Part 3 of 3
Read the full text, as well as the show notes, at http://flashpulp.com
Tonight, Coffin and Bunny complete the breaking of a once happy home, as they attempt to save the life of an infant.
The Skinner Co. Network
FP233 - Coffin: Hidden, Part 3 of 3
[music] Welcome to Flashpulp Episode 233. This evening we present Coffin, Hidden, Part 3 of 3. [music] This week's episodes are brought to you by radiosrevenge.com. In the beginning, there was radio, and it was good. Find a taste of what you're missing at radiosrevenge.com. [music] [music] Flashpulp is an experiment in broadcasting fresh pulp stories in the modern age. Three to ten minutes of fiction brought to you Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings. Tonight, Coffin and Buddy complete the breaking of a once-happy home as they attempt to save the life of an infant. Coffin, Hidden, Part 3 of 3. Written by J.R.D. Skinner. Art and Narration by Opoponix. An audio produced by Jessica May. [music] Victoria had been awoken by the conversation in her sleeping chamber and was now on her tiptoes at the edge of the portable crib. Her stubby-fingered fists gripped the bars tightly as she watched Coffin finish his discussion with the dead man. Will looked from the apparition to the collie, which sat patiently by the closed door, then released his occult chain. "Go get Mother Landrow," Coffin told his companion. "Don't let the tail wagger out as you go." With an unsteady lurch and a flailing leg intended to keep the canine in bay, Bunny squeezed herself through the exit and made for her destination. Her weaving trip to the kitchen was twice as long as necessary, but on the return she utilized Judy's a pace vehicle and managed a relatively steady course. Her focus on travel, however, meant that Sweetie's apparent need for captivity had slipped her mind. As Judy turned the handle and pushed at the entrance, a stream of crimson emanated from the mouth of the wide-eyed babe and impacted on Will's leather jacket. Coffin's back had bent the child as he turned to provide a second warning regarding the dog, who, spying an escape route and upset by the stream of blood, bolted through the women's legs. As the flow ceased, Victoria began to weep. "Step inside," said the moist shaman. Judy frowned and moved to her infant's bedside. When the latch had clicked shut behind Bunny, Will began his questioning. "How long have you been having an affair?" he asked. Mrs. Landrow's brow furrowed as she reached into the playpen. "This isn't the time for secrets," Will added as he shook his still dripping sleeve. "On and off for a year," she said, staring at the wet carpet. "What's his name?" Donald. Done. As she spoke, Judy wiggled Victoria in an effort to bring her to silence. "You gotta f*ckin' shake that thing to death," said Bunny. "Garry-er." With a shrug, the mother handed across the screeching bundle. "Just one more," the drunk sang, "no, wait, gimme shut, no, hold on." Despite her broken lyrics, the luscious consternations seemed enough to soothe the child. As the pair wandered, coffin moved closer to the subject of his interrogation. "As dawn given you any gifts recently," he asked. The errant wife nodded. A few weeks ago, as a Christmas present, he gave me sweetie. He said I could give it to the family as a present, and they'd never know better. Sweetie is what he calls me. He liked that I'd always be thinking of him, even when we were part. Her voice remained steady, but she moved the palm of her left hand to her eye and wiped away a tear. "Well, sh*t," whistled Bunny. "I guess the guy with the axe wound in his chest isn't the most f*ckin' up person in this room." After giving Judy a lopsided squint, she went back to humming. "I'm pretty sure Dawn planned to empty your schedule," said Coffin. Though usually these things move along quite a bit quicker. Wait in the kitchen, and send your victim--sorry, your husband, back in. Bunny was no closer to completing her song as Jean entered, but Victoria had taken to cooing encouragingly at her attempts. "Okay, Pa," said Will. "Time to trade dance partners. You hold the kid while my friend here goes to find the mutt." It took some convincing to drag Sweetie towards the damp flooring, but once she'd been forced across the threshold, she was quick to nestle on the guest bed's barren mattress. The daughter watched her father as her father watched his pet, and a silence descended. Coffin pinched the bridge of his nose and rubbed his eyes. "Great," he said. Now all Landros get out, because we need to conduct some light surgery on the family dog. Do you have scissors on hand? Though Sweetie was young, her fur had thickened to fight the cold of winter. Still, the kitchen shears made quick work of the longer hairs, and a package of disposable razors, scavenged from the bathroom, did the rest. Within an hour, the collie was nearly nude, but for a network of spiraling red emblems tattooed onto her flesh. As Coffin washed away the last of the fluff with water he'd collected in a large basin, Bunny broke off from the absent-minded singing she'd been using to calm the beast. "Holy shit," she said. "This pooch out I get a f***ing Harley in a biker name. Killer kibble or something. Lassie lowrider." You know, that actually reminds me. I used to know a stripper named Purina. Will didn't have the patience to mention that, though she hadn't noticed it, she'd somehow perfectly regurgitated the words to "I'll see you in the morning." Instead, he said, quiet. I need to read. As his fingers flattened and stretched the shivering skin, his trained eyes began to understand the patterns. I thought so. He said, "It's a curse. Usually these things work very quickly, but this one's a bit off the mark. Get a blanket and wrap up the bowow so that the landros don't spot what we've found. Then take a rattle here and wait for me on the stoop." With that, he made for the kitchen. Jean was leaning against the stove and rocking Victoria, while Judy sat at the table and blew at her steaming teacup. "Not an easy situation to resolve," he said. "First, I should say I need to kill your dog and conduct the ritual of a thousand cleansings upon her carcass. Ma'am, you need to make your husband aware of who you've been sleeping with, for how long, and why your new boyfriend was trying to dispatch your baby. Sir, it's worth mentioning, though, that she didn't know about the hocus pocus any more than you did. You need to get a divorce. Finally, uh, to, uh, keep the sorcery at bay. You need to set up a television in that room which plays constantly. The volume needs to be loud enough so that you can hear it, but not unreasonably so. Keep the programming interesting. At least, until legal proceedings force you to sell the house. You can move the little one back to her own bed, though. By the looks of things, Judy, you may not want to fight too hard for custody. But that's above even my pay grade. Speaking of which, cut me a check for my fee so I can get out of here, and you can both start with the accusatory arguing you shouldn't have had to go through a near-death experience to arrive at. While they made their way to the cross street and the nearest bus stop, Koffin provided Bunny with a summation of his final conversation with their clients. At least we got paid decently before the lawyers absorbed all of their cash. He concluded, "So, we're gonna murder their puppy?" she asked after a moment's consideration. "No, of course not," replied Will, "but people take you more seriously when they think something has to die. A young purebred like this rarely has trouble being adopted. Once she's got her code back, I'll drop her off with some hippies I knew who run a shelter." The hex is so specific, it's not a danger to anyone else. It's usually used as a "marriage-ender." I mean, who could stay together after witnessing that? That's the whole idea, though. To turn on the hose, she had to be in the same room with the baby in one of her biological parents. That is to say, Lassie here, Victoria, and Judy, or her new boyfriend. Don't think Dodd knew he was trying to kill his own kid, though. Flashpulp is presented by flashpulp.com and is released under the Canadian Creative Commons attribution non-commercial 2.5 license. Text and audio commentaries can be sent to skinner@skinner.fm or the voicemail line at 206-338-2792. But be aware that they may appear in a future flashcast. We'd also like to thank the Free Sound Project, found at freesound.org. For a full listing of effects used during the show, as well as credits for the users who provided them, please check this episode's notes at flashpulp.com. And thanks to you for listening. If you enjoyed the show, please tell your friends. [Music]