Trouble

They watched him walk patiently with his sister as curiosity distracted her almost every step. She ogled over bugs and pointed at birds, asking endless questions or simply "Why". He held her hand and seemed in no rush. 

"Weirdo." Mim almost snorted over her lemonade. A little bit of pulp stuck to her upper lip.  She licked her mouth and savored the vodka that made up most of what was in her glass.

"MIM! Stop that. It isn't nice. He's so helpful; such a mature boy for his age." Dolly scolded. She shook her head disapprovingly and drank heavily from her own cup.

"He should be out playing, riding bikes or knocking his sister down in a mud puddle. They should be fighting and being loud. Instead, he walks her to and from school. He trudges up to the market and shops. Why I bet he even does CHORES. Now Christopher, my grandson...." but Dolly waved her hand.

"Christopher is an obnoxious jackass." she announced matter-of-factly as she leaned forward to procure a little more refreshing lemonade.

"DOLLY!" It was Mim's turn to scold, but she smiled, knowing her best friend was exactly right. He WAS a jackass. He had no work ethic, was lazy, and failed to show any real concern for anyone but himself. But this Eric was different. He had to be of course.

The two stately rattlesnakes sat on the porch and surveyed their kingdom. For countless years, they had watched, gossiped and judged from their warped rocking thrones, pouring endless martinis and cocktails while hissing at the inappropriateness of everyone else. Eric Dunning was not one of their subjects.  They had tried to brand him a hooligan, a thief, a .... nuisance (at least), but it just never worked.  His mother Kate had been diagnosed with cancer "of the womanly kind". From what the serpents knew, she was at death's door with no chance of survival and that would leave her husband, Tom (who worked countless hours and LORD knew how many jobs to pay for those bills~ "Sometimes people should just let go" had been Dolly's observation one day but that seemed callous so she quickly reneged with an offer of tbutter cookies and a demure though tight smile,) and then Eric, her more than helpful son, and of course "Piggy" their little girl, all alone. Well, her name was Margaret but she, in her foolish and childish way, refused to say Peggy; prefering to shout her version followed by a hefty snort and a visit of her index finger to the tip of her nose to drive the point home. 

"Eric" Dolly cooed.

"Good afternoon Mrs. Roberts. How is your hip?" he stopped as Piggy kicked at some goose poop trapped in the edge of the sidewalk.

"Good afternoon."Mim huffed. "What kind of boy says that these days? Isn't it supposed to be Yoo? Yo?" her voice dipped to a vicious whisper.

"Hello." Dolly smiled and stomped Mim's tan orthopedic shoe. Her friend shot forward, making like a bee had stung her. She swatted, then reached out to pinch Dolly's ankle. The woman hooted and yanked at her chair. For an instant there was fury melting with the threat of the two old biddies throwing down right there on that chipped red porch with the rough splintered railing. Dolly collected herself and smoothed her hair.

"Would the two of you like a cookie?"

Piggy stood bolt upright and dashed up the steps.
"COOKIE?" she grinned spitting into her hands to "wash" them. She proceeded to wipe the grime on her pants. "YES. I would IIIIII would like a cookie." she waved her mud streaked arm in the air as if she knew the answer to a very important question.

Dolly cocked her head, pulling the plate away.

The little girl looked crestfallen. "Are they all yours? Am I in trouble?"

Eric had joined them. Gently, he shoved his sister. "Manners Piggy."

She rolled her head as if it were too heavy on her shoulders, drawing out in a falsely disappointed, deep voice, "Pleeeeeeeeeease may I have a cookie Mrs. Roberts?"

Dolly grinned and handed her one. The thought of the little girl mauling her plate of biscuits made her cringe inside. Children were gooey.

Piggy clapped happily, quickly popping the whole thing in her mouth.  She dashed back down the front steps to chew her treat before anyone could reconsider.

"How is your mother, Eric?" Mim prodded softly. She rocked in time to each word.

"Not well, Mrs. Stewart but thanks asking." He dug his toe sheepishly. He understood what they were doing. He sighed and endured their questions,knowing they would blab to the entire world of their town.  Everyone knew what was going on everywhere because of these two. 

"Chemo?"

"Yes and radiation. They want to do another surgery, but her heart is very weak. She has trouble breathing because of the medicine she takes for pain. It slows her breath down." he sniffed and looked away.

They both clucked sympathetically and rocked back.

"And your dad?"

"He's going to have to take a job in the city."

"The CITY." they both marveled.

"We might have to move."

another cluck.

"Eeeeewick! Can I eat this?" Piggy shouted from behind a dark damp tree trunk.

"No Piggy." he sighed and nodded quickly.

"Tell your folks we were askin 'bout em." Mim purred, putting her drink to her lips. They smacked heartily at the sting of citrus and alcohol.

"I will." and he turned to go.

Mim took another cookie. "Weirdo."

"Mim!"

The sun yawned behind pink and lavender clouds preparing to go to bed only a short time before the elderly queens went inside to eat a modest supper, drink a little nip of cherry brandy and heading off to bed.  Much would be said at their bridge game the next morning.

Spring turned into Summer and school let out. Eric mowed lawns and Piggy ate grass clippings.  In the Autumn, he raked. She got head bugs from rolling in the leaves. Winter? He shovelled. She stuck her tongue to the chain linked fence.

 Kate was never seen. The surgery was not enough. By the accounts of Mim and Dolly, the cancer was everywhere. She was almost disfigured by its aggressive, violating overgrowth.  

"She has an extra shoulder it looks like." stated one.

"Her belly is out to HERE!" the other sighed knowingly extending her arms as far as they would go.  She pulled them in and drank heavily from her "juice" glass.

"And TOM? Well!...." they proceeded to expand on facts they made up from bits and pieces they had heard.  He wasn't really working in the city but taking up with a woman; a HEALTHY woman. In fact, they had heard that he was hardly ever home, leaving that poor "weird" boy all alone with death at the door and a "mentally challenged" sister, too young to know better or keep herself out of trouble. 

"They'll put her in a home when Kate goes." Mim almost whispered over her "tonic" one day.

"No. They'll want to keep them together." Dolly said watching the boy approach with Piggy dancing around him singing a nonsensical song.

"Errrrrric" Dolly waved.

He looked up. His eyes were shadowy; his face gaunt.  He looked thin and tired. He gave a slow nod and kept going.

The two women stopped rocking and watched him all but crawl up the street; his feet barely leaving the ground creating a gritty dragging noise through the dirt.

"Something's going on." Mim muttered.

"mmmhmmm" Dolly said over a mouthful of cake.

"Someone ought to see how Kate's doing. I haven't seen or heard Tom's car in weeks. Not even to take her to the doctor like Eric said." she proclaimed, crossing her arms matter of factly over her blue jogging jacket that had never seen anything but a steady rock.

"He did say that, didn't he?"

They looked at each other and nodded, one reaching for more cake, the other for the pitcher.  A few more  would be drunk before their plan was hatched.

Mim was almost afraid that morning when she left the porch to walk down to see Kate. It was the only thing that made sense they had decided.  Piggy hadn't been in school and what they had heard in line at the market was that Eric was not keeping good grades, not even showing up. That was what Nate had confessed as he bagged their groceries ~ bread on top and NOT with the shampoo Thank-you-very -much! Donella said that Tom had just plain run off with the real estate lady he was looking to rent an apartment from in the next town over; even got a new car: a CONVERTIBLE!

The women decided that since Mim was much quicker and saw better, she should trot (?) down to Kate's and of course take some pie and a little good will.

"Good will?" Mim asked. "My God Doll! She has cancer. She can't possibly drink!"

"No you dolt. Cheerful thoughts."

"Oh. OH! Of course." but Mim looked a little disappointed.

So the day came. Mim dressed in her sportiest jogging suit and cut the tags. She stepped into her "business" shoes and walked the six houses down to Kate's, balancing a warm cherry crumb pie.  Before the mission, Mim knocked back a shot of Jack to keep her company. 

"It soothes my nerves."

"Amen to tonic" dolly seconded with a tip of the jigger.

It was warm and sweet outside, promising to be an early spring.  Mim wondered how that Kate had held on for so long.

She reached the door and stood perfectly straight. "Hoo-Hooooo! Kaaaaate" she sang and rapped gently on the dirty front glass of the door. She wrinkled her nose like a bulldog and wiped it on her pant leg. No answer. she tried again.

The door popped open.  It was darker than it should have been; and chilly, almost raw.

"Kate?" Mim whispered, pushing herself meekly in to the front room.  They weren't rich enough to have a proper foyer or vestibule she noted sadly. "It's Miriam, Kate. I wanted to see if you needed anything." she slowly headed down the hall to the kitchen.  She knew the layout of this house because it was like her own. (only she and her husband had saved and put on an entrance way, a porch and a master SUITE before he had died in the throes of Mrs. Townsend, the librarian and local ... ohhh what did the kids say today? Hobo? Ho bag? THAT'S it. Diane Townsend was a ho bag. But this was about Kate....) She called again and made her way back to the bedrooms. Kate must be resting, Mim thought. "I'll just put it on the table and they can all have some dessert lovin later." she giggled to herself. She heard the ticking as the air conditioner attempted to rev to life. Air? Now? A quick puff teased her newly set hair and brought an unusual fragrance. Sweet yet ... wrong. It tried to make her sneeze. She chuffed and shook her head, annoyed.

"Kate? Honey? Can Mim help you? You need to make water or put on some lipstick or ..." she allowed her toe to push open the bedroom door.  The gasp became a wretch and she felt quease threaten to become a full fledged sick. Her hand went to her mouth though whether to stop her scream, she wasn't sure.

Kate lay in her bed. A satin dressing gown tied modestly at the top.  Her hands folded neatly in her bony lap.  What had been hair, draped across narrow shoulders like a matting of hay.  Her eyes were closed, no... sewn shut as was her mouth.  The once white sheets darkened with the thick slime of decay. Next to her sat, no not sat, Tom was PROPPED in a chair next to her; a curtain rod poking awkwardly above his head before disappearing down into what once was his Sunday best.  Teeth littered the floor like enamel pennies. His jaw, although posed in a smile, was crooked since it had been broken and the side of his head had been  crushed.  Their skin had begun to pull away leaving pools of rot and life in gooey clumps on what once was a decadent mauve carpet. Mim began to shake and the tears fell silently. 

"That fucking WEIRDO." she almost hissed. A deep gag struggled up to the top of her throat.

There was a noise. A footstep? Mim felt a little nervous piddle dash down her leg.  She quickly glanced around, tiptoeing to the next room. Piggy's room, judging by the pinks and purples that littered the walls and windows. Terrified of what she would see, she closed the door behind her, making herself SWEAR not to look.  She locked the door and with all of her seventy-nine years of strength,  got down on all fours to peek under the door.  There was just enough room to see shadows. She heard for certain, tread coming down the hall.

"Dear God, deliver me from this evil." she raised up, made the sign of the cross and prayed. Holding her breath, she peeked again. 

She hadn't planned on seeing that face. Those eyes. She didn't want to hear that laugh. It took her to the edge of sanity. She teetered, catching an equaling shrill squawk from behind her own trembling lips. She slowly got up and prayed again. Glancing around in the room she found a bat. It was silver and red. As she cocked it over her shoulder, she whiffed a heavy metallic smell. The bat, she realized was silver. The red was newer, and definitely not paint. She slammed her eyes shut and shivered. One more call out to the Almighty and she reached for the lock. Then the handle. At last, she pulled the door open. Her stomach shrunk. Her knees went weak; why even her old saggy fanny prickled with fear.  She looked down the longest hallway she'd ever seen.  The front door stood open. The first step was the heaviest and slowest. Then she began to swing the bat; at nothing; no one. She heard a high pitched whine and realized it was her own voice. Mim picked up speed as well as volume and made it to the door. She took one last look down the hall  to see the boy in the corner. He must have just been getting his jollies watching her. She bolted out the front door and down the steps, her muscles screaming at the demand being placed on them. Still swinging and trilling, she made her way like a crazed baseball player up the block and to her own porch. She ripped the door open, wailing for her friend.

"Jeezus Mary and Joseph! Dolly! Call Ted right this damn minute! That weirdo has killed them all!" She lowered the bat and set it near the door.  She collapsed in to her indoor rocking throne.  Sweat made her fresh hairdo droop over her eyes. Bile burned her chest, threatening still to debut on her own carpet. She covered her mouth with her smudged sleeve.  "Dolly! Did you hear me? Get me the phone this instant! And a tonic! I need a God-damned TONIC! That boy. That awful sick boy...."

She looked up, hearing her friend rustling in the kitchen. "Dolly... For the love of..." and she angrily started for the kitchen.  Stopping in the door frame, she saw Dolly; collapsed in a growing pool of crimson. Beside her a broken plate of fresh cookies.

The laugh behind her froze her blood.  Out of sheer horror, she was only able to turn her head half way to see the shape over her shoulder.

Piggy locked the door and smiled taking a bite of one of Dolly's cookies.  The child's hand was smeared and bloody.  She bit it and spoke with her mouth full, holding out the cookied hand.

"Some?"

Mim shook her head. "No thank you Margaret." Her voice cracked.

The girl jumped toward her, her finger to her nose. "PIGGY" she snorted, cracking herself up and laughing.  She paused.  "That's funny." she said with a straight face.

Mim tightened her face to make it look like a smile. "Yes. It was, Mar...Piggy."

Piggy grinned, satisfied. 

"What happened to your family Piggy?"

The girl twisted her face and thought. 'They broke." she said thoughtfully.

"and Eric?"

" He got in trouble. He told me we couldn't play anymore. Said he wanted someone to come save our family. He had to stand in the corner for a LONG time."
She grinned, taking another bite. Soggy cookie caked her teeth making her mouth seem gummed and horrid.

"Well, that sounds like a good idea..." but the little monster seemed to curl her lips in a maddening snear.

"And what about Mrs. Roberts? She made you such yummy cookies." Mim decided a change of subject was needed. She turned a little more to face the girl.

"But she said I could only have one, so she got in trouble."

"Ah. I see. Well we wouldn't want to spoil supper now..."

Piggy picked up the bat and shook her head.  " No more? No more cookies, no more playing, no more family... Now YOU got in trouble too."

Mim was amazed at the child's speed. She remembered thinking how heavy the bat was as it connected with her knee, driving her to the floor.

Piggy stopped and laid down next to her.  Mim saw those cold eyes and heard that hollow laugh for the last time. 

"Deep trouble." she pouted, lifting the bat.




Yep, this is the stuff that keeps me up at night. I loved this one; top to bottom, start to finish. Yes, I giggled in the dark... nervously; terrified to look over my shoulder.  My daughter announced with wide eyes. "Mom. You're too creepy." Fabulous? I dunno, but I sure hope you like it. Thanks for keeping me company. I think I might need it (and the lights on for a couple more nights.) 

Until next time, sleep tight.