Dastardly Bastard(63)

Mark yelled, “You heard him, ladies and gentlemen!”

“I love you.” Sunne blew Donald a kiss. A warm, all-encompassing heat covered him from head to toe.

Sunne rose, moving up toward the spinning Justine. Mark’s army climbed the air like men storming a beach. Up they went, gaining purchase on nothing more than blank space. Among the soldiers was Marsha Lake, Lyle’s mother. On her arm was a very handsome man who looked like an older version of Lyle. The boy’s memories were fighting back, too.

Donald had no idea what would happen to Justine during the assault, but they had no other choice. Things had gone on far too long. The Bastard was going down if Donald had anything to do with it. He may not be able to rip the Bastard’s heart from his chest with his own hands, but he would enjoy watching it unfold.

“What are they doing?” Trevor wailed. “They’re hurting her.”

The horde fell upon Justine’s form, ripping and tearing. From what Donald could see, the attacking mob wasn’t harming Justine. They were reaching inside her, their ethereal forms passing through her. Each man and woman tore at her, yanking pieces of black flesh out of her. The viscera landed all around Donald and Trevor. It smelled old.

The more the battle progressed, the further down Justine came. Whatever had been holding her up was weakening. The thrum in Donald’s ears, that insidious heartbeat, thudded harder, quicker.

The Bastard was scared.

Justine finally fell, plummeting to the floor. She bounced twice on the padding, flopping like a rag doll. Trevor rushed to her side and scooped her into his arms. He sat on his haunches, Justine’s limp body clutched to his chest.

“Baby?” Trevor cried. “Please say you’re all right. Please, just say something. Baby?”

The Bastard rode high on the wind, left behind by Justine’s fallen body. Donald felt his testicles shrink at the sight of the thing. It twisted up there, black flesh glowing in the trails of the attacking army. Donald heard a keening sound.

Good, Donald thought. Let the fucker die screaming.

Before Donald could fully celebrate their victory, the Bastard began fighting. He scourged the horde with flaying claws, tearing them to pieces. The throng fought, their numbers lessening. The Bastard snatched one up, bit off his head, and tossed him away like so much garbage. He took the legs off a female soldier with a wide sweep of his arm.

“Dad!” Lyle yelled.

The boy’s father was on the Bastard’s back, ripping chunks of inky flesh from its shoulders. The Bastard reached back and plucked the man’s arm off as if removing a grape from its stem.

The Bastard had turned the tide.





48


“REMEMBER, JUST. WHILE HE’S GONE, remember.” Warm tones enveloped in caring syllables.

Justine had no idea where she was. The room held distant artifacts of forgotten times. Pictures of persons she could not recollect hung on the walls.

She sat on a sofa, a comfy one, with cushions that almost swallowed her. A laptop lay across her thighs, a social networking site displayed on the screen. An instant messaging window was up.

Hey there, beautiful

The pop up was from Trevairforce. Justine didn’t remember the name, but a heat spread across her chest at the sight of the IM.

hey u

Her response came without a thought.

You all set for tomorrow?

sure am

You’re sure you want me to meet her?

Justine had no idea what the person was talking about, nor who “her” was. Her mind was a mixed bag of emotions. Confusion played over doubt. Uncertainty clogged the well of revelation. She was lost.

yeah why not?

WAND NEVER ROOF

what???

LOL, I didn’t say anything.

never mind then. of course i want you to meet her.

Good. Cause the parents didn’t go over well. LMAO!

yeah that sucked.

Your Dad WILL get over the fact that I’m white. No worries here, baby.

i liek it when you call me that. :) liek? LOL.

u know what i meant

DOOR EVEN FAWN

wtf are you talking about? hehehehe I was just commenting on your wayward fingers. LIEK????

i saw that fool. i mean that door even fawn thing What?

UGH!!!

Calm down. No need for ALL CAPS RAGE. Nothing is THAT serious, baby.

NO DAWN OR FEVER

their you go again.

First, it’s spelled THERE and second, I really didn’t say anything.

neway :P what are you doing right now?

Talking to you. Best possible activity. Yes, ma’am.

LOL your cute.

You’re…

fine… you’re cute. FOOL! hahahaha NO WAND FOR EVER

“Now do you see, baby girl?”

Justine stared at the instant message window. The words seemed to make more sense. The nonsense speak the guy was spewing might not be nonsense after all. Justine leaned into the screen, placed a finger over the word NO, and slid it over, the words moving with her touch.

NOWAND FOR EVER

She shook her head. That wasn’t right. She continued to play with them. Her touch put a space in between the W and the A.

NOW AND FOR EVER

Too many spaces. It was right there. A memory, distant, but coming into itself. She made a final adjustment, sitting back against the comfy cushions, reading the words aloud.