Bio:

Bill reckoned he wasn’t anybody special. Half native-american from a lesser known tribe indigenous solely to Gutterdelve and the surrounding Glendale forest, he towered over most of the other kids in his graduating class. Bill didn’t say much on account he had a problem with murmuring but he was really handy at fixing appliances and patching roof leaks. Miss Rorley claims that one December Bill fixed her heater free of charge and even shoveled the snow out of her drive-way for her. All in all Bill was a very nice person and he could be relied on in a pinch.

When Bill turned 26 his dad died of a heart attack and he inherited the junkyard and his father’s towing truck. According to the towns-folk, Bill hadn’t gotten along too well with his dad but he had attended the funeral all the same. Though most of Bill’s neighbors adored him there were other people who looked down on him for being “slow” and thought he was not quite right in the head. (The worst referred to him as "The big dumb indian".) Even though Bill was very intelligent his speech impediment created the illusion he was “challenged” mentally. But Bill didn’t care about any of the local gossip! He was happy fixing all manner of knick knacks, repairing automobiles, and even had time to paint beautiful murals on large sheets of metal with air brush cans when his other duties had been taken care of.

It was early august when Bill came across 2 kids smoking pot in his junkyard. Personally he had no problem with marijuana or loud music. After all, Bill liked Heavy Metal and had been known to smoke reefer himself. He saw it as a sacred medicinal herb and an aid to help him in vision quests when he needed ideas for what to paint. But the kids had been intimidated by Bill’s tall height and impressive physical stature. The boy ran but the girl with jet black hair hesitated. Her inquisitive hazel eyes darted across every contour of Bill’s muscled chest and thick corded arms before she smiled shyly and darted away in another direction.

At the end of the following month Bill saw the girl again. She was wearing high riding very revealing denim shorts and a torn T-shirt exposing her midriff. “So, all this yours?” She waved her arms, her grin mischievous yet very very sweet. “It was my dad’s…yeah…it has its’ own rustic charm….” Bill was surprised how clearly he had spoken to her. “Do you know students call you junk-man?” She leaned against the passenger door of his tow-truck. “They think you might be a serial killer or something…” Bill came upon her suddenly gripping one of her wrists. He knew he’d only get one chance to set her straight, to make a good impression so he looked her dead in her eyes as her lips quivered and her body squirmed. “And you came because you were bored and “hoped” it might be true? Someone as pretty as you shouldn’t dance with the devil and court death. For the record, I’m just a regular boring guy who fixes things…get out of here. I don‘t exist to entertain your frivolous imagination…” Bill felt bad when he saw tears mix with her mascara and run down her cheeks but he hoped his message had gotten through to her. Ever so gently he released her wrist. She was quick to bolt it out of there as fast as her legs could carry her.

Bill would be lying if he didn’t acknowledge a part of his heart ached as he watched her go. He assumed he’d never see her again but if he was able to teach her an important lesson it was for the best. A few more months passed. Bill had painted her from memory, unable to banish her from his thoughts. Since that day he had felt miserable. If he had been better at socializing he could have probably conveyed his point without hurting her feelings. At least he had been able to speak clearly to her. He could only do that around certain people…

He was startled out of his regrets by a loud banging on his trailer door. Hesitantly he turned the knob and opened the door. He recognized the boy in the hoodie. It was one of her friends. Something was wrong. He was breathing heavily and his eyes desperate. “Look bruh, I know you have no reason to help me but Rebeca is in trouble. Something “weird” happened at school. Some assholes picked on her…and she threw them by waving her arm…threw them without throwing them if that makes sense…fuck, anyway…buncha students accused her of witch-craft and chased her into this junk-yard…please…she’s my friend, junk dude…” Bill patted the boy reassuringly on the shoulder. “Let’s go….” With that Bill grabbed a flash-light and began looking for Rebecca with her friend in tow.

There were other lights too, those from the bicycles and cars of the other students parked close by. As luck would have it Bill found Rebecca, huddled and scared hidden within the metal frame of an old Mustang. “I’m sorry about last time Becca… Bill stammered as he gently reached out to her. Rebecca took Bill’s hand to help her up then hugged her friend. “Kai…..” she mumbled the boy’s name into his sleeve. “Yeah Bec, it’s me…now let’s get the hell out of here!” “Give her to us, Junk-man!” The boy wearing the varsity jacket jeered as he came around the corner, 6 of his buddies in tow. Each young ruffian held a thick chain or a bat, except the young girl who looked so scared she was practically shaking. “Jack, maybe we should just y’know, call the cops about what happened at school….” Her voice was barely a squeaky peep. Jack’s expression soured, his dark eyebrows knitting closer together. “Yeah Franny, cuz THE COPS can handle witch-bitch FREAKS like this Jewish whore, right!?”

Bill cursed himself for being foolish. If he had his shot-gun he could have threatened the other kids into stepping down whilst marching Rebeca and Kai safely out of there. Unfortunately he had error-ed on the side of pacifism, not wanting any accidental harm to come to the adolescents. “Climb up, guys!” Kai broke the silence, having scaled up a few of the old automobile wrecks. Reaching down, he helped up Rebeca and then they both reached down and hoisted up Bill. Indeed ,the ascent up the mountain of broken glass, bent plastic, pierced rubber, and twisted metal had slowed down their pursuers. Maybe they could make it to the tow-truck….maybe….

When going down the other side of the heap the foundation under the three suddenly gave way. A thin piece of sheet metal slid out and buckled, sending Bill, Kai, and Rebeca sprawling down a dangerous slope. Kai moaned as he hit the bottom. He was able to get shakily to his feet but his leg was bruised very badly and bleeding heavily beneath the skin. “At least it’s not brok….” Kai’s words caught in his throat.

Next to him both Rebeca and Bill were held together in a mangled embrace by the long rusty sharp piece of metal jutting out of the ground that had impaled them both. “I….painted you…” Smiling weakly, Bill spoke those words as his massive hand gently clasped Rebecca’s cheek. She smiled radiantly and tried to say something but a torrent of blood shot out of her mouth instead. When Jack caught up to Kai his resolve broke as he saw the tragedy unfolding in front of them. All he could utter was “Oh shit…” over and over again as if it was a holy mantra. Kai shook the bigger boy and backhanded him hard. “Call 911 you piece of garbage….NOW!” Jack looked shocked but followed Kai’s instructions as the other adolescents gathered around the dying duo.

****

Jack had made peace with himself. He sat in his rocking chair ,warmed by the fireplace’s embers that glowed a radiant orange in front of him. Reaching to his side he grabbed the poker and jabbed at the remaining piece of log a few more times before setting it down again.

The cabin was remote and had been passed down through the Hurlington family as their vacation retreat in the forest away from the daily bustle of the suburbs. Jack had fond memories of swimming in the river nearby and knew just about every trail going through the Glendale national forest like the back of his hand.

There was a crashing sound as the wooden door splintered and buckled, caving in on itself like flimsy cardboard. Jack didn’t even move. The apparition before him had to be at least 6 feet and 6 inches tall, it’s body muscular, its’ face hidden by some sort of animal skull. It’s only clothing was a leather hide that concealed the intimidating figure’s athletic legs. One hand clasped the hilt of a long and thick rusty blade that looked just as good for bludgeoning as it did for cutting. Jack recognized it as the piece of metal both Bill and Rebeca had fallen atop of when they had been chased by Jacky boy and his group of bully ruffian toadies decades earlier. The foolishness of his youth had finally caught up to him....

“Bill…..I know you have to…..but I want you to know……I regret what we did that night. What happened to you and Rebecca stayed with me all my days…We never got jail sentences or fines...it was chalked up to an accident...but no one truly escapes their karma do they?” Jack wept and trembled as he got to one knee, deliberately exposing his neck. Of all his friends he was the last one left. He was so tired of running. He wanted it to end. Bill’s blow was swift and strong, sending Jack’s head rolling into the far corner as his body collapsed into a heap.

Bill didn’t feel better…..he had not wanted to kill Jack or any of the other kids that had been there that night. Yet after his death he became a “necro-judge” and it was a necro-judge’s job to execute the guilty whom the earthly justice system could not or would not punish. Though neither he nor Rebeca had been killed by Jack’s hand directly, it had still been Jack and his posse who had chased them into the dangerous predicament that had ended their lives.

Shadow (Kai) was still at the back door, there in case Jack had tried running. He still looked much the same then again, those with elfen blood aged slower than typical humans. “Is it done, hot box?” It was Kai’s affectionate nick-name for Bill. After all, Bill did still smoke marijuana and peyote. When he did, smoke would billow out from the eye holes and nose holes of his bone mask.

Bill nodded mumbling. He in turn called Kai “Shadow” because when he had returned from the void, Kai had followed him around everywhere. Bill understood why. The one most important to both of them had died. All they had was each other. It was easy to become best friends under those circumstances.

Kai took a hit of his joint, watching the smoke mingle with the early morning fog. “We still have to investigate those rumors big guy…people say they have been seeing a ghost…and supposedly it looks just like Becky.” Bill had hoped Rebecca’s spirit had been able to move on and know peace but there were a lot of limbos for souls to get lost in. Perhaps something still kept Rebecca tied to the realm of the living as well. Assuming the sightings held any truth to them. “If she’s out there we will find her, Bill. But even if it‘s a random goose chase maybe we can still help some people…” Despite being immature and crude, Kai still knew just what to say to put Bill in a better mood. He sheathed his huge blade in the makeshift scabbard on his back as the two began walking towards Bill’s tow-truck parked off to the side of the road…..