Free Of Daughter and Demon by Elias Anderson

that now. But it was like that cold wind blew him away and
took part a me with it.
    A lady jogged by and gave me this look like
she figured I’d be foaming at the mouth and raping her if it was
ten at night instead of ten in the morning. I guess I looked kinda
funny just standing there, staring at the place I last saw that
Dulouz. Another fella walked by, this time an old bum, he stunk
something awful and his hair was all gone, from what I could see
from underneath his hat it looked like his skin was turned a dark
bruise color and was rotting away, he had these flakes on his
shoulders like black dandruff, and he was pushing a cart full a
cans and bottles and random trash. He asked me if I was OK.
    I tole him to piss off I think, and then my
head started clearing a little and I walked back across the grass
toward where my car was parked. When I closed my eyes I could still
see that glowing purple Everything that I seen in his watch, and at
the same time I hoped it’d stop and also never go away. Ain’t that
funny?
    I drove around the city a bit, called Fifties
Chick from a pay phone on the corner but didn’t get no answer.
Around two I drove back up the hill to Angie’s. I drove up to the
little kiosk and this time it was different fella, one I never seen
before, so maybe they didn’t tell him I was here a couple nights
back because he called up to the house and I expected to hear Angie
screaming at me to fuck off or something, she had a pretty foul
mouth when she wanted one, your Ma, but right away the guy buzzed
me up, no hassle, never even asked to see my ID. I wondered if that
butler was calling the cops, or if they’d set the dogs on me when I
got outta my car. I had dogs set on me before though, not by Angie
of course, but dogs don’t care who sets ‘em on you, and they all
stop cold when you boot ‘em in the throat. All a dog can really do
is bite ya, so ya just stay away from the mouth and you’re
fine.
    I got outta the car and there was no dogs set
on me, even though I still half expected it. The butler opened the
door and gave me this big smile like I was his best buddy and he
offered to take my coat.
    “Come in, come in!” he said. “Ms. Angela will
be with you shortly, asked me if I might show you into the drawing
room to wait for her? Very good, sir, and may I get you a
beverage?”
    Something was up here, for sure. None of what
he said sounded like he was really telling me I was scum, I was a
puke, like it normally did, like it did a couple nights ago when I
was up here.
    “You call the cops, buddy?” I asked. He
looked insulted, like I was asking him if he butt-fucked his gramma
or something.
    “Of course not, sir! Why on earth should we
call the police? You don’t need them do you? Were you in an
accident or something?”
    “Huh? No, no. I was just trying to uh, to
joke with you a little, Carl. Don’t mind me.”
    He laughed like it was the funniest thing he
ever heard and I asked him if I might have a cold bottle a soda,
not that I wanted one, it was just a bit too early for beer and it
was the only other thing I could think of right away. I also wanted
to get him outta here and get my bearings back. He came back and
left the soda. I felt dizzy, maybe even a little sick. I’ve felt
sick for so long, it seems, Alice, I think I’d die a shock if I
woke up feeling good, really good, whole.
    Angie showed up. She was all decked out in
diamonds an’ a little black dress, but to me she looked better
before, back when we were all living together, back before the
divorce and before you were taken. Now she wears too much makeup
that she don’t need and all these fancy clothes an’ things, like
she’s running from something.
    “Harry!” she says. “How are you?” Her eyes
are clear, too clear, like shards of broken glass and ice. She’s
putting off a kinda energy I ain’t never felt from her before,
feels like something a giant wasp would put out.
    But I gotta try though, I gotta try for