your
friend here.”
“How’d it get in there?”
“Well, the most common way is for someone to
have sexual contact with a person the demon has already inhabited.
They always leave a piece of themselves behind.”
“And that’s how it moves, huh?”
“One of the ways, yes. It’s like Chlamydia of
the soul.”
“But he looks...he looks so old .”
“That’s how they feed themselves, Harry, on
the life force of other people. That’s why it killed your daughter.
Now, I have to go, I’m sorry, but this is up to you now. Here, take
this.”
He handed me an envelope.
“There is a name of a man in there that might
be able to help you. He doesn’t talk much, but what he says is
worth remembering.”
“Wait, I can’t do all this, I still don’t
know--”
“If I’m a figment of your subconscious, like
your ex-wife told you?” he was starting to fade.
“How’d you--”
“Good luck Harry.” He was gone, and I was
left with a dirty old envelope. I turned and looked at Bobby as the
door opened. It was the guy from the hall.
“He awake?”
“Huh? No, why?”
“I thought I heard you talking to him.”
“I was, they say people in a coma need people
to talk to ‘em, right?”
“I look like a doctor to you?”
“Not quite, junior.” I glanced at Bobby again
and left the hospital. So who’d you fuck, Bobby? Who’d you fuck
that had a demon in ‘em? I know you like cruisin’ the ladies,
tradin’ a freebie in exchange for not bustin’ ‘em for that vial a
crack they got in their purse, and am I really thinking
these things? I don’t know Alice, if I was nuts I don’t think I’d
feel you in my heart when you talk to me, but maybe that’s a part
of it. If Fifties Chick ain’t real, who stitched my ear back on? If
this Cain fella ain’t real, why am I still holding this envelope he
gave me? As crazy as all this sounds, if I’m nuts, why does it feel so right?
I look down at Bobby again. Angie never
seemed to care much for him, but they seem pretty fuckin’ chummy
all the sudden. May be that I need to pay her another visit.
EIGHT
I left the hospital, same one you was born
in, Alice, and walked a block and a half to where I left Fifties
Chick’s car. Sure was nice of her to let me use it, especially
considering I wrecked my last one. Wonder where the hell I left the
Chrysler, anyway? Prolly been towed away by now.
I sat in the car and opened up the envelope
Cain gave me. All that was in it was a business card. On it was the
name of what I thought might be a business, called The Blue Door,
and a address I knew was in China Town. The number was funny
though, it was 4617 ½. Must be above a store or somethin’. The name
on the card was Kin Lei.
I drove up twenty-third to Burnside and went
east, toward the river. It woulda been easier to get there had I
gone down Lovejoy or maybe Everett, and drove into China Town the
back way, but I liked lookin’ at the big ornamental gates they got
on the Burnside entrance. I ain’t ever felt right goin’ into China
Town unless I went through them gates.
I parked the car again, taking the business
card with me, and walked. I knew where the 4600 block was from my
days on the beat and found 4617. It happened to be a pervert shop
that sells them movies and two foot dildos and such. Next to it was
4719, a closed up sushi place, all in the same long, low building.
I didn’t see no other address, I looked down at the card again and
when I looked up I saw something I’d missed before. A blue door in
the wall between the pervert shop and the sushi place; it was dark
blue, wooden, and there was no knob on the outside, although set
into the door was a small brass plate with a keyhole in it. I
knocked.
Who opened the door a minute later was the
oldest fella I ever seen. Must of been at least eighty or ninety,
but he looked about a hunnert-and-thirty. His face was covered in
wrinkles so deep they was almost cracks in the skin, and what
little hair he had
friend here.”
“How’d it get in there?”
“Well, the most common way is for someone to
have sexual contact with a person the demon has already inhabited.
They always leave a piece of themselves behind.”
“And that’s how it moves, huh?”
“One of the ways, yes. It’s like Chlamydia of
the soul.”
“But he looks...he looks so old .”
“That’s how they feed themselves, Harry, on
the life force of other people. That’s why it killed your daughter.
Now, I have to go, I’m sorry, but this is up to you now. Here, take
this.”
He handed me an envelope.
“There is a name of a man in there that might
be able to help you. He doesn’t talk much, but what he says is
worth remembering.”
“Wait, I can’t do all this, I still don’t
know--”
“If I’m a figment of your subconscious, like
your ex-wife told you?” he was starting to fade.
“How’d you--”
“Good luck Harry.” He was gone, and I was
left with a dirty old envelope. I turned and looked at Bobby as the
door opened. It was the guy from the hall.
“He awake?”
“Huh? No, why?”
“I thought I heard you talking to him.”
“I was, they say people in a coma need people
to talk to ‘em, right?”
“I look like a doctor to you?”
“Not quite, junior.” I glanced at Bobby again
and left the hospital. So who’d you fuck, Bobby? Who’d you fuck
that had a demon in ‘em? I know you like cruisin’ the ladies,
tradin’ a freebie in exchange for not bustin’ ‘em for that vial a
crack they got in their purse, and am I really thinking
these things? I don’t know Alice, if I was nuts I don’t think I’d
feel you in my heart when you talk to me, but maybe that’s a part
of it. If Fifties Chick ain’t real, who stitched my ear back on? If
this Cain fella ain’t real, why am I still holding this envelope he
gave me? As crazy as all this sounds, if I’m nuts, why does it feel so right?
I look down at Bobby again. Angie never
seemed to care much for him, but they seem pretty fuckin’ chummy
all the sudden. May be that I need to pay her another visit.
EIGHT
I left the hospital, same one you was born
in, Alice, and walked a block and a half to where I left Fifties
Chick’s car. Sure was nice of her to let me use it, especially
considering I wrecked my last one. Wonder where the hell I left the
Chrysler, anyway? Prolly been towed away by now.
I sat in the car and opened up the envelope
Cain gave me. All that was in it was a business card. On it was the
name of what I thought might be a business, called The Blue Door,
and a address I knew was in China Town. The number was funny
though, it was 4617 ½. Must be above a store or somethin’. The name
on the card was Kin Lei.
I drove up twenty-third to Burnside and went
east, toward the river. It woulda been easier to get there had I
gone down Lovejoy or maybe Everett, and drove into China Town the
back way, but I liked lookin’ at the big ornamental gates they got
on the Burnside entrance. I ain’t ever felt right goin’ into China
Town unless I went through them gates.
I parked the car again, taking the business
card with me, and walked. I knew where the 4600 block was from my
days on the beat and found 4617. It happened to be a pervert shop
that sells them movies and two foot dildos and such. Next to it was
4719, a closed up sushi place, all in the same long, low building.
I didn’t see no other address, I looked down at the card again and
when I looked up I saw something I’d missed before. A blue door in
the wall between the pervert shop and the sushi place; it was dark
blue, wooden, and there was no knob on the outside, although set
into the door was a small brass plate with a keyhole in it. I
knocked.
Who opened the door a minute later was the
oldest fella I ever seen. Must of been at least eighty or ninety,
but he looked about a hunnert-and-thirty. His face was covered in
wrinkles so deep they was almost cracks in the skin, and what
little hair he had
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