Nightmare in Mineral Town
Chapter 16: A Hunting He Will Go
Zack had made himself a pretty nice little shelter out in the woods. He found this really big tree that should scatter all the rain away when he was underneath it. There was an old log he pulled up which could be used as a chair or a table. And, best of all, there was several edible plants around. Who would have guessed all that work as a shipper would have taught him what he could eat out in the wilderness. But it did, he could identify all the various roots and grasses that sometimes got shipped. It was all in all a pretty nice place to live. He was far away and safe from any crazed villager.
It wasn’t right. It just wasn’t right at all. Zack wasn’t the murderer, but everyone was after him anyway. He pulled a satchel that he had brought with him down from the tree and took out some bread. The only thing he had to eat that was really any good. How did it all get twisted around like this? Zack wanted to know so badly…
Jack knew where Zack was staying. He had tracked him into the woods. It was a little something he had picked up over the years. But the first time Jack had followed him, he wasn’t ready. So he set up a little booby trap near Zack’s camp. He’d go back, from time to time to check in on his little prey. Jack knew that in a one on one fight, Zack could wipe the floor with him. That’s why he needed to be extra careful. The death of Zack was crucial to his plan…
Mary eventually went home as day turned into night, leaving Carter and Cliff behind in the hospital. Anna scolded her harshly for leaving the library unattended all day. She just stood there and accepted her punishment. Clean up the entire house. Scrub the floors, clean the kitchen, the bedrooms, the bathrooms, everything. Mary was used to it. She set about doing the tasks that Anna had assigned her. Mary never cried once during her punishment, but afterwards she cried her heart out in bed. Punished for trying to do the right thing…
Zack needed to start a fire, it was starting to get quite chilly at night, and he was in no position to catch a cold. As the sun was falling he set out from camp. Leaves on the forest floor crunched under his boots. At least it hadn’t rained for a while, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find come good dry sticks for the fire. He wandered around a bit picking up a stick from time to time. He almost had enough. Every now and then he looked over his shoulder. Zack had the eerie feeling that somebody was watching him. He almost had gotten enough sticks when something grabbed his foot. Zack tried to jump back, but was quickly pulled off his feet. He spun rapidly as he swung upside down and watched helplessly and he crashed headfirst into a tree. As he blacked out, the last thing he saw was a shadowy figure approaching carrying a scythe in his hands.
Chapter 17: More Hospital Chatter
Kai had arrived back in town today. He had received an urgent letter from the Mayor and rushed right over. Mayor Thomas hadn’t said what the problem was, only that they needed his help badly. There was an eerie feeling about the streets. All the usually happy townsfolk were locked inside there homes. It gave him the willies.
He walked up to the mayor’s house and rapped on the door, “Anybody home? Kai here!”
Mayor Thomas opened the door a crack and immediately rushed Kai inside and began telling him about the bad news...
Jack entered into the hospital. It was time to go visit Carter. Scythe was in hand, but not to kill anyone this time. He was supposed to be the town guardian, so he had to keep his weapon at hand at all times. He walked around the large curtain separating the patients from the waiting room. He looked in at Mary, Cliff, and Carter. They were all unmoving. Mary was crying softly over Carter.
Jack leaned his scythe against the wall and pulled a chair up beside Mary. He placed a hand on her back, “You know, Carter wouldn’t want you to cry over him.”
Mary looked up in surprise at Jack and her heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t noticed him come in, “I’m not crying over Carter. I know that would break his heart. I’m crying over... something someone else did.”
Jack felt his heart warm up a little towards Mary, “What do you mean? Did somebody hurt you?” He was ready to take up his scythe again if need be.
Mary quickly stopped that road of thinking though, “No of course not. That’s not what happened at all.”
Jack noticed his hand was still on Mary’s back and quickly pulled it away. Mary wished he hadn’t. “Mary, tell me what happened.”
”My mom, she punished me for staying here with Carter instead of doing my job at the library. I love books, but not as much as I love my friends. They mean everything to me. Even you Jack.” She quickly looked away in embarrassment.
Jack blushed a bit too. He’d make Anna pay for hurting Mary. That’s what he would do, “So you don’t like your mom? You might not be so sad if the murderer got to your mom?”
Mary shrunk back from Jack. There was something very creepy in the way he just said that, “Never! I’d never want anything to happen to my mom! She gave birth to me. I was born from her body. I could never hate her.”
Jack thought fast, “I didn’t mean it like that. I wasn’t accusing you of anything! It was just sort of a really bad joke. Guess it wasn’t very funny. Sorry about that,” Jack frowned. That didn’t mean he still couldn’t get Anna to behave more properly. Wouldn’t be too difficult at all.
“A joke, that’s all,” Mary forced a laugh, “Funny one aren’t you Jack?”
“Well I’m sorry Mary, but I really have to go. You know, patrolling the city and all that as the new police officer of Mineral Town.” He got up and took hold of his scythe from where it rested.
Mary leapt up, “Wait Jack!” She wrapped her arms around him, “Bye, and good luck.” She kissed him quickly on the cheek and sat back down in her chair ashamed of herself.
Jack was blushing too, “Uh, I have to go. Bye!” Jack marched away cheerfully. Time to get to work. Mary would be happy tomorrow!
Chapter 18: Blond on the Inside
Jack slammed his axe into the stump again. He was trying to cut off a good sized chunk of wood. His plan was to make a mask to hide his face. That way nobody would recognize who he was. With another swing, Jack hacked off a good sized piece. That was what he was wanting. It was too dangerous this time to just run in and do whatever. Tonight’s scare was going to take a bit more planning than past ones. They may have gotten off easy last night, but tonight ‘Zack’ would strike again. He’d make sure the fear of his presence would be newly imprinted upon their minds...
Popuri entered into the hospital. She wanted to say hello to Carter and try to get him to wake up. She just couldn’t understand why Carter kept sleeping like this. She wanted him to wake up. She looked over at Mary and Cliff. Mary sat their with her hands placed over her heart. Popuri smiled smugly as she sat down next to Mary. She knew what was going on, “You loved him didn’t you?”
Mary gasped and coughed. Popuri had shocked her again. She really should not sit with her back to the door as jumpy as she was, “No, no, no! Not at all. I mean no! Of course I don’t love him. Whatever gave you that idea.” She could feel her cheeks getting hot.
“I see the way you are blushing. You do love Carter, don’t you? Don’t worry, Rick told me he’s just really sleepy. He’ll wake up in no time flat! My big brother is never wrong.”
Mary felt a pang in her heart, and not just from Carter. Everything was messed up. Just a few days from now she had been going to marry Grey, and now, she was falling in love with the man she had turned down. What was going on with her?
Elli walked in with a fresh hot water bottle. She looked over at Cliff and sighed, “I wish Cliff would move. He won’t even leave after we close.” Elli lifted Carter’s head and replaced the old hot water bottle with a new one. “He sits their all day long staring at Carter. He hasn’t even eaten. If he doesn’t do something soon, we are going to have another person hospitalized.” She sat down with the rest of the girls, “I need to lighten up. So enough about my problems, tell me what’s happening with you two!”
Mary started, “Well I ––”
Popuri quickly interrupted her, “I know how to get Cliff to move. Watch me!” She walked around the bed to where Cliff was sitting. She leaned in close to him, took a deep breath, and shouted as loud as she could, “Hey! Stop daydreaming!” Cliff sort of rolled out of his chair and fell to the ground. Elli leapt up to see if he was alright, but Cliff just slowly stood back up and resumed his place on his stool without saying a word.
Popuri frowned. She was so certain that would have worked.
Elli sat back down, “I really am worried about him. Nice try though Popuri.”
“Want me to try with Carter?”
Mary and Elli looked at each other and said it at the same time, “No!”
”It was just a question, there was no need to yell at me over it!”
Elli needed to get rid of Popuri before she hurt the patient. “Hey, did you hear? Kai is back in town.”
“Kai!” Popuri clapped and jumped up and down much to Elli’s distress.
”Yes Popuri! Now go find him!” Elli watched as Popuri rushed out the door. She let out a sigh of relief. “Now I’m sorry Mary, but I have to get back to work. Sorry I didn’t get to talk to you more.” She stood up again and walked away.
Chapter 19: Night of the Scythe
Mary cried to herself as she scrubbed the floor of the library. Her mom was being so mean to her. All she was trying to do was be a good person by staying with Carter. She wasn’t doing anything wrong. Why did she have to work like this. It pained her to see such happy people like Popuri and Kai. When they met again after Kai’s long absence, the danced down the street. Her life was so miserable. She dipped her sponge back in the bucket and squeezed the extra water out of it. Mary felt just like that sponge. Like she was having the life twisted out of her...
Jack sat in his house carving his mask. It was going to look awesome. With his knife he cut a twisted smile out of the wood. He’d need to buy a new knife after he was done, this knife was ruined. That was that. With one last twist of the knife, the mask was finished. Jack stood up and pulled his cloak around him tight. He affixed the mask to his face and looked at himself in the mirror. A horrible skull grinned back at him. It was beautiful. He gripped the scythe in hand and marched out his door...
Anna walked over to the library. She needed to teach her daughter a lesson that would keep her doing what she said once and for all. That little girl had gotten way out of line lately, and she would guarantee that this time she would behave. She slammed open. Mary flinched and cowered slightly. Very nice. “Mary! Why haven’t you finished scrubbing all the floors yet? You are being lazy aren’t you?”
“No mom not at all. I’m very sorry. I’ll try harder to do it faster.”
”You won’t try harder, you will do it faster. And for back talking me, I want you to dust all the shelves too. That will teach you to behave more like a proper lady. How can you ever expect to succeed in life if you are lazy all the time. I want you to stop shirking your duties.”
”Yes ma’am. I will ma’am. I’m very sorry for talking inappropriately ma’am.” Mary fought back the tears. That would only make it worse.
Anna smiled, “You better be. Now get back to work, I want you finished soon, and the job better be to my satisfaction.” She slammed the door to the library back open. She would leave Mary to her work. It was fun torturing her like this...
Jack watched her from behind the corner of the house. Anna was now leaving the library to go back to her adjoining home. The late night light inside the library spilled out onto the street, but no light fell upon Anna’s face. The depths of her cruelties made light itself forsake her. Jack would stifle her evil, one way or another. For Mary, he would give Anna one chance, and one alone. One single solitary chance to live. It was something Anna didn’t deserve.
Jack slowly walked from his vantage point beyond the corner of the house. His dark cloak billowed about his feet. The scythe’s blade glinted in the moonlight, catching Anna’s attention. She stopped in her tracks, hands at her side. It was like she was waiting calmly for death to carry her away. That was fine with Jack. She stared deep and into his eyes as he approached her. It sent chills down his spine. He could easily sense the hatred in her eyes trying to rind it’s way into his own soul. It was like she was trying to see into the very depths of his soul. Jack almost panicked until he remembered he was wearing the mask. He smiled to himself. That was what she was looking at, the mask. It must have her too terrified to move.
Standing in front of her, he slowly and dramatically raised the point of the scythe to the underside of her chin. He would scare the life out of her. Up close, her eyes were even more terrifying. They grinded into Jack, completely devoid of light, consumed by hatred. He was so scared, now the tables had turned. Now it was Jack who was unable to move…
Anna would make him pay. Grasping the opportunity she was just granted, she clutched her hand tight around the handle of the scythe and shoved the butt of it hard into Zack’s stomach. She would destroy him. Anna yanked the scythe out of Zack’s hands and quickly turned the blade back upon him. “You will die Zack. I will see to it that you die in the most excruciatingly painful way that I can think of. You will pay for killing Manna. You will suffer and I will laugh at it. When I am through with you, you will regret that you were ever born!” She twirled the scythe around and ready for the attack. Anna wouldn’t kill him just yet. She would play with him a bit first to prolong his agony. That was always so fun…
During her speech, Jack had the time to compose himself. As she brought the scythe down to pierce Jack, he rolled out of the way. The blade caught the cloak. Jack tugged on it, trying desperately not to lose it. He kicked Anna in the leg and she fell to ground once again losing her grip on the scythe. Jack pulled the blade loose from the ground and stood up at the same time Anna did.
Here they were at the same place again that they began in, but this time Jack wouldn’t be caught off guard. Quickly this time, Jack brought the point of the scythe up under Anna’s chin. Completely surprised at suddenly being at the point of death, Anna froze. Jack said, in a deep boom voice that was his best impression of Zack, “Anna, you have committed many crimes against humanity. How do you plead your soul?”
”Shut the hell up and kill me already! Or have you gone soft you bastard. Kill me. I dare you too. You don’t have the spine Zack. You know you can’t! You are just a weakling. A foolish little man caught up in heap of trouble. Jack will kill you and you are terrified of dying. Or maybe you are even more scared that it will be I that kills you!”
Jack was sick of this, “Shut up!” He pushed the blade closer up to her chin, forcing her to stand on the tips of her toes if she did not want her neck pierced, “I am sick of you. You are the lowest scum on the face of this planet and I would like nothing more than to kill you. But as long as you do what I say, I won’t kill you. All you have to do is be a nice, not evil, Anna, and I will let you live.”
”I knew you were too scared. I knew you were just a weakling. A pathetic fool caught up in over his head.”
Jack raised the scythe point even higher. A small trickle of blood ran down her neck as it finally broke skin. Anna could do nothing to defend herself, “If you move, your throat will be slit and you will die. This is your only chance. Now listen up and listen good. You had better be nice to Mary from now on. If you ever do anything to make her cry again, I will end your life. I would do so now, but Mary, for only reasons the Harvest Goddess knows, loves you. I do not want to hurt her by killing you unless you leave me no choice.”
Jack dragged the tip of the scythe up the underside of her chin, just barely slicing the skin. The trail of blood down her neck quickened and for the brief moment fear flashed through Anna’s eyes, but it was quickly drowned out by the darkness in her heart, “This is the gravest of warnings, for if you tell anyone at all of this encounter, I will kill you within the hour. Your life will be forfeit. But now, I want you to go into that library and tell Mary you are sorry. I want you to let her off work, and I want you to do it this instant. If you do not, your life is forfeit. Do you understand?”
Anna mumbled something incoherent. Jack pressed the tip of the blade even closer into her skin. The pain finally broke through to her and she gave in, “I will.” She poured every ounce of her hatred into those two words as she tried to shove them down the Zack’s throat. Hiding behind that stupid skull mask probably made him feel real important. She wanted to spit in his eye.
That was good enough for Jack. He pulled away his scythe and let Anna fall to the ground in exhaustion. That whole encounter must have taken more out of her than she was letting on. With scythe in hand he marched away back down the road and disappeared into the darkness, cloak billowing about him.
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