He said his boat--”

“You mean ship, doofus.”

“Ship—whatever!” Ben raised his hand at Emma, then continued. “His SHIP, was close by. So Aunt Flora is driving Mama to the airport.”

Emma placed her hands on her hips. Her eyebrows lowered, her lips tightened up. “Why am I always the last to know everything? I'm the oldest. She always forgets to tell me first! It always comes from you—and wait! If his ship is close by, then why is she catching a plane to meet him?”

Ben wiped crumbs from his mouth. He said calmly, “Why your always last to know is your always late home or always asleep, and your a brain fart. I don't know why she has to catch a plane. They didn't tell me.”

Emma walked up to Ben, placed her dirty foot, which she hadn't washed in a day, in his face. She held it, began to push, while he screamed as if he had just been stabbed. There was the sound of keys rattling in the front door. The door swung open and Gus ran inside, immediately peed on the floor. Aunt Flora stepped inside and slammed the door shut.

“Ah hah!” She screamed. Emma quickly removed her foot from Ben's face and jumped away from him. Ben wiggled around on the floor sputtering and moaning about germs in his mouth. “The adults are away and we can play!” Aunt Flora bellowed, then cackled.

Ben had crawled all over the living room floor, coughing and spitting. He was pushing the cushion from the couch and bumped the couch, which bumped the wall and shook the wall. The shelf attached to the wall above the couch rattled. Aunt Flora's statuettes moved slightly, several hung on to the edge of the shelf. Flora screamed as if something cataclysmic was happening. Emma smiled. Ben was about to get into trouble. Serves him right for calling a brain fart.

Ben saw the porcelain elephant fall from the shelf. It tossed and tumble through the air. He placed both hands out, just as he'd seen a wide receiver in a football game on TV. The elephant fell directly in his hands. He cupped the statue in both hands and rolled across the couch.

Ben looked up and saw Aunt flora was in pieces. Then she ran to him and knelt down to kiss him.

Ben had saved the day!

Emma snarled at him as Flora dotted on him. Telling Ben he could have all the candy and soda he wanted. Ben smiled hugely at Emma.

Ben turned the porcelain elephant on it's back in his hand. He eyed a few words that were not recognizable. “Timbur...Ork...Roknal?”

Suddenly, the elephant jumped out of Ben's hand. It landed on the couch, upside down. Ben looked down at it. He noticed the elephant was moving. It's trunk wiggled. It's eyes blinked. It's mouth opened and closed as it's tiny legs kicked in the air. Now it was right side up, standing. Ben bent down, eyes wide with disbelief. The elephant sounded off in his face. Ben fell over backwards away from it.

Flora dropped to the living room floor. She passed out cold. Emma ran behind the TV set and peeked from behind it, watching the tiny porcelain elephant sprint back and forth on the couch. It was stuck, thinking at first there was no outlet. Gus took off to Flora's bedroom to hide under the bed.

“This is the craziest thing I've ever seen!” Emma exclaimed.

Aunt Flora regained consciousness just in time to witness the small elephant scale down the arm of the couch, walk across Ben's head, neck and arm, to the living room floor, where it promptly pooped.

“Oh, stop that thing!” Flora cried out.

Ben threw both hands out for it as he leaped at the small elephant. The elephant sensed the position of Ben's hands and thrust forward it's tusks. One of the tusks pricked Ben on the palm of his right hand. Ben yelped and withdrew. The wound only bled slightly, but he felt a surge of pain that caused him to weep buckets of crocodile tears. Ben ran to Flora, hoping for motherly attention, only to receive expressions of confusion.

“Look!” Emma said, pointing and laughing.

The elephant was using it's trunk to swat the TV remote control like it was hitting a hockey puck with a hockey stick. It was running wildly up and down the living room, all four powerful small legs pumping furiously. It was moving so fast it became a blur. Finally, as it approached Ben and Flora, it took one last swat, sending the remote high in the air. The remote caught Aunt Flora right between the eyes. She fell on her back on to the floor, once again loosing consciousness.

“You jerk-head!” Ben screamed at it. He began chasing after the small elephant. Lamps, books, DVD's, pictures from the wall....after the great chase, the level of destruction the two amounted was impressive. Even the TV, which was hiding Emma somewhat, was overturned. The chase headed to the kitchen, where loud crashes of dishes falling to the floor along with pots and pans. Back into the living room, more destruction mounted. The two chairs were pushed over. Aunt Flora's collection of statutes were among the victims. The circus animals, even her beloved clowns. All fell to their porcelain grave.

Emma had found a new hiding spot behind the couch, had a terrible vision of Ben and the pint-sized elephant in her room causing all kinds of chaos and destruction. She had an idea. She called over to Ben. He stopped in his tracks, turned to her, huffing and puffing. She reached over at the hat rack where her mothers new red scarf dangled from a wooden hook.

“Here,” she tossed one end to Ben. “Grab hold of that and drop to your knees when I say go.

The elephant avoided hitting the wall for the thousandth time and turned right at broken vase. He was heading right to Ben and Emma. The elephant put it's head down and gained more speed.

It was right there at the point and Emma screamed out go. Ben and Emma dropped to their knees. The scarf formed goal of sorts like in a soccer game. Ben smiled at Emma, Emma smiled at Ben. They knew they had the elephant.

The elephant rushed through the scarf, it's tusks cutting the scarf in two pieces, like a ribbon being cut to introduce a new building. Ben and Emma's looked in bewilderment at the piece of material they hand in their hands. The elephant passed by them several times, still running at full speed.

Emma stood and threw down the shredded scarf in anger. “That's it, Elephant,” She said. “No more Mr. nice guy.” Emma had a backup plan. She wasn't sure if it would work, but it was worth a try. Her eyebrows lowered. “Timbur...Ork...Roknal!” Emma yelled.

The tiny porcelain elephant stopped dead, it's legs froze up. It blinked it's eyes, then they froze up. It raised it's head and froze up. It stretched it's trunk out, sounded off, stiffened up

Emma sighed, flopped down on the couch. She felt something squishy under her bare feet. She knew what it was, but were afraid to find out for sure.

Aunt Flora awoke, raised up, saw the damage. She was fine until she saw all of her porcelain statuettes were in pieces. She placed her head in her hands and burst into tears. “All gone.” She said. “All gone.”

Ben slowly approached Aunt Flora. “Well...” He said in a consoling voice. “You still have Little Tusk.” Ben handed the porcelain elephant to her. Flora shrugged and accepted the gift. She hugged Ben, turned to Emma.

“Now we have to clean this mess up,” She said.

DEVIL BY POSSESION copyright2011 m.s.

The Palace of Humbert was clean. Joad turned to Father Goar and smiled. “I'm done your Holiness. May I eat now?”

Father Goar held out his hand and the boy kissed his ring. “As you pass by, check in on her Ladyship.”

“As you wish Father,” Joad quipped and rose to his feet.

It was in the bottom floor of the Palace that they kept quarters. Above them were mostly servants taking care of near empty Castle. After king Leon died of the plague, it was decided upon by all concerned, his rooms left for sometime so that the disease could leave on it's own accord. Father Goar was happy to stay at the bottom of the Palace for the Abbey and the Library were next to each other, as well as a makeshift kitchen.

Father Goar turned to face his desk. He picked up the letter from the Cardinal. It read that he was sending Father Syl to take over his post and he was to relocate to Quam. Father Goar was not happy about that. He had kept this post at the Palace for five years. He's been instrumental in keeping king Leon's death a secret. He felt the church owed him something and sending him to a plague-stricken village was not what he counted as gold in his purse.

Joad passed by Lady Seriphine's bedroom door. Her Ladyship had not been feeling well for the past four months. Ever since she joined father Goar and Joad in the Palace. Joad hadn't understood anything that was going on since her arrival. Why was she not with Lord Florentine? Where was he? The civil war between the land has been over for a year. Barely any mention of Lord Florentine or his troops.

Joad stopped at her door. “Lady Seriphine?” He whispered. He heard rustling. “Lady Seriphine?” Still no answer. But there was heavy panting and a muffled cry. Joad touched the door knob, it was ice cold. He withdrew his hand quickly. Joad took a few steps back. He turned to leave, thought better.

Joad flew open the heavy wood door. Lady Seriphine lay on her canopy bed, writhing about, her back arched up, her skirts around her waist. She was thrusting back and forth. Joad was no fool. He was seventeen and had one sexual encounter with an older servant woman and he knew the position.

Lady Seriphine was in the middle of lovemaking, but had no lover upon her.

Joad backed away from the door, watched a moment more, then ran down the hallway calling for Father Goar.

The Royal surgeon was called in by Father Goar to have a look at her Lady Seriphine. At the moment, her Ladyship was resting, and Father Goar was not allowed to question her.

“It is apparent that I speak with her soon, Doctor Hera.” Father Goar placed a hand on Hera's shoulder. The small thin man pulled away gingerly, half-smiled.

“I'm afraid something terrible is happening to Lady Seriphine, Father. It's not spiritual I assure you.” Hera walked along the long corridor, Father Goar followed.

Father Goar looked confused. “But, Doctor, my assistant saw her in a state of repose...”

Hera clucked his tongue and wagged his finger. “A boy's eyes in such a lonely, dark place as such. Often one can see things that aren't real.”

“You are not a believer, are you, Doctor?”

“Yes... I believe enough.”

“Enough as your soul will not be eternally damned. I see.”

“Let's move on to our Ladyship, eh? She has scratches and bite marks. I can see she has been with a man.....she also has been beaten.....rather savagely.” Hera stopped to ponder this. “Well, I'm not altogether sure she did not enjoy her...time of this event. However, she is very much distraught. She does not seem to respond well to conversing with others. Anyone comes near, she flinches. What is troubling, is she has more than likely experienced this more than once.”

“It is the first I have heard of this. I only spoke with her that morning. All was well....though....she longed for Lord Florentine.” Father Goar stopped Hera, showed him his room.

“Hmm....no one has heard from him...another strange event.” Hera opened the door. The musty air of the room tickled his nose. He sneezed. Father Goar blessed him.

Lady Seriphine lay in her bed looking at her own reflection in the mirror beside the dresser. She was feeling slightly better than before. She touched her long flowing strawberry blonde hair and wished she could cut it all off. She touched her full lips and wished they were slack and droopy. She wished her green eyes were crossed and the her backbone uneven. She wished her supple breasts were small like a twelve year old boys. She wished she could join the Sisterhood with all the other unlucky women in society.

Lady Seriphine closed her eyes. She'd grown tired. She hadn't even dressed for bed, nor asked for a new pot. She reopened her eyes for moment. There was movement in the mirror. It was quick. But there was something scattering back and forth through the mirror. She sat up. She looked behind her. Nothing there.

Lady Seriphine sighed. She felt a chill run through her body. Her eyes drifted back to the mirror. Her gaze was transfixed.

She saw it. It moved slower this time. It's milky skin naked to the world. A scaly face with mismatched features. It was staring at her with small red eyes and sneering, showing all of its tiny sharpened teeth grinding together.

Lady Seriphine tried to rise from the bed, but something was weighing her down. She panicked. A scream became a murmur in the back of her throat. There it was, the thing from the mirror, sitting on top of Lady Seriphine's abdomen, swishing it's prickly tale back and forth. A purr and a growl intertwined in a high pitch voice. It lowered it's arm and took hold of her by her long swan neck, it's nails scraping at the clean white skin.

Hera had been passing by, he heard the rustling in Seriphine's room. The grunting, the panting...the growling.

The door to her room flew open. Hera was shocked. The creature had hold of Seriphine, it's claws deep in her breasts. It turned quickly and looked at Hera. It bounced off Seriphine and scurried inside the mirror. Hera reached down and picked up the brass piss pot. In one sweeping motion, the brass pot shattered the mirror, several pieces of shard filtered the air, littering the floor.

Hera heard a scream.

He rushed out of Seriphine's room into the hallway to find Father Goar laying in pieces, like broken glass. Hera bent down, picked up a piece with Father Goars mouth. He felt the last of Father Goar's cold breath on his face.

SCREWED IN ELECTRICITY copyright2011 m.s.

Drift off to sleep in their locked compartment, the only time curled up after the Vision book shut down. Father's arm felt safe. Programmed hopes,desires,wishes, dreams, and sometimes regrets. Synthetic touch Mother, a body of water. In order to have birds fly above, to steal the codes, he was dead.

And books promise love made sure proper distractions attentive to detail. Even people are almost real, usually their minds working against them. Eyes blinking in the wrong direction, the technology twisted.

Sleep to claim control of the underground.

Abundance of gunfire from a sequencer code. There was something thinned out, hours upon hours breaking into trapdoors. Only a good thief knows the partly darkened room.

Retinas screw in electricity.

A distorted face crawled fast.

MINDWAVES copyright2011 m.s.

Anti-human laws were punishable by death, everything connected to two women in their forties, the shadow didn't make a sound. Almost a spiritual joy if it were confused inside her nervous system. Her body felt a ringing like a bell going off. The shadow wasn't afraid.

Cannibalism, a defective valued commodity. A street vendor selling the man's screams,such a delicacy. His identity card stripped his connections.

In his bar, a slave of sorts, rose crystal destroyed Mindwaves.

Where a cafe stood, the Orb spun in counter clockwise motion in his hands,

MENSTRUAL CYCLE copyright2011 m.s.

August 25th

He awoke laying in a pool of blood and a dead man in his bed. The man was looking up at Paul, his black lifeless eyes resting intently on him. The man's head had been smashed in with a Plumber’s wrench, the tool buried deep into the right side of his cranium.

There was a scream from Paul that rode the sound waves that broke through the early morning silence.

JULY 28TH

Paul was at the water cooler with Ron and Sid. They were Computer programers and Paul was I.T. Just standing around shootin' the shit.

“You really want us to believe you've banged all these girls here at work, Paul?” Ron gave Sid the eye.

Sid laughed, joined in. “I don't believe that about Becky. She was out that week when her Mother died.”

Paul shrugged. “Believe what you want. She needed a shoulder to cry on.”

“I do believe it about Sharon, though,” Ron elbowed Sid.

“You guys are around each other a lot,” Sid raised an eyebrow.

“No way!” Paul made a face. “Look, we just work together. Anyway, she has a mustache growing right now. Something Ron still can't do.”

“Fuck you guys,” Ron brushed past Sharon on his way to his cubicle. Sharon swallowed back tears, then made an appearance from behind the fake palm tree.

“Hey,” She said shakily. “What did you guys say to Ron. He looked pissed.”

AUGUST 25TH

Paul rose from the bed. He stood in front of the long mirror he had purchased when he was bedding the widow Strummer next door. His naked body was perfectly cut. Not an inch of fat anywhere. His arms were sleek, toned. All hair religiously removed every three days. He had a tan going, which had become the new pride.

What he saw as his eyes moved down below his tattoo of a naked woman holding a rose on his abdomen, horrified Paul. He no longer had a penis and two balls. He had acquired a vagina, with a small trimmed bush. It was long and had three pink folds, and at the moment, was menstruating.

Paul screamed, both hands clutching his dark curly hair. He fell to his knees, asking God what had happened to him.

Then he heard sirens. He remembered the dead man in his bed. Paul tried to get himself together. He ran around his apartment trying dress comfortably. Nothing seemed to satisfy him, except a pair of pajamas. He threw on his snow boots and grabbed the trench coat and wallet as he went out the door.

THREE DAYS LATER

There was a knock at the door. At first, it was a rattle. Then it grew louder, a banging. Sharon rose from the couch, a bag of cheetos fell to the floor and her latest romance she was

reading slipped between the cushions. Reluctantly, Sharon went to the door. What if it's the Landlady wanting the rest of the rent? She peeked through the peephole. It wasn't anyone she knew. A woman in grimy pajamas and sunglasses and a scarfe badly wrapped around her dark curly hair. Sharon turned, started back to the couch.

“Sharon,” A voice called out. “I know your there, I watched you go in your apartment earlier.”

“Oh my God,” Sharon cupped her mouth with both hands. “Paul...?”

She rushed to the door. She pulled the chain from the lock and flung the door open. Paul took three long strides and was inside. He quickly pushed the door shut, leaned wearily against it. He sighed.

“Paul....you know they are looking for you. How in the hell.....why?” Sharon took Paul by the hand and set him on the couch. Immediately he burst into tears. Sharon was uncomfortable. He threw his arms around her. He hadn't been in her place since the night they spent together three months ago. Sharon relented, patted Paul on the back.

“I don't understand anything anymore,” He bawled.

“There, there, Paul. Tell me....all about it.”

Paul wiped his eyes with a feminine hand. “I went out four days ago. To Snozzes bar....everything is hazy after that.”

“Who is the man they found dead in your bed.”

“From what I can remember...I picked him up. And I took him back to my place....I'm not...gay....” Paul let the word trail off. Sharon was looking at him funny now.

“Well...” She shrugged.

“No, no, Sharon,” He touched her hand. “It only get's weirder.”

“That's really not that weird...being gay...for you, maybe....”

“No, please. I was propelled to.....have him.....but …...obviously...I was upset.....by it.”

She was looking at him funny again. “Obviously. Do you remember hitting him--”

Paul began crying again. He nodded to her. “When I woke up and he was in my bed...kissing my shoulder I hit him---with a wrench I was using earlier and....this is even stranger....”

“Oh, Paul...this...is so terrible.”

“Listen to me!” He snapped at her, which got her attention. Sharon backed away from him slightly. “I'm sorry....listen to me...I awoke to that..also I discovered.....I have a vagina.”

It was reflex for Sharon to laugh. She threw her hands over her mouth to stifle it.

“It's not funny. This really happened to me.”

“I know. I'm sorry, Paul.”

Paul heard sirens. He jumped up, looked out the window. He placed the sunglasses on to cover tired eyes. “Don't tell anyone I was hear.” He said, ran to the door.

“Paul don't go...you can stay---” But he was gone out the door.

Did this really happen? Sharon thought. Was it a dream? She shrugged. “Wow, it is true,” Sharon said to herself. “If you wish for something hard enough, it can come true.”

INVOCATION copyright2011 m.s.

It was a revelation, seeing Maya sitting in the booth at the all-night Cafe. She was alone, and looked as if death shared a bed with her. Frailty had taken her prisoner. She didn't smile when she saw me approach her. Maya looked like she was in another world. Her body was shaking slightly, and at first I thought maybe she was drunk. Now I know better.

“Oh. Kevin. Your here, I see,” She barely opened her mouth to speak. She had tried to fix her hair, one side held up with bobby pins, the other side left hanging down past her hazel eyes.

“I'm the one who is suppose to say, strange seeing you here. I heard you were in Haiti.”

She giggled slightly. “Only in spirit.” Maya's smile came and went quickly.

Maya was a gifted filmmaker and dance choreographer. I was the one the local New york filmmakers called to set up college tours and place their films in movie theaters. I also knew a lot of money men.

“You really don't look well,” I told her.

“Do you think we could get out of here?” Her eyes seemed to dim slightly. I couldn't help but fall into the chasm of those big dark eyes once she adjusted and a Cheshire cat grin came across her face.

I shrugged. “I suppose so. Where do you want to go?”

It took her a minute to speak. She was gathering her thoughts. “ Brian... I want to take you to the Gauntlet theater. I would like to show you my new dance interpretation....of life and death.. and how the two could be resurrected.”

I felt uneasy. No matter, I flashed a smile. “Of course,” I put out my hand for her to take, she ignored it. She rose to her feet and haphazardly walked to door of the cafe. I wasn't even sure anyone was still at the Gauntlet except the janitor. It was a little after midnight and the last show of the night was over at ten thirty.

In the cab ride to the Gauntlet, Maya told me about her time in Haiti. She spent three years there filming ritual Voodon dances. How she came face to face with H'Gonn, the God of death. How she saw him take a young girl's life force and she died on the spot. One week later she was walking around the village handing out black roses to those she deemed would die soon. Within a the village fell into a flu that claimed 25 victims, all of which received black roses from the young girl.

She went on to describe H'Gonn with blue -gray skin and a face scaly snakes make up his features. When she spoke of the god of death, it was as if she were in love with him, an unnatural obsession. He was also a master of the dance that could hypnotize and feed off your waking dream.

I wasn't sure I wanted to do this. The building was locked and only minutes later did I see the janitor. I really felt uneasy standing outside in the cold dark night with someone whom I thought I knew. Maya had seemed to not be all there. She was once very lively, talkative, used her hands a lot. Now, she spoke softly, slowly, and so many spaces of silence in between sentences.

She urged me to call to the janitor. I was able to get his attention. To my astonishment, he remembered me from other shows I had been to. He let us in with much excitement.

“We need to use the stage, would that be okay?”

The old black man laughed. “Of course. I'm just happy to see anybody.” He went on to explain no one worked at night anymore. The cleaning ladies were let go. His older grandson moved to Utah. I chatted nicely with him until we reached the stage.

Nervously, he left us alone. He kept a watchful eye on Maya. He whispered as he left the stage, “ Don't look her in the eyes.”

That perplexed me. It was a strange thing to say.

I sat in the first row, middle seat. Maya stood, her feet together, her head hung down, looking at the floor. For several minutes, nothing happened. Just as I was going to fall asleep, she screamed and jumped into the air. Her body moved in slow motion, legs kicking above her head. Hips move from side to side. Her small pert breasts said hello to the sky as her long white neck caressed the shadows from the stage lights.

She fell to the floor. She lay there, motionless.

Maya suddenly sat up. She crawled across the stage, left, right. She writhed about...

She was gone.

I stood up, looked around. She had disappeared.....gone.

“Maya?” I called out. “Maya?” No answer. I wiped sweat from my forehead, looked up. There were forty or more large black snakes crawling around the stage and on top of each other. I was flabbergasted.

The lights in gauntlet dimmed several times. Right in front of me...when my eyes adjusted....the God of dance...God of death stood in front of me.....H'Gonn.

Just as she'd described him. Two red fiery eyes peering out from a face formed by many snakes of all kinds, crawling in and out of his skin. He reached for me and I screamed.

That's when I found myself in the all night cafe, facing another colleague. Richie Davenport. He was a business manager for many of the new York filmmakers. We were sipping black coffee, and I realized I was the one who had been doing much of the talking, explaining the events that had occurred

“My friend,” He said. “It sounds as if you have been through so much.”

I looked at myself in the cafe window. My reflection showed a person who had not taken care of themselves. Ripped overcoat, full beard, grimy face. “It's been a rough night.” I said.

Richie laughed. “Try a rough three years.”

“What?” I nearly broke down in tears.

“Everyone would say, 'that's Kevin, roaming the streets again as if in a daze.' I couldn't believe until three months ago I saw you on 2^nd Ave. You didn't understand anything I said. Kept mumbling about Maya.”

I grabbed his hand. “How is she? Have you seen her?”

He shook his head. “No one has.” He saw the tears form in my eyes. “She's been dead for three years. Died in Haiti.”

.

SLINKY copyright2011 m.s.

Hopper Gold was a comedian in the silent era known primarily for his character some termed “the happy hobo”. A few years after his career took off, Hophien Goldstein, a name given to him at birth, was able to create his own production company, and then with Mary Martell and Norris colin Beaumont, they had their own film company. Hopper had money and lots of property. A houseboat, which he took a year off to just sail the pacific coast. Drugs were sometimes a factor in his wild behavior. A little coke, which wasn't completely against the law yet, but Hopper wasn't hard bitten with them unless he was filming.

Hopper's weakness was young girls. Not too young, except that time in his hometown of London he purchased a night with a twelve year old. No, Hopper liked his women sixteen and, but no older than twenty-five. Hopper had just been married for the fourth time to Bessie Spence. They married on her seventeenth birthday. Already a veteran in the film business with twenty eight films under her belt, Bessie was happy to get far away from her controlling stage mother.

And on the night of one of the last great parties that Hopper threw, cowboy star Tex Magee had already planned his revenge for his much hated boss, and Hopper wasn't going to get the last laugh.

Tex had been over Hopper's house a month ago to get his signature on a new three picture deal with Starbright, the company Hopper had started. Hopper was the only one holding out. Mary Martell signed right away, since she remembered how easy Tex was at pleasing her years ago. Beaumont had no problems signing since Tex's last three movies made a lot of money for the company.

Tex met the butler at the door and the butler showed Tex to the game room.

That was where Tex saw Hopper's new prize.

The poor creature. She was missing her lower half, just a torso with very long arms. She had a face only a mother could love. One eye larger than the other. A slack mouth and a nose flattened to her yellow skin with tiny holes for nostrils. There were only four long black strands of hair tied in one ponytail on top of her peanut shaped head.

Tex approached the her cage carefully, that sat on a pool table. The closer he got, the more excited she was.

“Howdy, pretty lady,” Tex said nervously. “Where did he get you?”

She screamed, laughed, shook her cage. Tex backed away. He heard footsteps from behind him. He turned, saw Hopper standing there smoking a huge stogie.

“You like her?” He said gingerly. “Saw this misfortune at shop in Siam. I quite took a fancy to her.” Hopper exhaled a large smoke ring that hung in the air a few minutes. “I've got big plans for her next dinner party. You see, Tex, I own or have owned nearly everything you could think of. Until now, I have not owned a human being. What huge responsibility it is!” Hopper let out a wheezing laugh. Strange a man makes his living making others laugh and he has such a weak slimy personality. Hopper sighed. “Now I understand how those slave owners felt. The weight of it all is...crushing.”

He is a small man, Tex thought. Like a dwarf. “Yeah...Hopper, a mess I would say,

This thing....anyway my contracts---”

“No,” Hopper chewed his cigar.

“What?” Tex took a few steps toward Hopper. His six-one stature towering over the comedienne.

“Listen, chap. When you have proven yourself in Tinseltown you can a buffalo chip more and maybe your own production company. But those...horse dramas you make, will never be art.”

“Made more money last year than your slapstick’s, boy-o.” Tex's face had puckered up like he'd eaten a grapefruit with dog shit on it. “I have been in this town ten years. I won three straight Rodeos. 1909,1910,1911--”

“Rodeos....Ro-de-ooos!” Hopper shook his head, laughing. “I do love your accent. Oh, my, Texans are so droll.” He walked away laughing.

Tex was left with the torso laughing at him. “I'm from Omaha.” He said, defeated.

Just outside of the studio Tex sat in a local diner with Hopper's butler. The elderly black man was nervous. Kept looking over his shoulder.

“He doesn't know your here, Albert. Everything's alright,” Tex told him.

Albert shook his head. “No sir,” He pointed at the sign on the wall behind him that read No Negros or Dogs allowed. “I'm not worried about Mr. Gold.”

Tex smiled a toothy grin. “Naw, no reason to be scared, Mr. Albert. I own this place. As you can see, we are almost closed anyway. Now, just relax.”

“I can have the money now, please, sir?”

Tex threw down two twenty’s. “As per our agreement, hoss. Tell me about that curiosity Mr. Gold has in his game room.”

“It's hideous, Mr. Magee. I wish Mr. gold had never brought that thing in the house. The noises it makes at night, screechin' like an owl. Growlin' at me and the servant girls when we come and go.”

“He found this at a shop in Siam?”

Albert looked confused. “No, Mr. Magee. I was with him. We were here, in Los angeles. I heard about this man who traveled in a carnival. I went to a speakeasy a few months back.” Albert smiled, shrugged. “My only weakness is goin' out, hearin' some hot jazz....some low blues....and drinkin' myself into a stupor. I can't help that.”

“No man can help that, Albert. Go on.” Tex poured himself a glass of beer from a bottle. The bottle was dusty and he didn't even wipe the top, which disgusted Albert.

“This man showed Mr. Gold how he trained...that thing.”

“Trained?”

“Like in a circus..Lions.”

“Ah. How was that, Albert?”

“He had a code word.” Albert leaned in, whispered. “Slinky. He calls it slinky...because it slinks across the floor.”

“That's the code word?”

Albert nodded. “Then he strokes it's head. Says things to it you should only say to your wife....do things...you should only do with your wife. It says so in the Bible.”

“No kiddin'?” Tex was taken aback by that revelation.

“I don't like bein' there, Mr. Magee. We close up house before the big dinner party. Mr. Gold goin' on family vacation,I have a whole week off. I'm not lookin' forward to going back. No sir.”

“What does he get her to do, Albert?”

“Oh, Mr. Magee...it's horrible. She eats small animals..alive. It started with rats...now cats and...the neighbors little dog. He has the pet shop send him small dogs and she tears into them. I can't take bein' there.”

“Your not goin' to, Albert. You come work for me. Fifty a week, boy. That's more than Gold pays right?”

“What do I tell him? I been in his house for three years.”

“Tell him that your going home, Albert back to wherever it is. One more thing, hoss. You keep that key after you lock up his house. Give me the key.”

“I....don't know....” The old man nodded his head.

“Good boy. He is leaving her, right?”

“He can't take that thing to England, Mr. Magee. He'd have to get it a passport. A famous man like Mr. gold can't be seen with a freak.”

Tex sat back in his chair, nodded. “No, I guess he can't, can he?”

Tex let himself in Hopper's house. The floors were cold from the fires being out, no electricity. Clumsily, Tex found his way to the game room. He had sent word to all involved in his affairs, he would be gone the whole week to New Mexico to look at land. He even had his girl drop him off at the train station. He dropped his duffel bag on the floor. He brought supplies for himself. He noticed that Hopper hadn't left anyone to care for his little treasure or any means of food for it. Tex pulled the blanket from her cage. She stirred a little, then sat up. She shook the cage and grunted, pointing at her mouth, indicating she was hungry.

“I don't think so, pretty lady.” Tex said. He took out a pack of rolling paper and tobacco. He rolled a cigarette. He took a few puffs. “You know, if your funny friend was nicer to me, I wouldn't do this to you. But,” Tex put the lit cigarette to her large forehead. The flesh sizzled and sank underneath fire red tip. She screamed, a cry that Tex will never forget. “All's fair in love and war.”

The stage was set for Tex's vengeance, and Hopper called everyone into the game room for a special show.

It was a crowd of about thirty or so people. All with a glass of brandy or stronger, some with a vein full of nefarious narcotic. Tex took a view up front, just behind a newspaper tycoon. Tex lit his cigar, smiled big. Only he knew the joke.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I use the term loosely, see my new prize!” Hopper pulled the blanket from the cage. The audience drew short breaths and recoiled. “Now, now. No need for that.” She stirred in her cage, pulled herself up by holding on the cage. She came closer, into the light. Hopper noticed deep burn marks and lift an eyebrow in a question. He quickly pulled in the natural showman. “Now, everyone, hold on to yourselves for a remarkable show. Watch as Matilda eats this---” a new butler brings in a newborn lamb, sets it on the pool table. “You will never forget this night.”

Hopper unhinged the clasp to the cage. She slid out of her cage cautiously. Tex could feel his heart skip a beat. He inhaled the cigar, exhaled in one long sigh. Hopper looked at his audience. He motioned with both hands. “Well, come closer!” They did so, except the newspaper tycoon, he stayed back and pushed Tex forward. Tex was side by side with Hopper.

She saw the cigar and began to grunt. Hopper smiled big and whispered, “ Slinky...”

She put both hands on the pool table and pushed past the lamb. She grabbed Tex by his tuxedo coat tail and pulled him down. He smashed his face into the wooden side of the pool table. She took a handful of his blond hair and fell with him to the floor. Hopper was aghast, his audience screamed and scattered.

Her teeth bared down on Tex's cheek and the small sharp points burrowed deep to the bone. Blood fiercely spurted everywhere, blinding Tex. No one came to his rescue as Tex's cries could be heard throughout the mansion.