Subj: The Funhouse Mirror Pt.4
Date: 8/12/99 9:30:12 PM Central Daylight Time
From: marcos1
Longwood in the present time
~~~
My name is LaCroix. The foolishness of mortals, searching beyond themselves, for something to deny the darkness, affirm the possibility of an undying light. Why do they search so? Isn't the warmth of the summer sunlight enough? The sweet laughter of a child enough? Why can't they simply appreciate what is before them? If they could but open their eyes, the bounty that lay on their table is enough to satisfy all but a fool, a fool that curse the darkness, while shielding his eyes from the light of the Sun. In truth, mortals are never content with what is. They are all fools! But perhaps that is why sometimes, I can call them, a friend.
~~~
Vicki and I spent the day exploring the attractions of Central Florida. We went on Mickey Mouse rides, saw the beautiful birds, listened the song of the killer whale, but thoughts of the magic diary were always on our minds. In the book, there were three conditions layed out, for the novice in the blackarts. First, we must betray a friend, secondly, invite a demon into our home, and lastly visit the home of our master. Being an agnostic, I didn't worry about these conditions, for there are in truth no demons and no magic. The book was a joke. My worries, were only about losing Vicki. I had been alone for so very long, I didn't want her to leave. When the book was exposed as a fraud, what would she do then? Would she leave? I didn't want that.
We pulled into my long driveway, almost two acres. The automatic lights were just coming on, as the Sun had just set. This Longwood house is so beautiful at night, the lake in the backyard so dark-it's surface looking like black colored glass, the frontyard with a mighty oak tree five hundred years old. Yes, it is a pretty setting, but very quiet, almost too quiet sometimes.
"Honey, I'm home," I said, smiling at Vicki, who sat in the passenger seat of my 99 Saturn.
"That was a favorite line in all those family shows made in the 1960's," Vicki Winters said. "What a lie all those shows were. with their happy well-adjusted families. Everything always made sense. Life just wasn't like that. Those years that I spent in the foundling home and then later the mental institution, taught me that life can really be cruel and horrible. I just don't understand...."
I saw my next door neighbor mowing his grass. He was a strange man that only came out after sunset, suffering from a bad skin condition. Strange, but the only friend that I had made since moving to Longwood. I held the car door open for Vicki. I walked over to the chain link fence and called out to him. "Hey, finally cutting that grass. It was really getting long. I was about to report you to the city." I said smiling.
"John Black," he said, cutting off his machine. "You wouldn't dare. We creatures of the night have to stick together." He pushed down his blond crew cut. "Who is this charming lady?"
"Her name is Victoria Winters," I said, holding her hand. "Victoria, this is my neighbor and friend, Lucien LaCroix.
To be continued--