by Carole Gill
Hush Don’t Cry
By Carole Gill
Chapter 1 Dolly
Chapter 2 Bijou
Chapter 3 A Killer
Chapter 4 Delbert’s Taxidermy
PUBLISHED BY
Carole Gill
Hush Don’t Die
Copyright 2012 by Carole Gill
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Dolly
She was new to his collection. Actually she was very special, but he wouldn’t know that until later, until it was too late.
He had planned to use her that day as an enticement, pretty little doll sitting on the front seat with him.
“Hi I’m Uncle Jimbo and this is my new dolly. Would you like to play with her, yes that’s right little girl. Just step up to the car and see how nice Dolly is…”
Didn’t always work. It used to work better but that was years ago about the time of his conviction.
"James Arthur Charlton you have been found guilty of the dreadful crime of child abuse. It is the sentence of this court that you be incarcerated…”
Yeah so he served ten years. Ten years and he hadn’t even killed the kid. Ten years they gave for murder not for playing with a little girl and keeping her entertained.
They lied about him and about what he did. The kiddie's mother lied and so did the little girl.
They took her testimony in a special hearing and then read it out in court.
Boy did he squirm; well it was how he was made to feel especially under the steely gaze of the grandmother.
What an old witch she was with her hooded eyes and her babushka. Foreign too, nasty foreign baggage.
She shouted something he didn’t understand. Someone said she cursed him in Hungarian.
It didn’t bother him, he didn’t believe in things like that then.
The judge asked him if he had anything he’d like to say before passing sentence.
What was to say? He liked little children. He liked to give them sweets and prezzies and take them to the movies. What was wrong with that?
If his life had gone differently no one would question it.
He used to pretend he had his own children. Acted it all out with dolls but that was silly. Real children were so much better in every way!
And little girls—well they were the best yet, with their curls and dimples and sweet voices.
He felt safe with them. Safe and happy and never a victim. They never made him feel bad about himself either.
Peace of mind was a precious thing not to be taken lightly. That he learned.
“Well Dolly, you were very expensive but you’ll do the trick. Come on home now with me and we’ll watch TV together and I can tell you all about myself.”
He showed the new dolly all the other dolls he had collected ever since his release. Hundreds of them.
It took him a long time to get the nerve up to play with another child. But he was ready now.
He smiled at the new doll.
“You can call me Uncle Jimbo. I’ll give you ice cream…”
Yes! Sounded right to him. He patted her he was so pleased.
“There now Dolly. You sit there and I’ll sit here and we’ll watch TV.”
He must have nodded off. He never even heard her get up. Not only didn’t he hear her get up he didn’t hear one word that she said even though she had been speaking for some time.
Oh not to him. She wasn’t speaking to him, she was talking to the other dollies, letting them know what her plans were, telling them exactly why she was there.
He was sound asleep when he felt something hovering over him. He opened his eyes. It was the new doll.
He screamed and pushed it away. Dolly fell to the floor with a thunk.
Thinking he must have been dreaming he got up and shuffled into his bedroom.
“You come too, Dolly, here’s a nice chair for you.”
Smiling, he climbed into his bed and was asleep in a minute.
He never felt Dolly creep in next to him during the night. It was only later that he sensed something, it was the touch of her tiny plastic hands running up and down his body, touching him in his secret places, gently at first but then with ever increasing intensity and harshness.
“NO STOP IT!”
He screamed then he put on the light. If he expected to see the doll near him, she wasn’t! She was sitting across the room.
What? But--!
“I must have been dreaming again. That’s right Dolly you stay there. Sure, might as well go to sleep. Nothing like an over-active imagination.”
Something woke him later. The sound of light running footsteps and it was horrible because he couldn’t open his eyes. Something was pressing against his lids.
The truth was he was surrounded by all his dollies. They had all converged upon him. See they knew what the plan was.
He’s going to do it again. Here we thought he was content to just be surrounded by dolls and perhaps have a fantasy but he’s going to do more than that. That’s no good!
Justice
First he felt their tiny teeth on his legs. And when they bit down he screamed but he didn’t scream long. The other dolls had pushed his sheet in his mouth and they kept pushing it in until he choked and after he choked he stopped breathing and when he stopped breathing he was dead but he wasn’t dead before he felt their hot breath upon his face and his eyelids and their little teeth going for his eyes.
"Can you see us Uncle Jimbo? Can you smile for us? We love you!"
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Bijou
The boarded up Bijou Movie Theater was one of his favorite spots for the night. He often curled up there with his boxes and newspaper and wine.
He was nearly settled down when a man appeared, dressed in a movie usher uniform.
“Come on in, it’s warmer inside.”
“I’ll be alright. I’ve got plenty of newspapers.”
“There’s good food!”
Come to think of it something did smell good. It reminded him of something from long ago: Saturday at the Bijou with enough allowance money for a ticket and popcorn. And his pal Ralph would be there just like he always was and—!
Shitty blast from the past moment!
Where was Ralph? Oh yeah Vietnam and Ralph wore a body bag to come home.
“Right this way, sir!”
Suddenly he recognizes the guy. “You’re the usher from the Bijou! Hey I remember you!”
“Sure you do. Come on, show’s just starting and you don’t want to miss it!”
Doors bang open, music starts up and he can see the movie credits roll. Why it’s Gunfight at the O.K. Coral! His favorite western!
The usher shines his flashlight. “Take any seat you like!”
Gee, it’s just like old times.
The whole front row is packed with kids, most of whom he recognizes.
Must be ghosts. Is he dead too?
A voice in his head:
It’s not like that. This is different. There’s a lesson here maybe a chance to start over--!
He wants it so badly he starts to cry. That’s when the house lights go on and the people stand up. Christ! The place is jammed and they’re calling his name:
“Jimmy! Jimmy!”
The usher rushes up on stage. He’s gesturing for him to come up and join him. So he does and damned if he doesn't get a standing ovation.
“We know all about your life; everything, the tragedies, the war, the drink--! You’re amo
ng friends now fella!”
He’s overcome, it’s all too much and then suddenly in the midst of the whole thing someone shouts out his name, someone way in the back of the theater.
“Hey Jimmy! It’s me, Ralph!”
The usher urges Ralph to join them on stage. And he calls out that he’s coming. But as he gets closer, it’s evident that half his head is missing. He looks just as he looked when he was caught in the cross fire in 'Nam.
“But Ralph is dead!”
His buddy cries out: “yeah I know! Think I’d forget?!” Then he shouts something else that sounds like a warning, only Jimmy can’t hear him.
“What’s that you say?”
"Never mind that! Come on Jim. it’s all for you. Sit down and watch!”
He actually does sit down but that’s because his legs give way under him. The film starts, only it isn’t the western, it’s something else entirely. It’s the story of his life!
They’re all there; his parents and his kid brother, the one who died because his folks didn’t have enough money for an operation.
So much pain in the house then, pain and loss and everything changes. He meets a girl, his girl. Well not really, more like everybody's girl.
He gets called up for service. “You’ll wait for me, Gloria?”
Yeah right.
His parents see him off. He knows they won’t be alive when he comes back and they’re not.
He goes to see Gloria though.
“Gee tough about your folks. Well I wish you the best, take care of yourself, see ya.”
He knew she wasn’t much but he liked to pretend she was.
He misses her but he gets new friends. And between Mr. Booze and Mr. and Mrs. Drugs he forgets how miserable he is and it’s great!
The pain’s still there. Of course the VA Hospital does what it can or so they say.
The years just continue to slip by actually it’s his life sailing by on a fast-flowing current.
“How are you liking this?” The anxious face of the usher. “It’s all true, ain’t it?”
“Yeah and then some.”
The film continues and it’s hard to see through his tears but he tries and he just manages to see his life on the street: feet kicking him, the sound of taunting, stuff being dumped on him, crazies screaming at him, cops telling him to move along, a five dollar bill given to him by an old woman. “I wish it was more.”
More stuff now, hospital stays—harsh hands, kind hands, words that comfort, words that hurt.
And the thing is all of it leads to pain, pain in the guts, in the heart and head—pain is pain, man.
“I’ve seen enough!”
It all stops then. The film goes off. The usher looks annoyed and the audience starts to jeer.
The usher nods. “Sorry, but you called it!”
He gasps then because the usher looks different, he’s covered in scales and open running sores and he’s got wings.
Suddenly he starts moving toward him and the audience does too, looking like the monsters that they are!
“You’re all monsters!
“Not monsters, demons!”
“Demons? I’m dead?!”
“No fella, you’re not dead, you’re haunted!”
“But you’re not ghosts!”
"Who said demons don’t haunt the damned, Jimmy?!”
The usher begins to drift toward him, his smile broadening, his mouth opening:
“It’s show time, Jimmy!”
They all converge on him, jaws snapping flesh being torn apart and he screams and he keeps on screaming until his larynx is torn up and he can’t scream anymore.
Screams in the night, but no one bothers. Why would they? The theater’s been boarded up for years.
But you can still make the midnight show!
Top
A Killer
Nightmare World just a ride in an amusement park but the thing was it hit home with him. He had suffered from nightmares all his 17 years and now looking at the sign with the demons and the devil he just didn’t want to go in there.
But she was there, and he didn’t want to look stupid.
“We could go in the funhouse…”
“No, aw come on! You promised.”
Yeah, but that was to just to get into your pants.
“Oh come on, you’ll love it!”
No, he didn’t think he would.
But then she said those magical words, words guaranteed to freeze any fella’s blood: “you’re not scared are you?”
“Course not, silly!”
Huge overstatement (lie) followed by an enormous shit-eating grin.
Okay so they go over to the damned thing. He pays the guy.
“Sit anywhere you want.”
They climb into the first boat.
“Look it’s got real water and everything!”
She slides in first then him as the operator announces: “whatever you see, however scared you get, don’t stand up!”
She giggles, but he’s ready to fart off right then and there, only she’s got this adoring look in her eyes.
She squeezes his knee with the look of a promise for a few feels and maybe more and he’s decided to look on the bright side. He’s nearly convinced himself he’ll be okay but then the lousy ride starts up.
“I think we’re the only ones.”
He doesn’t care. He’s too busy staring at the double doors he knows are going to bang open.
Sure enough they do bang open.
He tries not to jump, but he does. He just hopes she didn’t see.
“Welcome to Hell.”
She reads the sign out loud and laughs.
He looks over at her. She’s smiling and pointing. “Oh look, isn’t that scary?”
She’s pointing at some typically stupid mechanical monsters and skeletons.
Well if they’re going to be stupid like that maybe…
But then something startles him. He glances at her out of the corner of his eyes. At least she didn’t see him jump.
“I just love rides like this thank you!” she snuggles up and he’s enjoying it but at the same time he wants the stupid ride to be over.
“It’s a long one!”
Her pronouncement not his. He’s thinking the same thing though. How much longer for this stupid thing?
Suddenly the boat stops. Just stops.
Neither of them likes it. “What’s going on, why’d we stop?”
“Don’t know.”
He’s trying so hard to take charge but it isn’t easy. That’s when it happens. Just ahead of them, something moves.
“What was that?”
“It’s part of the ride.”
“No it isn’t. It looked too big.”
She shrugs. “Gee, I don’t know I didn’t see it.”
She sounds disgusted and it bothers him but the truth is he’s more worried about what he saw.
“I know what I saw. Something over there.”
He’s pointing.
“Must have been a workman." She says.
He nods. Yeah that makes sense. The ride stalled and they have to fix it. Okay he can live with that.
The boat starts to move again. And as it does it moves sharply to the right.
She giggles but he’s too nervous. “Is it me or is it darker?”
“Maybe a light burned out.”
Great that’s all he needs.
That’s when it happens. Something jumps into the boat.
“Did you hear something?”
“Sounded like a thud.”
Whatever it was its slimy and it starts to crawl over them.
She’s screaming and so is he, as they try to get the stuff off of them.
It doesn’t work.
“Let’s get out of here!”
They don’t care that they’re not supposed to get up. That was before.
The water is shallow; they’re both running and screaming. But the thing is they can’t find their way out.
Maybe not.
She finally starts crying. That’s when they hear the laughter.
“What was that?”
“I don’t know.”
The laughter gets louder. She starts to scream again as he does.
That’s when the mist rolls in--crazy, heavy mist the thickest ever. And within the mist are figures, just ahead of them.
“Run!”
They do but then they see what the figures really are. They’re not workmen or people, they’re monstrous looking demons. Demons with scales and sharp teeth. Demons laughing at them, taunting them, telling them how they’re going to eat them.
“We’ll chew you up one bite at a time. And you’ll feel it because you won’t die, because it’s a nightmare and in nightmares anything can happen.”
“No!”
His voice not hers, because she’s not there now.
“Tiffany!”
He’s shouting for her—looking this way and that. That’s when something bites into him.
One bite at a time.
He screams the pain is so intense. He can actually feel feels his flesh being torn apart, scissored apart--surely the agony will kill him.
“Help!”
He’s screaming but over the shrieks he hears laughter: loud and raucous. And over the laughter a voice taunting him. “Maybe you’ll wake up and maybe you won’t.”
“But why?!”
“Who knows kid? It’s a nightmare! That’s right, you can scream if you want...”
So he does.
*
She was grateful it was a Catholic hospital. She had prayed at the statue of the Madonna earlier. Now, however she was beyond praying. All she could do was cry.
A nurse comforted her. “Really you must rest. He’ll be needing extensive therapy and assessment. There’s no telling how long he’ll be here.”
His mother nodded. “He’s always suffered from nightmares.”
Not like this though. This one’s a killer.
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Delberts Taxidermy
It was in a museum. In a little town called Howardsville. It was the kind of place no one went to unless they were on their way to someplace else.