PART XXXV

Wet sandpaper. Why was there someone rubbing wet sandpaper on my face? I turned my head toward the smell of brine and fish rot and came eye to eye with The Old Man. He stopped licking my face for a second and then yawned and licked his lips. Fish rot. I should have known.

I pushed myself up off the floor, leaving the bowling ball where it was, and crossed to the door. I was trying to figure out what I was going to say to Carl when I opened the door. He'd probably made up his mind, and that was for the best.

It only took a second to open the door, but it took even less time for the Tall Man to raise his hand and send me flying across the room, where I slammed into the bathroom door and felt the breath leave my body in a resounding Oof.

I could barely work my eyes, and the room was at a Dutch Angle. I realized my head was on the floor and I was slumped, which was why all I could see were his shoes and nicely pressed pants walking into the room. The carpet was smoldering slightly with ever step he took. Cheap carpet melting, leaving his dance pattern and filling the room with the smell you used to get as a kid when you blew up a plastic model with a firecracker. All that was left was smoldering parts, that gave off acrid black smoke. This was going to confuse the hell out of the cops tomorrow when they tried to figure out what had happened.

Lucky for me the water was still running through the hose, and by pure happenstance the loop cut right across the carpet, cutting off the front of the room. I laughed a little inside thinking the Tall Man was going to have to crawl across the bed like a cheap hooker trying to seduce a John if he was going to get to me.

I raised myself up into a seated position against the wall and rubbed my eyes. The Tall Man squatted down and looked from the bowling ball bag to the hose and then to me. He didn't even pay The Old Man any mind even though his back was arched like a Halloween cat, hair standing on end, fangs barred, hissing. I wished I hadn't just fed him his potion.

When he spoke, his voice raised the hairs on the back of my neck and I swear I could feel his breath on my face from fifteen feet away.

What am I going to do with you Aubrey?

I stifled a smart ass reply, which was more difficult than I thought.

Isn't this what you wanted? For me to play your game?

I didn't think it would take this long. You're really dragging it out.

Then speed it up for me. Fill in the rest of the clues. I'll go grab the last four pieces of my Uncle's soul and then we can High Noon it.

No, I don't think it's your fault. I think you're being slowed down. It should really just be you, then you can do what you need to.

Leave Carl out of this.

But he's already in it.

You touch a hair on his head.

The Tall Man's laugh sounded filtered through a glass jar filled with gravel.

Whew, lucky for me I didn't.

The Tall Man looked me straight in the eyes, then reached down and grabbed the hose. His hand began to shake, then his arm, the vibrations running all through him. It was taking everything he had to hold on, and he was doing it. He stayed like this for long enough to get his point across. He was a bigger bad ass than me. Before he dropped the hose, he dropped a warning.

Don't make me wait too much longer.

As he stood, he turned toward The Old Man, who backed slowly across the bed hissing, never moving his eyes from the Tall Man.

When all this is over, we'll have it out, just you and me. No pink monkey meat to get in our way. With that he turned and walked out the door.

I waited until I was sure he was gone and got to my feet. I felt drunk and had to steady myself with my hand on the bed as I walked across the room.

I didn't even pause as I stepped over the hose. It wasn't a trick. He was just delivering a message, a message I'd hoped I'd never get.

I stood in front of Carl's door and looked at the knob. It had turned black from the heat and was still warm to my touch. As I pushed open the door, I looked down at the carpet. The foot prints were sure, no hesitation at all. Each of them crisp, one set heading in, and another heading out.

The bed was unmade and the TV was still on, the sound low but audible. The smell of burning plastic mixed with the steam coming from the bathroom. I walked across the room and stood outside the bathroom door. I could hear the shower running, which normally would be a good thing, but I'd seen the Tall Man pick up that hose.

The knob to the bathroom door was still warm too, and I turned it more slowly. I wouldn't exactly say that I prayed to find Carl safe on the other side of it, but I thought about it real hard and addressed the thoughts to no one in particular.

The steam hit my face, warm and moist. It was thick.

Carl?

I took a step into the room.

Carl?

I took another. The steam starting to clear out through the open door.

Looking at head height, I didn't see a body through the shower curtain, but looking down, I could see someone was in the tub, just not standing up.

Reaching for the curtain, I noticed there was a hard clump of plastic curtain on the edge, so I grabbed it there too.

Pulling the curtain back, I looked down at Carl, pulled up into himself, hugging his knees, his head down, the hot water from the shower already starting to turn his skin red.

I reached across and turned off the water.

I knelt down and looked across at Carl, and noticed that he was shivering, his body vibrating so fast you almost couldn't tell he was moving.

Carl?

He didn't move at first, but then slowly he raised his head. His eyes were bloodshot and I knew there was as much salt water on his face as there was fresh from the shower. His voice was stuttered and weak.

Aubrey, I want to go home.

Ok buddy, we'll get you home.

I stood and grabbed a towel off the rack and put it over Carl. I had to lift him up, his muscles had been tensed so long in that position, that he had little control over them anymore. Getting his legs over the lip of the tub took a bit, but we finally pulled it off.

I walked Carl out of his room, grabbing his bag, and took him straight into mine and closed the door. After he had changed clothes, he came back in and sat on the bed. The Old Man purred and rubbed against him, and though it broke almost every rule in my book, I stood up and walked over to Carl. He looked up me, still shaking a little.

I can make you forget, if you want.

Will it hurt?

That hit hard, that question. Almost brought out an emotion or two.

No.

Will I forget you?

Not so much forget me as forget about me. I'll be like an old friend from high school, whose face you can't remember.

But you're my best friend.

You don't need a friend like me Carl.

But you're my only friend.

I'll tell you what, if all this goes well, and I get back in one piece I promise I'll look you up and we can get reacquainted, start over.

What if you don't come back?

That is a possibility.

Carl though for a bit, even reached out and petted The Old Man who let him. Just this little act, seemed to calm him. As The Old Man began to purr, Carl's shaking slowly stopped.

Carl looked up at me and a sad smile crossed his face.

You'll be better off without me anyway.

I can't say that's true Carl.

Carl nodded his head.

Do it.

As I reached out toward Carl, my hand started to shake. I placed my palm on his forehead and mumbled under my breath.