Origins of a Smile - Episode Two

1

Barbara sat on the ground with Red in his final moment, resting in her arms, smiling up at her. Betty and Christopher watched on silently.

“Queer fellow wasn’t he.” David broke the silence, then embarrassingly looking to Christopher. “Sorry Christopher.”

“Shut up David” said Betty.

Barbara gently stroked Red’s face, closing his eyelids.

“Goodnight my strange little friend” she said.

Red’s eyelids fluttered open again. Barbara sighed. His two arms shot up to grab her neck.

Both David and Christopher wrestled the Endless off of Barbara and pushed it out the way.

“Barbara, Betty, please go. Don’t worry we’ll be right behind you” said David ushering them further down the corridor as he and Christopher tried to pin the Endless to the ground long enough for them to get away.

Betty nodded in agreement as she helped Barbara to her feet. “Time for us to go old girl.”

As soon as Barbara and Betty had moved out of view, David pulled his gun out again and pushed the nozzle against Red’s skull.

“David I haven’t seen you shoot your gun yet” said Christopher. “Have you actually used that on anyone before?”

David looked to make sure Barbara was definitely gone before answering.

“Have I shot anyone before? No. To be honest I’m absolutely terrified. Carrying guns is not something we’re really supposed to do.” While David spoke, he was studying the gun in his hand. “But these are more dangerous times, and I always carry a gun if Barbara and Betty are involved. If nothing else it’s a good threatening device.”

Red’s corpse was lashing out at Christopher and David. It seemed it might overpower them soon.

“David you’ve got to shoot. Or I think it’s going to kill us.”

“But he helped us in the end didn’t he? All he wanted to be was a better person when given the chance.”   

“Yes he helped us, now you have to help him” reasoned Christopher. “Don’t think of it as shooting a man, think of it as saving him.”

2

Finally Barbara and Betty had made it round the final turn into the entrance hall. The sound of a gun going off echoed all around them. Barbara squeezed Betty’s hand for a moment before relaxing it again and composing herself. A second later the old trusted Barbara was back in control.

The entrance hall was a mess. Much of the ceiling had collapsed blocking the main route back into the house. Barbara was thankful for this, hopefully the dead were all trapped inside. So one, they couldn’t spread the endless across town. And two, it meant the exit was clear and mere metres away.

Betty ran to the front door and tried to open it.

“Would you believe, locked” she said.

“Of course it’s locked” laughed Barbara. “But when has a locked door ever stopped us, especially the door to freedom.”

“Right hang on a jiffy, I’ll just give this lock the once over” said Betty as she put her considerable talents to task.

“That jiffy of yours, it is apparently much longer then my jiffies” Barbara stated when Betty hadn’t unlocked the door quite as quickly as she thought Betty should have.

“Ah slight bother, doesn’t seem to want to budge. And it’s a big old heavy door, don’t even think your mass is up to it old girl.”

“I resent the -”

“You can resent it all you want, it won’t open this door.”

David and Christopher appeared from around the corner.

“It’s okay in here” said Betty to the returning duo. “The ceilings come down so I don’t think any more of the Endless can get through.”

“Slight problem then” said David with an uncomfortable grin. “The gun shot seems to have attracted quite a lot of attention. The Endless were looking for a way out of the fire and I may have put up a massive audio flare.”

“When you say ‘may’?” asked Barbara.

“He means have” added Christopher. “It seems they are getting really good at controlling bodies now too. They’re running up the tunnel behind us.”

“And half of them are on fire.”

“Right” said Barbara. “Not a moment to lose. On the count of three everyone charge at the front door.”

All four of them lined up and got ready.

“One” started Barbara as the Endless reached the entrance hall.

“Two” shouted Betty. The Endless were now pouring into the open space, the ones on fire left a trail of flame that consumed all they brushed past.

“Three” all four shouted in unison as they threw themselves at the door. Then bounced back and fell on the floor.

“Bugger” Barbara and Betty said in unison as they all got to their feet and put their backs to the exit.

“There’s a window to my left” said David.

“Yes, I clocked that when we first got here” replied Barbara.

“Then why didn’t you say anything.”

Barbara went silent.

“Because we’ve got enough time”

Barbara stayed silent.

“We can all squeeze out”

Barbara was still silent.

“No we can’t David, think about it” said Betty

David fell silent.

“Okay” Barbara finally spoke. “There’s a big pink elephant in the room that no one wants to speak about.”

Everyone fell silent.

“My bottom. The reason we can’t all get out in time is because my bottom, my big fat wobbly bottom is the problem. Okay, are we all clear now on the bottom, I mean the problem?”

Everyone was still silent. It was like the unspoken had been spoken. It was a rule, the first rule any one ever learned. There is one thing you must never talk about, one thing you should never ever mention in the presence of Barbara - and it was Barbara who mentioned it. 

No one knew what to do or to say. Their lives were about to come to an end, admittedly for the hundredth time so pressure was off a bit, but still, all their thoughts where on what not to say in this pivotal moment. One of them had to think of something, something sensible, something safe.

It was David who broke the silence.

“I’m out of here” he said. “Bottoms up” then jumped head first out the window.

“David” screamed Betty. “Don’t be an arse.” As soon as she spoke she knew she couldn’t look Barbara in the eye.

“Where the Hell’s he going?” said Christopher.

“You better follow Chris, and you Betty. I don’t want to be the reason you don’t survive this, nor do I want my final moments to be the butt of any more jokes.”

“Here we go with the martyr act again” said Betty. “You know I won’t leave you here. We stay together to the end.”

“And you, Chris?”

“Have we stopped what was controlling Jacob?” asked Christopher.

“Almost definitely”

“And will the Endless stop at this front door?”

“The house is seconds away from total destruction. So I would say it’s a fair bet.”

“Then I’ve done what I’d promised I’d do. The endless will actually end. I’m not leaving either.”

The flames and smoke were thick all around with the Endless approaching on every side. Barbara, Betty and Christopher held on to each other’s hands tightly. Christopher closed his eyes. He didn’t know if Barbara and Betty did, maybe they’d prefer to look death in the face, but not him, he’d take the chicken route every time.

Christopher could hear the flames, could hear the shuffling of a hundred feet and someone saying bugger under their breath repeatedly. But that wasn’t all he heard. There something else, something not that far away, just behind the door in fact. An engine started.

“Can you hear that?” shouted Christopher.

“The Hearse” replied Betty.

“David” Barbara laughed. “I didn’t doubt you for one minute.”

“Guys, shouldn’t we be jumping for cover” Christopher pointed out.

They heard the engine rev, the wheels squeal then the sound of something large and fast come hurtling towards the other side of the door. Barbara jumped to her left, while Christopher grabbed Betty and jumped to the right.

The front door exploded, sending chunks of wood flying in all directions, impaling various Endless in the stomach, neck and head. When the dust settled, the hearse, their saviour, was clear to see. It was wedged in the doorway.

“It won’t reverse, it’s stuck” shouted David from within the hearse. 

“You’ll have to climb over.”

“And we’d better hurry” said Barbara. “If the fire reaches the car, we’re toast.”

Christopher quickly helped Betty up onto the car bonnet.

“What a gentleman” said Betty as she turned around and continued her climb up onto the roof of the hearse.

Christopher helped Barbara up next. For a moment they stopped and looked into each other’s eyes.

“Are we good” asked Christopher. “I still need to explain why I had that mobile.”

“None of it matters now, we’ll talk later, but whatever you did pales in comparison, don’t you think?”

Barbara was now on top of the hearse with Christopher coming up the rear. Betty had already climbed down the back and was waiting patiently on the ground. A minute later Barbara had joined her with Christopher not far behind.

“David, are you coming?” Barbara called through the opening.

David was trying. The Endless were now climbing onto the hearse bonnet, one was even punching the windscreen. The glass slowly began to crack, outwards from the impact. With each hit the cracks increased in length and multiplied in number.

No way forward, David thought, always a way back. He turned round, lifted his legs up and repeatedly kicked at the glass between him and the back section. After a few well-placed hits the glass came away. David quickly turned round and pulled himself through the opening. He fell with a thud next to a gleaming casket.

As David heaved himself up, he noticed the lid of the casket was ever so slightly ajar. He also noticed the windscreen had shattered behind him and endless were already slithering in. Though worried about the contents of the casket, David decided an uncertainty was better than a certainty and if he hung around anymore he would with certainty be killed and possessed by the endless and no doubt be blown up by the car as well. Besides, the hearse had been stationed in the driveway, and David was certain the Endless powers couldn’t reach outside the building.

So as quick as he could, David shuffled along the side of the casket, he was so close to the door, he could almost taste freedom. He pushed himself further still, than a hand shot out the casket and gripped him around the arm. David then realised his error. The Corpse may have been in this hearse the whole time, but the hearse was now in the building, and so now was the corpse.

Using David’s arm, the Endless pulled itself out of the casket and on top of David. Its face was inches from his, its breath cold and rank. Christopher was at the door to the Hearse, but he just couldn’t get it open. He could see through the window to the front of the hearse, the fire eaten Endless had now boarded the vehicle. There insatiable flames where spreading throughout the upholstery.

“David. Get out now” screamed Barbara as she helped Christopher with the door, pulling with all the strength she had left.

Inside David was fighting with the Endless. He managed to turn the both of them round as he fought off its attacks, so his feet were near the door. Then he kicked repeatedly and as hard as he could. The Endless at this point, who seemed to be wildly trying to bite him, but mostly just chewing his hair, hadn’t even noticed it had already caught fire.

David looked up at the creature in horror as its face lit up. As it opened its mouth to scream, fire belched out. The heat in seconds began to boil its skin. Any face the creature once had, now ran down its skull like liquid, dripping off the jaw bone onto David’s. He screamed as the hot ooze burned his cheek.  

With David’s continued kicking and Barbara and Christopher’s pulling, the door managed to loosen and finally open. Christopher grabbed one leg, Barbara grabbed the other. They both counted to three than pulled. David came out the hearse, liquified Endless free of charge. Betty ran over and kicked it off. It wriggled around a bit but finally stopped.

David picked himself up. “I’ll go get the granny mobile” he said.

“David, enough” said Barbara throwing him the keys. He grabbed them with one hand and tried to hide the surprise and make it look like he was cool and did it on purpose. Then he was off, running towards the gate. Barbara looked back towards the collapsing building and at the hearse wedged in the door.

“It’s going to go up any minute, better stand back.”

Christopher and Betty did as they were told.

The fire had almost devoured the outside of the hearse fully. Betty was half squinting awaiting the inevitable. She suddenly noticed a shape in the flames, something was coming up over the car, and it seemed quite big.

“What is that?” Betty asked aloud. “Is it some giant mutant or something? We haven’t had one of those before.”

“Don’t be ridiculous Betty, it’s obviously just -”

“Yes?”

“Just-”

“Yes?”

“Actually” said Christopher. “It looks like a hunched over man carrying something on his back.”

They all looked at the shape as it jumped off the back of the hearse.

“I think it’s Jacob” said Barbara. “In fact I’m sure it is.”

“But what’s he carrying on his back” asked Christopher.

“Let’s go and find out” said Barbara running towards Jacob.

Jacob looked, Barbara noticed as she ran towards him, like he was on his last legs. Not that he’d had any legs before the ones he had now, as far as she knew.

“How did you survive?” Barbara asked, quickly followed by “And what happened to the other one?”

“The ceiling caved in and took down one of the walls” explained Jacob. “That thing was crushed to death by the wall as it came down. I managed to climb through and escape.”

It was then that Barbara noticed what Jacob had been carrying on his back all this way, three bodies. She could clearly see the faces of two of them, Peter and Adam. The third’s was charred beyond recognition. It had to be Victor’s body.

“I had to save their bodies, I owe you that much. And I owe my brother, my real brother Victor, who died all those years ago but was never buried.” Jacob sounded exhausted as he spoke. “Please take them, give them a proper burial.”

“Of course” was all Barbara could manage to say.

The hearse, still wedged in the doorway and on fire, in the background to their little chat, had been keeping up quite a good fight until now. It had lasted much longer than anyone thought it would. In fact if it had a conscience or a mind, it probably lasted much longer than even it thought it would. Even with its beautiful blue shiny paintwork with the white cloud detail all gone, replaced with silver and bubbly liquid black, it should still be proud of all it had accomplished. It should leave in celebration of its life and go out with a bang.

The moment the hearse exploded, Barbara and Jacob had let their guard down and were unprepared for the force that it had created. Though shielded from a lot of the blast by Jacob’s body, Barbara was still taken off her feet and propelled through the air, destination unknown. Even when she hit it, it was still unknown, but crikey did it hurt.

Betty and Christopher ran to Barbara first to help her up, she quickly explained to Christopher why Jacob was there, what he’d done for them. Christopher left Betty to help Barbara and turned to Jacob. He too was off his feet, what he carried was now scattered across the road.

Jacob tried to pull himself up but it looked like his strength had gone.

Before Christopher could reach Jacob there was the sound of the main gate being ripped from its hinges and then the unmistakable moan of the Land Rover's engine.

Christopher could see what was about to happen but couldn’t get the words or actions out in time. David saw what he thought was an Endless and drove straight over Jacob.  

Barbara screamed. David stopped the Land rover immediately, though still unsure at what he had actually done. He had worked out it was wrong though.

“You idiot” screamed Barbara. “You absolute stinking brainless idiot.”

“Okay I get the picture” said David as he got out the land rover.

Barbara crouched down next to Jacob, remarkably he was still alive. Though how much longer, Barbara was unsure. He had been through a lot.

They could all hear sirens in the distance, a fire engine, police car and ambulance no doubt.

“We’ve got to go” said Barbara. “Please Christopher, David, help me get the bodies and Jacob into the back of the land rover.” Then Barbara realised her error and turned to Christopher. “I’m so sorry Chris, I didn’t mean. It’s just time is not on our side and I’m thinking in short hand. I don’t always think of the niceties.”

“It’s fine Barbara.” Christopher hadn’t flinched at her remark in fact he was already helping David get everyone into the back of the vehicle. Barbara picked up Peter, she wouldn’t ask Christopher to do that. Christopher looked the other way as she did, sliding Peter’s body gently into the land rover before closing the door.

There was just enough room in the front of the land rover for all four of them, but only just. Christopher tried not to dwell on who was laying in the back. He tried to just think positive and think about the fact that they had all escaped and that it was finally all over.

Barbara turned the key and started the engine.

“Finally” she said. “Let’s go home.”

3

The time it took the land rover to return to Rose cottage went past in a blur. Christopher didn’t even remember walking through the garden to the front door. But here they all were, back in the cottage. Christopher had never felt safer than he did right now.

Betty went straight to the kitchen with promises of a brew and Jacob lay sprawled out on the sofa. He seemed to be going in and out of consciousness and his breathing sounded laboured.

David helped Barbara move Peter, Adam and Victor’s body to a storage room near the back of the cottage. The only good thing in all this is that the bodies had a preservative so they didn’t need a giant freezer to be stored in.

As David moved Victor’s charred remains, he noticed an unblemished key wedged in one of the corpse’s legs. Obviously it must have been in Victor’s pocket before the flames burnt them to nothing.

Once Barbara had left the room, David attempted to retrieve the key but as usual it was wedged in pretty well. He grabbed hold of the key and wiggled it this way and that. Nothing happened. So he wiggled and jiggled it even harder, still nothing. David tried one more time even harder. There was a crack and the key came free.

“Oops” whispered David.

As David held the key in his hand, he remembered the other reason for being here, what he now held in his hands. David knew this wasn’t just any key, this was the key to Barbara’s library. He didn’t know what was special about the library but he knew he had to see, had to know why it was so important and why he had been asked to look.

And now he finally could.  

4

In the kitchen, Betty was brewing a lovely pot of tea. The smell was already drifting through to the sitting room where Christopher and Barbara watched over Jacob.

“Barbara, I have a few questions”

“Of course.”

“This Nowhere place where the endless and the creature in Victor came from. It’s not the afterlife, is it? It’s not where we all end up?”

“Chris, I can’t tell you where we go after we are gone, I can’t even tell you if there is anything after this. But what I can tell you with absolute certainty is the nowhere place is not the afterlife. These things, these endless, were never human. They are not the remnants of what went before us. What’s at the end of all of our lives is still a mystery, even to me. But it is how it should be, don’t you think?” Barbara winked at Christopher.

Christopher smiled and relaxed slightly.

“I knew you were worried about that.”

“And one other thing, about what really happened that night you were in a cell. The mobile I got off David-”

“Speaking of which” said Barbara, changing the subject. “Where is David?”

Christopher looked around and realised David was nowhere to be seen.

“What’s he up to now” said Barbara with a big sigh.

5

David was at the library door. He felt a surge of excitement burn through him as he inserted the key, then turned it, awaiting Barbara’s big secret to be revealed.

Suddenly he felt the end of a gun at the back of his head and heard a recognisable click. He slowly reached down one hand for the gun by his side, it wasn't there.

“Where did you think I got this one from” said a voice that David was surprised to hear. It was Christopher.

“Slow down there boy” said David. “You can’t be that pissed with me.”

“This is the first time I’ve had a chance to talk when I’ve got the gun and we’re not surrounded by Endless. Interesting reversal isn’t it.”

“I had to find out what was going on, had to get you to help me.”

“The thing is I was ready to help, but you didn’t give me a chance. First you break into the cottage, than you stalk me from room to room. And finally when I think I’m safe and fall asleep, you wake me up with a gun pointed at my head and a threat.”

“I’m sorry for a hundred times I’m sorry. But I had all these corpses on my hands, I had to try something.”

“I get that you wanted to solve the mystery, I do. But what I don’t get is your obsession with this bloody library.”

“I honestly don’t know but Chris, buddy, mate” David tried to sound cool. “You and me, we’re like a double act. We’ve been through so much the last couple of days. I know you’re angry and tired but I know you won’t shoot me.”

“You know the difference between you and me, David? You still haven’t used this gun; I have. And you’re right we have been through a lot the last couple of days, so much it’s changed me. I don’t even know any more if I’m the kind of man who wouldn’t shoot you?”

Suddenly Christopher felt a hand squeeze his shoulder.

“Now Chris, as annoying as David is, I don’t really want his brains splattered all over my lovely door” said Barbara, softly in his ear.

Christopher lowered the gun.

“I wasn’t going to pull the trigger, just wanted to freak him out. Wanted him to know how I felt.”

“I know. But we don’t want any accidents” said Barbara taking the gun out of Christopher’s hand.

“How long were you standing there?” asked David.

“Long enough, long enough to know you’ve been far sneakier than I gave you credit. So what was the threat? What was so bad that it got Chris to go behind my back?”

“I threatened to put Betty away for years, I found all the plants in the garden and all the baggies in the shed, butts of joints in the ashtrays, grinders, you name it. There was enough there to deal to the whole of England twice over.”

“You know Betty would never deal” said Barbara. “She’s happy to give it away for free.”

“Nevertheless, the law is the law.”

“But you didn’t follow the law, you broke it yourself by blackmailing Christopher instead of arresting Betty. You had no intention of arresting her.”

“Of course not. Haven’t you realised you are far more use to me free? But say the right words and you get what you want. Well, almost.”

“You never answered Chris, what do you want with my Library?”

“Just a peek, what’s wrong with a little peek?” protested David.

“No. And I believe this is mine” Barbara snatched the key from David and deposited it into her pocket. “But what I really want to know is how did you get hold of the key to begin with?”

6

Betty had just finished a lovely tray of tea and biscuits, the normal tea of course, for now anyway. She carried it into the sitting room and placed it on the coffee table in the centre of the room. It was then that she noticed it was quiet. No one was there, well no one except Jacob.

“Are you still with us Jacob?” asked Betty.

“Just” his voice was quiet now, almost faint.

“Thank you for giving us Peter and Adam back. I don’t know if it makes up for all that you’ve done. But you know, we’ve all done things haven’t we. I’ve been thinking about that. It’s what being locked up in a sodden coffin will do to you. Make you think.”

“Sorry about that. I thought I was doing what my brother wanted.”

“And you didn’t think, I don’t know, that maybe your brother was asking too much, with all of it.”

“But I owed him, I still owe him.” Jacob sounded even more distant. “Betty, can I ask a favour?”

“What?”

“I don’t think I’m long for this world, but that’s fine. It’s just I want to be outside, feel the wind and life and peace before I finally go.”

“Do you think you can stand?”

“With your help.”

Betty helped Jacob to his feet. He was maybe a bit stronger than he actually looked. Betty suggested the garden as with the snow now it was as beautiful and peaceful a place as anyone could ever want.  

It took less time than Betty thought to reach the garden, though hardly able to speak and with a little help from her, Jacob could walk just fine.

After a while Betty stopped them.

“There’s a bench down here if you need to rest a moment” she suggested.

“Thank you” replied Jacob as Betty helped him over and they both sat. “It is beautiful isn’t it.”

“Yes, it’s one of my favourite places in the whole world” said Betty smiling.

“Now we’re alone Betty, I have a request.”

“Okay.”

“This body is about done, and you’re the only body I’d rather be in” Jacob’s voice changed as he spoke and it ended with a cackle.

“This again” said Betty with a sigh. “I knew it was too good to be true that you died in that fire.”

Betty quickly got to her feet and started to run. But instead of running back towards the cottage, she ran deeper into the garden.

“You silly girl” laughed Jacob’s body. “Going that way you’re just making the job easier.”

To Be Continued...