Excerpt:
Quentin looked at Maureen and Bess. “So Victor could use the time portal to undo all this mess?”
The Legman said, “But if he were to try to do that, that would reveal to Sabian what Sabian wants to know.”
Quentin said, “Or not. Billy’s death needs to be undone. That is imperative.”
The Legman said, “Of course I don’t argue against you. Billy is my spawn. But Sabian is dangerous. In a batman movie, he would be the ultimate villain.”
Hearthville Serial 4
Book 4 (Title Undecided):
A Paranormal Suspense Gangster Horror
By Charles Peters
Copyright 2019
All Rights Reserved
Chapter 16
Everyone had gathered inside of the room where Maureen and Bess Bingo slept. There was anxiety about and danger ahead. The fear being felt in Mayor Bare’s mansion was a justified fear.
The ghosts of Billy Bingo and Dexter Jenkins felt an etheric wind begin to blow. Dexter heard the nervous and ghostly voice of Nanny Ogleby calling. “Dexter. Dexter. There is trouble coming. I’d feel better if you would hide with me.”
Dexter whispered, “We need to go to her. We need to hide. I can feel the Hunters about. They are going to come to cage you.”
Billy stared at his mom and his sister sleeping. “Will they be okay?”
“If I knew how to hide them I would.”
Myrtle whispered to Quentin who stood at her side. “I feel a terrible attack is coming our way. This is not good. Everyone in this house is in danger.”
Quentin said, “I feel it also. I think I have the magic to snap them to my spaceship.” Quentin turned to Mayor Hollis Bare who stood looking out the window. “Mayor Hollis, you should come to take refuge in my spacecraft also.”
Mayor Hollis answered, “Okay. But if you feel your magic pinging, transport Bess and Maureen first.”
The ghost of Nanny Ogleby appeared next to Dexter. She looked at Billy. She moaned, “Oh God. Billy Bingo is the one who the Hunters are in search.”
Dexter said, “We have to hide him.”
Nanny Ogleby used her energy to appear to Quentin. “Dexter and Billy are in this room and we need your help. The Hunters are coming. They are wanting to cage Billy.”
Quentin said, “Thank you Nanny. God bless you for telling me. I will do my best to get everyone to my spaceship.” Quentin prayed, “Oh God, I know I am not a saint. I am a wretched soul. But please give me the strength to get everyone to my spaceship.” He mustered his energy the best he could.
Myrtle took his hand to give him control of her magic.
Mayor Hollis said, “I don’t have much magic, but maybe.” He took their hands.
With her ghostly touch Nanny Ogleby took their hands and it was she who took control of the connected magic. It wasn’t her will to possess the power but she knew how to handle it. She focused into Quentin’s mind to get the coordinates of his spaceship.
Bess and Maureen began to stir in the bed. They opened their eyes. Maureen asked, “What is happening?”
Two Hunters burst through the door. They were young and Bess considered that they were devilishly handsome. They looked about the room as they demanded, “Break your circle. There will be no magic.”
Quentin looked at one of the hunters who had long blond hair and blue eyes. “Maurseau, leave.”
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Maurseau shook his head no. Then he looked at Bess. He could see the terror in her eyes.
Myrtle said, “She has just lost her brother and Maureen has lost her son. Do not accost them in this time of their grief.”
Maurseau spoke to the other Hunter. “Dojave, is the ghost of Billy Bingo in this room?”
“I see two boys. We should cage both of them.”
Nanny Ogleby created a whirlwind. She threw a piercing dust into the eyes of the Hunters and exploded their guidance equipment. Then she transported everyone to Quentin’s spaceship.
Dojave screamed, “The Witches Council will cage you harshly for your interference.”
Nanny Ogleby screamed, “Dumb asses. Look about. You are caged. You are my prisoners, in my bottle, on this spaceship. You should be concerned on how harshly I cage you.”
Quentin asked, “Should you have caged them?”
Nanny Ogleby said, “No one is going to hurt Frank’s boys. No one. Do you understand.”
Maureen asked, “Do you know my husband?”
“Frank’s granny and I were good friends.”
Bess watched the ghost lady. “Frank’s Boys? And they are here. Billy is here? Why can I see you and not him.”
Nanny Ogleby said, “Dear, soon you will not see me but know I will still be here. At least for a time.”
Nanny Ogleby faded.
Maureen said, “I don’t understand any of this. And I am afraid to even ask.”
Billy reached out to his mom. “I don’t want to be dead.”
Dexter said, “I know you don’t want to be dead but you are what you are.”
Dexter saw the hurt and the longing in Billy’s eyes as Billy clutched his mom’s white and red flowered flannel nightgown in his fist and wrapped his other arm around her waist. Billy leaned his head into her warmth.
Dexter said, “That is good. Hug her. There are times I wish I could hug my mom. She can not see you but on some level she will feel you. She will feel the hug and the love.”
“And I feel her love.”
Billy snuggled up to his mom as he continued hugging her. She appeared dazed and confused, staring about the spaceship. He said, “Mom, it is going to be okay. It is going to be okay.”
It was as though Maureen’s hand rested on top of his head though she could not see him. She could not hear him but still she repeated Billy’s words. “It is going to be okay.”
Bess hugged her mom. She asked, “Is this real or are we in a nightmare?”
Maureen said, “God. I hope this is a nightmare. I hope when we wake Billy will be back with us and being his usual mess.”
Bess smiled. “I hope. I pray.”
Quentin and Myrtle looked at one another. They guessed that the Witches Council would erase many of the memories and this all would be like a dream to Maureen and Bess. But they doubted there was any way that Billy could ever be brought back to be with them in the living world. That thought seemed impossible.
***
Quentin’s spaceship moved to position itself with the Legman’s starship. He located the codes to tune into what the Legman and others in the area were saying. As he was doing that, he took notice of Sabian’s vehicle and Sam’s vehicle following behind.
The ghost of Artorious had remained on Sam’s spaceship. The ship had been programmed to follow Sabian’s ship.
Artorious said, “Oh, what the fuck am I supposed to do here. This is a crazy.” He jumped to Sabian’s spaceship where Sam was preoccupied with the insanity that was building toward war. Artorious watched the monitors. “God damn. The collective Witches Council do not have a freaking brain among them. Whoever said that space aliens must have a superior intellect had to have been mentally challenged on mushrooms steeped in bullshit at the time.”
Sam Bigalo, at the command center of Sabian’s ship, dodged the spaceships that the Witches Council were sending in at an increasing number and at an increasing speed. Sam screamed to the Legman, “I am coming up behind you. Please know that I am acting as a friend and not a foe. Alice and Victor are still on board and still in the cage which I can’t locate. I hope Sabian is not still on this spaceship but I can’t swear to it. My spaceship is programmed to follow Sabian’s ship so watch out for it as well.”
Quentin’s spaceship picked up the conversation where everyone on Quentin’s spaceship could hear it.
The Legman called back to him. “I understand. We are the ultimate odd couple but we are in this fight together. But you have got to know something and you are going to hate me.”
“Well, you have every right to hate me, so let me have it.”
Quentin puzzled, “Every right to hate Sam indeed, but they sound friendly. Odd.”
“General Gorgan has been training some of my space cadets. I pray to God they are ready. But he is going to be the one leading them. If the Witches Council does not call this attack on me off, there are going to be a lot of good men caged and I will make their cages brimstone. They will pay a price if they continue into the Outlands.”
Sam said, “Oh shit. God forgive me, my soul. Please don’t let this become Pluto Viso all over again.”
Quentin joined the conversation. “Legman, this is Quentin Darko. My ship is being chased by the Witches Council as well. I have Maureen and Bess Bingo on board. I have some ghosts with me as well.”
Artorious appeared to Sam. “I am jumping over to Quentin’s ship. I will call back or be back.”
Sam said, “Be careful. Jumping ships can be dangerous when the Witches Council have cages programmed.”
“Yeah. But I have to see the ghosts and help if I can.”
“Understood. Be careful.”
Artorious jumped to Quentin’s ship. He landed in the arms of Nanny Ogleby. “Yo darling. So you have become knee deep in this shit as well.”
“Yeah. I was trying to protect Dexter and he was trying to protect Billy. Mayor Bare’s house got hit by Hunters and here we are.”
Artorious nodded. “Sure. Dexter is my man. Billy, you couldn’t have anyone better watching your back than your stepbrother. So Nanny, what are we going to be doing now.”
Nanny grinned. “Fuck, if I know.”
Sam said, “So Legman, I know we are all preoccupied, but can you locate the cage where Billy and Alice are so we can try to free them.”
The Legman said, “Pam, you jump to Sabian’s ship and see if you can locate where Sabian has Victor Duddley and Alice Malokey caged.”
Pam said, “Okay.”
Quentin asked, “Why does Sabian have Victor and Alice caged?”
Sam said, “Victor knows where a time portal is and Sabian wants the information. That is part of what started all this fucking shit. That along with my drunken stupidity and my being manipulated.”
Quentin looked at Maureen and Bess. “So Victor could use the time portal to undo all this mess?”
The Legman said, “But if he were to try to do that, that would reveal to Sabian what Sabian wants to know.”
Quentin said, “Or not. Billy’s death needs to be undone. That is imperative.”
The Legman said, “Of course I don’t argue against you. Billy is my spawn. But Sabian is dangerous. In a batman movie, he would be the ultimate villain.”
Quentin said, “Sabian is not so bad. You just have to know how to deal with him. Sabian, if you are listening, if you don’t back the fuck off, I will have Dude Righteous set Napoleon free from his cage and you know how much Napoleon fucking hates you. How will you like that?”
Sabian laughed, “He may have the keys to the cage but he does not know where the cage is?”
Quentin said, “I don’t want Napoleon free any more than you do, but if I decide to help Dude Righeous, Napoleon will be freed. You can count on that. If I become your enemy, do not underestimate the harm I can do to you. I consider Billy Bingo family and you don’t mess with my family. You need to ask yourself if you want to remain my drinking buddy or if you want to become my enemy. You may be the ultimate villain in a batman movie, but I make batman look like like a pussy begging for more lube.”
Sabian said, “Okay. I know when I have lost the chess game.” Sabian made a sound with his fingers. “Snap.”
A voice came on the intercom. “Please. Everyone. Hold your fire. The Witches Council has been listening and is reassessing the situation. Give us five minutes.”
A hologram of a clock appeared inside of everyone’s different spaceships.
Tick. Tick. Tick. Ticktock. Ticktock. Tick. Tick.
Everyone watched the clock. Five minutes passed.
A voice came on the intercom. “One more second. Please. Hold your fire.”
Then a different voice came on the intercom. “One moment. Space soldiers, please begin to move your spaceships back away from the Legman’s starship and the spaceships of his allies. Legman, please remain patient and trust us.”
The Legman spoke into a microphone. “Okay.”
Sam Bigalo, the Legman, and Quentin all noticed that the spaceships under direction of the Witches Council were backing off. Some moved slightly back while others speedily flew into a half circle that was their sign off maneuver to signal a full retreat and a return to their bases.
The voice continued, “The council has ruled that Victor can undo the past so that Billy Bingo is not killed. Sabian, under no circumstance do you attempt to learn how Victor does it. We also will not attempt to learn where the portal is. Any person aware of this directive that falls in violation of this directive will be burned at the stake and caged in brimstone for not less than five years. Said punishment for violation also applies to those of us who are putting this directive in place. There will no exceptions beyond those willingly granted by Victor in case he needs help.”
There was a pause.
“Legman, do you trust that we are being honest?”
The Legman spoke into the microphone. “As long as you all trust that if you don’t carry out the directive as stated, then my people will. The directive must not be violated.”
“We understand and we are agreed. We do not want war.”
“Neither do I. I do not want earth turned into Pluto Viso.”
“Very good words to hear.”
Alice and Victor appeared next to Sam. Sam quickly notified the Legman to let him know that Alice and Victor were free from the cage and with him. The Legman acknowledged Sam’s message with a “Hallelujah.”
Sam asked, “While in the cage could your hear what all was being said?”
Alice said, “I heard, but something is wrong with Victor. Look at him. I don’t know whether he can do what is expected of him or not?”
Sam whispered, “Victor, are you okay?”
Victor did not say anything. He stood with a blank expression on his face. Inside his head, George struggled to take control and speak, but he couldn’t. George looked inside of Victor’s thoughts. He saw that Victor was in a dream. It was a strange dream where Victor was down at the feet of a woman. The woman was unfamiliar to George and George had never seen Victor have that dream before. Indeed, the woman, Amelia, had not been in any of Victor’s recent dreams but now there she was. In the dream she faded away from Victor and Victor cried for her not to leave him.
The tears and anguish in Victor’s voice scared George. And more, George was starting to feel some of the pain that Victor was feeling. George realized that Sabian had been torturing Victor.
George felt it was his job to protect Victor. But feeling the pain, he knew that he had failed. Now, George was scared for Victor. George was in a predicament that he was not sure how to handle. Normally, George wanted Victor to sleep while he, George, was in control. But now George was afraid to encourage Victor to continue sleeping. There was so much pain. There was so much anguish. There was a danger that the sleep might become a lasting sleep.
George thought, “I want to wake Victor but Victor does not need to find himself on Sabian’s spaceship. But neither does he need to keep sleeping. Damn! Victor must not create a dream from which he might never wake.”
Alice and Sam stared at Victor. Then Alice looked at Sam. Alice saw Sam’s face wrinkle as he fought tears. Sam touched Victor’s face.
Alice asked, “What is wrong?”
Sam asked, “Have you ever seen a soul drift into a sleep from which they can’t seem to wake?”
Alice said, “I’ve seen souls in that state but I have never seen souls when it was starting to happen.”
Sam said, “Well look at Victor. It is happening.”
Alice grabbed Victor. She shook him. “Snap out of it. Please snap out of it. We need you.”
George did his best to speak but he could not speak. Victor’s sleep was his sleep. George heard Victor cry in his dreams, “I am tired of being hurt. I am tired of being in such pain. I want the pain to end.”
George saw Victor was now dreaming a different dream. He was back on a basketball court with Donny Maxtone. Victor said, “Donny, you shouldn’t have died to save me. I wasn’t worth it.”
Donny smiled. He bounced the basketball against Victor’s head. “Stop saying stupid shit.”
“You died in my arms.”
“But here I am.”
“And here I am. Are we both dead? But where is Jossette?”
George said, “Victor, you are not dead.”
Donny said, “I don’t know where Jossette is? I’ve heard she visits her Aunt in the mental hospital but I have never found her there.”
“Maybe she is on a higher level. Maybe she is an angel in heaven. But she never comes to me. She must never have really loved me. I doubt she even cares how I died in the boot of that car.”
“She didn’t know that you died. She thought you had rejected her. You know that.”
“But now. Still. She doesn’t come to me. You know I am sensitive. I feel ghost when they are about. I would know if she is around. But she is never around. Why doesn’t she come to me?”
“Do you really want me to tell you what you already know?”
“I think you have to tell me because I don’t know.”
“She is not an angel and she is not in heaven. She is in a cage.”
Victor’s eyes widened in horror. “Why?”
“I don’t know. But I feel sure that is what has happened. I feel certain the cage is in the room with her Aunt in the mental hospital.”
“Who caged her?”
“I don’t know. And I can’t locate the cage. But the only reason she would appear in that room and no where else is if she is in a cage and the cage is in that room.”
“If true, we have to free her.”
“I’ve been trying.”
Victor dropped down to sit on the basketball court and with the basketball between his folded legs. “Jossette can’t be in a cage. There is no reason for her to be in a cage. What you are saying does not make any sense.”
Victor threw the basketball up to Donny Maxtone who caught the ball and then tossed the ball into the hoop. Then there the basketball was back between Victor’s legs as though he had never thrown it to Donny Maxtone. Victor stared at the basketball. Then Victor questioned, “And how am I talking to you. You are dead. Am I back dead?”
Donny Maxtone said, “You have to wake up.”
“I am not sleeping.”
Victor heard the faint voice of Alice. “Wake up. Please wake up.”
Alice asked, “How can we stop him from going deeper into the sleep?”
Sam said, “I wish I knew. I did my best to save Amelia and I could not do it. I could not save her.”
George watched as Donny Maxtone took Victor’s hand and helped him to stand. The basketball rolled off Victor’s lap and floated upward toward a black, starry sky. George looked upon a pale white full moon that was in that sky that was in Victor’s thoughts.
In Victor’s dream that was more than just a dream, Donny hugged Victor. Donny said, “Victor, I know it is all confusing. I am working to rescue Jossette so don’t worry about that. I just wanted you to know that she would be here if she could be here. I know she loves you. You must never doubt that love.”
Victor took a deep breath.
Donny asked, “Do you understand that? She loves you. You remember how it was when she was dying in the hospital.”
“She loves me. I remember. Oh God. I remember. I remember her dying in my arms. I remember you dying in my arms.”
“Don’t think about the dying. Think about how she loves you.”
“We have to save her.”
“I am working on it but right now we have to do something else. I need you snap out of this. I understand Sabian was torturing you. I know you have gone through a lot. But you must pull out of your depression and not fall into the sleep. You have to wake up.”
“And then what? You said we have to do something else. What?”
“When you wake up then you and I have to go back in time and change some things. We can’t let Billy Bingo be killed. He was killed and we have to undo that. Do you understand?”
“We have to travel back in time just like when we undid my death.”
“Right. I will guide you. I will get you back where you need to be. We will make sure you are on the helicopter and are able to stop Billy from flying out of the chopper. Also I will be on the spaceship with Sam and try to make sure the helicopter can be brought under control faster so there is less danger. We want to make sure that we don’t make matters worse. We want Billy saved. We do not want you to end up dead.”
Victor said, “I don’t know if I can do this.”
“You can do this.”
“I am in pain. I am in so much fucking pain. And thoughts keep repeating in my head.”
“You can talk that pain away without going into the sleep.”
“I can talk the pain away?”
“You don’t have to remember the pain from Amelia or from what you went through when you died. You don’t have to relive any of that. Just push the thoughts out. You can push the pain out. I don’t think Sabian had any idea what he was doing when he opened that door of pain but you can close it. You have the power to close it.”
“Sabian tortured me.”
“I know he did but you are not weak. You are strong. You are as strong as Sabian. You can close that door in your mind that he opened.”
“I can not stop the pain without going to sleep.”
“You can. You must.”
“I can not stop thinking about Jossette. I can not stop thinking how she didn’t really love me.”
“She did. She does. She just has her own problems right now.”
“And you. I keep thinking about you. You must hate me. You died saving me.”
“Man. I don’t hate you.”
“You could have had a good life with Lilly Bare. I know how much you love her.”
“Of course I love her but I have no regrets. I don’t hate you. I love you.”
“You love me? Who are you that you should love me? Why should you love me? Why did you take up time with me and teach me things? I am thankful for the time you spent with me and I owe you so much, but still I’ve wondered. Why?”
“You are my brother.”
“I am not your brother. Stewart is my brother.”
“I am your half brother. Ellen was my biological mother. I was adopted. Now snap the fuck out of this. Get the pain out of your head. And let us get Billy back to the world of the living.”
George asked, “Donny, what should I do? How can I help?”
“Just stay with Victor when we transport. Help keep him awake and keep yourself awake as well.”
George said, “That is not the way my relationship with Victor normally works.”
“Right now, that is the way it has to work.”
“I understand.”
“We are fixing to transport. Get ready.”
George said, “I am ready.”
Victor said, “I am ready.”
Donny screamed, “Artorious, get your ass in gear. I am going to need your help.”
Artorious called back, “Donny. Okay. I hear you.”
Donny said, “Ready. Set. Go.”
And then Victor vanished from standing in front of Sam and Alice. He disappeared before their eyes.
Alice questioned, “Okay. What just happened?”
Sam said, “I don’t have a clue.”
***
The past…
On his spaceship, Sabian looked about. He took a deep breath. He told Alice with whom he had been speaking, “Victor is gone. He has vanished.”
On the Legman’s starship, Pam said, “Look at the monitors. Victor is emerging from the helicopter again. It is almost just like before.”
Dorian said, “This time Victor’s soul is not here.” Dorian scratched her head. “Was he ever here.”
Pam said, “Yes and no. I feel confused.”
Dorian said, “Oh my God. Look at the time monitor. We have just experienced an altered blip in time. I feel like something wonderful is about to happen. Do you feel it?”
The Legman nodded. He said, “I think so. God, I hope so.”
As Dorian studied a rolling log from the computer, she said, “It is right there in the time data. Weird. I have never seen this happen before. This is definitely an altered blip in time.”
Pam screamed in joy. “Oh my God. Look at that. Look. Legman. Do you see that?” Pam turned up the audio so they could hear what was happening on the ground as they watched.
The Legman smiled ear to ear. “It is my Billy. He is getting off the helicopter.”
Billy and Victor walked up to where everyone was standing. As they walked up, the stretcher with Billy’s body vanished. The medical people and their vehicles vanished. Natalina stared at Victor and Billy. She knelt down and grabbed Billy into her arms. She looked up toward Victor. Joyfully she said, “You changed time.”
“Time was altered so that I was on the helicopter to stop Billy from falling out.”
Daniel asked, “You went to the time portal.”
George said, “Donny’s ghost and I went to the time portal. He made sure I returned to the helicopter at the same time Billy returned to the helicopter.”
Natalina asked, “Donny?”
Daniel questioned, “Donny Maxtone?”
George said, “Yeah, he got me back to the helicopter in time to make a difference. He was also on Sam’s spaceship to do some things there.”
Daniel asked, “Yeah. I remember it now. You did appear back at the same time as Billy.”
“The important thing is that Billy is alive.”
Nat ran up and hugged his cousin and his mom.
Arthur walked up and patted Victor on the back. “You did good.”
George said, “Donny Maxtone did good.” He whispered, “And your grandfather helped.”
Pam asked, “So is Victor the spawn of Donny Maxtone?”
Dorian asked, “And who is Donny Maxtone?”
The Legman said, “He helped save my Billy. I owe him.”
Arthur looked up toward the sky. “Thank you grandfather.”
Invisible, Artorious patted his grandson on the back. “You are welcome.”
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