Flashmaster (Short Horror and SciFi)

What Ever Happened to Summerville Part IV - "Dinner with Mr. Mayor"

Mayor Campbell mopped his round face with a handkerchief and looked out the small, half submerged windows of his basement. It was hot down there and he had stripped to his tee-shirt though he still had on his suspenders, slacks and dress shoes. He checked that the shotgun he was carrying was loaded for about the thousandth time and renewed his pacing from the steam furnace to the wringer washing machine and back. There was something crazy going on in town. He didn't know what. There were reports of fires and murders and some sort of monsters. He hadn't believed the any of it, least of all the bit about monsters until Sheriff Nelson had called saying he'd seen one in person. That was six hours ago. No one had heard from Nelson since, although there had been a report his squad car was driving itself around downtown trying to run people over.

The door to the basement opened and he turned quickly, pointing his shotgun up the steps. His wife was standing at the top. She was pleasant looking and fiftyish wearing a, very typical for her, floral print dress.

"Henry. Are you going to stay down there all night?"

He lowered the gun half-disgustedly. "Burnadette, I told you. The city is under attack. We're safer down here."

"Oh," she asked interestedly. "Is it the commies?"

"No." He growled around his jowls. "It's some kind of demon monster things. Will you please close that door?"

Burnadette stood at the top of the stairs unmoving. "You're going to miss Ed Sullivan." She said finally.

"I don't give a damn about Ed Sullivan!" Henry bellowed.

Burnadette put her hand on her hip and sighed. "Well fine then. Shall I bring you dinner down there?"

"Yes. Thank you." He hissed through clenched teeth.

Bunadette turned on her heel and walked out, closing the door.

Henry paced some more. Why wouldn't anyone call? Wasn't he the mayor? Wasn't he supposed to be in the middle of things?

His musings were interrupted when the window behind him crashed open. He whirled and found a tall, gray demon had appeared. It seemed much too large to have come through the tiny window but there it was. While Henry gaped at it, the monster took the shotgun from him and broke it, casually, in half. Henry noticed that, while scaled, the beast had a series of round scars that ran across its chest and up one wing.

"Good evening." The creature said, slurring very slightly because of its great number of teeth. "I'm Grvix. I take it that you are the mayor?"

Henry stood for a second with several of his chins wagging freely. "Um. No. I'm not the mayor. I'm...uh...the butcher."

"Really." Grvix said, raising an eyebrow in a way that looked uncannily like a snake rising to strike. "I have it from several sources that the mayor lives here."

"Oh, well. I'm just here delivering meat."

"That's too bad." Grvix said, examining the room. "I've been locked in a crypt for the last several centuries, you understand."

Henry nodded as if this were perfectly understandable.

"So I'm a little out of touch. But I think it is probably still the best policy to kill the leaders first. Don't you agree?"

Henry made a complex set of hand gestures that seemed to indicate that he felt killing leaders was a mixed bag at best.

Before the conversation could go any further the basement door opened and Burnadette came down the stairs carrying a tray with a plate and a bottle of beer on it. "Oh," she said when she saw Grvix. "I didn't know Henry was expecting a guest."

Henry made another set of hand gestures that may have been recommending Burnadette learn how to fly or that she herself was a bat. He also turned a sort of purple color.

"I'm Burnadette." Burnadette said, putting the tray on a side table and offering her hand to Grvix.

Henry made an "Ulp!" noise and shut his eyes but Grvix just shook her hand with his claw. "Grvix at your service."

"Grvix? That's an interesting name. Is it European?"

Grvix looked at Henry who was holding his breath and gesturing toward the foot of the stairs with a little shooing gesture.

"Why yes." Grvix went on. "It was given to me by the mad wizard Halgan a millenia ago."

"Oh that's nice." Burnadette nodded to Henry as if he might agree. Henry didn't nod. His head did wobble in a dangerous 'I might just fall right off' sort of way. "And what are you doing in Summerville?"

"I'm going to destroy it." Grvix said, matter of factly.

Burnadette pursed her lips and thought this over. "Well, we're having pot roast. Would you like some?"

Henry made a sound as if he'd sprung a small leak.

Grvix smiled a smile that wasn't too convincing because his teeth got in the way of his lips. "Yes, thank you."

Burnadette turned and was going back up the stairs when Grvix stopped her. "Oh Madam Mayor?"

Burnadette turned. "Yes?"

"It was lovely meeting you."

"Well, thanks and same to you." Burnadette was gone upstairs.

Grvix turned to Henry. "Lovely woman." He said.

Henry swallowed hard. "But not too bright."

Grvix laughed lightly.

A few minutes later Burnadette came back downstairs carrying another tray. Grvix was gone and Henry was slumped over the washing machine.

"Oh Henry." She complained. "That's full of clean clothes. Don't bleed in there."

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