Dorothy was, to say the least, agitated. Besides Rashid's hideous attitude and Quatre's whimping out, she was stressed about things at work. She sun bathed on the veranda. Quatre approached her.
"Dot?" she sat up with a start.
"Oh, hi," she muttered, "what happened last night?"
"I uh, just…" Quatre searched for a truth.
"Was too chicken to come out and say you weren't up to it?"
"Yes. I'm sorry Dotty." He embraced emasculation once more to save face. Dorothy smiled and wrapped her arms around him. He held her lightly, the welts on his back still felt fresh.
"Well, at least you're honest."
"I couldn't lie to you, babe."
"Let's go for a swim."
Quatre thought quickly. He smiled. "I can't swim."
"Neither can I. I just wanted to make up for last night."
That hurt Quatre's feelings, but he kept it to himself, just as he did his bouts with Rashid. "How bout a movie instead?"
Dorothy thought for a second. "Indiana Jones and the Resurrected Evil?"
"Whatever you want."
"I'll go get dressed," Dorothy said, scurrying away. Quatre watched her away, then went to the living room for his keys. Rashid was there, reading the paper. Quatre trembled.
"Good morning, Master Quatre," he greeted with a small smile.
"Good morning Rashid," Quatre mumbled.
"What's the matter, master?" Master Quatre. The title sounded like mockery, humiliation, degradation: hey there, you pitiful little blob of tears, I mean, Master Quatre, don't forget you are lower than I, and to attempt to regain the dignity you once knew is a serious beating with no assurance that it will heal or you will survive.
"Master, I really hate it when you stare at me like you have lost your mind." Rashid said at an audible level. Quatre had become lost in his thoughts and didn't realize he was staring Rashid down.
"I'm sorry—"
"Just shut the hell up. What the hell are you doing, anyway?"
"Nothing," Quatre muttered, "Just getting something."
"You mean something you should be keeping elsewhere?"
"It's my house Rashid. I have the freedom to store what I want to where I want to."
"I didn't ask whose house it was, did I?"
"No," Quatre replied, "but I volunteered and haven't any intention of taking it back." He snatched up his keys and left the room. Rashid threw down his paper and followed him. Quatre was anticipating this.
Rashid swung at Quatre's head. Quatre ducked and swung at Rashid, hitting him hard in his face. It stunned him for a second, Quatre's punch to his face, giving Quatre enough time to punch him again. Rashid blocked a third attempt, catching his fist in his palm, and swung. Quatre dodged, and gave Rashid a quick and powerful jab in his jaw. An enraged Rashid threw his fist at the bridge of Quatre's nose, but Quatre caught his fist just in time. Rashid pushed and pulled trying to free himself from Quatre's ironically strong grip. The two locked fists pushed hard against one another, and the men grunted in effort. Dorothy entered the room and her eyes widened.
"Quatre," she said.
"Dorothy!" he exclaimed, distracted. Rashid yanked his fist away and got Quatre in a head lock and turned both their backs to him.
"Don't smart off to me again, you little bastard." Rashid muttered, crushing Quatre's neck and dropping him to the floor. Dorothy rushed to his side.
"Baby! Are you alright?" Quatre held his paining neck at an angle. Dorothy helped him up. "Did he hurt you? Babe?"
"Naw, I'm alright, I'm fine." Quatre overcame the pain and forced his neck back into place. "Shall we?"
Dorothy took his arm and he escorted her to his Porsche.
The movie was grand fun for the both of them—as far as Dorothy knew. Quatre's neck and upper back pained him terribly and he shifted throughout the picture. He snuck and paid for some aspirin at a gas station and swallowed it dry when Dorothy looked away. It lodged in his throat. He swallowed and swallowed. Dorothy looked at him.
"Quat?"
Quatre tried to clear his throat and swallow the pill with the regurgitated mucus. The pill slowly slid the rest of the way down his throat. "Yeah?"
"You ok?"
"Yeah." He put his arm around her and she lay on his chest. "How bout some laser tag?"
Dorothy perked up. "Yeah, that sounds great!"
The two arrived during a busy time at the family fun center. Quatre purchased three thirty-minute games for two adults and they received their targets and guns and belts. They were briefed and then turned loose. Quatre took a running step, his targets slamming hard against the abrasions on his back. He stopped and leaned against the wall. Damn you, Rashid, damn you to hell. Everywhere I go, I've go these God-forsaken reminders that you're waiting for me. Well, not today, father, not today. Quatre gathered his strength and removed himself from the wall. He spotted a flashing target in the dark distance. He shot it three times and the victim froze. He looked in the mirror—and saw Rashid sneaking by, aiming a laser gun all around. He hadn't seen Quatre. Quatre's eyes opened wide to the angry delusion. Rashid's eyes flashed in the disco lights and Quatre fired several times at him. It was a direct hit on his chest. Quatre darted behind a wall, right into Rashid's path. He shot at the evil man and got him out several time over. Rashid ran above him. Quatre went to the next level and disposed of him as well. Rashid after Rashid was gotten out, but the more he defeated at this, his game, the more that seemed to appear and pose a new threat. Quatre spied a physique in a frosty mirror.
"Come out and show your face, bitch!" Quatre yelled, several of his laser beams hitting the new Rashid. The new Rashid disappeared, and three more ran above him. Two streaked past behind him, and one ran by in front of him, shooting him in the chest. Quatre cried out as if the shot had hurt him. But it did, his soul lied, it did hurt Quatre, and don't ever let anyone hurt you, Quatre. Don't let them escape with their life, especially Rashid, Rashid must be punished, he must be punished, he must be punished. Beat him, Quatre, beat him as he never beat you before. Quatre at that point became quite possessed and began running through the dark, screaming out to Rashid and getting out any and everyone. Small children cried and their parents complained, but Quatre wasn't really breaking any rules, so the staff couldn't do anything.
Quatre was losing his mind.
"I'll get you, Rashid! I'm right here! Come out, damn you! Don't make me have to come find you!" He yelled over and over again. One Rashid kept getting missed. He could tell that Rashid was the sly one. The slick Rashid was on the second level in one motion, and so was Quatre. The Rashid had disappeared.
"Where are ya, come out and fight me like a man." Quatre muttered. The figure slinked by in the grayness of the second level. Quatre fired, but missed, feeling all around that burning eyes were upon him. He looked back, hurting his neck and dodged out of the way of the sly Rashid's aim by a few inches. He shot several dozen random shots, none hitting his nemesis. Rashid vanished and a death-like silence deafened him. He held his breath.
Then, in a one quarter second, Rashid whipped around dead in Quatre's face, his eyes star-white with heathenish fury and hit Quatre five time with the laser. Quatre choked on his breath and fell back, slamming the back of his neck on the corner of a wall. Electricity tore down his back and the black of the misty gray laser room arena became a void.
