I GOT A SACK OF SALTWATER TAFFY FROM VIRGINIA BEACH. I GOT a Mickey Mouse shirt and a Superman shirt. I got a Sunday school medal for memorizing verses. And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live. Yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live.
I knew what Jesse and Johona were up to under the covers at the motel. He had his pecker in her. And all the while the Little Devil hissed how I should do something about her. He didn’t believe she’d be shoving off soon. He said her and Jesse was gulling me. In the swimming pool I played I was a giant in the ocean. I scooped up a drowned moth. They’re the same as butterflies but come at night. Their wings are made of powder and if you touch them turn to dust.
I shaved myself. There’s an extra two bits in it for ya if you don’t draw blood. Down on the cheeks up on the neck easy does it under the nose. Monsieur Beaumont lived in a big white house in New Orleans. Now he lives in the desert. Jesse made me comb my hair before he knocked on the door. We sat down to supper. The soldier brought wine and I did a toast. Here’s to Monsieur Beaumont here’s to Miss Johona here’s to Mr. Jesse and here’s to me.
The Fiend from the mountain put his face in front of mine and the way he looked made me cry. Hold him, he said and went to sawing at my ear with his knife. Leave him be, Jesse yelled but that didn’t stop him. Wasn’t nobody gonna do me like that though. I stood and shrugged off the bastards holding me down. They went to stabbing me, but I kept swinging. Jesse broke away too and we gave them a fight until the Fiend from the mountain yelled, Hey!
He was behind Johona again using her hair to pull her head back had his knife at her throat again. His men shoved me into my chair and Jesse into his. I was cut so bad I couldn’t breathe. The Fiend from the mountain said, My partner’s name was Bob and he was worth ten of this cunt. Stop! Beaumont yelled, but the Fiend ignored him and cut Johona’s throat just like that. Her heart pumped her blood through the gash beat by beat and it sprayed across the tablecloth. She tried to pull in air but couldn’t and her face got the same scared look they all get when they know they’re dying. Don’t fight it, Jesse yelled, let go. She blinked like someone trying to stay awake. She started to shiver. Then she was gone.
Mama’s making biscuits. Flour baking powder baking soda salt lard milk. She folds the dough and presses it flat and lets me cut circles with an empty soup can. You got to press straight down without twisting and got to be careful when you take them out of the oven. If you drop one you’ll have uninvited company.
When the flow was down to a trickle the Fiend stuck his finger in the cut showed the blood to Jesse then licked it off. He let Johona’s head drop and come at me again. Now you big boy, he said, let’s see what you look like without a nose. I yanked a hand free and grabbed him by the throat. Something cracked and he went to gagging. The others swarmed me like wild dogs punching kicking stabbing. For every one I slung off two more jumped on. Jesse was up again too. He slammed a blond girl’s head into the table took her gun and shot a man.
Monsieur Beaumont was against a wall looking like he was gonna be sick. It was all his doing and I meant to kill him but was having trouble walking. Someone stabbed me in the back. The blade was cold as an icicle going in hot as a freshly forged spike coming out. A redhead raised a pistol and shot me in the chest. I fell fast down into the dark.
The Little Devil laughs and shows his teeth. I’m dead, I tell him, leave me be. I ain’t done with you yet, he says. Popeye eats spinach to get strong. Sinbad the sailor cinches his belt. Underdog’s got him a pill. I chew a red M&M and lift a chair over my head till Jesse makes me stop. Where you at Jesse? I ain’t mad at you no more. Come get me. Come bring a light and I promise to toe the line.