Nightmare in Mineral Town parts 31-35
by Beez
Chapter 31: Showdown at High Noon
Step by step, Mary watched as her mother walked towards them. Even under the blazing heat of the sun, the air around them seemed to chill as she approached. Jack squeezed her hand tight. Mary heard him say to her under his breath, "You can do this." Despite herself, she began to quake in fear as Anna came to a stop in front of them. She knew she wouldn't be able to do it.
Anna stood there, glaring at the two of them. It took her just a brief moment to analyze everything before her, the blue feather, their tightly held hands, a bead of sweat upon Jack's forehead, a tear growing in Mary's eyes. Mary was shaking, and so was Jack to a lesser extent, as he did a much better job of hiding it. They were scared of her, and were wise to be so. Jack though, was scared only because Mary was scared, he didn't know the true extent of the fear he should have, the fear she had instilled in Mary, the fear that she would soon instill in Jack.
Yet still Anna waited, knowing the silence was ripping Mary up inside, crushing any confidence she had. A blow wisely struck before the battle had even begun, a poisoned enemy is much easier to defeat. She let the poison flow forth into Jack and Mary, the poison of doubt and uncertainty. A tear finally dislodged itself and ran down Mary's face. Anna smiled coldly, she would say simple words, but words infused with such venom of pure hatred as to grind them into the dust. Yes, that would be most effective, "Good day Jack," She spat into the dirt, "Good day Mary."
Jack wasn't going to have anything to do with these false pleasantries, "Say what you have to say and be done with it."
Anna gave Jack an innocent look and brushed a nonexistent tear from her eye, "Why Jack, I thought we were friends. How can you talk to me so cruelly?"
"Cut the crap Anna. We know what you are up to, and we won't have none of it."
Now Jack was messing with her fun. Fine, he wanted her to get on with it, then so she would. He wasn't aware of the extent of her control over Mary, "Fine, so be it... Mary what do you think you are doing with that bastard Jack? I forbid you to marry him." She raised her voice to a near scream, "You are to let go of his hand and walk over here right now or suffer dire consequences."
Jack laughed, like she honestly expected that to work, "Come on Mary, let's go." He looked over at Mary with her head held low, "Mary?"
She didn't want to look at either of them. Mary didn't want to have to suffer from eye contact with Anna, but even worse she couldn't bare to see the hurt in Jack's eyes. She wrenched her hand free from Jack's and whispered under her breath, "I'm sorry." Mary slowly walked to her mother. Jack grabbed her from behind, tried to hug her, hold her tight, bring her back to him. Mary tried to control her crying. Why did he have to make it so hard on her? Mary squirmed free from Jack and went to stand by her mother.
Jack slowly sunk to his knees in despair, "No... no... it can't be..."
Anna grinned evilly. She loved seeing people grovel before her, "How does it feel Jack? To know that nobody in the world loves you? To be all alone? To be the most despised creature on the face of the Earth? You see it now don't you? Nobody loves you."
Jack looked up at them. Mary still won't show her face to him. Anna was overjoyed. He didn't know what to do, "But Mary..."
"Oh, like you honestly expected my little Mary to love you? She's just on the rebound from Grey. Give her a few days and she'll be completely over you. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she's over you already. Tell him Mary. Tell him how much you hate him. Tell him he's worthless. Tell him you never loved him."
Jack buried his face in his hands at the onslaught. He didn't see Anna raise her hand threateningly at Mary. He didn't see the tears Mary shed over him. He didn't see the confliction between what Mary said with her mouth and what she said with her eyes. He wasn't capable of feeling the love she felt for him despite her words. All he heard was the words she spoke, "Jack... I... I hate you. You... You are worthless. I never loved you."
Chapter 32: Hidden Pasts
Anna put her hand to her mouth and laughed her cruel laugh, "Tell him again Mary."
"I hate you Jack. I never loved you. I was wrong."
This was too fun! Why end it now? Never before had she ever tortured two people by making them destroy each other against their will. This was the most fun she had ever had! Anna laughed once more, "Tell him again and again and again Mary!"
Mary couldn't stand it. How could she keep doing it? How could her mom be so mean to them? Her tears broke into sobs and her agony overwhelmed her. Anna frowned in disgust and lightly tapped Mary on the side of her cheek. Mary gasped in terror. That threat was oh so very real to Mary and she immediately stopped crying. She remembered the last time Anna gently slapped her like so. That night Anna had beaten her so badly, Mary didn't think she'd live to see the morning.
Mary ran her fingers along her side, feeling one of her many scars under her dress. Her body was covered with many such scars from such attacks. First, Anna played around with her for a bit, warming up, she said, for the true punishment. She had put on every ring she owned on her hands and slapped her repeated, cutting into her flesh over and over again. Somehow, even knowing that this was the least of the pains that she would experience that night, did not stop her from crying out in pain every time she was struck. Pain, which was only exemplified by the fact that nobody came to her rescue.
After a while, Mary was made to go wash the blood off of the rings then bring her father's belt for the rest of her punishment. By the time the night was finished, her skin was peeling off in many places, having been flailed loose by the vicious onslaught. But the pain was not yet finished. Anna then rubbed salt into Mary's many wounds, intended, she said, to both prevent infection, stop the bleeding and speed the healing as well as round off the punishment.
Mary only wished that she was as strong as Jack thought she was. But she was nothing compared to her mother. Mary was weak and Anna was strong, "I hate you Jack." Anna began to laugh continuously, a haunting background to Mary's false testimony, "I never loved you. It was a mistake. It was nothing more than a rebound from Grey. I hate you."
Anna laughter stopped, "That's enough Mary. Do you see it now Jack? Is it clear to you? You were a fool to even think that Mary would love you. Your parents didn't even want you." Jack looked up at Anna briefly, confused, "Oh, I see. You never knew, did you? I'm sure you remember that time you visited Mineral Town as a child and got lost."
Jack nodded his head slowly then resumed looking at the ground, "That's when I met the old man who's farm I now run."
"You didn't get lost, your parent's tried to abandon you. I believe it was Harris who noticed them leaving without you. It was the talk of the town. The young boy who was abandoned by his parents. We forced them to go pick you back up and take you with them. Believe me, they weren't happy about it. Mary was awfully young at the time, but I'm sure she remembers. Tell him now."
"She's telling the truth. You were abandoned. I remember you. I didn't know you were that boy, but I remember you back then." She remembered him and that day very well. Nobody had ever told her they were the same people. If only she had known that this Jack was the same boy she met so many years ago. Of all the kids in the town, she had been the only one who was brave enough to go and meet him. Mary had gone to comfort him, but found him blissfully unaware of his abandonment. She didn't want to hurt him, so she didn't tell him the truth. Later that night, when her mother found out about her meeting the abandoned child, Anna beat her. At least back then the beatings weren't as bad.
Anna laughed, "See Jack, nobody has ever loved you. Nobody will ever love you. You will be alone forever." Mary knew that was false, she loved Jack. "Now Mary, it's time to deal the final crushing blow. Take that blue feather out of your hair, throw it to the ground, and grind it into the dust.
Mary pulled the feather loose and held it in her hands, staring at it. The ultimate symbol of their love for each other. Both of them had given so much for each other. Mary whispered, too quietly for anyone to hear, "No..."
Anna glared at Mary and raised her hand threateningly, "What are you waiting for? Do it now!"
Mary wouldn't do it. She couldn't do it. Her mother was wrong. A fire ignited in Mary's eyes. She hated Anna. She never loved Anna. Anna had never loved her. She was so wrong. Jack was right, she did have to stand up to her, "No! Never! You are the one who is wrong Mom!"
Mary screamed as her mother's hand flew down towards her. She could see her mother's wedding ring flash in the sunlight. Anna backhanded her as hard as she could. The diamond cut straight through Mary's face, ripping apart flesh, grinding against the bone. Mary yelped in pain as she was knocked to the ground. She fell face first into the dirt.
Anna stood over her screaming at a fevered pitch, "You little wench! How dare you disobey me?" Mary barely had time to spit out the dirt and try to catch her breath before Anna yanked her back up by the hair. "I swear by the time I'm through with you you'll never be able to sit down again!"
Chapter 33: Evil's Revelation
Mary was trying desperately to stand up, at best managing to stumble along, trying to not be dragged through dirt behind Anna. Mary cried out back behind her, "Jack help!"
That snapped Jack out of his misery. Quick as lightning, he looked up, assessed the situation, and lunged forth from his crouching position, drawing his scythe midleap. Anna had hardly taken five steps before she stopped, feeling the cold blade upon her neck. With calm authority, Jack gave her a sharp warning, "Let her go now."
"You wouldn't dare kill me. I know you won't. You are just a pathetic weakling caught up in over his head..." Anna paused for a moment. She had said that before. She looked across the blade, down the handle, over at Jack. The scythe, it's the same scythe. She stared deep into Jack's eyes. Those were the same eyes that she stared into last night. In an instant Anna knew. She couldn't believe that she had actually thought that Zack was the murderer. Why hadn't she seen it before?
"Until Mayor Thomas appoints somebody else, I am the law in this town. Now you will let go of Mary."
Anna knew Jack wouldn't spill her blood over Mary. He was too much in love with her, "Why don't you make me? She's my daughter, I'll do what I want with her. Come on. Kill me while I stand over my daughter."
Jack slowly brought the blade away from Anna's neck, "You're right. I won't kill you." He clenched his fist hard around the handle and grunted as he spun it around as hard as he could, bringing the heel end of it slamming into the side of Anna's head.
Anna yelped in surprise as she found herself now on the ground, "How dare you? I think you broke my jawbone you bastard."
"You are still talking, aren't you?" Jack extended a hand to help Mary off of the ground. "It's all okay now Mary. Everything will be alright."
Mary took Jack's hand and stood up, only to immediately fall into Jack's chest crying, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean any of it. I was so scared."
Jack patted her on the back, then lifted her up straight and gasped, "Oh my, that's a nasty cut on your cheek right there. We'll have to get Elli to help clean that up."
"Thank you Jack..."
Anna growled as she stood back up, "You think it's over? Just like that?"
Jack bent down and picked back up the blue feather that Mary had lost during the struggle, "I do believe you have lost. You don't have control over either of us anymore." He brushed the dust back off of the feather and tucked it back in Mary's hair.
Anna smiled slyly. How wrong he was, she had yet to finish spiting them. "You are sorely mistaken. Do you know why? Because I still hold my trump card. I own Mary's library. It's part of my property. I own the building and the land it's on. And you know what I think? I think I'm never going to let Mary enter into the library again!" She laughed at them, at her victory.
"Man, that laugh is really getting on my nerves."
Mary, extremely distressed by this new problem, exclaimed "Is it true Jack? Does she get my library?"
Jack grinned mysteriously, "Well, she may very well be correct about the library."
Anna squealed gleefully, "I knew it!"
"No..." Mary cried out.
"But I'm pretty darn sure that the books inside do belong to you and I can order to have them confiscated from the library and returned to you if Anna tries to stop you from taking them." From the look on Anna's face, he knew he had struck the correct chord.
Mary lept into Jack's arms and kissed him, "Thank you, my love, I knew you'd come through for me."
"So you see Anna? You may very well be almost correct. But I say let the world hate us. As long as we love each other, we are stronger than you. Now go on, crawl back under the rock you came out from under. As soon as we get this cut looked at," Jack tenderly touched Mary's cheek, which was bleeding quite profusely, "we will be back to get Mary's books. And take heed of this stern warning, there had better not be a single book missing or damaged."
Anna stormed off angrily. So be it. Let the little wench marry that bastard. She didn't care. A thought occured to her, Jack was the murderer after all. A faint smile crossed her face as Anna returned home. They may have beaten her this round, but at least Mary would get what she deserved when Jack killed her.
Chapter 34: A Long Farewell
Jack walked Mary to the front of the hospital and held the door open for her, “Mary, do you mind if I leave for a bit? I have some business I neede to take care of. It will only take me, oh, fifteen, twenty minutes I think.”
Mary gave Jack a quick reassuring embrace, “I’ll be fine. Just go on and get back fast. Elli should take good care of me.”
”Alright… Honey,” A subtle smile crossed his lips with that word, “Just get that lookked at and I’ll be back as quick as I can.”
”What are you doing anyway?”
”Oh nothing. I’m just going to, uh, take care of Anna.”
Mary gave Jack a serious look, “I know you love me, and well, please don’t take this the wrong way, but you tend to get a bit emotional over me. Please don’t do anything rash.”
Her gaze shifted from Jack’s face. He followed and saw that she was staring at the scythe strapped on his back. He sighed in relief, “Don’t worry, it’s nothing like that. I have more straint than that. Okay, well, as you know I’m sort of the semi official guardian of the town, Mayor Thomas appointed me to that position. But my authority only extends so far as what is related to catching the murderer, for anything else, I must report to him first. So I’m going to go request the authority to place Anna under arrest.”
Mary gasped, “You can’t arrest my mom Jack!”
”I’m sorry Mary, but think about it. Pretend that she didn’t just cut your face open and literally try to drag you home,” Jack gingerly touched Mary’s cheek. It would probably never heal properly. She would always have a massive scar all the way from the corner of her eye down the side of her face. “Even still, we know she reacts very violently to the idea of us getting married. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if she tried to buren the church down with us in it. She’s a dangerous woman. I need to do this, for your safety. I couldn’t forgive myself if she did something else to harm you.” By now Jack was nearly begging< “Please Mary, don’t you understand?”
Mary resigned to Jack’s argument, “I suppose you are right. You know, you are very convincing. I’m going to lose every argument we aver will have, won’t I?”
”Naw, I’ll throw you a bone every now and then,” Jack said teasingly, “Now, are you going to go through the door or wait for my arm to fall off first?”
Mary laughed and was shocked by the sound. When was the last time she had a good hearty laugh? Mary honestly couldn’t remember. Already Jack was healing her unseen wounds in ways neither of them really understood. She gave him a quick hug and a kiss before going through the door. “Bye Jack.”
“Bye Mary. See you in a little bit.” As Jack left, he couldn’t help but smile at the thought… That was his soon to be wife.
Chapter 35: The Death of Mary
Mary entered into the now empty hospital. She gazed around the now eeriely silent waiting room. Elli had been sitting at the desk filing papers just mere moments ago. Where was she now? A cold chill past over Mary as she thought an unthinkable thought. Could it be that the murderer had struck again?
Mary quietly tiptoed through the rooms to where Carter was sleeping. She hoped more than anything that Elli was in that room, tending to her ailing friend. She peeked around the corner of the curtain of Carter's room. She saw nothing more than Carter's body in his bed, his chest slowly rising and falling as he slept blissfully unaware of Mary's fear. Well, that was good and all, at least he hadn't been killed, but the Doctor and Elli were still unaccounted for. She turned to leave.
A hand placed itself on Mary's shoulder.
Mary screamed and jumped in surprise. She turned to face the mysterious person only to find something hot and wet splatter upon her shirt. Mary yelped and stumbled backwards. As she fell, she grabbed the curtain that divided the room. It supported her for a brief instant, then, with a serious of loud clangs, the rings holding the curtain up snapped. As the great white sheets enveloped her, she began to thrash wildly, trying to escape their bondage, but only succeeding in tangling herself up worse. In a few short moments, she was completely immobilized in a prison of her own making, able to do little more than jerk slightly from side to side. She screamed again in terror.
"Mary, calm down, please! It's just me, Elli."
Mary immediately stopped struggling and waited patiently in embaressment as Elli went about unwrapping her. It took a little while, but Elli finally got Mary's head free. She gasped, "Oh my dear sweet Harvest Goddess! Look what I just did to your face! I'm so sorry Mary. It was an accident."
"Relax Elli, that was why I came to see you anyway. I had that already. I want to get it looked at." Mary reassured her. Now it was Elli's turn to be embaressed.
"Yeah, that's probably going to need stitches. We'll try to get that fixed right back up as fast as we can."
An awkward silence set in, neither of them knowing what to say next. Elli tried to start the conversation back up while she worked, "So... I assume you've heard about the new murders."
"Just vaguely. I don't really know anything about them yet. Don't even know who was killed."
"Well, Kai and Popuri were killed on top of Mother Hill. Decapitated is what they say."
Mary paled at the thought, "That's kinda morbid..."
"Yeah. But I thought there was something funny about it."
Now Mary's curiosity was sparked, "What?"
Elli lowered her voice, "Well, don't go spreading this around. The last thing we need is wild rumors running rampant. But don't you think it's kinda odd. With the first murders, they were beaten to death. These most recent ones were, well, not."
Mary had just gotten one of her arms free and was helping in the untangling, but now she just stared up at Elli stunned, "Are you saying you think there are two murderers?"
"There may well be. It seems to me like somebody was trying to take advantage of the chaos to mask their own agenda. Hoping that their murders would get blamed on the other murder. And I think the new murderer is Gotz."
Mary laughed a forced laugh, "That's silly! Gotz wouldn't hurt a fly!"
"Is it so silly? Doesn't he have an axe which would be perfectly convenient for decapitation? Didn't he find the bodies first thing in the morning? Seems like unless somebody knew exactly where those bodies were, it would be awfully hard to find them. Something is fishy with the whole thing."
Mary finally wiggled free of the curtains, and decided to change the subject, "Well, I'm certainly glad to be out of that mess. I don't think I'll ever look at curtains the same way again. What were you doing anyway?"
Elli looked slightly sad at the now empty cup sitting nearby, "Well, I was getting a cup of coffee, but you kinda startled me when you all started screaming and stuff and I spilled it on you." She gestured to the large coffee stain on the front of Mary's shirt, "I think we ought to get you some dry clothes or you'll catch your death of a cold. I'll get you a hospital robe to change into while those clothes dry out."
Mary's thoughts instantly turned to the scars covering her body. She couldn't let Elli see them. "No! I mean, no, I'm fine. I just need this thing taken care of." She pointed to her cheek.
"How did you get that anyway?"
Mary immediately considered lying, but she knew that wouldn't do any good for the situation, "My mom slapped me and her ring cut my face." It wasn't the whole truth but it was enough of it.
Elli sensed that Mary wasn't telling everything, but she let it slide, "Oh you poor dear. How could Anna even think about hitting someone as sweet as you? You know I consider you to be like a daughter to me. You can always tell me anything that is bothering you." Little dear, what have you gotten yourself into? Elli didn't know, but she wanted to comfort her nonetheless, so she hugged Mary tightly.
Mary smiled as she returned the comforting embrace, "I know..."
"Come on Mary, let's go get the Doctor and clean up that face of yours."
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