Crematory

By Jason Hughes

Brian Carter is a patient at Hamilton Psychiatric Ward and has experienced things that even your worse nightmares could not compare to. Brian, along with Billy, Vince, and Frank enter the world of the crematory and discover things that will forever change their lives. Is Brian really telling the truth to Dr. Gordon about these events? Or are they simply a figment of his imagination? What really happened at the crematory that continued to draw him back to it? Will Brian find the answers he is looking for? Or will he simply open more doors than he can handle? Regardless if he is mentally prepared or not, the crematory is prepared to answer his questions. Crematory is a novel that promises to keep you guessing about what will happen next.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 20, 2009
• ISBN: 9781543437065

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Hamilton Psychiatric Ward

The date is January 15, 1978, the time is 0930. The patient’s name is Brian Carter. He has been under my care for three weeks to the day now. The patient is suffering from mass delusions of some sort of gateway to hell as he describes it. The patient does not show any signs of anger or aggression, nor does he have a history of violence, although sometimes we have problems getting him to take daily medications. It depends on how bad the delusions are. Brian’s an educated man, not the top of the class but certainly nowhere near the bottom of it. That’s why I believe that sometimes Brian uses his intelligence on these delusions of his. Brian is a special patient. I believe he will try to use some doctors’ lack of attention to detail against them. Quite honestly, he is probably the most intriguing patient I’ve ever seen.

The psychiatrist pushed the Stop button on the recorder. He placed it on the desk and took a deep breath. So what do you think?

A younger African American female from the other side of the desk crossed her arms. Well, Doctor, I think you have yourself a typical patient that we see in here day in and day out. Judging from what you have just told me, I really can’t say anything until I meet the patient. You know our policy, Dr. Gordon. I do not make any recommendations on our patients until I meet them and sit through some sessions with you and them. Now I understand that you are very interested in this patient, perhaps he is different than the others. But I simply cannot change company policy based on a gut feeling that you have. Surely you must understand?

The psychiatrist smiled at her the same way he usually did when he knew her response before she even said it. He had to at least try though. His old college professor always told him, A question not asked is the only dumb question out there. If there was one thing he was sure about, it was that Lisa Turner played by the rules, especially the ones that she helped create. She didn’t get where she was today by taking shortcuts. You’re right, Lisa, policies are policies. But trust me, after one session with Brian, he will have your attention!

I guess we will have to wait and see, Dr. Gordon.

Yes, indeed, he said with a chuckle in his voice. Whenever he was excited about anything, it was always hard for him to hold it back.

She stood up and picked up her briefcase with one hand and held out the other one out toward Dr. Gordon. He shook her hand firmly as he always did. A good firm handshake was something that his father taught him at a very young age, and he planned on teaching his son the same someday. His dad told him that a great handshake said everything about a man before he even got a chance to tell you his name. It may appear small and simple to some men, but to Dr. Gordon, it was important. Well, Doctor, tomorrow at noon we shall see why this Brian Carter has your attention, or should I say, infatuation?

Yes, we will. Have a nice day, Mrs. Turner.

She turned and left the office without looking back; determined women did those kinds of things. The woman’s name was Lisa Turner, and she was the director of Hamilton Psychiatric Ward. She has been working in the ward for nearly twenty years. She certainly had seen her share of patients, some good and bad experiences, and of course, an occasional one that people don’t even talk about behind closed doors anymore. One of her qualities that she was proud to have was her good judge of character. Although she had full confidence in Dr. Gordon, she still had to express her own opinion in the matter. Her ability to judge the character of people was about to be put to the ultimate test.

Dr. Gordon walked down the hallway to the first floor, which was where all patients were held in the ward. His destination was room 23, Brian Carter’s room. As he had done for the past three weeks, he asked the orderly on duty how Brian had been behaving today. You could never tell with a newly arrived patient. It was almost like a soap opera playing over and over again.

Pretty good. I really haven’t heard anything from him today. It looks like it’s going to be one of those quiet days. He chuckled. You know how these guys can be sometimes. Yeah, he’s just curled up in a ball, rocking back and forth in his bed like he usually does.

Well, unlock the door for me, will you? He is session today, and I don’t want to waste any valuable time.

Don’t take this wrong way, Doc, but do you see him going anywhere anytime soon?

Dr. Gordon gave him a quick glance. He didn’t see much humor in the comment. In his profession, he had pretty much heard them all. The door please!

Yeah, sorry about that, Doc. The orderly unclipped a giant set of keys from his belt. There had to be at least one hundred keys altogether on the key chain. Dr. Gordon shook his head in disbelief.

"Honestly, I don’t know how you guys can keep track of all of those keys. I mean look at them, they’re a mess!"

The orderly laughed as he inserted the key into the lock. It’s a little confusing at first, I’ll admit. But you know, it’s not like it’s a race to get this door open or anything now, is it? He winked at Dr. Gordon; it wasn’t a normal wink though. No, sir, this was one of those winks that said, I got this under control, don’t you worry about that!

Dr. Gordon fought off the sudden urge to make a smart comment. I guess you’re right on this one was what he finally managed to squeeze out. Being a psychiatrist had its advantages sometimes. Self-control was definitely a strong trait in his world.

The orderly opened the door and stepped inside. Brian? he called out firmly. Hey, buddy, Dr. Gordon is here to take you to your session. As expected, there was no response from Brian. He continued to rock back and forth as if they were not even in the room.

Brian?

Brian stopped rocking and looked up at Dr. Gordon. Hello, Doctor. He snickered. And to what do I owe the pleasure for this time?

Dr. Gordon smiled. He was very well aware of what Brian was attempting to do, and he expected every bit of it. Very funny, Brian, you know why we’re here. It’s time to go talk about some more things. You know, get some more things off your chest.

Brian leaned forward, nearly falling over. No! I don’t think that is a very good idea today, Doc.

Now, Brian, listen to me, son."

"No, you listen, Doc! You and your fancy clothes don’t understand a goddamn thing! You people think I’m crazy, all of you do! He looked over at the orderly with the kind of look that could burn a hole right through someone. For a person who was described as nonviolent, he was sure making a good case to disprove Dr. Gordon. I’m not going to do this anymore. I don’t care who you are or what you think you are, Doc!"

Dr. Gordon took a deep breath. Everything he said and did counted and would affect Brian in either a good or bad way. Making the right decision was crucial at this point. Now, Brian, this no way for you to act. No one said you were crazy. Where would you get a silly idea like that?

Brian stood up very fast, and it forced the orderly to step closer in case he needed to take control of the situation. You could never take patients for granted based on their body language. "I’m in a fucking nuthouse, Doc! Wake the fuck up! People don’t come to a place like this because they want to. In fact, the last time I checked, that never happens! No, I was brought here against my own free will. All because you people don’t believe some of the things that I have told you. Well, I say that’s bullshit! What about my constitutional rights, huh? Do you know where they’re at? Right out the fucking window with all of my hopes and dreams. Look, he pointed out, there they are, wave at them. Bye, dreams! So let’s just discontinue this little game that you are playing with me, Doc. I’m done, I’ve washed my hands. So take you and your little sideshow freak here, and get the hell out of here!"

Do you feel better now? Did that make the situation any better for you? It didn’t at all, did it, Brian? No, Brian, you are still standing right in front of me. The only thing that has changed is your attitude and my patience for it. Now I understand your frustration level, believe me, I do. And I do apologize for your misconception that everyone thinks you are crazy.

Misconception, Doc? Are you serious?

Now hold on and let me finish, Brian. No one here believes that you are crazy, and besides, if they did, big deal! I’m the doctor, it’s my job to determine things like that around here. That’s what I get paid the big bucks for. So all I’m asking is for you to come with me to my office, and let’s sit down and talk about things. Trust me, the more things you get off of your chest, the better you will feel. We can discuss these issues that you have brought up and see what happens from there. Now, do we have an agreement?

Brian was hesitant to respond at first. He took a long deep breath. "I guess, Doc. But I’m warning you, if I hear the word crazy one more time, I’m totally shutting down and not saying another word. I don’t care what you try to say. Now, do you understand me, Doc?"

Yes, Brian, I understand. You see, we are off to a good start all ready. We have been talking for only five minutes, and we have already come to an agreement. That’s a big step right from the beginning. Wouldn’t you agree?

Speak for yourself, Doc. You go home every night. I’m locked up in a room.

Small moves, Brian, small moves.

Dr. Gordon, with the escort of the orderly, led Brian to his office. He turned to the orderly as he was opening the door and winked. Thank you, orderly. I can take it from here.

Sure thing, Doc, if you need anything, just holler.

You bet. Well, Brian, come inside and let’s have a seat, shall we?

Brian slowly entered the room; his nerves were overreacting already. Although it was his third time being in the room, he already hated it. There was nothing scary about it. It had your basic personal office things in it—a few bookshelves, a small fridge, some pictures, and of course, right dead smack in the middle of the room was the doctor’s college diploma that he was ever so proud of. The way it was displayed on the wall literally compelled a person to always look at it when they first entered the room. For some reason, the room just gave him the cold chills. He knew for a fact that many skeletons were released from the closet in this room. What they didn’t know was, he was about to release the scariest ones that they had ever seen or heard about. He finally managed to sit down in a chair across from the good doctor’s desk. He couldn’t help but notice the woman sitting in a chair adjacent from him, studying him as if he were an important book or artifact. Who the hell is this? he asked.

Calm down, Brian. This is Mrs. Lisa Turner. She is the director here at Hamilton Psychiatric Ward. I’ve asked her to sit in with our sessions to help make an evaluation.

I don’t like her!

You don’t like her? Brian, you don’t even know her, how could you possibly determine that?

I know her kind. She’ll just sit there in her fancy clothes and with her fancy notebook and take notes. She probably never says a single word either. No, she’ll just scribble in her precious little notebook there. Oh, she’ll give me a little eye contact now and then, you know, to give me the impression that she is actually interested in what I’m saying. But we both know that’s a crock of shit, don’t we, Doc? Let me guess, the patient is crazy, and he needs to be locked up and forgotten about. Give him some medicine, blah, blah, blah. Isn’t that how it goes? Or did I forget something, little miss I’m-better-than-you-are?

"Young man, for your information, Dr. Gordon is right! You don’t know me from a ham sandwich. You are a patient here, and I am the director. Quite frankly, I’m the barrier that blocks you from the outside world. I’m also the person who determines how long that barrier will be there too. Now, you could have a big influence on how long that barrier will be there, whether it’s in a positive or negative manner. It’s only one or the other! I am responsible for over one hundred patients here, I don’t have time for your childish games. I don’t give a damn what you think you’re entitled to. Now, what’s it going to be, Brian?"

He didn’t respond at all. He simply slid down his chair and looked up at the ceiling. His silence alone was enough for them to know he meant business.

Brian, sense this is Mrs. Turner’s first time sitting in our sessions, why don’t we start from the beginning?

Beginning of what, Doc?

"You know what, Brian, when you first started going to that place."

Dr. Gordon pushed the Record button on his tape recorder and slid it to the corner of his desk, just as he always did. A single drop of sweat rolled down the side of Brian’s forehead and went into the corner of his mouth. The sweet taste of the sweat was certainly a taste that he was familiar with. Many nights had passed that he had tossed and turned in bed, covered in sweat from the images that haunted him every time he closed his eyes.

He took a deep breath and began to tell his story, a story that no one was certainly prepared to hear. Of course, who could be prepared for such a nightmare?

CHAPTER 2

Graduation Day

It all started on the day we graduated from high school. What was supposed to be one of the happiest days of our lives turned out to be the starting point for the worst days.

Brian! Come down here, son, you are going to be late for your own graduation, my mother yelled from downstairs.

I’m coming, Mom! Just give me a minute, will ya? I yelled.

I tell you, that boy is always running late.

Well, give him some slack, Carol. It’s a very big day for him, and he’s probably a little nervous.

I know, Tom. I just want everything to be perfect for him is all.

I know you do, but you need to remember life is not perfect, it’s just life. Besides, in all reality, this is his day, not yours.

You’re right. That’s my Tom. You always know the right thing to say to a person. She kissed him on the forehead and told him she loved him.

I love you too.

Okay, Mom, I’m ready, I said as I walked in the living room.

It’s about time, young man.

I told her I was going to drive my own car and that the guys and I were going to do a little, you know, after-graduation celebrating.

All right I understand, dear, just make sure we get to see you before you take off. Oh and, Brian, please be responsible tonight. You have your whole life ahead of you, don’t try and do it all in one night.

I know, Mom, I’ll be fine! This was always the easiest method to get my way—by simply agreeing with her. You would think that after a while, she would have wised up to that old trick of mine, but she never did.

So I walked outside and jumped in my car, or should I say, my baby! Yep, it was a sixty-five GTO—black, four door, and leather seats—a little rust here and there, but hey, she sure could run! You should see this car, Doc! It definitely caught the ladies’ attention, if you know what I mean,

Brian’s face lit up with excitement just from talking about it. He looked like a kid that just walked into a candy store with five dollars in his pocket.

I headed down Galvan Avenue, just as I had done for the past six years of my life. I pulled up to a big white house with black shutters and a broken gutter hanging down in the front porch, which is the same gutter that had been hanging down for seven months, no thanks to Mr. Miller who kept saying he’d fix it tomorrow. I blew the horn three times and stuck my head out the window. Hey, Vince, get your ass out here, I yelled.

Vince came running out of the house, looking up and down the street like he had just stolen something and was making sure no one was watching. It was rather comical to see. His face was beet red from what I had yelled. He got in on the passenger side where he always sat when we hung out. Man, quiet it the fuck down, Beaver. I have neighbors you know.

I laughed; I couldn’t resist. Chill out, man, I was just funnin’ around, you know? Lighten up some, it’s our last day of school for crying out loud!

Yeah, I guess you’re right. My folks are probably kicking me out of their place tomorrow anyways. He laughed. "So what’s up with you and Sarah Jones? It’s graduation night, are you going to finally ask her out or what?" he asked.

Sarah Jones was a girl who I had a crush on my entire four years in high school. I literally worshipped the ground that this girl walked on, and the guys gave me slack about it every day. The funny thing was, I wasn’t even sure if she knew I was alive. Yeah, sure we talked briefly once or twice, but it was nothing like I had wanted. I was desperate, and Vince knew it and always rubbed it in my face. I told him I was getting around to it, like I always did whenever he brought it up. You would have thought that I was a broken record with the countless times I had said that very same line. I wasn’t sure if I truly ever was going to really get around to it, and time was running out at this point.

"You’re getting around to it? Brian, it’s graduation day, how much more time do you need? This could be your last chance, and you know that. Unless you just want to blow her off and let her end up marrying some loser like fuckin’ Bobby Higgins or something?"

Bobby Higgins! I laughed out loud. What a character he was. If you had ever known a guy in your life that you just had to stop and laugh and ask yourself, "Holy crap, is this guy really serious?"—well, this was that guy for us. He was truly one of a kind! Come on, Vince, you gotta give me more credit than that. She ain’t gonna marry no Bobby fucking Higgins. Besides, she’s got more class than that.

Class, huh? Oh boy, here we go again with the class song-and-dance routine again.

No, listen to me, Vince. This really exists, so just hear me out. Certain girls are of different types of classes that vary from one girl to another. For instance, Rachel Smart, the richest broad in West Clark High School. Do you think she would marry someone like Brian Peterson, a kid who comes from a poor family and will probably never make it to college and will end up working in a gas station for the rest of his life? Or is she going to marry someone like Ryan Walker a.k.a. Mr. Athlete/Genius of the Galaxy, who has a full-ride scholarship to Iowa State and will probably end up being a senator or a fuckin’ astronaut someday. Now which one do you think she will choose, Vince?

Vince looked at me sharply. He hated it when I made a valid point, or at least what I thought was a valid point. Oh, so you think that she has too much class for you too, I take it?

I looked back at him with the same cocky look he had given me over the past couple of years. I didn’t say that at all, my friend. Hell, I may have too much class for her. We both laughed over that one. A great laugh was never hard to come about when you were around us.

I pulled into the parking lot located on the south side of West Clark High School. Just like clockwork, I backed the car up into the parking spot that I had been using for the past two years. They don’t call them traditions for nothing.

So this is it huh, Beav?

Yeah, Vince, this is it. Come on, let’s get this day going so I can drink a beer later on, I’m getting the thirst for one already.

Now I can dig that, he replied.

From a little distance away from us, we heard a familiar voice. Well, look what the cat dragged in. How you doing, ladies?

I was doing good until you showed your ugly face, but I’ll survive. Are you ready for this or what, Billy? Vince asked.

"Fucking A I am!"

So, ladies, especially you, Brian, any special plans tonight?

Sure, I can guarantee that there’s a party somewhere, I said.

What about Beth? Vince asked with his usual shit-eating grin.

Billy laughed. Shit, Vince, she dumped me earlier this week. Said something about growing up, and we’re two different people. Yeah, I pretty much tuned her out in the first five seconds. She just wasn’t making any sense to me. Vince and I chuckled.

I reassured Billy that he should just forget about her and that we were graduating high school. There would be a whole world of beautiful women just dying for us to snatch them up, which was kind of funny to hear myself saying since I wanted Sarah and Sarah only.

Well, you boys better hope I don’t snatch them up first, Vince said, laughing.

You guys crack me up. Listen, I’m going to go talk to some other people. I’ll talk to you guys after all of this is over and the real fun begins, I said.

Our graduation ceremony took place in our high school football field despite how awful its condition was. The backup plan was to have it in the auditorium if it rained or anything. Because Lord knows, folks, old Mother Nature sure was funny when it came to ruining your plans whenever you organized an activity for the outside.

After the class valedictorian made her speech, the principal took her place behind the podium. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the moment you have all been waiting for. I give to you the graduating class of 1968.

A large crowd stood up and applauded. A few whistles could be heard here and there. Every parent had the same type of smile, and it was the kind that said, I’m proud to be your parent! Yet each family was thankful about something maybe just a little bit different from the next.

There’s my girl. Look at her, I’m so proud of her !

My Ronald! Well, it’s off to Michigan State. You’ll do fine, son.

All of them at least shared one thing in common for sure. They were all contented that they did a great job at raising their children. So many memories came flooding back. All of the late nights of staying up and dealing with monsters hiding in the closet. Or who could forget about when they wanted to stay up for just five more minutes, only to ask for five more when the time was up? And what about the times when you were helping them with their homework even though you didn’t always understand what they were doing? The math was confusing, or maybe you just didn’t pay attention enough yourself in American history class to help out. Those frustrating nights when they didn’t come home at their appointed curfew time. How you paced the floor back and forth, wondering what excuse it was going to be this time. All those years of blood, sweat, and tears have led up to this one special moment. And they wouldn’t change any of it, not one thing.

Well, Vince, this is it, we just graduated! It’s officially over. I let a huge sigh of relief.

I know, ain’t it groovy? he asked.

Vince’s mother walked over to us with her usual smile. It was well-known to be her greatest quality. She was such a nice woman who everyone really liked. There you are! Come here, young man, and let Momma get a big hug from her graduated son.

Thanks, Mom, Vince said, a little embarrassed.

Hi, Mrs. Miller, how are you? I asked. It was really nice to see her; she felt like my second mother sometimes. Hell, I think she even considered herself to be that sometimes as much as Vince and I hung out.

I’m good, Brian, she replied. Now don’t be shy, give me a hug too. You know I am just as proud of you too now, don’t you, Brian Carter?

Heyyy, there’s the big man,