Chapter Fourteen American Gothic

Mist formed a halo around the gibbous moon, rising from the dark mass of the cypress trees. Reiko let her motorcycle run to a halt in front of two tall, wrought iron gates. The arched metal sign above them was just legible in the faint moonlight, 'Veteran's Memorial Park.'

With a little difficulty, she had used a combination of Internet maps and directions by locals to find the cemetery, nestling against the margin of the Florida Everglades. Now she was wondering how she would gain access. A fifteen-foot high iron fence, topped with spikes, could be seen stretching left and right from the entrance, until it disappeared into the low fog, drifting in from the swamplands. The gates themselves were of a similar height and solidity.

On closer inspection, Reiko could see they were in fact slightly ajar. She walked forward, and gave one of them a small push. It swung open with a metallic creaking sound. As she passed through, Reiko noticed a heavy padlock lying on the floor. It was broken, as if smashed by some great force of violence.

Reiko shivered, wrapping her scarf more tightly around her neck, hunching herself within her leather biker jacket. Ahead of her a gravel path led straight into the heart of the burial grounds to a grey, stone building barely visible through the haze. On both sides of the pathway were row after row of gravestones. The staining and growth of moss testified to their great age, and most were of simple design.

With no better plan, Reiko set out towards the central mausoleum. Beneath her feet, the crunching of gravel appeared unnaturally loud. An increasingly wary Reiko would have preferred to muffle the sound of her approach, but that would have meant walking amongst the graves, and this she instinctively shrank from doing.

The building was roughly ovoid, its partially crumbling walls inscribed with battle scenes. A stone door faced Reiko, but was sealed shut, so she began to walk slowly around the outside. The figures of soldiers with bayoneted rifles seemed to stare out at her with sightless stone eyes. She found herself beginning to fear what might suddenly come into view around the curve of the wall, but hemmed in by the gravestones, she was discouraged from making a wider circuit.

Reiko had circled the building to about the three-quarter point clockwise, before suddenly halting with a start. On the opposite side of the mausoleum, the path continued; and where a cypress stretched its withered branches across the walkway, a small yellow light was visible. As Reiko continued to walk closer and closer, she became sure she could make out the outline of someone sitting with his or her back to the tree. A storm lantern was throwing light to one side, but Reiko could see little except that the person was clothed in some dark material.

Reiko approached cautiously, deciding at last to leave the path. She was hoping to skirt around the tree so as to be able to see the face of the unknown person. But having to watch her footing amongst the humps and tussocks around the pale gravestones led her to temporarily lose sight of her objective. When she looked again, the light seemed to have gone out, and she could see no one. At the same time, the moon went behind a cloud, plunging her into absolute darkness.

Cold sweat ran down Reiko's forehead, as terror suddenly gripped her. Groping forward towards the cypress, she called, nervously, "Miss Spencer?"

There was no reply, but now someone stepped out from behind the trunk, holding high the lantern. It was Makoto Aihara.

Reiko's first reaction was extreme relief at the sight of a familiar face, then puzzlement.

"Makoto? What are you doing here? Did Miss Spencer ask you to come?" Peering closer, Reiko said, "And why are you wearing those clothes? Aren't you cold?

Makoto was clad in the black kimono, emblazoned with red and gold dragons, which Reiko had seen her buying at the mall. Her legs were bare up to the thighs, and underneath her outer garment only filmy, pink underwear could be glimpsed. She was heavily made-up, with dark eye shadow and mascara. Her lipstick was scarlet, as was the bow in her hair.

Makoto made no reply to Reiko's questions, but smiled with red lips. Reiko felt a chill go through her. It was the cunning, gleeful smile of a malicious child who has succeeded in some mischief. Makoto turned and walked away, and Reiko felt she had no choice but to follow.

A dozen paces from the tree, Makoto halted and looked back. Her grin broadened, showing white teeth. The smell of freshly turned soil reached Reiko's nostrils. Makoto was standing next to a large hole in the ground, presumably an open grave. Reiko peered apprehensively over the edge.

The grave was empty.

Increasingly disturbed, Reiko turned to the grinning Makoto. "Why are you showing me this? Where is Miss Spencer?"

Makoto started to giggle hysterically. The inappropriateness of this further unnerved Reiko. Restraining a strong urge to slap her friend, she snapped, "Stop that and answer me!"

"Aha, aha!" Makoto tittered. "Poor innocent Reiko!" Assuming a mock solemn expression, she crooned, "I need your hel-elp."

"What?" Reiko felt she was going mad. "Y-you sent the message?"

Still giggling, Makoto said, "I've been a naughty girl, haven't I?"

"Why – why have you done this?"

Childishly, Makoto started twirling her bow with her finger. "Why, oh why oh why oh why." She broke into another fit of laughter.

"Makoto!"

Makoto stopped laughing. Instead she started to walk deliberately around the grave. At the far end she paused, and Reiko noticed for the first time that someone had planted a crude wooden cross there, with something written on it in dark red letters.

Facing Reiko, Makoto said gloatingly, "I invited you here for a very special occasion. Can't you see that I've dressed for it?" She laughed again.

"Wh-what occasion?"

"Look, and you'll see." Makoto held the lantern up so that it fully illuminated the writing on the cross.

'Reiko Hinomoto, RIP'. The letters appeared to be written in blood.

Reiko's stomach turned to ice, and she began to back away from the laughing Makoto. The Judo babe held up her hands, and to Reiko's horror she could see they were bleeding and covered in soil.

Makoto said, "I did all this for you, Reiko-chan." She advanced in step with Reiko's retreat.

"No – o." Reiko fought with the trembling which was overcoming her. In confusion, she stumbled backwards, trying to avoid tripping over tombstones. She suddenly found herself pressed up against the trunk of the cypress tree.

Makoto came forward, halting a hand's breadth from Reiko, who squirmed against the bark, in an attempt to stay as far away from her as possible. Every nerve screamed at her to run, but carved deeply into her mind was the instruction, Face forwards, face your opponent always.

Still displaying her hands covered in filth, Makoto said, "I made sure your grave was nice and deep and comfy. You'll be spending a long time in it. I'm going to drink your blood, Reiko."

Reiko felt instinctively that her only salvation would be in talking rather than fighting. Struggling to avoid her lip trembling, she managed to stammer, "Makoto, what's happened to you?"

"Happened?" Makoto seemed to pause for thought. "Nothing much happened. I got sick of everything and everyone, that's all. Especially of you."

"But why?" Reiko tried to overcome the horror filling her mind. "And why me? I'm your friend, what have I ever done to hurt you?"

"What have I ever done to hurt you?" Makoto mimicked. "Quit whining for your worthless life. Otherwise I'll put you in that hole alive. In fact ..." Makoto licked the blood from her finger thoughtfully, "... I might do that anyway. It would be so much more amusing."

Desperately Reiko searched for a way to get through to Makoto. She asked, "Was it because of what happened with Aigle?"

"Oh, Aigle!" Makoto said scornfully. "I'm finished with that peasant. She can go back to her goats. She is so immature, reacting like that, when all I did was …" Showing uncertainty for the first time, she snapped, "Quit stalling!"

Reiko seized on the point of weakness, "Tell me what happened! What did you do?"

"None of your business!" Makoto shrieked. "You've always treated me like a child, never realised I might have wanted to escape from all that boring cutie pie crap. That I might have had desires. Well now that I'm a woman, I can see how much you patronised me. And you're going to pay for it."

Sensing she might be losing the argument, Reiko said hastily, "But you can't kill me because of that. You're a good person."

"No, I'm not!" Makoto had returned to her gloating voice. "I've had enough of your goody-goody nonsense. Being evil and depraved is fun. I plan to have lots of fun from now on." She twisted her neck, causing it to click in an unnatural fashion. "Enough chit-chat, time for you to die."

Reiko had been rapidly reviewing her options. Flight was not impossible, though the thought of being chased through a graveyard by a hideously transformed Makoto hell bent on murder was terrifying enough. But she doubted if she could outrun her pursuer sufficiently to mount her bike, start it and pull away before being caught.

Otherwise fighting would be inevitable, unless she could somehow talk Makoto round or whatever madness the Judo Babe was suffering from ended. She needed more time.

Changing tack, Reiko said, tauntingly, "What makes you think you can take me down? You're inexperienced as a wrestler and judo sucks the most out of all the martial arts."

Makoto bared her teeth. She said, "Don't underestimate me. I'm much stronger now, in every way. Look." She rolled up her sleeves, and Reiko saw to her astonishment that Makoto's arms bulged with a huge growth of muscle which she was sure hadn't been present several days ago.

Makoto suddenly struck out with her fists. Reiko flinched, but instead of hitting her, the blows smashed into the trunk. The impact could be felt, as the wood splintered. Makoto pulled on a branch, and Reiko could swear she felt the cypress move beneath the earth.

She said, "So you can almost uproot trees. So what?"

"So you're going to die!"

In extremis, Reiko fell back on the one thing she knew above all else.

Taking up a defensive posture, she growled. "Bring it on then! But ask yourself if this is the samurai way your grandfather taught you."

"No one is to move!"

Neither of the two women complied exactly with this instruction, as they both turned in the direction of the speaker.

It was Miss Spencer. She had surprised them for the second time, but the circumstances could hardly have been more different. She stood next to the open grave, wearing a long, dark coloured raincoat. In her left hand was an electric torch. In her right hand was a gun.

It was only a small "lady's gun" that might have been carried in a handbag for personal protection. It was nevertheless pointing unwaveringly in their direction. Miss Spencer's precisely lip-sticked mouth was a determined line.

"No one is to move," she repeated. "Or I will shoot."

Makoto and Reiko stood like near-statues, Makoto grimacing, as if straining against a leash. Reiko spoke first.

"Miss Spencer. I was expecting to see you here. Why are you carrying a gun?"

With a slight smirk, Miss Spencer replied, "Since I last read it, the US constitution grants citizens the right to bear arms."

"But only as part of a well-regulated people's militia." Reiko automatically repeated what her father, an American and an advocate of gun control, had taught her. "And you aren't even a citizen."

The teacher's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Your knowledge of American constitutional history does you credit, but I have not come to bandy words. I am here for information about Miss Welsh. You know something. Tell me or suffer the consequences."

Makoto finally spoke, through gritted teeth. "I would advise you to leave, Miss Spencer, or you will suffer the consequences."

Miss Spencer seemed not to be intimidated. She said, "Makoto, your trick of using my mobile phone to send messages was extremely naughty. I see you are much changed. But unless you have also become bullet-proof, I would advise you not to give me any further trouble."

Reiko said surprised, "So you didn't know about Makoto coming here?"

Miss Spencer replied, coolly, "I knew nothing whatsoever about her coming here until I discovered the message. She omitted to delete it. However, since I am here, tell me what I want to know. Now."

Makoto gave a hiss of anger. "Miss Spencer, I will drink your blood as well as Reiko's."

Miss Spencer's mouth formed a moue of distaste. "I don't think so."

Reiko said desperately, "Miss Spencer, Makoto has gone mad, as you can see. If I tell you what I know, will you help me to restrain her?"

Miss Spencer said, "I'll consider it. Your information first, please."

Makoto snarled, but Miss Spencer cocked the pistol and shook her head.

Reiko said, "My sister Fujiko was investigating the death of my mother in the Rumble Roses tournament. She was supposed to join the tour. But she seems to have disappeared, just like your Candy Cane has."

Miss Spencer sounded acutely disappointed. She asked plaintively, "This is all that you know?"

Reiko said, "I swear it. Why would I lie to you now? Makoto knows no more than I do."

The gun wavered in Miss Spencer's hand. Faintly she gasped, "Have I done all this for so little?"

Seeing the teacher was distracted, Makoto gave a shrill cry, and charged, catching Miss Spencer around the legs and knocking her backwards. Makoto made a grab for the pistol, but Miss Spencer countered by kicking up and pushing her back, dropping weapon and torch in the process. Reiko immediately seized Makoto round the neck from behind. With a shout of "Ippon seio!" the Judo Babe executed a perfect shoulder throw to deposit Reiko on the ground. Instantly Makoto charged Miss Spencer again. The teacher had barely regained her feet, but the gun was in her hand.

The violent report of it firing echoed around the graveyard.

Makoto gave a terrible cry, and staggered back clutching her left shoulder, from which blood was spreading.

"The pain!" she screamed. "Its too much!" She appeared about to fall, and was held up and supported by a shocked Reiko. "Reiko?" she murmured fuzzily. "Reiko, I …" Her head slumped forwards.

Miss Spencer stood frozen, apparently appalled by what she had done. The gun had fallen from her fingers.

In great fear, Reiko lowered Makoto gently to the ground. She remembered something about keeping wounds higher than the heart, and turned the girl slightly on her side so the torn arm was upwards.

"Makoto! Makoto? Oh my god! She's bleeding!"

"Let me see." The need to deal with an emergency seemed to have roused Miss Spencer from her horrified trance. She knelt, and gently examined Makoto's shoulder.

"We must stop the blood flow quickly. Give me your scarf." Reiko rapidly unwound it, and Miss Spencer immediately pressed it hard against the wound area. Blood began to seep through the white material.

Reiko said, "I've got to call for help."

Miss Spencer hesitated, then nodded.

Reiko produced her mobile, dialled 911, and was immediately engaged in describing the situation and receiving advice from the emergency centre. The operator estimated that help would arrive in under ten minutes. She asked if Reiko was in any danger. Reiko replied that she thought not but wasn't sure.

Miss Spencer said, "This is remarkable. Come and see."

Reiko knelt, and looked. She could see that the blood had spread into a large circle on the scarf, but no further.

"Has the bleeding stopped?"

"Indeed. But with the kind of trauma associated with a gunshot wound, I would not have expected it to staunch as quickly as this. I am also a qualified first aider, you see. I wonder, could it be an effect of …"

She fell silent.

Reiko said, "An effect of what?" Miss Spencer did not reply, and Reiko was temporarily occupied with relaying news of Makoto's condition to the telephonist. The woman said she would stay on the line and to tell her if anything changed.

Placing the phone on the ground, Reiko moved closer to inspect Makoto. The young woman's face was paler than usual, but she was breathing regularly. Reiko placed her head close to the Judo Babe's chest, and could feel her heart beating strongly.

Miss Spencer said, "I think she's coming round."

Makoto was beginning to mutter and stir. Her eyes opened, though they looked somewhat glazed.

Reiko said, "Makoto! Can you hear me?"

"Reiko. Reiko-chan? What's happened to me?" Makoto asked muzzily. Reiko was so overjoyed that Makoto had spoken in something like her normal voice that she was at a loss for an answer.

Makoto continued. "I must have fallen asleep. I had a horrible dream, something about becoming a monster." She seemed to become more aware of her surroundings. "What am I doing here? What is this place?"

"Makoto-chan, stay calm. You've been hurt, but … you're going to be all right. Help is on the way." Reiko tried to speak with a confidence she didn't feel.

"Hurt? My shoulder, it feels strange." Makoto eyes began to flick wildly. "Oh my, its been bleeding!" She began to pant in distress. "The blood! I remember! In the dream. I wanted blood. It's all true! It's all true!"

"Makoto, Makoto, calm down! Its over now." Reiko spoke reassuringly, but Makoto appeared to have fainted again. "Makoto!" There was no response. Makoto went back to breathing slowly and deeply. Reiko said softly, "Hang in there, Makoto."

Miss Spencer said, "She survived the initial shock, and the bleeding is under control. The bullet seems to have gone straight through without fragmenting or bouncing around internally. I think she'll make it."

Reiko said, "Then you have saved her. Miss Spencer, I don't think you wanted this to happen, did you? And I believe at heart you are a good person."

Miss Spencer replied, "You're right, I didn't anticipate things would go this far. As to my moral character …" she sighed deeply "I'm not at all sure any more."

Reiko said, "I think you know something important about what happened to Makoto and why. If you tell me about it, I may be able to help you in return."

Miss Spencer said calmly, "The police will come along with the paramedics. They will most likely arrest both of us. I will be disgraced and my career as a teacher will be over. I doubt if you can help."

Reiko said, "Perhaps if we can come up with a plausible story …"

"You suggest lying to them?"

"They won't believe the truth anyway. So yes, why not?" The teacher shrugged. Reiko said urgently, "Come on, Miss Spencer, you must have got your pupils to write plenty of stories. Can't you think of some other explanation for what happened?"

Miss Spencer said, "Crime novella are hardly a staple of our curriculum. In addition we have to account for our presence in a graveyard in the middle of the night next to a hole in the ground. And there isn't much time."

Reiko said, "Suppose we said we were kidnapped by a deranged fan with a gun. He made Makoto dig the hole to bury us. She managed to get the gun off him but was shot in the process. He ran away and we were too occupied with helping her to catch him."

"And the absence of any footprints to prove this."

Without missing a beat, Reiko said, "He wore oversocks and kept to the paths." She pointed to the gravel track nearby.

"Very ingenious!" Miss Spencer paused to reflect for a moment. Then she said, "Its imaginative but it won't do. I came here by taxi and you came by motorcycle. The police will discover this. They will also check our mobile phone records with the message that brought you here."

"Well then …" Reiko stopped at the sound of whirling rotors. Looking back across the gravestones to the line of the Everglades, two bright searchlights could be seen sweeping the treetops. Above them the black outline of a large helicopter was visible against the stars, heading straight in their direction.

Miss Spencer said, "Its too late."

Reiko said furiously. "No it isn't. Think, Miss Spencer, think!"

"I'm … I'm not sure that I can."

Reiko frowned in concentration. She said, "Did you come all the way here by taxi?"

"No, only to the nearby town."

"Then you could've been kidnapped, and your mobile used to lure us here like Makoto did."

Miss Spencer considered. She said, "Its implausible, but it just about fits the facts. Miss Hinomoto, you are a remarkably clear thinking and level headed young woman. Perhaps you would like to attend my creative writing classes sometime?"

Reiko said, "Never mind that now. Will you make the promise that I asked?"

The helicopter was hovering low above the nearby gravestones. A woman in the green jumpsuit of a paramedic leapt to the ground, followed by a police officer in a tactical vest. The latter held a revolver.

Miss Spencer said, "I promise I will tell you everything I know as soon as possible. You have my word as a teacher and a Canadian."

Reiko said, "I accept your word then Miss Spencer. I can see you take your profession very seriously."

*When deciding on the chapter title I was thinking of the film/TV series. However its also the title of a famous American painting of the 30s by Grant Wood.

Ippon seio is given as the Black Belt Demon's killer move in the original game. I assume its a short form of Ippon seio nage, known in English as a one armed shoulder throw.

Don't completely take my word for it, but the actions taken to help a gunshot wound victim are roughly in line with what I understand as real world procedures (including rapidly calling the emergency service). Makoto was lucky however, that the bullet didn't fragment or bounce inside her body: there is no "non-lethal spot" to shoot someone, despite what you see in the movies.*