Zeke

by Wodke Hawkinson

  His unease grew as he made his way out of the building, and he picked up his pace returning to the car. He was almost certain Sue had been here, though he couldn’t say why. Just a gut feeling, he supposed. The tracks up the drive were relatively fresh, although the groceries remained a mystery.

  Will tossed the flashlight into the passenger seat, holstered his gun, and pulled out his phone to check with Melvin. The display informed him there was no service. Swearing softly, he put the car in reverse, pressed the gas pedal, and came to an abrupt stop as his wheels spun uselessly.

  He couldn’t move forward or backward now; he was royally stuck.

  Will got out and peered at the back wheels. He had driven into a deep muddy ditch, one hidden by overgrown weeds. The rear of the car was buried up to the bumper. He tried all the tricks he could think of, but finally admitted he couldn’t extricate the vehicle without help.

  “Shit!” he yelled, and his voice bounced back at him. From the corner of his eye, he thought he caught a furtive movement at one of the windows. He stared a long time at the opening, but saw nothing more. Skin crawling, Will locked his vehicle, feeling slightly foolish for worrying about security this far out in the boonies. He just couldn’t shake the feeling he wasn’t entirely alone. He turned and started the long walk down the driveway. He stopped every few feet to try his phone, but to no avail. The back of his neck prickled and he whipped around suddenly, but there was nothing behind him but the empty hospital looming against a gray sky. A chill wind rustled the dead leaves under the trees and icy water dripped from every branch.

  When he reached the road, he had to wait forty-five minutes before someone came along. A farmer in overalls pulled over and leaned out the window, a toothpick dangling from the corner of his mouth. After explaining his predicament, Will was relieved when the man offered to send help. Will made the decision to wait for the tow truck at the end of the driveway. That old building gave him the creeps.

  “Ya knocked yer ullpawn luse,” the tow truck driver told him once he’d yanked Will’s car out of the ditch.

  “My what?” Will could hardly decipher the man’s words. Not only did he have a thick accent, but he also had a speech impediment.

  The driver stared at him as if he were daft. Slowly, he repeated. “Ullpawn. Ya knocked it luse. And ya bent da damn thing clean outa shape ta boot.”

  “Oh, okay. I got you. My oil pan.”

  “That’s whut ah said.” The driver frowned. “S’okay. Uh kin fix it up at the shop. Git in.”

  Will climbed up into the truck and they set off.

  “Whut’d ya think a da residents up thar? They spook ya?” the driver asked conversationally.

  “I didn’t see anybody.” Will stared at him with interest, recalling the eerie sensation of being watched. “What residents?”

  “Dem ment’l patients. Ole mawn Wilkins, he owns all dis lawnd nuw. He feeds the pur souls.”

  As they rode into town, the driver explained that the hospital had released its patients and closed its doors over a decade earlier. They had all been set up in halfway houses and assisted living in the surrounding cities, and the property sold. But, it seemed they couldn’t adjust to the freedom. Gradually over the following months, some of them returned to the old asylum. They didn’t know where else to go or what to do in the world outside the walls they’d spent years behind. Wilkins, a Christian man with a good heart, looked after them in a haphazard fashion. Though he didn’t attend to their every need or babysit them in any regular way, he did make sure they had food to eat and fresh water to drink.

  “That’s amazing,” Will said. “Don’t the townspeople know they’re there?”

  “Dey know.” The driver squinted at the road. “But dem sick folk, dey don’t bodder no one.” He chuckled deep in his throat. “See, round heya, we b’lieve if sumthin’ ain’t broke, don’t go tryin’ ta fix it. Tha ‘rangement works out jes fine like ‘tis. But, dey kin be a scury lot. Quiet as ghosts, ever’ one of ‘em.”

  Will looked back to make sure his car was accompanying them. It was.

  “Whut was ya doin’ up at de old loony bin, anyhows?” the driver asked.

  “Long story,” Will muttered, already berating himself for the time lost on this fruitless exercise.

  It was after five when the driver backed the disabled car into a garage stall and unhooked it. Turning to Will, he said, “De cah will be ready in de mo’ning.”

  “In the morning. No, no. I need it fixed now. I’ll pay extra.”

  “Won’ do no gud. I got sumwhar ta be.”

  No amount of arguing would keep the man at the shop. “If ya got some luggage, best git it outa de car now. I need ta lock up.” He waited impatiently while Will gathered his things. He pointed out a nearby motel and café and then drove off in an old Ford pickup, leaving Will feeling abandoned and alone.

  “Stranded! Damn small town yokels. Damn mechanics. Damn flimsy-ass ullpawns!” He kicked the curb in helpless frustration.

  Streetlights flickered to life overhead, casting strange shadows in the twilight. In the cold wind, a chain banged against the flagpole outside the post office, clanging a mournful peal. Up and down the small main drag, shops closed and sidewalks became deserted. The good people of Brinkley were no doubt gathering around their supper tables, enjoying the warmth of hearth and home. He shoved his hands inside his pockets for a moment to warm them, then picked up his suitcase. As he began walking toward the motel, his cell phone rang. Roxie.

  “Will, where the hell have you been? I’ve been trying to reach you.” Roxie’s voice was clear as a bell. Service was back to normal.

  “Reception isn’t exactly prime here in this neck of the woods. For a while there, I didn’t have any signal at all,” he replied. “Plus I got my car stuck in the mud out at that old hospital and...oh, never mind. What do you got for me? Good news?”

  “Pretty good,” she responded. “We know what town they were in last night, anyway. How far are you from Edison?”

  “Just a sec.” Will pulled up his maps app on his cell and checked the coordinates. “Near enough I could be there by midnight, if my damn car was fixed.” He threw a hateful look at the garage behind him. “But now I won’t be able to leave until morning, and I’m not sure how early. I’m going to check into a motel for the night and plot my course for tomorrow.”

  “Eat something and get a good night’s sleep.” Roxie’s voice grew tender, understanding his disappointment. “Anyway, I bet they’re settled in a room for the night. All we have to do is figure out which one.”

  Roxie told him Melvin had spoken to a motel clerk in Edison who remembered Zeke and Sue. They had tried to rent a room the night before, but he turned them away because they couldn’t produce a credit card, same thing at the next one. The third motel manager he spoke to refused to give information on their patrons, so they could possibly be there. Whatever, chances were good they had simply found a motel in the same town, one that would accept cash. Everyone Melvin contacted said the roads were icing over and traffic was slowing to a standstill.

  “Did anyone notice what they were driving?”

  Roxie sighed. “No, we didn’t get that lucky.”

  “Alright. I’m going to snag some grub and hit the sheets.” Will felt the buzz of the hunt, a feeling that never failed to give him a charge; he hated being stuck in this dismal little town.

  After checking into his room, he walked over to the cafe and forced himself to relax and enjoy the meal.

  Back in his room, he tried to watch television, but was too agitated to concentrate on the shows. Flipping it off, he crawled into bed.

  He knew tomorrow would bring good news. He felt it in his bones. The heater in the room made a steady humming sound that was oddly comforting, and at last, he slept. During the night, a light snow fell.

  Mad Rapist

  They went through the drive-thru of a taco place for supper that evening, taking the food back to their room. After they had eate
n, Zeke pulled off his pants, a strange gleam in his eye. He put the small vibrator on his fingertip and caressed himself with it, sighing softly. Sue watched him curiously.

  “Damn, that feels good,” he said. “No wonder you liked it.”

  Removing the small tool from his finger, he tossed it lightly onto the bedside table. He then reached out quickly and pushed Sue down on the bed. It happened without warning and her first reaction was surprise, followed by a rush of fear. He started roughly removing her clothes.

  “Pretend I’m a mad rapist.” He ogled her. “It’ll be fun. When we’re doing this, I’m going to put my hands around your throat, but don’t worry. I won’t hurt you. We’re just gonna do some role-playing.”

  Sue tried to relax, but was anxious as Zeke hovered over her. He threw her clothes to the floor, and turned her over onto her stomach.

  “Pretend you’re fighting me,” he said, his excitement obvious.

  Sue started to struggle, and it wasn’t entirely faked. Zeke put his hands under her and squeezed her breasts hard, licking the back of her neck at the same time and biting into her shoulders lightly. Using his knee, he pried her legs apart, forcing his way between them. Sue’s alarm intensified. She clenched her buttocks tightly and tried to heave him off her. He grunted with the effort of restraining her. She’d never known him to be this rough, and she tried to scoot away from him. He abruptly rose up and slapped her ass. The smack made a resounding clap.

  “Beg me to stop,” he ordered. “Try to sound scared.”

  Sue didn’t have to pretend; she really was afraid. She whimpered as he struck her a second time, then a third. The skin of her bottom stung like a fresh sunburn and her feelings were shockingly hurt. She pleaded with him to stop, but he laughed as he flipped her over and plunged into her. Along with fear, anger bloomed inside her. She swatted at him and he grabbed her wrists, pinning them to the bed.

  “Don’t hit me, Sue,” he growled directly into her face. He gave her lip a warning bite and then groaned in pleasure and held very still for a few seconds, relishing the feel of her. He let go of her arms and reached instead for her throat. Resuming his thrusts, he began squeezing her neck, not too tightly, but with sinister potential. Sue swung her head from side to side, panting and moaning.

  “I could kill you right now, if I wanted to,” Zeke whispered. “It would be so easy. Mmmm. So easy.”

  Sue panicked and grabbed at his hands, trying to pull them from her neck. He pressed down on her windpipe.

  “I could choke the life out of you, screw your dead body, and then throw it in a lake. And no one would ever find you.” He released his hold and clutched her shoulders, digging his fingers into her skin.

  She struggled for breath as he pounded away.

  “Oh, you worthless little whore,” Zeke groaned. “You disgusting filthy piece of shit! You’ve been begging for this all along, haven’t you?”

  Bile rose in Sue’s throat and it took a lot of self-control not to throw up in Zeke’s face. She feared what would happen if she did.

  “That’s right! You want this. You’re a bad girl, Sue. Very bad. You’re nothing but a common slut, a stinking useless fuckhole.” He grunted as his tempo increased.

  Tears streamed from her eyes as he finally satisfied himself.

  Satiated, he rolled off and lay beside her. “That was amazing,” he said, his expression tender.

  Sue looked at him in horror, her eyes wild, and face a flaming red. He seemed not to notice and pulled her against his side. “Here, lay your head on my shoulder. You can stop pretending now, turn off the waterworks; it’s over. But you were so convincing, bunny, you could be an actress. I thought you were really scared there for awhile.” He chuckled.

  “I was really afraid!” Sue wheezed. “No, not was; I’m still afraid. You hurt me. Damn it, Zeke. You scared the hell out of me.”

  “Oh, come on.” Zeke raised his head to look at her face. “It was just a game. I know we got caught up in the moment, but none of it was real. I told you ahead of time what we were going to do. You should have stopped me then if you didn’t want to do it. But you didn’t. So hush that crying now.”

  “But it felt so real to me,” Sue said, losing some of her fright, but not her anger. She fought to control it. Finally, she asked, “Would you really kill me, Zeke?”

  “Hell, no,” he said drowsily. “I love you, Susie Q. Look, maybe we got a little too into the act, but it was just for fun, a flight of imagination. Just like with those boys in the park. Remember how much fun that was?”

  “That was not fun.” Sue’s temper flared.

  “Sure it was. You just don’t want to admit it, and that’s cool for now. But, you know I’m speaking the truth. You know how danger adds a bit of an edge, increases the excitement level. I just wanted to crank things up a little. I would never hurt you, you know that. You’re my soul mate. Now let’s just rest for awhile. That wore me out.”

  A chill passed over Sue. Slowly her crying subsided, but she was beginning to see her situation with new eyes, and foreboding dripped inside her like the icy rain running down the windowpane. She lay rigidly at his side and thought seriously about leaving him. Just stepping out the door, running to the motel office, and asking the clerk to call the police. She thought about turning herself in, which would mean going to jail for breaking into Doris’s house, but who cared. She’d be safe. The loop replayed itself again and again. Sneak out, run to the office, call the police, go to jail. Her mind ran circles around itself.

  “What are you thinking, Sue?” Zeke’s voice was lazy; he was almost asleep.

  “Nothing.” Sue forced a calm tone into her voice. “Just trying to fall asleep.”

  “I hope you’re not thinking about leaving me.”

  “What? Of course not!” Sue’s denial was adamant. “I love you, Zeke. Don’t you know that?”

  “I know it.” He yawned loudly. “Just making sure you know it.”

  Zeke drifted into sleep, holding Sue. She shifted carefully, ready to slide out, but his arm tightened around her. Even in slumber, he was vigilant. Her heart beat unevenly and a light sweat broke on her brow. Finally, Sue decided she would just have to be extremely careful from now on, clarify what was going to happen to her up front. She berated herself for her naiveté and wondered how she could still love him. How crazy was she? She loved the good parts of him. She didn’t really want to leave; she just wanted him to go back to the way he was in the beginning, before they’d gone underground, whatever that really meant. But a part of her suspected that feeling would never be fully recaptured; she could never forget the way he had terrified her. Would never completely forgive him.

  What she mostly wanted was comfort. She yearned for it. But the one she wanted to be comforted by was the same one who caused the anguish that needed comforting. It was very confusing.

  Zeke woke a short time later, seemingly his old self again. Sue still lay frozen against his side. He smiled down at her gently and then a look of concern crossed his face.

  “Sue, you look terrible,” he said. “Your eyes and face are all red. Have you been crying this whole time?”

  She nodded miserably.

  “Oh, baby.” He tenderly gathered her into his arms. “Aw, honey. I didn’t mean to scare you. I love you, Sue. You know that. Come on, now. Put your arms around me. That’s right. Let me hold you, honey.” He stroked her hair and rocked from side to side. “Everything’s fine. Everything’s okay. Shhh.”

  Sue’s tears slowed and finally stopped. He was right. It had just been a game. He hadn’t meant it to be so realistic. Everything was fine. Zeke had said so. Sue repeated his words in her mind, like a mantra, hypnotically. She closed the door on the warning voice in her head, the one telling her to get out. Not now, she told the little voice, not yet.

  Zeke got up to use the bathroom, but he left the door open. She started putting on her clothes. He flushed the toilet and came back into the room.

  “Why are you g
etting dressed?” He looked at her oddly, searching for hidden intent.

  “I’m cold,” she replied.

  “Well, come here, I’ll keep you warm,” he said, holding his arms open. He guided her back to the bed and reached for a smoke. They lay side by side under a weighty silence. Zeke blew a stream of smoke toward the ceiling, his eyes narrowed in thought. “We have to find a girl,” Zeke said finally. “I need to see you with another woman.”

  “What? You want to be with someone else?” Sue recoiled at the notion, felt a stab of intense jealousy followed immediately by a wave of fear for the girl. “I don’t like the idea.”

  “You don’t listen very well, do you? Maybe you need to clean out your ears. It’s not for me; it’s for you. I want to watch you having sex with another woman. And you know you like the idea. You do, honey,” Zeke said calmly. “You’re just as twisted as I am, Sue. Deep down inside you, you know you’ll like it. In fact, I guarantee you’ll enjoy it. You need this experience so you can figure out once and for all whether or not you like girls or boys. It’s something you need to learn about yourself. And the only way to find out is to try it.”

  “What about you? Would you do her too?” Sue’s voice was small.

  “That’s something else we need to talk about,” Zeke said languidly. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to bring it up.”

  Sue’s entire being flooded with jealousy. She dreaded what he would say next. He must be tired of her if he was already thinking of loving someone else. He would dump her now and she would have no one. She didn’t think she could bear it if he left her. At the same time, she felt a hint of relief. If Zeke liked the other girl better, she would be free to leave.