Twins

*Darkness is beautiful ... (Sanskrit)

Twins
by
Raman Jalota

    Chuck stopped mowing the lawn and stared. Something strange had run past the front yard and caught his attention. It was a brownish-black dog of a mixed breed that was hopping on three legs. It had a slight stump where the right front leg would have been. The dog was running almost normally but with a rhythm that was abnormal. The woman the dog was following smiled at Chuck, "Hi, I am Erika, I live two doors down." She pointed to the red brick house across the street from Chuck's home.
    "I am Chuck. Are they twins?"
    Erika smiled. She was wearing make-up that made her face appear very white as if she was trying to cover up her skin underneath. The twin baby carriage had two little girls with curly hair and plump cheeks.
    "Yes, eighteen months old. Do you have any children?"
    "No, not yet. How about the dog? Is he yours? What happened to him?"
    She patted the dog, it barked every time she touched him; "Oh Sam. He got hit by a truck, a couple of years ago."
    "He seems to be highly functional. He has good balance and runs around as if he had all four legs."
    "Yeah, Sam is pretty good."
    The dog stared into Chuck's eyes and barked four short muffled barks. He then turned around and barked at Erika. She walked away and Chuck waved at the beautiful girls sitting happily and contented as the dog ran around the carriage protectively.
    "Who was that?" Linda walked out of the garage and patted Chuck on the shoulder.
    "You just missed meeting them. That's Erika and her twin daughters. And that dog, he is something else."
    "Look, he's got three legs. Do you know what happened?"
    "I asked her. She said a truck ran over him. But he seems quite healthy and content."
    "Oh, I want to see those kids. I am going over to talk to her."
    "Get a load of that weird make-up. Too white I think."

.....

    Later that evening, the door bell rang and Linda answered it.
    She came back into the home, "Chuck, come here."
    "Who is it?" Chuck came up from the basement.
    A pretty blonde with light blue eyes shook his hand, "I am Sylvia. I live three doors down ... to the east. We are throwing a block party this Saturday. Would you like to come and join us and meet everyone?"
    "Do you want us to bring anything?" Linda asked.
    "Bring a dish if you want to. Do you have any kids?"
    "No, but I want kids soon." Linda walked out with Sylvia and Chuck went back to the basement.

.....

    Chuck walked through Sylvia and Mike's home and almost tripped over two baby seats. His eyes opened wide, "Are these twins?"
    Sylvia went past him to take the cake from Linda's hand. Linda bent down and patted one of the boys on the head, "Can I pick him up?"
    "Sure."
    "I am Linda. How old are they?"
    "They are two years old. I am Melissa, I live next door." Melissa's face was pale, she wore dark make-up around her eyes giving her a strange look.
    "Oh! I love kids. I can't wait to have kids." Linda picked one of the boys up and rocked him gently.
    Chuck felt a little awkward, "Hi Melissa, I am Chuck. Is your husband here?"
    Sylvia heard Chuck and came in from the kitchen quickly. She took Chuck's arm and took him outside to meet the rest of the party. She whispered, "She is separated .. recently ... please don't ask her about him. She is still a little too emotional about it."
    "I am sorry. I had no idea."
    Sylvia introduced him to the people and took him back in to the kitchen. He filled a plate with food. He stepped out to the backyard where some of the people were sitting on a bench under a tent. He put his plate on the bench and bent over to open the cooler for a beer. His jaw dropped open. A big friendly red dog, a golden retriever, came hopping around the side of the house on three legs. The dog ran up to Chuck and let him pet him. It barked softly seven or eight times while staring into Chuck's eyes. It then followed Linda with the young kid in her arms.
    "Whose dog is that?" Chuck asked Mike.
    "Oh that's Melissa's dog Lewis. What a wonderful dog. He loves kids."
    "Mike, I am new here. It seems pretty strange to see two three legged dogs in the same neighborhood."
    "I guess, these things do happen. Lewis got an infection in his back leg a couple of year's back. They had to amputate it. I took care of him for Melissa. He is a good dog. Nice and friendly. Just don't get him mad though."
    "Why, what does he do?"
    "Well! Two weeks ago Melissa was getting impatient with one of the twins and he heard her yell at the kid and came running at her and bit her on the right leg. That's the leg that he is missing."

.....

    "I can't get it out of my mind. Two dogs in our neighborhood with three legs, belonging to two women with twins, and you know Linda; none of them have a husband. Melissa is separated and Erika is divorced." Chuck put his feet on the ‘Lazyboy‘ recliner.
    "I don't care. I would give anything to have kids." Linda smiled at him.
    "Well, we been trying, Linda. Like Dr. Brosh said, we just have to be patient. It's just a matter of time."
    "I am thirty-two and you know the only one in that party without a kid was me. Every one has at least one or two kids. We should have twins, that would be so nice."
    Chuck felt ridiculed. There wasn't anything wrong with his sperm count. Why was she talking to him as if it was all his fault? He got up abruptly, "I am going for a walk. Do you want to come along?"
    She shook her head. He stepped out of the home, alone. Walking up the street, he glanced at Erika's home. The lights were up but he couldn't see through the blinds. Her dog was barking in the backyard. He crossed over to the other side of the street and reached the top of the hill. He rounded the corner and started walking down the street behind his and then he saw the woman. A dark haired woman was walking half way down the block. She had a long flowing light robe and her long dark hair was waving softly in the wind as she walked. She wasn't really walking, it seemed she was gliding on air. He shook his head in disbelief, the woman disappeared.
    The bark of a dog startled him. He realized he had lost track of time. A young girl ... six or eight years old was running with a small black dog chasing her. The dog's hind legs were in a contraption with wheels. It looked like the training wheels on bicycles. Chuck's heart started pounding. He could sense the strangeness in the neighborhood but couldn't pin it down. "What the hell is going on?" he wondered.
Erika and her twins were leaving the house as Chuck walked in. Her dog Sam was jumping around Linda as she pushed the carriage across the road. Suddenly the dog stopped and started barking uncontrollably. Chuck stood outside his house, watching the dog, mesmerized. The dog turned his head and slowly walked up to Chuck. It looked at Chuck and then back towards Erika and started howling.

.....

    Chuck went to the fridge and pulled out a beer. He drank half of it in one gulp and sat on the sofa, breathing deeply. Linda walked back in the house.
    "What did she want?" he asked.
    "She just stopped by to say hi. And she knows how I love kids. She is very nice. Do you know that there is a third couple with twins in this neighborhood?"
    "And they have a dog with its back legs in a carriage."
    "What's wrong with you, Chuck? Your face looks pale. Are you scared? Do you think something strange is going on?"
    "Linda, there are three women with twins within two blocks of us, and all three women have dogs that have either three legs or two legs. Don't you think that's a little too coincidental?"
    "I agree, it's coincidental. But you know things happen, dogs have accidents, dogs get sick, men leave their wives, men die."
    "What do you mean? What the heck do you know about all this?"
    "Erika told me about the third woman ... April ... her husband died as she became pregnant with the twins. But she already had one daughter."
    "So, that must have been who I saw. I saw a young girl running with a small black dog, with his back legs on wheels." Chuck closed his eyes, trying to understand this complexity that was soon to overtake his life.

.....

    The next morning Linda went back to Erika's home.
    "You told me last night, there was a way to have kids."
    Erika's eyes twinkled as if with mischief, "Yes there's a way. But it's very hard and you have to really want kids."
    "Oh! I want kids badly." Linda went over to Erika and took one of her daughters in her arms, slowly rocking her.
    "How badly?"
    "I'll do anything."
    "Well, that's what I want to know. What have you done so far and what will you be willing to do for a kid?"
    We have tried several things. I think there's something wrong with Chuck, but the doctors say he's fine. I think maybe he just doesn't want kids as badly as I do. I am getting old and desperate. I'll do anything to have a child."
    "Will you give up Chuck?"
    Linda was visibly shaken, "Give him up? What do you mean?"
    "I think I know that you want kids but do you want them badly enough? There is a secret way that you can have children, just like I did. But you must be ready for the sacrifice."
    Linda's smile vanished. There was no mistaking the seriousness in Erika's voice. The dog came running back into the house and stopped. It sniffed the air and then walked to Linda and smelled her. He turned and started barking furiously at Erika. Erika finally took him to the backyard.
    "What's wrong with him?"
    "Sam can smell danger and perhaps evil too. What I am about to tell you is no easy matter. Once I tell you about it, you'll have no choice either."
    "I don't understand? What are you getting at?"
    "There's a secret and dangerous way to have kids, twins actually. For some reason, you can only have twins. Do you want twins?"
    "Oh! God, yes. Please tell me."
    "You don't mind the danger in the process?"
    "What's the danger?"
    "It's not to you, Linda. It's not to the woman. It's to the man. You have to give up your husband."
    "Give up Chuck ... why ... how ... give him up how?"
    "Do you believe in magic?"
    "Magic?" Linda looked at the front door. Was it locked?
    "Don't worry about the door. I only know a little magic. But I know enough to control you, if I needed to. That's not what I want to tell you though, I want to tell you about the high priestess."
Linda stammered, "The h .h. high priestess."
    "Yes, we have one among us. And she will enrich your life with twins and bestow magical powers on you. In return she wants a man. Not just any man but your husband. The man you married in front of God. The man you'll give to her. For the magic to work truly, the man must be your husband."
    Linda stared at her intently. She not only understood what Erika was saying, she knew it was serious. Had she gone too far already? she wondered.
    "You are married, right?"
    Linda nodded her head. She knew what was coming next.
    "And you were married in the church, right?"
    She nodded her head again.
    "Good. Now we talk turkey."
    Erika moved her head to the left and then to the front in a snake like fashion. Her eyes were flashing red sparks. She walked up to the back door and yelled, "Sam, come here Sam."
    The dog came running. It looked at Erika's eyes and whimpered and sat down at her feet.
    "Meet Sam, my husband Sam."

.....

    Chuck couldn't keep his eyes open. It was barely nine and he felt terribly sleepy. He must have really over-eaten more than he thought ... the wonderful chicken curry that Linda had made, with the authentic Indian spices. It was good. He had eaten two plates. It had been very good, especially with the rice.
He awoke late. The bedside clock showed seven thirty. "Damn, the alarm clock didn't go off"; he rolled over and felt a stiffness in his legs. His shoulders felt a little tight too. "Am I getting sick?" he wondered. He slowly sat at the edge of the bed. His arms felt stiff as he stretched them. He stood up and felt his eyes go dark and fell. Lying on the floor, he felt mad at this incapacitating thing that had taken hold of him. He yelled for Linda but his voice was too weak.
    What the hell is happening? I must have had a heart attack, he told himself. He turned over and pushed with his hands till he was able to half sit, half lie on the floor. He took a deep breath and pulled himself up. He grabbed the side of the bed and sat down. He slowly managed to pick up the bedside phone and dialed 911.
    The dark haired woman floated into the bedroom and touched Chuck on the forehead. Her hand was soft but cold like ice water. Her face was pale, her lips dark almost black. She had long dark eyelashes and rusty brown eyes that sparkled with some unknown inner force.
    "Who are you?" he whispered.
    "I am your Goddess. You are going to be my slave, and will remain such forever. You will follow my command and obey me for eternity."
    She turned and stared at his face. Her eyes turned blue, became liquid and floated into Chuck's eyes. He screamed and rubbed his burning eyes. Red and blue lights were flashing outside his window. He slowly regained consciousness.

.....

    It took him two weeks to recover from that. Food poisoning, that's what the doctors suspected, but did not find anything. At the same time Linda and Erika had become inseparable. And Linda's face was getting paler. She had started using the same make-up that Erika used. They looked like ... sisters. The thought of losing Chuck was very scary, but she wasn't sure if she didn't want children more than a husband. And life with Chuck had become routine and boring, the excitement of sex had lasted less than two years. The last six years had been more work than fun.
    And then she finally met Nasreen ... the high priestess of dark, secret, and dangerous magic. Erika had blindfolded her prior to the high priestess's arrival. The lights were turned off and black candles were lit in the living room and in the kitchen at the back of the house. Sam had howled and jumped and finally managed to scale the fence, he was gone.
    When her blindfold was removed, she was faced with a woman in a thin white, somewhat transparent robe. Her body was outlined by the loose flowing dress. Her breasts and hips were perfect. She moved majestically. She offered her hand to Linda. Erika motioned her to kneel and kiss her hand.
    "I am Nasreen. I am told you want children from me."
    "I want my own children." Linda was bewildered.
    "Yes, you will bear those children. And, yes you will be impregnated by your husband's body. But the process would be under my control and so would your husband. You know and have agreed to give up your husband for the children ... correct?"
    "Yes ... your highness. B ... but, how does this happen? What do I have to do?"
   The high priestess opened her robe and let it fall to the floor. She removed all of Linda's clothes and embraced her. Holding her next to her body and with her right hand on top of Linda's head, she chanted, "Sahasta Putram Bhav."
    She rocked her six times and then released her.
    "I will come to your home at the appropriate time ... before the final transfer. The day you become pregnant will be the day your husband will be transferred."
    "Transferred ... where?"
    Erika signaled her to be quiet, "I will explain to her, in detail your highness. Are you satisfied with the prep?"
    "Yes."
    Erika blew off the candles, she then walked to the back and blew off the rest of the candles. She came back and holding both of Linda's hands chanted "Shyavam sunderum*" three times. She then turned on the lights. Nasreen had disappeared.
    "What happened just now?"
    "You were approved for the final transfer tonight. Nasreen always meets with the woman before the final approval. You were approved."
    "What's all that she was chanting?"
    "She was blessing you with a hundred sons. That's her way of purifying you for the arrival of your children. Now all you need to do is to go back and live normally. Shortly after the day you become pregnant, your husband will be transferred into a dog. One or more of his body parts will be missing ... that is the sign of the Goddess ... or her fee."
    "So every time I see a disabled dog, there are women who have made a deal with the high priestess?"
    "You don't make deals with the Goddess; you are accepted into her circle, under her protection! We mortals don't have the status to make deals. We can only accept the offering from the Gods."
    "What if I refuse to go through with it?"
    Erika's eyes became red with fire, "How dare you even speak in this manner? This is blasphemy. You have no power to stop your own destiny, the destiny you have is tied to Nasreen."

.....

    Three weeks after the poisoning, Chuck had still not recovered completely. He still had a slight stiffness in his shoulders and hips and was developing a nervous movement in his neck ... his face would jut forward in an awkward manner till he would relax his jaw and neck and be back to a normal posture.
Dr. Brosh looked at the X-rays once again. "I don't see anything Chuck. Maybe you are just tired. You need a vacation perhaps."
    Linda seemed to like the idea, "Let's go to Oregon for a week ... we can just hang around the coast and relax."
    When Linda called Erika, she was furious, "You can't leave in the middle of the process. She has barely started her hold over him. If you move away, he may escape her power."
    Linda wondered if it was time to get out of this spell and leave and never come back. Maybe she can tell Chuck what had been happening. Maybe they can get out.
Erika called her right back, "I am sorry about all this. But it's O.K. You can go .. the high priestess said you can go. You are our link to him, and Nasreen has your soul under her control. Your husband has no power to resist her, not even a thousand miles away."

.....

    The pacific ocean spread out before them for ever. The highway serpentined around the sea. They stopped at a beach that looked like the other four they had stopped at. The same beautiful sand, the same warm sun, the same cold water, the same curvy beaches and the same rocks and formations. Linda sat on a rock and put her bare feet in the water. She laid back and stared at the sky.
    "Thank you for this heavenly trip Chuck." She kissed him gently.
    Chuck rubbed his stiff neck and lay beside her. Slowly he relaxed ... his feet and hands were hunched inward in an exaggerated fetal position, his head was low and ahead of his shoulders, but he was relaxed. He murmured happily. Linda sat up leaning on one hand and stared at this man who lay curled up beside her like a big dog and wondered. It seemed futile. She couldn't save Chuck, if she tried. But the thought of two little helpless babies in her arms overwhelmed her.
    Back at the roadside motel, Chuck tried to open the bottle of 'Turning Leaf' wine and couldn't. His fingers were too stiff to grip the cork screw and the bottle. Linda opened it and poured the wine in the little glasses from the bathroom.
    "To our children," she raised her glass.
    "To our children," Chuck agreed. She sipped the wine and kissed Chuck. He took a sip and started licking her face. It was new but exciting. She removed her night dress slowly. Chuck dipped his tongue in the glass and slurped the wine. He then started licking her all over her body.
    It felt awkward, Chuck on all fours making love to her. She turned over and lifted her hips to unite with him. Better ... much better. Chuck grinned happily and moved faster. He came and whispered,"Wow". Linda heard a distinct howl.
    Chuck slept curled up. His face smiling and screaming at the same time. The secret woman of his poisoning was back in his dreams. This time she was smiling cruelly while petting his long floppy ears, he felt weak and helpless.
    "I want my share, I want what's due me", she screamed.
    She moved near. He tried to run but his arms and legs were locked with fear or some other power. He couldn't move his neck to see where or what she was doing. She stood on top of him, and opened her mouth. She put her legs on his legs and pinned him under her. She looked at his penis and smiled strangely. Her mouth grew bigger. He saw a deep red hole that was growing as it neared his body.
    "This is mine" she screamed and clamped her mouth down, he screamed with excruciating pain.

.....

    Linda's period was late. She called Erika and then Dr. Brosh.
    "Come on over this afternoon and I will run some tests."
    A radiant Linda walked into Chuck's office and kissed him in front of the receptionist. He smiled sheepishly, "What's going on, honey? It's been years since you came to my office. I wish you had called me earlier. We could have had lunch. I just ate."
    She was beaming, "I am on my way to Dr. Brosh's office. He's going to run some tests. I may be pregnant."
    He hugged her and kissed her again, "That's wonderful."
    "I'll call you and let you know. Unless it takes a long time, then I'll see you at home."

.....

    Chuck came home a little early, but Linda wasn't around. He walked out of the house and saw bright lights in Erika's front room. The blinds were up and he could see two women standing ... Erika and a woman with a white veil around her face. She seemed like the woman in his dreams. His heart started pounding with fear.
    "Where was Linda? She was always over there with Erika?" Slowly someone stood up. It was Linda.
    "She must have been sitting ... or kneeling before that woman? Who is that woman?"
    The woman turned around and stared directly at Chuck .. he saw fire in her eyes and her mouth opened ... he saw a deep red cave full of fire. He saw a gang of dogs coming out of every yard, barking and running towards him. He screamed and ran inside. He bolted the door. The barking grew louder. There were scratches on the door. And then silence.
    There was a soft knock on the door and the door squeaked open. Nasreen was standing in the living room framed by dogs on all sides. She dropped the veil from over her face and her eyes slowly opened wide and locked into Chuck's.
    "No ... no. What do you want from me?"
    "I want everything."
    She dropped her robe and stood naked before him. Even though scared, he looked at her perfect body. She smiled and a lightening flash jumped out of her hand and into his heart. A thin white mist was left where she had stood. The dogs disappeared and the mist slowly melted into nothingness. Chuck stared unblinkingly. His mind had stopped. His left shoulder moved towards his chest pulling him down. His right shoulder also started to move. He heard a snapping sound. An unbearable pain went through his chest. He clutched his chest as he fell.
    He needed to call 911. He tried to get up on all fours and then he noticed ... his left arm was missing completely. His eyes were getting bleary. He looked at his right arm ... it was very hairy and very short. It wasn't his arm at all ... it was a dog's paw.
    He heard the door open and close. Linda's voice was cheerful and clear, "Honey ... guess what ... I am pregnant. Maybe with twins."

The End         4301 words

Copyright © 2004 Raman Jalota. All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the author.

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