Subj: Twylyght Tyme Part 10
Date: 8/31/00 3:56:50 PM Central Daylight Time
From: Kallie

"A Nasty Little Habit"

Time: December 3, 1969

Separated from the pantry where the food was kept, the storeroom provided the supplies used mostly by the maintenance men. The Angel slipped inside unseen and flipped on the light revealing that an army of cobwebs had invaded its shelves during the winter season when the room was barely used. In a corner an arachnid of enormous size dropped down threateningly on a silky strand, as if guarding its territory.

On the floor several mousetraps held the remains of invading rodents, the spring of the deadly traps nearly slicing them in two with the violence of its action. But these trivial matters did not concern The Angel, as the dusty cans and bottles were moved around trying to find the perfect poison.

After making a mental inventory of the items available The Angel decided on some weed killer and a wood preserving product. But as the Angel put these into a shopping bag, an even better option came into view, rat poison. Not the modern day pesticide with all their safety restrictions, but the real old fashioned kind, just loaded with arsenic. "Now we're cooking with gas." The Angel whispered. Then as an after thought picked up a shovel from the corner and smashed the living daylights out of that rotund spider. Leaving its guts splattered in a ragged star like pattern against the wall. Feeling pleased The Angel began to hum with delight. Hum-hum, hum-hum. Hum-hum, hum-hum.

Constance Stoolfire was on her way to a rendezvous with Tyrone Slaughter when she made a discovery that delighted her to the core. All the residents had pictures of themselves as they had looked in the prime of their lives pinned up right beside their doors. The one that caught her eye was a black and white portrait of the famous movie star Tallulah Diamond. How glamorous she looked. Tallulah had always been one of Constance's all time favorite idols. And now she was right here somewhere at Twylyght Tyme.

Seeing Nurse Parker nearby, Constance asked her to point out the famous actress to her. She had so much she wanted to ask her about.

"Miss Diamond is sitting in a wheelchair right next to the beauty parlor." Then with a thoughtful look in her eyes she continued, "She was such a sweet lady and still is quite beautiful, it's a real shame she has Alzheimer's."

Constance was off like a shot. The beautician who came in twice a week to style the residents hair, was just about to take Tallulah in for her turn when Constance swooped down on them.

Her words flew out rapidly as if a damn had burst. "Miss Diamond, I have seen all your movies a hundred times. You are the greatest screen actress I have ever seen, a real credit to your craft. Do you have any words of wisdom for someone like me who is just getting started? I thought moving to New York might help to boost my career or maybe even California. Is it hard to break into the movies? Oh how I'd love to see myself up their on the silver screen. I bet you have some wonderful memories…"

Constance slowed down and stopped talking when she realized that her idol was not listening to her. It was only then she began to really see her for the first time. The vacant eyes staring off into space, the mouth agape at the confused futility of her life. Then she remembered that the lady suffered from Alzheimer's; of course she had no memories. Constance realized this now and felt the heat of embarrassment overwhelm her. "I am so sorry, so sorry." She said observing the rag doll helplessness this great woman had been reduced to. Tears filled her eyes as she made her retreat. She was glad she was going to see that hunk Tyrone he would know how to cheer her up.

************************************************************************

Rose Miner was busy preparing the day's lunch when the Angel had finished in the storeroom. There would be two entrees for the residents to choose from. But at the moment Rose was busy chopping up and throwing in the various ingredients for vegetable soup.

But being a cook was not her life's ambition, more than anything else Rose wanted to join up with a motorcycle gang and lead a life of adventure. In anticipation of fulfilling her biker fantasies, her beefy upper arms had been decorated with the blue stain of some rather hellish looking tattoos. Rose was a big girl. Her broad shoulders and short hair underneath the net made her look quite masculine. She enjoyed the fact that several of the residents were afraid of the mere sight of her. It was a good thing this job was only temporary, at the end of the month she would have enough to buy a real hog and then she could have the life she was destined to live. She considered her life boring and longed for a little excitement.

The Angel watched as Rose put on a pair of headphones and started groovin' to the sounds of Jimi Hendrix. She sang as she was chopping, making expressions that looked as if she were in pain as she sang along,

"Wild thing, you make my heart sing."

Rose was wiggling her hips and really attacking the carrots in time with the music in her head,
"Oh, you make everything groovy."

The Angel thought, no wonder the other residents had been frightened of her. The Angel felt sorry for her, thinking it must be tough to be a girl that looked so much like a man. But then The Angel's thoughts moved on to other things such as how to get some of that soup to put the poison in.

"Wild Thing."

And then Rose made her fatal mistake. As she had often done, unknown to anyone else, her nose began to itch and Rose began to excavate. Plunging her thick little digit into her nostril she began to harvest. But even with her finger jammed up her nasal cavity she continued to sing,

"Wild thing I think you move me."

Disgusting! The Angel thought. Rose examined her recently mined nose ore with intense interest, then quickly wiped it under the counter and continued chopping carrots without missing a beat,

"But I want a know for sure."

Rage filled The Angel. There was no way she was eating lunch in the cafeteria today! No longer did she feel pity for this vile creature. It made one sick to their stomach to think of what extra unwanted ingredients might have been consumed as a result of Rose's filthy habit. Certainly a higher power had guided the Angel here to show the way. Looking around for a weapon, an ice pick was discovered and The Angel began to creep up from behind, pulse racing and humming away like crazy. Hum-hum, hum-hum. Hum-hum,hum-hum. Slowly the ice pick was raised and paused like a snake ready to strike.

"Come on and sssock it to me one more time."

And The Angel obliged, plunging the pick deep into just the right spot in her neck to turn her lights off forever. The body stiffened in shock for a minute as Rose wildly grabbed for the pick. But it was too late, life had ended and she fell to the floor with a heavy thud.

The Angel was still humming as she retrieved a couple of bowls from the cupboard, then stepped over Rose's body to ladle some of the unfinished soup into the bowls. It didn't matter that the soup wasn't ready, those who it was intended for wouldn't be around long enough to enjoy the taste anyway. As the poison was stirred into the soup The Angel was filled with joy at having done a valuable service for all who lived at Twylyght Tyme. The Angel was glad to have picked off Rose Miner The Nose Miner.

Kallie >^,,^<

backhome next

Message Boards