Detective Short Story inspired by The Dain Curse part 12

Matt lived with grandparents but over the years the house became more his than theirs.  Hull and I found him and Maris on the couch she was balled up with her legs tucked under her body.  She looked bad like she had been crying for days. Matt was trying to be there for her, but this wasn't something she would get over, just less with time.

I mulled around the kitchen making small talk with Matt's grandparents during much of this. I overheard some of it and Hull filled in the rest. Hull was direct "Maris where is Rhino, Kimber's with him it could have been her, it could have been worse." Marisol started bawling with the word worse.  Matt was pissed at the results of Hulls words but comforted her instead of kicking us out.  That was good. "Where does he deal?" "No where, I mean he gets calls usually to meet at a park or something." Marisol replied timid. "Where does he get his stuff?"

Her answer was a house downtown, one of the dying Victorians they rented out to college kids.  We would find it was out between japantown and the park.  We had only description no address.  It was a big wild painted house full of dead heads.

Detective Short Story inspired by The Dain Curse part 11

More of the the Detective Short Story i am writing.  I am not sure if it is going to novel length or not.  I am just writing on it for now, with little destination other than some vague mimicry of The Dain Curse .   I hope you like it the other bits were titled N6 Against the cult of Dain.  That is an obtuse reference to the Dungeons and Dragons module N1 Against the Cult of the Reptile god.  I am reading a book that says be less coy about titles to get blog traffic.



Finding Rhino would need Maris, Hull knew this. She had been hold up with Matt since events past, and was saying little.  Hull knew this wasn't to be easy, but what else was there.  Hull had spent a summer swindling kids out of Trading cards and selling double price at gaming conventions.  There was an oily charm about him, but getting Marisol to talk would be a test.

Hull ordered me to pick him up and drive from a pay phone.  No idea where he found one but he seemed to know a secret network or archaic telecommunication reserved for the pagered.  I found his caravan early afternoon and was quickly greeted. Bounding into my car wearing an aging Y&T jersey and jeans once to long but now the excess walk worn to fit.

The ride over he insisted on playing Dio. Almost entranced and enraged by the music Hull grew seemingly stronger with each note, as if going to battle. Imbued almost frantic with energy Hull stormed Matt's house.

N6 Against the Cult of Dain part 10

The blood scattered us, leaving Hull alone with few answers.  Again he had tucked his motor home into a back alley.  Long Haul trucks and a few other motor homes told him he wouldn't be bothered here.  The camp lasted several days before he would be told to move along. In that time Hull dwelled on what little he had.

Rhino was the one screw unturned here, Hull kept coming back to it. Hull only knew him threw Marisol, and only by reputation.  A junior college football player and occasional dealer.  Chasing the Dragon sparked thoughts of knights and heavy metal records for us, but Rhino used it as a password for Heroin.

Kimber wasn't fond of needles but pills she loved.  She and Maris had been friends for years, so Rhino and her were at least acquainted.  The shape of things was coming to being in Hulls mind.  Again Hull thought Rhino! 

N6 Against the Cult of Dain part 9

The roads through the mountains wired over the land in spirals and turns.  Criss crossing and breaking the path to Holy City was confounding.  Once it was a religious commune promoting Celibacy, tea totalling and white supremacy now it was nothing.  Currently it was home to a glass blower who specialized in marbles and the occasion special order glass sex toy.  The remains of the "Divine Way" church and zoo, rotted a ghost town.

Sorci's Ford groaned as we exited, relieved at casting off it's load.  We parked some ways away and crossed road and field before getting there.  The property was closed off with cyclone fencing but you could push your way through the bushes.  Getting the wasn't much and the moonlight helped. Lights would have given us away.

Back when it was running Holy City and a prayer grove set up, Kraz and talked about it.  I figured it was the place to look, Keith would certainly have mentioned it to his new friends.  I hide back like a coward behind, while Hull, Matt and Tony trudged ahead into the copse.  I could hear someone else I guessed Kimber but after moments they returned with Marisol.  She wore a Halloween store fright robe but was naked besides and crying. She was tied and left!

Maris didn't know much.  Consoling her the rest of the night all we learned.  They had Kimber, Rhino was with them and blood.  Drowning concrete here was blood a lot of blood!

N6 Against the Cult of Dain part 8

"No Woodsey Latham isn't lying, this time!  He is terrified, getting on a bus! Wouldn't say where!"  All of us were thankful there was some upside. "Temple of Harvest, ever hear of it, its the one thing I got out of him."  I'm not sure who Sorc was asking but it sounded like some of that parading around a pole with ribbons crap.

"Kimber got hooked up with them buying, Kerath was already running with them.  They probably seemed harmless with him as the lap dog."  "They probably let him wear his cloak, this is fucked! Kraz could be tied up with anyone and think he is playing a live action roleplaying game."  Keith was always looking to be and never look at who he was with. I was the only one who really knew how screwed up Keith could get himself.

In moments the party was assembled and armed from Hulls weathered home.  Matt could fight but cared too much for his clothes.  Tony was tough and determined if Kimber was involved.  I wasn't much use myself I was scary but pretty much a pussy. I was to take Hull's pellet gun and hold the line.  Hull himself whirled a ren faire morning star over his head and howled for battle.  Sorc was our wheel man.

The band piled into the back of Sorci's truck, straining the springs until it scrapped hard over every bump.  I directed from the inside heat whilst the other shivered under a blanket in the back of the truck.  The night growing cold with the speed of the freeway.

N6 Against the Cult of Dain part 7

Some more from my detective story. I am not sure where it is headed but it is drawing from the detective novels The Dain Curse by Dashel Hammett and something by F Scott Fitzgerald.  Unlike many of my works this is not a kids story as I am trying to have the character spec naturally.  They have direct real world influences and I am specifically choosing language these individuals would use.



The loud words sent us to the parking lot. Tony was getting Rhino's location out of Matt when Sorc arrived. I guess Hull emailed and Sorc had a phone from his gig doing graveyard tech support. His micronized ford truck pulled up next to us. He stood in the door well hands on the roof keeping the car well between us baring the weight of hard news.

"You won't believe it, Woods!" That's me, long stupid story about that one, but it was better than people calling me Chunk. "It's not Mount Madonna its Holy City and they have Kerath with them." That got me cursing, what the fuck was Keith doing in this. Kerath was my fault a friend of my cousin that started tagging around with my other friends. He wasn't a bad guy he really just wanted to belong, but tried far far too hard. He decided he was going to like metal even when he didn't because he thought he could fit in with the crowd. He even made up that name Kerath. I called him Keith or Kraz, cutting Kraznoselski down with little dignity.

Holy City made some sense with Kraz involved, he grew up in those hills and knew them. I could get Hull up there but wasn't much of a guide.

"Latham says they are going to sacrifice Kerath!" Sorci finally blurted. "Oh the hell they are! Who is They anyway." I surprised myself to be saying. But Latham was a liar and Kraz would like it too much. My cousins and I used to play Dungeons and Dragons with Keith, it was his wet dream to be sacrificed to Lloth demon queen of spiders.

N6 Against the cult of Dain part 6

Our path eventually found us at the library. While wireless access was ever present few of us actually to make use of it.  My companions priced out of the market and I was either at home or with the few people whom may have called. Hull and Tony sipped computer access fifteen minutes a shot here, fighting the elderly and unemployed for a turn.  I volunteered my house but Hull complained about the trip cutting into his gas money profits.

I was soon to find the trip more about weed that second rate computers.  I am naive, in my mind drug dealers live in back alleys and other dark places.  They don't read the Economist or wear an ascot and they don't sit politely chatting with elderly ladies at the library.  But Matt was the embodiment of this quaint picture.  Everyone Hull knew seemed to be named Matt so forgive me if I forget his last name.  There was a fat Matt, a tall Matt, one who cheated at Dungeons and Dragons, a mechanic Matt and several more.

This Matt always made me nervous.  Something in my disposition was jumpy around the illegal even or especially when it was wrapped up gentile and exquisitely dress. 

Purchases made Tony began "So you see Maris lately?" Clearly a soar subject Matt winced at the mention of the name.  She was a Filipino girl he had been tied up with for years.  It was wildly off and on but mostly off these days. "No she is with Rhino now!" was Matt's sullen reply.  "She still see Kimber?" "Probably yeah but I don't know Rhino doesn't want me around, I don't really want to be around anyway!"

N6 Against the Cult of the Dain part 5

Latham's name was said in disgust in most circles.  All too common was "Fucking Latham" or the reviled "You slept with Latham?"  An acquaintance had even dislocated Latham's arm at a party only to relocate the same night.  Sorci was one of the few who didn't want to kill him on sight. 

Hull was counting on Sorc getting some answers out of him, this was wise Tony or I would have just kicked his teeth in.  Sorc was hesitant to get involved but owed Tony.  He blew off my offer to drive, well knowing I would make a mess of things. "Go with Hull, he won't know the roads."  Truth be told Tony knew Mount Madonna better than I but I understood.

Our paths left the game still running our lives slowly beat to death by the nameless villains of Captain Commando.  Tony and I climbed into the motor home behind Hull crunching down a couple of old insulin needles on the floor and clearing trash from the seats.  Shadows bled away as we left the back alleys turned toward the suburbs.

I remember asking for something quiet and acoustic from the radio, to fit my mood.  The best Hull could do was some Dio though it was only near as solemn as me.  Another day a trip to the kings temple would be grand but something was off today. 

N6 Against the Cult of the Dain part 4

"Do they still have cults?  I mean now that the Satan Worshiping Albino's are gone you don't hear about cults."  Tony looked on low browed with a mouth drawn hard at a single cheek. "Don't be stupid, Man! This is serious she went and a car load of people went up to Mount Madonna a week ago.  The only one back is that jackass Latham.  I'm gonna kick his ass, when I find him!"

Hull thought a moment "your making me dinner after I find him, and a full tank."  Tony quickly agreed and the two climbed back into the cab.  Moments later the motor sputtered to life and shuttered toward the south end of town. 

This is where I come in. Hull parked in the inglorious back alley behind a failing strip mall.  Wandering in the back door of a long forgot arcade he past a biker playing pool and down the lone line of machines.  Half were broken but still flashed static and pixels and called longingly in attract mode.

Two figures haunted one of the machines in the deep dark of the establishment.  The one with long thin golden locks was Sorci.  The tallest of a large Italian family he stood the height of a normal man but towered over most of his kin.  The mountain of fat and curses next to him was me. I'm sure I was wearing denim and a Rush shirt I nearly always am.  Hull was looking for Sorc.

N6 Against the Cult of the Dain part 3

The days of shopping mall vice deals were well behind Hull.  Most were well aware of this change, even the mall had changed.  All of it was unrecognisable from the man to the cavernous video arcade where he presided over the air hockey table.  The once forgotten second rate mall renovated and bright, too bright. Now a cathedral of commerce well patrolled and dark corners plant filled and light.

Our Hero had gone clean long before to tell the truth.  A poor purchase of Windex vials destroyed his bank roll and set him straight.  He was uninterested in these things himself, just a job , his habits never cut into profits.

I don't remember much about the friend at the door of Hulls' motor home.  I think this was Will or Paul, I have a hard time keeping all of them straight.  He looked at Hull dismayed saying "I know, it's Kimber have you seen her?"  Hull seemed to know everyone, He knew this was a girl many of his friends had been trying to fuck for a number of years.  "No , she  still around?" Hull asked.

"She's joined a cult!" Came the reply from Tony, this was Tony now I remember, another stocky guy a bit taller than Hull but build like a tank. Hull thought a moment, finally answering " Yeah her family was like that, they wouldn't even let her pick the movies she went to and they threw out most of her tapes..." "No a real cult, like shaving your head and wearing jogging suits kind of cult!" "Hm you mean some sort of Cult of the Reptile God, I have that module around her some where." Hull laughed to Tony's growing impatience.

N6 Against the Cult of the Dain part 2

Hull kept the coach going on gas money donations he dutifully collected from everyone who entered.  He held several Dungeons and Dragons games running so there was always a gang coming or going.   He mostly ate the snacks that always seemed to show up with these event and happily claimed any leavings.  A sordid diet for a diabetic, which Hull was, often leading to wild insulin fits.

Under the knit afghan Hull stirred to wake, a hand rubbing a balding head that longed to be shaggy and worn long. He blew his nose honking hard into a dish towel, already full of unsavory things.  Soon he was to his feet and walking.  The light trickled through the trees on the lands of my youth.  But I wasn't there and these placed didn't mean much to Hull, he was looking for someplace to eat.

The meal et and some minor restroom bathing done, Hull found his way home.  He had only shut the door when a pounding at the door sent him whirling around.  Rather than hesitation he cast open the door and bounded out with a "hello".  One would worry about cops but Hull often countered opposition with boisterous and naive pleasantness.  Eyes finally focused on an old acquaintance met happily, but with the words "I'm not dealing anymore."

N6 Against the Cult of the Dain part 1

A little fan rattled furiously trying hard to blow the stale air in the cab around.  The air conditioner was long dead with no attempt at repair.  The drivers' window thrown open you could only see the head of the short man at the wheel driving reckless and unconcerned.  His music spilled out the window shattering the quiet morning piece of lonely streets. 

These were the empty road ways of progress or were before being bled empty by recession.  Low buildings empty and quiet once sunlit and bird sung seemed swallowed up by drums and guitar.  The music was metal and I'm sure our little driver could point to a patch on his jacket and tell you much of the band.  If you are curious lets say it was Coroner or King Diamond or something like that. Whatever it was the streets were once quiet and now they were not.

The coach rolled hard on the road but finally came to a stop.  The Driver found a cul de sac and settled the motor home in for the day.  Everything here was empty not a business open for work, which suited him well.  There was no one to bang on the door and tell him to leave.  None cared or were concerned by his few day long camp.  Hull parked his home and drew the curtains closed, sleeping a few hours before the day was ready to begin.