er．LaveragitwasMark,andwithoutgettingoutofthecar，immediatelyturnedaroundandtailedtheambuheemergenofthehospital．Markhadfaintedfromlossofblood，butluckilyhadnotbeenmortallywounded．HedidnotfallvictimtotheAIDSvirusasLavernefeared,butbecamethesacrificialmb,thefallguyofthegangster，Big-O．Afterhewasdischargedfromthehospital，Markutincustodyofthespecialschoolfortheseverelyhandicapped，apcehehadalwayshated．Butstraosay,hewastofindnewadvehere．HeattractedtheattentionofMrs．Simpson，hismiddle-agedsigninstructor，awomaninherforties，highlyintellectual，withamaturebeautythatmadeheramuchsoughtafterwoman．Shewaslikeapeonyinfullbloom,neariheristilleye-catgandattractive．Afterthreefailedmarriages,shehadlostallfaithinmen,vihatevequalifiedamongthemcouldrustedtoremainloyaltoherasthisretarded,bigboyMark．Finally，shemarriedhimandMarkgotahomehecouldcallhisown．Sothesimple-mindedMarkprofitedfromhismisfortune．Heusedthecorrectkeytoopeanotherdoor．

    SeeingMarksettledinhishospitalbed，andknowingthatasseriousashisditionwas，thewoundswerenotfatal，Lavermoreatease．Shedrovequicklyhometoattendtoherparents，gratefulfortheuseoftheoldditsowner，withoutwhosehelpshewouldnothaveknownwhattodo．Asshenearedhome，herheartbeatdrasticallyaccelerated，asifsurmisingsomethinguntowardhadhappehefeelingintensifiedwheurothenarrowstreetandsawthatthefacadeofthefamiliaroldhouseattheenditchdark，asifitwasdeserted，withnosignoflife．Normallythelightsatthefrontdoorwerealwaysonbeforeshereturned．Lavernesprangoutofhercarwithoutbtoparkitcorrectlyandmadestraightforthedoor，whichwouldnotopen，howeversherattledit．Thedoorwasneverlockedtofacilitatethetwooldpeople．Thepremonitionofdisasterheightenedassherantothebatrance，followedcloselybyDimitriwhoalsofeltthingswerenotquitenormal．Whenshefoundthatthebackdoorwasalsolocked，sheexcimedindismay，

    15

    "Ohno!Somethingmusthavehappened!"

    Dimitriforcedopenthebackdoorwithoutfurtheradoawoofthemrushedin．Pusmellofgaschokedthemaoinfiltraterightintotheirbrains．Theyheldtheirbreathsastheyquicklyopeneddoorsandwindows．Thegasstoveiwasstillgeinggas，hissinglikeamalicious，poisonousshistimethecurseofthedevildidnotefromheavenbutfromunderground．Whentheambuncearrived，thetwocorpseswerealreadycoldandstiff,nolongerneedingthephysi’scare，sotheyweretakenstraighttothemue．ThergercorpsewasJohnahesmallersizedonewasLavyrl．Uhefaintstarlight，theyweretakenonebyoothevan．Theirroleohhadended．Perhapsonanotherpheywouldenaanotherway．Ifsoulsexisted，theirshadalreadyleftthecold,stiffshelloftheirbodies．Theambuartedmovingslowly,carryingLavyrndJohn．Theyleftaftertheirstse．Theambuncecarriedthemaway．Theyhadfiheirstpy．Theambuncecarriedthemaway，alongafamiliarroad，tepce．Theyhadfiingipy．Theyleft．Theyweregoneforever．

    Thehousebytheroadstoodreallyemptynow,doorsandwindowswideopeainsblownoutsidethewindowbythenightwind,flutteredandfppeddesotely．Lavernecurledupiheoldcar，forthehousestillsmelledofgasandwasinhabitable．Lookingattheoldhouseoverwhichacurseseemedtohover,sherememberedhowshedreamedofpntingtall,redmapletreesalrounditasashield，a

er．LaveragitwasMark,andwithoutgettingoutofthecar，immediatelyturnedaroundandtailedtheambuheemergenofthehospital．Markhadfaintedfromlossofblood，butluckilyhadnotbeenmortallywounded．HedidnotfallvictimtotheAIDSvirusasLavernefeared,butbecamethesacrificialmb,thefallguyofthegangster，Big-O．Afterhewasdischargedfromthehospital，Markutincustodyofthespecialschoolfortheseverelyhandicapped，apcehehadalwayshated．Butstraosay,hewastofindnewadvehere．HeattractedtheattentionofMrs．Simpson，hismiddle-agedsigninstructor，awomaninherforties，highlyintellectual，withamaturebeautythatmadeheramuchsoughtafterwoman．Shewaslikeapeonyinfullbloom,neariheristilleye-catgandattractive．Afterthreefailedmarriages,shehadlostallfaithinmen,vihatevequalifiedamongthemcouldrustedtoremainloyaltoherasthisretarded,bigboyMark．Finally，shemarriedhimandMarkgotahomehecouldcallhisown．Sothesimple-mindedMarkprofitedfromhismisfortune．Heusedthecorrectkeytoopeanotherdoor．

    SeeingMarksettledinhishospitalbed，andknowingthatasseriousashisditionwas，thewoundswerenotfatal，Lavermoreatease．Shedrovequicklyhometoattendtoherparents，gratefulfortheuseoftheoldditsowner，withoutwhosehelpshewouldnothaveknownwhattodo．Asshenearedhome，herheartbeatdrasticallyaccelerated，asifsurmisingsomethinguntowardhadhappehefeelingintensifiedwheurothenarrowstreetandsawthatthefacadeofthefamiliaroldhouseattheenditchdark，asifitwasdeserted，withnosignoflife．Normallythelightsatthefrontdoorwerealwaysonbeforeshereturned．Lavernesprangoutofhercarwithoutbtoparkitcorrectlyandmadestraightforthedoor，whichwouldnotopen，howeversherattledit．Thedoorwasneverlockedtofacilitatethetwooldpeople．Thepremonitionofdisasterheightenedassherantothebatrance，followedcloselybyDimitriwhoalsofeltthingswerenotquitenormal．Whenshefoundthatthebackdoorwasalsolocked，sheexcimedindismay，

    15

    "Ohno!Somethingmusthavehappened!"

    Dimitriforcedopenthebackdoorwithoutfurtheradoawoofthemrushedin．Pusmellofgaschokedthemaoinfiltraterightintotheirbrains．Theyheldtheirbreathsastheyquicklyopeneddoorsandwindows．Thegasstoveiwasstillgeinggas，hissinglikeamalicious，poisonousshistimethecurseofthedevildidnotefromheavenbutfromunderground．Whentheambuncearrived，thetwocorpseswerealreadycoldandstiff,nolongerneedingthephysi’scare，sotheyweretakenstraighttothemue．ThergercorpsewasJohnahesmallersizedonewasLavyrl．Uhefaintstarlight，theyweretakenonebyoothevan．Theirroleohhadended．Perhapsonanotherpheywouldenaanotherway．Ifsoulsexisted，theirshadalreadyleftthecold,stiffshelloftheirbodies．Theambuartedmovingslowly,carryingLavyrndJohn．Theyleftaftertheirstse．Theambuncecarriedthemaway．Theyhadfiheirstpy．Theambuncecarriedthemaway，alongafamiliarroad，tepce．Theyhadfiingipy．Theyleft．Theyweregoneforever．

    Thehousebytheroadstoodreallyemptynow,doorsandwindowswideopeainsblownoutsidethewindowbythenightwind,flutteredandfppeddesotely．Lavernecurledupiheoldcar，forthehousestillsmelledofgasandwasinhabitable．Lookingattheoldhouseoverwhichacurseseemedtohover,sherememberedhowshedreamedofpntingtall,redmapletreesalrounditasashield，a