The 'N' Word, Book 1 (10 page)

“Hello, Kathy. Please notify my 2:15 P.M. appointment that I am ready to see him now…”

“
A
RE YOU FINISHED
with your questionnaire?”

Aaron looked up at the man on the other end of the table and entertained joyous thoughts of snapping the bastard’s pencil thin neck.

“Yes.” He offered a warm, sugary smile and slid the acrylic clipboard across the way, keeping his eyes keenly upon him.

Dr. Owens stared back, seemingly trying to read him, to see something deep and dark and covered in the tar of a derelict that only his willful nature could create. The man behind the pretentious glasses was no mystery; he was the typical sort. An adult nerd… most likely picked on as a child.

He should have been killed a long time ago… The principles of natural selection failed.

The man smelled of homosexuality with his prim and proper ways, fruity classical music playing in the background, and dainty knickknacks fit for a grandmother’s dusty, old cupboard. The good doctor crossed his thin Daddy-Long-Leg limbs and began the process of perusing the penciled-in answers, nodding here and there, showing little to no expression. After several moments, Dr. Owens placed the clipboard gingerly down on his desk and rocked back in his seat. A smart-alecky flavored grin creased the bastard’s face as he placed his hands behind his head and locked them just so.

“So, Mr. Pike… it looks like you know how to play the game.” The man seemed to almost admire his fortitude and lies. Aaron offered a syrupy grin, this one much sweeter than the last.

“And what game would that be, Dr. Owens?”

“The one where you are deemed competent. I won’t disagree that you possibly are, but you show just enough self-awareness in these answers to be reckoned fit, and give yourself a rather accurate psychological profile.”

“And why is that an issue?”

“Because you don’t believe your answers, Mr. Pike.”

Both men were silent for a spell.

“You see, in the past, you’d take your psychological exams, answer in this manner, and be left alone. You scored in the method that would lead many to believe that though you’ve had struggles, you are on the path to make amends, and even have remorse for your illegal and immoral activities, now wishing to turn a new leaf.”

Aaron cleared his throat, clasped his hands over his groin, and crossed his ankles. “And what makes you believe that’s all horseshit, Dr. Owens?” He held on to his even tone and calm presence. He latched hold to the charade, even enjoying it a little along the way.

“Because I
know
you.” The man smirked, seemingly pleased with himself.

“You
know
me, Dr. Owens?” Aaron’s eyes narrowed on the man as his index finger drifted along his chin. “I’ve never laid eyes on you a day in my life.”

“No, Mr. Pike, you haven’t, but I know your type.”

“You know my type, huh?” He curved his lips to one side. “And what’s my type, Dr. Owens? Break it down for a silly ol’ country boy such as myself.”

“You’re a cerebral con-artist.”

“I’m sorry.” Aaron cracked a wide grin, closed his eyes and massaged his lids as he leaned slightly forward. “You’ll have to help me with that… I don’t know what ‘sea-brail’ means….”

“Yes you do, Aaron.” He could hear the smile in the man’s tone. “Almost any word, idea, and concept I toss your way, you are either already familiar with, or after a brief description, you’d understand it without further explanation.”

Aaron slowly opened his eyes and stared at the man, his smile becoming a bit less easy to maintain as seconds got pregnant and gave birth to grueling minutes.

You are one of them boys back in high school that never got any pussy… and now you don’t even want it… butt pounder…

“You see, Mr. Pike, you are devoid of empathy. You have absolutely no desire to look at your belief system from a different vantage point and you are incapable of caring about the pain of others. Nor do you have any aspiration to do so. It is my job to help create that craving within you. As it stands, you intentionally generate agony, via a form of cunning trickery. You create harm from your ideas, you overdose on fear, via your power, as well as influence over others, and you relish in actions that are submerged in acute brutality. You are dishonest with even yourself, but you are
aware
that you are. I’ve never met a client quite like you before. I thought I may have, but I believe I was incorrect. No, you are one of a kind. I find you to be quite fascinating, actually.”

“Do you now?”

“I do… I looked at your intelligence scores from the first time you entered this prison and now. Do you know your Intelligence Quotient, Mr. Pike?”

“Nope.”

“Well, let me tell you what it is. It is 149, Mr. Pike. That means that it is even higher than mine, and I take pride in my I.Q.” The man laughed lightly, as if they’d been having a good time—though Aaron was far from tickled or moved by his words. “149 means that you have superior intelligence, Aaron. Less than 2.3% of the American and European population has that I.Q. or higher. When I first saw it, I thought there must’ve been some mistake, but you’ve been tested several times, and each time, the score is consistent. What do you think of what I’m telling you, Mr. Pike?”

Aaron shrugged, threw his hands up, and cocked a custom blended sly grin. “I think nothin’ much of it at all, Mr. Owens. Intelligence is relative.”

“Interesting. Explain that theory to me.”

“Now don’t go gettin’ fancy on me.” Aaron sighed. “All I’m saying is that my intelligence is a good thing, I suppose, but having heart and pride are equally important.”

“Hmmm, I see. What do you have pride in, Aaron?”

“Are you testing me right now, Dr. Owens? If so,” he said, pointing indolently at the man’s desk, “maybe you should record this, you know, in case I try to backtrack or deceive you later… ’specially since I’m so very deceptive and my intelligence is higher than yours ’nd all.” He winked.

“I’m going to enjoy this, Mr. Pike. I’m going to enjoy spending time with you, each moment of it. So much so that I want to see you all the time. You are to see me every morning until I deem it no longer necessary.”

At that, Aaron’s jaws tightened, locked shut like a vicious dog put in a goddamn muzzle.

Son of a bitch!

He’d walked into a motherfucking trap, didn’t see the sly, nerdy bastard on the prowl. Regardless, he kept a straight face. Besides, all was not lost… He still had a role and game to play, despite Owens’ declaration that he had him pegged.

He thinks this is a funny game. I won’t give him the satisfaction, especially not to this Ivy League runt bitch…

“You got fucked with a lot at school, didn’t you, Dr. Owens?” he blurted, needing to inflict a bit of pain before he was dismissed and returned to his impound like the animal he surmised he was in the man’s eyes.

“Mr. Pike, these discussions are about
you
. They are about helping you while incarcerated here at Holman, as well as assisting you with establishing a new life once you are free.”

“You did, didn’t you? I used to hammer on fuckers like you… the know-it-alls, the pretentious assholes who thought they were better than everyone else. I assume you know what the fuck pretentious means. No need to worry though.” He threw up his hands. “Despite what you’ve been told, I’m only violent when pushed. I wouldn’t hurt a hair on your head, sir…but you deserve to have your balls ripped off and jammed down your goddamn throat.”

“How does that make you feel, Aaron?”

“How does
what
make me feel, Dr. Owens?”

“To discuss physically hurting someone who is more than likely not as strong as you? I mean, look at me.” The man smirked as he looked his own self up and down, as if seeing his frail frame for the first time. “I’m 5’10 and weigh 167 lbs. on a good day. You’re easily 6’4, and have muscles larger than boulders. Do you feel better because you are, if you wished, capable of standing up at this moment, coming behind my desk, ripping me from my seat and splitting me in half with your bare hands?”

Aaron’s jaw tensed so much now, a wave of pain pierced the left side of his damn face.

“I surmise, Mr. Pike, that though you called into question me being the target of bullying,
you
actually may have been the target of harassment, mistreatment, and victimization. So much so, you developed a strong, impenetrable defense mechanism—
many
, actually, in order to protect yourself from further harm. I even would go as far as to say that you were bullied at home as well, Mr. Pike. The very people you were supposed to be able to trust left you to the monsters and, at times,” he shrugged, an unnerving smile on his face, “those under your own roof were the wolves in sheep’s clothing.”

Aaron. Said. Nothing.

YOU COCK SUCKING SON OF A BITCH. YOU ROTTEN, STINKING, CHICKEN SHIT, YOU!!! YOU GOT ME SCHEDULED TO SEE YOUR ASS EVERY GODDAMN MORNING LIKE YOU’RE MY WOMAN OR SOMETHING AND THEN YOU SIT HERE AND TRY TO FUCK MY MIND AND BUST A GODDAMN NUT. I INVENTED THE MIND FUCK, YOU SKINNY LITTLE, BIG-BRAINED FUCKBOY! YOU CAN’T PLAY WITH THE BIG DOGS AND NOT GET BIT! I’VE CRAPPED OUT BIGGER PIECES OF SHIT THAN YOU!

“…Owens is a Welsh surname. I bet you got some fuckin’ Jewish blood in you, though. Matter of fact, I’d bet big on it. Some big nosed, horsed face, greedy ass, dirty Jew screwed a Welsh in your family and fucked up the entire bloodline. Once a Jew sticks his dick in the mix, there is no purity from that, no washing it away. You should be so proud.”

“Anger is sometimes good, Aaron,” the doctor went on as if nothing had been said to him at all. “Now that you’re angry, despite your even tone, your aggressive choice of words have proven otherwise.”

“I’m not angry.”

“Sure you are, and that’s okay, Mr. Pike. You see, anger is an emotion that is oftentimes born from fear. Anger is not even a real emotion; it is the byproduct of another. That means there is hope for you after all. Now, you are free to go.”

The undernourished bastard pushed his little white buzzer, and immediately two guards entered, cuffed Aaron, and pulled him in the direction of the door. He kept his eyes on Dr. Owens, loathe for this little exchange to be over so soon. He’d felt a flood of something unsettling, a gush within that made his chest grow warm. That emotion hadn’t struck him in years, and it infuriated the hell out of him. He stared the son of a bitch down, threatened him without saying a single word. Their eyes locked, and in that second, he wrote the good doctor a psychic letter. He knew the fucker caught his drift, but he was certain it would do no good…

He doesn’t scare easily… That’s nice, that’s cute. I got something for you, Dr. Owens, something special. You’ve fucked with the wrong man and you’ll live to regret it…

“
I
T’S OHHHHKAY!
I
T’S
ohhhhhkay!” the boy wailed, tears falling down his cheeks as he rocked back and forth and bumped his palm on the side of his head. He looked like he was trying to knock out a rock through his ear that was lodged inside of his brain.

“Zion…Zion…look at me. Three…Two…One…” Mia placed her finger up as she and the boy sat alone in the darkness. The only trace of light meandered through one of the bare classroom windows that had no curtain or shade. Class had ended over ten minutes ago, but he was falling apart… unable to reel himself in. His eyes finally settled upon her, and he slowed a bit, but his body kept rocking. Drawing closer to him, she wrapped her arms around him gently and winced when he elbowed her in the gut.

Damn it!

“Zion! Shhhhhh! It’s okay, just like you said.”

“I’s ohhhhhkay!!!!” He was set to rev up once again, to be victim to his own brain. The damn thing betrayed him, but little did it know, he had people that cared, would help him through.

“Three….two…one… Five times five is… four times four is… three times three is…”

“Twenty-five! Sixteen! Nine!”

“That’s right,” she cooed as she wrapped her legs around him, pinning him down onto the floor while she ran her hands through his hair and rocked with him, his back pressed into her chest. “That’s right, Zion… It’s okay. Everything is going to be okay. You just have to put in the work, sweetheart. You have to meet me half way…and I know you can do it. You’ll
choose
to do it because you’re smart, and you’re good, and you’re one of my brightest, most gifted students… and guess what else, Zion?”