My My Little Prince Page 21

  “No, how could I forget? He was good to me sometimes.” “Yea like a cat playing with a mouse.” Sherine got quiet and looked to the floor before saying, “Do you think he will come back and kill us?”

  Not saying anything Michelle smiled and grabbed Sherine’s hand. “But you and I are good right? You and I are together again then, right?”

  “Yes!”

  “Great,” a relieved Michelle said as she slumped down on the couch.

  In Sherine’s mind her sad side was telling her that her mom was also the devil and that she will cause trouble. But her happy side told her that it is her mom and no matter what she did she should love her. Sherine could feel her autonomic nervous system shift into high gear terrorizing her stomach and weakening her legs. Her body was on fire. Her hands were sweating and her teeth were grinding. “Relax Sherine,” she told herself.

  Michelle grabbed Sherine and looked at her in the eyes and blurted out, “Sherine, relax, take a deep breath. Come on, stop it before you destroy what you have accomplished this week. Remember you can get through this.”

  Staring deeply into Michelle’s eyes Sherine blurts out, “Can you believe that garbage? Coming here after all the BS of the past just like that.”

  Hey Sherine,” Michelle said as she dug through her purse with eyes barely open from all the drugs and alcohol from the last night, “here take a Xanax. Have you ever taken one?”

  “You idiot, you ate some of mine last night.”

  “Oh yea, I forgot.” She practically tittered.

  “How about an Oxycodone?”

  “Yes, if you remember that is what you made me take at the bike rally where you sold me like a slave.

  “Oh yea, I forgot again. They are great though, aren’t they?”

  “Haven’t had very many.”

  “Oh no? Well, ya knock down a few beers, chew a couple of these and your world will rock. Here, try one of these; go on, expand your horizons again, but this time in the privacy of your own home.” Sherine looked at Michelle and gave her a quick punch in the shoulder and asked if there were any bikers hiding in the apartment somewhere. They both giggled as Michelle told Sherine that it is as good as coke, but easier to get.”

  They both took a half a mg of Xanax, slammed two more shots of tequila that Sherine had been holding back. They walked back to bed.

  Michelle looked at Sherine, “I love a good buzz first thing in the morning. It brightens up the day.”

  24

  “Dr. Campbell you have no idea how much I appreciate you coming to Port-Au-Price with me,” Dr. Pierre told Campbell. “I would be totally crazy by myself. I must admit, am extremely scared, confused and worried. I just know that my family is under a building somewhere. The town is in such ruins that I don’t recognize anything or anywhere.”

  Campbell nodded and told Pierre, “They told us that the US military is here.”

  “Who told us?”

  “The radio; yesterday. The US doesn’t appear to care too much about this lost country. I do not see any U.S. troops anywhere. I think the news is being paid off by the U.S. Government because if you remember when we did have a radio signal it said the U.S. Military was here taking care of things. I do not see any. Hey look, it’s a fuck’n miracle. Look, there is a British soldier,” Campbell remarked.

  Pierre looked up and pushed Campbell aside and said with excitement, “I´ll ask him how to get to my family’s house from here. Maybe he’ll know which roads have been cleared.” He dashed over to the jeep waving his arms. “Excuse me sir.”

  Pierre tried to speak but immediately the soldier butted in and stopped him, “you should not be here, this is a restricted area. You must go back the way you came and come through the north side of the town. This area is off limits unless you have family here.”

  “That’s it,” Pierre screamed directly into the soldiers face, “I have, or rather, I had family here! I don’t know what I have now. My family lived near here on France Street.”

  “Ok,” the soldier tiredly answered, “that street is three blocks over, but you cannot get there this way. You must park the car and walk over that pile of rubble. And if you park, you probably will not see the car again. Do yourself a favor and go back on the North side near the airport, security is a little better there. These people are starving and have no medical care. And if you think you can just come in this area with your fancy car, park and pick up your family and leave, you are crazy.”

  Pierre started to argue but the soldier stopped him, “listen to what I am saying chap,” the soldier continued in his British accent, “every idiot in this area is watching you and the minute you are not on your guard they will fuck you up, rob you and possibly kill you. Do yourself a favor and just go home; or at least get out of this area. If you don’t you will regret it.”

  Campbell pulled on Dr. Pierre’s arm and timidly said, “Maybe he is right. We can park the car in a more secured area and wait till the morning. Then we can walk this area and see if we can find your family.”

  Pierre jerked his arm back, “you might be right if this were a normal situation, but if my family is under a building I do not have the time to waste. You take the car and I am going to walk this area until I find out something.”

  “Ok,” Campbell said looking around nervously, “Look there is another military guy over there, let’s park it here next to that military cop. Maybe he will watch it even if this other asshole won’t.”

  Campbell got into the car and moved it up a couple hundred feet just out of view of the first soldier. He got out and asked the cop if he would watch the car; “a couple hours at most.” The cop just smiled and held out his hand. Campbell understood immediately and slapped some American dollars into it.

  The cop looked around furtively and crammed the money in his blouse pocket. He smiled and said, “I will be here for a few hours, go and do what you have to do, but remember, if you turn your back on the wrong person you may be dead in a second.”

  Campbell smiled at that and thought, “Yup, you just can’t trust anyone can you?” He continued his sick smile as he saw all the bodies piled high on the sidewalk. “Wow, a guy could have fun here, find em' abuse em', cut em' and pile em'. Like a dream come true” he told himself. Looking and the bodies he nearly tripped as he stumbled over the debris walking back to Pierre. He looked at Peirre and mumbled, “ a guy could get hurt here, I nearly tripped back there.”

  Pierre ignored him, “Campbell, I’m going to need more than a couple hours I think! Look at this city, it’s in total ruins. I cannot find my family in a few minutes. Come on Campbell we are burning daylight! Let’s get started!.”

  Campbell paused, “Look, the guy said a couple hours. At least it’s a start. We can search and see what happens. Maybe we’ll get lucky. If not, maybe we can find someone else to watch the car. But we’ve got to be smart. What if you find your family and we come back and the car is stolen or destroyed, what then?” He continued, “Then how do we get back? … The answer is, we don´t. And then what? Come on Dr. Pierre, take a look around. Do you see anyone that would help us? We are in the land of the walking dead here. All these people are just ‘dead men walking’… no more!

  “Look at the sidewalks, or what’s left of them. It´s nothing but piles of dead bodies. What good will you be to your family if you are dead?” Campbell was thinking, “And what good will you be to me if you live and the car is destroyed, how will I get back?”

  “We cannot just leave the car here without being sure it is being watched. I told soldier boy over there we would only be a couple hours and I had to promise him another fifty dollars if everything is alright when we return.”

  Pierre looked at Campbell like he just wanted to kill someone and said, “No Campbell, two hours is just not enough time. We better do as the guy says and come in from the north. I can even see lights over there so that’s a plus. We’ll see if we can get back to this area fast. No BS though, my family is there, somewhere under the rubble may
be and I do not have a minute to waste.”

  Campbell shrugged and was already half-way to the car when he looked back to see Pierre staring trance-like over all the devastation. “Ok Pierre, let’s go!” he shouted.

  Pierre jumped out of his stupor and got moving, “Turn that fuck’n car around; if you can, without running over any bodies.” Campbell did and Pierre quickly ran up to the driver’s door.

  “Move over, I know this town. I will drive.”

  Campbell slid over into the passenger seat and Pierre quickly got in. “The officer said to go about three kilometers and turn left whenever possible.

  Minutes later. “There! There it is! Turn there!” Campbell pointed to a narrow lane strewn with rubble and Pierre slowed and entered what looked like the road to hell. “I don’t think this one is paved with good intent,” he thought to himself as he navigated around some concrete blocks.

  “Ok we need to go another two kilometers and then go left again. After a few minutes he slammed on the brakes and cursed, “Damn, the road is blocked; there is no way we can go past that mound of concrete!” He slammed his fist against the steering wheel in frustration.

  “Turn around! I saw an alleyway a short distance back. Moments later, “That’s it, turn here.” They had only just entered the alley when Campbell grabbed Pierre’s arm, “What’s going on up there?” It was a large crowd and they were coming this way.

  “That doesn´t look good,” Campbell yelped. “They have machetes, bats and rocks. They are coming at us! Turn around! Turn around fast!” Campbell was screaming more frantically now as the first rocks began pelting the car.

  “I can´t!” Dr. Pierre yelled back.

  “Do it, do it now!”

  “Those bodies are in the way.”

  “Screw them! Go over them, now, now, now! It is either us or those dead bodies.” A bottle of some type hit the hood and careened up the windshield.

  Campbell fought for the steering wheel and managed to turn it a couple times. He furiously kicked Pierre’s leg out of the way and slammed his own foot on the gas pedal. The car lurched forward and bounced over some rubble before slamming into the side of a concrete retaining wall. The first attackers were at the door and he could see the blood lust in their yellow eyes. He’d never seen anything like it.

  Then suddenly they were on them, crawling on top of the little car. Campbell threw the car in reverse and stomped on the gas again. Bodies bounced and the car rocked up and down running over whatever was in the way. The pitiful screaming pierced the cabin through the as yet unbroken windows but Campbell didn’t stop. He careened backwards back down the narrow alley running over anything in his frightful mad dash. He thumped over several dead bodies. The two frightened men held on for dear life even as their heads banged into the head liner of the little car. The hideous sweet stench, as bloated bodies burst, was immediate and vomitous.

  They lurched out into the road again and Campbell slammed the car into drive, tires squealing. “Go, go, go!” he screamed as he slapped Dr. Pierre to attention. Rocks and bottles pelted them as they watched the crowd recede in the rear window.

  A few seconds later, Both men were panting in relief. An ashen faced Pierre looked at Campbell and wheezed, “Thanks Campbell, you were right. It was the corpses or us.”

  “I know man, I have some experience with the dead. “ Pierre looked at Campbell for a split second wondering what that statement meant, then in a second he looked all around to be sure they were safe. Because of the moment he did not ask what Campbell meant. He just wondered to himself as woke to the moment again.

  Dr. Pierre smiled and, a bit more calmly now, said, “Let’s try another road, but this time I will be ready to react quickly. I don´t want to die here do you?”

  “Hell no!” Campbell said quickly and continued, “If we don’t watch everything we do here, we will die here. And I can guarantee that! It’s a promise,” He slapped him on the shoulder, “That was way too close. Iam not sure about you, but I will get out of here alive.” Pierre responded, “I will pay more attention and I too will get out of here alive, and with my family. I understand now, I really do.”

  Campbell’s mind was in hyper-drive, “You dumb fucking idiot. You do not understand anything. You will die here, but not before I find the perfect place for you. Why do I continue to have these adventures? I am the lion and I am king and I am on the hunt!” The blood lust always calmed him.

  He came back to reality when he realized Pierre was talking. “I do not recognize this area.” He was saying as he slowed the car and ducked to peer through the windshield for a better perspective.

  Campbell, somewhat startled, instinctively looked back again but the coast was clear. “No more fucking zombies,” he thought with relief and then he looked at Pierre and asked “Does anything look familiar to you here?”

  “No, I do not recognize anything. It’s hard to say really … everything is so completely destroyed!” Pierre rolled down his window and stuck his head out for a better look. “Everything is in ruins and I really am not sure where we are. I’m pretty sure that is the church my family attends, but it is so destroyed. Fuck, I'm not sure. If it is, we are only a few block away. Look at the people just walking around; like the zombies!” He quickly rolled up his window. “At least these look under control! This is fuck’n crazy; sixty seconds and the whole city is destroyed.”

  “Ok Pierre, what do you want to do?”

  “Let’s stop here, in the middle of the street where everyone can see us. Maybe someone will recognize me! That may be safer than on a back street too. We tried that before! See that guy over there, the one with the bat, yea, well, I'll ask him to watch the car.”

  “No, I’ll ask,” Campbell said. He checked once more then quickly rolled down his window. “Hey buddy, speak English?” The wary man nodded. “OK, great, will you watch the car while we try to find my family’s house?”

  “No problem, I'll watch it,” he yelled back but kept his distance. It seemed like no one trusted anyone. “It’ll cost you two dollars American.”

  “Ok,” Campbell waved. “Here.” He stretched his arm and the money was gone in the customary flash. He turned to Pierre, “Let’s go before it gets too late.”

  After walking a few blocks Pierre stopped and looked at a house that is completely in ruins. He turned to Campbell and whispered, “This is it. My god, it’s totally leveled. My god, my god! I pray they were not in the house when it came down. What am I supposed to do? What can I do?” He was close to losing all control. “Look at all the people in the street walking around in circles. They look just like they are not conscious man” he yelled again.“Crying, demented zombies! They’re all screaming and waving their arms as if they lost all hope.” He staggered up into the shallow front yard. “Look, there are people everywhere, digging and looking for their friends and family ... probably looting too! Oh my god, this is hell and I am in the middle of it. I have to focus and ask if anyone has seen anyone from my family.”

  “Get that guy over there,” Campbell told Pierre, “Yea, the older guy, he would know everyone around here, yell for him. Come on Pierre, get your shit together! That may be safer than on a back street too.”

  Pierre yelled at an old guy just sitting and staring forlornly at nothing. The beaten man slowly looked up and for some reason gave a huge smile, “yes?” he asked.

  Pierre thought maybe he knew the old guy. “Sir, sir, this is my family’s house. Do you know if, well, do you know anything about them; where they are?” The man looked back at Pierre, the blank stare back on his face. He managed to point to the pile of rubble and shake his head.”

  “My god!” Pierre screamed out, “No-o, no, it can't be-e-e!”

  Campbell waited out Pierre’s grief then said, we need to see if we can crawl through the spaces and get more inside. Maybe there is someone still in there.” Pierre agreed and they got down and started through one of the many small openings that led into an area of what once may have
been the living room. A couch and a large chair supported the roof now. The crawl space entrance was only big enough to allow one person to pass at a time, but when they made it deeper into the living room, it opened slightly and allowed Pierre and Campbell both to sit up.

  Campbell crawled in deeper and shoved a piece of concrete out of his way with his legs. This allowed them to see into what used to be a kitchen. A thick cloud of dust and ash filled the air. Pierre could see someone under the rubble. “That’s my brother, my god he was sitting at the table eating!” He started crawling towards the kitchen. “I need to get in farther. Campbell help me move this chunk of concrete and maybe then I can dig my way past that post and see if he’s alive or if I can see anyone else.”

  He tried to move the concrete but it wouldn’t budge. “Campbell! Come on, help me. I can’t … Hey! What are you doing …”

  Campbell was a couple feet behind the crawling Pierre. He reached forward and grabbed Pierre’s feet and pulled hard and yanked them out from under him as Pierre was attempting to crawl ahead. Pierre landed on his chest and his chin bumped into a pipe causing him to wince. He yelled, “Hey, what the fuck! Let go! What are you doing?”