The Typewriter

Chapter 24 or Day 24 of NaNoWriMo 2012 (1,735 words)

Chapter 24: K. C. Takes Matters into his own hands

Damn, thought K. C. as he stood in the garage watching Dragonslayer and Markov drive out of Baldwin's front gate. That's what I get for joining forces with The Military or anybody else. Pop always said if you're planning vengeance, you plan it alone. You can't depend on other people's road maps in situations like this.

Looking toward the house he watched the troopers, it appeared that they would be there the rest of the day. He picked up the hedge trimmers and hurried to hedge on the east side of the gate. He began working, stopping every few minutes to see what the troopers were doing. They appeared to be just lounging around as if waiting for someone to arrive. Laying down the hedge clippers he went to the house.

"Trooper," he ask a private sitting on the porch swing. "What's everyone waiting for?"

"An ambulance to take Brigadier General Baldwin back to Central City."

"Mind if I use the latrine?"

"It's OK with me and doubt the Brigadier General will say much, since he's unconscious."

"Thanks," he went into the house and walked casually down the hall to the bathroom. A few minutes later the toilet was heard to flush and K. C. came out. He walked back down the hall to the front door, where removed the car keys from the hook by the door. When he got outside, the private was fast asleep and none of the other troopers were in sight. He went into the garage, got in Baldwin's car and backed it out. Picking up the garage door remote his shut the door and then drove out the front gate.

Once outside the gate, K. C. glanced in the rear view mirror. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw no troopers running after him. He stopped at the light on the corner of Main street and scratched his head; he could not remember whether Black Rose Drive, the street he was on, intersected with Applewhite Avenue. He considered turning left, but before he could turn into the turn lane, the light changed. He proceeded across the intersection of Main Street and Black Rose Drive.

"I suppose I can always turn around," he mumbled.

Then minutes later he turned left onto Applewhite Avenue and five minutes later he pulled the car to the curb about half a mile from the Applewhite house. As he stopped, the glove compartment opened and laying inside was a military revolver with Brigadier General Max Baldwin inscribed on the handle. Taking the gun from the glove compartment, secured it in his belt, he got out of the car and entered the Applewhite orchard. He knew by what Sam Long had old him that there was a back entrance to the private garden. He walked through the orchard until he came to the wall separating the Miss Lydia's private garden from the orchard. He then followed the wall until it turned, a few minutes later he stood at the back gate.

Removing the map Sam Long had drawn he studied it carefully. To the right of the gate was a guest house, and, according to Sam, it was uninhabited. To the left and closer to the house was the gazebo, this was Lydia Applewhite favorite spot. Every day whether she had visitors or not she would have afternoon coffee in the gazebo. Lifting the latch, he opened the gate and entered the garden letting the gate slam behind him. My be Her Royal Highness will hear it, he thought, and come to investigate. Then I'll have her caught without any trouble.

As he walked toward the gazebo he heard a noise behind him, like a door opening and closing. He stopped, but when he did not hear it again he whispered, "An echo," and continue up the path. Around him apple trees and various other flow were in bloom scenting the air with their exotic perfumes.

Looking through the trees, K. C. saw the gazebo, with Lydia Applewhite having her afternoon coffee. She look up and waved at him, "Odd reaction," he said, "to a stranger in her garden, but that only goes to prove that she like all the Applewhite's are crazy or they wouldn't still believe in magic. Well I'll prove to this town that she isn't a sorceress." He removed the gun from his belt and continued to the gazebo.

"So," he said climbing the gazebo steps with his gun drawn. "I finally catch Her Royal Highness venerable.Are you going to use some of your magic to make me disappear?"

"That is a long and intricate spell," she smiled her sweetest smile. "which I can't use in the garden, Mr...."

"Wainwright, Miss, Kevin Chester Wainwright," he grinned, "but my friends and enemies call me K. C."

"Mr. Wainwright," glanced behind K. C. and saw Jose looking for an opening, "what do you want?"

"I want to know, where in this garden your father buried my father!"

"He didn't bury your father," in this garden or anywhere else, because your father isn't dead."

"Don't feed me that dragon shit," he cocked the gun. "If you don't tell me where my father is buried, the town will be burying you."

"I assure you, K. C., your father is still alive wandering alone in another dimension, why don't you let me go into the house and I will bring back my father's that transported your father to his present location."

"I suppose if your father really were a sorcerer, that statement would make sense, but both of us know that magic doesn't exist."

"Very well," she lowered her hand.

Jose dived at K. C. legs, which sent them both tumbling and knocking K. C. out. The gun discharged and the bullet whizzed past Miss Lydia's head lodging in one of the gazebo's post. Hearing the shot, the maid came running out with her cell phone in hand.

"Miss Lydia," she said. "Are you all right? Shall I call the Constable?"

"I'm unhurt, Jo Jo," Lydia got up and picked up the gun, glancing at the name on the handle. "and don't call Constable Jenkins, I can handle this situation my self." Then she turned to Jose, "Jose, how long will he remain unconscious?

"I don't know, Miss Lydia."

"Then tie him up, leave him on the gazebo, and return to the guest house."

After Jose tied K. C. up, Lydia carrying the gun went into the house and opened the door of the Typewriter room. In haling the aroma of spring, which seemed to permeate the room, she walked across the lavender carpet and sit down at the Typewriter he Grandma Selma had enchanted. She laid the gun to the left of the typewriter and then removing a sheet of paper from the stand to the right of the Typewriter's desk, she put it in and began to type.

K. C. Wainwright Lost in the Dark
by Lydia Wainwright

Kevin Chester Wainwright, know as K. C. to both his friends and enemies came too, to find himself lying bound in the Dark Caverns of Mist. He struggled and finally removed the cords that held his writs and ankles. As the circulation slowly returned to his limbs he tried to see his surrounding, but the only thing he saw was darkness. Fighting down panic, he got up and begin walking.

After what seemed like hours, but could have been only minutes, rubbing his hand across his two day old beard. As he wandered through the caverns his beard remained the same length getting neither shorter nor longer. Neither did K. C. age, he got neither older nor younger as he roamed the Dark Caverns of Mist. Sometimes K. C. would hear the voice of his father calling him and he would turn toward the voice, but he never found its source because it either faded into the distance or he would run into one of the cavern's stone walls. Thus K. C. will wanders for eternity or until a kinsman by blood shall read this manuscript at dusk.

After finishing the manuscript, she stapled it together and placed in on the bookshelf facing the typewriter. The she put another piece of paper in the type writer. I hope Brigadier General Max Baldwin is alone, she thought, however, I can't wait to make sure. I'll just have to take the chance. It would help if I had a better description of the old bastard.

Brigadier General Max Baldwin Wandering the empty plains of Mist
By Lydia Applewhite

Brigadier General Max Baldwin awoke to find himself, in full dress uniform, laying on the cold ground of the valley of the black rose on the planet Mist. Confused he could not remember the past twenty-four hours, in fact the only thing he could remember was his rank and name. He stood up, looked around, and inhaled deeply, but the perfume of the roses made him dizzy so he had to sit down again. Finally he became used to the aroma of the roses and was able get up.

In the distance mountains with their snow capped peaks rose above the plain. He looked up to see the sun directly above him, so he figured it was about noon. He started toward the mountains, but the longer he walked the further away the mountains got. At sunset he sit down weary of his days wandering. As he wandered the the plane he nether aged or got younger. Thus Brigadier General Max Baldwin wanders for eternity or until his reads this manuscript at sunset.

Taking the manuscript and the gun, she lay them on the bookshelf, with the gun lying on top of the manuscript. Then she got up and went out of the room locking the door behind her. With a weary sigh, she went into the kitchen where she found Jo Jo and Jose having supper.

"You've been using the Typewriter again, Miss Lydia," Jo Jo got up and helped Lydia to a chair.

"Yes," she sat down in the chair and placed her head on the table. "But how did you know, Jo Jo?"

"Every time you use the typewriter it sucks your energy and this time I think it aged you."

"Probably, but magic requires a sacrifice."

"Then why do you use the typewriter?" Asked Jose.