I walked away from my talk with Jimmy with my mind reeling with thoughts racing at warp speed. I knew somehow that I would never be able to do this myself. I needed help. Jimmy was on my side, for what it was worth. I would however, need to enlist others to my cause. Four seemed a likely number.
How do you face that which has no face, or is in possession of many? How do you defeat the evil that comes suddenly in the night, or disguised as innocence. At best, one can only hope to hold his own, unless God decides to take an active role. And, history shows that this is seldom the case.
The sidewalk was warm from the late afternoon sun and I was walking aimlessly, deep in thought. I stopped suddenly, so suddenly that I almost got rear ended by a little old lady pushing a baby carriage. Looking thoughtfully at me she said sweetly, “Son, you must be troubled greatly by the looks of you”.
“I have been better, mother,” I said quietly.
“Would you like to talk about it then?” With a sigh I answered, “Oh that I could, if I only could.” “But, I fear that I am floundering in an ocean of indecision and confusion.”
“Does it have to do with the man with no brain?”
It seemed I spent more and more time with my jaw dropped in astonishment.
Maybe I could rent it out for space.
“What do you know of this, then?”
With a smile that changed to a chuckle then onto a belly laugh worthy of any man, she looked into my eyes and slowly started to change. Her features coarsened, hair suddenly became matted and stringy. Teeth that were now longer, eyes that had a red cast to them.
I watched in growing horror as her feet burst from her old shoes, black and thorny. In a guttural voice she chanted, “Give it up you mindless fool, you have no chance.”
I recoiled in horror from this apparition. Her voice changed constantly, one minute high pitched, the next a guttural moan. Then, there were many voices ushering from her distended throat.
Looking at the carriage, I saw movement. What were once cooing noises were now on a level the same as old grandma.
A thorny arm slid over the side and became unbelievably long, morphing from an arm to a slithering serpent, jaws extended, gaping.
I ran, I simply ran as fast as I could, with the deep, horrible laughing chasing my shadow down alleys, side streets, out onto the main drag, where my sudden, disheveled appearance drew more than my share of suspicious glances.
This was too much:
From that moment on my memories are confused, broken.
I can see looking back, a time that seemed to last for eons, perhaps it did. Memories of chases, frantic run down dark alleys. Foul breezes the only warning of the oncoming evil.
Hurried flips back and forth from my world to Tommy’s, a cool touch on my fevered brow.
I remember a sweet soothing voice and soft hands cradling me close, a scent as sweet as any I remembered, and somehow very familiar.
Angry voices as I lay resting.
One in particular arguing that; “This is enough, he can’t do it alone and you cowards won’t help him.”
Tommy and Charles were talking quietly and Franklin sitting in the corner, a book on his lap, a pipe smoking, unforgotten in his ash tray.
“They almost got him the last time,” Frank mused.
Tommy sat with his head in his hands. “What can we do to help Charles, we have to do more”
Charles looked downcast at me and the others: “I don’t know fellows, I just don’t know: “we aren’t protected over there and if we get caught by the wrong ones, it is over for us.”
“I have an idea”, he said. “At least we can see he gets a little help over there.” “We’ll send him some help, a man, a young man of strength and rare courage.”
………………………………………………………………………………………………
The next thing I remember is walking down a busy city street, feeling remarkably well. I knew things would soon be looking up, how, I didn’t know, but I felt assured just the same. I was confident that Jimmy would be of help and the Doctor as well, if he was in the area when I needed him; just one more to complete the circle. One more man of principles and honor would be all we needed. At least I hoped so.
I stopped for a minute at the entrance to a dark, deep, foreboding tunnel. Traffic moved above this apparatus, but curiously, none entered.
A young man stood at the entrance, a large, bulky punching, kicking bag slumped at his feet. A bemused look upon his face.
I liked his looks at once.
I inquired as to his mission and was told politely that he needed to get this contraption home and hung soon.
I said, “I can see you are no”Slack”{er},” and I would be happy to be of service.
He also opined that if I was Superman I could assuredly “Leep” over the offending tunnel and land us safely at the other end.
He smiled at this and looked at me with a calm, intelligent, assurance.
“Well, since that is an option that won’t soon be available to us, you take one end and I’ll shoulder the other.”
Slack, as I’ve come to call him, told me of the dangers that lurked in the dark recesses of the tunnel.
“Leep, he said, there are always drug dealers along the way, ladies of the evening, and other sundry characters.” “We need to keep a sharp eye while in there”.
Leep.
Huh, I kinda liked that moniker and became determined to keep it as my own.
“Let’s go then, shall we?”
Our footsteps echoed hollowly on the broken cobblestones and the light dimmed as we trod deeper and deeper into the quagmire. As we walked, we could see people standing about in the dark corners, talking quietly to one another.
They would stop and watch us as we slowly passed by, intently inspecting us and measuring our worth.
Slack looked at them from the corners of his clear, grey eyes, steps not faltering a whit.
As we sank deeper into the tunnel, things began to change, imperceptibly at first, then with more rapidity.
I saw people watching from the dim corners- at least they looked like people.
As we moved along one man on the right slowly began to change. His features slowly began to run, morphing into a countenance that became liquid, flowing. One minute he was a man, the next he was a monster. Teeth becoming elongated, pointed. Hair now long and shaggy, clothes bursting from seams no longer able to hold the new, improved me.
What were once murmurs, talking, became sibilant hissing.
The one on the left became a slinking, slithering reptile, spitting curses and warnings. A reptile, with arms and short legs that carried it a wonderful speed along the side of the tunnel, kept pace with us.
One of the women, who was regarded previously as a lady of the night, was suddenly pounced upon by the creature.
Muffled screams and wet, ripping sounds emanated from the blackness in the corner.
Soon, the foul thing appeared in our sight once more, holding triumphantly in its disgusting appendage, what were once the insides of a person.
I glanced at my new friend from the corner of my eye to see how he was receiving this.
Except for a slight bead of sweat on his forehead and a step that hesitated just a second- he carried himself with remarkable aplomb.
Suddenly thunder crashed and rain fell in torrents, sheeting, almost vertical. As each burst of lightning flashed, I could see the rain was black, incredibly dark, and shiny. The black wetness ran in rivulets down our faces leaving dark tracks that were soon washed anew in the foulness. A thunder storm in a tunnel, now this would be something to tell our grandchildren about, if we lived that long.
The floor rolled and buckled as we neared the end of the tunnel. More creatures appeared at the periphery of our vision, more agitated, desperate now to get at us.
“Steady, Slack, steady now-we’re almost out.”
As we neared the end, we heard a roaring and howling and coming at us at incredible speed was, a dog?
A creature that perhaps was once a dog, but was now more, much more, it had incredibly long teeth, almost ludicrous in their length. Foulness preceded it like the wind before a storm.
I was starting to get p*ss, really p*ss. I never asked for this. I would have been happy to just have lived my life in blissful ignorance of this crap.
But, here it was.
Just as the beast was almost upon us and ready to pounce, Slack whipped the heavy bag off our shoulders and before I had time to react, he slammed it into the creature with incredible speed and force.
The bag hammered into it and something very remarkable happened.
Upon impact, blue lightening flashed and voices roared their anger, many voices. The thing exploded upon the impact of the bag, and black confetti suddenly filled the air, swirling around us in a veritable blizzard.
As the pieces slowly settled on the ground; silence fell with it.
We stood looking askance at each other for a minute, then slowly and thoughtfully walked the last few yards to the end and the bright sunlight.
Looking back into the dimness, we could see men again, standing in dark corners, conducting business as usual. The ladies of the dark smiling at us with promise in their eyes, normalcy returning even as we watched, except for a sudden, subtle shifting of reality for a second, as everything moved in and out of focus, then settled into solidity once again.
We walked to the side of the road and sat down on the bag, as traffic suddenly began to flow in and out of the tunnel.
All was well with the world again, yeah.
“Well, Leep, my new friend asked, what the h*ll was that?”
I just looked at him for a second- then threw back my head and laughed, roaring helplessly, tears washing away the last traces of blackness that still clung stubbornly to my cheeks.
Slack looked at me with bemusement and not a little concern. “Leep, you okay Leep?”
Why does everyone ask me that, I wondered?
“Ah, I’m ok Slack, old son.”
“I was just about resigned to the fact that I was going to have to go through this alone, and sometimes it was a little more than I could take.” “But now, it looks like I’m going to have help: just when I was sure I was at the end of my rope, you came along.”
“I’m sorry though Slack, really sorry, ’cause now you’re in whether you want to be or not.” “They won’t let you alone now, but together maybe we can finally put an end to the Man with No brain.”
With a sigh that betrayed his own sudden weariness, Slack leaned back on what I now regarded as the Magic Bag, and said, “Ok, let’s have it Leep”
With a sigh rivaling his own, I began.
Seconds became minutes, after I finished my tale, with no appreciable reaction. .Finally, Slack slid down and leaned his head on the bag, idly watching the clouds moving across the sky.
“This is the real stuff, isn’t it Leep?”
“Yeah, it’s the real thing, my friend, it’s all too real.” “Think you’re up for it?”
He looked at me for a second then gave a repeat performance of what I had just given a few minutes before. Now it was my turn to look at him with questions in my eyes. Gasping, choking- Slack held out his hand to forestall any action on my part. “I’m ok, Leep, its okay.” “It’s just a little more than I expected to happen on a nice Saturday afternoon.” “Well, “ he said after a few more minutes of looking askance at the clouds, “ Let’s go somewhere , away from this place, “
He looked nervously over his shoulder at the blackness we had just escaped from, and said “and figure out what we’re going to do now.” “The Man with No Brain—sheesh- how long did it take you to come up with that one.”
Suddenly, it felt like the world had been lifted from my shoulders, and laughing contentedly, I jabbed him on the shoulder and said, “I suppose you could have come up with a better name, eh?”
Slack laughed back at me and said, “In my dreams Leep, in my dreams.”
Suddenly sober once again, I said,” dreams, yeah dreams.”
How’d you like to hear a story about a guy with three skeletons for friends, that live in another world, just like ours?” “But, over there, they’re not skeletons, but look just like us? “
With a look from those calm grey eyes, he sighed and answered, “I can’t wait.”
As we walked companionably down the busy street, I filled him in on all that had happened up to now. I looked at him a little nervously, wondering how he would take this new revelation. Probably hit me over the head with this bag, and run as fast as he could away from this nut, I thought. But, I misjudged this man, I saw.
Slack glanced at me from the corner of his eyes and asked quietly, “Well, what next, Leep?”
I said, well, I didn’t know, just see if we can find that creature and put an end to him.
We had been walking for quite some time when Slack asked, “Where are we anyway, I don’t recognize this part of town?” I looked about us and said.
“Town, what town?”
Looking behind us we could see that the town had disappeared and what were once buildings and a bustling metropolis, was now a barren desert.
Looking ahead, we saw that what was once a highway was now a beautiful field, impossibly long, with green grass growing almost knee high.
The sun was still shining brightly, but change was in the air.
We stopped at the same time, and set the bag at our feet and looked uneasily around.
Suddenly the sky darkened and the wind picked up- a wind with a distinct odor wafting about us. “I don’t like this, Slack”
“I’m not real fond of it myself, Leep.”
With little warning, the sky became a sinister black, and the wind was now howling- A black rain began to fall- “This again, I thought.”
The howling soon took on a new pitch, a more personal tone.
“How are you at killing demons, Leep-oh and some knowledge at destroying monsters and things that go bump in the night might be nice too?”
“What the h*ll are you talking about, Slack?”
Mutely, he pointed to the far horizon. “That h*ll, Leep.”
There, to my horror, were hordes of said monsters flowing like a river over the hill ahead of us. All types and kinds, anything you ever imagined as a kid while you lay huddled under your blankets praying for dawn.
Some had the long fangs, hair falling over red eyes, yelping with unbridled glee. Others slithering around and over all obstacles, laughing hoarsely. Some familiar ones, with bodies of snakes and legs of dog.
Sounds like a recipe for a witch’s brew.
Wave after wave, filling the horizon. I stood numbly, frozen in place.
Slack yelled, “watch out, Leep.”
Watch out, I thought, yeah, watch us get slaughtered, eaten alive.”
Slack suddenly picked up the heavy bag, like it was nothing, and slammed it into the ground with the same incredible force he showed earlier. Now, why did he do that I wondered.
I turned to ask him just that, when, as soon as the bag touched the ground, it exploded into a thousand pieces, each piece sending a fiery glow into the air. I saw the ocean of madness approaching us slow just for an instant, and then come towards us even faster, if that was possible.
“Look, Leep, look”
I glanced down where the bag was, and saw a wondrous thing. There, lying at our feet, were two swords, beautiful and shining with a glow that gave me heart. Beside them, glowing with the same wondrous light lay two sets of glorious armor.
They all had a blue aura around them, and as we bent hastily to pick them up, the glow suddenly enveloped us as well.
We bent quickly and strapped on the armor that fit us like a glove. They were encrusted with precious jewels, and close to the hilt, both swords had a small cross, emblazoned in gold.
Slack and I picked them up at the same time, and as our hands closed over them, our fingers clasped the hilt and our thumbs pressed upon the crosses. Blue flames shot from the ends of our newly found weapons, ran up and down the sword, up our arms and enveloped our entire bodies.
I hollered, “Grab my arm, Slack.”
As he did, we both felt a surge of power sweep over us, and we turned as one to face the evil that was now upon us.
The first were the doglike creatures, followed closely by those that resembled the werewolves in our youthful dreams.
“Have at them Slack”, I yelled, and have at them we did. With every stroke of the blades, they fell, lifeless, headless, at our feet.
At one time, I yelled, “Lord, give us the strength to prevail, in your name.”
With these words, our strength became more, and the masses slowed, then stopped for a second, to study us more closely, it seemed.
The dead and dying lay all about us: the screams of them still ringing in our ears. The field was strewn with them, their black blood staining the good green earth with their filth.
We stood, arm in arm- gasping for breath- eyes and ears slowly clearing, as we gazed at the devastation lying all around us. “Wonder why they stopped, Slack gasped.”
“Probably to get a better start, “I answered with a shaky grin.
They stood silently, motionless, looking like figures carved out of black obsidian, row after row of the black evil, seemingly lifeless. Like some army from h*ll….
Suddenly, there was a quiet shifting and we saw them move subtly, then they were standing, crawling, creeping at the breast of the hill- heads cocked, listening intently.
“Now what,” I wondered.
We stood, shoulder to shoulder, waiting.
Then, at the top of the hill rode a being, a thing of foulness, astride a pure white stallion.
His blackness pervaded all around him, making a mockery of the whiteness of the horse.
I was reminded of a book I had read once, “Death Rides a Horse.”
“I don’t know what’s going on, Slack, but I have a feeling it isn’t going to be good.”
Slack just looked at me and slowly shook his head, sweat running down his cheeks. “How many times can we beat them back, Leep?”
“Guess we’re gonna’ find out, because HERE THEY COME AGAIN!”
Across the distance our eyes met, mine and the thing on the horse.
With a smile that sent chills down my spine, he raised his own sword, black and ragged and with a downward sweep- they were upon us again.
“Slack, it’s the Man with No Brain- it’s him on that horse.” We have to get him Slack, if we do nothing else, we have to get him.”
I have never seen the like –even in my worst nightmares. They flowed over the hill, an unending mass, a sea of evil, howling, gibbering, laughing, and mouthing their foulness.
As they reached us yet again, I turned to Slack and said, “I’m sorry I got you into this, my friend.”
He looked over at me and smiled and said, “Let’s show ‘em Leep, lets show them how a man can die, and yelled at the top of his lungs, “Men Of God.”
This time the oath barely slowed them, they were getting their strength from the Man with No Brain.
We fought valiantly, slaying the filth left and right. But, we were getting our share also. I looked at Slack and saw him bleeding from a dozen wounds.
I glanced at myself and saw I was almost as bad. The blood flowing was making it hard to hold on to our weapons. We had the creatures lying about us in such numbers that the others had to clamber over their fallen brethren to get to us.
They created a bulwark.
This helped, in no small way, to keep us alive and going.
Looking up, after an all too brief respite, we saw a vision that stopped us cold. Before, where there were thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, there were now more than we could count, more than we could comprehend.
I took Slack’s arm and said. “Hold on, my friend, no matter what happens, don’t let them separate us, we still have a chance.
Slack grabbed my arm, with a strong, firm grip, in spite of the good, clean blood flowing down both of them.
“Dang, Leep, looks like we aren’t going to get to go to Disneyland after all, huh?”
I looked incredulously at him for a second, then broke into uproarious laughter,’ A man after my own heart,” I bellowed. “Course, you’re gonna’ have to get in line.
With that, we turned to face what was coming, for what we knew to be the final time.
In seconds they were upon us yet again.
But, we were tired, so very tired.
Though we slew them in countless numbers, we were sustaining wounds that would soon have us at their mercy.
Again they slowed, and then stopped, to relish their soon to be found victory I realized.
“See you in the next life, Slack.” “We’ll send as many as we can back to Hades before we fall.”
“There will be weeping and wailing and the gnashing of teeth tonight,” He smiled.
Then, as they drew up in anticipation of our destruction, something incredible happened. They charged towards us as one, intent only on rending us and devouring our bodies.
Just as they were upon us, the sky lightened, thunder roared, lightning flashed all about us. The air behind us shimmered and light and time moved as one.
As we watched in dumbfounded wonder, the air about us split with a great cracking, rending sound, the very fabric of time and space was torn asunder, and before our eyes, an army of skeletons, too many to count, screaming defiance, charged into and onto the field of battle.
They were wielding an amazing array of battlement, maces, swords, spears, and longbows, crossbows, all glowing with the same blue fire of our bloodstained and now dulled blades.
As they swarmed towards and past us, one turned and yelled, “Stand firm, you two, we’ll have at them, you’ve done your part, now let us do ours.”
“Tommy,” I whispered, scarcely believing my eyes.
Slack stood and watched, unbelieving at this spectacle:
With a clash that still brings tears to my eyes in quiet moments, the two sides met thunderously on the field of battle.
Good versus evil, it has always been such.
Slack and I sat wearily down on the knoll overlooking the valley and watched a battle the likes of which has never before been seen and will never again be witnessed by mortal man.
Even so, for that short time, that hour of battle we had engaged in, were we not more than mortal?
Surely, we had divine help and guidance
After all we had experienced, what followed next was almost anti-climactic.
They stood as one as our army met theirs. However, theirs was a fight in vain.
Our friends smashed them into the good earth, wherever they met them. Here and there, one of ours went down, but whenever one did, the furious cries of the assailing army sent five, a dozen to avenge his death. It was a bloody, but glorious sight, especially in the light that streamed down from the clouds, illuminating the battlefield.
In what seemed like hours, but was more like minutes, scarcely more time than it took to relate these words, it was over.
The last we saw of the Man with No Brain, he was fleeing for his very life whipping his steed ferociously, blood flowing down its pure white mane, as he disappeared over the brow of the hill, and out of our lives, I prayed.
As we stood, stunned by the carnage, the swords that we still held in our fevered grasps suddenly paled, and grew translucent, shimmered slightly, and then disappeared completely, along with our armor…I would miss them…
Looking about, we watched the valiant ones walking wearily towards us.
A slow, silver rain was now falling, whispering as it fell. Whenever it chanced to fall on one of the vanquished, the black dead, they sizzled for a moment, and then slowly melted into the good earth.
When they were all but memories, flowers suddenly sprouted in their places, red, yellow, blue, as far as the eye could see.
A brilliant rainbow appeared on the far horizon, adding to the awe-inspiring moment. A sweet scent filled the air about us and we stood as one to meet our friends.
Tommy walked up to us both and with a wide smile, embraced me in his bony grasp. “Some fight, huh Leep?”
Looking more closely at Slack, he asked, “Who’s your comrade at arms Leep?”
“Tommy, meet Slack.” With a flourish and a bow worthy of any swashbuckler, Slack stepped up to Tommy, grasped his bony appendage in his good right arm, and said, “A pleasure Tommy, a real pleasure.”
“Talk about the Calvary getting here in just the nick of time”, he said with a broad grin…and, when he thought I wasn’t looking, a wink…
Hearing a shout, we looked up on the hill and saw Frankie, ever present pipe in the corner of his mouth, smoke trailing merrily behind. He had a chair and notepad in his lap, furiously writing, getting it all down on paper whilst it was still fresh upon his mind, I surmised.
Where’s Charles, Tommy?”
Tommy looked at me with sadness pouring out of what were once eyes and pointed down the hill to the plain filled with flowers. “He’s down there Leep, he’s down there.”
With tears of my own now, I said, Ah Tommy, I’m sorry, truly sorry: does Frankie know?”
“I’m going up to tell him now, Leep---- I really hate this.”
We watched as Tommy walked up the hill and stood before Frankie. He arose suddenly and embraced Tommy, and even at this distance, I could see his shoulders shake as he wept.
Suddenly, with little fanfare and no notice, that incredible army of skeletons turned and marched towards the top of the hill, and kept right on marching out of sight and back to whence they had come, to save us.
]Frankie waved feebly at us and followed them.
Tommy stopped at the entrance to his world and yelled down the hill at us. “Leep, Slack, he’s weakened now, you have to find him and finish it.” “Or, he’ll find you, he has to.”
“When this is finally over, you and Slack come over and stay with us for awhile.”
We stood shoulder to shoulder, and as one, lifted our hands in farewell. Then, he too was gone.
The air shimmered slightly as they passed from our world to theirs, than all was quiet once again.
We stood and looked over what was the site of the most ferocious and merciless battle ever waged against evil, no quarter asked or given.
After a minute, silently thinking our thoughts, we turned and walked back the way we came, weariness settling over us like a shroud.
Shortly, we were once again back in the confines of the city. “What now, Leep, where do we go from here?”
“I have an idea, Slack- let’s meet here tomorrow morning and I’ll tell you how we’ll end this.”
With a smile, he turned and walked slowly away, towards home, I guessed. “What a story this would make,” I yelled after him.
He slowly turned towards me and answered, “But who could we ever tell it to Leep, who.”
With that, we both turned away and walked towards our respective destinations. “Who indeed,” I mused, “Who…. indeed.”
The next morning dawned cool and clear- and I saw Slack walking slowly, steadily towards me. As he approached, I said, “I’d like you to meet Jimmy.” Taking in his disreputable appearance, he nonetheless walked straight to him and said, “It’s a pleasure Jimmy, a pleasure.
“The pleasure is all mine, Slack.”
“You know me?”
“I know of you, Slack, and I was sure you and Leep would meet, it was written.”
Shaking his head, Slack sat down beside me and Jimmy, and looked questionably my way.
“All right, here’s the plan.”
“Jimmy, you stay right here, it’s expected of you, and you are always here.”
He nodded once, looking at me and then to Slack.
“Slack, you hit the alley behind you and stay out of sight till I call you, then come as fast as you can.”
Slack nodded his understanding, strode quickly to the alley entrance, and disappeared within.
“Jimmy, have you seen Doc?”
“He’s around Leep, he’ll be here when I call.”
“Ok then; I know my place.”
I walked over to the dreaded grate and sat down gingerly upon it.
A light flared briefly down in its depths, then died.
Time passed slowly, but I was confident he would come, and suddenly, without warning, he did.
He walked slowly up to me, glancing around, peering up the blackness leading into the alley, suspicious even then.
He looked briefly at Jimmy, who was studying the way his toes wiggled at the ends of his battered shoes, and then just as quickly dismissed him.
“I knew I would find you here,” he growled.
“So you did,” I smiled.
“Your friends aren’t here to save you now, it’s just you and me, and you aren’t enough, not nearly enough”. He laughed triumphantly.
“Have a seat brain man, I laughed, I won’t hurt you.”
“I’ll play your silly game,” he answered, and settled down beside me.
“I could have had it all; he grated, if it hadn’t been for you and that kid.” “Where’d you find him anyway?”
“He could fight; I’ll give the little b*st*rd that.”
“Ah, he’s gone home to rest up- that took a lot out of him.”
“Those d*mn skeletons, I never would have figured on them in a million years.” “I didn’t even know you knew about them.”
“Well, you’ve botched things up royally for me, but now it’s your turn.”
With that, he pulled a shiny automatic out from under his clothes and said, “See you in h*ll, Leep, you’re gonna like it there.”
He pointed it at me and when I just looked calmly at him, he wavered for a second and looked at me intently. “What, why aren’t you afraid, I’m going to kill you.”
I said, “Man, h*ll must be kinda empty without you in it.”
“No, Man With No Brain, we’re gonna kill you.”
I raised my voice and yelled, “Slack, Jimmy, hurry, and still louder, I yelled Doc, Doc, it’s the man with one arm.”
He looked over his shoulder in growing awareness, and as he did, I grabbed the gun with all that was in me.
As we fought furiously over the weapon, Slack flew on the scene and grabbed one arm. Jimmy scrabbled over on all fours and grabbed his leg. I was thrown off suddenly, reaching out desperately, and latched onto his other leg.
From nowhere Doc came roaring onto the scene, maddened by the thought he would suddenly reap revenge on the one who killed his wife and doomed him to this miserable existence.
He made a flying leap and captured the last free arm, and we held him tightly, as if our lives depended on the sincerity of our grasps, and perhaps they did.
He thrashed and roared his hatred and defiance at us, furious that he had been tricked in this manner.
Jimmy cried, “I can’t hold him Leep, he’s too strong.”
“Just a minute more, Jimmy, hang on, hang on.”
We had him spread-eagled on the grate, and suddenly he stopped struggling and cocking his head, listened intently.
We tightened our grips and listened too.
Soon, we heard voices, and then the old familiar odor began seeping out of the holes.
An evil light crawled out of the grate and gave everything a ghastly, ghostly appearance.
He cocked his head again and then began screaming, “No, No- let me go, let me go, d*mn you all to h*ll.”
We held on grimly, determined, stronger now somehow.
Then, black tendrils flowed out and up, encircling him from head to toe. He stopped suddenly, eyes bulging from his head, then screaming, “No, not this, not now.”
The tendrils then became ethereal claws, sinking into his body, pulling, tearing, grasping.
As they slowly drew him into the depths, we rolled off and watched in horror.
He was slowly being pulled thru the squares in the grating, and it was horrible to see.
With a last beseeching look in our direction, he was gone.
His screams echoed in our ears, and I am sure in our memories, for what be a lifetime.
The fire slowly died out in the depths along with the muttering and laughter. We all looked shakily about us, eyes going suddenly to Doc as he stood clutching an artificial arm.
In a shaky voice he stammered, “It was him, it really was him.”
We all stared in mutual horror and disgust as Doc suddenly threw it from him and it landed on the grate, to slowly dissolve and disappear as had the Man With No Brain minutes before.
Finally, it was over no more nightmares, no more Man with No Brain.
My friends are gone now: At least they are not here with me now.
Doc: Last I heard, he was with Tommy and friends. They needed a good doctor and he was again one. I guess he is happier than he has been for a long time.
Funny thing, Frankie introduced him to Charlie’s sister. She holds a remarkable likeness to his wife.
Doc is taking it slow, but they seem to have hit it off.
Jimmy is there too.
He lives with Frankie. He has shown a great talent when it comes to writing; Frankie is duly impressed and likes him tremendously. He’s taken him under his arm- so to speak.
Makes up somewhat for the loss of Charlie,…. somewhat, I imagine.
Slack:? ………. He has taken Tommy’s advice and is enjoying some well-deserved R & R over there.
I drop in to see them from time to time, he seems happy, and in awe of all that is there.
You can’t blame him, really: I still am.
I miss him and the rest a great deal, but I am not ready yet:
Too much has happened, too quickly. And, I grieve still….
I walked slowly towards my home.
Home, I grimace. I am usually not a bitter person, but I cannot help myself. Tommy and Frankie tell me she will never come back…., can never come back.
I miss her and do not understand why this is so.
Try as they might, they cannot give me an explanation I can accept.
Oh, well.
As I draw closer to the house, a sense of sadness and desolation sweeps over me.
I see movement in the darkness and wait patiently.
My old friend, my shadow, slinks into view, looking hopefully up at me. “C’mere,” I say.
Lighting up like a x-mas bulb, he flies to my side and takes up his old place in my life.
The silence hits me between the eyes as I open the door and walk into the emptiness that once housed my entire existence. Silently I move from room to room, noting that all sign of her has been erased.
Sighing quietly, I sit on the couch and for a moment, I swear I can smell the perfume she used to wear.
I’m not even aware of the tears till I feel them hotly dripping onto my hands.
Angrily wiping them away, I sit back in the darkness and inform my shadowy friend, this is the way it is and probably the way it will be for a long, long time.
He takes the news with remarkable aplomb.
I smile sadly.
I could go over with the knowledge that she is there, or almost there. However, like Doc, I am not ready. I suspect, I will not be for some time, perhaps never.
True love has some measure, it must.
Time will tell, as it always does.
I walk into the bedroom and turn on the lamp- on her side, undress and hug her pillow tight.
I can smell her there, however faintly.
I cling fiercely to both the pillow and her memory.
It is not enough. God knows it isn’t.
Nevertheless, it is all I have.
Goodnight my love, my friends- I will see you again,…. Someday.
Leep Out:
The Man With No Brain: Part Three:
Re: The Man With No Brain: Part Three:
Leep,
I thought I responded to this story a long time ago, but I still really like this! Have you tried to get it published? I love the whole story, particularly this part. It is kind of bizarre, and a little creepy, but it reminds me of Stephen King, but with a point to the whole thing, somehow. I don't know if that makes sense or not. It seems like a dream I could have had or been in, somehow. Anyway, thanks for posting this, again! Merry Christmas!!!
watcher :bluebounce:
I thought I responded to this story a long time ago, but I still really like this! Have you tried to get it published? I love the whole story, particularly this part. It is kind of bizarre, and a little creepy, but it reminds me of Stephen King, but with a point to the whole thing, somehow. I don't know if that makes sense or not. It seems like a dream I could have had or been in, somehow. Anyway, thanks for posting this, again! Merry Christmas!!!
watcher :bluebounce:
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Re: The Man With No Brain: Part Three:
Thanks Watcher for the response..
I have posted these and other stories on a lot of different forums....I am currently working on a Western that William W. Johnstone read a few months ago. My last correspondence with him was when he wrote that, "Norm, I am printing it out now and will read it over the weekend." I never heard from this great writer again. I thought , Boy it must be really bad."
A couple months ago I received a letter from Jo Johnstone and she informed me that William had passed and she was going through his files and ran across my story.. She also said his son J.A. was taking over Mr Johnstones writing.. She said she had originally thought that my story was one that J.A. (his son) was working on until she read it all and got to my name.
I felt this was some small validation of my work, but now i have to finish it...if for no other reason that I believe William would expect it of me...So, we shall see.
Oh, If I did not thank you for responding, please allow me to do so now..
I have come here occasionally and gone into this site and always come away figuratively scratching my head.
I belong to perhaps 10 different forums, a lot of them sportsmen forums, and a lot of them that are run by disabled people.
This is the only place that I have posted my "shorts" that has , for the most part, generated no response or comments, except for the one post in the Big Hole River, that still perplexes me....Curious...
Take care....
Leep:
I have posted these and other stories on a lot of different forums....I am currently working on a Western that William W. Johnstone read a few months ago. My last correspondence with him was when he wrote that, "Norm, I am printing it out now and will read it over the weekend." I never heard from this great writer again. I thought , Boy it must be really bad."
A couple months ago I received a letter from Jo Johnstone and she informed me that William had passed and she was going through his files and ran across my story.. She also said his son J.A. was taking over Mr Johnstones writing.. She said she had originally thought that my story was one that J.A. (his son) was working on until she read it all and got to my name.
I felt this was some small validation of my work, but now i have to finish it...if for no other reason that I believe William would expect it of me...So, we shall see.
Oh, If I did not thank you for responding, please allow me to do so now..
I have come here occasionally and gone into this site and always come away figuratively scratching my head.
I belong to perhaps 10 different forums, a lot of them sportsmen forums, and a lot of them that are run by disabled people.
This is the only place that I have posted my "shorts" that has , for the most part, generated no response or comments, except for the one post in the Big Hole River, that still perplexes me....Curious...
Take care....
Leep:
![Image](http://www.digitalfleshwound.com/images/sigs/LEEP3.jpg)
Re: The Man With No Brain: Part Three:
Leep,
You are so welcome! Congratulations on having a western published! That sounds so exciting! Please let us, or me, know when and where it will be available!
I have been on several forums too, and I do like some because of the dialogue, but there is something about this forum I like too, (although I personally am tired of windmills). I hope to be able to see some of my work published too...I had a very favorable response about something I wrote, but it is so hard to keep pursuing it when your time is limited. There are so many good stories out there too. I actually had a crazy idea recently about opening my own literary firm, but I have no idea if I could even do it...except I would love to see some of these "unknowns" get out there in print....Well, sorry about the long response, but please let me know how you make out!
Watcher :thumb:
You are so welcome! Congratulations on having a western published! That sounds so exciting! Please let us, or me, know when and where it will be available!
I have been on several forums too, and I do like some because of the dialogue, but there is something about this forum I like too, (although I personally am tired of windmills). I hope to be able to see some of my work published too...I had a very favorable response about something I wrote, but it is so hard to keep pursuing it when your time is limited. There are so many good stories out there too. I actually had a crazy idea recently about opening my own literary firm, but I have no idea if I could even do it...except I would love to see some of these "unknowns" get out there in print....Well, sorry about the long response, but please let me know how you make out!
Watcher :thumb: