DESCENT

by Sandy DeLuca

  * * *

  He popped a speeder about midnight and insisted I stay up and talk to him as he read passages from his book.

  “With practice you can assume any form, just as I can. You can be the cat that preens upon the dumpster, or become the lover of the one who rejects your desires. Call up the demons that master disguise. Do this each morning as you bathe. Scrub your flesh with the blood of sacrifice and repeat their names…“ He pushed me down on the bed, kissed me. “This is awesome. I can become anyone. Do anything. Maybe I’ll use some of your blood to conjure more demons.”

  My brother Paul peered at me from the foot of the bed as Sammy read to me from that vile book.

  I was exhausted by morning. Sammy laughed as he downed another pill with some beer. Then he started doing things to me again.

  I moved back and forth from reality into a faraway dreamlike state. At times I thought the Cortez sisters had joined us on the bed. They crawled on their bellies, licked my wounds and kissed each other like lovers. They smelled of decay, of smoke and of sweat, and told me they were dead.

  By noon I had cigarette burns on my breasts and they were littered with black and blue bruises. My inner thighs were sticky with blood.

  I just lay there and cried, as Sammy paced the room.

  “Please stop, Sammy,” I finally said. “Please, I…I’m going to pass out.”

  “Fucking baby. You got no guts. I know women who love pain inflicted on them. It makes them hotter. But not you, huh? Fucking bitch.” He paced about, so exhausted and wired on pills he could barely contain himself. “And you’re a slob too. Look at this room. Fucking pig’s sty. Don’t you ever clean anything?” He laughed. “I’ll bet there’s dust bunnies under this bed from 1950. I don’t think those Latin chicks are too sanitary either. That pool out there is testament to that, huh?”

  “They’re Cuban.”

  “Shut up. You don’t know what they really are.” He lifted the bedspread, peeked under the bed. I was too weak to say or do anything. “Well, what have we here? Julia, you didn’t tell me you’d been drawing.”

  He opened the pad, pulled out the drawings, turned them around and read what I’d written on the backs. He put them in a pile beside me on the bed. “The outside of the pad says there are forty sheets. I’m counting five drawings here, there’s four pieces of blank paper left. Now I wonder where the other drawings are.”

  “I did the one that’s hanging downstairs in the office—the moon over the palm trees. I did others that the sisters use on place mats.”

  “I saw the drawing downstairs. They just hung it there because they felt bad for you. It’s not so good. I know how many pieces of paper there are. The numbers still don’t add up.”

  “I threw the others away, didn’t like how they turned out.”

  He rubbed his chin, looked to the trashcan. “Threw the others out, huh? You think I’m fucking stupid?”

  The pain reminded me what he was capable of. “I swear, Sammy, I threw them in the big dumpster outside. Please—”

  “You’re full of shit. You think I don’t know what you tried to do? You think your package got mailed? I heard about your little plan weeks ago. Good thing she was looking out for us—for me. Your package wasn’t tossed in the mailbox. It was burned right after you left Maria that day.” He shook his head. “You’re such a fucking fool. Why do you think I made you beg for change? Why do you think they watched you when I was gone?”

  “Maria—”

  “Yeah, good guess you pathetic fucking moron.” He laughed at me, but then his eyes turned cold and deadly. “Tell me something, Julia. I’ve wondered about this for a while. I gave you the benefit of the doubt, because I love you. I tried to defend you. So why’d you draw this shit? Why did you try to betray me?”

  “I had to get it out of me. All those images were driving me nuts. I wanted you to get help. I was afraid—”

  He tore the drawings then he took the pad and ripped it in half. “I don’t want you doing this no more. I want you to promise that you’ll obey me, not try to fuck me—ever again.” He kissed me, gently this time. “I can’t live without you. You keep me together. I couldn’t do to you what they asked. I had to bargain with them. I told them I could work it out.”

  “But, Sammy, my art, it—”

  “Fuck your art.” He stuffed the ripped paper in one of the shopping bags. He opened drawers, gathered other bags and all my belongings. “I’m going to burn everything—all your pathetic clothes—everything.” He scooped up my purse. “Every last bit of identification is going in the fire. I’m going to rename you, make you a new woman.” He stormed out of the room, slammed the door.

  I smelled smoke, heard laughter. Maria and Estrella sang a song in Spanish. Though I was still in an enormous amount of pain, I forced myself up from the bed and to the window. I peeked through the curtains. They stood around a fire; Salvatore and others from the boarding house had joined them. What was this place, I wondered. Who were the people who occupied this place?

  I went back to the bed, sat on the edge, my head reeling and my body devastated.

  Jericho, I wondered. Where are you?

  The door opened, and Sammy entered and closed it behind him. There was something in his hand. A hammer.

  “Gimme your hands, Julia.”

  “God, Sammy, no.”

  “Give me your fucking hands.” Sammy raised the hammer. “My hands—please Sammy—not my hands, not my hands!”

  My artist’s hands.

  In my mind, I convinced him to spare me. But in reality, I didn’t have the strength to stop him.

  I held up my hands and screamed.

  * * *

  My hands are wet. The rain really comes down heavy now, and things creep out of alleyways to glare at me. I turn around, take a few steps back and realize there is no way back.

  A phone begins to ring.

  I follow the sound to a booth by an old bus stop, run to it and pick up the receiver.

  A few more steps…

  CHAPTER 54

  A ragged man, wheeling a shopping cart filled with garbage bags and assorted junk emerges from an alley.

  Salvatore.

  He’s wearing the same rumpled clothes and has the same vacant look in his eyes. “We’ve been watching you all these years…”

  He glares at me for a moment, turns to walk away and then slowly dissolves within the raindrops. A trail of smoke spirals behind his fading image.

  I rub my hands together. My palms are slick with sweat and the humidity here has risen to the point where it’s become stifling.

  * * *

  Sammy raised the hammer higher. I thought I heard thunder somewhere far off in the distance, but realized it was only someone knocking on the door. Sammy spun on his heels, dropped the hammer and opened the door.

  Jericho strolled in, an unlit cigarette dangled from his lips. He crossed his arms, looked at Sammy, then he looked at me for a few moments. He seemed to be studying my tear-streaked face, the way my lips trembled. He look back at Sammy and smiled real slow.

  “My man, you’re just in time,” Sammy said quickly. “She’s been lying to me, she betrayed me and I can’t have that, man, can’t allow that. I love her, but I’ve got to keep her under control. You know how it is.” Sammy smiled. “Let’s teach her a lesson together.”

  Without warning Sammy turned and punched me in the stomach, sent me flying against the wall. The pain was hard and sharp then quickly spread down to my toes. It felt as though my insides were going to fall out. He picked up the hammer, raised it again and walked toward me. My heart sank when I looked at the cold steel head of the hammer. Sammy’s eyes were as cold as that steel and I wondered how badly it would hurt when he struck me. Would he kill me or merely destroy my hands as he’d promised?

  His face reddened and his eyes were alive with rage. “First your hands and then who knows what else I’ll fuck up on you.”

  I wondered why Jericho merely stood there,
just watching. Didn’t he mean all the things he’d said down by the pool, or had he just been playing head games with me earlier?

  “Those hands. They’ve got to be destroyed.”

  I heard Jericho say, “Sammy.” His voice was calm, even. I saw Sammy turn and look at him questioningly.

  “Put the hammer down. You’ve abused a power that has never rightfully belonged to you.” Again, his voice was steady and showed no fear as he coolly slipped a hand inside his pocket.

  “You don’t understand,” Sammy said. “You should see what this bitch did. I’ve got to protect the book, man. They’ll come after me, they’ll put me away, wouldn’t understand why I had to do what I did. They’ll take the book. You got to help me here, man.”

  Maria and Estrella began chanting below us outside. Sammy took a step backward, listened. He seemed distracted. “What’s happening, man? You gotta help me get rid of this bitch.”

  “Put the hammer down,” Jericho said softly. “And I’ll help.” His gaze scanned the room carefully, looking deeply into dark corners, scanning the bed, floor and furniture. He sized Sammy up and down. “You took something you shouldn’t have and your ego literally allowed all Hell to break loose.”

  “You gonna fuck me over now too? She’s not worth it, Jericho.” Sammy turned to me, madness in his eyes. “I loved you, girl, but since we’ve been here, since you’ve been doing all this shit…“ He stood above me, hammer held high above his head.

  Jericho moved slowly behind him. Our eyes met and he put a finger to his lips, signaling me to stay quiet. “Man,” he said to Sammy, “are you crazy? Put the hammer down and reason with me. You’re not making sense. Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

  Sammy glared at me then turned to face Jericho.

  “She tried to set me up. She—”

  “Look, the cops are already on to you. They’re looking for a guy that fits your description and a young girl that fits Julia’s. It’s all over the fucking news. Shit, I figured out who you two were after a couple of days and I ain’t no cop. You do her here and draw more attention to yourself and the pigs are gonna be down on you in no time, man. Use your head.” Jericho rubbed his chin. “Maybe you should split, go off on your own and let me take care of her.” Jericho shook his head slowly. “Too dangerous your way, man. Think of the consequences. Think of how you’ve upset the balance—”

  The chanting below grew louder.

  Sammy’s eyes took on a vacant look for a moment and he began to laugh. He looked completely insane. “It don’t mean a goddamn thing to me. These are modern times. Rules written in the days of old don’t hold true—shouldn’t hold true—anymore.” Sammy looked at me. There was something feral and deadly in his stare. He pointed to me. “She’s just another piece of shit, dude, like the rest of them. You know, I thought about what it’d be like to kill her, played it out in my head over and over. I even imagined going back North and cutting up her family too, but fuck it. Ain’t worth my time. I got more important shit to do.” He smacked his lips as Estrella’s voice sounded below. “There’ll always be bitches like her. Dime-a-fucking-dozen.” He spit at me. It hit me in the face. I didn’t dare raise my hand to wipe it away. If I made a move he might lunge at me with that hammer. I felt the spit trickle down my skin, saw droplets fall onto the rug.

  “You don’t mean shit to me anymore.” Sammy turned to Jericho. “Make sure she’s dead. Plenty of places to bury her on the road.” He looked at me with dead eyes. “Now get her out of here before I cut the bitch up.”

  Jericho moved slowly towards me, bent down and whispered, “Do exactly what I say and it’ll be all right. Come with me right now and don’t look back, don’t ever look back or their power will overcome you.”

  Jericho took my hand, kept saying over and over so only I could hear, “Slow, be cool.” He maneuvered me past Sammy. I could see the sky through the open door. I heard the train roar by.

  “Almost there, don’t turn back.”

  We made it to the door and I heard Sammy yell, “Are you both fucking insane? You think I’m that stupid?” He rushed toward us; hammer in one hand and a rifle in the other.

  Jericho pushed me out the door. I fell against the railing, looked down and saw Maria, Estrella and the others standing in a circle. They chanted, “We are about to offer Julia and Jericho in sacrifice—”

  I heard something thump on the floor, a shot go off. Jericho had managed to wrestle the gun from Sammy’s hand, and it fell on the rug. There was a bullet hole in the mirror above the bureau.

  Sammy tried to reach for the gun but Jericho kicked it and it slid out the door, hitting my foot on the way by. I reached for it, took it in my hands, remembering the way Sammy held it when he killed Marla, remembering the way his fingers released the trigger.

  Jericho grabbed both of Sammy’s hands, held them in a powerful grip as he tried to force him against the wall.

  “Motherfucking traitor!” Sammy spat at Jericho, spittle landing in his eye, probably blurring his vision.

  Sammy managed to release one of his hands from Jericho’s powerful grip, and as Jericho momentarily lost his footing, Sammy punched him in the throat.

  Jericho coughed and stiffened as pain spread across his face.

  Sammy got his other hand free and slammed Jericho against the wall. His fist was cocked back and ready to throw again but Jericho brought a knee up into his groin.

  Sammy doubled over with a loud grunt and Jericho threw a blow to his head that was so powerful it knocked Sammy several feet away and onto the floor.

  Jericho turned to me. “The rifle, quick.”

  I threw the rifle and he turned to catch it just as Sammy began to rise; his face red and his eyes filled with the murderous rage I’d come to know so well. I remembered how Sammy had always bragged about being agile and quick from his boxing training. “Jericho!” I screamed.

  Sammy leapt like a wild cat just as Jericho turned back in his direction, the rifle in hand.

  A shot rang out and Sammy stopped in his tracks, staggered a bit, and with a look of total disbelief, fell to his knees just inches from where Jericho was standing.

  Blood spurted from his knee. “Motherfucker,” he gasped. “Motherfucker, you—you motherfucker.”

  “Come on, Julia,” Jericho said calmly. “Let’s get the hell out of here before the others start acting up.” He wrapped me in his arms. “Don’t look back, don’t listen to them.”

  I heard Sammy screaming again, his voice coming from someplace else—far away. Other voices joined in, Maria, Estrella. Something was burning.

  Sammy’s voice was shrill. From the corner of my eye I saw him crawling across the floor. “I’ll fucking track her down and butcher her like no one’s ever seen.” There were drumbeats accompanying the chanting. A girl was screaming. Sammy threw something at us. I couldn’t tell if it was the hammer, but it landed hard behind us.

  Jericho stopped, looked over his shoulder at Sammy. “Rules laid down in ancient times can’t be changed or abused by some lowlife piece of shit like you. The balance between good and evil is sacred, my man. Your threats have no power. The things you’ve done are gonna bind you to the Devil’s own Purgatory for at least two decades.” He bit his lips. “Two decades and one year to be exact. If you’re gonna fuck with Heaven and Hell, you got to know the rules.”

  “Nobody can’t keep me in bondage. I’m the fucking best there is. Fuck you. You’re dead, Julia. You’re fucking dead!”

  “Don’t look back,” Jericho warned again.

  Sammy yelled. “You should’ve finished me off, Jericho! You should’ve killed me motherfucker!”

  “That’s not the deal.” This time Jericho didn’t turn to look at Sammy when he spoke.

  The air grew lighter. I could swear I smelled flowers, but I was sick. I’d die soon if I didn’t get away from there.

  The voices were distant and everything was distorted. Images wavered and nothing made sense. I couldn’t be sure if an
y of this was real or only something I’d imagined.

  “He’ll kill me,” I whispered. “It can’t be this easy.”

  “If he can’t have you then no one can. He’ll leave you alone…for a while anyway.”

  “You should have killed him. He said he’d—”

  “I’m not the one,” Jericho said evenly.

  “He’ll come after—”

  “He may have had power over you, but you gave it to him, Julia, and that’s over now. Trust me, there are things a lot more powerful than Sammy out there, and I think he may have let them down tonight. Now he’s got to make it up. He’s got to serve time for his fuckups.”Jericho lifted me in his arms. “Look, I need to get you away from here before things start going down, before you get caught up in it. Be calm. I’m taking you home.”

  “Where did—?” Everything starting spinning. Voices rose and fell. I heard angels singing. I saw ghosts float from every corner.

  “Just believe in me, Julia. Believe I can save you. Say it over and over inside your head.” His voice faded to a near whisper. “Two decades and a year.”

  “The book. You’ve got to get it.”

  “It’s okay.”

  People were shouting but I couldn’t comprehend anything they said. Everything was turning black again. “My hands. Oh God, my hands!”

  Gimme your hands, Julia.

  “You’re safe with me.”

  * * *

  It feels like Miami. I can almost hear the ocean, hear the sisters chanting. A motorcycle revs its engine in the distance and the smells of weed and hashish fill the air.

  CHAPTER 55

  The rain has stopped and the sun beats down on me now. The concrete is so hot that steam rises from it and the bricks on buildings sizzle like hot coals. The motorcycle sounds as though it’s closer, a horn sounds and someone curses. The sounds of the city fade and I hear chanting, drums beating, then brakes screech and a cop’s siren blends with the magical serenade. And the sound of a young girl’s scream fills my head.