A lunatic moon

A lunatic moon - Chapter 9 Finding out

Neither of them had much appetite after that. So they left together, sliding their trays into the rack and went to the common room where they sat and smoked in silence. Under the watchful sneers of Rich and Ronnie, who sat off in the corner by themselves.

Benji didn't seem to notice and looked up at Danny. "Do you wanna know a little about some of these other fuckers in here?"

Danny nodded eagerly causing Benji to smile for the first time since he said 'Good morning'. Benji lit another cigarette and offered one to Danny, who took it and lit up. The air in the common room was blue with cigarette smoke. Nobody seemed to care, smoking was an important past time here at the Psychiatric Assessment Center. They all had other things to worry about no doubt. Getting comfortable in their chairs, Benji continued with story time.

"Okay," Benji said, casting a look around the room. "Who do you wanna hear about?"

Danny grinned and leaned forward, dropping his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "How about the Big Stink?"

Benji laughed at that. "You mean Freddie Jerome. Yeah, the Big Stink is perfect for him. Okay, here's why he's here. Apparently, Freddie used to sell weed. He'd go down to the mall near where he lived and sell dime bags to kids at the arcade. One of the kids owed him like twenty bucks or something, so one afternoon Freddie waited for the kid in the parking lot. When the kid came out with his buddies, Freddie beat the shit out of him. Bad. Smashed the kid's head off the pavement and put him in the hospital, forever maybe. In a coma. The kid's still there to this day. That was two years ago."

"Jesus..." Danny whispered. Freddie sat across the room, with his wide, sweaty back to them watching TV, but Danny could smell his body odour from there.

"Yep." Benji carried on, "I've seen Freddie hurt a few people in here already, I don't know if he'll ever get out. Maybe someday soon he'll go to jail instead. I think he's gotta be over 17 by now, He's gonna have to shower there, or he'll be the one getting beat on... Okay, who else? Wait, lemme guess, you wanna know about Rich and Ronnie."

At this point, Danny was starting to feel queasy, but he said "Sure." nonetheless. Maybe it would help. Finding out what made those creeps tick.

"Okay, Ronnie first." Benji looked around to see if anyone was listening. "And I heard this from an orderly when I was first in maximum security, he doesn't work here anymore. He got fired from talking to the inmates, or patients if you like that better. Anyway, this orderly used to do favors for us. Like, bring us stuff from outside that we couldn't get in here. Mostly chocolate bars and dirty mags, but he talked to me the most and told me about anyone new that came in and what they did. That's how I know all this shit. So Ronnie had a cousin that he liked, she was a lot younger than him, he was fourteen but she was only nine years old. He had a big crush on her. and whenever his cousin came over they'd play together. One time Ronnie was playing Doctor' with her."

Danny shuddered involuntarily at the thought. Benji looked around again, nervous now from the subject matter. He cleared his throat and lowered his voice a bit as if embarrassed by telling this sordid tale. "So Ronnie and her were in the garage in this fort they'd made, playing 'Doctor'. Apparently, he had her pants down and she got scared and told him to stop. He got really mad and started to choke her. That's when her mother walked into the garage, looking for her, cuz it was time to go. Ronnie's aunt saw her daughter with her pants down and Ronnie choking her to death. She lived, she was okay, but Ronnie got arrested and that's why he's here."

Danny was shaking his head in disgust. "So they keep the sex perverts in here with us too?" He glanced over at Ronnie and Rich and wondered. They were staring back, so he quickly looked away. Benji took a drag of his smoke and tipped the ash into a little foil pie plate on the table. He blew smoke through the gap in his teeth. It made a whistling sound. He looked up at Danny and suddenly he seemed years older. Tired and jaded. He took another drag and crushed his smoke out in the tin plate and immediately lit another.

"Yeah right here, right along with the rest of us. You think that's bad? You're gonna love what Rich did. I mean what Ronnie did to that little girl is bad enough but Rich? Richard Lowe is a killer. He's got blood on his hands."

Danny snorted in disbelief. "No shit? 'Pimples' is a killer?"

Benji chuckled at the moniker given to Rich. "Pimples. You have a nickname for everyone in here? What did you call me before you knew my name?" He looked at Danny, squinting through a trail of smoke off the end of his cigarette.

Danny's cheeks momentarily flushed with embarrassment. "I called you 'Puke and Poke'"

Benji roared with laughter and many of the residents looked over. Laughing loudly was a rare occurrence in the PAC apparently. His laughter subsided and with tears in his eyes, he said,

"Puke and Poke! I love it. Seriously though, I spit the food out not puke it back up! It's more like 'Spit and Sort'."

"I'm sorry." Danny said slightly ashamed. "I didn't know anyone's names!"

"No, it's okay, 'Dude'. Of course. And you're nicknames are pretty good too." Benji's smile dropped from his face, as he got down to the story of Rich. Richard Lowe, the killer. Danny still couldn't believe it.

"So Rich killed his grandma." All joking aside, Benji looked old again. "Yeah. That orderly told me that Rich was a wild child. He was always getting kicked out of school, so they sent him to a special school for 'problem kids', they called it Cool School. Pfft! Cool School what a joke. Buncha failures, more like. Anyway we all know that Rich is far from cool. So they sold chips and cartons of milk at lunch in Cool School. He broke into the principal's office one day after school and stole the money. They took it pretty seriously and called the cops the next morning. When the cops were talking to the school staff, one of the janitors said they'd seen Rich hanging around after everyone else had gone home.

They called him down to the office and made him empty his pockets on the principal's desk. Sure enough, he had a bunch of money in his pocket and some weed. When they checked his locker, they found a big bag of change from the milk and chips sales. He was expelled. Then his parents sent him away to live with his grandma out in the country after his grandpa died. They had a small farm. Some cows, chickens and a couple horses." Benji paused and took the last drag of his smoke before it reached the filter.

As he was putting it out, Danny asked him, "The orderly told you all this?"

Benji smiled at the memory of it. "Hell yeah. The guy told me everything. I used to give him five bucks every Monday morning and the next day he'd bring me gum, cards, chocolate bars, whatever and he'd tell me these stories. If there was a new kid, he'd tell me all about them. Tell me who to avoid too. Cuz a lot of them aren't quite right in the head."

He tipped a wink at Danny. "He knew I didn't kill my parents. I told him what happened and he believed me. I didn't have to try and convince him, like with the cops. He was one of the only ones who believed me. He was a cool guy."

"Okay," Danny said, fascinated now. He realized he was on the edge of his seat and so he scooted his chair into the table, ready for the rest of Rich's story. "what happened next?"

"Alright. Don't ever tell anyone that I told you all this okay? We're not supposed to know anything about anyone, it's supposed to be confidential. That's why that orderly got fired I think." Benji said, folding his arms on the table.

He swiped his forehead with his shirt sleeve and continued. "So they sent Rich to live on the farm with his grandma. He was supposed to help out on the farm. You know, collecting eggs and milking the cows and stuff. They were hoping the hard work and country living would straighten him out a bit. Fresh air, wholesome food and nobody to impress, it would have been good for anyone. Hell, I would have loved that! Rich didn't like it though. He was lazy, didn't milk the cows I guess, left all kinds of work for his poor grandma to do. Apparently, instead of collecting the eggs, he killed some of the fucking hens instead. Said a fox did it, but she probably knew he lied. She tried to talk to him, even dragged him to church a couple times. She thought she could change him. make a man out of him or something. She wanted him to be something his grandpa would have been proud of.

I guess one day he'd had enough. The country life didn't suit him and he was sick of listening to his grandma preaching. He snapped. Stabbed her to death. Twenty-eight times. He stole the pickup truck and drove to the liquor store with blood all over his shirt.

He tried to buy some booze but they wouldn't serve him, cuz he was just a pimply kid. The owner of the liquor store called the cops though and they pulled him over on his way back to the farm. When the cops went to the farm to tell her they'd arrested her grandson, they found her on the kitchen floor with a knife sticking out of her chest. She'd been in the middle of making his breakfast. The rest is history. How's that for gratitude huh? What a fucking prick. "

He shook his head and leaned back in the chair. Right then Rich and Ronnie sauntered over to the table. Rich had an ugly smirk on his face and an angry lump on his head from being knocked out by the Big Stink. Ronnie hung back, just behind him with a matching lump on his forehead. He stood there for a few seconds picking at a pimple on his neck.

Then leaning on the table with both hands, Rich asked, "What are you two homos talking about? Whatever it is must be pretty funny."

Emboldened by the story, Danny spoke up. He looked Rich directly in the eye and said, "Actually we were talking about you Rich. That's why we were laughing so hard."

Rich turned red, his pimples stood out like miniature volcanoes on his acne pitted face and he sneered at Danny. "Yeah, you think it's funny now. Just you wait Danny." And he looked around to see where the orderlies were. Clay and Tom were over by the doorway, paired up as usual, but they weren't paying attention. For a second it looked like Rich was going to flip the table. He gripped the table edge with both hands, so hard his knuckles showed white.

Instead, he hissed at Danny, "When there are no orderlies around and no one to save you I'm gonna get you and get you good." He shifted his sneer to include Benji. "And YOU, if you rat me out you toothless piece of shit, I'm gonna get you next!"

Danny cleared his throat and Rich turned his head to look at Danny, but before Rich could make any more threats, Danny smiled coolly and said, "Not if I get you first Rich. Not if I get you first. And I'm not worried about any orderlies either, so that means anytime. Anytime buddy." Danny stood up, he was easily a head taller than both Rich and Ronnie. Rich looked undernourished and scrawny compared to Danny. Raised on salt and vinegar chips and Mountain Dew. Facing Rich and Ronnie, Danny suddenly lunged at them. Ronnie squealed and Rich flinched and let go of the table, stepping back. Danny chuckled and calmly sat down again. "You don't scare me Rich. Honestly, you don't. I'll see you 'round."

Benji was clearly impressed and all toothy smile. He was looking back and forth between Rich and Danny measuring them up. Rich just sneered his dirty smirk, but his face had gone pale and his eyes were black with hate. His hands trembled, so he clenched them into fists.

"I'll be waiting for you." Was all he said.

"Well don't wait too long Rich." Danny said and made as if to jump up from his chair again. Rich winced.

By now little Ronnie the child molester, had disappeared, hiding among the other residents. Nobody else seemed to notice this interaction. Not even Clay and Tom. Rich stormed away on stilted jerky legs and Danny couldn't help but laugh.

"Jesus!" Benji said, eyes wide, face flushed with excitement. "You gotta watch it, Danny. You're bigger than him and could take him in a fight easily. A fair fight, but Rich probably doesn't fight fair. In fact, I can guarantee he's gonna get you dirty somehow. Shit. That was cool though. See him flinch?"

Danny looked after Rich and saw him briefly talking to Freddie Jerome, before going out into the hall. Ronnie trailed behind him. Freddie briefly turned away from the TV, slowly turning his big blockhead on a tree stump of a neck, clearly looking around the room for him. He spotted Danny and glared, his upper lip, fuzzed with the vain attempt at a moustache, curled into a sneer. Then he went back to watching cartoons on the tube.

The next three days came and went like routine. His parents visited a couple of times and ended up bringing him cigarettes. His original request for smokes was met by a frown from Louise, but when Danny told them he could also use them as a type of currency for favours, or extra food, his parents relented.

He killed time the best he could, reading in his room and sitting outside. As he went to and from his meals he determined it was the mashed potatoes that were getting the salt peter. No more mash for Danny then. Mashed potatoes were at every meal too, except breakfast, but if he pushed it around on his plate enough, it appeared he was eating it. In case anyone was watching.

Nobody else seemed to mind and everyone ate their mashed potatoes and salt peter with gusto. All except Danny and that was fine by him. Anything to reduce that male-driven ego, sex drive and competition, was better for Danny's personal security. He joined the meds line, on time like a good boy. Although the orderlies still wore the cattle prods on their belts. He supposed that the 'Great Storm-Riot in the Dining Hall', had been a rare occurrence but this new policy of wearing electric batons was going to be a lasting one. The orderlies seemed to be more present as well. Lingering by doorways and cruising the halls at all times of the day.

There were even a few that Danny didn't recognize. When it came time to go outdoors, Danny always did so alone and he sat alone, practicing control. A few attempts were made by other patients to strike up a conversation with him, but Danny played dumb. It was easy to spurn efforts at friendship here and no one seemed to take it personally. The only person Danny cared to talk to was Benji, but he spent a lot of his time in his room. So his time in the garden was always quiet and peaceful. This is how Rich and Ronnie found him just four days before the full moon. Sitting alone in the garden, on a lawnchair watching the mother Robin feed her young. The lovely blue eggs had hatched two days before and she'd been busy catching worms. He'd been practicing control and had gotten quite adept at linking little living things with that thin golden thread. In fact, he'd gotten a lot of pleasure and self satisfaction by drawing fat earthworms from the soil and guiding the different birds to them. The mother robin held one in her beak now, as her young strained upwards with their bright yellow mouths open awaiting their meal.

A shadow fell across his lap and both Rich and Ronnie stepped in front of him, blocking his view again. Before either could speak, Danny addressed them.

"Well if it isn't Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee."

Ronnie looked around to see who he was talking about. Rich just glared. "Why you always sitting by yourself Danny? Got no friends I guess." He said.

The knots on their foreheads were starting to fade, but ugly purple and yellow bruises still showed under the skin, where their new ally, Freddie Jerome had knocked their heads together. He wondered ruefully if the impact had contributed to any lasting brain damage.

"Who'd want friends in a place like this?" Danny asked in all earnest. "You gotta be crazy to make friends here. Oh. Wait. That's right, you are crazy." He said with a smile..

"Maybe you think you're better than us." Ronnie suggested.

"So what if I am?" Danny replied simply. "Everyone has their place. You two lovebirds have found yours here."

"You got a pretty smart mouth on ya. Maybe we should close it for him, huh Rich?" Ronnie nudged Rich and looked for a little support, but Rich ignored him and followed Danny's gaze instead. Turning around, Rich looked between Danny and the bird's nest. Danny felt a growing sense of unease. Rich's pimply face broke into a wide knowing grin.

"Oh, I know why he doesn't like us, Ronnie! He likes watching the little baby birds instead!"

Keeping his eyes on Danny he began walking backward towards the small maple that held the birds nest and young. The mother flew away chirping loudly, scolding the interloper. Danny mute with concern could only shake his head at Rich. He knew what was about to happen. Rich put his hand on the slender trunk of the tree smiling the whole while.

"Don't you dare!" Danny warned, standing up.

Ronnie put his hand on Danny's chest to hold him there. Rich grabbed the tree with both hands and shook it wildly. The nest came apart and the four baby robins spilled out onto the grass. Before Danny could react, Rich was stomping on them. He cackled like an idiot, hair flying, stamping the life out of each little chick. Danny felt the anger race through him like fire. It burned his insides like fire, he felt as if he were actually smouldering. His veins and tendons lit up like burning fuses. Ronnie went flying somehow. Danny didn't remember even touching the kid and he landed on his ass hard, jarring the breath out of him. The next thing he knew he was in Rich's face and had him by the throat growling. The smile dropped off his face like hot shit on a sunny day and started turning a choked blue. Although everything was tinged red and Rich dangled from his grip, one word kept repeating in his mind, 'Control! Control! Control!' Before he could throttle the pimply little fuck to death, Danny dropped him in the grass.

He dared not look at the ruined nest and chicks for fear of stoking the inner fire again. As he prepared to turn away, he felt a sharp jab in his butt and a funny tingle in his leg. Nurse Tito had rushed over to the fight and had stuck him with a cattle prod. He pressed the button again, to no avail. Another tingle ran down Danny's leg into the ground and he faced Tito with a grin. Tito paled and jabbed Danny in the chest. Again the tingle. Danny reached up to the rubber lined tube of the electric prod and crushed it in a smoky zap with his right hand.

"Whoops." Was all he could manage.

Behind him, on the ground, Rich was gagging and gurgling holding his throat. Twenty feet away Ronnie was still on his butt gasping, tears running down his face. Crying like a spanked baby. Nurse Tom was there too, but he walked backward away from Danny in fear. Danny held his hands up, palms out in peace.

"It's nothing, Nurse Tom. Just a minor disagreement. Rich killed some birds and that upset me. It's fine now, everything is A-Ok. I think Tito's cattle prod may have malfunctioned though."

Nurse Tom heaved a sigh looking visibly relieved. Tito held his ruined toy in his hands, aghast.

"I think I'll go to my room and lie down for a bit if that's alright."

Nurse Tom heartily agreed, as if that would be for the best. He also added that they didn't allow fighting on the grounds. Danny smiled and nodded his assent and strolled off the lawn to lie down inside. He didn't even notice everyone watching him as he strode away, clenching and unclenching his fists, a strange golden glint to his eyes. The toothy grin he wore while walking, was more a grimace of hate.

A funny thing happened that day. It was as if the entire event didn't happen. It was never mentioned and he wasn't summoned to see Doctors Rickert, or Lawrence either. Apparently, nobody wanted to talk about what happened in the garden that day. The patients all gave him a wide berth in the common room and in the dining hall. They even gave him a good six feet of space at meds line-up. To Danny, control never felt so good. He slept easy that night but dreamt red.

Mike-boar didn't appear either.