Subj: Strangers on a Train chapter four the third reading
Date: 11/29/00 1:06:15 AM Central Standard Time
From: Melissa
The Third Reading or "That Old Black Magic"
Burke Devlin rose from the bed; "Do you have to go already?" The pretty blonde, with the largest hazel eyes he had ever seen, asked from the bed.
"I'm afraid so. I have to go to the Caribbean."
The girl for that was really what she was she couldn't be any older than twenty, pouted. He thought about his choices, he was taking his private plane, all he would have to do is call and say that he was in a meeting. He looked at the blonde on the bed, and grabbed the phone.
The girl pulled him back to the bed when the pilot got on the phone; it was all he could to sound normal. When he hung up he rolled her on her back and moved on top of her.
What was her name, he thought. He hadn't paid attention before. Oh well I'll just make up a name for her.
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He almost canceled the flight all together because he couldn't get enough of Cecile. She had given him her number as he was leaving, and he would make a point of calling her when he got back.
He was excited about the trip; he would be able to get some interesting pieces for his show. His last show had been such a success.
His cell phone rang, "Hello."
"Is this Burke Devlin?" the woman asked.
"Yes, how can I help you," he asked as the limo stopped at the airfield.
"You responded to the ad for the house, it's yours if you want it."
"Really, that's great," Burke said.
"Are you sure that you want to buy this house, two people were brutally murdered there, my boss was one of them."
"Look, Miss?"
"Margo Bennett," the woman said.
"Margo, that's precisely why I want the house."'
He had been planning on building a theme hotel, when he read about this house he knew that he had to have it, it would be perfect, and it would have the atmosphere that he needed.
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Stepping off the plane when it landed in the islands, he had a good feeling about what he was going to find. He went to his hotel and after he checked in he went down to the bar to get a drink. There's nothing wrong with having a little fun, he said to himself.
"Their pretty good," the man next to him said.
"Who?" asked Burke.
"The act," the man said.
"Yeah, I guess they are," Burke replied, he wasn't paying attention to the man beside him or to the performers; he was looking at all the women that were around, but not for his usual reasons. He saw that they all were wearing the same necklaces. It was tribal, but it was really ugly, he wondered if they all got taken on some scam or if they really believed in that sort of stuff.
"Who's the ugly guy on all the jewelry," Burke asked the bartender.
The room went silent, then an old man said, "He is the voodoo god of the city. He protects them, but he is a jealous god and very evil if you cross him."
This would be the perfect theme for the next show; people eat this stuff up, Burke thought.
He paid for his drinks then went to the pay phone and called his partner.
"I don't think that's such a good idea," Nick said.
"Don't be so superstitious, it's only stories that they tell to scare tourists.
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It took Burke hours to find the temple that he had to pay almost all the money he brought for a map.
Some kind of ritual was going on, he watched from behind a tree, he memorized what he saw, he could use it in the show. This was going to be great.
He stayed behind the tree until the ceremony was over, and everyone was gone, then he went into the temple and got several pieces with out any problem, though he thought he heard someone or something behind him moving around.
When he got back to his room at the hotel he placed the pieces in the large case that he had brought. He locked them just to be sure. He fell into the bed falling asleep immediately.
He dreamt of the ceremony, it was exactly the same, but this time there was some kind of sacrifice going on. There was a figure on a table; Burke couldn't see the face because it was covered by some kind of mask.
A large man in full ceremonial dress came to the figure lying on the table and raised a large knife; he was chanting something. He plunged the knife into the figure.
The people surrounding the table came forward and picked up the body and carried it off to the temple, as they did this the mask fell to the ground.
It was me, he realized as he stared at himself.
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Burke woke up dripping with sweat. This place is starting to get to me, he said to himself. I'm going to leave now, before I get over my head. I got all I need anyway.
"I'm coming home," Burke told Nick over the phone.
"I thought you were expecting some more items."
"I'll have them sent. I want to leave now, what's the big deal?"
"Nothing, but you seem to have a problem."
"No I'm fine. I just want to get home."
"You took something didn't you. You're afraid now, what happened."
"Nothing happened Burke yelled.
"You mean nothing happened yet. I'll met you at the airport," he said.
Burke was at the airport in fifteen minutes, all he wanted to do was get out of here.
When he got off the plane he saw Nick waiting for him, "What did I tell you," he said.
"Shut up, it had nothing to do with the stuff that I got, I just wanted to get home."
Burke said nothing as Nick drove him home, the dream had nothing to do with anything, it was just the drinks that he had, it had to be that.
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Two weeks later
The show was about to begin; the dancers were all ready. Burke was feeling great; he had never slept better. He didn't have that dream again.
The auction began, it was going just the way he wanted it to, and he would get enough money to add on to the house.
But when they moved to the pieces that he brought things began to change. The doors and windows blew open, and an unusually strong wind knocked over tables breaking the pieces on the table. The room was thrown into pandemonium. The guest ran around trying to get out of the room.
"What's going on," Burke yelled.
"I don't know," Nick yelled back.
When the wind finally stopped no one was left in the room except for Burke and Nick.
The damage was beyond imagine, there was nothing Burke could do.
"Why don't you go home and get some rest, I'll get someone to come and clean this up," Nick said.
"Thanks," Burke muttered. As he stumbled out of the room he grabbed one of the idols that he had taken from the temple.
When he got home he set the idol on the coffee table and slumped onto the sofa, what was he going to do?
He reached in his pocket and pulled out his wallet, and took out Cecile's phone number. She'd help him take his mind off the disastrous event that had taken place.
"Hello," Cecile said.
"Hey its Burke, are you busy, cause I really need to see you."
"I'm not busy, I was hoping you'd call," she said.
"Could you come over now."
"I'm out the door," she breathed.
In no time at all she was at the door, she smiled as he let her in.
"You look great," he said.
"How was your trip?" she asked.
"Not good, it would have been better if you came with me," he said.
Before he could say anything, she slipped off her coat revealing that she was naked underneath.
Burke pulled her to the sofa, forgetting everything, except the taste of her. She smelled of cinnamon and flowers. She helped him with his clothes. It felt so good to hold her in his arms.
A chill came over Burke, he felt like someone was watching him, he put it out of him mind, and went back to the beautiful blonde that was beneath him.
Cecile began to scream when she saw the large man in the mask behind them. Burke never saw his face, but he saw the necklace that hung from his neck.
With one sweep of the large knife, he cut off Burke's head. It fell to the sofa onto Cecile's lap.
When the neighbor's were questioned they said that they hadn't seen anyone, except Cecile go into Burke's place. They could get nothing out of Cecile, she lost the ability to speak, and was placed in a hospital.
She could not close her eyes without seeing Burke's head or the large man that seemed to disappear into thin air after he killed Burke.
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"So what can I do to avoid this?" Burke asked squirming in his seat.
Dr. Schrek flipped over the last card, and once again it was the death card.
The passengers looked at each other, what was going on here, they thought.
"I can't believe you people. Why are you getting paranoid over such nonsense?" Julia asked.
"If it's nonsense why don't you do it," Peter asked.
"Fine I will," Julia said icily.
To be continued. . .