Subj: "Twylyght Tyme" Part 11
Date: 9/10/00 6:40:19 PM Central Daylight Time
From: Kallie

Time: December 3, 1969

"Fallen Angel"

By lunchtime, the other kitchen workers arrived and discovered the body. The police were called. But the way it was snowing out side, it would be awhile before they could get there. With all that was happening lunch would be a little late.

"Why in the hell aren't they bringing our lunch?" Otis Stoolfire barked as his stomach growled in protest. Mildred replied in a confused far off voice, "I guess they don't think we're hungry.

At the end of the hall at a table set up by Nurse Porter, Willie Loomis sat sorting and stapling papers together. Nurse Porter figured, that since Mr. Applegarth insisted on keeping Willie on the payroll during his convalescence, she might as well put him to some good use. Willie didn't mind, at least she let him listen to his new funny looking radio.

Finishing the last of his busywork, he looked up and glanced down the hallway. Several people in wheelchairs were parked haphazardly all throughout its length. Some with their heads nodded in an almost constant state of deep slumber. Others looked like they were in a kind of trace, oblivious to all that went on in the world. Further down the hall the nurses were helping to keep Bill Williams from falling. Bill had the oddest walk Willie had every seen. His thin little legs where working frantically in sort of a high stepping march. Almost like he was walking on hot coals. But as hard as he was working he barely was able to move forward more than an inch at a time. He had seen Tim Conway portray a little old man who had a similar walk, but he never had thought that anyone would really walk that way. A profound sadness overwhelmed him and he wondered what he would be like when he got old. Surely all the beatings he had taken at the hand of Barnabas and others would have taken their toll by then. Getting old was one of the things Willie secretly feared most.

Just about this time Willie Applegarth came strutting down the hall with a smile so brilliant it chased all the gloom away. He bent down and put a hand on Willie's shoulder then enthusiastically declared. "I found her! I found her son!"

Willie looked confused, "Found who?"

The old man looked as if he might explode with delight, "Why your dream girl my boy! Her name is Roxanne Crew and she works as a volunteer at Mercy Hospital"

Then the old man made a quick check to make sure no one was looking. Then he pulled a flask filled with Irish whiskey out of his pocket. "Why don't we go into the sunroom and do a little celebrating?"

It was at this point Willie discovered that someone had taken off with his crutches.

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

Edgar Small and Adele Biggins were making their daily silent hand holding stroll down the corridor. When they got to Edgar's room, they ducked in for a little afternoon delight. But they soon discovered that some kind and thoughtful person had delivered their lunch. So without saying a word they both sat down and gratefully spooned up the steaming soup. It was a bit thicker than usual and had a strange metallic taste to it. But Edgar and Adele ate it up eagerly so that they could move on to better things.

The Angel peered into the window, wearing sunglasses as a disguise. She watched them with contempt as they did the horizontal mambo.

This was the most exciting part of the couple's day. Although they never spoke, they communicated with their eyes and body language. All their various grunts and groans, were drowned out by the blaring country music coming from Dolly Lovejoy's apartment, which helped to keep their daily dalliances a secret. As they were nearing the best part of their physical exertions, suddenly both Edgar and Adele felt a burning pain in their stomachs. As the sensation grew Adele wanted to get up, but Edgar was approaching that moment of intense pleasure and in the heat of the moment it was all he cared about. He didn't even notice that she had died. But when the moment arrived the burning fire in his stomach over rode any pleasurable sensation he might have had. His body tried to rid him of the poison causing him to throw up. But The Angel had put such a heavy concentration of arsenic in the soup that it was too late. He came and went.

The Angel came in from the cold euphoric. She felt so good she totally forgot to take off her sunglasses. She felt untouchable and safe; already she had made the world a better place by her own version of pest control. And the divine power would protect her for all her good work, of that she was sure.

The Angel thought it was a bit ironic that in her younger days she had worked as a nurse, wasting all her valuable time trying to heal. She had been responsible for saving quite a few rude and annoying people. But now she had seen the light. Healing had never given her the rush that destroying the unworthy did. It was almost as if she absorbed a bit of her victims strength as their life departed. It made her feel almost immortal.

As The Angel was having her delusions of grandeur, her thoughts were interrupted by a blast of music coming from Dolly Lovejoy's room. The song was "Crazy" which the Angel thought was quite appropriate.

The snow came down so heavily it obscured Constance's view, making it hard to find the gazebo where she planned her rendezvous with Tyrone. The fact that it was painted white didn't help matters either. She was beginning to think that this was a dumb idea. With everything looking so white, even the sky itself, she wasn't quite sure where she was anymore. And she began to worry about finding her way back. Her boots that had only slightly crunched in the snow when she first left were now sinking down in it, in some spots almost up to her knees. The dampness from the snow had long since begun to permeate the boots and her toes felt more like toecicles. Constance was miserably cold. But as she looked up trying to figure where to go next, she saw something that truly chilled her to the bone.

She had found Tyrone. Or what was left of him slumped against a tree. Although his vital parts were covered beneath the cold mantle of snow that had accumulated, she noticed that every article of his clothing was now hanging carefully arranged in the tree. She blinked her eyes in disbelief as she realized that he was totally nude. Snow had piled atop his head and shoulders. His bare chest exposed revealing that he had been shot several times. The blood frozen in its path as it dripped down from the wound and was absorbed in the snow below, leaving it a macabre shade of pink. As Constance approached the body she could see that his eyes were glazed over, as snowflakes gathered on his eyelashes. She felt surreal as if time had stopped and she was in some sort of horrible alternate reality. Then instinct took over and she broke the silence and began to scream.

Dolly Lovejoy lived in her own little world. Most of her life had been spent chasing the dream of that big break which never really came. Still she fancied herself as a great country music star, even though in reality she had only been booked at honkytonks and a few other low class establishments. In her younger days she had been a beauty and her voice was fairly good, although nothing special. The years however had robbed her of both. But Dolly never realized this, for hers was a world of illusion.

She still had her hair dyed a flaming shade of red and wore the most outrageous sequined costumes. When she visited with the other residents she was always happy to offer them her autograph, whether they wanted it not. The funny looks and the whispers that followed her were never noticed. Nothing was ever allowed in to shatter the happy façade.

About this time every afternoon Arthur came to visit. Arthur Itis was a not a person, but a real pain in the joints. It was her way of not having to say that nasty word "arthritis." After all that was a word used by old people and Dolly didn't consider herself as one of them. A nice hot bath always seemed to help a little so she ran the water, and then turned on her bathroom radio so she could enjoy her favorite tunes as she soaked. Patsy Cline asked her.

"Worry…why do I let myself worry?"

The Angel snuck silently into the room.

Dolly lowered herself into the warmth of the water and joined Patsy.

"Wonderin'…what in the world did I do?

The Angel grimaced at the sound of Dolly's painful off key wailing. It only convinced her that taking Dolly out was the right thing to do.

Dolly grabbed a bar of soap and used it as a microphone, as she closed her eyes and sank back to lie down in the relaxing tub.

"Oh, crazy…for thinkin' that my love could hold you."

The Angel looked around for a weapon, and then realized that the offending noise provided the perfect solution. So the Angel crept into the bathroom then picked up the radio.

"I'm crazy for tryin', and crazy for cryin'. Am I crazy for lovin'…….."

Then Dolly heard a noise, opened her eyes to see the Angel standing above her. Keeping with the pace and unintentionally the lyrics of the song, she sat up, pointed at the Angel accusingly and she and Mrs. Cline simultaneous exclaimed. "YOU!"

The Angel tossed the radio in the tub with the cord still plugged into the wall. The Angel watched in fascination as Dolly felt the heat race through her twitching body. She was really getting a charge out of it. Then it was all over. Dolly was now auditioning for the heavenly choir, and Author Itis would visit no more.

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

Although nicely heated, the sunroom was anything but sunny. The cold air outside was constantly at war with the heat inside. At the frontline this battle of the temperatures left the windows fogged and in some places ice crystals were forming. But still the room was a favorite meeting place of the residents.

Today a few of the less mobile residents were getting their toenails cut. Wheelchairs were lined up as their occupants watched the procedure without emotion. The current recipient of Doctor Dolittle's dreaded pedicure was Hustis Boger. Hustis just knew that it was going to be painful. Sounding much like the pathetic little creature in the movie "The Fly" he starting yelling in his quiet, but incredibly high-pitched voice, "Help! Help! Help!"

While Hustis was nearing the end of his torture session, Willie and Willie Applegarth were seated at another table enjoying secretly sipping their Irish whiskey. Nurse Porter had found a wheelchair that Willie could use until his crutches were located and he was even able to hook his crazy ball shaped radio around the handles with the key chain. It was currently playing some big band music. Not exactly Willie's favorite tunes, but he had let the old man choose the station in appreciation for all he had done.

Willie Applegarth's head keep bobbing up and down keeping the beat of the music, pausing only to sip the forbidden liquid in his cup. Then looking up at his companion he asked, "So now that you know who she is what do you intend to do about it?"

Willie took another sip and watched the old man. He could tell by the sparkle of his eyes that there was something he was dying to say. "Well, there ain't nothin' I can do about it now." A few strands of hair fell carelessly across his face and he moved his hand to smooth them back into place. "Not while I have this thing on." He tapped indicating his cast. "Until it comes off I ain't even able to drive a car. How can I get to Mercy Hospital to see her?"

By this time Hustis had survived his ordeal and had been parked off to the side to make way for Dr. Dolittle's next customer. He had been eavesdropping on the men's conversation and in his unnaturally high voice replied. "Take the bus."

Mr. Applegarth chuckled at the respond. "Well actually son I have a better plan."

"A better plan!" Hustis squeaked.

Willie's face lit up and the old man continued. "I happen to know an old friend of Elsie's who lives in an old Victorian house very near Mercy Hospital. Gladys needs someone to help do a little repair work. While you're recuperating Gladys said she would be happy to drive you over to the hospital. And I've talked to the head of the volunteer program over there too and you are welcome to join them if you'd like."

Hustis squealed enthusiastically, "Join them!"

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

Mildred and Otis Stoolfire came in the room. Otis had injured himself falling out of some unknown lady's bed during one of his midnight wandering sessions. He had thought that the woman in question was Mildred. This latest incident had only served to make Mildred even more jealous and protective of her lovin' man. So today he was wheelchair bound as his doting wife pushed him into the end of the line to get his toenails clipped. Then she took a quick look around the room to make sure there were no ladies present who might want to try to steal her husband. Reassured, she left for her hair appointment.

Willie was overwhelmed. He couldn't remember that last time someone had been so kind to him. Of course there was Barnabas. But somehow this was different; deep inside he knew Applegarth's kindness was more genuine. Willie was about to thank his friend and take him up on his offer when the shrill piercing sound of Constance's scream hit the room.

Dr. Dolittle stopped clipping and ran out the door, the cold rushed in as several of the nurses and some of the residents followed.

For once Willie Applegarth looked serious, his brow wrinkling with concern, "I'd better go and see what all the commotion is about. After all it is still my place," Then he darted back to his room to grab a coat, then ventured out into the snow.

Clara Belle Tipple had heard the noise and came into the sunroom to see what was going on. She was still wearing her sunglasses.

Otis looked up and laughed insultingly. "Why do you have those damn things on, you want to see black people?" Otis was highly amused with his little joke.

Clara Belle was not.

Hustis parroted, "Black people."

Otis noticed Willie and wheeled himself over for a chat. "I see they got you in one of those damned contraptions."

"Damn contraptions!" Hustis echoed.

"Yeah, it's only temporary though 'til they find out what happened to my crutches."

But Otis wasn't listening he already started on his own conversation, " My own damn wife had to go and push me out of our bed. A man isn't even safe in his own damn bed anymore. Damn women!

Clara Belle had taken off her sunglasses and took a peek out the door to see if anyone had discovered her handiwork yet. But although she could hear voices, they were muddled and she couldn't make out what they were saying.

"Shut the damn door woman! You're letting the cold in!" Then Otis turned to Willie and said very loudly, "That woman is crazy."

Clara Belle felt the heat of anger surge through her like a tidal wave, as she gave Otis the evil eye.

Otis was on a roll. "That's the same nut that thought that she was Lady Godiva running buck naked all over tarnation. But with all those sags and wrinkles she looked more like a Shar-Pei dog."

That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Clara belle let out a frightening war cry and lunged forward to strangle the life out of Otis for his extremely insulting and annoying behavior.

Willie struggled to get out of his wheelchair in an attempt to try to pull Clara Belle off of Otis. But the old girl was a lot stronger than she looked. She flattened him with a surprisingly powerful right cross, knocking Willie out and sending the wheelchair rolling across the room.

Many of the occupants of the other wheelchairs looked on with disinterest. Their mouths opened but never able to process enough information to utter a word. They were prisoners of their own bodies. Hustis starting screeching in his high pitch manner, "Help! Help! Help…!

After belting Willie Clara Belle, The Angel of Death, went back to the task at hand and resumed squeezing Otis' scrawny neck. He was making horrible gasping sounds and his eyes were wide with fright. He tried to fight her off but found that he was too weak to save himself.

Just then Mildred came back from her hair appointment. She had been worrying about leaving Otis alone with those other predatory women around and as soon as she entered the sunroom she could see that her worst fears had been realized. That hussy Clara Belle Tipple was trying to hug her poor husband. It was obvious by the look on his face that he was not returning her affections. How dare she force herself upon the poor man! Mildred had had enough of these husband-stealing women so she decided to give Clara Belle a lesson she would never forget. Glancing around the room she discovered Willie's goofy looking radio. She quickly unhooked the key chain then snuck up on Clara Belle. Slipping the key ring around her finger and using the radio like a mace. She swung it over her head and brought it down full force to whack the skull of her rival. Clara Belle stiffed in surprise, grabbed at her head and fainted.

Hustis was still repeating his distress signal, "Help! Help! Help! When Doctor Dolittle and the police came through the door. The cavalry had arrived at last.

Kallie >^,,^<

Message Boards