A Figure of the Rain: There Is Nothing Inside of Him: There Is Nothing Inside of Him

By Clay T. Hensley

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 22, 2011
• ISBN: 9781469140513

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A Figure Of The Rain

THERE IS NOTHING INSIDE OF HIM

Clay T. Hensley

Copyright © 2012 by Clay T. Hensley.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2011963009

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4691-4050-6

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4691-4049-0

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4691-4051-3

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

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107309

Contents

Prologue

Part One

1

2

3

4

5

Part Two

1

2

3

4

5

Prologue

There’s a man with no life in his eyes—Pseudo Echo

It is a dark and stormy night on a mostly deserted highway in the middle of a desert, there are but two buildings on this highway for 500 miles. The first building is a small gas station/convenient store, the second is a small twenty four hour diner. The gas station is just five yards away from the diner so it wont take away the main purpose of it’s construction, to sell food. The gas station is painted green and is open twenty four hours like the diner. There are two employees in the gas station, the day shift and the night shift. The gas station sells liquor, snacks, juice, and just about all the crap that gas stations sell, except cigarettes. It is the only gas station in America that does not sell the precious white nicotine sticks that no one can get enough of. The diner is a classic forties type diner with it’s red roof, oval shape, and the classic DINER above the door. It’s employees are mostly female with the exception of the chef and the owner of the establishment. The waitresses wear the classic red uniform shirt and short skirt, other than that they can wear whatever they want.

Every ten minutes there are three consecutive lighting strikes, two diagonal blue bolts and a red bolt that defies the laws of physics with it’s horizontal direction. This pattern of strikes if you really look at it makes a face in the night. The night sky has been painted by large black rain clouds, the rain that pours from it is so hard it could almost be called hail. The drops are as cold as ice and taste sweet like candy, the strength and the sheer sound of it would make a newcomer to these parts think it’s a hurricane. But this rainstorm is as common here as a child who plays in a park, it comes, stays for a while and leaves only to come back several days later. And with the rain comes a man, not just any man, but a lonely man. This man sits alone at his reserved table eating a bloody rare steak and drinking a cup of hot cocoa. This man wears a ankle length gray trench coat, coal black leather slacks, a gray tilted top hat, black laced combat boots, and a buttoned black vest over a gray silk suit shirt. His hair is blonde and short, just four inches above his shoulders, his eyes are blue, and his face is white, pale, and expressionless. He is the spitting image of a very numb and lonely individual, Adolf Hitler had seen this man he would parade him around as a true Aryan; the perfect race, so sad.

The tall man in gray is cutting a piece of his bloody steak with a serrated knife that came with the meal. When it is departed from it’s host he stabs the square of meat with his fork causing blood to gush out. He then raises the fork to his lips, he smells the meat savoring it’s essence, next he puts it in his mouth and chews. The bloody partially cooked steak is so delicious in his mouth, he laps his tongue around it, bites down, sucks in the juices, and finally swallows. He puts the fork down and grabs the white porcelain cup of hot cocoa and raises it to his lips. Steam rises up from the cup into his nose, the smell of chocolate is a divinity of it’s own. He opens his mouth and drinks the sweet hot chocolaty drink then swallows. He then sets the cup down onto the table painted with dark brown swirls on top of a lighter brown.

The temperature is just a little cool in the diner and the tall man in gray is the only costumer tonight or to be accurate, this morning. The tall man in gray finishes his steak and sets the knife and fork on the white plate that has been licked clean of juices. The tall man in gray rings a small gold table top bell with his left index finger, the ding rings out clearly through the mostly empty diner. A young woman wearing the diner’s red uniform, black netting covering her legs, black shoes, and a loose thin red bracelet on her wrist walks out of a door. Her hair is black and is tied in a bun with a red stretchy band, her nails are painted light green, her eyes are green and she has black eyeliner on. She walks to the tall man in gray’s table with a tray and when she arrives she grabs his plate and sets it on the tray.

The cup of hot cocoa is now empty, the woman sees this and asks would you like a refill sir? The tall man in gray replies with an emotionless tone yes please, the woman grabs the cup and sets in on the tray. She leaves and a minute later she returns with the cup and sets it on the table in front of the man. On the table is a ten dollar bill with two quarters lying on it, next to that is a twenty dollar bill. The bills along with the coins are clean and fresh as if they were just taken from the bank. The twenty is your tip Suzie the tall man in gray says, Suzie takes the money and puts the twenty in her pocket. Would you mind if I sat with you Suzie asks, the tall man in gray looks up at Suzie with a smile so small you need a microscope to actually see it. He answers of course not please have a seat, Suzie sits down across from him; the seat is firm and not kind because she is literally the first one to sit in this seat.

You come here all the time and you always buy the same thing every time, have you ever thought of buying something else Suzie asks. After taking a sip from his cup the tall man in gray replies I am very picky and have a hard time deciding what to eat; when it comes to something new. Suzie nods her head in understanding, yeah I know what you mean I have a hard time choosing too. When it comes to choosing one of four things I can choose something like that Suzie snaps. But when it comes to choosing between two things that’s when it gets difficult, you know what I do that helps? The tall man in gray takes another sip from his cocoa then puts the cup down, clears his throat, wipes his mouth with a napkin from the table and replies… what?

Suzie answers by reaching into her pocket and takes out a silver dollar, I flip this coin. I attach each choice to one side of the coin then flip it. When I catch it and look to see what side it ends up on I go with it. The tall man in gray seems genuinely interested at this point and puts his hands folded together on the table. He then says and no matter what side it flips onto you go with it despite not knowing if it will lead to fortune or misfortune? Suzie replies yeah because it will be more interesting than not making any decision at all. The tall man in gray replies with interesting he then reaches into his pocket and takes out a black leather wallet with an engraving of his hat on it. He opens the wallet and takes out another clean and fresh ten dollar bill, here’s another ten he says. I enjoyed this conversation, thank you. I will look forward to seeing you next time. The tall man in gray gives her the ten dollar bill, slides his wallet into his vest then stands up.

The tall man in gray bows slightly then walks out the door into the heavy rain without an umbrella completely oblivious to the rain. The tall man in gray walks across the cold parking lot into a bronze colored van with a large tin pipe sticking out of the roof. The pipe also has a roof on top of it, and next to the pipe is a strainer built into the roof letting in the water but keeping out the solids. The tall man in gray walks to the driver side door and takes out a bronze colored key that looks like it belongs to a door inside an old mansion. He unlocks the driver side door then steps into the van, he starts the van, as he does this a large engine can be heard starting up under the hood. The tall man in gray turns on his lights and the large pipe on the roof of his van shoots out steam, this van is steam powered. The tall man in gray drives across the parking lot to the gas station next door and parks next to the building, next he gets out of his van and walks into the gas station. He then slides his left sleeve up and looks at the time on his wrist watch 2:30am almost time.

Behind the counter is a thin black man who looks like a blast from the past. He has black hair that is put into an afro, brown disco pants, disco water shoes, a brown silk buttoned long sleeve shirt, a black tie, and black skin. Yes it is brother he says yes sir, just a few more hours until shift change. Then I can go home catch some zzzs then boogie for the rest of the day mhm. The tall man in gray nods his head and looks away from the expensive looking watch then walks to the back of the store to the liquid section. Five minutes later a eighteen wheeler parks next to one of the gas pumps, a big man with a red checkered hat and wearing a black shirt, brown pants, and has a hook for a left hand steps out. The trucker takes a hose from the pump and sticks it in the gas tank of his truck, next he selects his gas then walks into the store. Hey brother bad weather we having am I right the disco gas man says. The hooked trucker nods his head then asks where do you keep the liquor my throat is dry as a rattle snake on the BBQ.

The disco man makes a disgusted face then points to the back of the store, when the trucker leaves he picks up a spray bottle and sprays the area. Smelly he whispers to himself, the trucker walks to the back of the store and frantically looks around. Where is it where is it he says in panic, he spots the tall man in gray looking at him. He is holding a bottle of tequila in one hand, his other hand is behind his back, the trucker gasps slightly. Is that the last bottle he asks in an irritated voice, the tall man in gray tilts his head to the side. Next he replies yes… but you can have it, the trucker sighs in relief and walks over to the man. In the hand behind the tall man in gray’s back is an empty syringe needle, a drop of liquid falls from the spent head. The tall man in gray gives the bottle to the trucker who takes it roughly and replies good thinking on your part. Would have gotten ugly the trucker then walks to the counter and places the bottle on it. The trucker pays the disco man for the liquor and for the gas then walks out of the gas station not noticing the small hole on the cap of the bottle.

The trucker pops the cap off the bottle and takes a big gulp while he takes the hose out of his truck and puts it back home. The trucker then gets into his truck and drives off drinking his bottle, inside the gas station the disco man says man he’s gonna get himself killed like that. The tall man in gray walks to the counter holding a bottle of lighter fluid, a pack of matches and a bottle of orange juice. Yes, drinking alcohol this late at night, probably end up falling asleep and swerving off the road the tall man in gray says. He then pays for his items, puts them in a bag then departs into the heavy rain towards his van. When he is inside his van he takes a photo out from his vest pocket, the photo is of the hooked trucker. The tall man in gray pours lighter fluid on the photograph while holding it outside the door in the rain. Next he lights a match and puts the small flame under the photograph of the trucker, the flame catches the fuel and the photograph slowly crumples and blackens into ash.

Down the highway the trucker with the hook for a hand swerves a little after taking a big gulp from the tequila bottle. As he drives down the road he notices that it gets harder and harder for him to keep his eyes open. The trucker shakes his head in an attempt to keep himself awake and the thought of just pulling over never comes up. The trucker turns on the radio and spins the knob turning the volume all the way up on the song I Love A Rainy Night. What the fuck, what a shitty song to play on a night like this the trucker slurs. Two minutes into the song the trucker cant help but close his eyes, the bottle of tequila slips from his right hand, and the trucker falls into a deep sleep. The trucker’s foot presses harder on the accelerator and the eighteen wheeler speeds up. The sudden change in speed jolts the trucker’s hook to fall and turn the wheel to the left. The truck swerves off the road onto the desert sand, the weight of the tires make deep indentations. But luckily the eighteen wheeler doesn’t tip or flip and the eighteen wheeler keeps going on a smooth rocky pace on the sand.

From half a mile away the tall man in gray watches from his binoculars and sighs in agitation thinking now I have to chase him down and kill him myself. But the eighteen wheeler nears a deep slope and the speed of the eighteen wheeler continues to increase, oh good the eighteen wheeler will fall in and explode. The eighteen wheeler nears the slope with great speed, the ground drastically changes into a downwards direction, the eighteen wheeler drives down. But instead of tipping and falling it reaches the bottom and crashes into the ground but it doesn’t flip. Aye yay ya this is the luckiest drunk in the world. The air bag in the wheel suddenly shoots out and smacks the trucker in the face, the bag is so fat and plump that it gets into his nose and blocks his mouth from opening. If the trucker was awake he could easily get out of the way, but thanks to the sedative he cant move and the air bag slowly suffocates him.

But the tall man in gray doesn’t know that, if he wants the money he has to go down there and make sure that his target is dead. The tall man in gray starts his steam powered van and leaves the gas station then drives down the highway. As he gets closer to the spot where the truck drove off the road the tall man brakes to a stop. You see he cant drive on the sand or else the authorities will know someone else was at the scene. If there was someone else on the scene and they didn’t call for help or help the person in danger, then that’s very suspicious. At this point the tall man in gray sighs in frustration before he gets out of the van. Next he begins the long journey across the moist sand to make sure if the trucker with the hooked hand is indeed dead.

Part One

1

In the day the desert is very unkind to the flesh, the sun bears down on the body hard with it’s unrelenting heat, burning, blistering, and boiling. But during the night and the early hours of the morning it’s the total opposite. Nights in the desert are so cold you wonder what the hell were you thinking several hours ago when you were cursing the sun. Some fire would be good right about now with my blood about to freeze and all, I take back all the bad things I said earlier, I just want to be warm. But when the sun comes back you think once again, what the hell was I thinking several hours ago. The sun beams down it’s blistering flames on two particular creatures this fine day, one red Cadillac and one blue Jeep Grand Cherokee driving close behind. Seated in the driver’s seat of the open roofed Cadillac is four time Texas bowling champion Ted Rascal, sitting next to him is his flamboyant girlfriend Rachael Macintyre. Ted is wearing a white Fruit of The Loom shirt and blue jeans, his hair is short and black, blue slippers (flip flops on the mainland), and he has the face of a man who won the handsome contest three years in a row. Ted’s neck is bulgy, his legs are hidden underneath excess fat, he has man cans but his arms are firm and strong. He has a big belly, not a beer belly I mean a belly, like a John Goodman belly, this man is hot. Rachael has long black hair, green eyes, and a tight hot tan body of a gymnast. Rachael is wearing a blue sleeveless shirt, blue jeans, yellow sunglasses and green slippers.

In the Jeep behind the Cadillac with the mismatched couple there is Peter Rasta in the driver’s seat, his sister Mercury Rasta in the passenger, her boyfriend Freddy Stanton in between the front and back seat, and his niece June in the back. Peter’s Jeep has a GPS, a DVD player, four wheel drive, an auto start feature, a cigarette lighter, and a radio. Peter has short brown hair, blue eyes, gray wire rim glasses, he is wearing a dirty gray shirt, gray shoes, and dark gray jeans. His sister Mercury has blonde hair, brown eyes, really white skin, a pink top, blue short shorts, blue slippers, and is a genius in math. Her boyfriend Freddy has tan skin, short black hair, blue eyes, and a thin mustache. He is wearing a tight black shirt that has his abs pushing through, blue jeans, and black shoes. In the back seat on Freddy’s right is his niece June who has red hair, fair skin, and freckles. June has brown eyes and she is wearing a brown top, dark blue pants, and black leather boots with a silver zipper that goes up three inches past her ankle bone.

In the Cadillac Rachael stands up in the car, the wind blows her hair back, Rachael raises her arms in the air and screams with joy. Ted yells with her and raises his right arm into the air, in the Jeep Mercury rolls down her window and sticks her body out the window. Mercury yells with joy as well as the wind blows her blonde hair behind her. June looks at Mercury with eyes that say what the hell are you doing but also have sadness in them. Peter drives the Jeep next to the Cadillac, Mercury yells to Rachael hey stripper, Rachael yells back hey hooker. June sighs and moves to the left side of the car and looks out the window pretending to admire the beauty of nature. June doesn’t want to be here, she wants to be back home where she can relax, watch television, listen to the radio or do something other than be outside with these people. June has few friends, not because she cant make them but because she doesn’t like large crowds, they just freak her out and make her uncomfortable. June barely knows any of these people, she has seen her uncle only twice mostly because he has his own life to live instead of getting to know his niece.

June was forced by her mom to spend her vacation with her uncle Freddy and her friends, when she heard about this June thought her mom had become insane. What, no I’m not going and there is nothing you can do that will make me go June had said to her mom three days ago. But somehow her mom had persuaded her with a chocolate cake of her very own, June has a fast metabolism so it wont do any damage. Now that June is here she regrets eating the chocolate cake with strawberries, chocolate frosting, almonds, chocolate syrup, and banana bread; although she would like another slice right about now. The gang is on their way to Las Vegas to earn some money for their trip to Death Valley. June’s nose is pressed against the door while her eyes look out the window. Suddenly she hears a magical noise that is unmistakable to the ear, a motorcycle, a Harley Davidson motorcycle. An early model of the Harley drives next to the Jeep as Peter gets back in the right lane. This Harley has been sicked out with some really cool equipment. The steel frame that has the handle bars has been shaped to look like a goat skull, the sun makes the polished metal shine and gleam. Besides the front the Harley is blue and looks brand new, the tires are fresh, and the engine sounds like a vibrating dream. June pushes her nose against the widow to get a closer look at the driver, when she finally spots him her mouth begins to