Chapter 15
Back in Jesse's garage, Erica and Ernie finished rummaging through the drawers of Jesse's workbench. They came up empty-handed.
Back at Beth's home, Matt parked his police car in Beth's driveway.
He got out then opened up the passenger door. Louie got out.
Matt grabbed Louie by his arm and walked to the front door. He knocked.
A few seconds passed, and the door slowly opens.
Beth appeared in the doorway in her nightgown.
She looked like death warmed over while she held her stomach. She was in pain.
Matt looked concerned. "What's wrong, Beth?"
Louie looked relieved when he saw Beth inside her home.
Beth looked at Matt and started sobbing. She dropped to her knees.
Matt rushed inside her house and brought her to her feet. He walked her into the living room.
Louie entered the house.
Matt walked Beth to the couch and set her down.
"Did you have an abortion?"
Beth hesitated. She looked at Matt, who looked concerned.
She nodded in agreement while she held her stomach.
Matt saw a trail of dried blood running from her crotch down the inside of her right thigh.
"We're taking you over to see Doc Bryant," Matt said while he picked Beth up in his arms.
Matt rushed over to the front door with Beth cradled in his arms.
Louie followed Matt to the front door.
Matt rushed Beth over to his police car.
Louie ran over, went to the passenger door. He opened the passenger door for Matt.
Matt placed Beth in the backseat.
Louie closed the door and opened the passenger door while Matt ran around to the other side of the car.
Louie got in the passenger seat while Matt got behind the wheel and immediately started up the car.
Matt backed the police car down the driveway and to the street.
He screeched his car off down the street with his siren blaring.
Back in Jesse's garage, Erica and Ernie walked over to the bookcase. They looked at all the crap stored on the shelves.
"That's a ton of stuff to go through," he said.
Erica nodded then glanced at the garbage can then she got the heebie-jeebies.
Ernie noticed while she moved away from the can. "What's wrong?"
"Garbage. I hate messing with the garbage," she said.
"But you work with food all day," he asked, not understanding her comment.
"The dishwasher deals with the trash. I freaked out when I was a child and accidentally dumped the entire garbage can on me one day. I was buried in stinky garbage," she said and got the heebie-jeebies again while she thought about that day.
Ernie looked at the garbage can, and his eyes widened while he thought about her story.
He rushed over to it and removed the lid.
He reached inside the can.
Erica got the shivers thinking about garbage.
Ernie removed the paper bag.
He dumped out its contents onto the garage floor.
Erica's eyes widen in disbelief when she saw the black boots, black pants, black shirt, black ski mask, black leather gloves, Ernie's camera, a bundle of twenty dollar bills, and the 38 Special.
Erica walked over to the evidence pile. "I don't believe it. There's no way," she said, not believing her eyes.
A car was heard stopping in the driveway.
Ernie got a little scared. "He's here. We better take this stuff to grandpa," he said while he started shoving the items back into the paper bag.
Erica looked a little confused by his statement. "Did you repeat grandpa?"
"I mean Ernie's grandfather," he said while he continued to scoop up the contents into the paper bag.
He grabbed Erica's hand and rushed her to the side door.
They got four feet from the side door when it suddenly opened.
They froze when Jesse appeared in the doorway. He saw Erica and Ernie and got furious. "What the fuck are you doing here?"
Jesse saw his paper bag in Ernie's hand. He stepped inside the garage and closed the door behind him.
Erica looked pissed. "I know what you did with Beth! You bastard!" she yelled at Jesse.
Jesse looked at Erica and then at Ernie. A satisfying grin grew on his face while a new plan popped into his mind.
"This is perfect. I couldn't have planned it so perfect," he said then grinned.
Ernie and Erica inched in fear backward away from Jesse.
"I have a stranger that wandered into town, robbed the bank, and then killed my wife. I caught the bastard, and I killed him," Jesse said with a smirk.
Ernie and Erica inched backward toward the bookcase on the other wall.
"It won't work. I have the evidence that you robbed the bank," Ernie said while he held up the paper bag.
"Evidence? You mean the evidence I'll place in your strange vehicle out in the woods."
Jesse reached in his pants pocket and removed the ignition key from the time machine. He flashed it at Ernie. Here's your key to your strange vehicle. I don't want to be caught with it," he said, then tossed it at Ernie.
Ernie caught the key with his free hand. He shoved it in his pants pocket.
Ernie looked at Jesse just as his fist smacked his face. Ernie dropped back and hit the floor. He dropped the paper bag.
Jesse lunged after Erica grabbing her by her throat. His face turned red while he squeezed with all his might.
She gasped for air while she punched Jesse with both of her fists into the side of his head. It didn't faze him.
Ernie sat up with a split lip.
A faint police siren was heard outside.
Ernie saw Jesse strangling Erica.
He started to move after Jesse. He froze being a coward.
Erica gasped for air while Jesse squeezed her throat.
Ernie stood there, afraid.
"I'm surprised you didn't piss your pants. Pussy boy. You're next."
Ernie got furious. He turned around and ran to the garage door.
Ernie ran as fast as he could at Jesse.
Ernie body slammed Jesse off of Erica.
They tumbled on the floor.
Jesse landed on top of Ernie and straddled his body. He grabbed Ernie's throat and squeezed. Ernie gasped for air.
Erica still gasped for air. She saw the paper bag nearby.
She scooted over to the bag and reached inside.
She removed the 38 Special.
"Stop, or I'll shoot!" she called out in a raspy voice while she aimed the 38 Special at Jesse.
Jesse saw Erica with the revolver in her hand.
He removed his hands from Ernie's neck.
He chuckled at the sight of Erica.
The police siren got louder outside.
"You're too cute, Erica," Jesse said while he strutted over to her.
Erica inched backward to the bookcase. Her hand shook with the revolver in her hand.
"You won't shoot me. I'm the father of your precious child," Jesse said with a sarcastic tone.
Erica turned and inched backward alongside the bookcase heading to the back wall.
Jesse snatched a baseball bat off the bookcase.
Ernie stood frozen in fear while he watched. Then he looked upset and glanced down at his crotch when he felt something wet. He saw a small pee spot in his groin. He felt ashamed.
Jesse got closer to Erica and reached for the revolver.
Erica moved the revolver down and fired off a round.
Jesse looked surprised. He dropped the bat. It clanged on the floor. He fell to the floor in pain. "You shot me, you bitch!" he yelled out while he held his right foot then rolled around in pain.
Erica dropped the revolver to the floor.
The police siren was louder outside.
Ernie rushed over and grabbed Erica's hand.
Ernie rushed Erica to the side door.
Jesse grabbed the revolver. He aimed it at Ernie and Erica while they made it to the door.
He fired off a shot.
Ernie and Erica made it safely out the door.
Jesse painfully stood up.
He painfully hobbled over to the door with the revolver in his hand.
Outside Jesse and Erica's home, Matt's police car screeched to a stop by the curb.
Ernie and Erica ran from the side of the garage toward the front yard.
Erica saw Matt rush out of his police car. "Jesse tried to kill me! And he has a gun!" Erica cried out with a raspy voice.
Matt ran over to Erica and Ernie. "Where is he?"
"In the garage," Ernie told him.
Matt ran to the side door of the garage.
Ernie ran Erica to the middle of the front yard.
Louie got out of Matt's police car. He walked over to the front yard.
"You did it," he told Ernie while he walked over and patted Ernie on his shoulder.
"Yeah," Ernie said while he looked at Erica.
Inside the garage, Jesse painfully hobbled to the side door.
Matt greeted Jesse at the door.
Matt saw the revolver in Jesse's hand.
"You better drop that gun if you know what's good for you!"
"Dad, I caught this stranger trying to hurt Erica. I had to defend her," Jesse said in a believable tone.
"I said, drop the gun!" Matt yelled.
Jesse dropped the gun.
Matt bent down, picked up the gun, and shoved it in his dress pants pocket. "Erica! Get in here with that other guy!" he yelled out.
Jesse sat down on the floor in pain.
Matt saw blood oozing out of Jesse's foot. "Who shot you?"
"Erica," Jesse replied while he held his foot.
Erica and Ernie stood at the side door.
"What happened in here?" Matt asked Erica and Ernie.
"Jesse tried to strangle the both of us?" Erica replied with her voice, still being a little raspy.
Matt looked and could still see Jesse's handprints on her throat.
"Why would he do that?" Matt asked Jesse while he glared down at him.
"He robbed your bank. He got Beth pregnant and took her to Emerson to have an abortion. He wanted to get rid of Erica so he can marry Beth," Ernie told Matt.
"They're lying, dad."
"Matt, look in that paper bag. You'll find the outfit Jesse used to rob the bank," Erica said and pointed at the bag.
"Plus he stole my camera. If you get the film developed, you'll see him running away after the robbery."
Matt walked over to the paper bag. He peeked inside and saw everything.
"I'm telling you, they're lying," Jesse cried out.
Matt looked back at Jesse, and he had fire in his eyes. "I just left Beth's house. She told me she had an abortion."
Jesse looked pale.
"Please leave the garage," Matt told Erica and Ernie while he started to remove his belt.
Ernie and Erica rushed out the side door.
"I didn't raise you to act like this," Matt snarled at Jesse while he had his belt removed from his pants.
Jesse's curled up in the fetal position while he anticipated a beating. "Please don't!" Jesse pleaded.
Matt whipped the belt up in the air.
Jesse closed his eyes while he anticipated the belt.
Outside the garage, Erica and Ernie heard the smacks of Matt's belt while he gave Jesse a whopping. They both smiled over that sound for the first time in their lives.
Ernie walked Erica to the middle of the front yard where Louie waited.
Louie saw Ernie's split lip and black and blue right eye. "You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah," Ernie replied then realized that his lip was bleeding.
"You want me to get a band-aid or something?" Erica asked and looked concerned.
"Nah, I'll be fine," Ernie replied while he wiped away some of the blood off of his lip.
All the neighbors from all sides of the street were out in their yards, checking out the action at Erica's house.
Erica's eyes suddenly widen. "Ernie!" she cried out.
"Yes," Ernie answered without thinking.
"My son Ernie," she cried out then ran to the front door.
Ernie watched while she ran inside her house. He heard more smacks while Matt beat Jesse with his belt.
"Man, I remember those beatings when I was a kid," Louie said, and he cringed in sympathy pain every time he heard a smack of the belt.
Erica walked out of the house with young Ernie in her arms. He looked like he just woke up.
Erica walked over to Ernie. "Ernie. This nice man named Timmy saved my life," she said.
Young Ernie looked at Ernie and smiled.
"Thank you," young Ernie said with a smile.
"Give the nice man a hug," she told young Ernie.
Erica moved young Ernie over to Ernie.
The younger Ernie gave Ernie a hug.
This gave Ernie a strange feeling through his whole body.
Louie turned so nobody would see that his eyes started to tear up over this sight.
Matt walked around from the side of the garage. He had the paper bag in one hand while he escorted Jesse from the side of the garage.
Jesse looked like he wanted revenge while he glared at Ernie and Erica.
"I want both of you in my office in the morning for some statements," he told Erica and Ernie.
Erica's eyes welled up while she watched Matt escort Jesse to his police car.
Ernie didn't feel sad while he watched Matt place Jesse in the passenger seat.
Matt closed the passenger door and walked around to the driver's door. "Hey, Mexican. I want you in my office in the morning for some statements. And thank you," Matt said then he got behind the wheel and closed his door.
Matt drove his police car down the street.
"We better be going," Louie told Ernie.
Erica leaned over at Ernie. She gave him a kiss on his cheek. 'Thank you for saving my life."
Ernie fought hard to hold back his tears. "My pleasure," he said and looked happy.
Then it dawned on Louie. "We left the motorcycle at your grandfather's house," he told Ernie.
Erica thought that was odd. "Why do you keep on calling Matt grandfather?" she asked.
"Ah, I don't know why. I can't explain it," Ernie replied and hoped she wouldn't ask again.
"We better start walking," Louie told Ernie.
Erica felt terrible they had to walk. She saw her neighbor Betty walk over from across the street. "Hey Betty, can you give them a ride over to Matt's house? Then when you get back, I'll tell you what happened," she asked.
"Why sure thing," Betty replied then turned around and headed to her 1953 Chevrolet Bel-Air parked in her driveway.
"Thanks," Ernie said.
"Yeah, thank," Louie said.
Erica smiled at Ernie and Louie while they walked over to Betty's driveway.
A little while later, Betty dropped Ernie and Louie off at Matt's house.
She drove away, anxious to hear what happened to cause Jesse to be taken away by Matt.
Ernie and Louie got on the motorcycle.
Louie kicked started it and drove off down the street.
Wilma peeked out her living room curtains, wondering what happened to Matt.
A little while later, Louie raced his motorcycle out of Waterford and headed down the two-lane road.
The sun had dropped below the horizon, and darkness started to fill up the woods.
The Indian motorcycle was parked by the tent and covered time machine.
Ernie and Louie lay in the tent.
Ernie looked a little upset. "I froze."
"You what?" Louie asked not sure he understood what he said.
"I froze while dad tried to take the gun away from mom. She shot him in the foot," Ernie said and started to feel ashamed.
"Don't worry about it. You still saved her life. That was the whole reason we time-traveled back to fifty-six," Louie replied.
"I could have fought back a little harder. All I did was tackle him off her."
"Like I said. You saved her life," Louie said.
Ernie still didn't feel like a hero. "Yeah, but I peed in my pants a little."
"Quit worrying about that. You'll be doing more of that when you get in your fifties," Louie replied, knowing about that all too well.
Louie closed his eyes and started to drift off to sleep.
Ernie stared at the top of the tent and still felt ashamed and wished he did more to save her.
Back at his home, Matt broke the news to Wilma what had happed with Jesse, Erica, and Beth.
She broke down and sobbed.
Matt took her in his arms, and he was furious with Jesse and wanted to beat him again in the worst way. But he decided that wouldn't do any good and it would be best to let the court system pass on the proper punishment.
Erica lay in bed and stared at the ceiling. She thought at times that today's events were a dream and couldn't believe Jesse tried to kill her.
But on the other hand, she was sort of glad that maybe now she could divorce Jesse without objections from her parents or in-laws.
She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Young Ernie slept in his bed in his Cowboy and Indians pajamas. He didn't have a clue what happened today. But then again, he knew.