He stopped. His eyes glazed over. And he just stood there.
I waited as long as I could, and just when I was about to bop him, he shuddered as if someone had walked over his grave and started where he’d left off. “That journal is the only thing I took to jail with me. I studied it every day for forty years.”
His clenched fists shook at his sides. “I told the Warden, and he laughed at me, even had them throw me in solitary for a couple of years. I tried again, and he told me that he would send me to Hell’s Gate Prison, where they scoop the kitty boxes of Lucifer’s Hellcats.”
“And?”
“And I stopped trying to make him believe. Next, I tried the Chaplain. He was even worse. He tried an exorcism. However, I wasn’t possessed. So, he wasted another couple of years.”
“Damn.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t stop there. I told every guard who would listen and even a few of the inmates who were being released. Everyone said I was crazy. Those assholes went as far as contacting a psychiatrist. That’s when I knew I had to escape. If that head shrinker had gotten his hands on me, I would have been pumped full of anti-psychotics and left drooling in the Psych Ward, all the while the world went to Hell in a handcart.”
I had to give Barney credit. He truly believed everything he was saying. Moving so close that he was all up in my personal space, I forced my feet to stay put as Barney leaned in and whispered, “Ya’ see, if Martha becomes fully awakened...She’s gonna destroy Dragoon Bootay, everyone in it, and the whole Bibbidi Bobbidi Bubble.”
That was where I drew the line. I knew my Mate better than an escaped convict who was mentally ill. It was time to get the hell out of wherever we were and get back to Martha.
“You are full of shit, Barney Macrelfresh,” I growled. “I cannot believe I stood here for all this time listening to this bullshit. I’m outta here.”
Turning, I didn’t even make it a step before Barney grabbed my arm and pleaded, “No. You can’t. You have to help me. We have to…”
“MARTHA!” I shouted as loudly as I could, only to have Barney reach around from behind me and clap his hand over my mouth.
“Shut up!” He whispered loudly in my ear.
I could not only hear the fear, the terror, but I could also feel it. He was completely and totally freaked out.
“Oh no!” He gasped, jerking his hand off my mouth and stepping back. Spinning around to punch him in the gut, I stopped with my fist raised.
Barney looked like he’d seen a ghost. The sickly-sweet stench of fear filled my senses. He was visibly shaking.
Dropping my fist, I couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong now?”
Pointing straight up, he whispered, “She's too early.”
“Who’s too early for what?”
“Martha for the coronation."
Completely disregarding that I spoke, his panic was growing by leaps and bounds. “Oh no,” he gasped. “This is gonna be worse than I thought.”
Looking up, then back at Barney, I turned to see what he was staring at right before pain shot from the back of my head all the way to the bottom of my feet. My hand flew to the back of my head. I pulled it away, wet with my own blood.
Vision darkening, I couldn’t even get turned around before I crumpled to the floor. The last thing I heard before everything went dark was Barney whimpering, “I am so sorry, but you’ll thank me when you’re still alive.”
6
Another series of yips and barks from Mona was followed by Arthur translating. “Mona says the man smells sad.”
“And dirty,” Chewy added.
“Mostly from dirt, but also from the ashes and soot of the fire,” Otis chimed in.
“Boys,” I warned.
“Sorry.” Arthur tilted his head to the side.
“Yeah,” Chewy and Otis added, along with a Bark from Mona.
