by J.R. Bowles
CHAPTER 48
Quietly they stood reorienting themselves to their own bodies. The beauty and awe of what they had just witnessed was etched in their physical minds.
They were so overwhelmed by the magnitude of the experience it made the earthly world in which they had always lived seem no longer real. The very physical structure of the world to which they returned seemed like misty shadowed memories of a distant past.
The atomic substance of the room was like reflections in a pond, so flat, so faint as if it were lying ready to break into ripples by the least disturbance.
None of them knew how long they stood there in awe or fear that the slightest motion would cause it to shimmer away.
It was Rudy that broke the spell.
“Pssst! Zolar!” Rudy whispered from the open door. He had sat waiting for Zolar to return for over twenty minutes.
It was five after midnight and he had sat waiting for Zolar's return and he was tired of waiting. When he got to the door he was pissed off, of all the nerve.
Zolar slowly turned to stare blankly at Rudy's summons but his vacant eyes didn't faze Rudy.
“Of all the rude things,” Rudy hissed. “You go and invite me up to your room and then take off to a party and forget all about me.” He said in a whine as he wagged his index finger at Zolar.
From the couch Bernie had opened his eyes and scanned the faces in the room staring down at him and finally came to rest on Rudy as he spoke. He broke into raucous laughter.
For a moment everyone in the room looked startled then turned their head toward Rudy almost synchronized in motion.
It was the breath of insane reality needed and the room broke into rowdy rounds of crude laughter; laughter which created a catharsis for them and spread to each and every one.
All but Thomas Lamb laughed he stared on without expression as if he wasn't sure where he was at and certainly not conscious of anything much less his own emotions.
Mindy joined in the laughter, yet she was only acting out what she felt was expected of her. If her laughter could have been heard over the groups they would have been able to recognize the stilted forced sound she produced. The power she had witnessed was her only thought at that moment. Her focused desire.
Jackie was still kneeling on the floor. She was laughing so hard her eyes were watering. Even Zolar had joined in and began to look sheepishly guilty.
Rudy blanched. His jaw dropped when he realized that they were looking directly at him and laughing. His color then went crimson and he snapped his jaw shut and rolled his eyes up toward the ceiling.
“Come on in.” Zolar finally managed to say between breaths.
Rudy paraded in at the invite and began to bask in the attention. He smiled and joined in the laughter even though he didn't know why. It was contagious.
Finally Billy said, “Let's move the party back to my room that's where the liquor is.” Again as usual he took on the role of director.
“I got a better idea. We've got a suite. Grab the liquor and let's move over there.” Zolar said. “Rudy is the door open?”
“Uh, I left it wide open, I….” He started to apologize but Zolar waived his hand and interrupted.
“It's open. Everybody go on in and make yourself comfortable.” Zolar directed.
“Jackie it's good to see you again.” Zolar said approaching her.
Everyone was departing leaving Jackie, Bernie and Zolar there.
“Bernie, are you all right?” Jackie said hugging him.
“You know I am.” Then turned to Zolar and pulled him into their hug.
“Zolar ....” Jackie and Bernie said simultaneously and then laughed.
“After you Jackie.” Bernie offered.
“No you go first.” Jackie said.
“No I insist, you first.” Bernie objected.
“Would one of you go first and quit bickering.” Zolar complained.
“Okay, I will, since, I haven't seen either one of you for a while. I'm sorry about that but you will understand soon Zolar. I'm sure Bernie does, don't you?” Jackie said turning to Bernie.
He nodded and added an extra squeeze of confirmation.
“Zolar, it’s unexplainable. Everything you said was true but there's more.” Then he added solemnly. “Oh, so very much more but you'll understand when it's your turn.”
“Guys I know I've talked a good line but to be honest with you I'm scared.” Zolar admitted.
They hugged him tighter.
“It will be okay, Zolar.” Bernie comforted. “When your center opens you'll experience what everyone experiences but there's more. Like Jackie said, we can't describe it to you. There aren't any words that explain it but when it happens you will understand what we mean.”
Zolar shrugged his shoulders but nodded indicating he would be patient.
“It was the craziest thing I ever saw, Bernie. I was terrified.” Zolar said.
“Me too, and I've been through the opening but Bernie,” she paused and leaned back to stare into his eyes, “when I saw you I had no idea what was happening. I had no concept that you, you ....”
Zolar interrupted. “Bernie you were dead, I mean dead. What was it like?”
“Before the opening the only thing I remember was a pain in my chest and then the center being opened. I can't describe the center. You'll see what I mean.” Bernie answered.
Zolar shook his head and said solemnly, “Bernie, he had split you open with that steak knife,” and pointed toward the knife where Thomas had dropped it. “He must have broken your rib cage apart and cut out your heart.”
Bernie looked pensive for a moment and then said, “I don't―I didn't feel anything else until the center.”
“From a minister too, it's just too hard to believe he did what he did. I would believe it if I hadn't seen it. Blood was everywhere.” Zolar said.
“It looked gruesome.” Jackie interjected.
“Now what? There's only me and the Reverend left. Which one will I be?” Zolar asked.
“I don't know but it seems that your life's profession is directed by your center.” Bernie said.
Jackie nodded. “I'm a Radioman and that's communications but Bernie what do you do?”
He looked up at the ceiling and acted abashed. “I'm a cardiologist.”
They all laughed.
“Well Zolar since there's only two left and the preacher must be the spiritual center that only leaves the intellectual center which is the next one to open. So what is your line of work?” Bernie asked.
“I'm a physicist.”
“Well brain, tonight you join the club,” Bernie said lightly and added, “then you too will truly understand.”
“Physics,” Jackie reflected thoughtfully. “It makes sense, the marriage of religion and science.”
Zolar shrugged.
“Let's join the party.” Bernie said and laughed. “Besides it's our room, and anyway Zolar you left your girlfriend.”
Zolar punched Bernie in the arm.
As they entered they recognized everyone else was there sitting around having a drink except Thomas Lamb who sat blankly on the couch void of all motor senses.
They got their self a drink and started to mingle.
“Here's to Lazarus,” Zolar offered his drink in the air in toast, and nodded to Bernie.
“Lazarus?” Bernie said turning to Jackie and raising his eyebrow.
“A Christian thing,” Jackie explained. “I believe Christ raised him from the dead after he had been dead for several days. I'm sure the Reverend Lamb could tell us if we could get him out of his stupor.” She raised her glass in toast and soon the entire room followed suit.
“Jamal, sweetie,” Mindy said rubbing his arm with her long red nail. “I've run out of cigarettes and I'm going to run out to pick up a pack. I'll be back in a few minutes. Do you want me to pick you up anything?”
“Baby, I can send Azid out for you.” Jamal offered.
&nbs
p; “Oh no, that's okay. Besides I need to pick up some woman things and men hate to buy them for you.” She smiled.
“I'll go with you then Baby. It's not safe for a beautiful woman like you to be out on the street.”
“No,” she protested trying to think of a quick reason for him to not come along. She wanted to be alone. She had to plan her next strategy and more than anything else she wanted the energy of some unsuspecting soul. “You need to stay here. I'm sure that they've got a lot to talk about and besides they might not want to talk with me here. Since I'm not part of all this.” Then added with a smile, “besides I find all of this too deep for my simple little mind.”
“Okay but you be careful.” Jamal agreed.
“I won't have to go far.” Mindy said as she picked up her purse and left.
Jamal nodded at Azid and Azid came to his beckoning
“Azid follow her and make sure she's okay.” He ordered.
Azid nodded without comment and started after Mindy. As he left he found that she had already caught the elevator, so he decided to run down the stairs to catch up.
Maybe he should hang back, he thought. There was something strange about this little Indian woman. She was beautiful and nice, almost too nice and when she was near he had this feeling of hostility.
Azid entered the lobby just as Mindy was exiting the front rotating door. He would hang back and follow her.
He thought about the things that had been happening. He could understand why Jamal was acting different toward this white man. He and Jamal would both be dead if it wasn't for John and then the man with his heart cut out. He had seen a lot of fights and blood in his life. Life on the streets was bad but he had never witnessed anything as gruesome as the preacher holding that heart. He shuttered at the memory.
Yes, he could understand Jamal's attitude towards the man named John but this Indian girl had Jamal pussy whipped. Jamal was so blinded by the girl’s pussy that he couldn't see past his dick.
As Mindy turned the corner she mentally felt Azid. “Good,” she thought, “yes follow me. You're just what I need. I knew Jamal would send his little pit bull to follow me. Well, well, you just come right along.”
Mindy had walked west on 34th keeping her pace moderate to insure Azid didn't lose her.
“Where is she going?” Azid thought. “She's already passed two places where she could buy cigarettes. She's up to something.”
Mindy turned into a half alley between two buildings. There had been an iron fence with a lock blocking the small entrance between the buildings. She placed her hand on the lock and it broke and fell to the concrete. She paused to make sure he saw where she was going.
What was she up to? He stopped in front of the gate peering into the shadows but she was not in sight. Azid reached to his ankle and pulled out his knife as he entered the darkness.
He moved slowly into the narrow crevice and as he crept deeper, he saw a shadow at the far wall where the alley stopped. It was a dead end and she must not be able to go any further. He couldn't figure why she was here unless she had seen him following her. Maybe that was it, he thought, she had seen him and lured him here. But why? She obviously liked black men, maybe she wanted him or then again maybe she had to go piss really bad.
“Mindy, it's Azid.” He called to identify himself. “Are you all right? Jamal asked me to follow you to make sure nobody bothered you.”
“I'm fine Azid. I saw you following me and thought maybe you might want to be alone with me.” She spoke from the darkness, her voice warm and inviting, her tone alluring and seductive.
“I can't do that to my friend.” Azid protested but already he was excited by the expectations of her lovely body next to his.
“Azid, Jamal's my friend not my master, besides I think he's been taken in by these whites. He wasn't like that when I first met him but now I think they have some kind of spell over him. He's not like you Azid.” She flattered.
“What do you mean?” He answered, still not able to distinguish her features.
She moved closer to him to where her features could just barely be seen through faint distant glare of the street lights.
“You still hate them, Azid. You're like me. I hate them too.” She reached to touch his face ever so slowly, her finger running softly along his jaw. She moved in close and placed her hand behind his head and drew his lips to hers.
Azid showed no resistance and slid his knife into his back pocket the handle sticking out. He pulled her close to him, his hands sliding underneath the back of her skirt finding to his thrill no undergarments.
Mindy moved her hands down his chest rapidly unbuttoning his shirt and grasped at his zipper working him free of his bindings.
Azid forced her against the wall his pants lowered to his knees. He used his knee to separate her legs and forced himself inward.
As he was about to enter her from the standing position Mindy cast a paralyzing energy over Azid. He crumbled to the ground in his half clothed state.
“You fool.” Mindy screeched standing over him. Azid's eyes staring up at her, her breasts jutting out. She bent over him and pulled his knife from his rear pocket.
Azid was unable to speak. Fear entered his eyes as she stood over him with his own knife.
Mindy's eyes gleamed in wicked delight as she took the knife and cut a shallow line down Azid's chest.
“I almost killed you today.” She laughed insanely. “You should have died then. It would have been a gentler death. Now you will suffer and wish you were dead. Before I'm finished you will wish the ground could swallow you up.”
“You fucking bitch,” Azid thought, as he silently screamed. His mind began to haze and slipped toward unconsciousness.
She paused, the knife to where it's razor tip rested on his scrotum. She held his flaccid meat in her hand and took the knife and slit him from the base of his testicles up the length of his penis to that opening.
“You won’t lose consciousness,” she ordered. “I will keep you conscious. I need to bath in your pain―your sweet agony thrills me.”
His testicles dangled from their bag, falling loose on his leg. She took her free hand and crushed them together as if she were cracking English walnuts.
Azid's eyes began to fog over from the pain. His arms and legs were unable to defend himself.
“God let me die.” He prayed silently.
Mindy felt her own energy increase as Azid's agony increased. Not yet, she thought. She severed the cord that had once held Azid's now crushed gonads and crammed them between his paralyzed lips.
Finally with a touch of mercy she took Azid's knife and placed the tip where his testicles had been and drove the blade slowly into the body cavity that lay beneath.
Azid's life energy departed him and Mindy drank in his soul’s energy, like alcoholic drinks in liquor.
How sweet his death had been. His agony had been so satisfying. Her only regret was that he had not been John.
She smiled as she took Azid's shirt and wiped the handle of the knife with it.
“John,” she thought, “your death will not be so gentle.”
Mindy headed back to the hotel but she didn't forget to get her cigarettes.
She opened the pack of Camels and took her first drag, cherishing the satisfaction of this night.
“Maybe the little fag will be next.” She chuckled aloud between clouds of smoke.
She smiled, she felt so satisfied, so satiated. “So much better than sex,” she thought.
Glancing at her watch she realized she had been gone for over an hour and would probably have to give Jamal an excuse.
While she walked beside the mounds of garbage left for morning pickup, she thought about what she would say to Jamal.
She would deny having ever seen Azid, even though she knew Jamal would send him to follow. Play the act, she thought. That's what she had done for so many years anyway, just play the act, she rep
eated to herself.
A rumble of moving cans and the rustle of debris caught her attention. Probably a rat in the trash, she assured herself.
“It sure would be nice if it were a kitten. That would be a perfect excuse to give Jamal. “Oh Jamal,” she practiced, “he's so cute and he was stuck in the trash and couldn't get out. I couldn't leave him, he's so precious, almost as precious as you.”
She laughed at her own antics. “I just had to save him.” As she stopped chuckling she heard a faint meow from the pile. Was it possible? Mindy moved around to the street side of the trash and found it's source.
There tangled with its head stuck between the plastic of a six pack can carry, was a tiny bedraggled yellow and white kitten.
“Oh, poor baby,” Mindy soothed, “I'll save you.” She gently picked up the ball of fluff.
“I bet your tummy's so hungry, is that right?” She snuggled the bright eye babe to her bosom.
“And you stink, yes you do. You need a bath. Uh-huh, yes you do.”
Now she would have something to show Jamal as proof. But where had the poor little thing come from. In the short period of time she had been in New York she had never seen a stray animal, never. She had seen them on leashes and had seen rats, but no animals roaming free.
“Strange,” she thought, “oh well.” She sighed and shrugged her shoulders.
“Let's go show you off. What do you think? Would that be nice?” She fingered the kittens mouth with her nail and watched its sucking response. “Such a little biddy baby,” She cooed.
“What am I going to name you? What would you like?” Then smiled as she verified its’ sex. “How about Azid?”
“Yes that's it. But I'll let it be Jamal's idea.”
With kitten in arms she headed back to the hotel, humming softly to it.
As Mindy stood outside of the hotel suite she heard them talking inside. Slowly she turned the knob and entered quietly without knocking so as to not disturb them.
Upon entry they turned and silently greeted her. Everyone except Zolar who was speaking to John as the rest of the group listened.
“... And that's about as much as I know about the opening of the centers.” Zolar paused and nodded a smile at Mindy and then turned back to John. “What our purpose is, I don't know, except to be there for your assistance. As to what your purpose is John, well I would say only you can answer that but probably not until the last center is opened.”
John listened intensely, periodically nodding in comprehension. He was beginning to grasp what had been happening and what was going to happen.
“Zolar, as I told you earlier, I'm here to promote my software. What I was wondering, is if you would go to the Coast Guard base with me for my last meeting? I don't know why but from what you tell me you're going to be the next center anyway. Of course that won't happen until midnight but I just have this feeling that you should go along?” John paused, waiting for Zolar's answer.
“Sure John, I don't know what good I will be but if you want me to, well I would be happy to go along. Besides it might be fun to see where Jackie has to live.” He turned and smiled at Jackie.
“Good.” John said. “I guess we all need to turn in it's almost four and my meeting is at 1:00 this afternoon.”
Everyone became animated, stretching and yawning and started to head for their respective rooms.
Rudy had left earlier when the talk became serious and he was no longer the center of attention. He had bid them all good night and had embarrassed Zolar when he had hugged him. Zolar apologized for the mix-up earlier in the evening and falsely insinuated that he would make it up to him.
“What about the preacher? He looks like he's out of it.” Billy asked as he scanned the group.
“Yeah, and Jackie where are you sleeping and who have you been sleeping with?” Bernie asked accusingly.
“I've been sleeping with Billy.” Jackie stared at Bernie as if to dare him to make any crude remarks.
Bernie decided not to challenge her glare. “Well why not move back in with us?”
“Wait just a minute. How about me?” Billy protested.
“Guys, guys, let's not bicker over little ole' me.” Jackie smiled radiantly basking in the attention. “Besides sleep is all we will be doing.”
Billy and Bernie both shrugged and Zolar laughed.
“I'll tell you what Jackie, you can have my room and I'll sleep on the couch. I've sort got use to sleeping on the couch.” Zolar offered.
“I think that solves all our problems.” Jackie agreed and grinned when Bernie and Billy snarled.
“Wait a minute what are we going to do with the preacher?” Bernie said.
“Bernie seems to me like you to have become bosom buddies.” Zolar smiled. “He can sleep with you.”
Jackie and Billy laughed and Bernie sneered.
Bernie answered. “Well I guess somebody better keep an eye on him. When he comes out of this shock it's hard to say what he might do but I think I've spent enough time with him for a while. What don't one of you volunteer?”
“I would do it,” Billy offered, “but I don't think it's to wise to have him that close to John without constant supervision.”
“I guess you're right.” Bernie said and added shaking his head in mock humility. “Okay, he can have my bed and I'll just have to share the bed with Jackie. I tell you the things I'm am forced to do.”
“Wait just one minute.” Billy protested. “We're right back to where we started.”
“Listen, up guys, this is the way it is.” Jackie ordered before the argument started. “I plan on getting some sleep. So Billy you give me the key to your room and you will sleep in here with the rest of the guys. Understood?”
Billy nodded as Bernie gave him the evil eye. With the exception of Thomas who just stared off into space the rest of the group laughed.
Jamal had cornered Mindy and had been quizzing her as to why she had been so long.
John whispered in Morgan's ear and she nodded.
“Someone can use my room.” Morgan volunteered. “I've made other arrangements.”
“I will,” Jackie jumped at the offer. “Now Billy you guys can figure out what you're going to do.”
“Hey just one minute, you women might suffer from PMS but guys suffer too.” Bernie began to protest and Billy nodded in agreement.”
“What do you mean?” Jackie asked.
“We suffer from DSB, and if you think you're bad when you have PMS, you don't want to be around us when we have DSB.” Bernie answered seriously.
“And what, may I ask is DSB?” Jackie crossed her arms and challenged him.
“Deadly Sperm Buildup.” Bernie smiled.
Jackie and Morgan groaned simultaneously, shook their head and then began to laugh.
As the laughter died, Michael finally volunteered to watch Thomas.
They each bid the others good night. Jackie went alone to Morgan's room. Morgan went with John and Jamal went with Mindy. Michael led Thomas back to his room and Billy retired to his own.
Upon entering their room and closing the door Jamal began to question Mindy.
“Hey Baby, did you see Azid?”
“No I didn't.” Mindy answered innocently placing the kitten on the bed. She then slipped off her shoes and rubbed her feet, making a quick inspection that there was no tattle-tail blood splattered on her clothes or shoes.
“I sent him after you. I guess he went back to the house.” Jamal mused.
“Come here.” Jamal ordered. “But leave that damn cat. “
”Oh he's cute.” Mindy said.
“Not as cute as you.” Jamal responded and hugged her close to him.
“You know Baby―you're the best thing that ever happened to me.” Jamal held her tight.
Mindy didn't say anything but let him hold her.
“Before we turn in I want to call the house to see if Azid went there.”
“Okay
, I'll take the bathroom first while you call.” Mindy said.
“This is Jamal.” Jamal said into the receiver.
“I know, but I'm fine. Let me speak to Azid.”
Jamal paused and then said, “If he shows up tell him to call me. He knows where I'm at.”
As Jamal hung up the phone he said aloud to himself. “Azid, where the hell are you?”
From the bed laying on the thick comforter the kitten raised its head and meowed.