(Sounds of struggle)
MYSTERY VOICE: Let go of that microphone! I'm running
things now!
SMARMSLUT QUEEN: That's what you think!
SMARMSLUT ADEPT: Uh, I think we're on.
MYSTERY VOICE: Oh! Hi all and welcome-
SMARMSLUT QUEEN: Oh no you don't! We're introducing
this segment! You're going back into the closet!
MYSTERY VOICE: You can kiss that thought goodbye!!
SMARMSLUT MASTER: Look out! She's got a can of Slime!
(More sounds of fighting, things getting knocked over,
crashes, squishy noises, etc.)
QUEEN: Aaaag! She got me right in the face...
SECOND MYSTERY VOICE: Uh, hi folks, I'm, uh, Gus the
janitor. Everyone else seems to be busy now, so, uh,
looks like I'll be presenting the story to you all
this week. Uh, hope you like it! (Yelling) Hey watch
them trash cans! I gotta clean that up y'know!
******************
Ashes of the Mind, pt 23
by the Smarm Sluts
Disclaimer: See pt 1
For the previous installments of this story please
visit our website at:
https://members.tripod.com/AshesoftheMind/index.html
******************
Vin struggled to see through the flames and smoke.
Chris had gone off on his own, looking for Ezra, Vin
had stayed with JD , trying to follow Madeline's
directions. It was a good thing Buck was taking her
to safety then coming back.
"You reckon we're close?" Vin asked JD as he paused
at a doorway leading further down into the building.
It was the staircase he and Ezra had almost gone down
before they were caught.
JD coughed, it was getting harder and harder to
breathe, not that is hadn't been hard already with his
broken ribs.
"Yeah. " JD coughed again, covering his mouth with
his bandana. "Just down here!"
Vin took the lead, he hadn't wanted JD to come with
him, but the boy wouldn't budge. Something had
happened between him and Ezra and JD wasn't going to
be left behind. Cautiously he opened the door and
gasped at the sight. Then ran forward and knelt by an
unmoving figure.
"Chris!" JD yelled, rushing to Vin's side. Then he
noticed the body next to him. It's face gone from a
shot to the head. JD almost gagged, but noticed it
was Jed who was lying there, not Ezra.
"He must have killed him before passing out." Vin
said, shaking Chris's shoulder gently. "C'mon
cowboy, get up."
"Call me cowboy again, and I'll kill you." Chris
mumbled and groaned, his head ached badly.
"Easy there, Chris." Vin helped him up. "Boy, you
sure did get 'im."
"Who?" Chris was puzzled, then he saw the body. "I
didn't shoot him."
"Then who did?" JD asked, puzzled.
Chris and Vin exchanged a look, then JD caught on.
"Ezra?" JD asked.
"He's' got to be close then." Vin helped Chris to
stand and supported the gunslinger when he wobbled on
his feet.
The three set off down the hallway to find their
missing friend, the smoke and flames dogging their
every step. They looked in filthy room after filthy
room, but no Ezra. Finally in the last dank, musty,
smoke filled room , huddled in a corner, was the
object of their search.
The three men stared in shock. The figure before
them looked at them wildly, the tattered remains of
his clothing was covered with soot and what looked
like dried blood. The stains of it were everywhere on
his body. JD looked aghast, and Vin felt pity for the
boy, knowing he had hoped to get Ezra out before this
could happen. But they had failed.
Vin knew they didn't have much time to get out of the
building before they all were dead, he took a step
towards the trembling figure.
"Ezra..." He whispered, the moved back rapidly as a
gun was suddenly waved in his face, he looked into the
terror filled eyes and realized there was no
recognition in them.
"NO!" Ezra croaked out through a voice that both
weak and choked with smoke. He brandished the gun at
them. Vin realized with a start it was Chris's gun.
"What's wrong with him?" JD asked, bewildered.
"He don't recognizes us JD." Vin looked at Chris,
who was still a bit woozy from his fight. "We got to
get through to him, and soon, this place is burnin'
down around us."
Chris tried to edge towards Ezra, hoping he didn't
see him out of the corner of his vision while Vin
distracted him, but one wave of the gun and a shot
that landed behind them, caused him to scamper back,
head protesting the rough movement.
Chris had looked right into Ezra's eyes and saw
nothing there. It was blank nothingness. He felt
himself fill with fury over what had been done to
his... friend? Chris looked at the terror filled
figure in front of him and realized, yes, Ezra had
become his friend. Whomever had done this to Ezra had
been a sadistic bastard, and it looked like they had
broken his mind. Chris would kill every last one of
the people responsible for this outrage.
So deep in his anger, he didn't notice JD walking
towards Ezra, determination in the boys dark eyes.
The smoke was getting thicker, they had to get out of
here.
"NO!" Ezra hoarsely shouted again, aiming the gun at
JD's face.
"Ezra, it's me, JD." JD spoke as if to a skittish
horse. "It's all right now.. you're safe..."
Ezra's eyes widened as he took in the healing face in
front of him. JD? No it couldn't be! JD was dead
and Ezra had gotten him killed. It was all his fault
the boy died. He was responsible and he deserved to
be punished for it. And now JD was here to render
that punishment. Just like the Tormentor had said...
oh God, it couldn't be true! All hope Ezra held for
JD's living was erased as the figure framed by fire
approached.
Ezra dropped the gun, eyes huge, and followed JD's
movements as he knelt next to Ezra. It was too much.
JD was dead, and now here he was flames all around
them, at his side. JD was sending him to hell! All
the physical damage merged into one giant ache, Ezra's
confused mind latched onto it and fell into it's
seductive blackness, away from the pain, away from
feeling anything, Ezra let himself go. His mind dove
into it's own private hell, and Ezra slumped
bonelessly to the floor.
JD caught him before he could crack his skull on the
rough stone of the wall. Tears threatened to spill
from his eyes as he held the unmoving body of his
friend. He hadn't gotten there in time, he had
failed. Something had gone terribly wrong for Ezra in
this hellhole, Madeline had only hinted at the depths
of depravity that Ezra had been forced to endure. It
was a wonder he was alive at all, JD thought soberly.
"We need to get him out of here, JD." Chris spoke
quietly. "Vin, carry Ezra, JD, you'll have to guide
me out, I'm not seein too good right now."
Vin came forward and picked up his burden, far too
light he thought, and followed as JD supported Chris
as they made their way back to the outside. There was
no saving the asylum from the flames, it was dying.
And JD was glad, the place deserved to burn. It was
supposed to help people, and all it became was a place
where innocents were hurt and sick people were thrown
away, never to be seen again.
Staggering, coughing out into the darkness of the
night, the three men walked into the open, narrowly
escaping the collapsing doorway as they ran for
safety. The fire burned bright, illuminating the
surrounding into an eerie almost daylight condition.
Vin set Ezra down on the ground, shrugged out of his
jacket and placed it over his friends body. JD set
Chris down next to him and then sat himself, burying
his face in his hands. All the adrenaline left him
and suddenly JD found he was very tired indeed.
"Chris! Vin! JD!" Josiah's voice hailed from the
chaos filled night. He spotted them and noticed the
still form of Ezra on the ground. Running up to them,
he knelt gently next to his brother in arms, shaking
his head as he surveyed quickly the damage done.
"Everyone else all right?" Chris ground out, voice
roughened by the smoke he had inhaled in the building.
"Yes, Nathan and Buck are with Maude, looking for you
on the other side of the structure. The Army has
control of the inmates that survived as well as the
felons who were hiding. They are telling a mighty
grim picture of what went on here.
"We need to get the Doctor here now." Chris ground
out. Ezra stared blankly into the night, neither
showing the pain he must be in or any other kind of
recognition. "And Maude."
"I'll go." Vin got up and ran, leaving Chris and JD
kneeling down next to Josiah and his injured
companion. He was still filled with unresolved anger.
The condition of the inmates and now Ezra's state
consumed him. Most of the inmates died from smoke or
malnutrition or disease, but those who had been saved,
were being looked after finally.
The girl, Madeline, who had insisted on helping them
came out of the shadows.
"Did you find him?" She looked anxious and Vin
nodded.
"Yeah, we got him out, he's alive, but not doin' too
good." Vin panted looking around. The Army had set
up tents to house the inmates and the surviving
guards, maybe the Doctor was in there.
"The Doctor is in that tent. I'll get him for you..
Where is he?" Madeline looked around.
"Around the back of the building. We didn't want to
move him." Vin looked around for Maude. Madeline
nodded and ran off to the tent, Vin spied Maude and
Nathan and waved them over.
"You get him?" Nathan beat Ezra's mother to the
question.
"Yeah," Vin suddenly couldn't look Maude in the eye.
"He's not....." Maude put a hand to her mouth, not
liking Vin's expression.
"Dead?" Vin finished for her. "No, but he ain't
well neither. Madeline's getting the Army surgeon,
follow me."
The three made their way back to the others, to find
Josiah picking up Ezra's limp body, the Army Doctor
leading them back to the tents.
"Doctor?" Maude stopped the man,the others keeping
going. "How is my boy?"
"I can't say he'll live or die yet, Ma'am." The
doctor was sympathetic. "But he is still alive and I
aim to keep him that way."
Maude was somewhat mollified by the man's confidence
and allowed Josiah to escort her to the infirmary
tent. Once inside the five men and two women were
shoed out to wait outside. The sun was just coming
up, the nightmare was over for now. Nathan had stayed
inside to help.
The hours dragged on and they began to fret, worry
increasing the men's restlessness. JD had finally
fallen asleep, leaning against a tree stump. Buck
covered the sleeping boy with his jacket and continued
to pace.
Then Nathan emerged and all attention focused on him.
"He's still with us." Nathan stretched wearily and
looked at his friend. "Got him all cleaned up and
bandaged. Other than some nasty cuts and bruises, the
only physical injury that's worrying me is he burned
his left arm from elbow to the back of his hand."
"What aren't you telling me Mr. Jackson." Maude was
still leaning on Josiah for support, still fearing for
her son. She hadn't liked the blank stare he wore,
she was afraid of losing him still.
"He's still catatonic. But the doc thinks once we
get him home and away from here, he has a better
chance of snapping out of it." Nathan sighed. "It's
a form of shock."
"Will he recover Nate?" Josiah whispered, soothing
the distraught Maude.
"He's made it this far." Nathan looked into the
bright morning sun. "I want to get him home as soon
as possible. The longer he's here, the worse he will
be."
"I'll go get us a wagon." JD stood up, swaying
slightly.
"I'll give you a hand, Pard." Buck joined him and
the two left to talk to the Army Colonel in charge.
"I'll round up our horses." Vin moved off to the
picket line to saddle the mounts.
Within the hour the strange procession of one beat-up
wagon and six horsemen left the small town. Josiah
had tied up Ezra's chestnut to the tail of the wagon
and drove, Maude sitting beside him. Ezra lay on a
pallet of blankets in the back, still staring
lifelessly into the sky. Not a single word was spoken
in the eight hour trip home.