CHAPTER EIGHT
The warm soft days of summer in Saint Cloud, Oklahoma seemed to always bring forth pleasant evenings, or at least that’s how some folks envisioned it; others felt it to be too hot and sticky for their taste. As Beau made his way home, he knew his wife Martha wouldn't be there. It was too early for the bingo games at the Union Hall to be finished. As he walked along the shadowy dark streets, he wondered if she thought he was batty too.
Born and raised in Saint Cloud, he was familiar with every house and building within the inconsequential community, as he came to view it. On his slow walk, he passed the Saint Cloud Area School; a dull and lifeless worn-out two-story old brick building; a shell of its former self back in the day. The very sight of the building caused an angry outburst from his subconscious mind, "You stink!" he yelled, "I'll never forgive you and I'll get even with you someday for all the terrible things you inflicted upon me."
Beau still harbored hostile feelings against his teacher; Mr. Elmer Baker, who once announced to his fifth grade class that the city had a population of less than sixty-seven dogs, and that the dog count was higher than Beau Camp's I.Q. He could still feel the emotional scar his classmate's laughter had left on his delicate psyche.
Crossing the street, he sat quietly for several minutes before he heard the male voice of his invisible friend, "What are you doing here in the dark?"
"I was just thinking, with all the opportunities in the world, I never dreamed I'd still be living in this crappy town."
"Well, I wouldn't stay here too long. You do realize the school has placed a curse on you?"
"My god, I need to get the hell away from here!" Beau said leaping to his feet and racing across the street to safety. After making his way to Main Street, he spied the town drunk, Ed Stein, "There he is, another of the town's outstanding pillars of the community," Beau mockingly said to his invisible friend. "I never believed the stories that Ed was born on the municipal building steps; but winter or summer, day or night, Ed is always drunk and slumped over in the same spot," he chuckled.
"Interesting," his unrevealed friend said.
Ed noticed him coming his way and called out, "Hey Beau, you got any spare change for an old war hero?"
Stopping in his tracks, he hesitated for a moment, "You were never a war hero, and you weren’t even in the service.”
"Come over here and sit a spell. I'll tell you about the time I boxed the heavyweight champ of Barron County," Ed rambled on. "I gave him the beatin' of his life, yes sir, I surely did."
Oh boy, just what I need. I've heard this story a hundred times he thought. Ed was still rambling on about his imagined exploits when Beau noticed headlights coming their way. As the vehicle approached, it dawned on him it was Johnny Hudson in his old pale-green Ford pickup truck. As the truck came closer, goose bumps popped out on his forearms, and a spine-chilling sensation of dread spread throughout his entire body. Johnny continued past the two, eyeing them for only a moment and then continued on his way.
Perhaps Miss Stella is right he thought; wondering if he was going nutty, or if something really abnormal was wrong with him.
"Yes sir, the doctors worked on the champ until daylight…" Ed was still talking his nonsense.
Beau took advantage of the opportunity to excuse himself when Ed paused to swat at a mosquito on his forearm. As he continued to walk the tree lined streets toward his home; just another five blocks later, he heard the persistent yapping of a familiar dog coming from Johnny's house.
Staying in the shadows, he crept ever so carefully, stopping at the corner to assess the situation. Johnny’s place was an old rundown dump as most folks would attest. Broken glass, boarded up windows, and beer cans all over his yard. Piles of this-an-that everywhere. Johnny had a ninety-five pound black and tan German shepherd named ‘Razor.’ The dog's unrelenting barking, from the rear of the house aroused Beau’s inner suspicion that something eerie was undeniably in the works.
The lights were off inside the house and Johnny's truck was parked at the curb. Beau watched from his hiding spot as the front door suddenly opened, and Johnny emerged carrying a large trash bag that looked half-full. Tossing it into the back of his pickup, he gave a quick look see and then slid in the front driver's seat. As he quickly sped off, something fell from the back of the truck.
Beau watched the truck turn the corner. As the engine faded and the dog stopped howling, he listened for any unusual sounds and saw no movement in the general vicinity. Very curious about what had fallen from the truck, he quietly moseyed toward the object that lay in the street.
Hesitating, he now heard the truck engine again as the sound was now getting louder. He ran to the object for a hurried look. Surprised to be sure as he picked up a bloody boot, for it was still sticky with moist blood. Dropping the boot, he returned to the safety of the shadows. The truck stopped near the boot and Johnny jumped out. Closely examining it, he then tossed it into the bed of his truck. After glancing around to see if he was being observed, and satisfied he wasn't, he wiped both hands on his pants.
Then without thinking, Beau wiped his hands across the front of his shirt to clean the blood from his own sticky hands. Still skulking in the shadows, he watched as the truck speedily vanished out of sight again. Once again the engine faded away and he felt safe standing in the shadows.
Suddenly, his self-confidence was shattered as a burst of excitement in the tree limbs above him frightened him, launching him into a full dead run. A few minutes later he arrived home out of breath, stopped and sat on his porch steps. Thinking back, he felt sure the boot that fell from the truck, was the same boot that Johnny was wearing in his out-of-body experience, or was his mind just filling in the blanks, he couldn’t be sure.
"I'd like to know what was inside that plastic bag," he muttered aloud. Unlocking the front door, he entered his house. The lights were off and the windows were closed, so he knew his wife wasn't home from bingo yet. She always opened two windows, one on each side of the house for circulation.
Walking through the house, he noticed the scent of perfume. Its pleasant aroma brought a heartening smile to his face. After his mother's death, Beau and his wife had moved into her home; a three bedroom, full basement, red brick, with a one car standalone garage built new back in nineteen thirty-nine. It was a nice improvement over their small two-bedroom house.
Opening the refrigerator, he removed the jar of strawberry jam. Placing it next to the bread and peanut butter on the kitchen counter top. Martha loved a snack before going to bed, so he made a sandwich for her and wrapped it in brown wax paper and placed it on the kitchen table, next to a large empty glass knowing full well, she would have a cold glass of milk with her sandwich. Plus, if she didn’t win anything at the bingo hall, she’d be less likely to take it out on him, if she ate something, or so he hoped.
After a hurried shower, Beau slipped into his sporty pajamas; the dark blue ones with the white stripes that she gave him for his last birthday. Oddly, he thought they looked like something the convicts wore, who worked along the roadway chain-gangs. Turning off the bedroom light, he climbed into his firm twin bed; as he and his wife each had their own. It had been over five years since they had any relations of a sexual nature.
"Beau, are you asleep?" his unseen friend asked.
"No…not yet."
"I stopped by to bestow an honorary title on you."
"Wow, this is exciting. What kind of title are you giving me?" Beau asked as he sat up.
"As of now, you shall be known as the 'Admiral' of my sailing vessel. It has a full crew of monkeys to serve you," the voice whispered.
"Thank you, but who are you? What's your name and title?" Beau asked in a somber tone.
"I am of the highest order of Archangel’s," said the dark spirit, "but you may address me as 'Leonard.' I shall be your guide and mentor for the remainder of your life. For now, I want you to go to sleep, for tomorrow you will have a very busy day indeed." Leonard's lies would become Beau's truth; how easily weak men can be swayed into destructive behavior by dark spirits who are trapped between this realm and the next.
“Where are you…what do you look like?” Beau asked sheepishly.
“You need not see me to know I am there for you. My voice is distinctive and can only be heard by you. See how special you and I are?”
There came a rustling sound from the trees outside his bedroom window. Beau took immediate notice, "Wait a second, what's that chattering noise I hear outside in the trees?"
"I left your monkey crew here to safeguard you while you snooze."
"Is that what I heard in the trees when I was walking home?"
"Yes, you ran so fast you almost lost them. You mustn't' run from them again; it will hurt their little feelings." Leonard admonished his charge graciously.
"Wow, thanks again, I'm the luckiest guy in this whole stinking town," Beau giggled.
Snuggling under the covers, he smiled as he listened to the monkey's chattering away as he imagined them leaping from one limb to another; all the while keeping a sharp lookout.