sure Cari will forgive you, Felix.”
“Will she?” he replied. “Would you? I wouldn’t forgive myself.”
“It wasn’t your fault, Felix, you were doing your job.”
Felix was getting emotional as he said, “And since when does a job come before love and family, Chuck? Is that how you run your life? Then I hope Susie gets out while she can.”
Chuck said, “The job is the most important thing for them, Felix. It was for Cari and it is for Susie. We have to keep them safe.” He wasn’t sure he believed his own words.
“So much good it did for Cari,” Felix said.
It was Chuck’s turn to get angry, “Cari would’ve been fine, Felix. They messed up the scheduling for her.”
“And I stood by them when they told her she would be moved as soon as possible,” Felix shouted. “I should’ve told them to move her right away. I let her down, Chuck. Don’t let Susie down. She’s too beautiful to look like this.”
Chuck’s anger turned into sympathy and concern. He asked Felix, “Why didn’t you accept treatment?”
“It only has a forty percent success rate,” Felix replied. “Besides, I didn’t deserve it.”
“You need to stop beating yourself up for it, Felix. It wasn’t your fault.”
“How, Chuck? I let her live there for another month. I let her stay in that nuclear pit. I let her spend thirty days in the most radioactive ground zero we had ever seen.”
Chuck tried to explain, “You were following orders. If you hadn’t listened to them, they would’ve tranquilized both of you. You would’ve been fired, and you would’ve been living in shitty houses for the rest of your lives. You did what you thought was best for Cari.”
“Or did I do what was easiest for me?” Felix asked. “If I had refused, we would still be together. That would’ve been enough for us. We didn’t need the big houses and all the money. We only needed each other. I failed her, Chuck.” Felix picked the bottle back up and poured more salt into his mouth.
Chuck wanted to help his friend. He knew there was nothing he could do, but he decided to try anyway. “Success rates have improved, Felix. They’re past fifty percent. Take the treatment. We’ll move you to a Church Community. Cari can hear your prayers, Felix. She’ll forgive you.”
Felix was shaking his head. “You believe that bullshit, Chuck?”
“What bullshit?” Chuck asked.
“You believe in God and Heaven and angels?”
“Yes,” Chuck said. “I always have.”
Felix replied, “Wish I did.”
“Come on, Felix,” Chuck urged. “Let’s move you, get you that treatment.”
“I already told you, Chuck. I’m not going.”
“Felix,” Chuck said, “please. I don’t want the Enforcers to come in.”
“They won’t,” Felix stated.
Chuck asked, “Why not?”
“Did you ever find out why I was fired from my last job?”
“You mean the laboratory job?”
Felix nodded his head.
Chuck said, “You stole from them.”
“They never told you,” Felix said, “what I stole from them, did they?”
“No,” Chuck said.
Felix held the bottle up and looked at it. He asked, “Do you know what this is, Chuck?”
“No,” he replied again. He was anxious to find out.
Felix said, “I stole this bottle of pure potassium cyanide.”
Chuck grew fearful. Felix had been swallowing the poison throughout the entire conversation. “That was almost ten years ago, Felix.”
“I know,” he replied. “I took it just in case I ever needed it.”
In a panic, Chuck asked, “And you think you need it now?”
Felix could sense Chuck’s panic. “Are you afraid of me, Chuck?”
“Felix,” Chuck pleaded.
Felix chuckled and said, “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna throw it at you or anything. I’m not a murderer. I didn’t kill Cari on purpose.”
“You didn’t kill her at all, Felix.”
He replied, “I might as well have.”
“Felix,” Chuck said, “Come on. Just move on.”
“If you’re right, I will,” Felix said. “Where do you think I’ll go, Chuck?”
“What do you mean?”
Felix explained, “Heaven or Hell? Suicide is a mortal sin, isn’t it?”
Chuck was horrified. “Felix, stop this.” The bottle was still half full.
“You could stop me, Chuck. Bring in the Enforcement Officers. Tranquilize me. Move me.”
“I don’t want to do that to you, Felix. You’re my friend.”
“You were my friend,” Felix said. “You haven’t called me in years. Don’t try to use our past friendship as an excuse for your cowardice.”
Chuck stepped closer to the bed, pleading with Felix, “Don’t do this. You still have the rest of your life to live.”
“No, I don’t, Chuck. That’s where you’re wrong. Protect your queen, old friend. This is checkmate for me.” Felix poured all of the poison into his mouth and took a hard swallow.
“Felix!” Chuck screamed. Tears started pouring from his eyes. “No!” He got on the bed and started shaking Felix. “Felix, come back! Don’t do this! Felix!” Chuck was hysterical. The Enforcement Officers rushed into the room. Chuck stumbled back off of Felix and the bed. One of the Enforcers called for the Medical Officers to come in. Chuck stared at Felix’s body in horror as it started to convulse in violent seizures. He put his hands on his head and pulled at his hair, screaming for Felix to stop killing himself. Chuck collapsed to his knees and wept. The Medical Officers rushed Felix’s body out of the room, and the Enforcement Officers left as well. They would remain outside the house until Chuck came out. Chuck, however, was left alone. The past few moments seemed non-existent as he saw the empty bed and the empty room.
As the movie rolled on in the background, Chuck heard, “Our crusade was so stupid that only an idealist could have thought it up.”
Chuck stood up. He walked over to the television and shut it off. He stood there in silence for a moment, then turned and left the room. He walked out of Felix’s house, joined his ARO, and started the next move.
Dear Missy,
The man at the post office said all my letters made it out and the police officer said they couldn’t find you. Missy, what happened? Where did you go? I need you. I can barely think with how bad my headache is.
Mom’s gone, Theresa’s gone, you’re gone. Even Felix is gone now. He killed himself, Missy. Why would anyone do that? Why would he hurt Chuck like that? That’s not what you did, is it? No, they would’ve found James or the girls. If I don’t hear from you after this I’m going to have to come find you. I don’t know if I’m ready to come home but I need to know that you’re safe.
I hope you didn’t go to Dad’s. The girls shouldn’t be there. He doesn’t deserve to be anywhere near them. If you went there, please go home. I hope I hear from you soon.
Love,
Ken
Monsters, 4
When Teddy woke up he saw hid dad standing over him. He was shaking Teddy and telling him to wake up. When Teddy did wake up, his dad hugged him tight. Teddy passed out again.
He woke up in a hospital bed. His mom was sitting right next to him and she hugged him when he woke up. She said “I love you” and he said “I love you too.” Teddy asked where his dad was and his mom said he was on the phone with work.
A monster came in the room. Teddy was tired of fighting. Before the monster got to him, Teddy’s mom got up and stood in front of it. She asked for a nurse. The monster left and a nurse came in. She asked Teddy how he was feeling and he said everything hurt. The nurse said they were going to help him feel better. She asked him if he wanted anything to eat and he asked for Cheerios. She said she would bring them to Teddy.
Later, the doctor Teddy met before came in the room and started asking him questions about the mon
sters. He couldn’t answer them. She told Teddy that they knew who the monsters were now. Teddy was surprised. He asked her how. She told Teddy they knew that some men had hurt him. Teddy said they weren’t men, they were monsters.
The doctor asked how long monsters had been hurting him. Since she already knew the monsters hurt him, he decided to answer her. Teddy told the doctor the monsters had been hurting him his whole life.
Teddy’s mom started crying. Teddy was tired. He asked if he could go to sleep. Teddy’s mom nodded her head. She kissed him and he went to sleep.
The next day police officers came to talk to Teddy. They asked him more questions about the monsters in the trees. Teddy didn’t tell them much because he didn’t know much. He told them there were a lot of monsters and that they hurt him for a long time.
The police officers asked Teddy about monsters that had hurt him before. Teddy couldn’t remember a lot about them. He remembered the pain. After Teddy had told the police officers everything he knew and remembered, they asked Teddy’s mom where his dad was. She said he was on the phone with work again.
Teddy’s mom hugged him and kissed him again. Teddy asked when he could go home. His mom told him soon.
Teddy’s dad wasn’t in the car when his mom drove him home. He asked where his dad was and she said he had something to do at work. She told Teddy he would be home when they got there.
When he walked in the door, Teddy ran to his father and hugged him. Teddy asked his dad why he wasn’t in the hospital with him. His dad apologized and said he had things to take care of with work. Teddy hugged him again.
Teddy’s mom said that she had to go to work but she wanted to stay with Teddy. Teddy’s dad told her not to worry,