Milton remembered that day Clarice came to visit him in prison. Waiting for them in the visiting room, he saw Dr. Pleasance. She looked good with her red curly hair that fell down to her shoulders, and that British accent turned him on something fierce. She was here to see the inmate who did those Baby-Sitter Murders a few years back. He didn’t get why she bothered, that freak never said a word, but at least he had something to look at while waiting for his family.
Then she walked in. Milton couldn’t believe how tall she’d gotten. No longer that little tom-boyish rugrat who visited not that long ago, Clarice was becoming a woman. All the other inmates as well as some of the guards watched her figure approach the table he sat at. Milton knew full well what they were thinking, and he wanted to rip their spleens out for it.
Milton’s parents came in behind her. It was always a relief to see them. They both looked well, but Milton could see they were getting up there in age. After talking for a while about how everyone in the family was doing and the usual small talk, Clarice handed Milton a book. In a way, Milton was relieved to see at least one thing remained about Clarice. He was also excited to receive this book, being a longtime fan of Robert Bloch who was disappointed the library didn’t get his newest novel. After thanking her he asked, “How did you like it?” safely betting she’d already read it.
“Brett Eliss’s book was better.” was her answer.
“You just liked that one because of all the gore.” Walter chimed in. Milton laughed in agreement.
“Really,” Clarice replied to her family in all seriousness. “You think I’m that shallow. “Bloch’s character is just a lonely motel owner with mommy issues. American Psycho is an exploration of the dehumanizing effects of capitalism.” Continuing her dissertation on the novel, she described the main character, explaining, “Patrick’s descent into madness is caused by his view of everything and everyone around him to be seen as a commodity, to be bought, used, and disposed of.”
As Clarice rattled of her thesis, Milton beamed with pride. “Damn this girl was smart.” He thought to himself. He knew it ran in the family, as much as smarts could run in this family he supposed.
“You can see why she’s so popular with the boys.” Walter joked,
“Grandpa!” She objected.
Noticing how others in the room occasionally glancing at his niece’s legs, Milton asked “Speaking of which, any boys caught your eye.”
“Oh, yeah, tell him about Darryl.” Emily excitedly butted in.
Clarice’s face immediately turned red in embarrassment as Milton asked “Oh, who’s Darryl?”
Later, Milton would remember this moment as the only time he ever saw his niece being meek as she explained, “He’s just a boy from school. He’s really cool.”
“Yeah, she was all disappointed when she had to postpone because we were coming here first.” Walter said.
“No, I wasn’t, I couldn’t wake to see you Uncle Milton” she said, taking her Uncle’s hand. “When I get back, Darryl and I are going to see the new Friday the 13th movie.”
“Still watching that junk.“ Milton jested. Letting go of her hand, he leaned back and said “I suppose that was one good thing about being incarcerated, zero exposure to junk movies.” Milton laughed.
“Yeah, I know it’s not as good as Halloween.” Milton was surprised because he thought she didn’t like that movie. However, Milton then saw her obvious sarcasm as her eyes widened and she leaned forward to say “NOT!!!!”
Milton laughed and said “I’m sure you’ll give me a detailed thesis next time I see you.”
“Oh my god!” Clarice said in excitement. Milton turned around to see Dr. Pleasance walking away, he got a nice view of her tits as they bounced with each step. Milton noticed his father licking his lips as she passed, her hand partly covering her face. Clarice had her eye on something different, she watched the two guards escort the large prisoner away. Even they seemed a little scared of him. She caught a brief glimpse of his face before he turned around and was escorted back to the bloc. “Is that the guy from the Baby-Sitter Murders?” Some of the guards looked her way as she spoke loudly.
Milton put his finger over his lips indicating for her to hush before nodding his head to answer yes.
“Wow, he’s awesome!”
“Do you know what he did?” Milton asked in concern.
“Hell yeah, I know what he did! Killed five bitches in Bethlehem Pennsylvania in 1988.” she said excitedly. “I’m his number one fan.” “Hey,” she turned to her grandparents. “that’s not too far from here, could we stop there on the way back?”
“Honey, we got a long drive ahead of us. We don’t have time to make too many stops.”
“Yeah,” Milton said, “besides, don’t you want to get back to your date?”
“Yeah, I guess.” she answered disappointed, but her face brightened again at her next thought. “Do you think next time I could visit him?” referring to the culprit of the infamous Bethlehem murders.
“Honey, they don’t let random people visit inmates here.”
“Well, couldn’t you do something to…”
“Look honey,” Milton was now getting impatient. “We don’t have a lot of time left. I really don’t want to argue about this.”
“Oh,” Milton’s mother Emily interrupted, “wasn’t there something else you wanted to ask him?”
“Great” Milton thought to himself, bracing for whatever she might ask of him next. She didn’t understand that his notoriety in fact did not do him any favors in the big house.
“Milton,” she asked, “do you remember when you were a kid and you saw Ed?”
At the sound of that name Milton’s mind was brought back to a time when he barely came up to his daddy’s waste. Back then he hoped to be big and strong like daddy. He remembered one day, when daddy was handing his “special business.” Daddy always took the sledgehammer for his “special business.” Milton was no dummy, he knew that meant daddy was hurting bad people. He just wished the bad people didn’t scream so much. It didn’t matter so much. Sometimes when it was time for daddy to grab the sledgehammer, Ed would come and play with him.
Milton imagined different friends in his mind. Space adventurer Flash Gordon, wrestling champion Lou Thez, the Lone Ranger, he pretended they would come to his house and take him off on adventures. Milton always knew this was in his own head, but Ed was different. Ed came to him. He was exciting and adventurous like the others. He wasn’t dashing either, he had this weird fleshy lump below his one eye and an odd lopsided grin, but he liked to play with Milton. They would go outside and play catch, or they’d watch football games and movies together. In his own way, Ed was fun.
Sometimes Ed even came to dinner, especially when Mom made that special meal to feed “the appetite” as his parents called it. Milton felt funny about the special meal, especially when Ed discouraged him from eating it. Milton loved his mommy and daddy, but they got mad when he wouldn’t eat the special food; and insisted that Ed was no more real than Flash Gordon of the Lone Ranger.
One day his parents outsmarted him. They wouldn’t let him have any food until he tried the special meal. Eventually his tummy was rumbling, and although Ed actually crying, Milton couldn’t resist anymore. He took a bite, and he loved it. He devoured it all like a rabid dog, and when he looked up from the dinner table, Ed was gone. He’d never see him again.
Milton didn’t say much when Clarice told him about seeing Ed again. He merely dismissed it as her imagination, just as he tried to convince himself. Soon the time was up, they said their goodbyes, and his family left.
Milton never told his family what happened after that visit. It was a few days later when Milton was working in the library that he noticed the sign-up sheet. It was probably here every week, and he just never took notice of it. However, on this day, he did see it. Milton put his name down for something he’d never been a part of before.
A few days later Milton was working in the library when the guard came for him. After being escorted back to his cell block, he was then taken to a part of the prison he’d never been to before. Finally, he realized he’d forgotten all about what he signed up for. As soon as he walked in the room, he thought this was a bad idea. Fred was there. He didn’t like Fred. Milton did bad things in his life, but he never did anything like what Fred did. Fred laughed when he saw Milton walk in. A man whose frame filled the doorway wasn’t used to being laughed at. “What,” Fred asked mockingly, “are you a man of God now?”
Hard Coal Studios 