Evil Agreement (8 page)

I’ve not written to anyone in Vermont,
ever. How did they find me? What circumstance has led them to me?

The next entry read August
5, 1907.

I went to the Mayflower Hotel today. I had to see this
man for myself. Mrs. Hobbs let me wear a maid’s uniform and I worked with her
daughter, Cynthia, cleaning and fixing rooms. When we knocked at Mr. Carpenter’s
(or Mr. Harper’s) room, there was no answer. Cynthia used her passkey and we
entered the room. It looked as if no one was staying in that room. The bed was
proper. The room was as fit as could be. However, as we were taking our leave
this Mr. Carpenter walks into the room. His eyes fix upon both of us. We
excused ourselves and moved past him to the door. As I left the room, I looked
back at this man who is now facing the mirror over the dresser against the far
wall. His face is knotted with anger, but the reflections of his eyes were
unmistakable. They were like two black coals set into the place where a persons
eyes should normally be. His eyes were just as mother said they would be, black
and lifeless. It is the Keepers of the Evil Agreement, they’ve come for me.

Korie
had returned to his table and
removed his soup dish. She brought him a salad. It was covered in a dressing
that gave off a light bouquet of deliciously blended spices with olive oil.

“Is the diary interesting?”

“Yeah, very.”

“Well, anyway, your entrée will be ready in a few minutes,
Mr. Bond.”

He smiled at this playful reference to their first meeting
last night.

“Great, I can’t wait. Can you tell me what it will be?”

“That would spoil it for you.”

“Fine, I do like surprises,” said Aaron as he flashed his
usual smile.

Korie
turned and left, but as she
walked away she thought,
I can’t believe I used that corny Mr. Bond line
again. He must think I’m so duh...fake.

Little did
Korie
know that Aaron
really liked her playful reference to James Bond.

He returned his attention to the diary and read on.

The entry was dated August
7, 1907

.

I packed my things and left the house today. It was so
nice living there these past four years. Mrs.
Cullity
has been like a mother to me. I had no choice. I couldn’t put the others in
danger. These coven people, who seek me, killed my mother and I know they would
do the same to me. I will not be their handmaiden in bringing Satan to walk
upon this earth. That evil man came around again last evening. He was
insistent. Mrs.
Cullity
said if he didn’t leave she
would call for the police to dispatch him. He said he didn’t want any trouble.
We all could see him standing outside the house, across the street, under a
gaslight, until late in the evening when he disappeared. At
six o’clock
in the morning, I packed what I could carry in
one carpetbag and hurried to the train station. I left Chicago
with very little. Mrs.
Cullity
said she would send
the rest of my things when I get settled. The train ride is making me sleepy,
but I dare not fall asleep during the nighttime. I am looking forward to
meeting Mrs.
Cullity’s
younger sister, Miss
Whitehouse. New Orleans sounds like
a magical place. I pray I shall never see those cold black eyes ever again.

Aaron began to carefully turn the pages in search for an
entry that would detail how Colleen Day Powell’s mother, Constance Morgan
Powell, died.

Korie
returned to his table with
his entrée. She had brought him a thick cut of swordfish broiled in garlic and
butter. It was presented on a plate with a generous helping of baked red
gourmet potatoes accented with a sprig of parsley. She had also brought him a
side dish of summer squash.
 

“It looks just great,
Korie
.”

“Thanks. I hope you enjoy it.”

“Do you have any herbal tea?”

“Yes, we do. I’ll go and check on the flavors.”

“That won’t be necessary. Just surprise me again.”

“So, you like surprises, do you?”

“It would seem so from what my life has been like lately.”

“Any surprises in the diary?”

“Plenty. I sure would like to talk to you about them. What
time do you get off tonight?”

“Well, tonight I don’t have to work until close, I get off at
ten.”

“Great, would you join me for a late dinner or coffee or
whatever?”

Shrugging her shoulders, she smiles, and says, “Sure I guess
so. Oh, listen, thanks for the flowers, they’re great.”

“I’m glad you liked them,” he said as he reached over to her
and softly touched her right hand.

His touch felt like an electric shock without the
electricity. Sweeping her hair back behind her ears with left hand, she smiled
and looked away. She felt a blush coming on.

“
Ten o’clock
.”

“What?”

“I get off at
ten o’clock
!”

Korie
quickly turned and left to
attend to the other tables in her area. All she could think about was Aaron. He
was special, she just knew it.

Aaron returned to reading the dairy and enjoying his meal.

Later
Korie
stopped by briefly with
his tea. The tea was a red zinger, strong, but without a biting aftertaste.

“Got to run, I’m behind with a couple of my tables,” said
Korie
as she dashed off to attend to a table of six, just
two tables away.

Aaron filled his time by sampling excerpts from the diary.
The stories seemed to be woven from a common thread, tales of how his ancestors
were pursued from one end of the country to the other. There were words of
fear, hatred and anger and there were words of strength, courage and hope.

The night seemed to just melt away.

Just as Aaron was finishing his second cup of tea,
Korie
sat down across from him. He looked up and smiled at
her arrival.

“So,
Korie
, are you done for the
evening?”

“Yeah, and not a moment too soon. My feet are killing me,”
she answered with a tired exhale of air.

“Can I order you something to eat? Perhaps a cup of coffee?”

“Not really. The kitchen is starting to close down anyway.

Look, I’ve got an idea. About a mile and a half north of
here, along

“Sounds perfect,” said Aaron.

He picked up the check and the diary. He began to head for
the cashier when he remembered he hadn’t left a tip. It was an awkward moment
to say the least. He started to turn back to leave a tip when
Korie
caught him by the arm.

“Hey, I don’t want you to leave a tip for me. If you want to
leave something for the busboy, that would be fine. Were friends, remember? If
you’ll buy me that ice cream we’ll be even, okay?”

Aaron smiled at
Korie
and took her
arm in his as they headed to the cashier. Moments later they were in his car
driving up to the ice cream restaurant. The flowers he had ordered for her
earlier in the day were wrapped and lying on the backseat.

“Over there, see it, Otto’s Ice Cream Parlor.”

“That’s the place?”

“Yeah, you can park right in front.”

He pulled his car to a stop almost directly in front. They
both got out of the car and walked across the sidewalk to the takeout window. A
large lady was sitting on a stool behind a sliding window screen. She was
wearing a red and white checkered uniform that seemed way too tight for her.
She was chewing gum at a furious pace. Her hair was dyed blond and she wore far
too much eye makeup. She was reading a heavily thumbed copy of Cosmopolitan.

“Hi, Ginger,” said
Korie
.

“Well, look it here, it’s
Korie
.
Where have you been keeping yourself, honey?”

“I’ve been putting in some long hours at the restaurant.”

“I know the feeling, believe me. But the money sure is good,
ain’t
it?” she said as she slid off of her stool.

“Ginger, let me introduce you to my friend. This is Aaron.
Aaron...Ginger.”

“Nice to meet you, Ginger,” he nodded.

Ginger slid open the window screen and reached out for one of
Aaron’s hands. He was caught somewhat off guard. She snatched his right hand
with her right and immediately turned his hand over, palm side facing up. She
began to trace the lines in his hands with the index finger of her left hand.
She wore an eclectic collection of rings on each finger of both of her hands.
Korie
laughed at her friend’s antics.

“Ginger is a palm reader. She says that by reading the lines
in the palm of your hands, she can predict your future. Well, Ginger, what do
you see?”

Ginger’s mind flashes with a burst of images. The images are
of a child tied to a large flat rock. A huge knife is poised directly over the
child’s torso. There is chanting coming from dozens of people surrounding the
flat rock. Their eyes are solid black, glassy, cold, and evil.

Ginger feels a chill grip her and her entire body quivers
from the chill. The images have now faded away.

“Well, Ginger? Is Aaron going to become President of the United
States? Is he about to take a long trip? Is
he going to meet someone beautiful?”

Regaining her composure, Ginger releases Aaron’s hand. She
wipes her own hands on her apron.

“Uh, he’s going to be famous, real famous,” she answers with
a less than hearty smile. She doesn’t want to look either one of them in the
face right now. If she does, she believes she would just burst out what she had
just seen in her mind’s eye.

“So,
Korie
, the usual?”

“Yeah. Aaron, what about you?”

“I’ll have a scoop of maple walnut.”

Ginger turned her back on the two as she prepared their
order.

“Isn’t she something?”

“Yeah, something,” said Aaron.

He had also experienced the same mental images, only his
version was a good deal fainter. One thing is for sure. He felt her fear. For
the time being, he decided he would keep his thoughts to himself.

In a moment their order was ready. Aaron paid for the ice
cream while
Korie
took their ice cream, along with a
couple of paper napkins.

As they were about to leave for Aaron’s car, Ginger called to
Korie
.

“
Korie
!”

Korie
leaned over the counter.
Ginger leaned forward as well.

“
Korie
, you be careful honey.” Her
eyes conveyed a sense of concern.

“What do you mean? Is it Aaron?”

“No, no, it’s ...well...it’s just that. Oh, I don’t know.
Just be careful, for me...okay.”

“I will. Look, he’s a nice guy...he just lost his mother.
Anyway, we’re just friends.”

Korie’s
look of reassurance didn’t
deliver the intended effect. Nevertheless Ginger squeezed
Korie’s
arm and managed a smile for her.

Ginger shouted to Aaron, who had just about reached his car,
“You take care, Aaron. It was a pleasure meeting you, honey.”

“Thanks, I will. It was nice meeting you, too.”

When
Korie
got back into Aaron’s
car, she handed him his ice cream along with a napkin.

“What was that all about?”

“Just girl talk. Nothing important.”

11

The Game Warden’s car pulled to a stop in front of Sammy
Porter’s house on

“Want me to come in with you?” said Walter.

“No,” said Sammy with a tone of resoluteness the Game Warden
had not noticed before. Sammy was riding shotgun.

“Leave him be,” said Judy
Perillo
from the back seat. “He’ll be just fine. She reached up to the front seat with
her right hand and ran her fingers through Sammy’s hair.

“Thank you for all of your help. I’m sure I can handle this,”
said Sammy as he exited the car.

He didn’t hesitate but strode boldly to the front door of his
house. The front door swung open and Sammy’s mother stood in the doorway. She
wrapped Sammy in her arms. She then looked out to the Game Warden’s car and
gave a wave.

“Your place or mine?” asked Walter as he looked into the back
seat at Judy
Perillo
by glancing up into the rearview
mirror.

“My place. I’ve got a new waterbed that I’m just dying to try
out,” she said as she put her right index finger up to her lower lip and
managed a
pouty
look for the benefit of Walter.

The car surged forward as Walter
Yandow
pressed his foot down on the accelerator.

Sheeee
...it...a waterbed
,
he thought.

Judy, on the other hand, was thinking about the newest member
of the coven. This young boy was going to need some special help. Just the kind
of help Judy enjoyed providing. She smiled her widest smile while she squeezed
her thighs together. She shuddered from the effects of a mild climax.

Meanwhile, Sammy pushed past his mother and walked to the
kitchen. His father, Steve, and older sister, Kelley, were both sitting at the
table in the kitchen. Sammy’s older brother, Jeff, had died the year before in
a car accident. The table and chairs were circa 1950s with chrome legs and a
Formica table top. Without saying a word, Sammy opened the refrigerator and
removed a plastic gallon half filled with milk. He removed the plastic cap and
stood in front of the open refrigerator door while he drank directly from the
milk container.

His father stood up and wiped his hands on his khaki pants.
He nudged Sammy’s sister to stand as well. She was a year older and had been
developing into a beautiful young woman. She had been working on a dried flower
arrangement. His father, a twenty-two year counter man at the local lumberyard,
was prematurely bald. Sammy’s mother, Connie, sold Avon
cosmetics at house parties to help with the family’s expenses. She always wore
a too generous amount of her products. She was a pleasant looking woman whose
taste in clothes was too old for her age.

Sammy finished the milk and closed the refrigerator door. He
wiped the slight traces of milk from his upper lip with the back of his right
hand. He placed the empty container on the well worn kitchen counter.

Clearing her throat, his mother spoke first, “Sammy we’re all
so proud of you.”

“Real proud, son,” said his father as he extended his hand in
a handshake gesture.

Sammy’s sister just stood there silently staring at her
brother.

“There are going to be some changes around here,” said Sammy
with a stern voice. His voice was deeper than the voice he had left with
earlier that evening.

“First of all, no one is to call me Sammy anymore. My name is
Samuel. Is that clear?”

Everyone nodded their agreement.

“Mother, I want you to stop wearing any perfume while in this
house. I have always found the odors offensive. Father, when you go to work
tomorrow, you are to speak to Mr. Steadman the owner, about your new job.”

“My what?”

“You heard me. And as for you, my sweet little sister, you
are to stop seeing Paul
Lacosse
. Moloch has revealed
to me you have been unfaithful with someone who is not of our faith. He’s is
unclean, and an outsider. This must end, now! Moloch demands it, as do I.”

His sister raised her left hand as if to slap her brother in
the face when she noticed his totally black eyes. She froze in the middle of
her swing. Her arms then went limp as she slowly sat down in her kitchen chair.

Samuel’s father and mother stood silent, as they also noticed
his cold, all black eyes.

Finally, his mother spoke “Samuel, uh, would you care for
some supper. I could, uh, warm up something for you if you’d like.”

“Yes, mother, that would please me.”

Samuel sat down at the kitchen table, as did his father.

“Samuel, about this job, is there anything else you can tell
me?”

“Everything is arranged. We will soon be moving to our new
home. Moloch will take care of our needs as he always does!”

Kelley sat at the table with her brother and father. Her mother
was busy fixing dinner for Samuel. Kelley, however, was in a deep trance. Her
mind was now being taken on a mental journey by Moloch. It would be a journey
guaranteed to return her as a fearful but obedient servant.

Samuel’s mother served him a plate filled with his favorite,
spaghetti and meatballs from a can. As he ate his supper, the rest of the
family sat around the table in silence. Kelley’s mind was busy serving up a
kaleidoscope of horrors courtesy of Moloch.

Samuel stood up from the table and placed his plate in the
kitchen sink.

“I’m tired. I’m going to go to bed now.”

As Samuel left the room his mother quickly reached across the
table and held her husband’s hands in her own.

“Steve, we’re so lucky,” she beamed.

“I hope you’re right Connie, I just hope you’re right.”

“Our Sammy, I mean Samuel is a Keeper, a chosen member of the
coven. I just knew that he would make it someday. Yes, I just knew,” she
repeated.

“Yes, honey, a Keeper of the Agreement. I wonder what this
job thing is that he spoke about.”

“Oh, it will be wonderful, I am sure of it!”

Kelley can hear her parents speaking, but she is unable to
speak herself. Moloch now begins to lessen his grip of terror. Deep inside she
is terrified of her own brother, and now her father and mother as well. This
deeply held terror was not generated by the efforts of Moloch. These were fears
she had shared with her friend, Paul
Lacosse
, one day
when they were riding home on the school bus. He too felt the same fear.

“I sometimes think I’m being watched. Even when I’m in my bed
at night, it feels like I’m being watched. You know,
kinda
like someone’s looking in my room from the bedroom window,” confided Paul one
day while sitting on the school bus next to Kelley.

“Yeah, I know what you mean. It’s real creepy, like just this
morning, as I looked in the bathroom mirror—I thought that I could see someone
watching me from over my shoulder. I swear I could almost feel their breath on
my neck.”

Paul shivered a bit, which caused Kelley to do likewise. She
then looked over her shoulder and around the school bus at the other kids.

“Do you think anyone is watching us now?” asked Paul.

“I don’t know. I just feel weird like, you know.”

Sitting at the kitchen table, Kelley felt herself coming back
from the dark fugue she had been in.

“Honey, are you okay?” asked her mother as she wiped Kelley’s
forehead with a kitchen towel.

Kelley had been perspiring heavily for the past couple of
minutes. She had also begun to shiver and her teeth were rattling as well. She
still could not speak.

“Kelley, speak to us dear,” said her mother.

Kelley’s lips trembled. Her eyes swept from her father back
to her mother several times.

“I...I...I...just want to go to
bbbbb
...bed,”
she managed in a stammer.

“Of course dear, you’ll be alright. Learning that Samuel is
now a Keeper is a shock to your father and me, too,” said her mother in her
usual condescending tone. She stroked her daughter’s hair.

Her father reached out and touched her hand for a brief
moment. Their eyes met and in that instant Kelley could see her father wasn’t
as enthusiastic about Samuel’s ascension as her mother was. There was something
else. Her father was afraid. Just as afraid as she was, only he was better at
hiding it. In this moment, he had let his guard down, and she had detected his
fear.

Kelley pushed herself up weakly and shuffled out of the
kitchen. She climbed the stairs and headed to the upstairs bathroom. Before she
entered the bathroom, she noticed the door to her brother’s room was closed but
there was a small strip of light coming from under his door.

He’s still awake,
she thought. Slipping into the
bathroom she flipped on the overhead light switch and then closed the door
behind her. As softly and as quietly as she could Kelly locked the door. Now in
the locked room, she relaxed just a bit. She begins to remove her clothes to
take a shower. Meanwhile, downstairs her parents are still talking about
Samuel’s new status.

Across from the bathroom in Samuel’s bedroom he lies on his
bed. He hasn’t removed his clothes. He is staring up at the shadows on his
bedroom ceiling cast by the small cut glass lamp, which sits upon his dresser.
His mind is on a journey. He has been practicing his “technique”—an ability to
listen in on the thoughts of others for some time now. Tonight he was going to
try something entirely new. Instead of just listening in on someone’s thoughts,
tonight he wanted to see if he could change someone’s thoughts, to control
their mind and more. He felt confident he could. But whom would he “choose?”

Kelley turned on the shower and adjusted the water’s
temperature. She stepped into the shower and pulled the shower curtain closed.
The spray of the water against her body seems to awaken her. Kelley now steps
directly under the water’s spray as she also reaches for a bar of soap. Kelley
lathers herself up and begins to relax in the shower.

Meanwhile, Samuel sends his mind on a journey to find Walter
Yandow
. It doesn’t take long. Samuel is careful when
entering the thoughts of others. He doesn’t want to give away his own presence.
Tonight wouldn’t matter. Walter’s mind is filled with lustful, sinful thoughts.
Perversions of every sort are playing out in Walter’s mind. Samuel slips inside
and begins to get acquainted with what Walter is up to.

“Oh, Walter, you’re so
goo
...
ood
,” whispers Judy
Perrillo
as
Walter and she are entwined in each others arms having sex. They were moving as
one on the rolling waterbed in her bedroom. After dropping Samuel off, Walter
had driven straight to Judy’s house, located on the small hill overlooking her
hotel. A trail of their clothes traced from the bedroom out to the hallway down
to the living room and then to the foyer.

Inside Walter’s mind, he was trying to control his own
climax. His hands were all over her ample breasts as his mind was overloaded
with messages arriving from all of his senses.

Judy was lying on her back. She was clearly enjoying herself.
She could feel the rocking motion of her own body, which was moving in unison
with the rolling motion of the water bed. She closed her eyes. In her own mind,
the body of Walter was now replaced by the young virile movie star she had
nightly fantasies about, especially on those nights when she was alone.

She was beginning her own journey.

Samuel made his move. His mind took over the mind of Walter
Yandow
. Walter’s subconscious mind knew who it was and it
obeyed. Such was this new found power of Samuel’s. Samuel now drove Walter’s
body into high gear. Every muscle in Walter’s body was at Samuel’s command.

Walter’s body began to push against Judy with more force. His
pace quickened. Judy noticing the change adjusted her own tempo. Walter’s body
began to function as if he were a large piston working with precision.

The force of their lovemaking had now exceeded anything Judy
had ever experienced with Walter before. She opened her eyes and could see that
Walter’s eyes were closed, his teeth clinched and his brow was furrowed from
the strain. He had released her breast moments before. His hands were now tightly
gripping the bed sheets.

***

Kelley had been in the shower for several minutes. A sense
that someone was in the bathroom with her suddenly seized her. She quickly
pulled back the shower curtain. The steam filled room was silent. Her eyes
scanned the room and then settled on the fogged vanity mirror. There was a
trace of movement behind the sweaty glass surface. She could see a shadow
lurking behind the steamed, wet surface of the glass.

Kelley turned off the shower and stepped from the tub. She wrapped
a towel around herself and used another to quickly wrap her hair. The sense
that someone was watching her was even stronger now. She picked up a small face
cloth from the vanity, reached up and wiped the mirror’s surface.

With one swipe, she cleared a streak of the mirror’s surface.
In that moment, her fear was convincingly confirmed by the evil image that was
now staring at her. The face was muscular, ashen gray in color. The mouth was
opened into a leering grin, which revealed deeply yellowing teeth. The eyes
were black as coal. The overhead light reflected in those eyes.

Kelley put her right hand up to her mouth. She wanted to
scream, but couldn’t.

The face in the mirror now began to move. Its lips began to
purse up. The evil one was sending her a kiss. Kelley, repulsed at this
gesture, took a half step back into the wall next to the shower adjacent to the
locked bathroom door. Her right hand reached out for the door handle and its
lock.