She looks in the window of the antique store. She see’s all the brik-a-brak that used to mean so much. Then she sees the real antique. The reflection in the window. The weathered and wrinkled face staring back at her. When did she get old? When did she start caring? She continues down the street. No time for dawdling. This isn’t her destination, and it’s getting late. Bad enough to walk home in the dark, she can at least make it there in the light.
They watch her from the ally. All mischief in their eyes. Brik and Brak. They smell the sadness. It draws them near. A chance for chaos. A chance for mayhem… A chance for fun. They’ll follow. They’ll plan. They’ll wait.
It’s twilight when she reaches the grocers. She walks up to the automatic doors, mentally running through her list. Just enough to get through the next day or two. Just until… She stops. Something’s wrong. The doors won’t open. She steps back. Then forward. Nothing. Back. Then forward. Nothing. “’Scuse me.” The man walks around her. Not seeing her. Lost in a digital world of his own. The doors open for him. She sighs, and takes the opportunity provided.
Back, then forward. Back, then forward. Brik and Brak practically squeal with delight. Even the doors have begun to let go of her in this world. They can feel her frustration building. The taste of it palpable to them. Finally she gets in. but even that leaves her feeling lost and alone. This will be fun. Yes, this will be fun indeed.
She walks down the isle through the produce section. “Perhaps a few bananas.” She thinks to herself. She sees the young man putting out fresh bunches. “Pardon me. Do you know where these are sourced from?” If she’s honest with herself, she doesn’t really care. She needs to talk to someone. To have them talk to her. When he doesn’t reply, she notices the ear buds. She taps him on the shoulder.
He takes out one of the buds and manages a, “Hnu?” without really looking at her. Impatient to plug back into his private universe. “Do you know where these bananas were grown?” She asks again.
“Don’ know,” he mumbles. This time he spares her a passing glance.
“Oh. Well, I like to support community farms when I can,” but it’s too late. The boy has already put the ear bud back in, and is walking away. No doubt the hero of his own narrative.
The loneliness tastes so sodding good. The pixies can hardly contain themselves. The man-child drops something as he walks away. So self absorbed. Perhaps they will come back and play with him another day. But for now they see opportunity. Opportunity in the form of some loose grapes. They mash them into the floor, making it slick. A fall could be just the right ingredient to finish the meal. The old woman is working her way towards them. Yes. This could be it. Then she turns away. Her eye caught by something else. She escapes for now. But soon. They can feel it. They are anxious, but know how to be patient.
She’s been lingering in the store and she knows it. It’s time to be going. perhaps just one more thing. A frozen dinner. She could wait until her nephew comes to visit her in a few days. He always brings her something nice when he visits, but sometimes you just need to treat yourself.
She stands in front of the cases of the frozen foods section. So many choices. She remembers when there were only a few, and they came in metal trays. As a girl she always liked having “TV dinners.” It was somehow a promise of a future that never quite got here. Still, they always bring her happy memories. Finally she picks one and moves to open the case.
Brik works his way into the case, and climbs to the top shelf. He smiles at how clever he and Brak are. As she places her hand on the handle, Brak pushes against the door. He’s small, but he and Brik are gifted with the strength of full grown humans.
She pulls on the door, but it won’t budge. She tires again. She knows that sometimes the pressure can make it hard to open. This time it gives a little, but then closes again. As if something was pushing against it.
Brak giggles. He and Brik are genius’. Brik is almost in place On the top shelf. He sits on the edge, placing his feet against the door. Then gives Brak the signal. They smile at each other. All pointy teeth, and hunger.
She’s about to walk away. “Damn it,” she deserves her treat. Her small warm memory of a happier time. One more try. She braces herself, placing the tip of her cane against bottom of the case for a little extra leverage.
it’s time. Brik and Brak nod to each other as Brak steps away from the door. As the woman pulls, Brik pushes with with his feet as hard as he can. The door flings open, sending the woman backwards. This will be a feast like they have not had in a long time.
The door gives way faster than she was prepared for. She stumbles backwards. Her cane in the wrong place to keep her steady. She feels herself falling. Panic setting in. The weight of her pushing into the hard flooring. The world spinning. A glimpse of two impossible “things” looking down at her. All teeth and smiles. A flash of pain as her head hits the edge of the shelf on the other side of the isle. A wet crack. A blinding white light.
Brik and Brak are on her. They can taste her pain. Her loneliness. Her sorrow and longing for what was. And it’s better than any human delicacy. They tear it from her in chunks and devour it in gnashing gulps. When the larger pieces are gone, they lap up what’s left. Licking her soul clean.
The store manager comes running down the isle of the frozen foods section. There’s a small crowd of customers standing around the crumpled form of an old woman. “Call an ambulance,” he calls to one of the tellers. “Fuck,” he thinks, “Why did this have to happen on my shift. Dumb, fucking, old bitch better not be dead. This is all I need.”
The sun shines down on her. So warm. It’s a beautiful summers day. She loves looking up at the clouds and making up stories about the shapes. “There’s a unicorn, and over there, a teddy bear,” she tells herself. “Maybe the teddy bear will ride the unicorn off on an adventure. Wait. What’s that over there? It looks like a crumpled old woman. I don’t think I like that one very much.” Maybe it’s time to stop looking at the clouds. She gets up, and brushes the grass from the back of her dress.
”Hello,” a voice says to her left. “Hello,” the voice says again, but no… now it’s from the right. “I’m Brik,” the left voice tells her. “I’m Brak,” the right voice announces.
Now she sees. There are two of them. Twins. In matching overalls. Even down to matching tears in the knees. “Curiouser and curiouser,” as Alice would say. “Hello master Brik. Hello master Brak.” She curtsies to both in turn. “My name is Madeline. Are you new here? I don’t recall seeing you before.”
”Oh no. We’ve been here for ever,” says Brak. “For ever and ever,” agrees Brik. “We’re very please to meet you Madeline,” they say in unison, and bow.
”Likewise,” Madeline says with a smile and another curtsy. Her mother taught her to always be polite. Especially to strangers. “Today’s stranger is tomorrows friend,” she used to say… Or, says? Why would she think, “used to?” Never the mind. “I was just staring up at the clouds.”
“You don’t want to do that,” Brik says. “No, not today,” says Brak. “Tomorrow the clouds will be much nicer,” they say together.
“Yes. I think you’re right. I need to get home to dinner anyway. Tonight is TV dinner night,” Madeline beams.
”That sounds wonderful,” say Brik and Brak.
Surprising herself, Madeline asks, “Would you both like to come over and join us? I’m sure mother wouldn’t mind.”
Brak looks at Brik. Brik looks at Brak. They smile, and look at her in unison “Oh yes!” “Please,” says Brak. “Thank you,” says Brik.
As they walk off, Madeline thinks she hears voices. People talking. Adults saying funny things like, “no pulse,” “to old to be on her own,” and “she looks terrified.” Terrified? How could anyone be scared of anything on a day like today? She turns to Brik. “Did you hear that?” She turns to Brak. “What are they talking about?”
”It’s nothing. Just the wind making noise. It’ll stop soon,” Brik and Brak tell her. ”Let’s go have TV dinners,” says Brak. “Yes. They sound delicious,” says Brik.
”Oh! They are!” Says Madeline. “You know… I think the three of us are going to be the most wonderful best of friends,” Madeline tells them as they skip through the grass on the way to have the most exalted feast of TV dinners every experienced to this very day.
Malignant Genius 