Β© 2004 by Andrew Wiggin
Chapter 22: The Quick Years
The Year 13
Deirdre's Story:
I had to go into town to pick up something at the drugstore, so I grabbed Emma to go along for the ride. We have a rule in our house: no parent goes anywhere without being accompanied by an eKid.
There have been rumblings over the years about us. We've heard them. We've read about them. We aren't necessarily the most popular people in eastern Georgia. It's strange to take a teenager along as one's personal bodyguard.
The eKids are powerful. No one really knows how powerful. We've spent their lifetime trying to teach them not to abuse their powers. And in the idyllic existence we've made for them, why should they have to display their strengths?
Emmy and I had been into the drugstore to pick up a prescription to help Donnie and me with our menopausal woes. We had parked in the little parking lot in the alley behind the store. The drugstore was one of the old-fashioned ones that still have a soda fountain, so Emma had lingered behind to pick up something to drink. I should know better than to walk the streets alone, but Statesboro is such a lovely, safe little town.
I saw him standing in the alley. I know it is my prejudices speaking, but I just am less than comfortable around men who have tattoos covering their entire bodies from the chin down; especially ones who weigh two hundred and fifty pounds and wear leather vests with no shirt.
Like any other woman, I pretended to ignore his existence and made for my car in the lot. I felt myself willing him away. After all, what interest would he have in a person like me, a late-forties, frumpy old lady? But it was not to be.
As I approached my car, he stepped in front of me.
"Hey, baby. Where you goin' in such a hurry?"
For the first time I looked him in the eye. I would have looked him in the eyes, but one of his was obviously glass.
I said, "Excuse me, sir, but you are in my way." I quickly glanced around and realized that I saw no one. I suspected that this man may not have my best interests at heart, so I issued a little mental distress call to my daughter, still in the drugstore.
He said, "You're her, ain't ya' babe?"
I replied, "I'm who?"
He laughed. "You're the Progenitor's bitch! I've seen pictures of your naked ass. I've always wanted to see that ass for myself. Come on, baby, let me see that ass."
I said, "Please young man, you don't really want to talk to me that way. It would be best if you just backed away before someone gets hurt."
Just then Emma walked out of the drugstore and came hurrying up to me.
"Momma, is everything all right?"
I said, "Everything's fine, sweetie. This man is going to allow us to walk past him and go to our car."
But the man had other ideas. "Damn, you are one hot little thing! You're sexier than your mama. I might just have to do me a family sandwich. Yeah, you two are goin' to have a good time with me."
Then the huge ugly thing drew out a large ugly knife. "Why don't you two just get in the back of my van over there? It's time for a little mother-daughter fuckin'."
Emma actually laughed. "Little boy, you aren't man enough to take care of one of us, let alone handle two at a time. Why don't you take your puny little dick home and whack off?"
I have no idea why she finds situations like this amusing. I said, "Now Emma, you leave the man alone. I'm sure that he doesn't mean any harm."
The fat ugly thing looked confused. "What the hell are you two sluts talkin' about? Now get in the van before I cut someone!"
Suddenly the man looked past us and I saw a look of fear come into his eyes. I turned but couldn't see anything. Emma whispered to me, "You wanna hear this?" I just nodded.
In my mind I heard a herald of trumpets followed by a voice that sounded suspiciously like Cecil B. DeMille in "The Ten Commandments". You'd think that Emma would have some originality.
The voice said, "Thus saith the Lord: If thy right eye offends thee, pluck it out. If thy dick offends thee, cut it off!"
I whispered to Emma, "Is that really in the Bible?"
Emma said to the fat man, "It looks like you already did the eye part; how about the dick?"
The fat man looked stricken. He pulled down the zipper of his pants and reached in and pulled out a truly puny penis. I said to Emma, "For heaven's sake, don't let him cut it off!"
I heard the sonorous voice of DeMille shout "Stop! Go sinner and sin no more! If you try this again, you will be eating your balls for breakfast!"
The fat man turned and ran like hell. Both Emma and I were laughing by the time the man's van had sped down the street. I hugged her. She can turn even a dangerous event into a comic misadventure.
I said, "Emma, that man is a menace to society. We should do something to be sure he doesn't try to harm anyone else."
She laughed. "I saw 'A Clockwork Orange', Momma. That little heavenly vision is implanted in his brain. Every time he thinks about being violent he's going to have a visit from an angel."
I was shocked. "Emma, I didn't know you had any religion at all. When did you read the Bible?"