A Stay

Come in for a visit and stay awhile... Eternity.

James approached the building with a sense of disgust. How long could she stay here? The longer it is the better. The cold gray building stared back at him from the crisp autumn twilight. Dingy yellow light screamed out at him from the barred windows. He hated the visits with all of his heart. "... but we must keep up appearances." he though almost aloud.

The whole idea started when Clarissa started taking the pills for anxiety. She was sweet and beautiful. But he was tired of her. She just didn't get it. A family would get in the way of all he wanted to do. Life was all about getting to the top. That was the only thing that mattered to James. He had always been a success at what ever he did no matter what the cost. Now he had the right address and all the connections to get to the top. Clarissa was in the way. Every time he went to a business meeting, convention or the club she would nag him. "Why don't you stay home with me?", "What about us?" or his favorite "When can we have a family?" Jesus, it was always something to drive him crazy! He could not deal with it. There was too much at stake to risk a nasty divorce, after all he had not been an angel. There were the women at the Troy convention, Stacy at the club and the on going affair with Tom's wife. He had a feeling she knew something of all of this. A divorce was out of the question. James couldn't get rid of Clarissa by killing her. Her family had money and would find out some damn way. It all started with the pills. Soon she was drinking too much and keeping to herself. She babbled how she would win in the end. Win what? She had been a real loser all her life. Two bad marriages and nothing to show for but heart ache. Until James. He had looks, charm and money. He loved her at first, but soon she bored him. He had to be rid of her somehow. Of all the damn people who could help him, his stupid bitch mother in law was the last he expected. It was her idea. A little time at Placid Valley may do Clarissa a world of good. Get her off the booze and pills. Three days stretched into a few weeks and with a little help from the right connections it could be a whole lot longer. He still hated the visits.

James checked through security and begun the long walk down the long corridor to the elevators. The halls were lime green five feet up the wall and white up to the ceiling.  The floor was a shiny white marble. The place was clean but he still did not want to touch anything. Who knows what was splattered on those smooth walls. He got on the old elevator and rode up to the sixth floor. That cold dread feeling set in as it always did. He passed the nurses station. "An island fortress of sanity in the middle of it all, Jesus...."  he thought and laughed to himself. He passed into the day room. Was that what they called it? There she was sitting alone at a small table as always. The sunlight shinning through the long barred window caressed her dark brown hair and face. James was momentarily struck by her beauty. She still looked good. The others sat moaned and drooled and paid him no mind. They gave him the creeps. James sat down in front of his wife. Looking right through him she said with a slight smile.

"It is all over, I have won darling."

"What?"

"I have won, You'll see."

"Won what? What the hell are you talking about?" he said, irritated.

"There is nothing you can do to change it. You really took me for a fool. But I’ll have the last laugh."

"Clarissa! I hate it when you talk no sense. I just don’t understand. Do you want to stay here?" James was exasperated.

"No, I do not want to stay here. I want to go home."

"Well, we will see what we can do." It was all he could do to contain his laughter.  The silence that followed was awkward and long. Finally, he had done his time and got up to leave.

"Clarissa, I've got a lot of work to do this week. There is a lot going on. I don’t know when I can get back. But I'll see you soon. I love you."

"It has already been decided."

"Jesus..."

James began the walk to the outside and freedom. He really hated this place, but at least he would not have to return for a week or two. He looked back to his wife and she avoided his glance. The elevator was taking forever, he just wanted to be gone. He stepped in and pushed the button for the first floor and freedom. There was no one else. On the second floor it stopped. The door slid back without a sound and a huge black orderly stepped on and faced the door. He hit the red button below "one" and the trip resumed. They glided past the first floor on the way down.

"Hey!! We past my floor!" James protested to the back of the huge looming figure.

"Oh, no sir... We are on the way to your floor."

"Wait a minute, lets go back up so I can get off at the parking lot level. That is my floor!"

The man turned around. The black eyes cut into James and a chill shot through his whole body. The elevator stopped with a loud thud and the door fell outward without a sound. Screams suddenly filled his ears. The cold white flames were unbearable.

Terrorized, James yelled "Where did you take me!?"

The man laughed loud as thunder "To your floor, the Fourth Circle of Hell! Fool, unlike heaven there are many gates to this place! Some more unexpected than others. Clarissa was put here but she did not belong. She is free now. A good long life awaits her. She has already left Placid Valley forever.  Placid Valley, more like the valley of death! You, Fool, are not so fortunate!!"

The man howled with laughter.

Claws grew where the man's hands were and he grabbed James by the throat. He felt the very fabric of his mind being ripped apart as the demon cast him into the cold blue flames of the fourth circle....

"... In other news a man was killed after visiting his wife at Placid Valley when the elevator he was in plummeted six floors. Details after Bowling." Her voice was calm and pretty.

By Paul LaVack 05/10/98

For RFT