The Renfield Syndrome by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 44

Upon leaving the woods of Peck Lake, Caspian turned right and began making his way further into the southern Adirondacks. The weather was getting warm, but he had the idea that it might be a bad idea to camp anywhere in the mountains without being adequately supplied. Caspian would have to stop somewhere that sold outdoor supplies. Driving north on Route 29, he passed through Caroga Lake, then 29A and 167 to Little Falls. Checking the map, he found Venture Fourth, a well-stocked camping store, and as luck would have it, they were open. Apparently, during the warmer months, the store opened earlier than most others in the area. Finding a parking spot was easy, and pulling into one near the front of the building, Caspian got out prepared to purchase whatever he needed. Thirty minutes later he returned to his car with the appearance of having bought out the entire store. Now he was ready to hide in the Adirondacks should the need arise, but after spending several nights sleeping on the back seat of his car, he was ready for a night of civilized rest.

Once again, examining the map, he discovered a hotel located on the edge of town and, starting his car, left the store’s parking lot. Not long after, he arrived at the parking lot of a Holiday Inn. He had never stayed at a hotel before but knew that this particular hotel had a reputation, and he was looking forward to a comfortable night’s sleep. He parked on the side of the building so as not to be easily noticed. The authorities were still searching for him, but without a picture and limiting their search to Fulton and Montgomery counties, the odds of being spotted near Little Falls were next to none. Walking through the front door, Caspian approached the desk and asked if a room was available. As luck would have it, he was able to check into their last room, and as he filled out the necessary paperwork, he was surprised to hear a news broadcast mentioning two nearly identical murders taking place in Johnstown. The details of the crimes were left out to prevent ‘copycat’ murders, but this left Caspian realizing the Fulton County authorities were casting a wider net. This is what happens when desperation sets in and their suspect can’t be found. Seeing this might set one into a panic, but knowing why this was being done left Caspian with a sense of ease that he likely might never be discovered.

But the broadcast had another effect, attracting the attention of everyone who walked into the lobby. Of course there were comments.

“I heard that guy tore those women apart,” one man claimed.

Another spoke up, introducing a bit of sanity.

“You don’t know that,” he said. “They’re not giving out any details to keep people from losing their shit.” Soon, a crowd had formed, with none knowing they were watching the broadcast with the individual responsible for these crimes. Caspian surmised that should they find out, he would likely have been beaten to death there in the lobby. To forestall any suspicion, he decided to leave for his room only when the broadcast ended and those watching would disperse. Human behavior is so predictable, and when any televised gore comes to an end, people lose interest, and soon the lobby was nearly empty, giving him the chance to retreat to his room. Once there, he was able to relax, and picking up the menu for the adjoining restaurant, ordered breakfast—two eggs, scrambled, bacon, sausage, Texas toast, and coffee. Of course, not wanting to go outside, he had his meal delivered to his door. This was the case for both lunch and dinner. Instead of venturing out, Caspian chose to remain in his room watching movies on the large flat-screen TV. Paging through the TV’s menu, he found a channel that carried old movies— perfect. He sat on the bed for hours watching old black-and-white movies, especially the old horror movies. Then the voice in his head spoke up. “Hey,” it said. “It’s time for another. I’m hungry.”

Caspian let his head down as though giving in to something he could not control.

“Now?” he said.

He had started talking to it, but only when he was alone. Should someone notice him in a one-sided conversation, they might believe he was quite insane. He was, but that was not the point. He constantly tried to hide his insanity to avoid any unwanted meeting with authorities. Most of the time the voice was silent, but occasionally it spoke up, demanding to be fed. Caspian never said no, but sometimes it was just a matter of timing, and most of the time was the wrong time.

He managed to push the voice back into his mind, allowing him to sleep. Later he would give it what it wanted, but only if he had a reason. The next morning, Caspian rose with the dawn, feeling the need to leave as soon as possible in order to escape the eyes of the public. Leaving his room, he took the elevator down to the lobby, where he began the checkout process. Behind him was a woman and her small child. In the midst of an argument, the child insisted on obtaining ice cream. This demand, of course, led to a verbally aggressive response.

“What the fuck did I tell you?” the woman said. “It’s too early for that. Now shut the fuck up!”

The clerk at the counter, having glanced up at what was clearly an escalating situation, did nothing and simply turned and walked back to the office behind the desk. The voice again made itself known.

“That one,” it said. “That cunt right there. I want her.”

Insisting again, the child’s demand was met with a slap across the face. This time Caspian became enraged as his mouth filled with a strange but familiar taste. Taking all of his strength to control his growing rage, he concluded the obviously unfit mother would in fact be his next target. Seeing her as deserving of what Caspian would soon unleash upon her, the voice returned.

“Yes,” it continued. “That’s the one. Some people just shouldn’t have kids. You know that, right, Caspian?” He remained silent as the child collapsed to the floor. This led the woman to speak punitively as she picked the child up by the arm. “Shut the fuck up and let’s get going!” A crowd gathered as she dragged the child out the door screaming as its nose began bleeding. Again, no one had taken action. Opening the door of her truck, she picked the child up and threw him into the passenger seat. As the child was still crying, the woman made a threat loud enough for everyone to hear.

“When we get back to camp, I’m going to beat your ass.”

Enough. Caspian could easily see this child growing up with his own monster, plagued with mental illness, possibly ending up dead or in prison. Caspian was soon to prevent such a miserable life and, in so doing, prevent his mother from producing more children only to abuse them as well. The voice was right. Some people just shouldn’t have children. Now, he would act as the hand of God, steering the woman’s life in a direction no one could have predicted.