chronicles of Clarity: agent Elmer Gardener

Chronicles of Clarity:1

Agent Elmer Gardener2

Lisa Hiatt3

Elmer Gardener never understood why people had to be so rude. He sat at his favorite chair watching the news and sharpened his shokra blades. He shook his head saying out loud caressing his blade lovingly, "Tsk, tsk, all the violence and crime on the six O'clock news today." He then continued with his work adjusted the magnifying glass attached to his spectacles. He examined the blades closely looking for nicks and chinks in the steel. Starting at the point his enlarged eyes followed down the 12 inch blade to the hilt of the shokra. Turning it over he started again making his way back up to the point. If either of them had a scratch he would discard the blades and replace it with a new one. In his spare time he would make more beautifully crafted blades engraving all of them with great detail. His one pride and joy were his five acres of land just outside town. He had converted the old red barn on the property into his studio. The discarded blades would be recycled. He then moved on checking to make sure the wrists straps were in working order. Sometimes the spring loading action would get stuck and the blades refused to spring forth. They needed oiling everyday to keep them in tip top shape. After all they were the tools of his trade, and he needed them to do their job. He fastened the blades back to the wrist straps and wiped his hands on a wet wipe. He bent to turn off the TV, as he did a brightly painted face flashed on the screen, he backed away from the horror, he dredged up the courage to pushed the button quickly to turn off the TV. He absolutely hated clowns with a passion. People who paint their faces or even pierce their faces have something to hid behind that mask. He said to himself. Coulrophobia, shivering feeling dirty he decided to shower. He pulled his glasses off his nondescript nose placing them with loving care on the table next to the blades. He carefully removed the paper coverall that kept his clothes from getting soiled. He folded it neatly and placed it in a plastic garbage bag and discarded it into the wastebasket. He then removed his clothes one by one folding them and placing them in the dirty clothes hamper. His mother always told him cleanliness was next to Godliness. She called him every Wednesday to see how he was coming along. She never really forgave him for moving out of her house. In a way he felt guilty, but she would never understand what he did for a living. It was for her own protection as well. He would hate to have to take her out over a simple misunderstanding. The misunderstanding being that, he was murdering for the government. Not really murder in his eyes just cleaning up after their mess. He stepped into the shower turning on the water and waited till the temperature was just right. He pulled the knob that turned the water to the shower head. Settling into his routine he started with his thinning black hair and made his way down. As he washed his body he checked for excess fat, bruises and scares. He soaped up his loofa-sponge and worked it up into a lather. Sliding it down one short leg and then the other. He wasn't a very tall man but he worked out routinely and prided himself on his physique. He then worked up to his chest. He always left his genitals for last because to him they were the most unclean on his body. He liked to take his time washing that part of his body anyway. 4

When he was done he turned the water off, grabbing the towel next to the shower and proceeded wiping himself off. Starting at his hair and working his way from his toes all they way up his body, again leaving his genitals for last. He always considered himself to be well endowed but with no experience to speak of, he more or less really didn't care. He thought women to be a waste of time. If he needed release he found his hand to be the perfect mate. Never being one to be wasteful, he kept his semen in little Tupperware jars with lids. He labeled each one lovingly with the date and time putting them in a special cooler he had rented in the back yard of his country home. For the times after he did his jobs he found that he needed to release. For each murder he had committed he would dedicate his release to them, in his mind he was replacing each life he took with his seed, for the repopulation of mankind.5

He dressed with his usual care, starting with crisp white socks, tighty whitey underwear and clean freshly bleached tee shirt. He then went to his dressing table and picked up a black comb to tame his wisps of salt and pepper black curls that sparsely covered his shiny bald head. He stared at his reflection taking in his plain brown eyes, his slightly thin lips and plain Joe features. Everything about him shouted nondescript. That is what made him such a chameleon. He could blend into any situation change his looks however with a fake nose, contacts, or fake hair he could be anyone. He carried his trusty briefcase with all his little changes and tools he needed to be a different person. Fake passports, licenses, names, ID, whatever he needed he kept in his briefcase. He was the perfect killer. He could disappear into a crowd and no one would be the wiser. He could go in looking like a blonde and leave looking like a drunken sailor. For years he had study the human anatomy, studying different cultures and accents. He was also educated in the fine art of Karate, Judo, and Tae kwon do. He could speak 17 different languages. At thirty-five that was quite an accomplishment.6

He gave up on his wisps of hair telling himself it is time for another haircut. Reminding himself not to go to that same shop where the stylist tried to made a styling faux pas out of his last haircut. He made sure that woman never cut hair again. He smiled to himself thinking back to that murder, that was one of his favorites:7

The morning dawned the same as any other though during his usual routine found he needed a haircut. He was due at an early engagement and noticed that he wouldn't be able to get to his favorite barber across town. He retrieved the local phone book and preceded to find a stylist within walking distance from the café he had breakfast at. He hated having to break his morning routine but sometimes emergencies arise. As after every meal he needed to go to the restroom. He gave the waitress a warning look, but she only gave him a strange look. He then took one last pull from his perfect coffee mixture before he headed to the lou. When he returned he noticed that his cup was full, his perfect mixture marred by topped coffee. Taking a small note book out of his breast pocket he added yet another name to his ever growing to-do-in list. He would have to take care of her later, he was in a rush. He held his anger in check not being one to swear or be rude. It would be a cold day in heck if I ever leave a tip for that waitress again, he said to himself as he paid his check and walked out looking for the stylist. 8

He entered the stylist just up the street from the café. The place smelled of stale perm chemicals. The florescent light blinked like a strobe periodically revealing the long crack across the ceiling. He had second thoughts about this place but his appointment was just hours away and he needed to take care of some unfinished business first. 9

"Come on in sweetheart. I just have an opening for you." The badly dyed red head said smiling. Elmer took a seat but with great reluctances. The place looked as if it hadn't seen a customer in weeks.10

"Don't be shy doll, I won't bite. I have an opening just for you. What can I do ya for?" She said snapping her gum near his ear.11

Her name tag said Alice but her breath said Jim Beam and Elmer striving to be polite refused to turn away in disgust. He found drinking and smoking to be the tools of the devil.12

"I want it cut precisely one eighth of an inch, no more no less." He said stiffly formal.13

"Doll I would love to do that, but you really don't have that much hair to do that for. Why don't I show you some of the gorgeous real hair pieces and take a few years off your looks to boot?" She said snapping her gum again.14

"No thank you! Just cut my hair and I will be on my way. And could you please stop popping your gum in my ear." He said growing more impatient by the minute.15

"Sorry doll!" She drawled continuing with her sarcasm. "I didn't know I was in the presence of such a tender ear." She spat her gum on the floor. It didn't even hit before she lay beside it. Elmer's movement was quick and sure, his shokras delivering a fatal blow to her heart. Her eyes open in shock a trickle of blood dribbling to the floor from her painted pink lips. Elmer had to work fast. He smiled as he quickly locked the door pulling the blinds turning the open/close sign to closed. He felt his usual rush of excitement as he dragged the cooling body of Alice to the back room. He propped her up on a leather chair. 16

From his briefcase he pulled out a paper coverall and quickly slipped it on. He grabbed the rubber surgical gloves and goggles. Carefully he began to scalp Alice. His blades so sharp, cut so cleanly that no blood splattered on his paper coveralls. He then took her body and lay it in the reclining shampoo chair with loving tenderness taking a towel and wrapping it around her head. He closed her eyes adjusting her legs in a more ladylike fashion and pulled her tight black spandex skirt down. He put one of the hair catching aprons on her. He cleaned the blood from the floor with some dark blue towels throwing them into the washing machine in the back room. He then took her scalped hair and arranged it on one of the many empty wig dummies propping it up next to the rest of the wigs. He stepped back smiling at his handy work. A person would not be able to tell that the hair was real, very real.17

He put green colored contacts in and changed his hair by putting on a wig from his brief case. He unlocked the door and switched the sign to open. When the load of towels were done, he threw them in the dryer. He took the coverall and emptied all the garbage together tying it up neatly and threw it away in the dumpster on his way out the back door. 18

Scanning the headlines in anticipation the next few days was rather thrilling. Two days after the murder, the headlines said that the police had no clues to this bizarre case. The beauty shop was on the verge of bankruptcy, no customers went into the shop. Her body wasn't found until the police did their rounds checking to see if all the doors on the block were locked at ten P.M. Elmer cut the article out of the paper and pasted it in his scrap book album. One page more and this album will be filled too. He glanced over to his book case and counted, this album would make thirty. Taking a gold star from the small box on another shelf he put it next to the article. He then paged through the book admiring all his handiwork. Only three other articles had gold stars marked as his favorite jobs. He sighed and carefully closed the album. I guess I am just getting too picky as I get older. Smiling at his own mirth.19

He hadn't received a call for a job in nearly a week, he if anything, found himself to be thorough. He took out the to-do-in list out of his breast pocket. He had one name on his list. He worried nevertheless even though he knew he would have more people on his list by the end of the day. Odd numbers just would not do. 20

This woman had been bothering him, the waitress at the café. He traced her down to a single woman living in subsidized apartment complex down town. He found her to be rather promiscuous because of her flirtatious manner to all the customers in the café. It wouldn't be hard to get a date with her to gain access into her home.21

Working for the government had its perks. Elmer found it convenient to get any records of anyone through the computer data base network at the pentagon. Her name was Florence Marie Johnson, age thirty and single. Elmer jotted the information in his notebook. No one questioned his authority, he had access to any information because of his high security clearance. He didn't see it as abusing his authority, he always seemed to justify in his own mind the reasons why he murdered. In this case it was a crime of unauthorized coffee topping. He knew that a lot of people felt the same way he did. He felt it was his moral obligation to vindicate those who remain silent in the face of such injustices.22

Elmer decided to take his time with Florence. He'd been watching her apartment for the last three days. She had had a date with three different guys each time he'd been there watching. He started going back to the café for breakfast flirting with her when the situation arose. She wasn't bad looking, and Elmer was feeling like he will miss her when he finally finishes his job. 23

"Hello Florence, how are you today?"24

"Well hello Elmer honey, You sure have been in a lot lately. What can I do ya for this morning?" Florence said a little saucily. Her flirty behavior made Elmer a little sick to his stomach and he forgot how he felt earlier.25

"I think I'll have my usual and don't forget please for Pete's sake don't top my coffee." Elmer said impatiently.26

"All righty then!" rolling her eyes as she spoke, "One half bagel and cream cheese, black coffee and creamer on the side coming right up sweetie," Florence smiled brightly. Elmer stopped her retreat by touching her arm, "Florence, do you ever get tired of this Café food? How about I fix you a home cooked meal at your house this weekend?" Elmer said trying to show genuine interest squeezing her arm gently.27

"Well that is the best offer I have had in a long time. That would be great. How about Saturday at six?" she said patting his hand.28

"That would be great I will see you then." Elmer said squelching a moment of repulsion at her touch. He let go of her arm a little bit to quickly, he cover it with a quick smile looking away shyly. She smiled in kind and turned back towards the kitchen to get his order. My, he is a shy one, she thought as she walked away. Elmer watched her retreat, the shy smile slowly turned cunning.29

The next morning, Elmer knew he couldn't go to Florence's house empty handed. He needed to go grocery shopping anyway, deciding he would pick up something just for show to take to Flo's. When he had cased her apartment earlier, he noticed she needed a few things for cleaning. When he would take care of her that night, he knew it would get messy and she didn't have any real cleaning supplies. He hated grocery shopping, people were always so rude. He finally consoled himself to the fact that his to-do-in list was getting low on names and he hated having less then two names on his list. It was a matter of always having even numbers on his list. An odd number would never do.30

The store was crowded as always and Elmer's bad day started right when he tried to park. A little red Corvette pulled into his parking spot after he had waited nearly five minutes for the previous car to pack their groceries in the trunk. He looked away for only a moment as the other car pulled away when the Corvette pulled in shortly after. He pulled his notebook out and jotted the license number down. A young woman about twenty-three got out of her car and waved at Elmer. Oh for Pete's sake, dog gone, dog gone, he murmured to himself taking the empty spot farthest from the store entrance. He really did need the exercise. He entered the store with a scowl that had the bag boy running for cover. Elmer grabbed his cart and tried desperately to wheel it straight down the aisle. One wheel wobbled but before he could exchange it for the last remaining one a young man grabbed the cart and made a mad dash a head of Elmer. At this point his temper was almost getting the best of him. He needed to try to calm down. He inhaled deeply and continued on his way. He took his grocery list out of his breast pocket and read through his list. He was just coming up to the eggs. The last dozen eggs stared back at him, he reached down to take them but another hand was faster. She smiled a mischievous Cheshire cat grin and continued with her shopping. He shook off the dark cloud that seemed to be covering his head and moved on to his next item on his list. He found aisle five and looked on the shelf for noodles. He was so busy looking intently he nearly ran into the red Corvette woman's butt blocking the aisle. He couldn't get around her. The guy that had taken the last cart was on the other side. They were so deep in conversation they ignored all that was going around them. "Excuse me?" Elmer politely said his hands tightened on his shopping cart.31

The two continued ignoring him. "Excuse me!" He said a little more firmly.32

The guy turned to him and gave him an evil look. "Just hold your horses there buddy, can't you see we're talking here? Go around the other aisle."33

Elmer turned his cart around vowing he would kill that guy slow and painfully. He would have to keep an eye out for the guy at the register so he could follow him to his car for his license plate. After Elmer plopped the last item into his cart he headed to the register. He notices that same woman that had taken the last dozen eggs put an item back on the wrong shelf.34

"Excuse me miss, that doesn't belong there. Maybe you should put it back. I am sure that the store would appreciate it." Elmer said politely.35

"Who are you? The food police? Drop dead why don't you." She said turning away in a huff.36

No but you will for Pete's sake. He said to himself. He noticed her full cart and knew he would be done before her in the line. He would wait and see where she parked to take her license number down. He headed to the ten items or less register only to have the hotshot guy who took the last cart budge in front.37

"You definitely have more then ten items sir, you should really go to the other register." Elmer said in his polite manner.38

"Give me a break buddy I am in a hurry. Who are you anyway? I have an important meeting at the Regency Hotel in a hour." He said dismissively. He turned back to the register and paid his bill. 39

Elmer hurried and paid for his groceries. He followed close behind the guy and saw him get into a gray Chevy pick-up and pull away. Elmer jotted the number and the make of the pick-up in his notebook. He then loaded his groceries in the back seat of his silver 2003 Oldsmobile. His pride and joy. He checked it for scratches everyday. He then went to return his cart. The woman that wouldn't put her item back came out at that moment he pushed the cart into the corral. He watched her push her cart to an older station wagon and put the groceries in the back. He took out his notebook and wrote her number down as well. He rolled his eyes and took a deep breath, all this work and so little time. He smiled and began to whistle, all was right with the world. He had four names on his list.40

Saturday morning dawned bright and shining. Elmer awoke with renewed energy. Today was his date with Florence, he had to make everything perfect. Everything had to go down without a hitch. He knew her routine backwards and forwards. Tonight would be the last night she would ever top someone's coffee again. He had to come with the necessary groceries, his briefcase and not raise her suspicions. 41

The clock seemed for Elmer to creep along till it was five o'clock. He took his time packing his briefcase. This was going to be a very special night. He gathered the grocers and by the time he was done it was time to leave for Florence's. He arrived twenty minutes early a nice round number. He gathered his load and walked up the two flights of stairs to her apartment. He needed the exercise anyway he hadn't been to the gym in weeks and he noticed a little spare tire starting to inflate around his usually flat stomach when he showered that morning. The climb gave him a little thrill. His heart was beating at a steady clip when he knocked on her door. Her neighbors seemed to keep to themselves. He knew from his observations that the neighbor to her left worked nights and the one on her right was gone on vacation. The apartment across the hall was vacant and the other two apartments were elderly couples who were hard of hearing. The building itself was built in the early sixties. The walls and the floors were better sound proof then the newer ones of today. He knew that no one would hear a thing. He felt confident that he would be able to do his business and not get caught.42

Florence answered the door on the third knock an odd number. Elmer thought that this could be a bad sign. He almost backed out when the door flew open to the pungent smell of lilacs. Her long blonde hair hung to her shoulders in a silvery cloud. She wore a silky red Kimono with a black sash tied around her small waist. He swallowed a nervous lump in his throat, she was pretty in a slutty sort of way. 43

"Hello Elmer honey, come on in and take a load off, would you like a beer doll?"44

"No thank you I don't drink. I'll just put this in your kitchen. I will need to get supper started if we are going to eat in a hour."45

"Here let me help you with that. You planning on working with that case your carrying?" She said smiling reaching for his briefcase. 46

"I've got it you just go sit in the living room. I can find my way around the kitchen. No, I just couldn't trust to leave it in my car. Would you like a beer I can get you one and you can relax while I get supper ready?"47

"Boy this is really a treat! Yes I would like that a lot. I don't mind if I do. My feet are killing me from being on them all day."48

"Where can I put these?" He said holding the box farther from his body in question. He pretended to stumble and almost drop the box.49

"Right a head of you through that door. You better put that down soon or you might drop it." Florence said pointing.50

Elmer didn't need to be told where the kitchen was. He knew her apartment from top to bottom. He had been in it several times already when she wasn't home. That was his style. He needed to make her feel at ease. Fumbling around was part of what made him so trusting and deadly.51

He watched as Florence settled on the couch, he placed the box of groceries and his briefcase on the counter in the kitchen. He took a cold brew from the refrigerator, taking out a glass he placed both on the counter. Reaching over to his briefcase opening it, trying to be quite with the latches. He pulled a small vile out and poured the contains into the beer glass followed by the beer. He waited till the power dissolved swirling the beer in the glass. 52

"How's my beer coming in there Elmer honey?" Florence called from the living room.53

"Coming right up!" Elmer called back taking the glass and left the kitchen. 54

"There you are! I was almost about to call out the troupes!"55

"Sorry I just had trouble finding a glass."56

"It would have been okay straight out of the bottle. Nothing beats a good cold one right out of the bottle."57

"That seems so archaic! I think a glass is more ladylike, and you deserve to be treated like a lady!" Elmer said smiling to cover his insult.58

"How is supper coming along?" She thinly smiled.59

"It will be ready in about forty-five minutes, now you just relax and drink up." He stayed to watch as she tipped the glass for one long drink. She saluted him with the glass as she put it on the coffee table she smacked her lips in satisfaction. 60

Elmer returned to the kitchen he began to scrub, banging cupboards and clanging pans. He hoped that the noise would make her think that he was cooking. He cleaned about twenty minutes than peeked out of the kitchen door. She was asleep on the couch. He went over to where she lay and brushed a stray hair from her forehead. He wanted to make this as painless as possible.61

When Elmer was finished he wiped his sweat from his brow with a bleached white handkerchief. He looked around at his handiwork and smiled. When he left her he wanted to make sure that the stubs of her arms would drain into the toilet. He arranged her dress and hair in a more ladylike fashion. He placed her hands in a plastic bag tying it in a knot. He would take it with him and dispose of them in the river or burn them somewhere out in the county. He had tied her to the toilet so that she wouldn't fall off. He then scrubbed the rest of the bathroom. As he cleaned he thought to himself, Dang, Florence was a very messy woman. 62

The paper came out on Tuesdays so Elmer kept mostly to himself until Tuesday morning rolled around busying himself making new blades in his shop. He bought the paper and went to Florence's café for his morning ritual breakfast.63

"Good morning Elmer, missed you yesterday. Have you heard about Flo?"64

Florence's friend and fellow waitress whispered in a conspiratorial voice leaning too close to Elmer. Her body odor nearly blasted a hole in his sinuses.65

"No! I have been out of town. I just got back early this morning."66

"It's all over the paper. The boss was going to close the café, you know to mourn her passing, but it would have cost him too much to close down for the day. That old tight wad." She said dabbing at her eyes with napkin she pulled out of her bra.67

Elmer looked down at her name tag trying to muster up some sort of shock and sympathy. "I am sorry to hear about this I need to read the paper. Give me a minute before taking my order. Okay Nancy?"68

She nodded her head and turned to leave, turning back as if she forgot to say something, "You know, I could have swore she said she had a date with you Saturday night." 69

"We did but when I got there I thought she stood me up, she didn't answer her door. If I would have known maybe I could have saved her." He lowered his head and shook it.70

"It's probably best that you didn't. You could have been killed too," Nancy then turned and left Elmer in peace to read the paper. 71

He thought of what she had said and wondered to himself if she had just insulted him in someway. He decided to read the newspaper instead. People were just plain rude. 72

His next kill on his to-do-in list was going to be harder to be creative to pull off. He called in the license and make of the red Corvette. She was April Marie Jenkens, age twenty-three, just married. The way she was flirting up to the other guy in the supermarket made Elmer finally understand why he never married. Women just couldn't be trusted. It's not that he didn't like them far from it, they were like snakes pretty to look at but deadly to hold. Besides Elmer was already married to his job and to get married would be like being unfaithful. He gave one-hundred-percent to his job. He didn't think he could share himself with a woman and his job equally.73

He pulled up to the hotel where April worked as the manager. It was on the nicer side of town. He noticed her red Corvette in the parking lot. It was 11:45 AM, his stomach was growling but he ignored it in favor of watching the hotel. At about half passed 12PM. he saw April leave. She climbed into her car not even looking or using her turn signal racing out of the parking lot. She was a very dangerous driver in Elmer's eyes. She weaved in and out of traffic. Elmer noticed as she drove, she put on mascara with one hand and with the other brushed her flaxen hair. It was a miracle she didn't kill herself before Elmer could do his duty. He tried to stay at least two car lengths behind her worrying that she might cause an accident killing innocent bystanders. The longer she stayed on the road the easier it was for Elmer to come up with a diabolical plan how to take care of this loose cannon on the road.74

After a week of surveillance on April, Elmer decide to put his plan into action. Her husband worked Monday thru Friday until six thirty. She always came home for lunch. He decided that lunch would be the perfect opportunity to take care of business.75

Parking the telephone van across the street at 12:30PM he made his way to April's nice split level home on Cedar Avenue. She was so oblivious to danger she didn't pay attention to details around her, Elmer watched her pull into her garage. He scratched his moustache lip, and followed in a few minutes later dressed as a telephone repair man closing the garage door behind him. During his surveillance time he noticed that there was an order in for some phone repair. The telephone company were bonded, they were allowed into people's home when they weren't at home. The order was in for a five o'clock repair. He could easily take care of business and be gone before anyone could do anything for her. She turned when the back door opened, She didn't know what hit her. One minute she was about to bit into her tuna sandwich and the next she was on the floor. He dragged her unconscious body into the garage. He propped her up in the driver's seat. He pulled a syringe from his work overalls pocket and injected April. She won't wake up. In one hand he put a mascara brush balancing it on the steering wheel while the other he placed on the signal handle. Turning on the signal. He straitened her flaxen hair knowing she liked to be neat and organized. He started the engine. 76

Returning to the kitchen he cleaned up the tuna sandwich on the floor wrapping up the remains on the counter labeling it and put it in the refrigerator. He then washed the dishes and put them away. There was no use wasting food or leaving dirty dishes for the mice. He even fixed the phone before he left, locking the front door behind him.77

Monday morning Elmer was awaken by a phone call. " Agent Gardener you have a knew directive. You are to make observations on a woman called Clarity Wolf."78

"Clarity Wolf sir? As in Frank Wolf's daughter? What am I looking for?"79

"Yes the master sergeant's daughter. Watch her closely. If she is anything like her father we could use her."80

"Where should I began?" Elmer asked.81

"Start with the Women in chess magazine. Read about what she is capable of doing. Keep a close eye on her. Do not approach her, this is strictly observation only. Am I understood, agent Gardener?" Elmer's superior ordered.82

"Yes sir! Understood!" Elmer said staring at the phone when it suddenly went dead. The last two names would have to wait. His job took precedence over his personal vendettas.83

After several weeks of watching Clarity Wolf, he found himself totally intrigued by her. She was just like, if not more powerful then her father but that wasn't for him to judge. She was absolutely amazing with her psychic abilities. He found out with his surveillance that she had tried to quit her job but her boss Rebecca Nelson had talked her into just a leave of absence. Clarity subletted her apartment and moved into her grandfather's condo. Elmer decided to bug her grandfather's condo that would be another way to further his surveillance on her. Over the months he finally found out her big secret, she was pregnant. It didn't really surprise him much women like Clarity were always in trouble with their promiscuous ways. The father was another operative named David Cherub. He too would need to be watched he could be a problem later for Elmer. What he couldn't understand was why she wouldn't tell David, but it was none of his business. 84

He finally understood why she wanted to protect the child she carried if she was psychic and her father was, her child could be too and that was worth looking into. He would report his finding and just do his job. The hours and hours of tapes he collected gave him some sort of warped sense of right to invade her life. He would listen to the conversations over and over with her grandfather. He never realized what a bastard her father was, but what can he say about it. He was only a flunky for the government. 85

After Clarity had the child she gave her up for adoption. Elmer had a heck of a time finding Clarity's child Radiance. He finally tracked down the adoptive parents and decided she would need to be watched as she grew.86

After the baby was born, Clarity started coning innocent chess players shortly after hooking up with a hustler named, Luke Brolin. After she grew bored with that she worked her way up to chess tournaments. Her psychic abilities gave her such an out right advantage that Elmer almost felt sorry for the other players. 87

David Cherub seemed to be everywhere at once. Elmer was feeling like he had no room to breath, David would have to be eliminated. Clarity had been invited to the Russian Cultural Center to play the top chess players from Russia. It was an elimination match with some of the top players of the United States and Russia. Elmer watched as one by one Clarity eliminated her opponents like casualties of war. The look on her face intense. David watched her like a hawk. Elmer decided that he could probably make quick work of eliminating David and know one would be the wiser in a crowd like this. He could slip up behind him and slice right through his kidneys quietly. Elmer felt someone watching him and turned to see Clarity with her bright green intense eyes. The look in her eyes told him she knew who he was. As he walked over to David she got up to follow. David turned just as he reached him. He already knew what Elmer was going to do. He grabbed Elmer's arm they struggled. Elmer lunged, slicing David on his side he went down. As Elmer bent to finish David off, Clarity reached his side taking his outstretched wrist. "You don't want to do that Elmer." She knew his name and his arrogance crumpled, "Get away from me you freak! Don't touch me!" He whined like a child. 88

"Now Elmer, I know what frightens you, don't hurt David." She continued in her calm gentle voice.89

Elmer backed away, looking around the room everyone was smiling at him their faces brightly painted. In his mind everyone was a clown.90

"That's…. That's, impossible. You did this!" He said panic stricken, his professionalism had abandoned him, he hadn't retracted his blades and they stuck out at Clarity like an accusing finger. 91

"Clowns, Clowns I hate clowns." Elmer backed away waving his arms in front of him. The chess players seemed to close in on him. Their brightly colored faces still smiling their hideous grin. As he waved his arm he cut a deep slice in his cheek he didn't seem to notice turning and ran from the building screaming. He looked down the street at everyone, their faces grotesquely painted and wearing bright florescent blue suits, people all dancing or riding by on their unicycles with pink giant shoes coming closer and closer. "Hey dude, are you okay?" a clown with orange hair asked him laughing in Elmer's face with his surfing attitude. Elmer's mouth gaped open but no sound escaped he turned and ran down the street stopping for a moment to look in the store glass window, a reflection of a clown stared back at him. He backed into the street in horror a stream of urine warmed his pants leg but he didn't seem to notice. He continued backing up, as he did he tripped coming off the curb, sending him into the street. He landed face first and stayed down. When the on looks turned him over they saw that he had impaled himself with his shokra blades. Blood had pooled on his lips, smearing them into a bright clown smile. His eye's fixed open staring, clowns chasing him into his after-life.92