SCOURGE

TheMad Fool

Chapter3

SCROUGE

            The girlremained still and silent for some time, with the only noise heard beyond thevagaries of the city was the incessant vibration coming from Ray’s phone.  Ray seemed not to notice and remained silentas well, his head leaning on his palms, staring into nothingness.  The girl waited for him to speak, hearingonce again the phone vibrate. 

            “Willyou tell me more of the story?”  The girlasked softly.  He looked at her, butremained silent.  He seemed to begathering his strength, taking slow deep breaths.  He exhaled even more slowly, concentrating onhis task. 

            “Yes.”  He said his eyes closed. 

            “Can Iask you a couple of questions?”  Sheasked.  She hoped she might be able topiece together some of the riddle.

            “No,that is close to cheating.”  Hesaid. 

            Shesighed with disappointment and leaned back in the chair, waiting for him tocontinue. 

            “Do Ineed to give another dollar?”  Sheasked.  She stuck her tongue out at himand laughed.  At that moment, his phonevibrated once more. 

            Ray glancedat the phone and grimaced with disgust. He tapped the code into the phone and read the message.  He shook his head and without a word to thegirl, began packing the few possessions strewn about the book into a backpackhe picked off the hot cement.  When hewas ready to depart, he finally looked at the girl.

            “I haveto keep an appointment.” He said quickly before rushing headlong into the bustleof bodies and strollers and Mexicans flipping Escort cards. 

            She lethim get some hundred yards ahead before following him, careful to keep him bothin sight and him from seeing her, staying close to the casinos.  Ray walked quickly, pushing violently throughthe crowd, which made it difficult for her to keep him in sight.  She ran across a street, ignoring the do notwalk sign, desperate not to let him escape her. She pulled out her phone and called as she walked, her breath beginningto grow heavy.

            “Yes, Iwill be late for the signing.  There issomething I have to do.  No, I can’texplain now.”  She said in a rush,returning the phone to her pocket.  Thehonking of horns trumpeted her arrival to the curb.  She stopped for a moment to rest, the heatpounding into her head and her chest, her thin long legs straining from thesudden exertion. 

            She sawRay enter a casino and looked up to see HARRAHS.  She muttered quietly to herself and madedirectly for the gift shop near the poker room. She quickly picked and purchased a hat and a new shirt, putting them onhurriedly before leaving the shop, the thick set woman with dark sunglassesstaring at her in amazement. 

She turned the corner toresume her search for Ray and nearly tripped over an elderly gentleman as shesaw him sitting in the Starbucks.  Shemoved behind a pillar near the front desk and watched him.  He seemed to be waiting for someone, tuggingon his beard in agitation.  She lookedabout for a better vantage point and decided to move closer, willing to riskbeing seen to give a better view. 

She pushed herself againstyet another pillar just as a woman approached Ray.  She stood over him for a moment, her straightblonde hair shining in the light; her long tan legs accenting the pink sundressshe wore.  Without a word, Ray got upfrom the table, put his backpack over a shoulder and followed her the shortdistance to the elevators.  The girlstared after them, waiting a few moments to follow. 

“He is a lucky man.”  She heard a voice behind her.  She turned to face a gentleman, older, withcropped hair speckled with gray, his eyes still watching Ray and the womandisappear. 

            “Why doyou say that?”  The girl asked, notcomprehending. 

            The manlaughed and took a picture with his phone before the two disappeared into theelevator. 

            “Youreally don’t know who that woman is?”  Heasked, as if the girl not possessing the knowledge were the most fantastic bitof trivia in the world. 

            “No,tell me.”  The girl said with impatience,wanting to run after them.  

            “That isBunny Love.”  The man said, as if thatanswered her question.  “She is a hookerworking out of the Bunny Ranch.  I haveno idea what she is doing here with that homeless man.” 

            The girldidn’t wait for further explanation and ran for the elevators.  She looked up quickly, in time to see theelevator stop at the twentieth floor. She pressed the button and waited, nervous excitement building insideher.  She couldn’t have said why shefollowed Ray, but something compelled her to follow.

            “Hedoesn’t seem the type to consort with hookers.” She said to herself as she got on the elevator.  She rode to the twentieth floor alone,wondering how she might find the room. 

            Shestepped out of the elevator and stood for some time, trying to plan a course ofaction.  After a few moments she turnedleft and slowly began walking on the soft carpet, trying not to make a sound.  Her phone began to vibrate, a return call,and with a soft curse she shut off the phone. She continued down the hall, creeping close to the doors, listening forthe sound of his voice. 

            Thesound stopped her dead in her tracks, mid step. It sounded like a whip against flesh, followed by a muffled cry.  She took a step in the general direction ofthe sound, stopping with a flinch when she heard it again.  The sound most definitely was a whip snappingagainst flesh.  The muffled cry grew involume, in rhythmic time as she tiptoed towards the room.   

            She movedclose to the door and placed her ear against the cool metal.  The sounds were amplified.  She heard vicious snapping sounds followed bymuffled growls and screams of pain.  Shefelt a pit in the bottom of her stomach and felt a sudden desire to end theescapade on the other side of the door. 

            “Whiphim until he feels no desire.”  She hearda strange voice say.  She looked aroundher to see nothing save empty hallway. It was her and whatever was happening inside the room. 

            “Whiphim until the only desire he feels is to give service and praise to thelord.”  The man said again.  The whipping resumed with more ferocity,bringing a tear to her eye as she listened to the muffled screams. 

            The girlcouldn’t stand the tension any longer and knocked loudly upon the door, wipingthe tear away from her cheek.  Thewhipping sounds continued and she wondered if indeed she had been heard.  She pounded the palm of her hand on the metalseveral times. 

            CRACK. 

The whip sounded again,which caused her to shudder and hammer upon the door more loudly. 

The door opened slowly toreveal a giant of a man, with thick bulging arms covered with dark tattoos, hissimple tight white tee shirt threatening to burst from the pressure of hisbody.  Without a word, he moved aside andgestured her forward with one thick, callused hand, all the while his darkbrown eyes watched her with interest. 

She stepped into the livingroom area of the suite, flinching again at the sound, this time louder, of thewhip digging into bare flesh.  She turnedtowards the sound, coming from the bedroom. She closed her eyes and summoned the strength to walk towards the sound.  With much effort, she forced her foot forwardand with a rush, stepped into the bedroom. 

She took in the room, seeingRay tied to the bed, shirtless, blood dripping like tears down his back.  The woman from the lobby stood over him,holding the whip, which glistening with Ray’s blood.  A fat balding man sat on a chair a few feetfrom the bed, holding a bible.  None ofthe people in the room paid her any attention and seemed oblivious to herpresence.  She watched the woman raisethe whip and before the girl could speak, brought it down with vengeance acrossRay’s back, which was crisscrossed with welts and cuts.  Ray cried out into the towel tied in hismouth. 

“Be purified by pain and maythe blood wash away your sins.”  The mansaid, his voice ripping to the core of the girl’s stomach, bringing a wave ofnausea. 

The woman raised her armonce more, the whip seemed to levitate. 

“No.”  The girl said, her voice failing her at thatmoment.  She took a step and grabbed thewhip, pulling it away from the blonde woman.