by Amy Cross
This time, when I try to lead him away from the doghouse and across the yard, he reluctantly follows, albeit crouching down as if he believes himself to be an animal. While I would dearly love him to stand up and walk proudly, I feel that it is at least some kind of achievement that I have got him this far. I'm not entirely sure where I shall take him, but I suppose the hotel will have to be our destination for now. Surely my uncle will recognize that this poor dear man must be looked after properly?
"Where are you taking him?" asks a voice from the shadows.
Turning, I see that Dr. Collings has been watching us. He steps forward, a deathly serious look on his face.
"He is a man," I say, trying to maintain my composure. "He deserves to be treated as such."
"He doesn't look much like a man to me," Dr. Collings replies, with no hint of sympathy or compassion in his voice. "He looks more like a filthy animal."
"I'm taking him away from here," I continue. "He is no longer your patient."
"That's not for you to decide," he says.
"My uncle will agree," I insist, trying not to let the doctor see that I'm scared. "No civilized man could possibly countenance such torture."
"I'm not torturing anyone," Dr. Collings replies. "I'm merely following a theory of psychiatric medicine. When a man has become fully undone, as was the case with poor old Mr. Caster, it is necessary to reduce him to his most primitive state and then rebuild him piece by piece. I am in the process of reverting Caster back to the level of a common beast, and then I shall remodel him as a modern gentleman. Surely you can see the logic of that approach?"
I shake my head. "No scientific process can possibly be used to justify such terrible treatment."
"I see," Dr. Collings says with a sigh. "You're taking a very emotional approach to the situation. That's to be expected, even if it's rather regrettable. After all, you're a woman, and women tend to be irrational." He smiles. "I do hope, though, that you're able to look past your own weaknesses and see that it would be best if you trust me to get on with my work. I hardly think that a woman is in any position to disagree with an educated man on such matters."
"I shall be taking him," I say firmly.
"Is that right? And what do you have to say about this whole situation, Albert? Would you rather go with the nice young lady, or will you stay here with me?"
Albert says nothing. In truth, he seems incapable of even comprehending our conversation.
"You are my housekeeper," Dr. Collings says. "That is all. It would behoove you to remember that, and to act accordingly. I do not instruct you on how to make a proper cup of tea, or how to wash the floors, and you should not think it your place to tell me how to look after my patients. I hope we're clear on that point, and that no further explanations will be necessary." He turns to Albert. "Back to your place," he says, as if giving a command to a disobedient pet. "Just as Ms. Paternoster must know her place, so too must you know yours."
Albert turns to go back to the doghouse, but I hold onto his hand.
"Let him go," Dr. Collings says, glaring at me.
"No," I reply. "Albert, you shall come with me!"
Slipping from my grasp, Albert hurries toward the doghouse. I try to follow him, but Dr. Collings steps in the way and pushes me against the wall.
"My uncle will hear of this," I say, outraged that the doctor has laid a hand upon my person.
"I think not," he replies. "Rather, I think you will come to terms with your place in this world. I order you to go back to my house at once and wait for me in the pantry. It's quite clear to me that you are in need of a little discipline. My late daughter learned the hard way that she had a certain status in my household. I trust that you will be much easier to train."
"I shall not be trained at all," I reply.
He leans closer and places a hand on my waist. "Go to my home," he says firmly, "or I shall be forced to discipline you here. Is that what you would prefer?"
"Step away from me," I say. "If you don't, I shall scream."
"You are free to do so," he says, "but I should warn you that I am held in high esteem in this town. Perhaps if you start screaming in the middle of the night, and making up stories about the behavior of certain gentlemen, your uncle will see fit to place you under my psychiatric care." He smiles. "I could put you through the same course of treatment that I have already started on Mr. Caster. I can't say that it would be unpleasant to have you scurrying around naked in my yard while I rebuild your mind. But I would like to think that we can find other ways to resolve this situation." He reaches up and slides the shoulders of my dress down over my arm.
"You will not lay a hand on me," I insist.
Ignoring me, he starts to kiss the side of my neck. I shudder, realizing that I would have a difficult time persuading anyone else of the doctor's true nature. I have learned, to my cost, that good men seldom lose their upstanding reputations, no matter their crimes. Even my uncle, who is usually a man of good judgment, seems to have been utterly fooled by the doctor's charming words, and I can't be certain that I would be able to persuade him of the truth. As Dr. Collings starts kissing my bare shoulder, I feel a shiver of fear and anger run through my body at the thought of yet again being used in this way.
"Get off her!" shouts a voice from the darkness, and suddenly the doctor is pulled backward. He lands in the mud, and a dark shape climbs on top of him. Shocked, it takes me a moment to realize that Albert has emerged from his doghouse to help me.
"Release me at once!" Dr. Collings calls out, struggling to get up.
I quickly rearrange my dress, before stepping carefully around the yard to get a better view of what is happening. Naked and covered in filth, Albert is atop Dr. Collings and staring down into his face with venomous rage. It looks, for all the world, as if Albert is ready to tear the doctor's body apart, limb from limb, but I know that such an action would only bring down dire consequences for both of us.
"Albert, you must let him go," I say, hoping desperately that I can get through to him.
"Get this beast away from me!" Dr. Collings snivels. "He's hurting me!"
"A little pain cannot be avoided," I say, "but he won't kill you. Albert, listen to me. You must get up and leave Dr. Collings alone."
Slowly, Albert starts to climb off the doctor, but not before he places all his weight on the man's arm, causing it to snap. The doctor lets out a brief scream and clutches his broken limb, as Albert shuffles over and stands next to me.
"I shall have the filthy animal destroyed!" Dr. Collings shouts, struggling to get to his feet. His face and clothes are covered in filth. "How am I supposed to perform my duties with a broken arm?"
"You will not be destroying anyone," I reply. "Your experiments with dear Albert are over. I shall be taking him with me, and I shall return him to health. This will take up a great deal of my time, and so I'm sure you'll understand that I'll no longer be able to work in your household. I would strongly advise you to not take on another housekeeper, though. At least, not until you have learned to treat them properly. I assure you, Dr. Collings, that I will be speaking to my uncle about your behavior, and as Mayor of this town he will be in a position to impose certain sanctions. At this moment in time, I am of the opinion that you are a nasty, spineless man, but that you pose no further threat to the community. I dearly hope you do not give me cause to change that view."
Staring at me, his eyes filled with anger, Dr. Collings seems poised to strike back. "You speak as if you could hurt me," he replies finally. "But what could you do? You're just a woman. Not even that... You're a girl."
Sighing, I realize that he refuses to back down. I glance at Albert, who shivers in the cold mud. I need to get him somewhere warm, but first I must ensure that Dr. Collings causes us no more problems. Taking a deep breath, I step toward the doctor and finally, when I reach him, I allow my body to press against his. Slowly, I reach up and slip the front of my dress down, exposing my cleavage, and then I kiss him. I slip my t
ongue into his mouth and run my hand down to the front of his trousers, pressing against his crotch until I feel a certain firmness. I let out a slight moan of pleasure, before slipping my dress down a little further to reveal my plump left breast.
"Next time," I say, breaking from the kiss and taking a step back, "if there is a next time, I shall have a razor blade with me when I kiss you. And I shall cut off your manhood with one slice. You can be quite certain that I have done the same thing before, to an unfortunate man who tried to force himself upon me in another town, so I have experience in such matters. I don't know if you have ever seen such an injury, but I can assure you that there will be a great deal of blood, and a great deal of pain, and you shall be permanently changed." I pull my dress back up. "I think it would be best for everyone if we see one another as little as possible," I say finally, before turning to Albert. "Come with me," I say, trying not to tremble. Hand in hand, we walk out of the yard, leaving the doctor behind to contemplate his future.
Chapter Eight
Today
When I wake up, sunlight is streaming through the window and the madness of the previous night seems to have melted away. I sit up on the bed and think of all the work I can get done today. I'm going to explore a couple of the nearby streets and really get to the bottom of what happened to the people of Devil's Briar. Also, as I get up and wander over to the door, I realize that it's possible I might get some visitors from Boston soon. Paula has had more than enough time to get there and tell my colleagues about this place; I wouldn't be surprised if Ed jumped straight into a car and came up here, in which case he'll be arriving today or tomorrow. Finally, it feels as if everything is starting to fall into place, and soon Devil's Briar will open up and reveal the truth about its mysteries.
As I get to the door, however, I feel a pain in my fingers. Looking down, I see that all my fingertips are bright red and sore. Upon closer examination, I realize that my fingernails are missing. I hurry back to the bed, but there's no sign of them. Trying not to panic, I examine my hands and see that all ten of my fingernails appear to have been removed. My mind races as I try to work out what could have caused this. If they dropped off, they would be in the bed, but there's no sign of them. Besides, why would they all suddenly drop off like this? I suppose it's possible that some kind of dietary deficiency could be to blame. Perhaps the meat in the cans has become toxic in some way, in which case I need to stop eating it immediately. Shaken, I hurry downstairs.
As soon as I'm in the saloon, I spot my fingernails on the table by the window. I walk over and look down at them. Even if they fell off, how did they end up neatly arranged like this? I hardly think I could have picked them off one by one and then forgotten about the whole endeavor. I always believe that I can come up with a rational explanation for things like this, but at the moment I'm struggling. Is it really possible that I did this to myself? And if I did, what was my motivation? Why would anyone sit and calmly remove their fingernails in such a methodical manner? I take a deep breath and remind myself that there must be a rational explanation, even if the precise nature of that explanation eludes me for the moment. No amount of panic will reattach the fingernails to my hands, however, so I must simply accept that I experienced some form of psychosis; I must move on, and not dwell on these unusual events.
Deciding not to risk eating any more of the meat, I wander out into the town square. The first thing I notice is that the hallucinations appear to have stopped. Perhaps last night was some kind of peak; perhaps I removed my fingernails in a last-ditch attempt to batter my mind into submission, and it worked. I wish I could remember what happened, but at least things seem remarkably clear. As I walk past the cross and head to one of the nearby streets, I feel strangely optimistic. I might be tempting fate, but there's a part of me that can't help thinking I have finally overcome my mind's attempts to sabotage my work; I have beaten the hallucinations and expelled them from my conscious mind. In other words, I have shown that a rational man can win out over superstition and fear. Damn it, I wish Paula was here to witness my victory.
Reaching a small building on the corner of the street, I decide that this is where I'll start my work today. I feel ready to take a more methodical approach, especially since I'm quite certain that Ed and perhaps some other colleagues will be arriving in the next couple of days; also, while I'm loathe to admit it, I can't help hoping that Paula comes back with them. Surely she can't abandon the mystery of Devil's Briar so easily? As I force the door open and step into the dusty little building, I feel as if I'm finally standing on the verge of some kind of discovery. When I eventually come to write up an account of my exploration of Devil's Briar, there will have to be two distinct narratives: one for the historical and scientific mysteries that have been uncovered, and another for my psychological struggle to win out over my brain's attempts to trick me.
I start looking about this little building, which appears to have been a residential dwelling. In many ways, it's much like all the others: the place seems to have been abandoned in a hurry, with no apparent attempt to pack up any belongings. There are still pots and pans in the kitchen, and clothes hanging in a wardrobe in the bedroom. It's almost as if the inhabitants vanished in the blink of an eye. After all, why would people leave behind all their possessions? As I walk from room to room, I become more and more convinced that the people of Devil's Briar didn't choose to leave this place, but that instead there was some kind of sudden disaster.
Although I spend nearly an hour in this house, I find nothing of any great interest. Stepping back outside, I resolve to work faster. After all, it would be pretty foolish to waste my time going over a series of uninteresting houses, when I could maybe be getting a better overview of the whole town. I turn to head back to the town square, when suddenly I see movement nearby. Glancing back, I spot a male figure at the other end of the street; before I can react, he runs down a side street, as if trying to keep out of sight. My heart starts to race as I realize that this isn't another hallucination; there's someone else in Devil's Briar, and he's an actual, flesh and blood man. The hallucinations all stood around and watched me earlier, but this guy seemed desperate not to be seen. I didn't get a proper look at him, and I didn't see his face at all, but I'm quite certain that he was following me. It wasn't Paula, but it might have been Ed or one of the other guys from Boston. Is it possible that they've already arrived, and that somehow Paula has tricked them into making fun of me?
I stay completely still, listening for any hint of movement. Devil's Briar is so quiet, it should be possible to hear someone running in a nearby street, but there's nothing. I suppose the figure could have been another hallucination, but it felt more real, as if it was an actual person. Besides, it didn't act the way a hallucination would act. No, I'm pretty certain that there's another living person in this place, and it seems they've decided to try messing with my mind. Usually, I wouldn't bother reacting; I don't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing me get annoyed. This time, though, I feel as if enough is enough. The exploration of Devil's Briar is a serious job, and the last thing I need is for people to turn up and treat it like a joke.
"I saw you!" I shout, my voice sounding small and weak against the silence of the town. "The game's up! You might as well come out so we can get to work!"
I walk along the street, hoping that my words won't fall on deaf ears. I need help, not interruptions. Surely they can see how amazing this place is? Surely they understand how important the discovery might be in terms of modern American history? If I was in their shoes, I'd marvel at the entire town, rather than running around like an excitable schoolkid.
"Get out here!" I shout as loud as possible as I reach the town square. "I swear to God, you'd better show your face! I'm sick and tired of playing your fucking games!"
I wait.
Nothing.
"Bitch!" I scream, determined to make sure she hears me.
Marching across the town square, I head to the hotel. The heat fr
om the sun is pounding down at me, and sweat is running from my brow. It's crazy how fast the weather changes around here; one moment it's snowing, the next it's fucking heat wave. As I reach the steps of the hotel, I'm suddenly overcome by the feeling that there's someone behind me. Turning, I find myself face to face with a young woman wearing an old-fashioned blue dress.
"Who the fuck are you?" I blurt out, before remembering that she's just a hallucination.
"Sir," she says, a look of shock on her face, "I -" and with that, I blink and she's gone.
I take a deep breath. Clearly my mind is reacting to the stupid tricks that are being played on me. I'm pretty sure it's Paula and Ed who have come to town and started to mess with my head. I back my way up the steps and suddenly I realize why they're doing this: they want this town for themselves! They want to drive me insane, so that they can sweep me aside and claim the great discovery in their own names. I can just imagine it: Paula Mitchell and Edward Raman, the famous duo who rediscovered and explored Devil's Briar. They'll be famous around the world. Meanwhile, I'll be pushed to the margins and forgotten. Hell, maybe they're even planning to kill me. I guess they can do what they like out here, and no-one will ever know. Either way, they're going to steal this place from me.
"Fuck you!" I shout, convinced that they can hear me. "Fuck both of you to Hell!"
I stagger into the hotel and slam the door shut. There's no way I'm going to let them get away with this. They think they can drive me crazy, but they've got another thing coming. I'll wait them out. They think they're smart, but I'm smarter and stronger. I'll just stay here in the hotel until they come and try to get me, and then I'll strike back at them. Damn it, I'll take particular pleasure in getting my revenge on Paula. That fucking bitch acted as if she cared about me, when all along she just wanted to get me away from Devil's Briar so she could bring her lover up here to claim all the glory. I'm onto them, though, and their little scheme won't work. I'll do whatever it takes to stop them, even if it means applying lethal force. Nothing and no-one will keep me from claiming this town as my own discovery!