Despite having all the time in the world, I felt rushed. Aside from feeling Loui needing to release some of his built-up rage, I didn’t want to lose my opportunity because she suddenly dropped dead from old age. I wanted to exact my revenge on her before that happened, hence my hurry.
Turns out old Mavis lived at the second address I visited. It was so simple to confirm as well. I simply dropped by a local newsagency, purchased a number of newspapers, then knocked on doors selling phoney subscriptions.
I nearly pissed my pants as I sold her neighbours a weekly subscription, having doorknocked them to affirm my ruse. When she finally opened her door, there was no recognition in those dreary eyes. She looked old, so very old. I rattled off my spiel and was surprised as she politely declined. There were no other sounds in the home and I wondered whether she lived there alone.
I’d half expected her to slam the door in my face, remembering a cold and stony-faced woman who didn’t take shit from anyone. But the years had stolen her fight, her stone wall knocked down, leaving a frail woman that struggled to move. I could see the pain in her eyes as she stood listening to me, and part of me felt a little sorry for her.
“Thank you, ma’am,” I said as she slowly closed the door again, but Loui suddenly came forward, almost lunging into the forefront of my mind. “See you soon, bitch,” he growled before returning to his previous hideout.
9.
After returning to my room on the second floor of the boarding house, I dropped onto the bed and reconsidered my reasons for seeking the old battle-ax out. Eddie offered his own thoughts on the matter, but Loui cut him off mid-sentence, railroading him out of the way.
“I don’t care how old she is now. It just makes it easier to punch her timecard.” Loui always found the right words to say, not bothering to dress shit up. He wanted her dead for what she said and it didn’t matter how helpless she was.
“But she’s old now. It’s not like she’s enjoying her twilight years. Did you see the way she struggled with the door? Her arthritic fingers? Let her be,” Eddie tried to offer, but Loui refused.
“Her time is up. You hear me, pipsqueak? Up.” Eddie surrendered, returning to his previous spot. Loui did likewise, the pair of them shuffling off into opposite corners, leaving me to consider the finer details of Loui’s intentions.
10.
I decided to appease Loui the day after my cheque book arrived at the bank. He’d been hounding me for a more specific time when he could finally slaughter the old bag and I’d been trying to delay him. But I knew the longer I stalled, the harder he would become to live with. Things were already hard enough with trying to shut him up while reading a book.
I promised myself to remain indoors until the time came to act. Meals were included in my rent and everyone else kept mostly to themselves. I found it peaceful just sitting in the room, not a single soul to bother me. But Loui refused to settle until I promised him a time.
When I dropped back into the bank the day after I’d been promised its arrival, I found the cheque book waiting for me. I picked it up with very little fanfare, a voice quietly whispering at me from the shadows.
“Tomorrow. You said the day after and that’s tomorrow. Tomorrow she dies.” He always had a way of telling things in a way that there was very little room for objections. If I said tomorrow, then tomorrow it would be.
11.
I packed my bag and prepared for that night’s adventure as Loui half-skipped around my mind. He was excited to finally get to play a little. He reminded me of a puppy that had been held up in a room for a week and was preparing to be let out for the first time. He wanted to play, his own special game.
Once night had fallen and the crowds began to dwindle out on the footpath, I headed out, every now and then feeling a slight push in my legs, no doubt Loui trying to hurry me along. At one point, Eddie tried to talk reason again, hoping for Loui to concede.
But it seemed that I knew Loui a little better, knowing full well that there was no way he would ever give up an opportunity to exact revenge, even if the initial betrayal had been nothing more than a scornful remark. He didn’t care, the insult as severe as if the bitch had spat in my mother’s face.
As if defeated, Eddie gave up a couple of blocks from our destination, appearing to sulk as he returned to his spot in my mind. Loui and I continued on towards his latest playground. The adrenaline surges continued to shoot into me and I knew he was starting to get more and more excited. I wouldn’t have been surprised if I’d begun to froth at the mouth like some hungry beast. The sensation did feel very similar.
12.
The house looked completely dark when we rounded the corner. There were no street lamps at this end, the nearest light coming from the windows of a house 3 doors down. Old Mavis lived in a quaint cottage, 4 houses from the intersection. Her home had a waist-high fence and I easily stepped over it as opposed to opening the gate the way I had on my previous visit. It had squealed on its hinges then and I didn’t want her alerted to our presence.
Instead of walking up to the front door, I headed straight to
