“Are we going for a ride?” Todd said.
“Yes, we’re going to go see the manifestation of our Alien Lord Jesus Christ at the movie theater, if we can get through the crowd.”
“Hoo boy, there’s a crowd?”
“It was pretty thick when we passed by there before.”
“Where’d Jaime go, by the way?”
“I don’t know or care.”
Clare hadn’t driven in a while and found the big car rather hard to maneuver. Todd’s head sat on the seat next to her, gore seeping out from his neck. She’d been slightly surprised when he began to answer her back, at first in murmurs but then in full sentences. Soon the dead would be out of their graves for Resurrection. Could be Todd was an early bird.
Being Todd, he was as snarky as ever, though sometimes he would fall silent for long stretches. But then, it was also like Todd to pretend he didn’t hear her when she was pointing out something to him he didn’t want to acknowledge. It might be partly because he was embarrassed to have fucked up so badly, but he could at least admit she’d been right all along.
“She was a long-haired redhead, wasn’t she?” Of course she was. Busty, long-legged, and dumb, that’s what he went for. Giggled a lot, probably. Every time they’d go out in the old days, if there was a redhead like that somewhere, he’d fix on her and moon. Especially if the slut was walking around and wiggling her butt. That always got him. Of course, the Qwiff assigned to seduce him would take the form of a bimbo of the type he went for. Clare felt sorry for him, but the fact he wasn’t responding to her question was starting to make her really mad.
“So, was it fun? Your little wild time with Red? Did the carpet match the drapes? Or wasn’t there a carpet?” She didn’t mean to say that vulgar thing, it just slipped out.
“Don’t be vulgar,” he said. “You and your old hangup about redheaded girls.” His voice was distant, and his mouth didn’t move. Well, at least that got him to talk.
“I told you this was going to happen, didn’t I? But no, I was crazy. That wacky Clare. She always was nuts, but she really went bonkers when she got into UFOs.”
“I never said that,” said Todd.
“But you thought it, didn’t you? Like I didn’t know what you thought. Well, you’re going to see how right I was about everything.” She feared for a moment he might mention the baby, but no, he wouldn’t. Wouldn’t dare.
“What do you mean? Where are we going?”
“Haven’t you heard about the big event down at the Mirror?”
“The marathon?”
“No, not the marathon! The manifestation! The one I told you was coming.”
“You mean… the big J?” It was just like him to say something sarcastic in a real deadpan way like that.
“His name is Jesus Christ, and yes, that’s what I mean. His image manifested on your mural.”
“You mean… on the wall there? With the flying saucer?”
“It’s right underneath the flying saucer. That’s why you couldn’t finish it. It was going to be finished for you.”
“I couldn’t finish fucking anything.” His usual self-pity, but somehow there was a finality to it now that hadn’t been there before.
“Well, you should see it now. In fact, we’re going to, that’s where we’re going.”
“I’m not going to be able to see it. I’m dead.”
“Oh, shut up! If you’re dead, how come you’re talking to me?”
“Clare. You’d better not take me there and be seen carrying me around and talking to me in public.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m a fucking severed head and I’m dead. They’ll put you in the looney bin for good this time.”
“I don’t care, because Jesus is back, like I told you, though you won’t even admit that I was right.”
He sighed. “What you told me was some crazy shit about UFOs and aliens who try to eat your brain or something.” This made her angry again because it was exactly what he had said before she left.
“Your brain,” she sneered, imitating his lazy drawl. “Eat your brain. I never said any such thing.” It occurred to her he now had a big hole in his skull, and in fact, glop that was presumably brain matter was dripping out of his head, partly because he was leaning at an angle with the hole turned downward.
She righted it. That was only his physical brain anyway, not his spiritual mind. But all at once, she felt terrible and stifled a sob. She decided she should still be mad at him, though.
“So was it fun while it lasted, debauching your little demoness from Hell?” She felt this was a little nasty even as she said it.
“Look, what did you expect? I was lonely.”
She was about to say something about how he had Hobie Lautenschlager’s porno movies to keep him company, but that seemed pretty nasty as well. She glanced down at him again but found she had to look away so she wouldn’t whimper. The wound in the side of his head was hideous, and the gore leaking from the jagged bottom of his neck was now dripping down the front of the car seat. She really ought to have looked for some kind of container to carry him in.
“I suppose it’s all my fault then,” she said.
“I never said it was your fault.” That was true, he hadn’t come out and said it, exactly. But she knew he’d thought it.
“I left because I couldn’t stand it anymore. Couldn’t stand seeing what you were doing to yourself. Destroying yourself and destroying me too.”
“I don’t blame you for leaving. I never did. Okay?”
Just as Clare was about to answer, she saw a girl standing by the side of the road, up ahead. The girl was slender, wore a tight black dress with black fishnet hose and had spiky black hair. Clare thought right away she could be a witch and maybe from A.O.A. She could even be the Qwiff herself in disguise. Her hair could be dyed. In fact, it looked dyed, it was too black. Though as they drew closer, it became plain she wasn’t busty but had little a-cup breasts at best. She might even be someone Clare was intended to meet at this important juncture.
“Why are you slowing down?” said Todd’s head.
“That girl hitchhiking,” she said. “Is that her?”
“I can’t see anybody.”
“I’m going to pick her up.”
“Don’t pick up hitchhikers, for Christ’s sake.”
“Don’t blaspheme.”
She pulled over and stopped by the girl, who didn’t smile or nod, but just opened the front passenger door. Todd sighed, but didn’t say anything more.
Seeing the head on the seat, the girl hesitated. Clare thought she might scream, but instead she shrugged, closed the door, opened the door to the back seat and got in.
“Thanks,” the girl said, and plunked down. “Wow, a four door. Don’t see these very much anymore.”
Clare started down the road again. She was sorry she’d picked her up because now she was reluctant to talk to Todd in front of her. It hadn’t occurred to her before that this would be a problem. In fact, though she’d picked the girl up partly to spite him, he may have urged her not to because he figured it would come out this way, and he wouldn’t have to talk. In fact, when she glanced down at him, his face seemed to bear the trace of a smirk.
“So who’s your friend?” said the girl from the back, calmly.
“My ex,” said Clare.
“Ha-ha! Yeah. I guess so.”
“Actually, we’re just separated, not divorced.”
“So where are we going?”
“We’re heading downtown.”
“Great, that’s where I’m going.” The girl leaned back and hummed to herself, pulled a compact out of her pocket, opened it and waggled her head around, looking at herself in the compact’s mirror. She wore a lot of make-up, the same as any slut did.