John Gold walked for hours – covered in blood. His journey began deep within the wilderness at the crack of dawn. John reached his final destination at nine forty-five a.m. He snuck around the side of a small, brick house and peered inside a window.
John saw his longtime friend, Arnold Haywood. Arnold, always considered very eccentric, sat in his living room this Saturday morning, painting his lips black. Arnold wore an oversized muumuu, something he did quite regularly, even though he was very tall and lanky.
John shook his head and walked around to the front door. He rang the doorbell. Arnold opened the door a moment later with a smile on his face. When Arnold saw the blood on John, his smile faded.
John knew why Arnold’s smile faded. He saw blood covering John’s face, neck and shirt. A gash circled its way around his left eye. Minor abrasions littered the rest of his face. Some blood appeared to be splattered, some appeared to drip down his chin and some blood belonged to John.
“Are you okay?” Arnold asked.
“This cannot be. I refuse to accept it. I refuse to believe it; but I do,” John answered.
“What happened?” Arnold asked.
“If you want me to leave I’ll understand,” John said.
“No, no, come on inside.”
Arnold led John inside and to a La-Z-Boy. Before Arnold sat down on his couch, he removed his muumuu to maintain some semblance of normalcy. He now wore mesh shorts and a tank-top (and black lipstick).
“Do you need anything?” Arnold asked.
“Just for you to listen,” John replied.
“Okay, I’m listening.”
“Every human being on earth knows me as John Gold. But the ones down there know me as ‘Sleeping Ali Baba’.”
“Who are the ones down there?” Arnold asked.
“Just listen. I have always been considered the normal one and you have always been the weird one. Yet nothing very strange has ever happened to you. Let me tell you something Arnie; there are demons and they are everywhere...
---
It all started last Thursday. I have had the same Thursday routine for fifteen years. I woke up at six thirty, shaved, showered, had breakfast with my wife and kids and went into work. I walked to my secretary Freida’s desk and we previewed my day. I had a staff meeting at ten, a conference call at one thirty and a projections review with my Director of Finance at four. My day went smoothly and the next thing I knew it was five. I didn’t quite feel like going home so I stayed.
After twenty minutes of staring at my computer screen, Freida said I had a man to see me. His name was Billy Bordano. I had never heard of the man, but was in no hurry to leave, so I had Freida show him to my office.
The man who walked in looked like a cleaned-up rock star. He had jet-black hair pulled into a neat ponytail in the back of his head. It looked like he used excessive amounts of hair gel. He had a thin goatee and was wearing suit as black as his hair. I couldn’t quite place the designer. His dress shirt was white and he wore a silk, solid-red tie.
‘Mr. Bordano, is it?’ I asked.
‘Yes. Thank you for seeing me on such an unexpected visit,’ he replied.
‘No problem. What is it I can do for you?’
‘Well I know it’s a longshot but I’d like to do advertising for your company. I know you already have somebody but I believe I could work wonders for your business.’
The man was obviously an amateur; but I needed a good laugh before I went home. So I asked, ‘What did you have in mind?’
‘I’m glad you asked. The first thing I need to know is the last time you replaced a light-bulb in your office.’
‘Huh?’
‘I’m just kidding. Now listen. Advertising is getting your product in consumers’ minds by any means, half consciously and half unconsciously. For the next five minutes, you’re going to be listening to me; but at the same time, you will wonder what light-bulb you changed last, and maybe which one will burn out next. Would you say that’s accurate?’ he asked.
‘Very,’ I replied. I was beginning to think he was unconventional but maybe not an amateur.
‘Good. We’re getting somewhere. Now I don’t need to tell you how much impact media – newspapers, television and movies, have on our lives. For instance, did you ever see the movie Fight Club?’
‘No,’ I replied while thinking now I’ll get to laugh. He is an amateur.
‘Well one specific scene in a recent movie had a huge impact on me. There is a scene where the two main characters are driving down a freeway. They are having an argument about many things but the one point is control. Now I believe that control is an illusion. No matter how much you think and believe you have it, you really don’t. The two characters are verbally fighting in the car. The character driving the car convinces the man in the passenger seat to let go of control. Brad Pitt is the character driving and takes his hands off the wheel. Edward Norton is the passenger and he quickly puts on his seatbelt. They let go of control and crash into a parked car. Since watching that scene, a day hasn’t gone by where I haven’t thought about doing that. When I’m driving in my car and see a bend ahead in the road, I always wonder what would happen if I let go of the steering wheel? Where would I end up? Would I get hurt? If so, what would get hurt and what would eventually stop the car? But I never have the guts to do it.
‘Now that’s advertising. That scene is a subliminal message your brain transfers into your idea. Now my advertising company can do that with your products. We put the message into the heads of the masses. Your product will be in their head so much they will have to buy it or go mad. What do you think?’
He was a very good speaker but an amateur businessman. However, I could use a guy like him on my sales staff. He was enigmatic but honest. He had great energy but in no way was I going to switch advertising companies. I’d been with the other firm for ten years.
I said, ‘you’ve come a little late in the day, Mr. Bordano. Why don’t you put something more specific on paper and we’ll talk.’
He replied, ‘I will. Thank you for your time.’
He stood up and gave me his business card. We shook hands and he left. I sat down in my chair and thought about the presentation of Billy Bordano.
The next week was a blur. I couldn’t concentrate on anything. All I could think about was - my name is John Gold and I have always been in control, or had I? Is control possible? Where does it come from? I tried and tried to get these thoughts out of my head but for some reason I couldn’t.
I didn’t hear from him again. I called him but the number was disconnected. I wanted to know how he put those thoughts into my head. I never, ever questioned myself before I met Billy Bordano.
Then last night something happened to me. I had my normal, seemingly controlled day and had just started my twenty-five minute commute home. It was Friday; I knew traffic would be horrible, so I decided to take back roads on my way home.
Night shrouded its black cloak over us early last night. I was driving down a road I’ve driven literally hundreds of times. The road was eerily dark and empty. The streetlights were unlit and trees swallowed my car like a snake.
I have no idea why I did what I did next. An irresistible urge took control of my mind and body. The compulsion told me to let go of the steering wheel. I succumbed to the impulse. A left turn came upon me and my car kept straight. My car bounced and jerked down a hill, entering deeper and deeper into the woods. The adrenaline rush was exhilarating - until an Oak Tree abruptly stopped my descent.
The next thing I knew, I was on the ground. I felt a fresh, warm trickle of blood running down my face. I knew I had a nice cut above and around my left eye. I was only semi-conscious when I saw an unbelievable sight.
I saw a house in the middle of the woods. It looked like any normal white house and even had a white picket fence. My ears were ringing; but I could hear noises emanating inside the humble abode.
I was able to stand up and limped to the front door. I knocked and a raspy voice answered, ‘What’s the password?’
The fantastic words which escaped my lips gave me the nickname ‘Sleeping Ali Baba.’ - OPEN BLOODY PIG.
The door opened and I stumbled in the house. My vision was blurry but I know what I saw. It looked like a costume party but there were no costumes. Beasts inside the house danced with awful gyrations.
I saw human-like beings, covered in hair with beady eyes and big sharp teeth. They were playing instruments. I saw little gremlin-like characters on a stage singing, ‘I don’t believe in charityyyyyy, I do believe in sin. If you want you’re gonna bleeeeed and we’re here to tell you why. I really hate societyyyyy, God never really liked me. Our goal is to punish thooooose who really think they’re good.’
A man without a face handed me a challis. He had no eyes, no nose, no mouth, not even ears. I lifted the challis and drank what was unmistakingly blood. I gagged and dropped the challis.
When the challis hit the floor, the crowd became silent. Everything looked at me. A mammoth monster with three arms (the third protruding from his chest) grabbed me. He led me up stairs and shoved me through a door.
The second floor was worse than the first. The entire floor was one room. Horribly deformed creatures, weeping, filled the room. A being with no arms, no legs, one eye, a crooked nose and half a mouth lay on the carpet. One poor soul, with two holes where eyes used to be, was naked and had no genitalia. Its near-lifeless body hung from a noose. I needed to leave the room before I vomited. I found another set of stairs. I ran up them and went through a door at the top.
The third floor was different from the other two floors. The third split into separate rooms. A naked man, lying on the floor with at least a dozen female vampires all over him created the scene in the first room. They encircled him and sucked his blood. The man stared at me as he lost all color. I couldn’t take it and exited through the door to my left.
The next room I entered was horrendous. A naked woman was tied to the wall as a beast chomped away at her stomach. The sick part was that a baby cried inside her womb. The beast was eating the child too. I exited the room by means of a door to the far right.
An orgy filled the next room. It was an orgy of beasts and vampiress’s. They were also biting each other. Each bite drew blood and their mouths came away with flesh. I exited stage right.
Hanging, dead beasts, gremlins and vampires packed the next room I entered. They were all half-eaten. I needed to escape this madness. I found another door to my right. As I placed my hand on the knob, I realized the next room was the center room and would be the last. I entered.
Lit candles filled the center room. A red carpet lined on each side with fantastically beautiful women, masturbating, stood at my feet. A king’s throne, raised on an altar, shined majestically at the end of the red carpet. A man was sitting in the chair, beckoning me.
I slowly walked toward the man. As I reached the edge of the throne, I saw the ringleader of this lunacy. It was Billy Bordano.
He pointed at me and said, ‘You, John Gold, are the very definition of normalcy on earth. Get on your knees and bow to me as I speak,’ he commanded.
The women of the room surrounded me. They all held daggers in their hands. I was trapped. I feared for my life so I bowed. I asked, ‘What do you want from me?’
He stood and then said, ‘You never understood that earth is not about money, power, or control. It is about flesh. So I had to destroy you. You let go in your car now let go with us. Partake in our feast tonight. You will sing, eat and fuck with us tonight or you will die. Not only will we end your life, but also the lives of your wife and children. They will be tortured, raped, eaten and burned. Are you with us tonight?’
The women ripped off all my clothes. They held daggers to my throat, chest, stomach and crotch. Billy Bordano knelt down in front of me. He asked again, ‘Are you with us tonight?’
What was I supposed to do? I had no choice but to agree with him. I spent the night with the beasts in a blood-drenched orgy. The women were the food. The beasts were the entertainment. The corpses were the wine and Billy Bordano was the host. I cried all night and vomited about a dozen times. When the sun rose in the east, the party withdrew and I was sent away.
But before I left, Billy said to me, ‘Find a friend and be with him by ten. At that time we will come for you.’
I didn’t want to jeopardize my family so I came here. I didn’t know who else to go to.”
---
“Why in the hell did you come HERE?” Arnold asked.
“I don’t know why I came here; but I know it’s one minute ‘till ten,” John replied.
Arnold laughed and said, “Okay, okay, you got me. Quit playing around.”
“I’m not playing around,” John said. “You have always wanted the strange and unusual. Now you will have it.”
The house began to gently shake. Figures inside the walls circled the living room. As their horrible faces begin protruding through the walls, Arnold could tell they were every bit as horrible as John described them.
Arnold momentarily froze with fear. The beasts broke through the walls. Arnold shed his prison of fear and tried to run. John tackled him by the ankles. Hairy, overgrown beasts with giant claws grabbed Arnold. They sliced his neck, back, chest, and stomach. He screamed in agony. John watched all this happen to his friend. To his surprise, he didn’t feel regret.
The male beasts retreated and the lady vamps attacked. They licked and sucked at Arnold’s wounds. Like vultures, the gremlin-like creatures chewed at his limbs. Arnold tried to kick and punch but his strength faded fast.
John maintained eye contact with Arnold. With his eyes, Arnold pled for John to help him. John did not. He would not lift a finger. It was better for this to happen to Arnold than John’s wife and children.
John broke the eye contact and let Billy Bordano take his place. Billy knelt on one knee and looked down upon Arnold. Billy said, “We are the corrupters. We take the normal, the good, and the naӗve and turn them into crazed monsters. Everyone has a demon buried deep within him or her, no exceptions. As for you, Arnold Benson, your demons are at the surface - and well, they just don’t cut it.”
Billy Bordano withdrew and the monsters resumed their attack. Arnold weakly tried to fight. The beasts easily overpowered him. As John watched his best friend die, he thought - some cannot hide their demons forever. The longer the demon hides, the more it festers and grows inside you. When it comes to the surface it is bigger, uglier and much more evil than it would have been long ago. If your demon has been hidden for years, pray you never hear the presentation of Billy Bordano.
