A Wicked Beginning (39 page)

An evil little smile formed on Marilyn’s face. She reached out a finger and drew a gouge in the shape of an X across the front of the clay beast, directly over the heart.

“Stop it! What are you doing?” Jayze lunged for Marilyn’s hand. She pushed her away from her earthen creation with more strength than she felt.

Marilyn grabbed Jayze’ hair and pulled it. “Ouch! Shit, Marilyn, have you lost your mind?”

“Maybe I have,” Marilyn said, with that same disturbed smile. “Maybe I never had one to begin with?”

Jayze threw back her head in frustration, making tight fists, and grinding her teeth. Angry tears formed at the corners of her mind. She was done with this. Done. Done, done, and done. She felt a wash of peace come over her. Was it because she was finally acknowledging the truth of the situation? Who knew? She let out a long, slow breath, faced Marilyn, and spoke with calm intensity. “We’re finished, Marilyn. I don’t want to be with you anymore.”

Thunderclouds started to form in Marilyn’s face. Curiously detached, Jayze studied Marilyn’s face, contorted in an enraged grimace. Her face looked like one of those frightening Japanese Oni-masks. Jayze had seen an exhibit of Japanese masks, and the vicious looking Oni or Devil Masks were both terrifying and mesmerizing. The ones she’d been fascinated by had horns, bulging eyes, sinister smiles, and sharp, fang-like teeth. At this moment, that was how Marilyn looked. Jayze snapped back to the present when Marilyn let out a long scream. “Shit, Marilyn, we’ve got neighbors, you know. Someone’s going to call the cops.”

“Let them call,” Marilyn snarled. She opened her mouth again and prepared to let loose another scream.

“Stop it, Marilyn, stop it!” Jayze looked around the room, desperate to find a way to quash Marilyn’s moment of drama. She was such a bitch; she was probably doing this for effect, not because she cared about Jayze. She grabbed Marilyn’s arm. “Will you stop it with the drama queen antics? I see you. I see your pain.”

Marilyn wrenched her arm free. “I’m not feeling any pain, you are,” she quipped. “You’re weak and silly. You and your art…I never liked being with you anyway.”

Jayze’ eyes bulged in disbelief. “Well, if that were true, you sure could have done us both a favor and not moved in with me.”

“Whatever,” Marilyn said, leisurely making her way towards the door. “I’ll be out before you know it. Got better things to do with my life than hang around you.”

The metal door clanged shut after Marilyn left, and Jayze stared at it, befuddled. The woman hadn’t shown any genuine pain, any sorrow, any anything…what a mystery. She’d only done her usual screaming banshee drama like she was an actor on a stage – A Night of Dramatic Expression, by Marilyn.
That would be the name of her first play
, Jayze thought. And the play would consist of Marilyn onstage, screaming, sulking, or berating the audience. Jayze shook her head. She’d hoped that if she broke up with someone, that person would actually care…or
something…
something beside the insincere hysterics and indifference
.

Jayze felt numb. She knew there was a whole lot of pain waiting to get out, but right now a cold frost held her heart in suspension. The studio was so quiet she could hear the tick, tick, tick of the hands of her clock. Minutes passed before Jayze moved. Realizing that she was holding her breath, she filled her lungs with air, and let it out slowly. A single tear leaked out and traced a line down her cheek. It dropped onto the floor with a tiny indiscernible plop. And then, realizing a tremendous weight had been lifted from her shoulders, Jayze straightened up. She actually felt good. Yeah, she felt great. She had been dreading this moment and dreading it and dreading it, but when it got right down to it, when the deed was done, she was filled with relief. She’d known for a while now that she’d wanted to break up with Marilyn. She’d just kept those thoughts in the basement of her head, shoved away in some dark cupboard or taped up box.

Filled with renewed purpose, she strode over and faced the clay animal. “Okay, pal, we’re going to bring you back to life.” She started to smooth out the gash that Marilyn had made but then thought better of it. An idea formed in her head. She smiled, looking up at the eyes she had sculpted. She blinked in surprise, however, when the earthen creature seemed to wink at her. “Well, isn’t that great. You were waiting for me to break up with her, weren’t you?” she said affectionately. “In appreciation, I’m going to give you some life, add a few new touches, and finish off the process by casting you in bronze. How do you like that idea?” She smiled, imagining that the ferocious faced beast actually smiled at her. Then, she looked again. No, she wasn’t imagining it. The darn thing was actually smiling.

Chapter 36 – Manoko and Jayze

Mano and Jayze were walking through Discovery Park, accompanied by Severe. The park was a huge, 534 acre plot of green, bordered by the Puget Sound, with views of the resplendent Cascade and Olympic Mountains. With two miles of protected tidal beaches, meadows, dramatic sea cliffs, forest groves, thickets, and streams, the park was a great getaway from city life.

Mano kept throwing sticks for Severe, who chased them down, retrieved them, and brought them back, covered with her gooey slobber. Severe would bark and bounce if Mano was preoccupied as if to say, “Again…pick it up…again…again…pick it up!” She was like a five-year-old asking her dad to read the same story over and over and over. Mano willingly obliged. He loved his pup.

“So, you drop-kicked Marilyn, huh?”

“Yeah, it was a miracle and a half, Mano.” Jayze brought her paper cup of Peet’s coffee to her lips. “Ouch!” she cried, sticking out her tongue. “Too hot!”

Severe ran back, her coat dripping with salt water. She dropped the stick in front of Mano. Mano picked it up and flung it far. “How so?”

“I don’t know. It was just something I dreaded for months. You know, every time the thought popped into my head, I buried it, fast. I always thought, ‘don’t go there, Jayze. See if you can stick this out. See if Marilyn will change.’”

Mano snorted. “How’d that work out for you?” He picked up the stick and side-armed it into the water.

“Not very well,” Jayze replied. She pulled off the plastic cover of her coffee cup and blew on the hot liquid. “Her changes went from snarky to stormy back to snark. You should’ve seen her when we broke up. She just opened up her mouth and screamed for dramatic effect.”

“Just stood there and screamed?”

“Yeah, it was surreal.”

“I imagine. Good riddance, I say. You’re better off.” This time when Severe came back, Mano looked at her and said, “Enough, mutt. To heel.” Severe, amped with excitement, kept up with the bark and bounce maneuver. “I said, to heel,” Mano commanded. Severe got into position by Mano’s side and kept easy pace with the big man’s strides, her tongue lolling out of her mouth.

“What about you, Mano? How’s by you?”

“Things are about to change, Jayze. I can feel it in my bones.”

“In what way?”

“Not sure I can put it into words. I just sense change a’ coming. I’m going to try and track Cam’s dreamling, you know. We’re going to take action.”

“Yeah, you mentioned.”

“And this whole celibacy thing is getting old, Jayze. Way old…” He looked over at Severe who was wandering off into the surrounding shrubbery. “To heel…” Severe trotted back by his side and took her position. “I gots to get me some action.”

“I thought you were told to get some respect…some mutual respect with a woman…something in which the two of you shared something deeper than sex.”

“Yeah, that, too.” Mano gave a warm glance to Jayze and chuckled. “You could stand some of that, too, you know.”

Jayze pursed her lips. “Nah, Mano, I need to lay low for a while. Take a drama break. Did I tell you that Marilyn shredded my favorite jacket before she left? I found it ripped to bits on the bedroom floor.”

“That’s harsh,” Mano said in commiseration.

“Yeah, and she dumped a bag of flour out on the kitchen counter and broke a couple of eggs on the floor as an added touch.”

Mano whistled. “Way mature.”

“Tell me about it.” Jayze took another sip of her coffee, now cooled. She, Mano, and the dog walked along in easy silence for a while. “So, tell me about this dreamling tracking business. Is it dangerous?”

“I don’t know. Never done it. I hear there’s danger involved because we’re dealing in the ‘not of this world’ realm. I’ve gotta do it, though. Got to…I think Cam is in way over his head. Besides the star dreamling, he’s got an ex performing witchcraft or something on him.”

“You’re kidding!?” Jayze exclaimed.

“I wish I was. It seems that there is some nut job he hooked up with last fall who is trying to get him through unnatural means.”

“Gee, just get over it, whoever you are,” Jayze commiserated. “People can be so twisted. Can’t get the person you want through just being yourself? Try
magic,
” she said, like a radio announcer. “You’ll gain quality relationships when no other means are working,” she continued. “I mean, really…people go to psychics, they consult the tarot…is he the one? Is she the one? It’s all an act of desperation, if you ask me. Just live your life, people.” She shook her head. “Although I admit it could be tempting if I really, really wanted someone, and they weren’t giving me the time of day.”

“Yeah, I have a friend whose husband was ensorcelled by a crazy woman. Would you believe he left his wife and kids to be with this whack job of a woman? He had a great life. His wife adored him. His kids thought he was a God. But he left them, certain that this witchcraft practicing woman held the secrets of the Universe. They’re still together today.”

“Yeah, Mano, but is he
happy
?”

“I don’t think so. My friend – Marcia – says he is miserable, but apparently committed to misery.”

“Is that the witch-woman’s name…Misery?” She and Mano laughed.

“Could be. But anyway, back to Cam. The guy seems to have no idea of the power he wields, and I am not just talking physical strength here.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, Cam sweated with us. The elders were stunned at the power he holds. Then he met with the Grandmothers. The Grandmothers, especially Natalie Epic, were blown away by his power. But Cam, he just moves through life thinking he is an ‘ordinary man living an ordinary life,’ quote, unquote. The dude’s epic in his own right. If he weren’t, Natalie wouldn’t give him the time of day. She only appears in someone’s life when they’ve got something special to share with the world.”

Jayze punched Mano in the arm. “Oh, right, you spent a week in bed with Natalie because you’ve got something special.”

Mano caught her hand and threw a mock punch in her direction. “You got that right, girl.”

“So, what is so special about you, Mano? Besides your charm, good looks, and cooking skills?”

Mano became thoughtful. “That is the part that I am trying to figure out, Jayze. The way I understand it is that the Gods give you gifts, but you have to unwrap the packages and figure out what to do with them. There’s help along the way, but ultimately you have to do the unwrapping. Otherwise the gift spoils or goes to seed.”

“That’s a strange way to look at it Mano. You are sure odd sometimes.”

“Odd, maybe…but strong, most def.” He hoisted Jayze small, slender frame up over his shoulder. “It’s time to head for home.”

“Hey…!” she yelled, trying to keep her paper cup upright. Poised over Mano’s shoulder with her hands dangling over Mano’s back, Jayze plucked the waistband of his pants, and started to pour her cold coffee remains down his legs. “Ooh, commando!” she cried, revealing Mano’s smooth skinned ass. The tail of the snake tattoo which wound up his stomach, slithered out from his thigh, and coiled along the base of his spine. “Are you sure you want this Mano?” She allowed a trickle to spill from the cup.

“Hey, back atcha,” Mano replied, dropping her to the ground, the Peet’s cup splattering to the ground, and the last of the coffee soaking into the dirt. “Fight fair, wench.” Severe bounded up and down, barking in delight, like a yapping yo-yo.

Jayze laughed and put her hands up. “Okay, I surrender, oh, Man with Special Gifts.” She straightened her clothes. “I’m sure glad you’re my friend, Mano. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Probably have one less friend willing to love you even though you make stupid mistakes,” Mano said, reaching down to pick up the crumpled paper cup.

“Like you’ve never made a stupid mistake?” Jayze teased playfully.

“Huh,” Mano grunted in response. “Let’s just say I’m not making any at the moment. Not that I can tell anyway.”

Chapter 37 – Cam

The afternoon was quiet when Cam took a stroll up to the parking lot. The kids were all in counsel with Mark and Lightning Rod, and he’d been given a break. He needed it.

When he reached the Land Rover, he unlocked the door, and rummaged around in his glove box for his smokes. He hadn’t touched one for days, but just now, he could use the distraction. Before lighting up, he looked around for signs of the dreamling. Nope, couldn’t make out any ghostly apparitions anywhere. Just to be sure, he said to the emptiness that surrounded him, “This is my choice, you know. I get to decide what, when, and where I do things.” He put the cigarette in his mouth and flicked the lighter. Relaxing against the side of the car, he gazed up at the blue sky and the clouds, then turned his attention to the trees. Man, it was good to be out here, away from the busyness of city life. He wished he could share this moment with Chérie.
Well, not the moment with the cigarette
, he qualified, but the beauty out here was stunning. Trees, mountains, circling hawks, the flutter of small birds in the foliage, and brilliant blue, blue sky…