shared misery of Johnny's limbs. Where ever Big Johnny escaped to get away from the pain, Jacob hoped the man would stay there. Jacob wasn't on good terms with Mr. Thunder, but this went way beyond anything Jacob would've wished on the man. Without thinking, Jacob felt his butt leave the seat. He was going to put a stop to this. Not sure how exactly. Abscond could crush him with barely any effort. But this was wrong. So wrong-on so many levels.
Walter wrapped his arms around Jacob's waist in an effort to pull the boy back into his seat. Sharp tendrils of pain ran up the old man's arms, making his grip falter. Jacob turned briefly to blow a kiss Walter's way before taking off for the front of the room.
"Oh please, Jacob stop before it's too late." Walter's voice, almost too low for even him to hear.
Jacob took no notice, pushing aside a chair to make some noise just to let the bastards know he was coming. Abscond reached down to pick up the hammer and nails. He noticed Jacob and returned to a standing position. A large black hand raised in front of Jacob in a motion to stop. Jacob kept coming.
"Sit back down before I make sure you never leave your seat again." Abscond's threat felt like a hammer blow against Jacob's chest.
Jacob stopped. His fingers reaching instinctively for his penis. Behind them Johnny moaned as the straps cut in, drawing little trickles of blood from his wrists and ankles. Jacob lost his nerve and prepared to turn around. Then Johnny's eyes met his and the pain there broke Jacob's heart.
"Please." Johnny's voice no more than a hoarse whisper. "Please, help me."
Jacob took a step closer. Abscond leaned down and picked up a nail. Jacob could feel the tip of it against his skin-right behind the head of his penis. A sharp reminder of how close he had come to being impaled.
"I can't." Jacob's voice broke as tears ran down his cheeks. "I'm sorry."
He turned and went back to his seat. Walter cradled him close, rocking slowly back and forth.
"You did the right thing." Walter said, feeling the boy's tears against his chest. "There was nothing you could do for him."
Jacob hated himself for being so weak-for being a baby. Somewhere off to his left he heard a sharp gasp followed by a scream. The iron smell of blood began filling the room. A sharp smack as each nail forced its way through flesh and bone. Then the screaming began. To Jacob it seemed to go on for hours. With his head buried deep in Walter's chest, Jacob forced himself to stop listening. The old man trembled beneath Jacob. Whatever was happening must be pretty bad. Jacob cried as Johnny died. And in a distant faraway place where little boys and child molesters live forever, Jacob ran through fields of summer wheat toward a sun he may never see again.
WALTER'S REDEMPTION
The next two games went off normally. Well, as normal as any game of bingo where one of the players has been crucified in front of the rest. The caller pointed to Johnny and told the remaining folks that this was exactly what happened if you tried to leave the game early. After checking to see that the message had been received by all in attendance, she pulled the first ball on the next game. Jacob lowered his dabber on G36 and watched the red smear transfer to the rest of his cards. On the next number he didn't mark any of them-they simply marked themselves. What the hell am I even here for? Jacob thought.
Jacob looked over to Walter, who returned to his seat before the caller finished speaking her warning. He wished the old man could sit beside him-at least for a couple of games. With trembling fingers, Jacob ran his nail down the side of one of the cards. A swirling motion accompanied the contact like putting your finger into a pool of still water. Inside the disruption, a rainbow appeared. There can't be that many colors in the universe. Jacob thought. He never looked at the dabbed numbers on his card. Never realized how close he came to winning. The elderly woman behind him, the one that told him to watch it when he bumped against her table, got the bingo. Moments later, she was escorted to a worn, red door in the back. Abscond grabbed the knob opening the door just enough for the woman to get through before closing it again. Jacob saw puffs of smoke burst out from along the edge as the door closed.
Halfway through the third game, a woman emerged from the same door the bingo winner was escorted into earlier. She moved through the crowd with a glass pitcher of some yellowish liquid. A pack of Styrofoam cups tucked neatly under her arm. When she reached Jacob, her voice came out in tiny gasps.
"Would you like some lemonade young man?" Jacob heard the question, but failed to answer in time. The elderly server strolled right past him on her way to Walter.
"How about you handsome?" she said to Walter.
"Oh you are a lovely woman offering a much needed refreshment. But not as refreshing as your beauty." The woman giggled, placing the pitcher on the table and reaching out her hand.
Walter took what the woman offered and planted a light kiss between each of her fingers. The old lady nearly screamed with ecstasy. Jacob watched all this with a detached amusement. He still couldn't get the cries of Johnny out of his head.
Walter looked deep into the woman's eyes. "I am a man of insatiable needs." He began with a lilting tone. "I hope you'll indulge me with a second glass of your wonderful lemonade. One never fills me up." He winked, lowering the woman's hand so she could remove two cups and pour the offered refreshment into each.
"If you need more sugar, you just let me know."
"Oh, I will." Walter struck her with an amazing grin.
Soon she was on her rounds and finishing up the rest of the table. Jacob cursed himself for not getting something to drink. The church was unusually hot for a fall day. Jacob looked around for some type of thermostat or hidden heater-nothing strange crossed his vision. When he was about to get up for a better look, a loud gurgling sound came from the vicinity of Big Johnny. Jacob forced his attention on the man. God what a horrible thing to look at. Why they didn't take him down already, upset Jacob. Christ everyone deserves some respect. Just as the thought finished, Johnny let go. Shit, thick and cloying, filled the church with a saucy aroma. What had the man eaten to make it smell so bad? Or maybe death raised the nastiness level to 10. Either way, Jacob leaned forward and dry heaved. Walter came up beside him quickly offering the lemonade. Jacob pushed the old man aside trying to get to the door. Abscond rolled past Jacob and into the closet. As Jacob made the threshold of the church, a loud voice told him to stop. He could feel the caller's eyes all over him. Jacob took another step, then stood in place-close to where Abscond normally maintained sentry. The smell managed to find Jacob, but at least it wasn't as bad. A slight breeze came through the wood blowing the worst of the odor away. Jacob sat down and cried. Walter came over still carrying the lemonade.
"Take a drink. You'll feel better." The old man soothed with a calm assurance to his voice.
Jacob couldn't imagine that would ever be the case again.
"Abscond, clean up this mess and remove Mr. Thunder from the room." The caller spoke with the same authority she used while pulling the balls and letting the assembled guests know the numbers.
Jacob didn't see what was going on behind him. Walter told him.
"Johnny is being removed from the cross now. Oh wait, seems his hand is coming off." Jacob moaned as Walter gave the play by play. "Ah, there Abscond has it. Thought Johnny might be waving with one hand from hell. Of course, one hand is all a person needs to give a proper wave. Unless you want to play patty-cake before departure."
Jacob couldn't help himself. He started to laugh. Walter ran a hand through Jacob's hair. The nimble fingers moved with surprising grace given the extent of the old man's arthritis. Jacob rested his head in Walter's lap. He was consciously aware of the man's penis rubbing gently against his left ear. Sort of a small pillow surrounded by grey pubic hair. Comforted by the contact, Jacob took some of the lemonade the old man offered.
"I knew you'd want some." Walter continued to stroke strands of hair as he spoke. "That's w
hy I asked for two."
Jacob smiled, allowing himself to drift off to sleep. In his mind the girl appeared. Her name was Mary Jane Slotch or "Rotten Slotch" as he and his friends called her. She spent her days torturing smaller kids and taking their lunch money. Sometimes she took more than that, but never where any teacher might be able to see. Jacob hated her more than anything he could think of. Then the scene shifted to a small building-the utility shed way in back of his home-where his dad kept the lawn mower, weed whacker, hedge trimmer, and a variety of other sharp and dangerous items. This was also the place where Jacob had spotted the snake one afternoon when he was getting the gas can for his dad. The curled body with the diamond-shaped head. That was also the time Jacob had the most incredible idea. If Mary Jane wouldn't leave him alone, he wanted to scare her so bad she'd never do anything to him or his friends again. This idea would eventually lead to the biggest mistake of his life. At the time, it seemed like the absolute right choice to end years of suffering.
AN ACT OF KINDNESS
Jacob awoke a few minutes later, resting comfortably in Walter's lap. He remembered Walter's penis against his ear and lifted his head. The skin was red from the heat, but looked otherwise fine. Walter seemed to be in a
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