Apocalypse Wow! 2! Part 1, Chapter 4

Disclaimer

The following is a work of fiction. Any real names, real events, non-original content, or likeness of celebrities are used in a fictitious and parodic manner. All other character names and events are fictional and any resemblance of real names or events are purely coincidental.

CHAPTER FOUR: GOD BLESS THIS MESS. OR, IN WHICH DEAN TRIES TO PLAY PEACEMAKER WITH KEVIN AND DONNIE AND ENDS UP WITH NIGHTMARES UP THE WAZOO!

Dean Williams walked around what appeared to be a funeral home. At his sides were his daughter Faith and their dog Matilda. All three of them walked to the front where a casket was on top of the pulpit. Across the casket a Canadian flag was draped on.
“Who is in there, Daddy?” Faith asked Dean.
“A friend, honey.” Dean said nervously. “He’s… sleeping.”
“Can’t we wake him?” she asked.
“Well, he can never wake up.” Dean replied, holding back tears. Dean went towards the casket and touched the flag. The red on the flag stained his hands. But it was not paint or ink. It was blood.
“Faith! Don’t touch it!” Dean yelled at his daughter who almost touched the flag.
“What is on your hands?” she asked.
Dean stared at both his hands, covered in blood. He looked up and saw Faith and Matilda standing beside Penny Fields.
“Was my sacrifice in vein? Why did I die for you all?” Penny asked.
Suddenly, a ring of fire engulfed around Dean. Amy Benz walked through the fire to look at Dean, who was now kneeling on the ground.
“Another sacrifice will be needed.” Amy said as she presented something wrapped in a blanket. It was an infant girl. Maybe only a week old.
“She could be our savior.” Amy said. “But her time is not now. The chain can only be broken in her present when she is ready..”
Dean looked at the child and asked “What does that mean?”

A gasp of air.
Dean Williams woke up, sweating and breathing heavily. He was back in his hotel room in Calgary. Thank god it was only a nightmare as he looked over and saw Karen peacefully sleeping. Or was asleep until Dean’s gasp woke her up slightly.
“Mmm, what’s wrong dear?” Karen asked, still half asleep.
“Just a bad dream I guess” Dean said as he got up from the bed and walked over to where Faith was peacefully asleep. Dean gave a gentle kiss on her forehead so as not to wake her up. Dean then went back into the bed with his wife and tried to go back to sleep. Karen snuggled into Dean and ran her hands through the hairs of his chest.
“What if tomorrow doesn’t wok out, hmm?” Karen asked as she slowly tried to get back to sleep.
“I don’t know, Kare Bear.” Dean said as he sighed and closed his eyes, trying to focus on driving back to his roots in Willingdon and trying to get his two friends to put aside any differences for his sake.




July 2

The four hour drive from Calgary to the farm where Dean Williams grew up took quite a bit out of him. Or maybe it was the lack of sleep caused by the nightmare he had the previous night. Dean didn’t really want to talk much about the dream with Karen, who may have a hard time understanding why Amy was in it. When the rumors of Dean’s alleged casting couch womanizing ways surfaced, Karen was absolutely livid with Dean. Part of her wanted to believe Dean was being honest when he said nothing ever happened, yet another part of her found it hard to believe Dean’s honesty. Here was a man who had little success with women until he met Karen and all of the sudden he is surrounded by women who may be willing to do whatever it takes to get a role in film? It did help when everyone denied the rumors. He also didn’t want to worry Amy as well, who was asleep and didn’t feel like doing much since some of the local Calgarians she met on her off time introduced her to a new drink she never tried. Maybe she impressed the roughnecks who never thought a black woman could put away so many rye and cokes.
The SUV pulled into the driveway of the farm yard, some of the old granaries and other buildings appearing in disrepair, except for the decent sized bungalow that was the main house. With his family gone after what happened three years and never being found, the banks nearly took over the farm. It wasn’t until Kevin sent Dean an urgent e-mail a while back informing him that the agricultural wing of the Daring Foundation was going to buy out the land like they have done so with other farms in the area did Dean elect to buy the land and keep it at least in the family name. Karen poked the hung-over Amy to let her know that they had arrived at their final destination as Dean got out and removed Faith from her car seat in the back. Faith let out a quiet yawn as Dean picked her up and held her in his arms as Karen began unpacking their luggage.
“Where are we?” Faith asked Dean quietly.
“Well sweetie, this is the place your daddy lived when he was your age.” Dean answered back as he brushed away the bangs of her brownish/blonde hair that seemed to have gotten in her eyes. “Think someone needs a haircut soon”, said Dean as he gave Faith a quick peck on her forehead.
Faith giggled and pointed at Dean’s own scruffy. “No, you do,” she said as Faith and Dean began a cute game of “No, you” that seemed to last an eternity. Karen watched from the deck of the house as she stopped to open one of the bags that contained all of their stuff. From the bag, she removed a homemade plaque they picked up at some craft store in Andrew. On the plaque it read “God Bless This Mess”. Karen looked at the plaque then up towards their vehicle to see her husband and daughter still debating who really needed a haircut, and watched as Amy slowly made her way to the house.
“Yep. God bless this mess indeed.” Karen said with a smile on her face as she looked around the yard.

Dean Williams stood on the deck, grilling an array of meat on the barbeque when Donnie Bellum came out from the house. The Bellums arrived about an hour after Dean and his crew had done so. Donnie had two cans of beer in his hand and tossed one of them towards Dean, who promptly caught the incoming silver bullet.
“So, mind telling me what the hell happened in Calgary?” Donnie asked.
Dean looked up, confused by the question, and replied back “What do you mean?”
“You kind of freaked out there when we were talking to that Saxon guy.”
“Yeah.” Dean sighed, wishing not really to talk about it and didn’t want to admit his apparent growing dependency on anti-anxiety pills. So he elected to tell a half truth of what caused his erratic behavior. “It was just, well, seeing an old friend there. She made me feel inadequate.”
“Dean, listen,” Donnie said. “You got a great wife and kid. You finally have your dream job. What do you feel inadequate about? What does she do now?”
“She’s married into the Daring family and works for a man who could very be this country’s next prime minister.” Dean replied back. “I dunno, seeing her again, looking well and all that, just makes me feel like failure is waiting for me again. I mean three years ago, Karen and I move in together – BOOM! – all that weird shit happened. Karen and I get married, and I become manager of the store – BOOM! – Movie Gallery goes out of business. You, He-Who-I-Won’t-Name-Around-You and I shop around the script and I go to Hollywood – BOOM! – I have some insufferable fag on a blog saying I plowed my through the entire female cast of Doomtown. Now I’m waiting to see if the producers liked my final draft of Crazy Diamond and I’m waiting for the next ‘BOOM!’”
Donnie looked puzzled as Dean’s little rant. “Uh, sorry I asked?” he said.
Dean took a deep breath. “Nah, it’s okay. Felt like I needed to get that off my chest anyways.”
In the distance, both Donnie and Dean heard the low sound of a vehicle coming down the road. A dark blue minivan then pulled into the driveway. While the passengers inside the van were too hard to completely make out, Donnie did recognize the driver as Kevin Brody.
“Oh no! No! Get him out of here right now!” Donnie freaked out. Dean grabbed Donnie by the side of his arms and said “Look, you two can stand, stare and spit at each other like llamas for all I care afterwards. But right now, I need the two of you to at least act fucking civil around each other. At least for the kids sake.” Dean said as he noticed Ariel and Willow coming out of the van, along with Rachel, Benny, and Lucas.
Donnie rolled his eyes and stated out very loudly. “And he had to bring those fucking Squints with him too?!”
“Watch you language there, sailor boy!” Kevin shouted back, hoping Willow did not pick up a new word.
“Hey, we love ya too, Donald!” Benny shouted as well.
Lucas just sighed and muttered “Again with that word. Why must everyone refer to us as that?”
“Cheer up boy,” Benny said to his partner. “Think your make-up is running.”
Rachel looked at the two of them and said “Well, I didn’t think Lucas was wearing any, but I think I got some mascara in my purse.”
“Uh, no?” Lucas protested. “Great, now she thinks I’m a transvestite!” Meanwhile as Kevin’s group made their way up to the main house, Donnie and Dean still argued about their presence being there.
“… He called me ‘Donald’!” Donnie complained. “He knows I hate being referred by that!”
“Look, Rachel is cool and I’m sure will talk all sciency stuff with Sarah; Benny is a shit-disturbing monkey boy, so just ignore him the best you can, and well at least with Lucas here you’re not the whiniest person here anymore – and that includes our kids.”
Donnie sighed with frustration. “You have a strange way of making me feel better, you know that?” Donnie said to Dean.

Dinner was quiet for everyone there. A little too quiet for some. Except for occasional clanking of silverware or requests to pass the meat or salad or buns, no one really talked. Even the girls – Hailey, Willow, and Faith – were also surprisingly quiet. Or it would have remained such if Benny didn’t decide to open his mouth: “Jesus, I’ve been to funerals more talkative. Someone make with the yakety-yak already…”
Donnie muttered under his breath “Give you yakety…:” and then changed his tone and sarcastically asked Kevin “So, how’s protecting us from the great wolf rebellion going?”
Kevin kept his eyes down at his steak and baked potato and answered back at Donnie without making eye contact “Well, thanks to drastic environmental changes, my sources up north has informed me the wolf population has dramatically increased so their threat is minimal. You would know that if you read my blog, Donnie.”
“Sorry, have better things to do with my time than to read the inane ramblings of Beardo Two…” Donnie said back.
“Excuse me?” Ariel said as she shot a dirty look across Donnie’s way.” Don’t ever bring up my father or my lover in that way again!” Then Ariel looked over to Benny and his bushy beard “Especially when I’m trying to convince Shaggy over there to shave his off.”
“In your dreams.” Benny said in between bites. “Chicks dig the beard. You should consider growing one, Lucas. It’d be a sure-fire way for you to get laid…”
Lucas sheepishly stood up for himself “I doubt this is appropriate dinner conversation material, especially with minors present. Can we please change the subject.”
Rachel nodded her head in agreement and looked at Sarah. “So, Doctor Bellum, did you have a chance to look into the message Kevin sent you?”
Everyone looked at Rachel. Unbeknownst to her, Kevin and Sarah had kept their communications private due to Donnie’s feelings towards Kevin being well known. And now Rachel had inadvertently let out the white elephant into the dining room.
“How long has this been going on?” Donnie plainly asked his wife.
“Since their book came out and I’ve been in charge cleaning up the mess left behind Section 31’s involvement with my workplace.” Sarah replied back.
“You’d figure with his little geeks there he’d be able to do it without your help.” Donnie said defensively. “Wonder how Ariel feels about him spending so much time with you?”
“Quit referring to me in the third person.” Kevin said again, maintaining no eye contact with Donnie.
“And I must protest the usage of the term ‘geek’” Lucas stammered out.
“No one cares.” Donnie said towards Lucas, who looked like he was about to burst into tears.
“Actually, every time Kevin is done talking to your wife, he always comes after me like an animal.” Ariel announced rather lustfully, causing Dean to almost do a spit take of his beer.
“Uh, Karen, think the kids are done eating and need to go play outside for a while.” Dean said nervously, anticipating where this conversation was heading. Karen nodded in agreement and took Faith out from her high chair. Ariel followed suit with Willow in tow. Feeling like the odd person out, Amy excused herself from the table and proceeded to head outside for a quick smoke.
“Hailey, go with Miss Benz there.” Sarah instructed her daughter.
“But I want to stay and listen to the grown-ups talk more.” Hailey protested like any six-year old wanting to fit in with the adults would. “What does ‘laid’ mean anyways?”
Amy took Hailey by the hand and said to her “Nothing you need to worry about for another ten years tops” as they both headed out of the dining room and outside. With the presence of little ears now gone, Kevin again replied back “The sex life of my lover and I are none of your concerns, Donnie!”
“Well, why did you feel the need to hide this from me?” Donnie protested. “And could you at least have the balls to look at me when talking to me?”
Kevin glanced up quickly and spoke: “One – I am doing this because if I look at you in the eyes, it would akin to a wolf making his prey know its days are numbered. Two – your reaction right now is evident enough why we covertly exchanged information. And three – you would not comprehend the material we’re talking about anyways.”
“See? Why must you always belittle me?” Donnie protested again. “This is why things fell apart between us especially when you wrote me as such a wuss!”
“Well Dean had final say in that manner in the end.” Kevin replied back
“Yeah, thanks for that, Kev.” Dean said sarcastically.
“Do you really think I’m that whiny?” Donnie asked Dean.
“It was exaggerated to a point” Dean said defensively of his writing.
“Well after our little appearance for that Saxon guy on the seventh, I am through with him!” Donnie said, glaring at Kevin as he got up from the table and headed towards the back of the house where the washroom was.
“Right back at you!” Kevin said. He then looked over at Dean, who had his faces buried in both palms of his hands. “You doing okay there?” Kevin asked Dean,
“I dunno,” Dean answered back with defeat in his tone. “This didn’t work out as I planned and saw Claudia the other day…”
“Claudia Reimer? The girl you had the crush on all the way through high school? How’s old Barracuda Lips anyways?” Kevin asked. The question caused Benny to do a spit take while Lucas and Rachel both had confused looks on their faces.
“Well she goes by Daring now for the last name” Dean said. “And why must you refer to her as that?”
“Not my fault. Got a nice feel of them after Rico’s party back in ’98, remember?” Kevin asked.
Lucas looked over at Benny and said to him “I’ve seen pictures of her, she doesn’t resemble a fish.”
Wishing not to offend the remaining women in the room, Benny indiscreetly whispered into Lucas’ ear. Afterwards, Lucas thought for a moment and made a disgusted face. “Uhm, eww!” was his only reaction,

Amy Benz stood on the deck and watched as Hailey, Faith, and Willow run around and played on the front lawn. She took a drag of her cigarette and watched the smoke plume drift into the scenery of the setting sun.
“Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?” Ariel said as she came from inside and stood beside Amy. “Their fathers don’t seem to get along yet the three of them seem to get along without any care in the world.”
Amy looked on as she took another drag. “Yeah, the world is a strange place.”
“Ever thought of having one of your own?” Ariel asked.
“Me? Nah, I think a kid for me right now would be the death of me.” Amy said.

One in the morning. Dean Williams wished this day never happened now. Trying to get Donnie and Kevin to make amends did not work out as well. That, and finding out that Kevin had sex with Claudia Reimer back in his university days kind of wounded Dean’s pride a little bit. Dean couldn’t fall asleep. Karen was peacefully asleep, so Dean elected to get out of the bed instead of thrashing around due to his restlessness. He made his way to his old bedroom which Faith was sleeping peacefully and safe in the glow of her Dora the Explorer light. Dean then went outside and sat on the deck, looking at the clear Alberta night sky.
“Hey Dean, how’s it going?” a male voice asked.
Dean looked around and saw on his left side was Ryan Jeffries, in full air force dress uniform.
“Ryan? What the hell are you doing here?” Dean asked.
“Relax, I’m only your subconscious manifesting itself in a physical form while you have a psychotic episode after mixing alcohol with your prescription pills.” Ryan said in a deadpan manner.
“Oh, well, all right then.” Dean said unfazed. “So, how’s Heaven?”
“It’s all right I guess. There seems to be a shortage of chairs there, though.”
“Huh. Weird.”
“Yeah. Anyways, just want to let you know you shouldn’t feel too bad about my death in Iran. You had no control over it.” Ryan said, trying to reassure any of Dean’s fears.
“Well, I wish I got to know you better before you shipped off for war.” Dean said full of regret.
“Eh, that’s life though. Did appreciate you and Karen writing to me while there though. Made me feel a part of something since my family got fried during our wacky adventure.” Ryan said.
“Have you came across Penny where you are?” Dean asked.
“No, but did here from the Powers That Be that she has a different purpose than I do.”
“And what is that?” Dean asked nervously. All of the sudden Ryan vanished into thin air and Dean saw one of the granaries were on fire. Dean quickly grabbed a bucket and ran to a barrel that contained run-off rain water. As he ran to try extinguish the flame, he saw Penny Fields standing in front of the burning building.
“Why did I die for you?” Penny asked as she tossed Dean a blood-soaked Canadian flag. Penny then walked into the flames of the fire as Dean followed suit, only to be stopped by the intense heat of the flames.
“Ahh! It’s not hot!” Dean exclaimed.

Another gasp of air.
Dean Williams woke up again, sweating in terror. Still was one in the morning. Karen rolled over and asked “Bad dream again, love?”
Dean stared blankly into space and answered back. “Yes, but something about it made it seem… real."