Chapter 3
Subterfuge
Point Place, Wisconsin
March 8, 1977 (Tuesday)
It was 12:30 a.m. when he got hungry.
There was some left over chocolate cake left from the previous night's dessert, there was also vanilla pudding,
peanut butter, and 2 boxes of Girl Scout shortbread cookies. They were reserved for the older man in the house,
but he could easily blame this on his best friend and life would go back to its normal order. He decided to take
just 1 box of cookies and the last of the milk; it would be a good burn during breakfast tomorrow. He was about
to go downstairs to the basement to eat his snack, while he watched The Late Movie before going to bed. It was
a school day and there was a report due, but he didn't even start writing it. Maybe, he'd buy his girlfriend
something tomorrow that was better than a cheeseburger wrapped in tinfoil. Something pulled at him, this
wasn't new, and there hadn't been any visions since last year before Easter when he saw that family get
murdered. It was just as he self-predicted nothing was reported on the news, print or television. It's not like he
searched it out or anything. He wondered why he was still standing there in the kitchen, he did own (more like
stolen) a Swiss Army knife, but what good was it when it was in his room on top of his dresser?
He felt he was being overly cautious over nothing, he wasn't afraid of the bogeyman.
Hyde didn't have look over his shoulder. Living at the Forman's was a different, better
experience than with Edna. She left him to have an adventure with some trucker, no money, just his clothes, his
stash, and a small amount of possessions that all fit in one cardboard box.
His 17 years fit in one small lonely box..
They barely got by financially as Edna bounced from job-to-job either quitting or getting fired, whatever came
first. She would buy food with food stamps, but sometimes she sold them for liquor and other things that would
make one lose their inhibitions. They were always overdue on one bill or another, who needed electricity? It's
not like she used the stove often. Sometimes, there was no water and he would skip his morning classes and
used the Forman family shower because he hated being dirty.
Those were Edna's choices not his.
Even before he lived here, Forman would most always ask permission if Hyde could stay for supper. Sometimes,
it was the only real meal he had all day. No matter how tough the Forman's situation was (which still made them
middle class) Red would always relent and let him stay. He walked down to the basement and put the cookie
box and glass of milk on the washing machine.
"Anyone here?"
He was almost afraid that he asked that out loud.
An uncomfortable silence filled the air, kind of like when the air is ripe for a thunderstorm and then there's
nothing but a space waiting to be filled.
Maybe, he was about to have another vision. He felt fine. It was usually the pain that would come first. He
would move the TV around so he could sit in the green lawn chair, instead of his self-claimed white kitchen chair
that he preferred.
Think you're so smart, don't you?
Hyde didn't have the appetite for the milk or the cookies anymore. That was going to boomerang back to him
later. After 20 minutes into the movie he couldn't keep his eyes open and fell asleep in the chair. The
uncomfortable, another feeling Hyde's hated, chair with the interwoven plastic pieces poked at his back and that
was why he woke up. He figured he better put the TV back in its proper place when he noticed the box of
cookies and glass of milk that were on the floor next to him missing.
"Forman, are you attempting to burn me? I'm going to kick your ass."
Just as Hyde wheeled the TV back to its normal spot, the glass rolled out from what seemed like nowhere and
stopped at his foot. He picked it up and placed it on the dryer. Sure, he could've run like hell up the basement
stairs and then up to Red and Kitty's room, but he was a man, he didn't need any help.
Find me.
He heard that call and it wasn't a threatening one, but rather full of promise. Not wanting to back down and just
wanting this feeling over and done with he walked towards the shower. The plastic aqua curtain was almost
never completely pulled back, come what may, he walked towards it and pulled it so hard that he thought it was
going to come off the silver hooks, the empty box of Girl Scout cookies was open and crushed in the shower
stall.
He quickly spun around on the heel of his boots, and no one was there. Maybe this was how people slowly went
mad.
[This isn't Forman]
No shit, but you're still stupid like him.
[Show your face]
That's not necessary.
Hyde walked to his room and that was when the dread really rose up from his stomach to his throat and that
was before he noticed the trail of shortbread cookie crumbs. He hurriedly turned on the light switch.
Nothing was there.
He was going to sleep with his boots on tonight. His possessions were on his homemade shelves and dresser;
his clothes that didn't make it inside of the dresser were on the floor. Mrs. Forman made sure he had a nice, big
comforter, as the basement was the coolest room in the house.
He sat on the edge of the bed. Mrs. Forman, it was always Kitty who encouraged Red to follow his heart and do
acts of good, that they bought him a bed at one of the discount stores in Kenosha. Kitty didn't like Hyde to
sleep on a cold military issued standard cot, because for some reason Red always wanted to keep Laurie's room
open. There was a rumor that she was flunking out of the University of Wisconsin, to Red that was always going
to be his Baby Girl's room, too bad that baby was the slut of Point Place and beyond. Did every father see their
daughter's as pure snow fallen Angels or was Red just blind to his "favorite" child?
The blue comforter was thrown over his head and he still didn't scream. He was half-expecting this and was
oddly content to let it happen. He wasn't going to amount of anything, but he was surprised to see that he
fought back.
This time the mental images were real and he was scared, he couldn't deny it to himself.
Hyde peeled off the blue comforter it smelled like cigarettes, weed, and aftershave and that was why he would
take it to the laundromat instead of adding to Kitty's many responsibilities.
He was convinced that his heart stopped beating when he felt two strong male hands go on his shoulders, he
briefly closed his eyes, he didn't want to see what he already knew in his heart was true. He grimaced his face
when this person kissed his neck and he could feel his hot sticky breath on him. Hyde opened up his eyes and
saw the hands like his. He was tempted to scream, but this was not anyone else's problem, but his own.
"Who are you?"
He couldn't move.
This person gave him half of a tortoise shell colored compact mirror. It belonged to that girl from last year.
[Me?]
Hyde couldn't process it all or react fact to what was going on. He dropped the mirror to the floor when the
highly soaked chloroform cloth was placed over his face and he collapsed.
The doppelganger picked up the mirror and looked at the reflection staring back at him and darkly smiled,
"This is going to be fun."
Author's Note: The '70s timeline is not the shows, but rather mine, so Jackie and
Hyde are together in 1977 as well as other events that will be mentioned later on
in the story.