Year: 2021

Excerpt:

Stephen was just nineteen but he had built up a pretty good reputation as a Monster Hunter all on his own. He wasn’t sure he should be going to Malokey with his parents. He considered himself grown after all. But how could he continue to work for the Witches Council that had treated his mom so badly. He decided that he couldn’t. And there was a part of him that wanted to learn more about his Malokey heritage.

Phil’s home in Witch City was in the Dixie Quad. The architecture was Roman and U.S. Southern with some Ancient Pluto Viso in the mix. Looking down from the sky, the Quad was beautiful. There were many flowering gardens and none of the magnificent statues had as of yet been melted down by the Anti-History Melicones most noted for their wearing of dunce caps, their wearing of their pants down around their knees and  their slobbering like panting dogs. Also they liked to pick their noses and flick buggers at people. Over all they were a disgusting bunch but unfortunately they were growing in political power. U.S. President Biden had given them hope that people actually liked being bossed around by their mentally inferior. They marveled with glee on seeing how people took mandate orders from someone who is a total idiot, a liar, and a duplicitous miscreant. Truly, Biden was their kind of man.

 

Hearthville Serial: Book 7

Episode 27

Scenes:  A  – B – C – D – E – F

Any Truth, Proper Grammar, or Correct Spelling is totally coincidental if not accidental.
All characters are fiction. This story is fiction. This story makes no claims about any real person.

By Charles Peters

Copyright 2021

All Rights Reserved

Note that this episode will have scenes dripped every Tuesday onto this same page until end scene and new episode is started.

 

Scene A …. Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Alice Malokey, her husband Phil Clyde, and their son Stephen Clyde entered Witch City on Alice’s spaceship. The spaceship was too small to make passage to the planet Malokey and so from Witch City they would take a cruise spaceship mostly used by vacationers. But to them it would hardly be a vacation. It would be them fleeing earth.

Although Alice was giving up her position on the Witches Council and there was much regret about that, she was going home. There was some pleasure in that thought. Phil on the other hand was leaving his home and his parents and his best friend Sam Bigalo. He would no longer be a Monster Hunter on planet earth and he did not know what the hell he would be doing on the planet Malokey.

Stephen was just nineteen but he had built up a pretty good reputation as a Monster Hunter all on his own. He wasn’t sure he should be going to Malokey with his parents. He considered himself grown after all. But how could he continue to work for the Witches Council that had treated his mom so badly. He decided that he couldn’t. And there was a part of him that wanted to learn more about his Malokey heritage.

Phil’s home in Witch City was in the Dixie Quad. The architecture was Roman and U.S. Southern with some Ancient Pluto Viso in the mix. Looking down from the sky, the Quad was beautiful. There were many flowering gardens and none of the magnificent statues had as of yet been melted down by the Anti-History Melicones most noted for their wearing of dunce caps, their wearing of their pants down around their knees and their slobbering like panting dogs. Also they liked to pick their noses and flick buggers at people. Over all they were a disgusting bunch but unfortunately they were growing in political power. U.S. President Biden had given them hope that people actually liked being bossed around by their mentally inferior. They marveled with glee on seeing how people took mandate orders from someone who is a total idiot, a liar, and a duplicitous miscreant. Truly, Biden was their kind of man.

Looking down as the spaceship made its approach to land, Steven said, “Sometimes I forget how beautiful this area of Witch City is.”

Phil agreed. “Yeah, but the beauty will probably be gone soon enough with the changes that have been made to the Witches Council. The new council is most likely to side with the Melicones. All the statues will be destroyed. The gardens will be asphalted over to build basketball courts and be called parks because Melicones are too stupid to know that a park should be a green space. All of the grand swimming pools will be filled in with dirt because the Melicones do not like swimming. I guess I am glad that I will not be here to see when they come to rule Witch City.”

Stephen mumbled. “I like to play basketball. And you can’t really blame the Melicones because none of the clothes they buy from China fit right. I don’t think the fucking communists have ever heard of a thing called a tape measure.”

Phil screamed, “Son of mine, If I ever catching you buying clothes off of the rack I will disown you.” His voice quieted. “And anyway, like I was saying, I guess I am glad that I will not be here to see what they do to the Quad.”

Alice nodded. “Or try to stop it. I am so sorry. I thought I was being smart but I got outplayed by Sabian and Madison’s father.”

Phil kissed his wife. “We always knew that we couldn’t save earth. The best we could hope for was to buy it some time and that time has run out. We have to face the fact that we could never save earth from all of its insane people.” Phil looked at the baggy pants that Stephen was wearing. “We may be getting our son off of planet earth just in time. Look at those awful pants.”

“Granny bought me these pants.”

Alice landed the spaceship behind Phil’s large home that some might call a mansion. They made their exit from the spaceship onto the lush green grass beneath their over priced shoes. Stephen said, “Are you going to keep this place or sell it?”

“I am going to keep it though Sam is going to help me maintain it.”

Sam came out of the mansion to greet the trio. Sam was not too happy. “Alice, my son is missing. Rabbit is missing. And you are going to go back to your home planet without giving a fuck. I thought you were a better friend than that.”

“Of course I care. But there is nothing I can do. I am sure Rabbit and Winston and your parents are okay. And Amelia. Victor did what he did to protect them from Sabian.”

“But what did he do? Where did he transport them?”

“Communication to the Outlands has been cut. I have not been able to communicate with Victor or Madison or any of them. I don’t know where he has hidden them. But I am sure they are alright.”

“Can’t you delay your trip?”

“I am no longer welcome here on earth. I am not safe here on earth. And to be blunt, if I become caged, my family will blow earth to pieces. I am running not just for my safety. I am running for earth’s safety.”

Sam frowned. “Have things become so bad they might try to cage you?”

“Yes. The Witches Council is now run by men and women who are that insane.”

Stephen said, “Mom, we can’t just leave with Rabbit missing. We’ve got to help Sam find them. Why don’t you return to Malokey and then dad and I will join you later?”

Alice said, “You and your father might not be safe either.”

“We are Monster Hunters! Since when did being safe ever enter into the equation. Sam needs our help.”

“Well, if you two stay, then I will also stay. But understand that every second we stay on earth, the closer we might be to a battle that we might not can win. The communist and Monsters are fastly taking over planet earth. The world is so upside down the State of Georgia might actually elect someone as its governor who is a black nationalist, who is a total black racist, and someone who is an advocator for totalitarianism. And look at what the Monsters are doing to Australia and Canada. Planet Earth is not safe.”

Sam asked, “Can we just give up on earth and let the Monsters have it?”

Alice screamed. “Can Amelia just keep sleeping? Isn’t there some way you can wake the bitch up.”

Sam said, “We have tried to wake my dear wife up.”

Alice said, “Well. Maybe you have not tried hard enough. Every second God sleeps, things just keep getting worse on her damn planet.”

Stephen looked at his mom. He realized how upset and how torn she was. He knew she was not just angry at the God Amelia but also angry at herself. He didn’t say anything.

Alice dropped down to her knees and she screamed in tears.

Stephen mumbled, “Melodrama, much.”

Alice reached up toward the sky. “Why can’t we save earth from the forces of evil and their Monsters? Why do I have to be such a fucking failure?”

Sam dropped down to his knees and took Alice in his arms. “When we find Rabbit and Amelia, maybe it is you who can wake her.”

Scene B …. Tuesday, December 21, 2021

[Tips Unmet]

In the dim, artificial light Winston stared at Amelia. “Are we really on a ship, in a cave, or is this a cage?”

Naked, Rabbit climbed up a ladder from the water.

Winston looked at his friend. “Why are you naked?”

“I was skinny dipping. The water is warm. It feels good.”

“Caelous put a full wardrobe in my cabin, which includes several swimsuits. I will loan you one.”

“Yeah. No. I enjoy swimming naked.”

Winston walked over to the ladder. He shoved Rabbit back into the water who landed with a splash. Then from the water he splashed Winston.

Rabbit laughed. “I got you all wet.”

Winston climbed to the bottom of the ladder and knelt down. He put his hand in the water. “You say the water is warm but it feels cold to me.”

“The water may take a little time to  adjust to but…”

“Your perception is that the water is warm. My perception is that the water is cold.”

“So, sometimes getting used to the water temperature takes some adjusting where the water might feel cold when you first stick your foot or hand in the water.”

Winston said, “Rabbit, I am fairly sure that someone has moved us to a cage.”

“You are crazy. There was nothing that Caelous said or did that indicated he was caging us.”

“I don’t think Caelous is the one who caged us.”

“Your grandfather Sabian?”

“He does not like me but I don’t think he would cage me.”

“Maybe temporarily. Do you think?”

“Maybe but I don’t think so. I think someone else did this to Amelia. I think she is the one who they wanted to cage. We just happened to be with her when it happened.”

“Do you have anything concrete to base your theory on other than your perception of whether the water is warm or cold is different from my perception?”

“Come back on board the boat and get dressed. I want you to sit with me and Amelia for a little bit. And also when your grandparents come around pay attention to them.”

“Pay attention to my grandparents. Wait. Why? What you are saying.”

“I don’t want to fully explain to you what I am talking about. I want to see if you realize it on your own. And you know, maybe I am wrong.”

Rabbit guessed that Winston suspected that Samanjela and Ansil had not been caged and what Winston and himself were seeing were figments in the cage. To what Winston wanted him to notice about his-Rabbit’s–grandparents he wasn’t sure. In truth Winston had noticed Samanjela had been calling on Winston quite a bit to help take care of Amelia. That was sort of odd. And Rabbit had already noticed that Ansil was at times very hard to find and when he was found he looked almost vacant, like he was somewhere else.

Rabbit said, “If my grandparents were not caged with us and what we are seeing are figments, they must be worried. My granny must be frantic about Amelia. She has taken care of her for so long.”

“So you have noticed that what may be a figment of your grandmother has not been taking care of Amelia in her normal way.”

“I’ve noticed. And it almost seems like my grandfather vanishes at times.”

“And he has almost no personality.”

“Yeah. I guess you may be right. I just don’t want you to be right. What are we going to do?”

“What can we do? My grandfather has taught me quite a bit about cages as far as trapping people in them, but I do not have a clue to how we might escape.”

“My father told me that the cages always have a system where you can monitor people outside the cage. Finding the monitoring system would be proof that we have been caged.”

“I remember my grandfather explaining that the reason the monitoring system is in place is that it is used to create the figments. But the problem, from his point of view, is that it does provide the caged person a way to spy on people outside the cage, if the caged discover it. So we need to find the monitoring system or as my grandfather calls it, ‘The Wizard of Oz.'”

“Well, I hope this cage is not as elaborate as the Land of Oz.”

Winston laughed. “Yeah. Well. If we run into Glenda, don’t try to have sex with her.”

“Me. You are the one who takes long showers so you can jerk off.”

Winston nodded. “But you know, thinking about Oz might help us get out of this cage. Every cage I studied did have four quadrants just like Oz. Still, I am guessing clicking our heals together will not get us out of this cage.”

 

Scene C …. Tuesday, December 28, 2021

[Tips Unmet]

Samanjela and Ansil stood on the ship docked in the cave. They looked around. Samanjela was in tears.

Samanjela begged a question for which she knew Ansil had no answer. “Where could they be? How could they just vanish in the night.”

Ansil offered an answer that he doubted. “Rabbit and Winston could have went to explore the cave to try to find some way out. But they would not have taken Amelia with them.”

Samanjela put her hands to her face. She tried to fight back her tears. “What are we going to do? Wait for Caelous? Leave the ship to try to find some way out of the caves so we can contact Sam?”

Ansil pulled his pants up higher. “My God woman, we are witches. Rabbit and Winston may not know their powers but we know our powers. A spell should not be so hard to get us out of these damn caves. But the question is, once out of the caves will we be safe.”

“Just long enough to get to some communication devices. Then we will come back here in case Rabbit and Winston come back here. And also we will probably be more safe here.”

“Okay. Together or just me?”

“Together. I don’t want to be left here by myself waiting for you and imagining the worst if you take longer than expected.”

“Okay. Together. On Three. One, two, and three.”

They did not go to their mountain top home but to their home that was a few houses over from where Phil had his home in the Dixie Quad. Ansil found one of his phones and at once called Sam.

Sam said, “Dad. Thank God you are calling. I’ve been so worried.”

Ansil said, “Caelous, that is Victor, transported us down into the caves where he has a ship. But son, do not stop worrying. Where are you?”

“Dad, I am over at Phil’s home in Dixie, in the Witch City quad. What did you mean when you told me to not stop worrying?”

“Your mom and I are in our home in Dixie. We are coming to you.”

Ansil and Samanjela appeared next to Sam, Phil, Alice and Stephen. Sam saw at once that his mom was crying.

Sam asked, “Mom. You are scaring me. What has happened?”

Ansil said, “Last night, some time, we don’t know when, Rabbit, Winston and Amelia vanished from the ship. Just vanished. We would have thought the boys were just being boys and off exploring the caves. But Amelia also vanished.”

Sam rolled his eyes up to the heavens. “Oh my God.”

Alice said, “Terrible things are happening. Sabian Blackrock has taken control of the Witches Council. I have resigned.”

Samanjela touched Alice. She moaned, “Dear, oh no.”

Phil said, “The Outlands have been locked. Victor is locked in the Outlands. Iapetus is locked in the Outlands. Others are locked there as well.”

Alice said, “My friend Madison.”

Samanjela pointed her eyes sideways and downward. “Friend. Are you sure?”

Ansil said, “They have locked the Outlands. That breaks the treaties. How could they do that?”

Alice said, “For some reason, some of the Space Alien Witches have decided to steal the earth from the earthlings. Rules and treaties don’t matter to them. They don’t have a clue to how this world works.”

Ansil asked, “Does the political moves they are making somehow connect to the vanishing of Rabbit, Winston, and Amelia?”

Samanjela said, “I thought we were hidden. I don’t understand how they could have found us.”

Sam said, “I think Sabian must of somehow located you. I am going to call him.”

Sabian did not answer his phone.

Sam screamed. “Son of a bitch. Sabian if you think you are going to ignore me then you have another fucking thing coming.”

Sam called Quentin Darko.

Quentin said, “Well. This is an unexpected call. Sam Bigalo. Hunter at large! And that is a fat joke by the way.”

Sam said, “I have no time to replay our old moves on the chess board. And I am not fat. I think Sabian has my son and Amelia. Phil and I need back up. Are you going to give it to me or are you going to be a fucking asshole with more fat jokes?”

Quentin screamed into the phone. “You idiot, of course you have my support against Sabian. How big of an army do you need?”

“I want at least one hundred witches when I raid Sabian’s estate.”

Ansil said, “Son, you need to talk to Sabian first.”

“I called. He did not answer.”

Quentin said, “I will have my people working on a cage that can hold Sabian. It may take at least 48 hours. We need the cage before we begin the attack.”

Alice said, “I will call my brothers. They can have a spaceship with at least 10,000 ready. But they will need 72 hours to prepare.”

Sam said, “Okay. Okay.”

Ansil said, “Son, you know that you are the verge of starting a war. And we don’t know the facts.”

Phil said, “We know that Sabian had the Outlands locked. We know that he had Alice removed from the Witches Council. And we know that God herself is missing.”

Samanjela said, “Sabian’s grandson Winston is also missing.”

Phil said, “And Winston is probably how Sabian found you.”

Ansil said, “I don’t think so. Winston is a good boy. He just happened to be born into a bad family.”

Phil said, “His soul is part of their house.”

Samanjela said, “The House of Backrock is not all bad. There are good souls among them.”

Alice took Samanjela into her arms. “Dear, none of them are as good as you. None.”

Sam said, “Winston is a good person. My mom is right about that. I am not even sure he comes from the House of Blackrock.”

Quentin screamed into the phone. “I just got back from vacation on Camarou. Back up. What are you people saying?”

Sam said, “Sabian Blackrock has taken control of the Witches Council with help from Joesion Grant. Alice Malokey is no longer on the council.”

“Alice is no longer on the council! Joesion is not still in prison? But Sabian and Joesion hate each other. Now they are on the same side. I am confused.”

Alice said, “Joesion thinks Sabian is going to free Napoleon from the cage where he holds him. I expect their alliance will end quickly enough but the damage is done.”

Quentin said, “Will my soldiers and Alice’s 10,000 be enough to capture Sabian?”

Alice said, “My father and brothers and not going to go into a full frontal war. And I have no idea where else we can pull troops. Do you?”

“No. I wish I did. The object is to rescue Rabbit and Amelia. Maybe we can hold Sabian in a cage long enough to accomplish that, but damn, if he has the full Witches Council behind him we are going to be poking the bear big time.”

Samanjela said, “I know Sabian is a fucking asshole bastard but before we prepare for war, we need to talk to him. We need to make sure we know what the hell we are doing.”

Quentin said, “If it is okay Sam, I will call Sabian.”

“He would not answer my call.”

Quentin said, “On second thought, I will call Bilford. Or maybe you should try calling him instead of Sabian.”

Samanjela said, “Let me talk to Winston’s mother Winfrey.” Samanjela quickly made the call before the men folk could sound their objections. “Hello Winfrey. This is Samanjela.”

Winfrey screamed into the phone. “What the fuck have you all done with my son?”

“Please calm down. We have not done anything to hurt Winston. I may hate Sabian…”

“Yeah, who doesn’t?”

“But Winston is a dear. He has been a good friend to Rabbit.”

“They are almost like brothers.”

“Exactly. We would never hurt Winston. But last night, while we were still in hiding on the ship in the caves from Sabian something happened. Rabbit, Amelia, and Winston vanished. We are thinking that Sabian must have found us and did something. Can you talk to Sabian for us?”

“I have your word as witch that you are not playing some kind of game with me.”

“You have my word as a witch and a mother and as a grandmother and as someone who has cared for Amelia herself for ages. I love Winston and Rabbit but let this sink in, Amelia is also missing. And I know for a fact that Sabian was after her.”

“Oh my God. Please do not go to the Witch Media yet. Let me talk to Bilford and we will talk to Sabian just as quickly as we can. Bilford and I came to Witch City to look for Winston. Sabian is still in the physical world.”

“Okay. That is good that you two are in Witch City. To show trust I am going to give you my location.”

Sam screamed, “Mom. No. That is crazy. Don’t do that.”

“Son, we have to show trust.” Samanjela turned back to her phone. “Dear, did you get my location.”

“Yes. I am going to come to meet you without Bilford. I don’t want to put him in a position of having to keep anything from his father. At least not yet although Bilford may have decide his position with or against Sabian soon enough.”

“Okay.”

Winfrey appeared between Alice and Phil. “So, this is what I am thinking. I would like to go to the ship in the caves where you all were hiding. I am pretty good at finding clues and reading history from those clues.”

Quentin spoke into the phone. “Winfrey is really good at that. She has helped me before.”

Winfrey leaned to speak into Sam’s phone. “Hey Quentin. Since they have called you I am guessing they are planning an attack on Sabian.”

Quentin said, “With Alice no longer being on the Witches Council, we are all feeling desperate.”

Winfrey clasped her hands over and under Alice’s right hand. “I had not heard that you are now gone from the Council. These are darker times than I realized. For the record, and I will say it in front of Sabian, I want you back on the Council.”

Alice smiled and patted Winfrey’s hand. “That means a lot to me. And though it is doubtful that I will ever be back on the Council, I would gladly make you one of my commanders.”

Quentin said, “I agree. Winfrey would make a good choice.”

“You flatter me and that makes me smile but my son is missing and I am afraid. I am now even more afraid for Winston than before. Can you get me to the ship in the caves?”

Ansil said, “I am pretty sure that I have got the spell that can get us all there. Are you all ready to make the trip?”

Winfrey said, “I am ready. Let us do this. I want my son back safely by my side.”

Ansil silently, mentally, cast the spell to transport them to the ship in the cave.

Sam elbowed Phil. “Do you smell that?”

Ansil asked, “What?”

“It is the hint of a perfume.”

“It is the same smell from the time we first came here. Just the smell from the water I imagine.”

Sam said, “No. I only know one witch who wears that perfume.”

Phil said, “Wendy Oppers. And she is partial to caves.”

Sam said, “And getting into shit, thinking that she can make a dime.”

Winfrey asked, “Is she a kidnapper?”

“Oh yeah. She is a criminal. There is a Ten Million dollar bounty on her.”

“So does this put Sabian in the clear.”

“No. She is someone that Sabian has hired in the past. But of course he is not the only one who has used her services. Wendy Oppers being involved in this neither clears nor convicts Sabian.”

Winfrey said, “Okay. You’ve told me that is a perfume smell. That is good. I can use that. Let me see if I can follow her moves. Let me see if I can picture her in my mind.” Winfrey screamed, “Oh my God. How big are her breasts. Are they real?”

Sam laughed. “I think they are but Phil and I have had debates about that.”

Alice pulled her husband by the ear. “Seriously. You got close enough to debate whether her breasts are real or not but not close enough to put $10 million into our bank account.”

Sam said, “Alice, you have to understand, Wendy is a slippery one.”

Alice said, “Well, I hope it was you and not Phil who put the body oil on her.”

Sam gave a wicked grin that suggested there was more to what Alice said than just a joke. Phil stared at Sam’s grin and remembered how Wendy had once seduced Sam when they had been trying to lay a trap for her.

Stephen knelt down and picked up a partially smoked cigar. He handed it to Phil.”

Phil asked, “Ansil, is this from you smoking.” Phil put the cigar up to his nose. “Odd.”

“No. And of course I could be wrong but I am pretty sure that was not here before we left.”

Samanjela agreed. “No. I am pretty sure that you are right.”

Phil handed the cigar to Sam. Sam smelt of it. “The tobacco is from Camarou where Quentin said he had just gotten back from Vacation.”

Stephen said, “But if he was on vacation there is no way that he would have known that Caelous had hidden them here. He didn’t seem to know what was going on. Was Quentin lying.”

Phil said, “Wendy Oppers could have contacted him.”

Quentin said, “I have not been in contact with Wendy Oppers.”

Sam stared at his phone. “I forgot he was still on the line. I hate when that happens.”

Quentin laughed. “Yeah. Well. Let me make clear. I am innocent. But it is interesting if that cigar did come from Camarou. For the record, I am in Hearthville. But anyway, there are only two shops that sell cigars there. They don’t have a huge market.”

Sam agreed. “It is a small planet. But they, whoever, could have bought the cigars at any time. The purchase might not be recent.”

Quentin said, “True. Still I am going to make some calls and do some checking. This time I am hanging up. Bye.”

Sam said, “Bye.”

Scene D …. Tuesday, January 4, 2022

Winfrey conjured a special type of flashlight that could cypher bodily shedding to match DNA to some degree depending on how much shedding it had to cypher. Where the flashlight detected Wendy Oppers it would create a 3d hologram of her and the other known people who had been on the ship. It could detect but not create a full hologram of any unknown person who had been on the ship.

Winfrey shined the light in the area where Stephen had found the cigar. Wendy was shown near where the cigar had been but next to her had been another person. The person had blond hair where Wendy had brown hair. Also they had a mustache.

Winfrey said, “Wendy was here with an accomplice. They have blond hair and a mustache. The DNA indicates they are a male.”

Sam said, “Wendy sometimes works with her brother Hinton. He is blond and with a mustache.”

“Okay let me enter Hinton Oppers.”

An image of him appeared next to Wendy.

“So far there is nothing in the DNA to indicate the man with Wendy isn’t Hinton so I am thinking we can assume he was here with her. Is there a bounty on his head?”

Phil said, “$250,000. He is not quite as notorious as his sister but he is wanted. Both of them are going to be very difficult to catch.”

Winfrey said, “They both could still be right here in this cave.” There was silence. Then Winfrey said, “They used a cage to put Winston, and Rabbit into. I am not sure about Amelia.” Winfrey held the replay data coming from flashlight up to where Stephen could see it. “See this. This is the data of them going onto the ship. They didn’t transport. They walked physically. And this is them leaving the ship. Hinton’s weight has greatly increased. They exited the ship onto a small rowboat of some kind.”

Stephen caused a rowboat to materialize it. It was large enough to seat everyone. Everyone got into the rowboat. Stephen sat in the back and caused a small motor to materialize on the back of it and a spotlight to shine in the front of the boat. Winfrey pointed her flashlight into the light of the spotlight. A 3d hologram appeared in the spotlight of the boat that Wendy and Hinton had used in their get away. Stephen followed the hologram to where it had landed on a shore of the cave. Stephen caused a flashlight to appear in everyone’s hand but Winfrey’s who already had a flashlight. They all exited the boat and followed the hologram that Winfrey created with her flashlight. They came to long ladder. The holograms vanished at the bottom of the ladder which suggested that Wendy and Hinton used a transporter spell to travel by magic at that point. Still, Stephen and the rest climbed the ladder. At the end ladder was the basement to someone’s house. From the basement were stairs that led up into the kitchen of a house. From the kitchen the group exited the house.

Samanjela moaned. “We’ve accomplished nothing. I thought we would catch them.”

Winfrey said, “Unless you all have any objections I am going to call my husband Bilford and tell them about the kidnapping. I want him to return to Hearthville to confront his father to see if Sabian will confess that he hired Wendy and Hinton Oppers. Sabian is a pretty good liar so I don’t say the confrontation will prove anything either way but sometimes Bilford can get a reading on his father.”

Sam said, “Okay.”

Quentin called back. “I’ve been doing some checking with some of my contacts. Wendy Oppers brother Hinton has been visiting Camarou. From Camarou he normally travels to Azhom with a man by the name of Meager Ramz. Azhom has been becoming somewhat notorious for its revival of the slave trade.”

Sam said, “Wait. Are you telling me that Wendy and her brother kidnapped Rabbit, Winston, and Amelia to sell them into slavery.”

Quentin said, “No. I am saying that is what Hinton has been involved in lately. I have no idea what Wendy is planning to do with Rabbit and Winston and Amelia.”

Sam said, “Well. Hinton is the one who was smoking the cigar on the ship. We’d already figured that out.”

Winfrey said, I am returning to my Hotel Room to speak with Bilford. It is still possible that Sabian is behind this.”

Alice said, “Yeah. Or not. I don’t know.”

Sam said, “Yeah. Tell Bilford everything so that he knows that there is a big chance Sabian has nothing to do with this. At the same time, let him know that it is still possible that Sabian might be involved.”

“Yeah.” Winfrey snaps her fingers and vanishes.

————————-

Scene E …. Tuesday, January 11, 2022

Winfrey returned to her hotel room.

As Winfrey entered the room Bilford asked, “Where have you been?”

“Samanjela called. I went to see her. Actually Ansil, Sam, Phil, Alice Malokey and Stephen Malokey were there.”

“You should not have gone without me. That was dangerous.”

“Have you and your father ever hired Wendy Oppers?”

“Why?”

“Just answer the damned question and be honest. Don’t be a damned liar like your father.”

“Yes. We have hired her for a few jobs. I don’t much like her.”

“You know. Kidnapping is a dirty business.”

“I agree. She does that kind of shit but that is not what we have hired her to do. We have used her to steal documents, not people.”

“Well. She has kidnapped Winston, Rabbit, and Amelia.”

“Is that what they told you?”

“They had been hiding from your father on a ship down in the caves. The kidnapping happened there. I investigated it.”

“They may have used her. It could be a staged situation.”

“You didn’t tell me that Alice Malokey had been removed from the Witches Council.”

“So you agree it could be Alice trying to get her job back.”

“I don’t agree. Did you know your father was after Amelia?”

“I knew.”

“Then you know why they were hiding down in the cave. And now Amelia has been kidnapped.”

“If father is behind it, I am sure he will make sure that Winston is not harmed.”

“And what if Wendy and Hinton kidnapped Winston and Rabbit to sell them as slaves in Azhorn?”

“Wait! What?”

Bilford quickly called his father. “Dad. Please tell me that you are the one who had Winston, Rabbit, and Amelia kidnapped.”

“Son. What are you talking about?”

“Wendy and Hinton Oppers have kidnapped Winston, Rabbit, and Amelia. Please tell me they were working for you.”

“I hired Wendy to find and kidnap Amelia when I thought I was going to need more leverage. Once things fell into place with Alice stepping down I called the kidnapping off.”

“And you cheated Wendy out of the money you were going to pay her. So she kidnapped my son. You fucking asshole. If my son is sold into slavery and raped, I will kill and cage you myself. Do you understand?”

“I will get Winston back. There is no reason for you to worry about him being sold into slavery.”

“I want Rabbit back and Amelia back and I want Alice back on the Witches Council.”

“Why on earth would you want Alice back on the Witches Council?”

“Because she would not have caused my son to be kidnapped. And you did.”

“Well. I understand that you are angry. And I will get Winston back from Wendy. But there is no way in hell I am going to allow Alice to be put back on the Witches Council.”

Winfrey took the phone. “Listen. Alice’s family could have earth destroyed. Quentin has enough soldiers here on earth to make your life hell even if Alice’s family shows restraint. Alice slipped in a compromise to make me one of her commanders if she is returned to the council.”

“I have an army of my own. Quentin does not scare me. But are you sure that Alice’s family might consider war?”

“Put Alice back on the council.”

“She had me put in prison. In fucking prison. And I am supposed to just look the other way after she had me treated so badly. And even if I am the one who helps get her back on the council she is higher ranked than me because of her damn family on Malokey.”

Bilford took the phone back. “Winfrey will be made one of her commanders. That saves your face. And as far Alice putting you in prison, you were going after Amelia. What the hell did you think Alice was going to do. Just look the other way. You were trying to kidnap God. You don’t try to kidnap God. We both knew that was risky and I figured pretty insane.”

“Okay. Winfrey can tell Alice I will now be Alice’s ally as long as Winfrey is one of her top commanders. That is I will be Winfrey’s ally.”

“Can you get things squared with Wendy and her brother or does Quentin need to send his army after them.”

“I have my own army.”

“Yeah, well, this isn’t about using your army so you can later brag. Before we do any strategic planning, see if you can talk to Wendy and her brother.”

“Strategic planning? What? Wait. Oh. I see what you are thinking. We may need Quentin to calm the resistance, but I agree, let me talk to Wendy first. She may not have an army but she has a gang and a lot of allies and if we can end this peacefully it will be better for everyone. But understand, I am angry that she kidnapped Winston. I may not have made that clear earlier. Winston is an asshole but he is my grandson.”

“I know you love Winston. You just don’t always show it.”

“And son, I also love you.”

Bilford laughed. His father only told him that kind of thing, love, when he had been drinking a bit too much. “Love you also dad. Now go sober up and talk to Wendy.”

Scene f …. Tuesday, January 18, 2022

In a hidden cave, off from where the ship was tied, Merlin sat with Amelia. “My sweet, dear God, if there could be but someway that I might could wake you. And you could begin to cure all of the earth’s problems. My name Merlin, it would again mean something but I promise you that is not why I brought you here. I want you to wake for earth’s sake.”

King Arthur walked up to Merlin. “You know this is wrong. You must return her to Samanjela.”

“I will wake her and she will again be God. How could that be wrong. And until we wake her, Wendy and Hinton Oppers will take the blame for kidnapping her. It all worked out wonderfully.”

“Not for Rabbit and Winston who Wendy and Hinton plan to sell into slavery on the planet Azhom.”

“I plan on you going to buy them.”

“I am not going to go buy two young men and have people think that I am a homosexual. Guinevere and Aleta already think there was some funny business between Prince Valenexual and myself.”

“I must say I also wondered some things when I walked in on the two of you wrestling naked.”

“Shut up.”

Merlin laughed. “But seriously you need to travel to Azhom with Prince Valenexual and Sir Lancelot and make sure that one of you makes the winning bid on Rabbit and Winston. I don’t want those two young men to end up sex slaves. And be sure to have fake ids and wear disguises. I don’t want Wendy to figure out that we are the ones who have purchased Winston and Rabbit.”

King Arthur said, “Let me repeat one more time. You need to return Amelia to Samanjela and we need to rescue Rabbit and Winston from Wendy before she has a chance to auction them off. I managed to get a tracking device on the cage where Wendy put them. I understand you want to wake God from her seemingly endless slumber, but this was all a very bad plan. Let us bring the plan to an end before things get out of hand.”

Merlin screamed, “Earth can not go on as it is going. Something has got to be done. Surely, you understand what I am telling you.”

“So join a turn out the vote group. Don’t kidnap God.”

Merlin begged King Arthur to understand. “If God continues to sleep, then more and more people are going to stop believing in God. And when people don’t believe in God, they stop believing in themselves. They lose touch with their own soul and the longer that last then the more likely their souls are to fall into a sleep. This covid shit doesn’t just risk mortal death but endless sleep for the souls who have surrendered to the madness.” Merlin paused. He clinched his fist. “We need a God who is awake and who is our champion.”

King Arthur said, “There is Iapetus. There is Caelus. And there is Jesus who many Christians believe is God. We can help them give humanity hope.”

Merlin screamed, “We need the true God Amelia.”

King Arthur said, “But she sleeps, and my dear mentor and friend, please find the humility to understand that you don’t have the power to wake God if God does not want to awaken.”

Merlin took Amelia’s hand into his hand. “It is not my pride that drives me to open her eyes and press her ears to the four winds so that she might hear the cries of humanity and understand that we need her.”

King Arthur asked, “Are you sure it is not your pride?”

“Are you going to help me or not?”

“Of course I and my Kingdom will help you.”

A young, somewhat nymphish young man rushes into the cave with his bare feet barely touching the ground. “My sir King, I have terrible news.” Then the young man’s attention turned to the sleeping Amelia. “She is beautiful and I sense dangerous.”

King Arthur said, “Well. Don’t sense too much. What is your terrible news?”

“Tiffany Lane is dying from Covid. She will be back to the Kingdom soon.”

“My Queen Guinevere is dying of Covid. I read her life scripts she had planned. She is dying too soon. She is to die of old age. Not some stupid, queer disease created by…well, whoever.”

King Merlin said, “Well, you know the computer code, time, has been changed by those trying to prevent the over population that destroyed earth in the future.”

“You would defend their monstrous solution.”

“I defend no one but myself and those in my alliance. They are not in my alliance. I simply state what I have been told.”

The young man asked, “Should I plan a full greeting for when our Queen dies and returns to us?”

King Arthur asked, “Merlin, is there anyway we can save her?”

“I already have too much on my plate. I don’t need to be distracted by this.”

“Then I might not can help you. Guinevere is my plate.”

“Fuck. Okay. I will see if I can find what other people are working on. I will see what I can do. But if she has one of the real Covids and not the fake shit they are using to misdiagnose, it is not going to be easy.”

King Arthur said, “Get things prepared for a royal greeting but be ready to call it off if we can save her.”

The young man smiled. “Will do.” He then rushed out of the cave.

King Arthur said, “I am going to her to see what I can find out.”

Merlin rolled his eyes. “Sometimes I hate that woman, your Queen.”

“It could be worse. Prince Valenexual could be your queen.”

Merlin laughed. “I guess. If you say so.”

Excerpt:

Preacher Pialo said, “I had a weird dream. It was something Victor had said about the Sumerians. And it is like the dream led me to a book here in the library. There is evidence the Sumerians were not just in Mesopotania but also in the area of Bolivia in the Americas. Isn’t that weird?”

“I guess. I don’t know. I am not Victor. He would understand the importance of what you are saying but I don’t.”

“It may indicate that the Sumerians fled Atlantis and that Atlantis was much larger than what some scientist, those few who think it might have existed, want to suggest. And Victor said Jesus was a Sumerian. Do you know there is not much historical evidence that Jesus really existed in the area of Palestine or Israel?”

“I am not smart but I am pretty sure that if you start preaching that shit you will be kicked out of the church.”

“I know. I know. I know. But that conversation with Victor keeps weighing on my mind.”

“Yeah. Victor’s conversations with people tends to do that. I love him. Don’t misunderstand. But he is weird. And he can make you weird if you give him half of a chance.”

Hearthville Serial: Book 7

Episode 26

Any Truth, Proper Grammar, or Correct Spelling is totally coincidental if not accidental.
All characters are fiction. This story is fiction. This story makes no claims about any real person.

By Charles Peters

Copyright 2021

All Rights Reserved

Sabian Blackrock, back from the prison on planet Malokey, sat in his mansion, sat in the billiard room, sipping champaign. Joesion Grant, Madison Grant’s father, sat across from him. He was now free from the prison on Malokey but he’d had to deal with Sabian for his freedom. As he sat across from Sabian he was not proud of himself. His own daughter, Madison, was now locked in earth’s Outlands. And his hope to free Napoleon now seemed like a lost cause.

Sabian smiled a devil’s smile. There was talk that Alice Malokey was of a mind to just abandon earth and return to her home planet. Nothing would suit him better.

Sabian’s son Bilford walked into the Billiard room. “None of the people I have working to find Winston and Rabbit have been successful.”

Sabian said, “When my men were going after Amelia, Winston and Rabbit were in the middle of it. Victor transported them when protecting Amelia and Sam’s parents. I am sure Winston is okay.”

Bilford stared at his father. “What if they are trapped in the Outlands?”

“Then they are trapped in the Outlands. There is nothing I can do about it.”

Joesion stared at Bilford. He wondered if Bilford might be a potential ally in trying to figure some way to rescue Madison from the Outlands.”

Bilford screamed, “Sometimes, I fucking hate you.”

Sabian laughed. “Yeah. See what that and the price of eggs in China gets you. I am sure Winston is safe somewhere in Witch City. There is no reason to expect that he was transported to the Outlands.”

“Then I and Winfrey are going to Witch City to look for our son. You may not love Winston but we do.”

Sabian stared at Joesion. “Winston is total disappointment and at times a major thorn in my side. There is nothing loveable about the boy.”

Bilford stormed out of the room. “Fuck you.”

A man came into the room. He walked over to Sabian. “Can I talk freely?”

“Sure. I will stop you if needed.”

“We have reports that Leroy Bare is working on a cure for the more deadly Covid Variant. Do you want him caged?”

“Fuck. Cure him so he will not have a reason to look for his own cure?”

“It is not for himself. There is a girl…”

“The dude is queer. What girl?”

“The whore Tiffany Lane. I believe you met her when Winston brought her home one night.”

Joesion laughed. “Well, alright Winston.”

Sabian smiled at Joesion’s approval. Then Sabian explained, “It was to play Chess. He paid her $500 to play Chess. And when I objected he bet me $10,000 that I could not beat her at Chess.”

The man laughed. “That was so entertaining. Winston, he got you good, yes he did, baby.”

Sabian said, “Should I remind you that you work for me.”

Joesion asked, “So you lost?”

Sabian screamed, “I fucking lost. The girl beat in 17 moves. 17 fucking moves.”

The man asked, “Should I cure Tiffany so Leroy will stop working on a cure?”

Sabian said, “Yes. Yes cure her. I actually like her.”

Joesion nodded in approval.

The man also nodded. “I will get her the cure as fast as I can.”

“Good. Be careful though. Remember, Leroy has his grandfather and Nanny Ogleby watching out for him so even in astral form you might be discovered.”

“I will be careful.”

*****

Victor stood on a cliff. He looked down on the waves of Abscond Ocean beating on the sharp rocks below. He then looked outward to view the flashing lights from a lighthouse across the bay.

Iapetus walked up to Victor. “It is rather beautiful here, isn’t it?”

Victor turned and stared at Iapetus. “Am I dead and in my grave and dreaming all of this?”

“I don’t think so.”

“That sounded convincing.”

Iapetus smiled. Someone once asked me if this is all just God sleeping and having a bad dream. And they supposed that when he wakes, none of us will ever have existed.”

“Amelia does sleep.”

“Has Caelous explained what is happening to you?”

“He explained. And I explained. I can open the Outlands up anytime I choose. I can send Sabian to hell. But the virus must be cured before I will open the Outlands up. The odds are that I probably am not the only soul here who is infected.”

“Can you cure the virus?”

“As you well know magic is constrained by knowledge. You can’t make a car magically appear if you don’t know how to build a car and all of its parts. I have to fully understand the chemistry of the virus to cure it or be able to look into the mind of someone who has that knowledge.”

“Or look into the Aksashic Records.”

“The God Complex Controls that and they don’t like me. Can you go to the Greater Pyramids and view the records?”

“No. They also hate me. Before the Outlands was locked down, I did have souls who could visit there. If you could help them avoid the locks. I don’t believe there would be any danger of them spreading any virus.”

“There is always danger. Things can always go wrong. Do we really want to risk making the God Complex hate us even more?”

“Why not?”

“Before we do that, let me see if I can figure out the cure without sending anyone to the Akashic Records.”

“While we are locked here, there is no telling how many of our friends and allies are being killed and their souls locked in cages. I worry for Billy.”

Victor nodded. “Time is important. I understand.”

******

Madison Grant walked up. She looked at the beautiful scenery around her. “The Outlands is much more vast than I imagined. Someone told me that America was once part of the Outlands. That it was a metaphysical place and somehow became part of the physical world. Is that true?”

Iapetus nodded. “When Jesus raised himself from the dead he raised the Americas to the land of the living and that proved to even the most doubting that he was a God. The Americas was always his land just as the First and Second Iapetus’s are my lands.”

“I understand that would be an amazing thing to see, to transport an entire continent from one dimension to another. I understand that point, if it would have been but possible for the people at the resurrection to have realized it. But how could they. And that is not part of the Bible. And why would Jesus have lands in the Outlands? He is part of the God Complex and has heaven? He is worshipped by a large part of earth’s population. What you are telling me does not make sense.”

Victor and Iapetus stared at one another. Should they explain. Madison did not have a history of exactly being their ally. They understood that at least in part she looked at Jesus as a big fish in the rather small and humble and mostly unimportant Palestine. And was there a purpose to change Madison’s mind about that.

Victor asked, “Do you believe the gnostic and Jewish preaching’s about Jesus are the true stories of Jesus?”

“I’ve always guessed the bible story is mostly true but I have never thought much about it. What do you mean the Jewish Preachings?”

Victor said, “Their preachings were used to convert the Romans and to destroy the Roman Empire.”

Iapetus said, “It is not just the Jews who have altered the history. You know the space alien witches have gone to extremes so people will think that Atlantis and Lemuria were just myths and never existed. And when gnostics and psychics talk about Atlantis they never explain fully right or tell the true story of how Atlantis was destroyed.”

“I don’t understand.”

Victor said, “The true story of Jesus that was passed down by word of mouth in the oral tradition, up until the desolation of the Sumerians, is not what the Jews and Gnostics have told. They stole large parts of the stories and there is truth there but then they altered the stories to fit their narrative for their agenda to destroy Rome and to paint the story as really being about the them; the so called chosen people.”

“I am confused.”

“It is confusing and it would take a book in itself to fully explain. But for starters, understand that in the days of Atlantis the worlds between the living and the dead were not as pronounced as the lines are today. If people knew that I had risen from the dead after being murdered, it would have terrified people. But when Jesus rose from the dead in Southern Atlantis it was beautiful. And though his miracles were amazing, it was understood they were possible. The miracles were grand and talked about but they did not exactly prove he was special up until America was transported from this dimension to the so called living dimension. And from the televised miracle for all to see, along with his having risen from the dead, people began to understand he was a God. And as a God he became the King of Southern Atlantis and from Southern Atlantis he set out to rule earth. Knowing that he was a God, they trusted his vision when he spoke of forming a greater civilization than that which has ever existed before. Not even the exalted MU could compare to the vision he painted. Jesus had a beautiful vision to bless the people and save them from this prison, this computer like world, through a mighty civilization.”

“So you are saying the real story of Jesus happened on Atlantis in an earlier time and not Palestine?”

Victor nodded. “Yes.”

Iapetus smiled. “But the story of my Uncle spans all times. Even with the lies that the Gnostics and Jews have told, the real Jesus lives in the hearts of all men, and even in the men who would deny him. The historical Jesus might not can be proven any more than the historical Atlantis, and though the Space Alien Witches have worked to confuse men and erase memories, Jesus and Atlantis are too much in our hearts to ever be fully erased.”

“But you, yourself are a god. And Jesus is your family. But to ordinary men are you so sure that the real Jesus and the real Atlantis exists in their hearts? In my heart.”

“The real Jesus must exist in the hearts of men because he is the only chance that earth has of freeing itself from the space alien witches and to someday profit freedom from this prison.”

“But Victor is powerful. He sent Belial himself to hell. And you are no slouch.”

Victor said, “I can destroy the lives of men and lock their souls in cages. I can send them to hell. I can free them from the cages and I can free them from hell. But only Jesus has the power to save men. I can’t do that. I am not even sure I would offer salvation to the prisoners of this machine if I could, because there are days I totally fucking hate people.”

Iapetus said, “I can give men refuge. I can buy them time. But I can’t give them grace.”

“But Victor, you saved many souls on Pluto Viso from their cages. You did save them. Your quibble is semantics.”

“I freed them without separating the good from the evil. I could not set them on the right path to find grace. I could only give them a path and many were not even deserving of the inferior path I provided.”

“But what is Jesus doing now? You say what he can do but he isn’t doing it. Why isn’t he doing it? Earth needs saving now, more than ever. Why isn’t he saving earth?”

“Are you so sure that he isn’t working to save earth?” Victor stood silent for a moment. “Now I’ve got to go work on curing this damn freaked up Virus, if such a cure is possible.”

Madison Grant stood at the edge of the cliff as Victor and Iapetus walked off. A woman dressed in a red, hooded cape walked up. Her face was further obscured by a red scarf.

The woman said, “I’ve wondered as you.”

“You know what I wonder?”

“Are the primitive gods of earth any match for the space alien witches? But I tell you the Space Alien Witches are prisoners here just as we all are. Even they need saving. Most just don’t know it.”

The woman then vanished. And there was a cry. There were words but Madison could not understand the words.

Then a man dressed in a KKK hooded sheet walked up. “She is wrong. There are Space Alien Witches who know they are as much prisoners in this Computer Like World as the humans. They believe that if they can destroy this prison, then they will be free.” The hooded figure then vanished.

Madison shook her head. “Destroy this prison? Destroy the realms of earth?”

*******

Stewart walked into the public library. He was slightly drunk from where he had been at the Purple Bird earlier. His brother Victor was missing and he could not think of anything he could do to find Victor. His mom had gone to the Bare Detective Agency and he guessed they knew better how to search for Victor than he did.

Stewart was feeling sorry for himself. At the Purple Bird he had encountered some football players from the Hearthville College. He had laughed and joked with them while he was shooting pool with Harry. It was fun and their company caused him to feel good. Then when they left he felt remose. They were football players and because of his injuries that had left him with permanent damage he could no longer play football. For a moment in time he had felt like he was again part of the team and to Stewart that feeling was wonderful. Then when they left, that great feeling left, disappeared. And he was left feeling sad and worse, a strange a sense of guilt. He had given up on somehow making his leg and throwing arm well enough again to play football. He had not only allowed the injuries to defeat him, but the doomsday doctors to defeat him with their deaf ears and their just go away attitude. “There is nothing we can do.”

Stewart looked at the librarian. She was pretty enough. She had a sweet smile. “Could you point me to the medical section and any books on sports injuries?”

She stood up. She had a nice rack. And when she walked, it was a sexy walk. Stewart followed her. He wanted to flirt with her but he could not think of anything to say. And then they came to the table where Preacher Pialo sat. Stewart looked at him and he looked at Stewart. Because of the curse that Kristen Bigalo had put on them, both of their dicks grew instantly hard.

Still the librarian walked. Preacher Pialo stood up to walk with Stewart and the librarian.

“I am surprised to see you here.”

“Like a dumb jock can’t come to a library.” Stewart hated his own words the moment they came out of his mouth.

“I did not mean that.”

“I am sorry. I am kind of drunk. Forgive me.”

“Of course.”

“I was hoping to find some books where I might could learn to talk some good sense when discussing my football injuries with the doctors. I am tired of the doctors saying they can’t do anything and they leave me just standing there like an unimportant–just go on and die already–fool. I want to be healed. I want to play football again.”

The librarian turned and looked at Stewart and Preacher Pialo. Stewart sensed a bit of sympathy in her eyes as she gazed in his direction. Then upon a closer look into her eyes, he thought he might have mistaken a rogue eyelash for sympathy. As Stewart pondered whether he stood a chance with this beautiful woman, she spoke. Her words were soft and somehow seemed sensual. “There are the books. I do hope you find the information that you need.”

“Thank you.” Stewart said in a voice that made him want to hide his head in embarrassment. He had no idea where that all too deep voice had mustered itself to chime from his mouth.

Stewart and Preacher Pialo both watched the librarian walk back to her desk. Stewart jabbed Preacher Pialo with his elbow. “I am going to tell Jack how you are looking at her and I am going to make him jealous.”

“Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I do hope you tell him in your frog voice. That should give him a good laugh. But anyway, that is one gorgeous woman. A person does not have to be straight to enjoy looking at her. Jack knows how it is.”

Stewart smiled. “I am glad he does because I do not have a clue. So, are you doing research for a sermon. Given the religious library at your home, I can’t imagine you would need to come here for research.”

Preacher Pialo said, “I had a weird dream. It was something Victor had said about the Sumerians. And it is like the dream led me to a book here in the library. There is evidence the Sumerians were not just in Mesopotania but also in the area of Bolivia in the Americas. Isn’t that weird?”

“I guess. I don’t know. I am not Victor. He would understand the importance of what you are saying but I don’t.”

“It may indicate that the Sumerians fled Atlantis and that Atlantis was much larger than what some scientist, those few who think it might have existed, want to suggest. And Victor said Jesus was a Sumerian. Do you know there is not much historical evidence that Jesus really existed in the area of Palestine or Israel?”

“I am not smart but I am pretty sure that if you start preaching that shit you will be kicked out of the church.”

“I know. I know. I know. But that conversation with Victor keeps weighing on my mind.”

“Yeah. Victor’s conversations with people tends to do that. I love him. Don’t misunderstand. But he is weird. And he can make you weird if you give him half of a chance.”

“Like Kristen Bigalo weird.”

“Was that real? Could it have been real?”

Preacher Pialo touched Stewart’s crotch. “Since we are both standing here with erections, you tell me.”

“Her curse was real. That means she was real.”

“Yeah. And I know she was once dead.”

Stewart said, “And now she is a vampire. This is one fucked up weird world where we live.”

 

 

 

 

 

Excerpt:

Leroy reached Doc Hawkins’ Office just as Detective Daniel Bare was placing him under arrest. Leroy stared at Daniel. “What the fuck do you think you are doing.”

“I am making the arrest for FBI. They claim Doc Hawkins has been writing illegal prescriptions for Covid.”

“Daniel. Come on. You know that Doc Hawkins is one of the good guys. And I need his help to save the life of Tiffany Lane.”

“Sorry.”

Hearthville Serial: Book 7

Episode 25

Any Truth, Proper Grammar, or Correct Spelling is totally coincidental if not accidental.
All characters are fiction. This story is fiction. This story makes no claims about any real person.

By Charles Peters

Copyright 2021

All Rights Reserved

Johnny Bare watched Ellen drive off with Wade in the car. He waved bye at them as did Lilly. Then he and Lilly looked at one another.

Johnny said, “Seeing Wade get out of that car shocked the hell out of me.”

Lilly asked, “Do you think Jesus arranged for Ellen to pick Wade up?”

“Someone did. Did you ever consider telling Ellen that Donny was her son?”

“I never met her before today. And Donny did not want her to know, so there was nothing to tempt me. She does seem like a nice woman though. I am glad she now knows.”

The ghost of Nanny Ogleby stood watching Johnny and Lilly. She smiled. Leroy Bare, in astral form, patted Nanny on the back. Leroy said, “I guess I can expect a call from Johnny or Lilly. I had better get back to my body.”

Nanny Ogleby asked, “Why was it important to you for Ellen to know that Donny Maxtone was her son?”

“I had a vision that Wade was going to kill himself. I am hoping that having Ellen and the Duddley family more in his life will prevent that.”

“Kill himself? I guess Tiffany is going to die, then.”

“Not if we an prevent it. I’ve got to get back to my body.”

Leroy popped back to his body. His phone was ringing. He expected Lilly or Johnny would be on the other end. He was surprised to hear a different voice. “Leroy, this is Alice Malokey. The Witches Council has managed to lock down the Outlands and I wanted to let you know that Artorious is stuck there. I can’t reach your grandfather Adolph but he should be told.”

“Isn’t it against a treaty for the Outlands to be blocked off from the other dimensions.”

“You are right. It is. I tried to talk the Witches Council against it but they are not listening to me. I am just about ready to abandon earth and return to my home planet Malokey.”

“Besides Artorious, is there anyone else stuck in the Outlands?”

I can not communicate with anyone there. Communications have been blocked. I am pretty sure that Madison Grant and Victor Duddley and Donny Maxtone are stuck there.”

“Can I tell Johnny Bare?”

“Why would you want to tell Johnny Bare?”

“Because he has been hired to find Victor.”

“Okay. Tell him but just to be clear this conversation did not happen. You can’t tell him how you know.”

“Understood.”

Leroy disconnected.

Nanny Ogleby popped into Leroy’s room. “Did I hear right?”

“You listen to my conversations.”

“Sometimes. But did I hear right? Artorious is stuck in the outlands with Victor and Donny and Madison Grant?”

“You heard right.”

Johnny Bare called Leroy. “I need you to get to the hospital and get to Doc Hawkins to treat Tiffany Lane.”

“I will do my best but listen. I just talked to Alice Malokey. The Witches Council has shut off the Outlands from the other dimensions. Artorious, Victor, Donny Maxtone, and Madison Grant are stuck there. You must not tell anyone how you know. Alice is so upset she is talking about abandoning earth.”

“Fuck.” Johnny looks at his sister Lilly who does not know much about the witch stuff.

Lilly asked, “What is wrong?”

“Nothing.” Johnny turns back to his phone and tells Leroy. “I understand. I will tell my Uncle Hollice. Get to the hospital as fast as you can.”

“Will do.”

Johnny disconnected. He stared at this sister. “Do you really believe Jesus may have brought Ellen and Wade here today so that Ellen would learn that Donny Maxtone was her son.”

“It is a nice thought. But I don’t know.”

“I thought you tended to be agnostic about God and Jesus and such.”

“I am not sure I can ever forgive God for taking Donny away from me so soon. Still, sometimes I think Donny is still with me.”

Johnny nodded. Lilly once had known about the supernatural aspects of life as much as he did, but then her memory was altered. Still, he knew at times, on some level, parts of her memory would creep back though mostly represented as disjointed thoughts and confusing dreams.

“I think our search for Victor should begin with Preacher Pialo.”

Johnny was not sure how he should handle Lilly with the Victor Duddley case, now that he knew Victor was trapped in the Outlands. He couldn’t just allow her to go on one goose chase after another. But then again, did he really have much of a choice.

****

Leroy reached Doc Hawkins’ Office just as Detective Daniel Bare was placing him under arrest. Leroy stared at Daniel. “What the fuck do you think you are doing.”

“I am making the arrest for FBI. They claim Doc Hawkins has been writing illegal prescriptions for Covid.”

“Daniel. Come on. You know that Doc Hawkins is one of the good guys. And I need his help to save the life of Tiffany Lane.”

“Sorry.”

“Yeah. Sorry does not cut it.” Leroy vanished with Doc Hawkins.

“Damn it. Leroy. Bring my prisoner back.” Daniel looked around to make sure no one was watching. He smiled.

Leroy placed Doc Hawkins in his pad.

Doc Hawkins screamed, “What the freak? How on earth did I get here?”

“Just stay calm. I have got to get a patient to you.”

“There is not much I can do without my prescription pad.”

“Yeah. Don’t worry. I am no stranger to alchemy.”

“Leroy, running an illegal drug lab does not qualify you as a chemist.”

“I am pretty sure it does. Just write down the list of medicines that you need and I will get what I need to make them. Now I have to go get Tiffany out of the waiting room hell hole they jokingly call a fucking hospital.”

Leroy appeared in astral form in the waiting room. The room was crowded with patients. And Leroy could smell the stench of death that was waiting for many of them. Tiffany was still sitting there in the same place from where she had called Wade. She guessed that would be the last time she would ever speak to him. She looked like she was about to collapse. One little old lady kept tapping Tiffany’s knee and saying, “It is going to be alright. It is going to be alright.”

An elderly man that sat on the other side of her was in tears. “She is dying. That young woman is dying.”

A nurse walked in and called out a name. It was not Tiffany’s name. The nurse wheeled the wheel chair over to a man who looked like he once had been a manly, hard living, fun loving truck driver. Now he was weak and crumpled. As he helped the nurse who struggled to get him in the wheel chair he said, “I don’t guess I will ever blow my truck horn again.” The man settled down in the wheelchair.

The nurse didn’t say anything. She looked at Tiffany as she pushed the wheelchair out of the room. Tiffany reached out her hand to the nurse as though she were about to say something, but then she didn’t.

Leroy knew his magic was more likely to ping in astral form but he figured if it would work then the better. It was enough that people might witness Tiffany disappear than to witness him both appear and then disappear with Tiffany. In astral form Leroy cast his spell to transport Tiffany to his home. His magic did not ping. It worked.

The elderly woman looked shocked. The elderly man laughed.

The elderly woman screamed, “She vanished. The girl just vanished right in front of us.”

The elderly man said, “If I didn’t believe in God before, I believe in him now. He called her home. Body and soul.”

Some man shook his head. “Wasn’t no God. This damn virus has been engineered to make bodies disappear. That is what it is. Damn fucking environmentalist don’t even want us to have a grave.”

Leroy materialized in his bedroom with Tiffany in his arms. Tiffany reached up and touched his face. “I never realized how handsome you are. Wade should be jealous.”

Leroy smiled. He placed her down in his bed. “We are going to save you. You are going to be okay.”

“But what about all the other people in that room?”

“God help me, but I can’t save them all.”

Tiffany moaned, “Leroy. I am afraid for you. What if you catch what I have.”

“I’ve had covid. It did not make me hardly sick at all.”

“But this could be some kind of variant.”

“I will take my chances.” Leroy opened his bedroom door. He looked at the Doc sitting at the table and writing. “Doc, she is in here.”

Doc Hawkins said, “I don’t understand any of this.”

“Did you make out the list of medicines that you need?”

“I did. The list is over on the table. But I don’t even know the chemical formula of some of those pills.”

“I am not as dumb as I look. I will figure it out.”

Doc Hawkins went to Leroy’s bedroom and saw Tiffany laying in the bed. He moaned, “Oh my God. She looks awful.”

Tiffany laughed a sorrowful laugh. “That is just what a woman wants to hear.”

“Sorry.”

The doc checked her temperature. He checked her heart beat. He checked her oxygen level. Then he pulled Leroy off to the other room. Doc Hawkins whispered, “Tiffany is dying. I don’t know whether I can save her.”

Leroy nodded. “I’ve got to call Wade and let him know that Tiffany is no longer at the hospital. Then I will get started making the medicines.”

“She is going to need to be put on oxygen.”

Leroy mumbles. Then flips his hand around. “There is a machine with an oxygen tank at her bedside I stole from the hospital. Get it hooked up.”

“Son. You know Daniel is going to be showing up here to arrest you.”

“The FBI, maybe. My cousin, Daniel. No. He just likes to pretend to be a bad guy.”

“If you say so. I am going to go do some physical therapy with Tiffany. She needs to be moved about. There is no telling how much damage was done to her, by her being left to sit in that waiting room too long.”

Doc Hawkins returned to the bedroom to work with Tiffany while Leroy called Wade to let him know where he should come. Ellen and Wade head that direction. Leroy then called his mom. “Mom, I need dad’s old chemistry books and with maps from where the mineral compounds can be conjured. And also you need to call granddad and let him know that Artorious is trapped in the Outlands.”

Leroy’s mom, Constance Bare, appeared at her son’s side. “I moved the chemistry books and the maps to your lab in the caves beneath here. What is going on?”

“Tiffany Lane is dying if I can’t save her.” Leroy walked over and showed his mom the list of medicines that Doc Hawkins was going to need.”

“Wow. Wouldn’t it be easier to rob a pharmacy than make these medicines.”

“I considered, but we have got to set up a full blown underground lab to try to save people. And I am not so sure the government has not removed some of these drugs from the pharmacy. Look at this here. And look what is in OxyContin.”

“Fuck. Shit. Hell.”

“Do you really think when that piece of shit Trump had the generic version of that removed from pharmacies it was to save lives. That son of a bitch was totally in on this crap even before execution of the plandemic began.”

“I think it he was just a useful idiot.”

“Well. I don’t know. And then think back to when ‘New World Order’ Bush Sr. stopped diabetics from using Quinine for neuropathy.”

“Oh my God. Okay. Actually. I think I can fill two of these meds from my own lab. But you will have to work on these other two. I am not familiar with them at all. Is it okay if I look in on Tiffany first?”

“Sure.”

“Nervously, Constance walked to her son’s bedroom. She stepped inside. She watched Doc Hawkins working with Tiffany.

Constance asked, “How is it going?”

“We are going to do our best.”

Constance asked, “Tiffany. Do you know how much you are loved?”

“I am just a trailer trash whore.”

“Wade loves you with every fiber of his being. He can’t live without you. Fight to survive with all the strength of your being.”

“I hurt so much. I feel so beaten. How much pain can I person survive before they go in shock?”

Doc Hawkins nodded. “That is a question?”

Constance started walking toward Tiffany.

Tiffany shook her head. “You must not risk catching this.”

“I am safe. Don’t worry. You need to be hugged.”

Constance hugged Tiffany for a moment. She conjured two pill bottles into her hand. She handed the bottles to Doc Hawkins. “Here are two meds on your list. I had them in my lab. Leroy is going to have to work on the other two.”

“Yes. God damn. Yes. These two are the most important to start so this works out But she is going to need the other two or at some point she will relapse down.” Doc Hawkins held up one of the bottles. “This one should help with the pain and prevent you from going into shock, but without weakening your immune system or vital organs.”

“Leroy is going to work on the other two. Look. Uhh. I am going to have to be going but, but…” Constance hated to leave Tiffany. “I will be back.”

Tiffany smiled a sad smile at Constance. “I know you and Victor are close. I guess you are worried about Victor being missing?”

“Missing. Leroy did not tell me about that. I have to go talk to Leroy some more.” Constance remembered Leroy had mentioned that Artorious was trapped in the Outlands but had not given any details.” Constance knew that Artorious hated Victor.

Constance left the bedroom and as soon out of the sight of Doc Hawkins and Tiffany she used magic to go down to Leroy’s lab in the caves. She looked at her son. “I don’t mean to distract you but I need to know about the Artorious situation before I talk to Adolph.”

“It is bad. It is really bad. In violation of the treaty the Outlands has been locked down by the Witches Council. Artorious, Victor, Donny Maxtone, and Madison Grant are stuck there. Alice Malokey is threatening to abandon earth and return to her planet.”

“Okay. I am going to see if my Communication Center can bypass the lock down and if I can reach Dochour.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“I will let Adoph know what is happening. Where in the Outlands is Artorious and Victor?”

“I am not sure. When I get a chance I need to see if I can call Alice Malokey back.”

“Okay. I would call her but I don’t think she will answer my call.”

“Yeah. Well. I should have made clear that she does not want people to know that she told me what is going on.”

“Oh. Okay. I will not even try to call her.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Excerpt:

Ellen saw a hitchhiker. She slowed down as she approached him. For a second she thought it was Victor. But it was Wade Essy. She didn’t know Wade well. She knew his mother and had been told the stories of her awful son. Also she knew that Judy did not like Wade. Neither did Stewart. Victor would shoot baskets and play pool with him some. When Victor was younger and Victor had what seemed to be an entire entourage of friends, Wade had been in that group.

As Ellen came upon Wade she pulled her station wagon to the shoulder of the road and eased up to Wade. She smiled at the big grin on his face but then she felt nervous as he approached the car. She hoped that he was not high on drugs. She rolled her window down.

Hearthville Serial: Book 7

Episode 24

Any Truth, Proper Grammar, or Correct Spelling is totally coincidental if not accidental.
All characters are fiction. This story is fiction. This story makes no claims about any real person.

By Charles Peters

Copyright 2021

All Rights Reserved

Ellen Duddley drove an old station wagon. It is not that Victor had not offered to buy her a new car a million times but she liked her old wagon. Of course the way that Victor had maintained it for her, it looked vintage new. Elliot was dealing with a situation at the college and so he was not with her.

Judy remained home, hoping and praying that any second Victor would walk through the door. He had gone off before without telling anyone. But at some point he had always walked through the door.

Stewart was off doing something. He had told Judy that he was going down to the Purple Bird. Ellen and Judy had not blamed him for not wanting to just sit and worry.

Ellen saw a hitchhiker. She slowed down as she approached him. For a second she thought it was Victor. But it was Wade Essy. She didn’t know Wade well. She knew his mother and had been told the stories of her awful son. Also she knew that Judy did not like Wade. Neither did Stewart. Victor would shoot baskets and play pool with him some. When Victor was younger and Victor had what seemed to be an entire entourage of friends, Wade had been in that group.

As Ellen came upon Wade she pulled her station wagon to the shoulder of the road and eased up to Wade. She smiled at the big grin on his face but then she felt nervous as he approached the car. She hoped that he was not high on drugs. She rolled her window down.

Ellen asked, “Are you okay?”

“A damn hose on my car broke. Lost all the antifreeze.”

Ellen noticed the grease on Wade’s hands.

“I am not like Victor. I can not do shit with cars. Excuse my language.”

Ellen nodded. “I am on my way to meet Johnny Bare. I don’t want to run late. Do you have a phone to call someone for a lift?”

“No signal out here.”

Ellen looked at her phone and saw that she was in the same shape. “Fuck.”

Wade laughed. “Excuse your language.”

“Exactly. So get in the car. Maybe somewhere back toward the Bare estate we will get a signal again.”

“Are you sure? You know, I am a no account character.”

“But your mom Irene is nearly a saint. Get in the car.”

Wade walked around to the passenger door. He opened the door and crawled into the car. He closed the door.

Ellen began to drive.

“Why do you say my mom is a saint? I know she is a church goer and all but you are pretty much the only person in Hearthville who would consider her a saint in a none ironic kind of way.”

“When I was young, she helped me when I needed help. But also, she has told me things about you.” Ellen reached over and patted Wade on the knee to let him know that she wasn’t trying to be mean. “With such a son as you, she would have to be a saint.”

“I guess you have that right. My father disowned me when I was three.” Wade laughed. “How is Victor?”

“No one has seen him since the bio terror attack on the church.”

“Oh no.” Wade looked at Ellen. He knew he should not show himself upset but he felt upset. “He has vanished before.” Wade wondered if that was the wrong thing to say. “I am sure he will be okay.” But in his gut Wade felt this time was different.

“I am going to hire Johnny Bare to look for Victor.”

“I have a money date with a woman. She is going to be disappointed but if it is okay, I’d like to go with you to talk to Johnny Bare.”

“Money date?”

“Ellen, now I know that you know that I am a…” The word seemed to hang in Wade’s throat but he managed to say the word, “whore.”

Ellen wasn’t sure what to say. She stared at Wade. She saw the hurt that his saying that word brought to his face as he struggled to call himself that. An image flashed in Ellen’s mind when Victor, Donny, and Wade would play in the backyard when they were nine or ten. There were other boys with them but those three were in her mind.

“I am sure mom has told you.”

Ellen shook the image of when Victor and Wade were practically babies from her mind. “Your mom uses the word escort. For reasons I don’t know, I’ve wondered if Victor’s friend Deven is also an escort.”

“Deven just does chaturbate as a cam model. He does not use it for hookups or paid dates. I don’t understand why but I think Deven is still in love with Trish Ireland. It is crazy. But I guess sometimes that is what love is. Crazy.”

Ellen thought about when she dated Arthur Ramsey. He was wild back when he was young. Elliot was safe and secure. At first she had thought she was using Elliot to forget Arthur but then she knew that she had fallen in love with Elliot.

“Have you ever fallen in love with any of the women in your pay date black book?”

“There are several I like and I don’t hate any of them. But Tiffany Lane is the woman I love. I plan to marry her. She is also a paid escort. Mom does not think there is any chance that our marriage will work but I think I will die if we can’t make it work.”

The word die made Ellen shiver. “I am sure you and Tiffany will make it work, but we have all survived broken hearts.”

Ellen pulled through the gate and up to the barn that Johnny Bare and Lilly Bare had turned into an office and a home. Johnny Bare sat at a picnic table in front of the barn. He cocked his head when he saw Ellen and Wade get out of the station wagon.

Wade called out to Johnny. “It is not what you think.”

Johnny called back to Wade. “I don’t have a clue to what to think, but you are on the list of names that Daniel gave me as friends and associates of Victor.”

“How in the hell would Daniel know that Victor and I are friends?”

Wade and Ellen approached the table where Johnny sat. Ellen admired the flowers and the beauty of the outdoors. And Johnny. He was a striking man.

“Leroy Bare mentioned you as a common friend. Leroy, in a different vehicle, joined the chase after the van with Victor the day of the Bio Terror attack. We have already questioned Steed. He was in the vehicle with Victor.”

Ellen said, “You move quickly. I just called you this morning.” Ellen thought she heard movement behind a tree and bushes. Then she noticed a squirrel in the area.

Johnny said, “Daniel already had me working on the case. He does that with these kind of cases where some information needs to be kept away from the police department and reporters.”

Ellen said, “I am grateful. So do you have any idea where Victor is?”

“I wish I could tell you that we do but we don’t. Victor is a powerful man and there are powerful forces at work. But from what Daniel has told me Victor is smart. He is tough. I wish I’d had the good fortune to meet him sooner though I am sure in time we will meet. My Uncle Hollis thinks the world of Victor.”

Wade said, “But Daniel doesn’t. Daniel never liked any of us.”

Ellen wasn’t sure how to react to Wade telling her that Daniel doesn’t like Victor. She was still trying to process that Johnny had said there were powerful forces at work. She knew her son was rich and dealt with powerful people. Still, she was not sure what Johnny was saying when he said there are powerful forces at work. “Powerful forces?”

Wade laughed. “Yeah. Powerful forces. Hearthville is the center of the universe and it attracts all kinds–good and bad. But I am sure Victor is okay.”

Ellen studied Wade’s face. Victor was rich and powerful but he was still her little baby. And Wade. No matter what he was doing with his life now, he was still that boy who had come to play with Victor when they were all so young. And now the image of Jossette sitting in the swing with Victor flashed in her mind. Looking through a window she guessed she had witnessed Victor’s first kiss.

Johnny smiled at Wade. He saw that Ellen was about to break down in tears and wanted to interject a different thought. “Wade, how is Irene?”

“Mom is great. She can’t quite get used to idea that I am going to marry Tiffany Lane.”

“I told Lilly about you and Tiffany and she wasn’t sure what to think either. You know Lilly stole Donny away from Ms. Lane.”

“I did not know that. I did not meet Tiffany until, I am not sure when. But it was not when she was dating Donny. Of course Donny always tried to keep his girlfriends away from us clowns.”

Johnny said, “Victor was also good friends with Donny. But oddly, though I guess you just explained it, Lilly told me that she has never met Victor. I was telling her that I had never met Victor.”

Ellen asked, “Donny? You mean Donny Maxtone?”

Johnny said, “Right. You know, Lilly was married to Donny. They were married much too young, but it was true love.”

“I am not sure Victor ever got over the death of Donny. And then that with Jossette. Speaking of young love. And I should tell you that sometimes Victor goes off without telling anyone. But this feels differently.”

“Steed told me that about Victor. And so did Leroy. But they agree with you. This feels different.”

Wade said, “He goes to Atlanta a good bit to visit with Jossette’s mom regarding their joint business. And uh, he goes to Jossette’s grave and that breaks his heart. He can’t take it and he goes into party mode.”

Johnny asked, “So you know about George?”

Ellen asked, “George?”

Wade said, “That is the name Victor uses when he tries to forget his pain and starts to party.”

Johnny said, “I was told that it is almost like he has an alter personality.”

Wade looked at Johnny. “Almost?”

Johnny shook his head in a way to tell Wade not to say more. Wade looked at Ellen and nodded.

“Wait. You are telling me that my son has a split personality.”

Johnny said, “I am not a psychiatrist and I have never met Victor. I am just relaying what I have been told.” Johnny did not mention that he had spoken to Elliot on the phone about George.

Wade said, “You don’t have to have a split personality to use a different name when you are out partying. Especially when you don’t want women to know that you are a millionaire.” Wade knew that in fact Victor did have a full blown alter personality but realized Johnny did not want to tell her that.

Johnny said, “I will do everything within my power to find Victor and bring him back to you.”

Ellen asked, “How much do I need to pay you?”

“Mayor Hollis…”

Wade said, “Your uncle.”

Johnny laughed. “My uncle is paying me some and Steed is paying me the rest.”

“Elliot and I do not have access to Victor’s funds but I have money. I can pay you.”

“No. It was made clear to me by both my Uncle and also Arthur Ramsey that you and Elliot should not spend any of your money on this. They made clear they would cover my expenses.”

Wade said, “And that entitles them to the reports that you generate. Are we sure that neither Steed nor Arthur had anything to do with Victor vanishing.”

“Arthur loves Victor.”

Ellen questioned, “Loves Victor? I am confused.”

“I did not mean in a queer sort of way. Can I talk freely in front of Wade?”

“I guess.”

“About you and Arthur?”

“That was before me and Elliot.”

Wade wanted to Ellen to know that he knew things so she would not be uncomfortable talking in front of him. Wade said, “Victor told me that you had a baby that you gave up for adoption but he did not know that Arthur was the father.”

“I never told Victor that I had given a baby up for adoption. How did he know?”

“My mom. She was drunk. She did not mean to betray your confidence.”

Johnny said, “Arthur tried to explain to me, though I had not asked, that when he looks at Victor that Victor reminds him of the baby the two of you had together that you gave up for adoption. And Steed told me that Victor practically saved his life just by being his friend. They think of Victor as family and they want Victor found. I would not say as much as you and Elliot want Victor found because I doubt that would hardly be possible, but it is important to them. They made that clear to me. I don’t believe Arthur or Steed had anything to do with Victor vanishing.”

Ellen said, “I understand what Arthur was saying. Sometimes I wonder how much my baby that I gave up for adoption is like Victor or Stewart. I guess to some people it might be sound weird but it is through Victor and Stewart that I feel a connection to my baby and I can picture him older.”

Wade asked, “You and Arthur never suspected who your baby is, was? Surely you must have suspected.”

Ellen shook her head. “Wait. What?”

Wade said, “Mom said it broke her heart when she saw Victor at Donny’s funeral. He was crying so much. And Arthur was standing behind Victor and Steed and with Steed trying to comfort Victor.”

“Elliot went to the funeral with Victor but I didn’t go.” Ellen thought a second. “Broke her heart. Wait. What are you saying?”

“You must have suspected. Have I said too much?”

Ellen said, “Say more.”

“Mom didn’t just blurt out about you and Arthur out of the blue, like a drunken subject coming out of thin air though she was somewhat drunk. She was going to try to console Victor. But then when she realized Victor didn’t know you had given a baby up for adoption she shut up and did not say more about the baby to Victor. I wasn’t with them when they were talking but Victor told me. And then I talked to my mom about it.”

Ellen sat down at the picnic table. “What more was there to say about the baby? Did she tell you?”

“She told me enough so that I knew that she had thought Victor knew who Donny Maxtone was. She thought Victor was crying over the death of his half-brother. She didn’t tell Victor and I did not tell Victor because she told me not to tell him but I think on some level he knew. You must have suspected.”

“How did your mom know? I didn’t know. Arthur told me that he didn’t know. I’ve wondered a million times who my son grew up to be. But I could not get the information.” Ellen asked again, “How did Irene know?”

“I don’t know.”

“Could she be wrong?”

Lilly had been leaning up behind a tree and listening. “Donny knew. He had broken into a office and he had made a copy of the records. He told me.”

Ellen stared at Lilly for a moment. Then Ellen buried her head in her hands. She cried. “So it is true. Donny was my baby. I did not go to my baby’s funeral. I did not know that my baby had died.”

Johnny said, “Donny was a fine young man.”

Ellen cried, “And I am the most awful person on the face of the earth. All the times he came into my kitchen with Victor and I had no idea. And I did not go to his funeral.”

Lilly walked to put her hand on Ellen’s shoulder. “Donny did not want you to know. But he loved you.”

Ellen looked up at Lilly. She put her hand on Lilly’s hand on her shoulder. “Donny was my son and he did not hate me.”

Lilly said, “He was your son and he loved you.” Lilly removed her hand from Ellen’s shoulder and stepped back as Johnny stood up.

Wade said, “And Victor loves you.”

Ellen knew why Wade said that. Victor had reasons to hate her, but he didn’t. She knew he didn’t. But it was good to hear Wade say that.

Johnny put his hand on his sister’s shoulder. “Is this breaking your heart?”

“A little bit.”

Ellen stood up and put her arms around Lilly. She kissed her on the cheek. “I know how much Donny loved you. I am sorry how much his death must have hurt you. Thank you for telling me. I wish I had known but I did spend time with my baby. I have memories of being with Donny and Victor. Brothers.”

Tears ran down Lilly’s face. “We will find Victor.”

Ellen nodded. “I know you will. A God who brought me to pick up Wade hitchhiking and who would have me meet the woman my baby loved would not let Victor die. A God who would let me learn the truth this day would not let Victor die. In all this sadness I am so grateful. I wish I had known sooner but just knowing that Donny was my baby means so much. He was a good man. He was a good brother to Victor.”

Wade was not so sure that Victor was still alive. He pictured him laying dead where he had died from the virus. Wade could not stop the tears from rolling down his face.

Johnny stared at Wade crying. He realized Wade feared the worst. He eased over to Wade. “I am always here for you.”

Wade nodded. Wade whispered. “Even if Victor is dead, you need to find his body.”

Johnny nodded. “Don’t give up on Victor yet.”

Ellen turned and looked at Johnny and Wade. “We can’t give up.” She turned around from Lilly. “And Wade, know that you are always welcome in my home. Please don’t be a stranger.”

“You don’t really want someone like me in your home.”

Lilly smiled. “Someone like you? You are a beautiful human being. Who wouldn’t want you in their home? You are always welcome here as well. Know that.”

Johnny said, “Certainly.”

Wade heard what they were saying. And he loved them for saying it. He wiped the tears from his face. He smiled. But then he pictured Donny laying in his coffin. And then he pictured Victor laying in a coffin. And then he pictured himself laying in a coffin. Trying to not reveal his dark thoughts he continued smiling. “Thank you for being my friend and Tiffany’s friend.”

Ellen nodded. “Of course. She is always welcome. I’d like to meet her.”

Suddenly, Wade’s phone began to ring. “Finally! Cellphone service!”

Ellen said, “We did not have any earlier. That is the reason Wade could not call for help when his car broke down.”

Wade answered the phone. “Hey, Tiffany. Your ears must have been burning. I was just talking about you to some friends.”

“My ears. Every part of my body. And I can hardly breathe. I am at the hospital sitting with a plastic bag over my head. And one man in this waiting area just died. Honey. He died. Am I going to die?”

“God. My car is on the fritz but I will get to the hospital just as soon as I can.”

“I think I am going to die.”

“No. You are not going to die. We will get you out of the hospital and get you the meds that will help you.”

“The hospital should have the meds I need.”

“No honey.”

“Yes honey. But I don’t understand this. I took the damn covid shots. I was supposed to be protected.”

“I don’t know how but I am going to come there and get you out of the hospital.”

“I came here for help. You aren’t a doctor.”

“Whether you stay or leave, I am going to be at the hospital as soon as I can get there.”

“I love you.”

“I love you.”

Wade put his phone away. He looked around. “I’ve got to get to the hospital. Tiffany is bad off.”

Ellen said, “I will drive you there.”

Lilly said, “Leroy works at the hospital. He also has a place there. Though of course with Leroy, who knows where he is right now. But I will call him and tell him to get Tiffany to Doc Hawkins. Doc Hawkins will get her the right meds and none of that shit the hospitals have been giving people that makes them sicker.”

Johnny said, “I will call Doc Hawkins. Do not worry about any expenses if that subject comes up.”

Wade said, “What a day. Victor. Tiffany.”

Lilly asked, “Did you get the shot?”

“Hell no. At best you get the saline solution and at worse you get the 30 that kills you.”

Lilly nodded. “And then the 10 and 20 between. The 20 is almost as bad as the 30.”

Ellen listened but wasn’t sure what to add to the conversation.

Wade said, “Ellen. Thanks. Let us go.”

“Right. Right. Johnny. Lilly. Please find Victor.”

Lilly said, “We will. You get Wade to the hospital. Hopefully Leroy will already be there with Doc Hawkins.”

Johnny said, “And listen they may not let you in to see her if Leroy and Doc Hawkins have not interceded yet.”

“I’ve heard the stories of people dying alone. I will not let Tiffany die. Alone or otherwise.”

Ellen nodded. “Let us get to the hospital.”