Authors: Kevin Anthony
His mind immediately refocused back on his search for his mother. A few blocks down, he arrived at the rundown chicken restaurant. The alley of the restaurant was blocked off by a fence. As he approached, he noticed a hole, cut into the chain-linked fence, making it possible for him to slip through.
He ventured down the alley that was arm’s length wide. The enclosed space was warm, the burnt grease scented air thick, and the ground below his feet scattered with bits of broken glass. A cough up ahead prompted him to increase his pace. Ford discovered a bone thin man with dingy flesh. The man held in tattered book in his hand as he stood posted against the wall, smoking and reading. His beady, blue eyes glanced away from the pages of his tattered book as he stared at Ford. He eyed him up and down before returning to his reading.
Ford pointed at him. “Hey, can I ask you something?”
“
Listen,” The raspy voiced man snapped. “I’m not sucking or licking anything today.”
“
Ew, no…people actually reque-“
“
-And I’m not letting you put anything in me. I have enough smokes to last me the day, come back tomorrow.”
“
I’m not here for anything,” Ford explained. “I’m looking for my mother.”
“
I’m a little busy here. I’m reading a good book.”
Ford bit down on his bottom lip, redirecting his frustration. “Please, only a few questions.”
The man shut his book and sat it on the dumpster near him. “Talk quick.”
“
Do you know a woman named Valarie?”
“
Of course, we sometime split motel rooms. I trust her. I’m Melvin by the way. So, she’s been missing?”
“
Yeah.” Ford motioned at himself. “I’m her son. Have you seen her around lately?”
“
Nope.” Melvin crossed his arms that had a few bruises. “Sorry kid, that’s all I got for you.”
“
Well, do you at least remember the last time you saw her?”
“
A couple of days ago.” He shoved Ford away. “Now I have a story to finish, get.”
The slasher needed more information and playing nice wasn’t working. Ford charged at the Melvin and used his left forearm to pin him against the stone wall of the alley. He applied force against the man’s chest.
Melvin delivered a few weak punches to Ford’s forearm. “Are you insane,” He coughed.
“
Where is she?”
“
I told you, I don’t know.”
“
Please, I need info. I need to talk to her.”
Melvin’s dingy face hastily reddened. “I have no reason to lie to you. You’re my friend’s son.”
Ford’s eye welled up with tears. “I just need to apologize to her.”
As he began to let his guard down, Melvin grasped Ford’s injured hand and squeezed.
Ford let out a scream as he snatched his injured hand away. He stormed from the alley, caressing his pulsing hand.
The sun was setting, with dusk approaching. Ford returned to his car and sat. He banged the back of his head against his headrest and punched the steering wheel with his left fist. The last thing he needed added to this day was Rubble’s mouth. He fired up his car and drove to his other-mother’s house.
Only her car was parked outside, but upon entry, he learned that she had guests. A well-groomed male couple, a woman wearing an excessive amount of makeup, a graceful man with shoulder length bleached-blond hair, and his other-mother sat in the living room. Ford stood, awkwardly staring at the crowd.
Harriet, dressed in all black, nearly no skin exposed, stood. “Ford, we were just talking about you.”
Her grinning guests directed their eyes to the slasher.
He raised his injured hand at them. “Hi.”
“
Oh my,” The wild haired woman worried. “Baby, what happened to your hand?”
“
I slammed it in a car door.”
“
Sounds painful,” A nasally blond man betted.
“
Yeah, but I’m surviving.”
Harriet pointed at the couple. “Do you remember Terry and Lenny?”
Ford stared at the two men who sat beside each other holding hands. “I’m trying.”
Harriet pointed at the bald member of the couple. “That’s Terry.”
“
I’m Lenny,” His partner revealed. He wore a gold silk shirt, jeans, and knee-high leather boots.
Ford lightly smacked himself against the forehead. “I feel horrible for not remembering.”
Terry laughed as he brushed at his purple blazer. “It’s okay, you were only an infant.”
“
We were your babysitters while your parents worked the crowds on stage,” Lenny revealed.
Harriet laughed. “They used to fix your hair and dress you in flashy feather boas.”
“
And Valarie hated every bit of it,” Terry recalled as he over-dramatically rolled his eyes.
Ford got knots in his stomach at the mentioning of Valarie’s name.
“
Don’t make my son a homo,” Lenny exclaimed, mimicking Valarie.
They all broke out laughing, beside Ford, his mind elsewhere. He noticed Harriet appeared to be delivering a phony laugh. She barely could maintain a smile. Ford’s eyes met with his other-mother’s and he nodded towards the kitchen. As he walked away, Harriet excused herself from her guests and joined him.
The moment Harriet was out of the sights of her guests she buried her face into hands. “I look a hot mess.”
Ford pulled her hands down to her waist. “Not tonight. I need you more”
“
I’m breaking down Ford.” She raised her sleeves revealing a rash. “I’m all itchy.”
“
Other-mom, aren’t you listening. I need you.”
She took a deep breath. “Okay, I’m listening. I’m in parent mode.”
“
I was really mean to Valarie and now she’s missing. The guilt is driving me insane.”
“
You’re too young to worry. She’s fine and I’m sure she’s forgiven you. Val is tough.”
“
But…”
“
Ford please,” Harriet stressed. “I spent most of my life with her. I know her.”
“
You’re telling me, no matter how harsh my words were that she’ll forgive me?”
“
Valarie and I have been through so much together, yet I can still call her a friend.”
“
I’m going to trust you on this as much as my heart is going to let me.”
“
Do so, but now it’s my turn.” Harriet tugged at her dark hair, removing a few strands. “I’m falling apart.”
“
Have you been to the doctors?”
“
Yes and they have no answers.” A tear strolled down her cheek. “It’s terrifying. I just want to hide away.”
“
I guess that’s sort of hard with a house full of people, huh?”
“
They’re great friends, but I can’t handle them right now.” She paced around the kitchen. “They traveled here for my party and more will arrive in the next few days. I just want the hotel shuttle to come pick them up tonight and take them away. I need a nice warm bath and a big fucking bottle of wine.”
He stopped her from pacing, hugging her. “You’ll be okay. I’m staying over here tonight with you.”
Harriet used his shirt to wipe her tears. “We can rent movies and apply rash cream to my body.”
“
Uh…yeah, but I have to meet up with some friends first.” He released her from his grasp.
“
Okay.” She kissed him on the cheek. “Have fun and stop stressing.”
“
I’ll try.” He thumbed over his shoulder. “I’m going to take the back door.”
“
You don’t want to tell everybody goodbye?”
“
They’re nice but I’m really not in the mode for childhood stories. I’ll see you later.”
Harriet kissed him once more and returned to the living room.
Ford left the house in better spirits and headed directly to Mariam’s memorial.
The meeting room was decorated with white flowers and a portrait of Miriam was placed upfront. The middle-aged woman held a gnome in the photo, mocking the grumpy face of the lawn décor that she held. He greeted a few of the group members he recognized, all properly dressed for the gathering while he sported jeans and a t-shirt.
Lu stood before the portrait of Miriam sipping red punch from a clear plastic cup.
Ford arrived beside her. “She was nice.”
His mind drifted back to the moment they discovered Miriam’s body as his focus remained on the portrait.
Lu sighed. “Is that all you have to say about her?”
“
Yeah.”
“
That’s pathetic, at least cry a little.”
“
Can you do any better,” He challenged.
“
She was…” Lu thought about it, “Really nice?”
“
You’re so poetic,” Ford joked.
Lu nudged him. “Thanks for coming.”
“
No problem, what time is your date?”
“
It started an hour ago.” She nodded over her shoulder. “I’m dating Jace. He’s one of us.”
“
Jace?” Ford browsed the crowd, not fitting a name to the face.
She pointed out a towering blonde. “Yeah, he’s the hotty deep-throating the hotdog at the buffet table.”
Ford noticed the lanky slasher approaching them and brushing bread crumbs from his dark shirt.
Jace joined them, throwing his arm around Lu. “Hey Ford.”
“
Jace,” He responded as if he always knew him. “How’s it going?”
“
Besides a dead Mariam, I’m doing great. I’m on a date with the lovely Lu and enjoying the hotdogs.”
“
We’re going to the movies,” Lu announced. “There’s a new slasher flick that needs bashing.”
“
Cool, I’m watching a movie with my other-mom later.” He realized how lame it sounded aloud.
Jace smirked. “Hey, I wish I had a mom. Mine's serving time for stabbing a preacher.”
“
She was a slasher also?” Ford asked.
“
Nope, just upset with her boyfriend who happened to be a preacher.”
Ford glanced back at Miriam’s portrait. “I wonder who killed her.”
“
On the news they wrote it off as another unsolvable slashing,” Lu stated. “I wonder which slasher though.”
Jace laughed. “We’re starting to sound like the friends and family members of the victims that we the people in this group have allegedly never slashed. I’m pretty sure they ask themselves and the cops who killed their loved ones and why, often. The truth is they’ll never get an answer, just a spot on the news with the big breasted blonde woman. Tonight, we are them.”
It didn’t take long for Ford to agree with his point. “It’s agitating.”
A female slasher burst into the room and dropped to her knees. “He’s dead,” She cried out.
Lu furrowed her brows as she whispered, “Miriam was all woman, right?”
The dark haired woman rose from her knees, her hands shaking. “Donatello…”
“
Ignore my previous question,” Lu said.
The group of slashers gathered around the woman as she continued weeping.
“
I went to his house to pick him up. We always ride together to the meetings. He was dead.”
“
Dead how?” A voice from within the group questioned.
“
A knife was driven into his chest.”
Ford could see as confused stares turn into ones of panic. He watched as Lu and Jace tightly gripped each other’s hands. A second slasher had fallen.
Lu turned to Ford. “I think we’re going to go now. Keep in touch Ford.”
“
Yeah, I will.”
Jace nodded at him. “Try to make it home safe tonight. Apparently our lifespans are shortening.”
“
You two do the same.”
The couple said goodbye to a few other members and left.
Ford’s cell phone rang. He answered the unidentifiable number. “Hello?”
His ear was met by static and an extended beep causing him to jerk the phone away from his ear.
He stepped away from the crowd of slashers, backing out of the room. “Who is this?”
“
Val…I love…”
Ford shouted back into phone, “Mom? I love you. I’m sorry. Come back.”
The call was disconnected.
Chapter 8 – Special Delivery
A bell dinged as Bravo entered the lobby of Bala Allee’s Funeral Home. The lobby of the building was decorated with white flower fixtures, designed urns were on display and a stainless steel casket was in the center of the room with an information card about the business resting on top. Bala rushed from her office wearing a black baby doll dress and matching heels.