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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.”

 

 

 

 

Excerpt:

Judy said, “If I asked Stewart, I think he would take me to visit Rachel. I’ve started to ask him a dozen times but then I don’t because I get so nervous even thinking about a trip to a mental institution. What if I go there and they will not let me leave because they think I am crazy?”

Preacher Pat laughed. “I have had that nightmare. It is a scary thought but irrational.”

“Crazy. I know. But my nerves are a lot more than just that nightmare. I want her to like me. And then I wonder why I want to be liked by someone who tried to kill my brother. I have these mixed emotions and on top of that I don’t even know what I would say to her if I went to visit her.”

Ellen Duddley walked into the living room. “Where the hell is Victor? I am starting to get really scared. Your father suggested we might should hire Johnny Bare to look for him.”

Hearthville Serial: Book 7

Episode 23

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

Judas dropped his robe and walked naked into a deep, clear stream of water. As colorful fish swam about around him, he admired them. He looked up toward the blue sky and shielded his eyes from the bright orange sun. He walked from the shoulder deep stream of water into more shallow water and then out of the water to his thatched hut. He looked about his one room home and threw himself, wet, on his dry bed.

Tears rolled down his face.

“I don’t want to be hated. Jesus, please let me into heaven where I know that I will be loved.”

***

Joe Biden, in checkered blue and yellow pajamas and gold bunny slippers walked up a flight of stairs. As he reached the top, he was proud that he had not fallen.

He clinched his fist and punched the air in front of his chest. “Nailed it.”

Then he walked the corridor to a guest suite located in the southeast corner of the second floor of the White House. He opened the door to enter Lincoln’s Bedroom. “It is hard to believe that Lincoln never slept here. I wonder if he ever had sex here.”

Joe Biden entered the bedroom. He closed the door. He whispered, “Lincoln. Are you around?”

There was no answer.

Joe Biden sat down on the side of the bed.

“I guess there is no such thing as ghosts but Abe, I need to talk to someone and that son of a bitching pope has told me to stop calling him. For a Pope he sure is an asshole. He lets crazy Nancy visit him and has the nerve to tell me, the President of the United States, to fuck off. Like I can still get my dick hard. You would think from the Pope’s mouth to God’s ear and my dick would get hard, but hell no. I spent almost an hour trying to fuck off after I spoke with the Pope. My hand almost got frost bite. Funny story. Turns out I was stroking a Popsicle I had gotten out of the freezer before I called the Pope.”

Joe Biden sat silent on the edge of the bed for a moment. “Did your wife ever get headaches, even when all you want to do is cuddle. My wife says even if my dick will not get hard I could still suck her. But I just don’t like doing that stuff. The last time I tried sucking pussy I got scratched all to hell and the meowing was something awful. Turns out I was in the maid’s bedroom and she sleeps with a cat. I was so embarrassed. The maid said I should not be embarrassed but Hunter was hidden behind the curtains and he was laughing up a storm.”

Joe Biden sat silent on the edge of the bed for a moment. “Did that kind of crazy stuff ever happen to you? I guess, probably not.”

Joe Biden sat silent on the edge of the bed for a moment. “The thing is I am so damned sad. Everyone hates me. And I am afraid I am not going to be able to get into heaven.”

The ghost of Abe sat down on the bed next to Joe. “So can I have the maid’s phone number.”

Joe looked at Abe. He pulled on his beard. “Are you real?”

Abe slapped Joe’s hand away from his beard. “Of course I am real?”

“You are a ghost. Why aren’t you in heaven?”

“I am responsible for deaths of 750,000 Americans. And also Jesus said I would have to shave my beard before he would even consider letting me into heaven.”

“I bet even if you shaved your beard, he wouldn’t let you into heaven.”

“Probably not. That Jesus. He is something of joker. He tried to trick me into taking Oprah Winfrey out on a date and you know that shit isn’t happening.”

“Do you mean if all it took to get into heaven was to date Oprah Winfrey you still wouldn’t do it.”

“Hell no.”

“Is it because she is black?”

“Of course not.”

“Is it because she is fat?”

“No. I love women with meat on their bones.”

“Then why?”

“Do you know as rich as that woman is, she still makes the man pick up the check. I just don’t swing that way. I am of the sexual persuasion that the woman or man I am dating should always shower me with gifts. I am totally buy sexual.”

“You mean you are a whore.”

Abe vanished.

“So if I kill 750,000 Americans like Abe did, I still might not be able to get into heaven but I will be as loved by the American people as Abe Lincoln is. That might be a plan. America has a history of loving cold blooded killers. Bonnie and Clyde. Jesse James. Abe Lincoln. So hell, killing a bunch of people might be worth it. But damn it, I do want to get into heaven and I am pretty sure Jesus doesn’t like killers. I wonder if Oprah would be open to dating me since Jesus seems to like her. But what if she has a cat?”

***

Jack Minx and Preacher Pat Pialo sat with Judy Duddley in the living room.

Jack asked, “So has your family reported Victor missing?”

“Daniel took the report but we are keeping it out of the news.”

Preacher Pat nodded. “I guess that might be best. I am sure Victor will show up safe and sound.”

Judy smiled. “We are hoping.”

Preacher Pat asked, “So is Stewart around?”

“He and Harry, you know Harry Walsh, went down to the Purple Bird to shoot some pool.”

Preacher Pat said, “I did not realize that the Purple Bird had reopened.”

“I think you have to go in through a side door. The front door has a ‘Closed For Covid’ sign on it.”

Jack grinned. “Roy Ruby is a character. Best bartender ever. You can name any real drink and he knows how to make it.”

Judy said, “I have never been there but Steed also likes the place. You know, it is close to where his mom is hospitalized.”

Preacher Pat asked, “Have you met Rachel Ramsey yet?”

“No. I want to meet her. But Steed gets all weird every time I mention it.”

Jack said, “She and Rita Angster did try to murder Victor.”

Judy nodded. “Should I hate her? Should I not want to meet her? How can I have a relationship with Steed if I never meet his mom?”

Jack said, “I’ve never met Preacher Pat’s mom and he has never met my mom.”

Preacher Pat asked, “Do you want to meet my adopted mom?”

Jack asked, “Do you want to meet my mom?”

They both just stared at one another. Their answer was obvious without them having to say it.

Judy said, “So it is agreed that neither of you want to meet each other’s moms, but I do want to meet Rachel.”

Jack said, “So tell Steed that with or without him, you are going to visit his mom. Preacher Pat can take you.”

Preacher Pat said, “Wait. Wait. Wait. Just hold on a second. Don’t put me in the middle of Steed and Judy’s fight over visiting his mom.”

Judy smiled. “I understand.”

Jack said, “Well, we need to be going before Preacher Pat and I start fighting in your living room when you have enough to worry about without us.”

Judy said, “If I asked Stewart, I think he would take me to visit Rachel. I’ve started to ask him a dozen times but then I don’t because I get so nervous even thinking about a trip to a mental institution. What if I go there and they will not let me leave because they think I am crazy?”

Preacher Pat laughed. “I have had that nightmare. It is a scary thought but irrational.”

“Crazy. I know. But my nerves are a lot more than just that nightmare. I want her to like me. And then I wonder why I want to be liked by someone who tried to kill my brother. I have these mixed emotions and on top of that I don’t even know what I would say to her if I went to visit her.”

Ellen Duddley walked into the living room. “Where the hell is Victor? I am starting to get really scared. Your father suggested we might should hire Johnny Bare to look for him.”

 

Excerpt:

Doctor Myler returned from the invisible door. He was shaking his head. “I would never have thought of such a supernatural weapon where even the soul might be the spreader of a virus. The entity who did this must be on the level of Satan.”

Caelous said, “Or Belial in the labs of Satan.”

Doctor Myler trembled. He cleared tears from his eyes. He held out his hands as he closed his eyes to calm himself. Then he opened his eyes. “We must begin work to try to figure what needs to be added to the ponds that are used to cleanse the souls so that the virus can be cleansed from the souls. I hope such will be possible. The idea that I will not be able to visit my daughter and granddaughter for fear of making them sick is unthinkable.”

Iapetus put his hand on Doctor Myler’s shoulder. “Just let me know what you need when you need it and I will send my scouts in search.”

Caelous said, “I left Amelia in the caves in Witch City with her protectors. I need to rescue them. I don’t think they will be able to find their way out on their own.”

“I will call Alice Malokey and let her know the situation.”

“I am not sure she can be trusted. Do you have a way to call Sam directly?”

“If that is what you prefer, I will find a way.”

 

Hearthville Serial: Book 7

Episode 22

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

Iapetus walked with Caelous through a colorful and beautiful garden. There were butterflies dancing in flight through the air. And there were bluejays and red cardinals flying about.

Caelous said, “I think it will be easier for me to return to Iapetus than it was for them to summon me here from there. I think Artorious is wrong.”

Iapetus nodded. “I guess.”

“You guess.”

“Okay. I know. But it is a one way path. And you must go through hell to reach the path.”

“Satan would never allow me to enter hell.”

“Victor could send you there, but I don’t want him to. I don’t want you to go.”

Caelous smiled. “The people of Iapetus may need me.”

“I think we both exaggerate our importance, but if we are important, it is figuring out how to open Iapetus up, not becoming captive there ourselves.”

Caelous and Iapetus stopped and looked into a reflective fountain. From an invisible door, a woman rushed to Iapetus and whispered in his ear. “Victor has been infected with the bioterror weapon Covid AR7341. Doctor Myler is certain of the reading. He has double checked it.”

The woman vanished into the light as she sped back to and through the invisible door. Doctor Myler appeared out of the invisible door and cautiously walked to where Caelous and Iapetus stood.

Doctor Myler asked, “May I freely speak?”

Iapetus nodded. “Please do.”

“On this side Victor is not sick and he will not become sick. Once he returns to the physical world I fear he will become very sick.”

Caelous said, “Most people do not get very sick from covid.”

“Although I am sure the humans will diagnose it as an ordinary covid or one of the variants, this is the bioterror weapon Covid AR7341 and it is a very confusing weapon. I know what I am seeing but it doesn’t make sense. I was able to identify around 20,000 people who have had the same weapon used against them and they have all died within 72 hours of infection. Unless you or Victor can figure how to change the body to fight the fungus/bacteria/virus combination, Victor will not survive in the physical world.”

Iapetus questioned, “You say this weapon has been used on 20,000 people.”

“Maybe more. I do not know. It will register as covid but it is not an ordinary covid by any means. The one good thing about it is that the fungus that is used to spread it as a bioweapon dies fairly quickly after being sprayed and the contagion from the weapon ends when the fungus dies. But one person can spread it to another during the 72 hour death window. Whoever designed it wanted to make sure that the killing would be limited to the target population or the target population would not receive the heavy dose that Victor received.”

Caelous said, “We know that the plan was for Artorious to pretend to be the ghost of Preacher Pat in a conspiracy against Victor and Iapetus. Victor thought he was bringing the ghost of Preacher Pat here to protect him. He did not know there was a conspiracy to cage both himself and Iapetus and send us to Iapetus.”

Doctor Myler said, “The bioterror agent prevents Victor from being able to return to the world of the living. If we can’t find a cure he will surely die if he is returned to the physical world.”

Iapetus asked, “Have I been infected in a way that would prevent me from connecting with my spawn Billy Bingo? Is it possible that I might infect him.”

Doctor Myler said, “You are asking if there is a supernatural element that would cause our souls to be carriers beyond the 72 hour window? My answer is that I don’t know. I must run computer simulations. I pray that it is not possible for us to have been infected.” Doctor Myler ran toward the invisible door and vanished through it.

A man in robes walked up. “I have not been able to determine what Demons possessed Joe Biden back in the 1980’s but I feel certain his is not an ordinary dementia but is a demon possession.”

Iapetus said, “I’ve told you that Biden is evil all on his own. I sense no demons about him.”

“I need to talk to Jesus. Can’t you get me an appointment.”

“Judas, I am sorry. He will not see you.”

“He must see me. He should not hate me. Without me, the world would not celebrate Easter. He might have been born the son of God, but I helped make him a legend.”

Caelous patted Judas on the back. “When the time is right, I am sure Jesus will agree to see you.”

“Tell Jesus that I love him.” Judas walked away.

Caelous looked at his son Iapetus. “You have Judas here?”

“Do you object?”

“Of course not.”

“You do not sense Demons around Biden?”

“When Biden finishes earning his passage to hell, it will be paid for with his sins. He will not be able to blame any Demons and but for one, there is no Priest or Shaman who can save him.”

“A Priest who can save him? How?”

“By changing his path before his dementia and madness takes him. But it is doubtful he will listen to the Shaman. His ear is only to Obama and his path to hell is the same.”

“Maybe we should make him listen.”

“Maybe the virus has us stuck in the metaphysical where our influence in the physical purgatory is over. What if our trying to save earth might become an even worse plague upon earth?”

Caelous shook his head. “Such a mess.”

“Indeed.”

Doctor Myler returned from the invisible door. He was shaking his head. “I would never have thought of such a supernatural weapon where even the soul might be the spreader of a virus. The entity who did this must be on the level of Satan.”

Caelous said, “Or Belial in the labs of Satan.”

Doctor Myler trembled. He cleared tears from his eyes. He held out his hands as he closed his eyes to calm himself. Then he opened his eyes. “We must begin work to try to figure what needs to be added to the ponds that are used to cleanse the souls so that the virus can be cleansed from the souls. I hope such will be possible. The idea that I will not be able to visit my daughter and granddaughter for fear of making them sick is unthinkable.”

Iapetus put his hand on Doctor Myler’s shoulder. “Just let me know what you need when you need it and I will send my scouts in search.”

Caelous said, “I left Amelia in the caves in Witch City with her protectors. I need to rescue them. I don’t think they will be able to find their way out on their own.”

“I will call Alice Malokey and let her know the situation.”

“I am not sure she can be trusted. Do you have a way to call Sam directly?”

“If that is what you prefer, I will find a way.”