JtHMama: Johnny, a maniac turned mama, finds a baby. What will happen?
With freezie in hand, Johnny giggled with a bounce in his step as he dragged along a dark plastic trash bag full of dissembled folks. Recently his backyard had become too cluttered for easy disposal. His poor ol' shovel just couldn't pound bones into powder like it used to.
Also, he disapproved of the idea that any plastic he buried wouldn't decompose. Although Johnny had his flaws as a misanthrope extremist he sought to reduce his excessive ecological footprint whenever he could. He was an ideal citizen.
Sadly, people did not always see him as such.
His hobbies had to be conducted under the cover of night as his dark eyes and thin complexion tended to push people away during the day or to urge their indulgence in disrespectful activities at his expense.
Just a moment ago he felt the need to decapitate the cashier at the beloved 24/7 shop as the ill-informed beast didn't ensure the freezie machines remained on as the title of the store led him to believe.
The first time the event occurred, Johnny felt utterly betrayed—mostly by himself. His brain loved to coddle him, to tell him everything is and would be fine when in fact such a train of thought was a blatant lie. He wanted a freezie as payment for all his hard work which was a perfectly responsible request; however, his brain promised him the moon and beyond, a bit too much. He hated the fact that he had to wait for the machine to start up. The first sips of the drink were warm and runny, not nicely chilled as he looked forward too. The expectations were raised high, dooming the situation towards disappointment.
It wasn't the cashier's fault, the beast behind the counter, Johnny knew that. It was the machine that failed to produce a good freezie the first go around, but the cashier didn't help at all by shutting it off. Something needed to fill the promise of his brain and settling the score with a kill was always appropriate. Disappointments were fruitful, commonplace for the deranged man and the brain failed to recognize the truth of its dishonestly.
Everything was wonderful.
Johnny was in a rare moment of bliss as he gulped down his freezie. He had waited much longer for it but felt pride in his patience when he finally did get it. The taste of cheap cherry and ice was emphasized by fatigue, the rush of a murder, and the touch of a brain-freeze.
Johnny or "Nny" for short became merry in his work. The trash bag bounced to match his gait. Nny started a jolly hum, yet, the mood soured as soon as it had come.
"WAAAAHHH! WAAAAHH!"
Nny popped out of his stupor and his long-frayed nerves tickled red.
His drink sloshed and speckled him in a sticky mess.
"WAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
It was the most annoying sound in the world!
Nny's eyes glazed over in disbelief. He couldn't believe his bad luck. He almost dared to feel happy, but he should have known better, his occupation would never allow it.
"WEEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHHH WHAAAAA WHAAA!"
The drink was dropped to the ground, forgotten.
The trash bag was tugged hard and pulled roughly.
*rip!
Splotches of congealed blood dotted the sidewalk and the trash bag threatened to spill over.
Nny became alert as he looked for individuals who may be observing his suspicious activities.
"WEEEEEEAAA-"
Nny realized now the sound was emanating from a nearby alleyway. Dumpsters were spied in the depths of the alley and Nny's brain clicked at the opportunity.
With new found effort, the sopping trash bag was dragged into the alley.
It was hefted up to be thrown away, only for a limb to plop out. The mess stained Nny's clothes and splashed him in the face.
Beyond rage, Nny breathed in to scream, but something, someone, already was doing his job for him.
"-AAAHHHHHHH!"
Oh yeah, he had to shut up whatever that irritable thing was. With priorities in order Nny charged into the end of the alley, the source of the sound was almost in sight!
*WHAMP!
Nny was tackled to the ground. His breath was pummeled out of him as several bodies leaped out at him from the shadows.
The sound of whatever was screaming was intensified and Nny felt sick.
The bodies kicked and laughed at him. The fatigued gained from his previous activities left him drained and his skinny lanky body did little as a means of defense.
As the beating persisted, it became apparent that the perpetrators were hoodlums of a sort as their hyena cackles reeked of estranged adolescence.
Nny felt relief that his attackers were human and not a supernatural brand of trouble.
It meant they could be killed and that Nny could enact his justified revenge.
He focused his senses and curled into a ball. His attackers were so sure of themselves, they did not see when he grabbed down to his boots and whipped out a blade.
It was a modest knife, in any other setting it wouldn't have been out of place in a mother's kitchen as a cake cutter, but it would do, and it certainly did.
It was absolutely hilarious as the inexperience of the hoodlums became apparent as they scrambled like rats from a corpse.
One tripped onto Nny's trash bag and the contents exploded in a gush of red guts.
All of them were screaming and the tables had turned. Nny cackled boisterously as he tackled and stabbed at his prey.
It was a state of euphoria and Nny sprung to life as he carved his would-be killers into fine buttery flakes.
He almost killed himself laughing as he tripped and danced in the new-found mess.
Nny could almost dare say he was ihappy/i, but of course, he was not.
Again he was shocked out of his stupor and the most aggravating of sounds grated on his ear holes. It was a scream, but it wasn't one he could appreciate-it wasn't one of surprise or terror, it was unrecognizable and otherworldly.
Quickly Nny got up, but proceeded with more caution towards the source.
He was wise to do so as his neck whipped back so fast he was liable to fling his entire head off—at what he saw.
It was a BABY~!
It was a little wittle baby bundled up like a burrito in a grimy basket.
The crying of the infant persisted, but oddly it was less intense the closer Nny leaned in to look. The noise was old news and he was only interested in the now.
Nny stood in silence for a while as he observed his surroundings. The alley was an absolute mess and he became keenly aware of the filth he was covered in. On crime scenes, he practiced the common courtesy of disposing and hiding the bodies along with any stray pieces into a bin for trash collection. The poor sanitation workers got paid peanuts for all the literal ishit/i they put up with and it was the least Nny could do.
Slowly Nny dragged the meaty bits and bobs into a dumpster. Meanwhile, the baby persisted in it's crying and Nny hastened in his work. The noise was torture to his tired head and the distraction caused him to struggle to focus.
Eventually he relinquished his task in heaving up the limp bodies and alternatively piled them up in the shadows from whence they came.
"WHAaaah..."
Nny again stared at the baby, but with an air of curiosity.
The baby was plump and was by no means starving.
Though he was crazy he was by no means stupid and immediately wondered why such a chubby baby was in an alleyway. Sure, he found babies often in his work but they were all expired and ugly dried husks.
This one was a marvel in comparison and Nny cocked his head as he cooed. Those hoodlums must have hit him very hard in the head.
After another moment of staring he reached out to touch the baby's cheek and felt its forehead.
He had never touched a baby before, at least one, so adorably alive.
He was always curious about babies. It intrigued him how all humans, no matter how cruel, started off as weak irritating bags of crying meat. They were masterful parasites and sucked all the resources from their caretakers, yet humanity thrived.
Nny was placed under the baby's spell as its irritating cry wiggled into his brain and he picked it up.
It stopped crying instantly and Nny was so stunned he almost dropped it.
It was magic!
The baby opened its eyes big and wide, not at all beady like a rat's.
Nny started back at it with cold dead eyes and he became uneasy.
The baby was so pure, so bright with life, it couldn't be real.
The baby was heavy and Nny was tired of holding it, but he could not bring himself to put it back in the basket.
Perhaps if he wasn't so subdued he would have had no quarrel with smuttering it or dropping it to stomp on it like the misleading grub it was.
However, his blood-lust was sated and his revenge fulfilled. His brain didn't grant him permission.
Nny was so tired all he wanted to do was sleep, but he hated the activity with such finality. For as long as he could he venomously refused his body its wants and needs.
The babble of the baby kept him awake and he smirked as he found some use out of its presence.
He held the baby close and began walking home. From the sidewalk he looked for any possible sources of the baby. Perhaps an empty carriage or a recently robbed mother, but he saw none.
He came to the conclusion that the baby was thrown away in the garbage like all the ugly ones he would find, he simply found it while it was still beautiful.
Did that mean it was unwanted, impure...ugly?
It must have been unwanted for a reason Nny could not discern and his curiosity grew.
As he walked, Nny passed by a police car and while the authorities never concerned him, he wondered if it would be appropriate to present them with the baby.
No, of course not. Self-preservation kicked in and Nny grew a bit bitter towards the baby as he realized it could be a hindrance to his freedom.
He was in no way damning himself to a cage for a baby nobody wanted.
After some walking his glimpsed a hospital building. The baby would be much more suited there but he was covered in blood and getting away from the place without another mess was improbable. The baby wasn't worth the extra trouble.
He was so so tired and when his house was in view, he increased his speed.
The door slammed shut and he shuffled over onto the couch. He collapsed and almost fell asleep, but the squeaks of the baby reprimand him. He was laying on top of it and his arms had gone so numb from holding it, he forgot it was there.
With reluctance Nny sat up and stared down at the baby. It wasn't as beautiful as it was before but it held its charm.
It blinked its bright eyes, but the more it did so, the orbs dimmed and the baby fell asleep.
Nny was taken aback as he saw the baby fall asleep within his arms, right in bfront/b of him. The audacity of the tiny creature disgusted him. He had rescued it, taken it into his home, and it still saw fit to mock his values. Nny detested sleep, it was a limitation he couldn't bare, and yet the baby did not hesitate to embrace it.
He leered at the baby with red puffy eyes and he shook as the animosity of the situation grew.
Nny's first inclination was to toss the baby aside, but his arms hung limply and he was too tired to object. He would have moved his legs for the baby to roll off and to be kicked into a corner, but his body remained rooted to the couch.
He shook with bile as he couldn't look away from the sleeping baby. Were he saner he would have recognized it as jealousy.
Nny smiled coyly as he found a lazy solution. It was the perfect retribution the baby had to face. The bile rose in his throat and he screamed like a banshee as his frustration left him.
"RAAAAAAUGH!"
The baby bolted awake, teary eyed and Nny leaned back, satisfied.
"BAWWWWWWEEEAAAHHH!"
The baby wiggled like a worm and spewed a venomous screech back at Nny, complete with spittle.
Nny was flabbergasted, but he would not be out done.
"RAAAAAAUGH!"
Startled out of its fit, the baby settled down. Much to Nny's chagrin, the baby soon lulled to sleep.
Thoroughly angry, Nny found the strength to move a hand and to poke it in the face. With a bony flick of a finger it woke up.
The baby huffed as if to cry but it became apparent it was too tired to do so.
Soon the baby fell asleep again only for Nny to prod it awake.
The cycle continued throughout the night and Nny never tired of the game, though the baby clearly did. The sun rose and the baby had lost its originally luminosity. Its bright eyes had become red and puffy like Nny's, who was preoccupied with his victory in teaching it a lesson as well as lasting another night without sleep.
Nny didn't noticed how the baby's complexion was paler than before.
He could dare say he was happy, and he grinned warmly at the baby.
He was feeling merciful as his brain pulled into overdrive to compensate for the lack of sleep. The baby remained on the couch as he got up stiff and hunched over.
Nny smacked his lips and realized he was hungry. Like sleep, he detested eating, but not nearly as much. Everything tasted better after fasting and he'd never have to endure the horrible nightmares brought on by sleep, it was a win-win situation for him.
He had a hankering for a freezie and went out the front door, but skirted to a stop as he remembered—he killed the store clerk last night and yes, he was crazy, but not stupid. He wasn't about to tempt fate by returning to the scene and knew that the 24/7 store would be closed for a while anyway. Luckily, he was an adaptive creature and made his way into a nearby supermarket. There he acquired a case of "Cherry Fizz Wizz," a soda that tasted nearly identical to a freezie and it came with the added plus it could be stored in the freezer for the creation of the same treat.
As he made he way to the front to pay, he passed an aisle that stole his attention. On the shelves were a variety of products meant to service a baby, and his eyes widened with renewed curiosity as he remembered he had recently acquired one.
He muttered under his breath disapproving remarks towards the products, mainly the toys, and took a doll, popping its head off when he saw it went well beyond his budget. Next he noticed tiny clothes, bottles, and diapers, all of which he saw as much more practical. Still, he had no intention on getting anything. He could barley afford his case of cherry fizz wizz and he didn't like to dwell on that fact. He could never fall to stealing, no, that was a ivery wrong/i thing to do.
He picked up a cheap bottle and his curiosity lingered. He could afford it and even if it was found useless it could still be...a fanciful cup?
With purchases made, Nny went home and much to his dismay, found the baby asleep.
He was beyond disappointed. He figured last night's lesson would have been enough to curve the bad habit.
He popped a can of fizz wizz open and calmed his nerves.
The sweet taste mellowed his mood and he figured the baby could use a pick-me-up. He took out the bottle and filled it with the soda, shaking it into a foamy cloud.
He watched in delight as the bubbles exploded and he expected the baby to react the same. The baby was prodded awake and with angry chirps, it protested. The bottle was presented and its eyes fixed on the red liquid. Nny cooed and held the baby gingerly. He was excited at the prospect of feeding a baby. It was something new in his monotonous life and he was determined to do it right.
The nip of the bottle was presented to the baby, but it had no idea what to do. Nny popped the bottle into its mouth and lifted. He had done so too quickly and some soda splashed onto the baby. Nny grew agitated, but more over the loss of fizz wizz than over the mess.
The baby coughed and sputtered as it caught its breath.
"WHEEAA-"
It started to cry, but Nny wouldn't let it have its fit.
The bottle was again placed in its mouth, but the soda bubbles hurt its sensitive tongue and pushed the substance away as best it could.
Nny was devastated. No creature on Earth could resist the taste of a fizz wizz, yet it had happened!
Nny refused to believe that it was possible and he dabbled droplets of the soda onto his arm, licking it to test for any defects that might have diluted the taste.
No, it was the same ol' delicious fizz wizz and Nny scowled as he found fault in the baby.
Still, he couldn't believe someone didn't like fizz wizz and his brain wouldn't allow him.
He again looked at the bottle and observed that it mostly consisted of frothy foam at the top. He had found the problem and while he enjoyed the foam, he understood that it was not for everyone. He unscrewed the cap and scooped out the foam. Only the bubbling soda was left and he'd figured he'd go one step further.
He did the unthinkable and let the soda go flat.
It was a suitable punishment for the baby.
It took some time, but Nny preoccupied himself by ensuring the baby didn't fall asleep. He poked and opened it eyes. It thrashed about like a fish and was brimming with infantile rage. It was so adorable and Nny couldn't put it down.
When the drink was finally suitable for the baby, it was again offered the bottle. This time it didn't make a fuss and did its best to drink up—it was very thirsty.
Nny was ecstatic and was ready to jump up in celebration, but he savored the precious moment. The baby rested on Nny's chest and he stroked its head, much like one would with a pet. The baby yawned and Nny stared at it carefully, least it fell asleep.
The baby's eyes remained barely opened and were tiny black slits plastered against its crusty red face. Nny noticed how it didn't glow as well as it had before when he first picked it up.
He was unnerved by this revelation and sought to resolve it.
He wasn't sure how to go about it, but the baby promptly gave him a hint.
He felt an unpleasant wetness and he lifted the baby up to find his white shirt stained yellow.
It peeeeeeeeeeeeeed on him!
Nny was so disgusted he couldn't find it in himself to throw the baby across the room, not wanting it to soil any other place in his house.
He carried it by its arms and it dangled as it dripped nasty bits everywhere!
Quickly Nny hurried into his bathroom and placed the baby in the sink. It was filthy and he quickly soaked it in lukewarm water. He took his shirt off and washed the stain while simultaneously using it as a rag to clean the baby. He scrubbed its sticky red face and bits of garbage grime he failed to notice before.
The water quickly grew dirty and had to be drained several times over. The baby persisted in its mess and even added some offending chunks of brown to the mixture.
Eventually the water grew clean and things became less frantic. Nny tried to salvage his shirt, but it was promptly tossed aside.
"WAAAAHHH! WAAAAHH!"
The baby was lathered with a bar of soap and its skin was rubbed raw. Nny grew very impatient with the baby as it had ruined one of his favorite shirts.
The baby was shaken violently and quieted as it sat in the sink.
He wanted to touch the baby as little as possible and while he had touched far worse in his years, he'd prefer to avoid touching anything repulsive if it could be helped.
He ran the baby under the tap and was tempted to let it flop to the bottom of the sink as it filled up. Its head was held under water and it flailed about. Nny had to admire its determination to breath and plucked it out of the sink.
It was dried in a towel and its cries were replaced by tiny sputtering coughs. Nny wrapped it up like a burrito and went into his bedroom.
He did something rare and plopped down onto his bed, a cloud of dust puffed into the air. Nny felt drained from the ordeal and his puffy dark eyes closed as he shook his head to stay awake.
His head found a pillow and he fell asleep with the baby clutched to his side.
Nny perhaps slept for a few hours or even days, but when he awoke he was just as slacked and weakened as before.
The baby however, was in horrible condition.
It was breathing, but Nny had to blink several times to be certain. Its breaths were so shallow it was like watching clouds move across the sky.
It was sleeping and he couldn't fault it, for he had committed the same crime.
It was only then he realized how sickly the baby looked. Its face were delicate nuances of blue and purple. It once looked jolly in its baby fat, but now it was bloated and bruised. Nny opened its eyes and saw that the once glowing orbs were glazed over, dull like a dying man's.
Nny's cold eyes, less puffy and more rested, tinted with hints of regret. His brain would never be able to fully process the concept of guilt, but he felt granules of the intense feeling as he looked down at the baby. He was crazy, but not stupid. He knew he was responsible, at least partially, for the once bright, beautiful baby's downfall. He recalled how lively and intriguing it was even when it was hidden among garbage. It wasn't like the other babies, ugly and a dried husk, but alive.
Ahh, but now it was a bastardized goblin and Nny hung his head in silent shame.
He brought blame upon the baby's parents, for leaving it a bastard, and most of all, for letting it fall into his hands.
Bony fingers hovered over the baby's soft neck and tapped on its skull impatiently as Nny averted his gaze in reflection.
Somewhere in his mind, the voices clawed out and a burger-man he so detested hissed words he could not discern.
The words reminded him of Devi, a girl he could dare say made him happy, but he had ruined the memory of her. He failed to "immobilize the moment," to make sure the fond memory was never tainted by a future fight or conflict. He failed to kill her, to freeze things in time. He didn't want to think of such things and his brain relented, but inside he knew he should have frozen the baby in time. It was so cute and chubby before, perhaps it even smiled once, yet now it was indistinguishable from the rest.
Nny felt sick the more he looked at it and quickly dug out an old shoe box. The baby was a bit too big, but with some patience, it was fitted in and closed up.
Nny never felt such sorrow, as hallow as it was. The death he caused was not the issue presented, no, that was his gift, a simple mercy and release from a world so terrible. No, it was the fact it was a treasure he should have buried, before it was broken and lost its luster.
He grabbed a poor ol' shovel, went outside, and started to dig in his backyard in a place he believed he never touched before.
Once a grave was dug, the small box was plopped in. He swore he heard soft crying as he filled the hole.