Anthology of Ichor III: Gears of Damnation

by Breaux, Kevin

  Hal pointed at the green doors.

  "Its sounds like its coming from those old emergency doors over there," Hal said.

  Violet, Anna and Sylvia followed Hal's gaze. They all stared at the doors.

  "You mean those doors over there that won't open?" Sylvia asked.

  "They don't open?" Violet asked.

  "Nope," Hal replied. "The doors lead to the teacher parking lot and they used to open but they haven't since one of the staff painted them shut last term. Dr. Lubbitz was furious but he didn’t do anything about them.”

  Violet stared at the peeling paint with a look of horror across her features.

  "You mean those doors were painted last term?" Violet asked.

  "Yeah," Hal replied.

  "Look at the paint," Violet said. "It looks like those doors haven't been touched by a brush in decades."

  "Cheap paint," Hal said.

  "Apparently," Violet giggled.

  Hal looked at Violet with sparkling blue eyes while he laughed uproariously.

  “Whatever," Sylvia said with a huff in Violet's direction. She moved closer to Hal with a toss of her head. "Who cares about some stupid old doors that nobody ever uses?”

  "Yeah," Anna added. "Those doors are stupid."

  "Yes they are," Sylvia said.

  Sylvia wrapped her arms around Hal’s middle and she pulled the bewildered young man into a forceful embrace.

  "Huh?" Hal asked softly.

  Sylvia tightened her grip around Hal's middle with a lilting laugh and she gazed into the young man’s wide eyes with a light tilt of her head.

  “Now Hal," Sylvia said in a seductive tone. "I know you didn’t mean what you just said about that girl over there.”

  Anna moved closer to Hal. She raised her hand and stroked at the young man’s golden curls.

  “Yeah," Anna said. "Hal was just being nice. Cause he’s a real nice guy.”

  “Cause anyone can see that girl’s split ends from here,” Sylvia said.

  Sylvia turned away from Hal and she looked at Violet with a wicked smile.

  “A little conditioner could change that. Well, maybe not,” Sylvia said.

  Anna laughed with glee.

  Violet raised her left hand to her hair with a quick jerking motion.

  “So Hal," Sylvia said turning to the blonde man with a dazzling smile. "Tell me about your project.”

  “Yeah," Anna added. "Tell us all about your project.”

  The squeaking noise echoed in the space once more and the high pitched noise became louder.

  "There it is again," Violet said.

  "I hear it too," Hal said.

  "It's probably just some pipes," Sylvia said stroking Hal's shoulder.

  "Yeah this school is old and decrepit," Anna stated.

  "It sounds like its getting closer," Violet said.

  Violet looked around the crowded space. She flitted her gaze across the smiling faces of the standing students around her.

  The noise became louder.

  Violet blinked with sudden bewilderment and she took a deep breath when she realized that the noise was coming from behind her.

  She looked up at Hal, Violet and Anna.

  The three teens are all looking at something behind her.

  Violet turned around and she stared at the space behind her.

  A short chubby young man was walking towards her. The rotund youth possessed a head of curly red hair. He was dressed in a crisp white shirt. The garment was decorated with a generous amount of yellow fringe that dangled from the collar and sleeves. He wore bright red trousers. A pair of blue suspenders were attached to the garment. His thin lips were curved into a smile and his pale gray eyes were fixed on Violet’s face. His breaths poured from his mouth in loud wheezes and he released out an occasional pig-like snort with each step he took.

  The squeaking sounds increased in intensity.

  Violet looked at the young man’s feet.

  A pair of bright yellow rain boots adorned his feet.

  Small drawings of bright red flames adorned the sides of the young man's yellow boots.

  The chubby young man kicked up his legs in a lively jig before he stopped in front of Violet.

  The squeaking noises stopped abruptly.

  “Hello my Violetta.” Erwin said.

  “Uh hello Erwin,” Violet said tentatively.

  “Look," Anna said with excitement. "Its Violet's boyfriend."

  “They make such a lovely couple,” Sylvia stated.

  Anna and Sylvia laughed.

  Violet turned away from Erwin. She looked at the Anna and Sylvia.

  “Erwin is not my boyfriend,” Violet said with contempt.

  “Not anymore," Erwin stated. "But we had our time didn’t we, my lady?”

  Violet's face contorted into a mask of horror. She blinked several times before she turned around and glared at Erwin.

  “No!” Violet shouted with indignation.

  "Our time was short but memorable nevertheless," Erwin said wistfully. He moved closer to Violet. "And I want to know that I will never forget you."

  Violet took a small step away from Erwin with a gasping cry. "Leave me alone."

  “Wait I remember now!" Sylvia exclaimed. "You two were boyfriend and girlfriend in kindergarten."

  Violet whirled around and she looked at Sylvia. "We were not!"

  "Yes you were," Sylvia said with a clap of her hands. She looked at Anna and Hal with a lively laugh. "Guy, they actually got married on the playground. I remember."

  “Are you serious?” Anna asked with wide eyes.

  "Her memory is correct," Erwin said with a prideful nod.

  “Yes I’m so serious," Sylvia said to Anna. "I was the flower girl. I remember picking dandelions for Violet's tiara.”

  “Really?” Hal asked.

  “Really,” Sylvia replied.

  “It was a lovely spring day," Erwin recited. "Not a cloud in the sky. I still have the ring.”

  Erwin grabbed at a thin silver chain around his neck with a grin.

  Violet, Hal, Anna and Sylvia looked at Erwin's throat.

  A thin gold chain was attached to the young man's neck. A tiny dented ring of brass dangled from the yellow linklet.

  Violet looked up from the ring. She stared at Erwin and shook her head quickly and said, “I don’t remember any of that. And I’ve never seen that ring before.” “Deny it all you want," Erwin said in a sing song voice. "But on a sunny day of April all those years ago, you wore this ring on your itty bitty finger. Well, until Miss Mackle took it off after lunch when your hand swelled up. But it was still wonderful.”

  “It didn’t happen,” Violet said between clenched teeth.

  “Yeah it did," Sylvia said. "I remember. You had to go to the nurse cause your finger was all big and puffy. “Ew.” Anna said.

  “Anyway," Violet began. "That was ages ago. So, get over it.”

  Violet turned from Erwin and she looked at Anna and Sylvia.

  “All of you,” Violet said.

  Anna and Sylvia hugged Hal between them while they giggled.

  “Yes yes our time is over," Erwin said. "And we must focus on the now. Speaking of which…"

  Erwin moved closer to Violet. He raised his left hand and touched her shoulder gently.

  Violet jumped with a start and she turned to Erwin with an expression of bewilderment.

  “Saw your project over there. I could have told you that lack of light would kill those plants. Music would not have helped them in the least,” Erwin stated softly.

  Violet cleared her throat and she stared at the floor.

  Erwin turned from Violet and he stared at Hal.

  “And your project Hal. Feeding fish artificial sweetener? Tsk Tsk. You’re lucky they weren’t dead in the water,” Erwin commented.

  Anna and Sylvia stopped laughing abruptly. They glared at Erwin with rapidly reddening cheeks.

  “What do you know?” Hal asked.

  Erwin sn
apped his suspenders with a grin.

  “I won the State Fair last year and the year before. And I have reason to believe that I will win it again this year,” Erwin responded.

  “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch,” Violet said.

  Erwin turned from Hal and he glared at Violet. “Chickens? My dear Violet, could you be referring to the time when one of the class chicklets died in your hand in the first grade? Or when you stepped on three during the third grade trip to the Ackland Farms?”

  “I remember that!” Sylvia exclaimed.

  “Those were accidents," Violet stated. "I never meant to hurt any of them.”

  “You didn’t hurt them, Violet. You killed them,” Erwin said.

  “I didn’t do it on purpose. They were accidents. They were all accidents,” Violet said.

  “Were they? You know, they say cruelty to animals is one of the first warning signs of a burgeoning serial killer,” Erwin stated coolly.

  “I’m not a…” Violet began.

  “Erwin," Hal interrupted loudly. "That’s enough.”

  Hal shook Sylvia and Anna’s limbs from atop his form in a swift graceful motion and moved forward quickly. He stopped in front of Violet and gazed into her eyes with serious intensity as he spoke.

  “Violet you don’t have to respond to that. Don’t encourage him,” Hal said.

  "Oh," Erwin said with pursed lips. "Are you trying to be her knight?"

  Hal turned to Erwin. He stared at the youth’s fat-laden face with an expression of hatred.

  “Erwin go take a walk. A long one. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, no one wants you here,” Hal stated.

  “I’m not going anywhere until I win this,” Erwin said.

  “If you win,” Violet stated.

  “Well Violet," Erwin began. "I have to say that your little display of dead plants, a busted IPod and contaminated plant food sure won’t take the medal this year.”

  “How do you know your project will win?” Violet asked.

  Erwin leaned forward and he narrowed his pale gray eyes with a twisted grimace.

  “I always win my lady,” Erwin hissed.

  Small droplets of spittle fell from the corners of Erwin’s mouth during his snake-like exhalation of breath. The tiny beads of saliva dripped from his face and the stringy strands of milk-colored liquid landed atop the front portion of his shirt in wet spatters.

  Violet and Hal moved away from Erwin with loud cries of disgust.

  “Ugh!” Anna cried.

  “What a freak!” Sylvia exclaimed.

  “Yeah it's no wonder he doesn’t have any friends,” Anna said.

  “With grades like mine I don’t need friends," Erwin said. "I’ve already been scouted by recruiters from the best Ivy League universities and I have good reason to believe that any day now I will be receiving and accepting an early admission offer from Harvard. And yet you three belly grubbing low lives haven’t even taken the SATs yet. So, I’m well on my way ladies and gentleman to becoming Bill Gates rich.”

  “You’re well on your way to be fitted for a straight jacket,” Violet said.

  Hal, Anna and Sylvia laughed.

  Erwin’s cheeks flushed a dark shade of magenta. He pressed his thin lips together while he stared at Violet.

  Violet took a step towards Erwin. She pointed at his feet.

  “And I don’t think they’ll let you wear your favorite school bus yellow boots to the sanitarium. Did your mother help you put them on today? Like she did everyday at dismissal in first, second and third grade?” Violet asked.

  Anna and Sylvia hooted with laughter.

  “Good one,” Hal said with a nod.

  Erwin’s hands fell from their perch atop his suspenders. He opened his mouth and clacked his teeth together in a swift jarring motion. He continued to stare at Violet while grinding his teeth in a slow menacing fashion.

  Loud grating noises suddenly filled the large room.

  “Try a mouth guard for that tooth grinding problem. It’ll save your teeth,” Violet stated.

  Erwin let out a high pitched cough before raising his left hand and pointing a fat finger at Violet.

  “You’ll see! You’ll all see! I will win this. I’ll win everything! And when I’m a billionaire, I’ll spit on all of you!” Erwin shouted.

  “There will be no expulsion of saliva on my watch,” A low voice said.

  Violet looked behind Erwin.

  Principal Lubbitz was standing a few paces behind the chubby young man.

  The middle aged man’s cone-shaped head was covered with a sparse patch of thinning gray hair. A pair of shining silver spectacles was perched atop his slightly rounded nose. He wore a slate gray suit and he held a large metal clipboard in his grasp.

  His pale lips were pressed into a thin line. He stared at the rear of Erwin’s scarlet hued head with a look of increasing impatience across his slightly weathered features.

  Erwin’s lower lip trembled while he continued to gaze at Violet.

  After a brief moment, Erwin took a shuddering breath before he spun on his heel and turned around. He stared at Principal Lubbitz for a brief moment before raising a chubby hand to the side of his head in a clumsy salute.

  “Dr. Lubbitz. How wonderful to see you,” Erwin stammered.

  “You see me every day Erwin. Now, it's time for your presentation. Show me your project,” Principal Lubbitz stated.

  “Certainly sir,” Erwin said.

  Erwin lowered his hand from his head. He clicked his rubber-covered heels together before he turned away from the aging man and ran across the auditorium.

  Loud squeaking noises echoed in the large hall with each rapid step he took.

  Erwin stopped in front of a large sheet-covered table that was pressed against a brick wall. He turned around with a lively hop. He stamped his feet atop the floor and rubbed his hands together while gazing at the standing students near him.

  Principal Lubbitz turned away from Erwin. He looked at the pupils around him.

  “Come along students,” Principal Lubbitz said. "Time to view projects."

  Principal Lubbitz turned around and he walked across the crowded auditorium.

  Violet folded her arms across her bosom before she followed Principal Lubbitz with a low huff of reluctance.

  Hal followed Violet.

  Anna and Sylvia looked at each other briefly before they turned around and ran behind Hal.

  The shapely young ladies leaped to Hal's side and they wrapped their arms around his middle. They pressed their shapely forms against the blonde youth's while continuing their walk forward.

  “Hi again Hal,” Anna giggled.

  “Yeah hey,” Hal said quickly.

  “I wonder what that freak Erwin has done for his project this year,” Sylvia said.

  “Yeah, I can’t wait to see it. Remember that weird thing he did last year with all the glowing fish?” Anna asked.

  “Yeah the bio-lube job thing,” Sylvia said.

  Violet stopped walking in the center of the auditorium. She turned around and stared at Sylvia.

  “Its called bio luminescence," Violet declared. "And its found in the wild.”

  “No one asked you,” Anna said.

  “But you needed telling. So I did,” Violet stated.

  “Well thank you Mrs. Science,” Anna spat.

  “No thank you Mrs. Rutger," Sylvia laughed. "Mrs. Erwin Rutger.”

  Anna pressed her face against Hal’s shoulder with a braying laugh.

  Hal looked at Anna with an expression of irritation across his handsome features.

  “That’s not funny Anna,” Hal said.

  “He’s right," Sylvia said quickly clearing her throat. "What you said is like so not funny, Anna.”

  “Yeah well. It's not funny?” Anna added.

  Violet glanced at Hal before she turned around and walked forward. She moved quickly across the space before stopping near a crowd of students who stood in front of her. />
  Erwin Rutger stood near the front of the area.

  A large table covered with a black sheet rested in the space beside him.

  Principal Lubbitz stood in front of the table. The middle aged man tapped the clipboard in his grasp against his right leg while he stared at the shrouded piece of furnishing.

  The sounds of loud shrieks and resonant thumps suddenly echoed in the space behind Violet.

  Violet turned around. She saw a large crowd of wide eyed young men standing a few paces behind her.

  The youths were all pointing at the floor and smiling.

  Violet looked at the floor.

  Anna and Sylvia lay in a tangled heap of twisted limbs in the center of the stone flooring.

  The two red faced young women rose carefully to their feet with expressions of hatred across their pretty features.

  “You won’t get away with this you jerk!” Sylvia cried.

  “Nobody dumps us. Nobody! I don’t know who the hell you think you are, Hal!” Anna wailed.

  “Come on, Anna. He’s not even worth it!” Sylvia hissed.

  Sylvia grabbed Anna’s hand and she turned around. She stared at the group of wide eyed young men who stood in her path for a brief moment before raising her left hand and she flung her delicate limb in their direction with a huff of impatience.

  “Out of my way! Right now!” Sylvia shouted.

  The young men jumped to attention and they leaped from the angry woman’s path.

  Anna and Sylvia shoved the gawking young men near them while they rushed forward. The two young women hurried from the crowded space with exasperated grunts.

  A few of the boys followed the young women with wide smiles plastered across their features.

  “Stop following us you creeps!” Sylvia screamed.

  “Get away from me Steve!” Anna shouted.

  “Come on Anna. Please just give me a chance,” Steve said.

  “I said no!” Anna screamed.

  “I’m so much better for you than that Hal jerk,” Steve whined.

  “Touch me one more time Bill and I swear I'll hurt you!" Sylvia warned.

  “I just want to talk to you Sylvia. You're so hot and…” Bill said.

  "You think I'm hot Bill?" Sylvia asked.

  "Well yeah," Bill replied.

  "Well I have something for you. Just stand right there and close your eyes…" Sylvia purred.