Telluric

Chapter XV: Confrontations

XV

Wind rushing through her curled hair, Marilyn drove in her convertible from one part of Graywood to the other, the wind rippling fast as she listened to fitting music. The red convertible had been bought in New Orleans two years ago, when she was first learning the ropes of voodoo. It had served her well since then. Her destination was Mayor Roxanne Montgomery's office in the center of town.

The strangely spring-like warm Monday allowed her to keep the vehicle opened to the fresh air, without a need for a winter hat. It was but half an hour until she got to the mayor's house/office, where she entered through an electronically locked gate.

Treading wistfully through the changing winter air, she rung the doorbell and waited patiently in a pink suit with a green tie, a faux mink scarf, and a large sun hat. Minutes later footsteps clambered softly to the door, and Roxanne Montgomery opened it.

Her brown hair curled messily around her scalp, like a van Gogh portrait. She had an air of superiority that Marilyn could sense plainly, and dressed regally in a dark gray dress-suit. Her freckled brown skin was clear and exciting, and caused Marilyn's heart to palpate for a millisecond, causing her to almost drop her purse. Keeping her composition, she managed to introduce herself.

"My name is Marilyn Ramona..." She announced. "Psychic and Artist. That's not what I'm here for, however." She paused, swiping a curl of blond hair out of her icy blue eyes, grown cold by the maniacal man that appeared in her mind and stared darkly toward her.

"What are you here for then?" Roxanne Montgomery muttered impatiently. She seemed busy at the moment, and a call from inside startled the both of them.

"Miss Montgomery?" The accented voice bounded. "Would you like me to fax over this to the court house?" Roxanne turned and looked into the house, calling back to the disembodied voice.

"I'll be there in a minute." Roxanne answered, and she turned back to Marilyn. "Come in miss...?"

"Ramona." Marilyn answered quickly as she passed through the doorframe and into the mansion of a house. She clipped in with her pink heels, and Roxanne led her to an office space decorated with various antique furniture items and paintings.

"What business had you come here for?" Roxanne began.

"Well I-"

"Carlos." Roxanne turned to him, interrupting Marilyn. "Fax these to the courthouse." She pointed to a small pile of papers, and Carlos nodded and turned to the faxing machine, beginning to fax them. "Continue."

"Well, I would like to bring up a concern to you." Marilyn then opened her purse and pulled out a piece of decayed flesh. Roxanne turned her head to emphasize her distaste. "I'll be short about this. Someone has raised the undead in this town, and I've heard a few cases on the news about this so far. And neither you nor the police are doing anything productive about it-"

"I assure you, Graywood is perfectly safe, and no undead have been risen, ma'am. To be honest with you," She got in closer and whispered into Marilyn's ear. "The whole idea is quite absurd."

"You will listen." Marilyn suddenly burst out, pushing the mayor back. Anger-filled tears welled into her eyes, and the mayor only looked aghast. Carlos was in the background with a mouth that mimicked a black hole, his face flushed with excitement and nervousness. Marilyn then placed the piece of decayed flesh on Roxanne's desk and turned back to her purse, slipping her hand in once more. She then pulled out a set of tarot cards and set them on the table.

One by one, Marilyn then took one card off the pile and began creating a circle of cards around the flesh, with the mayor and her assistant watching darkly. When she finished laying out the cards, there was a moment of silence, and as the silence filled the room, so did the density.