Slash (Novella I) (14 page)

He peeked inside and whispered, “Rubble?”

“
Yeah,” The bear responded.

“
Is it safe?”

“
I don’t know what you mean.”

“
Why is my apartment door opened?”

“
I guess you should come inside and see.”

Ford rolled his eyes. He slowly entered the apartment, eyes scanning for anything out of the ordinary.

He glanced over to Rubble. “I’m inside now, what am I supposed to be seeing?”

“
How much of a mess this place is. Didn’t your screwed up parents teach you how to clean?”

Ford stormed over to Rubble. “Why was my door opened?”

“
You had a visitor last night. As you saw, your guest let themselves in.”

The first person who came to mind was Maxim then Valarie. “Who?”

“
A stranger with a very big knife.”

“
The serial-slasher,” Ford softly said.

“
You’re telling me I was inches away from the person who’s been eliminating the slashers?”

Ford nodded as he imagined the worst, his death.

“
I wish I could shake his hand. You escaped death once again.”

Ford realized Rubble saw the face of the serial-slasher. “Who is he?”

“
I didn’t see his face. It was dark and I barely could see with these plastic eyes.”

“
You’re lying, I‘m sure you‘re rooting for him. You both can shake hands in hell someday.”

“
If I had my limbs, maybe I could have killed him myself.”

Ford kicked the couch, causing Rubble to tip over. “I’m not that afraid.”

“
Sit me up,” Rubble commanded. “This couch stinks.”

Ford sat down on the couch. “I can’t stay here anymore.” He sat Rubble upward. “It’s not safe.”

“
Where are you going to go?”

“
I’m definitely not telling you.” He stood up.

Ford just wanted to get away from his invaded apartment as soon as he could. He left and drove over to Harriet’s.

He entered the beach home, kicking off his sneakers in the living room walkway. “I’m back.”

She glanced out her opened bedroom door at him. “Where were you all night?”

“
My car broke down and I ended up staying at a friend’s.”

“
I was scared for you.”

“
I was fine.” He couldn’t convince himself of that. “I’m fine.”

“
That’s good to hear then.”

“
Are you hungry?”

“
Yes, just make me some soup, but not too hot.”

He turned away and headed towards the kitchen and accidentally tripped on one of his sneakers. He placed his hand on the expensive mirror his other-mother had purchased for support as he tried to balance himself.

“
Move your damn hand,” Harriet shouted from her bedroom.

His hand still in place, he glanced back to discover her sitting up. “What?”

She pointed at him, snarling. “Your hand,” She screamed.

It had been the loudest he heard his mom speak since becoming ill. She barely could sneeze without crying out in pain the day before. Ford brows rose at the fact that his mother was sitting up and bed making so much movement. He looked at his hand that was still placed against the mirror.

He lowered his hand and faced her bedroom. “It’s just a mirror.”

“
If I said don’t touch it, don’t touch. You dumb shit!”

“
Calm down.”

“
No, I’m angry, you left me last night, alone and starving. You’re turning into your mother. You just care about yourself and nobody else. Go ahead; be just like the mother that you truly love. I’m just other-mother, the one you don’t even care enough about to give a respectable title.”

“
But-“

“
-If you’re going to go around touching my mirror, you can leave my home. I don’t want any of your cooking anyways. The last thing I want is a meal from a culinary school dropout. I know what you really are Ford.”

The wait for her next words made his heart race.

“
You’re a pitiful loser with no future. My mirror has more worth than you.”

After weeks of taking care of her, he couldn’t believe she thought it was appropriate to treat him this way. Ford rarely raised his voice to his parents no matter how much he wanted to at this moment. He yanked the mirror from the wall and raised it over his head.

“
I will kill you,” Harriet cried out as she reached forward.

“
I can’t believe you right now.”

Harriet dropped from her bed to the floor. She used her arms to start dragging herself toward him. The little flesh that remained on her body started to peel away and she left a trail of blood on the hardwood floor. Ford gagged a bit and looked away from the trail of flesh and blood.

She coughed out blood. “I regret the day you were born.”

“
You don’t mean that.”

“
I want my mirror.”

“
You can have it.”

He slammed the mirror to the floor and it shattered into pieces.

A dark fog emitted from Harriet’s body as her head dropped to the floor. She just laid their silent as the fog trailed away into the shattered mirror. The bits of broken glass slid back into place, the mirror repairing itself. Ford returned his attention to Harriet to notice her flesh regenerating and her dark hair returning. He rushed over to her, dropped to his knees and flipped her over the moment her face healed and returned to normal.

Harriet reached for him, caressing his face. “I’m so sorry.”

Ford missed his other-mother’s face. “It’s okay. It’s okay mom.”

She shook her head as tears flowed. “No, you don’t have to call me that.”

“
Yes I do. You’re my mom, Valarie’s my mom.”

He helped her up and led her into the kitchen. Harriet took a seat at the kitchen table and Ford made her a cup of orange juice and toast. He joined her at the table staring at her in amazement. Ford could easily picture the deformed Harriet that existed just a few minutes, but before sat his mother in perfect condition.

Her body trembled as she sipped her drink. “I feel so horrible.”

“
You’re still experiencing pain?”

“
None at all, I’m just a little dizzy but I feel horrible for all those things I said to you.”

“
I think it needed to be said. Some of your words were true.”

Harriet shook her head. “Ford no….”

He laughed at himself. “I dropped out of college. I’m sorry I disappointed you mom.”

“
You’re at that age where you have the youthfulness and aspiration to do whatever you want and make mistakes. At your age I was a part-time actress, artist, dancer and I even wanted to be a music teacher. I have a degree in clowning from a clown college.” She softly laughed. “I’m proud of you no matter what you become in life. Those words I said earlier did not come from my heart. I don’t understand or know what happened to me.”

This was why he loved his mother; she could fix anything with words. “I think it was the mirror.”

“
Why would you think that?”

“
You were obsessed with protecting it and after I shattered it, you healed.”

Harriet sat mouth agape. “The moment you smashed everything went dark for a few seconds.”

“
A dark fog rose from your body and back into the mirror. It’s mad.”

Harriet smacked her hands against the table. “I’m going to return it.”

“
No, I’ll take it back for you. You need to rest. What’s the name of the shop you got it from?”

She thought about it. “Tatu’s.”

“
I know where that’s located, just let me take it.”

Harriet slowly rose from her seat. “No, I’m going to return it and don’t bother trying to stop me.”

She stormed off and returned from her room wearing a flowing purple dress and sandals. Harriet picked the shattered mirror up from the floor, avoiding staring into it. She exited her home and Ford grabbed his sneakers from the floor and rushed out after her. His mother was already starting her convertible as he climbed into the passenger’s seat. The mirror in the backseat, she sped away downtown to Tatu’s.

They arrived at the rundown shop and Ford followed his mother inside. Harriet sat the mirror on the mahogany checkout counter and a hit rusting bell. A faint ding sounded. Harriet slammed her fist against the bell once more.

Tatu appeared from a door behind the counter. “I’m coming, I’m coming.”

“
I want to make a return,” Harriet said. “No, I don’t have a receipt but you will give me my money back.”

Tatu snickered as she looked at the mirror. “It took you long enough.”

“
It nearly killed me! I‘m considering pressing charges.”

“
It was only teaching you a lesson…a moral,” Tatu explained. “None of my items kill.”

“
What do you mean a lesson? I‘m a grown woman. It turned me into a monster.”

“
This mirror has one purpose. Its role is to teach you that vanity is bitch.”

Ford found himself agreeing. His mother had become obsessed with her new appearance.

“
I want a refund.”

The aging woman raised her hands in surrender. “Granted. I have way more important matters.”

Tatu went back into the room she exited and returned with a hand full of cash. She counted it out and passed it to Harriet. His mother snatched the money away and left the shop swearing under her breath. Ford had never seen a refund handled so simply, especially one of such a large amount.

He approached the checkout counter. “Your shop must be doing really well.”

“
And why would you say that?”

“
Most shops like these don’t have return policies.”

“
Your mother‘s transaction wasn‘t an ordinary one. That mirror chose her the moment she stepped into this shop and now its task is complete. Your mother will forever be changed for the better. The madness sometimes takes harsh measures to deliver good.”

Ford was sorry for the pain his mother went through, but hoped she would learn from this mad lesson.

Chapter 18 - Life

MT sat on a crate outside an abandoned gas station and watched as Maxim dug through his backpack. In the distance, down a dirt road vendors could be seen arriving to set up their booths and shoppers were pulling into the parking lots. MT could now clearly remember coming to this flea market with her parents often and especially the day she gave away her soul for gummy bears.

Maxim wiped some sweat from his forehead. “How can you not being dying from this heat?”

“
I can barely feel the sun.”

“
I guess that’s one advantage of not having a soul.”

MT shrugged. “But I can’t feel anything else either. Food is bland and I forgot how it feels to laugh.”

Maxim stopped digging through his back pack. “What about…you know…sex?”

MT squirmed on the crate. “Not that either. I learned that on prom night.”

“
Damn, what happened?”

“
My date I decided to lose our virginities after the dance. I just sort of laid there.”

Maxim laughed. “Man, I bet that guy was pissed off for many reasons.”

“
It’s not funny. He started calling me ‘Empty’ as in soulless. I hate the he’s right.”

“
Not for long.” Maxim removed a pocket knife from his backpack. “This blade will help me get your soul back.”

“
And of course that gets you that slasher fame that you won’t shut up about.”

Maxim smirked. “You noticed, huh?”

“
I did my best to ignore it but you keep on mentioning it. Why do you want to be the most famous killer?”

“
I’m not a killer, I’m a slasher. I didn’t role over one day and decided to end lives, it’s sort of in my blood. I might as well be good at something and that will be slashing those in this world who are deemed untouchable, this endless dude for example. My reputation will grow and soon every slasher will know my name and it’ll spread to the mouths of everyday folk and I will become a legend, the greatest slasher ever. ”

“
Still, most people will say you’re just a killer.”

Maxim shrugged. “They’re wrong. I know me and those like me are more than killers. There’s a difference.”