Summer Shorts-Four Short Stories (8 page)

Finally, a Wikipedia biography of Phoenix
showed a photo from a 1968 news article taken of him at his first
wife Lilian's funeral. Terri looked closely at the caption under
the photo and was dumbfounded by what she read: "Next to Phoenix
Gressil is his ten year old daughter, Edon ". Terri exclaimed
"Jesus… that would make her 56 years old! No plastic surgeon is
that good."

Terri followed a link on the news article to
read about the death of Lilian Gressil. From the funeral photo, she
noted that the attendants at the grave side were dressed in winter
clothing. Indeed, the death had occurred while the family was
vacationing in the German country side. Apparently young Edon had
ventured out onto the ice of a pond behind their chalet. Lilian had
run out onto the ice, fearful that it might give way since there
had been a warm spell which thinned the ice. It was Lilian who fell
through the ice and drowned. Edon had witnessed the entire
incident.

Terri skimmed a few paragraphs and stopped
with her hands frozen to the keys by what she then read "…two
witnesses who observed the accident from their window across the
pond added that the young girl had been chasing her escaped pet…a
large black dog".

******

Arriving home in the battered Toyota, Terri had to
park in the street because the Gressil limousine was sitting in her
driveway. Entering the house through the front door, she saw Craig
standing with his guitar case by the door and Botis, Phoenix's
bodyguard standing in the middle of the room. Before anyone could
speak, Libby ran into the room shouting "Mommy, Mommy…look who's
going to stay with us while Daddy is away!" Out of Libby's room
trotted Sykes, the imposing black Rottweiler. Terri fainted and
fell to the floor.

Terri came to lying on the sofa with her feet
elevated by two pillows. Craig and Botis were kneeling over her.
Botis asked "Ma'am, are you by any chance pregnant?" She moaned "Oh
for God's sakes no". Craig laughed. Terri looked around and
excitedly asked "Where's Libby? Is that beast still here?" Craig
put his hand on her arm "They're playing in the backyard. It's like
they have been together for years."

Terri sat up quickly and put her hands on his
face "Listen to me. Listen: I do not want that dog here, do you
hear me? I want him gone…now!" Botis stood up and tried to reassure
her "Ma'am, I have never seen that dog take to anyone like he has
to Libby. I know that dog. Trust me: no one will touch that little
girl when Sykes is with her. He'll die before he'd let anyone hurt
her."

Terri stood up and said in a loud shaking
voice "It's the damned dog I'm worried about. Not someone else!
Can't you understand?" Botis shook his head and said to Craig "That
dog would let that child rip his ear off and he wouldn't as much as
growl. He loves that little girl." Craig turned to Terri, pleading
"Did you hear that? The dog is good for Libby and Libby is good for
the dog. The only thing I'm worried about is you. What's gotten
into you? Are you taking diet pills again?" Terri started
crying.

Craig put his arm around her. "Sykes is just
a dog….a big goddamned dog, yes…but a dog, just the same. If I had
the slightest inkling that he would in any way hurt Libby, I would
be the first say something about it. With him here, no one is
getting in here to hurt either of you. I promise you that."

"Sir, we should be leaving soon if we are
going to make it to the airport on time" Botis quietly said. Craig
replied "I have this under control. I'll call her friend Bess to
come stay with her. The dog will be fine here."

They left to pick-up Phoenix and Edon and
then headed to the airport. Edon turned to Craig and calmly asked
"Any problems…with the dog?" Unemotionally, Craig replied "No
problems. Everything is under control…just as we discussed."

******

At the hotel in Austin, Edon informed Craig that she
and Phoenix had an adjoining room to his. She also told him that
the clothes she had purchased for him were in his room. Over
dinner, Phoenix assured Craig that he had personally worked several
times with the band that would be backing Craig…they knew the
material as well as the Black Ravens knew it. There would be no
problems. Phoenix himself had ordered the stage gear that Craig
would be using.

Craig sat down his glass of wine and said
"You two have taken care of everything. I can't thank you enough
for this opportunity. I don't know how I can ever repay you." Edon
smiled at Phoenix, they both turned to Craig and she said
"Actually, there is something you can do. We will need you to come
to our room." Craig paused for a moment of brief contemplation,
finished his wine and said "Let's go."

The shades were drawn in Phoenix's room and
the lights were all off. There were lit candles strategically
placed around the room and a large black circle painted on the
center of the floor. On the dresser lay a white silken linen and on
top of that, what appeared to be a large dagger with a black handle
and switch taken off of a tree.

Craig looked around at the candles and the
strange artifacts. He seemed confused and asked "What's this all
about? Is this some kinky shit you two are into?" Edon sternly
replied "We will need you to go into the bathroom and remove your
clothes. We will bring you out when we are ready for you." Still
puzzled be obedient, Craig went into the bathroom and closed and
locked the door. Yes; they had done amazing things for him. He was
here for a great rock show where he was to perform in 24 hours.
Clothes, guitar, gear, transportation, accommodations: all at
Phoenix's expense.

A brief time before meeting them, Craig was a
'nobody' going nowhere…now this. But did it warrant him taking part
in some bizarre, God-only-knows-what, sex depravity? Then again, he
thought; he was with his personal idol and most definitely the most
seductive, intriguing woman he had ever met. They were alone in a
strange place where not a single person knew his name. "Oh, what
the Hell?" he muttered and then he undressed.

There was a knock at the bathroom door;
cautiously Craig opened it to find Botis wearing a black hooded
robe. Botis led him to the circle on the floor that was now
surrounded by the burning candles. Botis ordered "Kneel" and Craig
complied. From another room, Phoenix emerged also wearing a black
robe; although his robe was more ornate with gold and red
embroidery depicting beasts and cryptic glyphs. Last, Edon emerged
in white silken robe that was lavishly embroidered in black, gold
and red characters and beasts. She carried a goblet that she handed
to Craig and ordered "Drink…all of it." Craig placed the goblet to
his lips. It smelled like blood and dog turds, but he
complied…drinking the cup dry. He coughed and gagged, but held it
down. His stomach burned and the room began to spin.

"Potent shit!" he complained, to which Botis
promptly demanded "Silence" Phoenix was reciting some incantation
mumbo-jumbo that he only caught a bit of "…be willing to suffer and
be purified in order to learn." With that, he took the switch and
began lashing Craig on the back. Craig winced but felt no pain.
When Phoenix had finished the lashing, he removed his robe exposing
his own nudity, and then handed the bloody switch to Craig. Edon
began her own incantation, concluding

"…thou must ever give as thou receive, but
triple…lash him 120 times!"

Phoenix knelt beside Craig, and Botis helped
Craig to his feet. "Hit him" Botis ordered. Craig administered the
lashing until the switch broke after nearly a hundred strikes. Edon
continued her incantation, and finished by repeating five times "A
new magus has been consecrated" while Botis led Craig around the
circumference of the circle.

Phoenix rose, turned to Craig and
declared

"Now you are one of us. You will awake with
the new knowledge and see the world in a new light. Now you serve
the Master."

******

When Terri awoke, she staggered to the sounds coming
from the bathroom. Her friend Bess was giving Libby a bath. Sykes
lied beside the tub and looked up when Terri entered the room.
"Nice nap?" Terri shook her head. She washed her face, dried it,
and then asked Bess "Bath time?" Bess shrugged and nodded towards
Libby. "Someone's not feeling too good. Maybe she misses
Daddy?"

Libby protested "Mommy, I don't feel good."
Bess added "She's a little warm, so I thought a warm bath might
make her feel better." Terri blurted out "Oh Christ, Bess. You
don't give a kid with a fever a bath unless it's…" Terri was
feeling Libby's forehead as she spoke. "She is hot. Did you take
her temperature?" Bess shook her head. "Didn't know where you kept
the thermometer." Terri fished in the medicine cabinet, retrieved
the thermometer, and then lifted Libby out of the tub. She placed
the thermometer in the child's mouth, and then toweled her dry. She
removed the thermometer and looked at it. Alarmed, she cried "It's
a hundred and four. I have to call the doctor."

Terri handed Libby to Bess, and then went to
the kitchen to use the phone so Libby wouldn't hear the
conversation. The pediatrician urged her to take Libby to the
Emergency Room right away. Terri dashed back to the bathroom, then
froze at the door way. Libby was lying on the floor convulsing.
Bess was backed into the corner behind the door, trembling and
crying. Sykes stood between them both and Libby…snarling with teeth
fully bared. Each time Bess tried to move, Sykes lunged at her,
growling and barking. Terri tried to reach the child too and
received the same treatment from Sykes. Terri ran back to the
kitchen and dialed 911.

A young policeman arrived in a few moments.
Terri led him to the bathroom. Sykes barked loudly at the officer
and continued to block access to Libby. The policeman stepped back
into the living room, followed by a nearly hysterical Terri. The
officer pressed the call button, and stated that he needed an
animal control officer immediately. He listened to the response,
then added "No, this is a life or death situation with a very sick
child involved." Terri ran back to the door of the bathroom.

The officer stood by her side and whispered
"The dog knows she's sick. It thinks its protecting her. It thinks
we're the ones hurting her." Terri shrieked "
You don't
understand! It's the dog that's killing her. Shoot it. Shoot it
right now!
" The officer tried to calm her down, pleading "Ma'am
Animal Control will be her soon. We just have to give them time…"
Terri pointed to Libby, still in convulsions, and she screamed "We
don't have time, God Damn It!" She jerked the nine millimeter
automatic from the officer's holster, flicked off the safety, and
fired three shots into Sykes…killing him.

With lights flashing and sirens yelping, the
officer raced his cruiser through the dark streets. Terri and Bess
held onto Libby in the back of the cruiser. Screeching into the
emergency room drive way, the officer took the child as the two
women ran ahead opening doors and screaming for help. Upon
examination by the attending physician, Libby was rushed to an
isolation room. Spinal meningitis was the initial diagnosis.

Terri sat alone silently in the waiting room,
staring at the floor. Bess appeared with her cell phone in hand. "I
can't get a hold of Craig. He's not answering his phone". "Try the
slut's phone. I'm sure they're together." Terri snapped in reply.
Bess tried dialing Edon's phone but only reached her voicemail. She
dropped down onto the chair next to Terri. "I'll find him, honey.
I'll just keep trying."

Terri shook her head. "She's behind this…and
Craig is with her…I know it!"

******

Edon had left explicit instructions that they were
not to be disturbed and that Craig was not to receive any phone
calls until the show was over. Botis enforced those instructions in
his usual efficient manner.

The show went exactly as Phoenix had planned.
He was announced to wild cheers of the audience. He made his way
onto the stage, explained that his day was past but that the music
would live on. Then he introduced Craig as the band broke into
"Fire Dance". Craig embraced the spotlight as if the two had been
constant companions for years. He performed brilliantly and with
the last chord, he shot his outstretched arm into the air prompting
the crowd to shower him with a repeating cheer of
"Craig...Craig...Craig". He turned to the band and asked if they
knew another Black Raven song for an encore. Botis waived from the
side of the stage and pointed to Phoenix who shouted "No. Come off
now..
.immediately
!" Craig obeyed but was puzzled by the
decision to leave the audience hanging, expecting an encore.

"There is a medical emergency at home. We
must depart at once."

******

The brilliant blue sky lit up
every corner of church packed with sobbing, grieving humanity.
Every ray of sunlight streaming through the stained glass windows
illuminated faces in shock and disbelief, as is usual when a
vibrant, joyous child unexpectedly dies. The priest did his best to
console those in the grip of disbelief, wondering how a just God
could take such an innocent life. Oddly, the only two souls not
showing devastation were Terri and Craig. The latter seemed coldly
detached, the former steeped in a deep burning hatred and
anger
.

Terri had refused his entreaties when he
returned home. She would not speak to him…would not see him. She
rode with Bess to the funeral and then afterwards to her parent's
home. She declined his phone calls. Friends and relatives had
removed their possessions from the home they had rented…the home
where it happened. Animal Control had hauled away the dead dog and
assisted in cleaning up the blood.