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TO REIGN IN HELL

Part One

By Sean Lennon

 

            Seth Barlowe looked down the subway car and saw it filled with nothing but dead bodies.  That’s all he saw wherever he went somewhere.  Bodies, covered in their own blood, posed in positions that he created for them.  Such as now, he saw the man across from him holding his intestines in his own hands.  A look on his face would show that he was still alive when he first started holding them.  And the woman next to him would have her blood mark up her face, like makeup.  Her arms and legs would be devoid of any skin, revealing muscles and tendons.  He smiled at the way his imagination came to life.

            Barlowe’s mind was always thinking of things like that.  It was in his nature.  It was in his genes.  He, like most killers, was born into murder and shedding blood.  It was the reason he was put on this earth.  Not by God, but by his hated enemy.  The Prince of Darkness had the power of spawning his own kind just like “the man upstairs”.  Barlowe figured that was why God had cast down Lucifer from the heavens.  Lucifer came across the fact that he, too, could bring life like his Creator.  And so, the battle for souls began.  Barlowe knew when he was young what his calling was to be.  He knew that day he accidentally killed a neighborhood cat with a sharp rock.  As he watched the life fade from the animal’s body, he felt the power.  It was beautiful to him. 

            By the time he reached his mid-teens, Seth had killed just about every neighborhood stray as well as a couple of personally owned pets.  And then his religion teacher has explained the history behind Lucifer and Seth knew why he was so enthralled by death.  He was born a soldier of the Prince of Darkness.  And so his mission in life began.  And what better way to kick it off than with a preacher of God.  His religion teacher died a week after the lesson.  And he was never suspected.  He was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

            It wasn’t until recently that he knew he had to somehow show thanks to his Dark Creator for the power he had been given.  After serious thought, Barlowe found a plan that was perfect.  The death of innocence was the perfect gift.  And what better than to use male infants whose names began with the letters of the Dark Prince’s name.  Seth was almost complete with his gift.  After the last murder of young Ernie Faltos, he had but one more to go before it was all done.  He thought back to two nights ago when he entered the apartment belonging to Ernie and his single mother, Michelle.  A smile spread across his face, remembering the swift kill of Michelle Faltos before he moved on to the sacrifice of her son.  Everything had gone so well, he was sure that Lucifer was proud of this soldier.  The way her blood sprayed from the wound in her neck was beauty in motion to him.  It was simply glorious.

            And now all he needed was the last letter.  He knew it wouldn’t be hard to find a child with a name that began with the letter R.  Well, it was definitely easier than finding the German boy, Udo, for the second kill.  That had been a true test.  But he had succeeded, in the name of the Prince.  And that following morning, he glowed like a woman-bearing child.  But his was an evil force swirling in his gut.

            Little did Seth Barlowe know, today would be his lucky day.  All he had to do was miss his stop and he would find the one to bring completion to his twisted gift.

 

            Billy Gambino smelled the death permeating from everything in the apartment.  He stood in the center of the living room that once belonged to Michelle Faltos and her infant son.  But this was no longer true.  Only their ghosts remained in the dark place. 

            Billy was the detective assigned to the case of the Baby Butcher.  That was the name the media had given the killer who murdered infant males and sacrificed them in a satanic manner.  And every murder was worse than the one before.  But that wasn’t the worst part.  Billy still was unable to find a link to the victims.  There was no rhyme or reason to the choosing of those that had been killed.  None of the mothers knew each other nor did they frequent any specific places, like most cases have.  This killer had some plan of picking the ones he did, but it was unclear to Billy at the time. 

            Gambino stood alone and took a deep breath before walking through the steps of the murder.  It was something that he did best.  Of course it had disturbed his ex wife to the point where she had to find solace in his partner.  Once Billy found out about the affair, he walked into the large office and pummeled his partner.  His chief knew the talent in Gambino and did not want to lose that, so instead of suspending him, he had Billy turned into a loner cop.  But the chief just hoped that Gambino would not delve deeper into the darkness of the job because he had no one to keep him floating on the surface.

            “Suspect entered the apartment without force,” Billy spoke aloud to the mini recorder in his left hand.  “Most likely, he innocently convinced the mother to trust him in opening the door.  Suspect seems charming and friendly in appearance.  Once inside, his true nature comes to life.  He probably put a scare into her at first.  He makes her back up in fear of him and then before the mother can call out for help, he strikes.  Autopsy shows deep slice in left side of mother’s neck.  Cut is made from middle bottom to upper left in an upward strike.  Wound shows that the killer is right handed.”  Billy closed his eyes and continued with the profile of the murder.

            “Mother then panics and moves back and to the left.  West and North walls are covered in blood spray.  This shows that this is where the artery has been severed.  Blood spray from neck ends up on walls and couch, located against the north wall.  Bloody handprints on the couch and the bookcase on the east wall show that the mother was still alive and aware of her surroundings.  She attempted to get away, also trying to reach her child, Ernie, who was in the bathtub at the time.  Hall between couch and bookcase leads to bedroom and bathroom.  Mother tried to close the wound with her hands but needed to hold onto walls for support.

            “Prints lead to bedroom where mother tried to reach the phone to call for help.  This shows the killer standing back and watching his victim die, proving that he is finding pleasure in all this.  This is a power play to him.  Mother never makes it to the phone, located on right side of bed.  Victim collapses on her side in front of the bed.”  Billy stood in the doorway of the bedroom and stared at the thin chalk outline of the mother’s position in death.

            Continuing, Billy leaves the bedroom and enters the bathroom at the end of the small hall.  “Killer then heads for the child.  Puddles of water on the tiled floor shows a struggle to pull the child from the bathtub.  Hallway also shows evidence of dragging child to the living room where the second murder took place.  Coffee table and throw rug are moved aside to reveal wood floor.  In the center of the room in same cow’s blood, used in the previous murders, is a circle containing a pentagram.  Also, there are six black candles placed on the circle itself.  The child was then place in the circle and had both wrists cut.  Death of child resulted in loss of blood.  Entire scene took place in five minutes.  Killer had planned the murder and possibly even scouted the apartment before hand.

            “Apartment has been searched for evidence by forensics and little has yet to be found.”  Billy pressed the stop button and ran his eyes over every inch of the living room.  There had to be some evidence that the killer was here and that evidence would explain who he was or what he did.  But he knew that the living room had been run through with a fine toothed comb.  It was where the killer had spent the most of his time, while in the apartment.  He knew that only the killer would feel comfortable was where he could be personal with the victims.  The mother died in the bedroom, so he headed there first. Once there, he approached the outline and crouched down.  Billy ran his gloved fingers through the dried blood inside the outline. 

            Unconsciously, Billy reached his right hand out and leaned against the wall.  He stopped suddenly, realizing what he was doing.  The wall had been untouched by the printing crew.  He rushed into the living room and retrieved his finger printing kit.  Five minutes later, Billy had found two fingerprints.

 

            Seth was lost in the remembrance of the previous murder that he completely missed his stop.  As the doors closed, he cursed to himself.  Looking around in disgust of himself for getting wrapped up, he soon realized that the Dark Prince has purposely made him daydream.  For, in the center of the train car, sat an amazing creature and her pretty little male spawn.  He held his breath, hoping that the infant’s name would be Richard or Ralph or Ronald.  He watched and listened intently, not caring if he seemed obsessively interested in the woman and her baby.  After all, he really was.

            An older woman sat beside the mother.  On her was a leather jacket with strands of leather running down the side of her sleeves.  The baby had found amusement in playing with the strands.  The woman had taken notice and smiled.

            “My, you’re a cutie!  What’s your name honey?” the older woman asked the child.  Stupid sow, Seth thought, he’s too young to speak his name, let alone know it!  

            “Tell her it’s Ray,” the mother said to the infant on her lap.  Barlowe screamed for joy inside his head.  RAY!  The final piece to the gift.  He had found it without any problems.  Lucifer was certainly looking out for him this day. 

            That was it, Barlowe was done.  All he needed was to follow the woman to her apartment and then strike fast and hard.  Once the infant was sacrificed, Barlowe was guaranteed a place at Lucifer’s head table.  And that was the mission in his life.  To impress the Prince of Darkness to the point where he went from soldier to General.

It was only a matter of time now.  Success was in his sights and death was in the mother and son’s future.

 

TO BE CONTINUED…….

 

 

Part Two

By Sean Lennon

 

            Seth stood outside the apartment building where Ray and his mother lived.  He had kept a close eye on the apartment number that she was at, when she retrieved her mail.  He held his doctor’s bag, containing all his tools, in his right hand.  His left hand held an empty pizza box that he had plucked from a garbage can on the way to the apartment building.  He was anxious to get this done.  The sooner the boy’s blood was shed, the sooner he was guaranteed a place in the command of Lucifer’s armies.  And then his mission in life would have been completed.  That was all that mattered to him.  He could care less about all the cattle that shuffled through the streets like drones.  They were nothing.  But he, he would show them all how much pain can be afflicted in one life.

            Barlowe opened the door to the lobby and smelled the sweet scent of the mother’s skin.  It was almost like a trail, left for him to follow.  But once he reached the pot of gold, he would burn it alive.  The entrance to Hell was through the flames. 

            Seth opened his hand and pressed his palm into the two columns of bells.  He waited a few seconds, before occupants began responding to the call.  He cleverly disguised his voice and reported to them that he was delivering food to a mumbled name.  One of the apartments had to have ordered take out and would be the one to buzz him in.  And sure enough the irritating buzz of the lock broke the garbled static of the responses.  Seth yanked the handle and entered the building and walked towards the row of elevators.

 

            Taylor Irving placed her son, Raymond, in his high chair.  Then she turned on the television to the Cartoon Network and headed into the bedroom to change out of her work clothes and into sweats.  She had been looking forward to this evening.  Once she had cooked for Ray, she was going to visit her best friend, Celia Grey.  It had been three weeks since she had last seen Celia and regretted it.  Before Ray, she and Celia frequently went bar hopping, looking for a man to make Celia happy.  That was when Taylor was married to James.  But like most men, once Ray came into the picture, James was scared off.  He was “too young for children”.  Taylor saw it as yet another excuse for commitment.  What was it about men that turned them into sniveling cowards once the seriousness came into the relationship?  She figured that it was one of life’s ultimate mysteries, like why is it women who are the ones cursed with PMS.  Just another unexplained thing in life. 

            Taylor brushed her straight brown hair from her face and picked up a red scrunchy from her dresser top.  She pulled her hair back and held it in a ponytail.  Then she removed her silk blouse and tossed it onto the bed.  Sifting through the second drawer, she found her favorite Yankees sweats.  She paused for a moment and listened to Ray who was talking to the characters on the screen.  She smiled at the dawning of his personality.  He was such a social little person.  Taylor smirked at the remembrance of his curiosity with the jacket of the woman on the train.  And he was so beautiful that she knew when he grew up he was going to break a few hearts.  But Taylor vowed to raise him to never be afraid of commitment.  She’d be damned if he were to grow up like his deserting father. 

            Taylor’s daydreaming was cut short by the doorbell.  She wondered who it could be.  She wasn’t expecting anyone.  Her mind went to Celia, thinking maybe that she had decided to surprise her by coming over instead of Taylor traveling to her home.  She yanked the pantyhose off and pulled on the navy blue sweatpants.  Barefoot, she hurried over to the door and peered into the eyehole.  She noticed a man she had never seen before holding a pizza box.

            “Can I help you?” she asked, shaking her head.  She knew that the delivery guy had knocked on the wrong door.

            “Yeah, I got a delivery for Julie Parks.  Pepperoni and Sausage pie,” the man replied.  He turned towards the door and Taylor saw his face.  She noticed the caring look in his eyes and felt that he wasn’t some nut job who was trying to rob her. 

            “I’m sorry, you have the wrong apartment,” Taylor told him.  She watched him look at a sheet of paper on top of the box.

            “This IS 714, right?”

            “Yes, but I didn’t order anything.  I think it might have been a prank.”

            “Damn.  Look, lady, if I bring this back, the boss is gonna make me pay for it.  Could I possibly use your phone to call this in?”

            “I’m sorry, but I’m a bit busy at the moment.  I apologize about it.”  She actually felt bad for the man.  He looked sincere as she peered through the thin hole.

            “I know this looks bad and all, but I’m only doing this to get myself through school.  All my pay goes to my rent and tuition.  It would mean a lot if you could help me out.”  Taylor paused and considered helping him.  She realized that she could just hand him the cordless phone from the kitchen and he wouldn’t even have to step foot in her apartment. 

            “Hold on a second,” She hurried to the kitchen and grabbed the phone.  She returned to the door and opened it slightly to hand him the phone so that he wouldn’t get in trouble.  As she pulled the door towards her, the deliveryman burst through and closed the door behind him.  Taylor froze, not knowing what to do. 

            “Yell and I make your death a slow one.  Understand?” the man whispered to her.  She looked down and saw the doctor’s bag in his hand for the first time.  Why did a deliveryman carry a black bag?

            “Please. Don’t hurt me or my baby,” she pleaded with the stranger.  The man looked at her and laughed.

            “Why do you think I’m here?  To rob you?  Your son is the reason why I’m here.  And you’re just an added bonus.”

            “What?  Why do you want him?  I don’t even know you.  Please, just leave us alone.  Please,” Taylor pleaded.  The man leaned forward, putting his face mere inches from hers.  She pulled back and hit the couch in the center of the living room.

            “Shut. Up.”  There was a tone in his voice that dripped with doom.  Taylor didn’t know why this man was in her apartment.  Nor did she know on how to take care of him.  Celia had been trying to get her to go to a self-defense class but Taylor had no one to watch Ray while she was there.  And now, as the man crept towards her, she had wished she had found a babysitter. 

            “Now allow me to let you in on my plans.  First, I’m going to strangle you to the point where you lose consciousness.  Then I’m going to take a scalpel from my bag and slice your vocal cords.  This will prevent you from screaming once you wake up and seen what I’ve done to your precious boy.  And when he is dead, I will have the ultimate power.  He will see to that.  And once the ritual is over, he will leave you to me.  And I will tear you apart and feed on your blood.”

            “Nooooo, leave him alone.  You can do what you want with me, just don’t harm my baby.  I’m begging you.”

            “I like the idea of you groveling.  But the boy must die for the gift to be completed.  There is no other way.  I need to hand his soul over to Lucifer in thanks.”

            Taylor knew at that point, there was no convincing the man otherwise.  But she could not let this monster take her son from her.  Ray had such potential.  He had his entire life ahead of him.  She refused to give in.  But she needed a way to divert him and escape.  But before she could think of something, the man grabbed her arm.  He gave her a look as if he knew what she was thinking.

            “Don’t try to fight back.  That will only make it worse for you and your child.  You wouldn’t want that now would you?”

            She didn’t care what he said to her.  Her maternal side had kicked in and she would do everything in her power to stop him from murdering her baby in the name of the devil.  She turned her attention from the monster that threatened her to the one reason for her living.  Ray looked at her worried and held his hand out at her.  Then her jaw dropped and she cried her son’s name.  The monster known as Seth Barlowe was distracted and turned his head to the child behind him.  Taylor smiled slightly and took advantage of the split second opening.  She clenched her hand closed and brought it upward at the monster’s jaw.  It connected and the monster released his grip on her arm, swinging backwards to the floor. 

Taylor jumped over to the highchair and plucked Ray from his sitting place.  She saw that the monster was an obstacle between her and the door.  There was no way she would be able to escape without being captured.  She then took the other route and headed back to the bathroom behind her.  The door slammed behind her and Taylor fumbled with the lock.  It was difficult working the knob as she held Ray in her right arm. 

Once she was successful with the lock, she knew it wouldn’t take much to take the door down.  Taylor’s eyes quickly scanned the walls and shelves for a weapon in which to protect her and Ray.  As she realized that she was shaking uncontrollably in fear, it dawned on young Ray that things were not right.  He began crying at Taylor’s scared attitude.  She returned her attention to him and tried to calm him down.  She focused her eyes on the can of hair spray and reached out for it with her free hand.  The Monster kicked the door in, splinters of wood flying throughout the bathroom.  Taylor wrapped her hand around the metal can and spun around, facing the Monster.  She pressed down on the button and shot a spray into the Monster’s eyes.  He screamed and covered his face with his hands.  Taylor followed the attack with a swift kick to his groin.  The Monster crumbled to the floor. 

She hopped around him and ran for the door.  Just before she reached the door, she turned back and picked up a pair of sneakers and Ray’s baby bag.  Taylor looked up and saw that the Monster was still balled up on the floor, moaning.  She then took off to Celia’s house, leaving the Monster behind in pain.

 

The police left Celia Grey’s residence an hour after arriving.  Taylor had reached Celia’s house within minutes.  She had cried the happenings of the last half hour between sobs.  Celia held her until she and Ray had calmed down, knowing that they were both safe now.  When her friend had been told of the horror Taylor had just gone through, she immediately called the police.  They arrived and took a statement.  A car had been sent over to the apartment to search for any remains of the intruder.  After hearing her report, the head officer informed her that she might be of some help to a case currently open.

“I’m going to inform a Detective Gambino about your account of the occurrence.  He’ll get in touch with you at the number you gave me.”

“I just want to go away for a while.  I can’t stay here,” she told the officer. 

“Well, then let me give you my card and call me with a number that we can get a hold of you.”  The officer handed over his card and left.

“You should lie down, sweetie,” Celia put her arm around her best friend and swayed her to the couch.  But Taylor only sat down, her hands between her legs and a far away look on her face.

“I can’t stay here.  He’ll follow me and then you’ll get hurt too,” Taylor mumbled.  Celia sat down beside her and shook her finger at Taylor.

“No talking like that.  No one is going to hurt you or me or that little angel of yours.  It’s over, Taylor.  He’s not going to come back if he knows better.  You kicked his ass, you hear me.  That’s my girl!  He’d be a moron to go back to your place.  You’re going to be alright, honey.”  Taylor returned from the place she had floated away to and looked over at the only person who looked out for her since James left.  She was glad to have Celia around and made sure that she knew it.

“I can’t go back.  I want to be far from here for a while.  I’ll never be able to sleep if I don’t.”

“Shhhhh, it’s okay.  You know what?  I still have that nice little house in Jersey.  Would you like to stay there?”

“You don’t mind?” Taylor said, a sparkle of hope glimmered in her eyes. 

“Hell yeah!  It’s yours!  You can even borrow my car.  I’ll have Pete drive me up tomorrow after work.  And we’ll spend the weekend up there.”

“Celia, thank you.  I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You’d be dating a total jerk and being taken advantage of, that’s what.”  Taylor smiled and Celia laughed.  Even though Taylor was able to get away from the apartment where the horrible incident happened, she had the dark feeling that her terror was far from over.

 

Seth Barlowe splashed cold water into his eyes.  He could not believe that the bitch had gotten the best of him.  This would not be looked lightly upon by Lucifer, himself.  He had to make up for it.  The woman and her bastard child had to die.  And after what she had done, he was going to take extreme pleasure in murdering the two of them.  His mind filled with ideas of what he was going to do to the bitch.  He would find the largest object in the room and brutally rape her with it.  And then he would make her watch as he mutilated the child and finish the ritual.  Then he would skin her alive and remove her eyes.

Once Seth could see again, he staggered into his bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed.  Beside him was a little book that he had taken from the bitch’s apartment.  He would find her and finish the job that he had started.  Seth reached out and picked up the phone, dialing the number of the first name in the address book.  When someone answered, Barlowe put on a serious authoritive voice.

“Good evening, sir.  My name is Detective Wayne Harrison.  I’m calling concerning a friend of yours, Miss Taylor Irving.  An incident occurred at her apartment this evening and we are trying to locate her.  Would you happen to know her whereabouts?”

 

 

TO BE CONTINUED……..

 

 

Part Three

By Sean Lennon

 

            Billy Gambino sat at his desk, looking over the pictures taken at the previous Baby Butcher crime scenes.  He thanked God they where all in black and white.  If they weren’t, he would see dark red everywhere.  Never in his career had he seen such horror as he did at each scene in this case.  Bodies were drained of blood and flesh and bone were exposed.  As hard as he tried, the visions of carnage could not be erased from his mind.  When he closed his eyes at night, he saw Charlie Luttrel crucified upside down on the wall in his parents’ living room.  His father and mother lay below him on the floor, their organs removed.  And the pentegram within the circle was carved on the infant’s belly.  And then there was young Freddy Maxwell, with his decapitated head placed on the end of the family mop.  The boy’s face forever frozen in a look of pure fear.  Billy couldn’t even think about his parents again.

            It had been two hours since he delivered the fingerprints to the forensics lab down stairs in the basement.  He sat and impatiently waited for the results.  He prayed over and over, hoping that the prints would place an identity of the killer into his hands.  But as Gambino waited, he went over all the information again to find a link to all the murders. 

            Billy wrote down the names of all the victims in the order of the scenes.  Then he placed pins on all the locations of the murders.  There was no specific pattern on the map.  Sometimes, killers would spell out a message or create a picture but connecting the dots.  But the locations were too far apart to actually form words or a symbol.  It was useless.  He was going to fail this case like he did the last two.  It was something that he could not let happen.  But he felt so helpless.  His personal life had fallen apart and he was no longer looking forward to waking up in the morning.  Billy had nothing left and wished that he could just fall asleep and not wake up.  But God somehow was finding pleasure in his despair.  He needed to feel important again.  Billy wanted to make a difference for once.  His life was nothing but one disappointment after another.  He needed to know that there was an important reason as to why he was born.

            Frustrated at his failure, he slammed his fist onto the desk and scattered some of the items on his desk.  The sheet with the names glided to the floor and Billy bent down to pick it up.  As he reached out for it, he noticed the sheet had folded in half long ways.  He stopped reached for it and looked closer.  That was when he saw it.  Gambino snatched the sheet off the floor and grabbed the pen from the edge of the desk.  He circled the first names of the boys murdered in each scene.  Lawrence.  Udo.  Charlie.  Iggy.  Freddy.  And Ernie.  Then Billy wrote out the first letters of each name.  The answer to the connection stared him in the face.  LUCIFE.  There was still one letter missing.  That meant the next murder would have a boy whose name began in R.  But in New York City, how many infant males could have a name beginning in R?  It would be insane to locate every possibility within twenty-four hours.  There had to be another way to prevent the next child from being slaughtered like the last six.  He continued to wait on the outcome of the fingerprints.

 

            Taylor drove the old Dodge Daytona through the darkened and winding roads in Newton, New Jersey.  It was a few minutes after ten and Ray was sound asleep in the back seat.  Even though she was far from her apartment, she still felt uneasy and looking over her shoulder every few minutes.  She knew it was crazy, but she couldn’t help feeling that he was following.  The Monster would not have known where Celia lived nor would he have known that she was in a middle of nowhere town like Newton. 

            The road turned and she drove along a steep cliff that led straight down to the river that ran through the town.  Taylor had to drive very slow, for the thin road had no crash guards or street lamps.  And Celia had warned her of the local wildlife that roamed freely.  The area was not helping her nerves at all.  She planned on scolding Celia when she saw her the next day.

            The house appeared on the right side, old and antique looking.  The blue siding was brand new, making the house look unfinished and in the works.  As long as the doors and windows had strong locks, Taylor didn’t care if the house had pictures of cartoon characters all over it.  She pulled into the small driveway and parked the car.  Ray was still asleep in his baby chair.  She turned around and undid the safety belt.  Then she climbed out of the car and pushed the seat forward to take Ray out as well.  Taylor threw the bags over her shoulder and carried Ray to the front door. 

Inside she found the kitchen with the living room just beyond it.  It had a “This Old House” feel to it that she found comforting.  She now knew why Celia had decided to buy it.  She noticed the fireplace to the right of the entrance and wondered if Celia had ever brought a man up to this house for some quiet time.  Knowing Celia, she had a good feeling that she had. 

Taylor figured that she could explore the house further in the morning after some sleep and headed upstairs to the bedroom.  Even though her examination of the bedroom locks were satisfactory she still had the urge to push the dresser in front of the door.

 

Barlowe could not believe his luck.  It had taken several calls but he had found someone in the address book that knew of the bitch’s whereabouts.  He spoke to the woman known as Celia Grey and jotted down the address where he could meet and talk to her concerning the bitch.  Seth tried to remove the smile from his face but was unable to.  He could still make it up to Lucifer.  He could still be a general in Hell’s Army.  And that filled him with a happiness that he hadn’t felt since the realization of his destiny. 

Telling Grey he was the partner of the cop that she had blurted out to him, he took a moment to get into character.  Putting on the air of a New York cop, he strutted to the door of the house.  Seth rang the bell and ran his hand through his hair.  He bit his lip in excitement and took a deep breath as the door opened.  Celia Grey looked at Seth with confusion.

“Miss Grey?  I’m Detective Wayne Harrison.  We spoke on the phone?” Seth told her.  It finally dawned on her and she smiled, stepping out of the way so Seth could enter.  Barlowe walked inside and stopped when he reached the living room.  Celia motioned for him to sit down, so being the courteous police detective, he did so. 

“What happened to your partner?  The officer here said that Detective Gambino would stop by.”

“Well my partner is at Miss Irving’s apartment looking for clues.  He’s a pro at that.  I told him that I’d help by asking you some questions.”

“Oh, okay.  What did you want to ask?”  Seth couldn’t believe that the stupid friend of the bitch was believing this.  Some women trusted too easily.  He guessed that’s why so many were knocked up and then left alone.  Cattle, he thought.  They were nothing more than cattle. 

“Well,” Seth played off, “We’d like Miss Irving’s location so we can have her look at some photos and see if she recognizes the intruder.”

“Can’t this wait until tomorrow?  She’s in no shape to look at pictures tonight.”  The stupid cow was not being helpful like he thought she would.  He would have to put a little pressure on her then.

“It’s better if we do it as soon as possible.  It prevents the possibility of her forgetting any vital information.”

“I’m sorry, detective, but I’m not going to interrupt her after everything she just went through just so you can have her look at pictures of suspects.  I’ll bring her to you tomorrow afternoon.  I promise.  Just let her have the night to calm down.”  Seth was becoming furious now.  She was not playing along.  The bitch’s friend was a difficult one, but he was not leaving until he got the information he was there for. 

“Miss Grey, it’s very important that we reach Miss Irving as soon as possible.  Please don’t make this case any more difficult,” Barlowe said in a slightly annoyed tone. 

“I’m sorry but she’s my friend and I’m going to protect her from a nervous breakdown that you and your other cop friends are going to give her.  Now, I’d like you to leave, please.”

Seth had had enough.  She was not going to tell him what to do.  She was just another stupid cow.  He was a contender for a general.  There was no way she would order him around.

“Listen to me, I am not leaving just yet.  All you had to do was just tell me the address and you would have gone free.  But no, you had to be a stupid cow and now I’m going to have to pull it out of you.”  Celia’s eyes widened.  It dawned on her that the man before her was not really a police detective.  She took a step back and turned to reach for the phone.  Seth lunged forward and grabbed her by the hair.  He then shoved her forward and smashed her head, face first into the wall nearby.   Celia felt her nose crunch under the hit and she immediately brought her hands up to her face.  Seth then flung her across the living room and picked up the doctor’s black bag that he had brought with him.  Inside the bag, Seth picked up a scalpel and walked over to where Celia lay on the carpeted floor.  He grabbed her by the neck and lifted her up to her feet.  Blood began to trickle out of her nose and over her lips.  Barlowe squeezed her face and opened her mouth.  Then he inserted the scalpel and held her tongue down as he proceeded to cut her vocal cords.  She may not have been able to voice the location but she could still write the address.  And after he was done with her, she will give up the address quite quickly.

 

Billy hurried down to the forensics lab.  One of the techs had called up as he was figuring out the connection and he was told that there was a positive match for the prints.  Once downstairs, he rushed into the lab, scaring one of the techs who was peering into a microscope.

“Gambino, here for the prints.”  A geeky tech walked out of the back and waved a folder at the anxious detective. 

“It took a while but sure enough a match was made,” the tech said proudly.  Billy snatched the folder for the young tech’s hand and opened it up to find a face staring back at him.

            “The guy’s name is Seth Barlowe.  He lives on the East Side.  Nice neighborhood from the address,” the tech continued proudly.  Billy read the address several times, storing it into memory.

            “Call upstairs, let them know I need backup to this location.  Got it?” Billy said firmly.  The tech nodded nervously and watched Gambino storm out of the lab.  He finally had a chance to redeem himself.

 

            Seth wiped the sweat from his brow.  He had to admit, the bitch’s cow friend was a fighter.  But he was not yet done.  He looked upon her with surprised eyes.  Celia Grey sat strapped to the dining chair before him.  He had removed her blouse and bra and used the scalpel to cut away the skin on her breasts.  Once the skin had been removed he had gone into the kitchen and brought back a small bag of salt.  He tore open the top of the bag and lightly sprinkled salt on the exposed flesh.  Celia tried to scream but could not produce sound without her vocal cords.  Seth smiled at the pained look on her face.

            “Are you going to tell me now?” he asked.  She gritted her teeth and spit at him.  Barlowe shook his head and poured the entire contents of the bag onto her chest. 

            Then he proceeded in grinding the bones in her left hand to dust by repeatedly hitting her fingers with one of Celia’s exercise weights.  The solid metal dumbbell caused a squishing sound every time he brought it down on her hand.  But she still refused to reveal where her best friend was staying.  So, rather than let her continue to live with a useless hand, Barlowe dug into the black bag and used his cutting saw and removed the hand at the wrist.

            Finally, Seth walked into Celia’s bedroom and took a pen from her desk.  He returned and plunged it into her eye.  Celia’s head shot back and her mouth opened in another silent scream.  By the time he removed it, she was ready to write the address down.  Seth would still get his revenge with the bitch.

 

TO BE CONTINUED…….

 

 

Part Four

By Sean Lennon

 

            Billy Gambino stood beside the door that led to Seth Barlowe’s apartment.  Beside him were four other uniformed police officers.  He had waited impatiently for them to get there.  This was it, he told himself, the shining moment in his life.  He was going to stop the Baby Butcher and receive medals in honor of saving the city from further horror. 

            Billy looked at the officers and held up three fingers.  Then he whispered to himself the numbers and swung around.  Gambino brought his leg up and kicked in the front door.  He rushed in, holding his gun up and out, aiming at everything in the room.  The officers followed behind him and spread out through the apartment.  After a full minute of searching, they found nothing.  Every room was dark and lifeless.  No one was home.

            “Dammit,” Gambino cursed to himself.  He walked through the apartment and began examining the rooms.  The apartment looked like any other that Billy had been in.  That was until he got to the bedroom.  He stood in the doorway, staring at the objects in the dim light.  Jars of formaldehyde gave off an amber glow.  But the jars were not what Billy was horrified about.  It was the body parts inside them that made his jaw drop.

            “Someone check DMV.  If Barlowe has a vehicle under his name, I want an APB put on it.  And notify that he’s armed and dangerous.” Billy told the officers behind him.  For once, he felt determined to finish something.  He was determined in finding Barlowe and making him pay.  His purpose had identified itself.

 

            Taylor lay in the warm comfortable bed with Ray by her side, yet she could not feel safe enough to actually sleep.  The fear was still hugging her like a close friend and every creak in the house was magnified by it.  She prayed for a moment of quietness and safety.  But she knew that would not come to her until some time had passed.  She would feel much better if she knew the Monster had been caught.  Then maybe she could sleep easier.  Yet at the moment, every shadow in the room had taken on the Monster’s shape and his grin.  Why couldn’t she have remembered the night-light, she thought to herself.  The thought made her smile. 

            Taylor had had enough and gently threw the covers aside.  She got out of the bed and looked over at Ray.  He slept without waking so far.  She was glad that at least one of them was able to find some comfort in the old house.  She leaned over and placed a kiss on his forehead.  Then Taylor quietly walked downstairs to make herself some tea.  She hoped that it might calm her somewhat.  Actually, she wondered if anything right now would make her calm other than some hard liquor. 

 

            Barlowe drove west along Route 80 in New Jersey.  He would be at the house that the bitch was staying at in an hour.  He had left the cow still tired to the chair.  She would die slowly for her disobedience.  But he found such pleasure in things like that.  The torture and pain turned him on.  But he was not surprised.  He had a piece of the spirit of Lucifer inside him.  It had given him life and he wasn’t going to turn away the feeling.  It was who he was.  It was his purpose in life.  Murdering hope and innocence.  And damned enough, he loved doing it. 

            Seth then began plotting the death of the bitch.  He would first strap her to a chair and force her to watch as he took the life of her child and gave its soul up to Lucifer.  She’d die at that point but he would then turn his attention onto her.  He’d begin first with the raping of her body and soul, using the tire iron that he had in the trunk.  Then he would skin her alive and throw her sensitive carcass into the muddy soil outside the house.  That would really sting.  Of course, he couldn’t stop there.  He’d bring her back inside and use the cutting saw to remove her limbs.  Then he would have his way with her limbless and skinless body and finally cut her throat, drinking in the little blood that remained in her veins.  Lucifer would smile on him and he would then be granted the position at the head of the army.  And all he had done would be worth it. 

            Seth’s joy was soon interrupted by the flashing red and blue lights in the rearview mirror.  He looked back to see a police cruiser following closely behind him.  He cursed and wondered what it was that he had done wrong in his driving.  The backlights were in working order and he was not driving too fast.  Could the stupid cow have escaped the chair and called the police on him?  Impossible, he thought.  She didn’t know his name and she would not be in the condition to give a valid description of his face. 

            Seth pulled over to the side of the highway and fished his driver’s license from his wallet.  He waited for the officer to approach the car, hoping that he would see the doctor’s bag on the passenger seat and assume that he was on his way to a late night house call.  Out of the side mirror, Barlowe saw the officer approaching the window with his hand on his holster.  There was something wrong.

            “Sir, would you please exit the vehicle?” the officer asked, standing back and away from the driver’s door.  Seth wondered what the hell was going on.  Yet he listened to the cop.  All he wanted was to leave this behind and continue making his way to the bitch.

            “Officer, there must be a mistake.  I haven’t done anything wrong.”  Seth looked at the officer and smiled.  Then he noticed the cop had a sheet of paper in his hand.  The officer looked at the sheet and then at Barlowe.  Finally he removed his gun from its holster and aimed it at Seth.

            “Sir, put your hands behind your head and get down on the ground.”

            “What?  Why?”

            “Just do it, sir.”  The officer was adamant about it and Seth immediately began plotting his escape.  He put his hands behind his head and was about to kneel down but threw his head back and screamed.  He clutched his head and collapsed to the ground.  The officer was confused by what was happening and grabbed the CB on his chest.  He called in for assistance in a medical emergency.  Then he crept towards Seth, who was laid out on the ground.  The officer was warned on the printout of Barlowe that he was extremely dangerous, but he was unsure of what happened to him. 

            Just as the officer was within a foot of Barlowe, Seth opened his eyes and his hands shot around the jaw of the officer.  Before the officer could respond and aim the gun at him, Seth jerked the officer’s head to the side, snapping his neck.  The officer crumpled to the ground beside him.  Seth stood up and took the gun from the dead officer’s hands.  Then he looked at the sheet in the officer’s other hand.  It was an APB on him reporting that he was a suspect in the Baby Butcher murders.  How was this possible?  He was careful at each scene and the stupid cow could not have identified him!  This put a little worry into him.  He was a wanted man now and the ritual was not over yet.  He was pressed for time.  Barlowe got back into his car and drove off, speeding towards Newton and the bitch.

 

            Billy returned to the stationhouse, disappointed that he had not found the killer but his brain was working overtime as to the killer’s whereabouts.  The main problem was that New York City was huge and there were millions of hiding places that the killer could be in.  It would take him months to search the entire city and God knows how long it would be before he found a child with the first name starting with an R.  For all he knew, the Butcher was already stalking the final kill. 

That possibility filled Billy with pure anger.  It finally boiled over in his soul and he slammed his fist onto the surface of his desk.  The release of force felt good to him so he continued punching the desk until he felt the blood washing over his knuckles.  When he stopped, he noticed the small gathering around his desk of his fellow detectives.  They all stared on with a frightened look upon their faces.  He had become the burn out of the group.  But he didn’t care.  He had a mission for once in his life.  The Butcher had to be stopped.  And he was the one to stop him.  But he needed a sign, something to show him the way to the Butcher.  Falling back onto his chair, he wiped the sweat from his brow and hunched forward, putting his head in his hands.  That’s when the phone rang.

 

Billy headed up to the third floor in Saint Luke’s Hospital.  The call had been from a security guard there, who told him that they had just received a patient that was requesting a cop in sign language.  When the security guard arrive to the trauma room, she then began asking for him.  The guard knew to call information for the location of Detective Gambino.  He then called the stationhouse and got Billy.  Billy knew it was the sign he was waiting for. 

Billy watched the doors open and walked out into the hall, holding the folder on Seth Barlowe in his bandaged hand.  He reached the nurses’ desk and flashed his badge.

“Detective Gambino, here to see a patient that just arrived.”

“Oh, yes Detective,” said the nurse behind the desk.  He glanced at the nametag that read: A. Drake.  She pointed down the west hall.  “Room 322.  The guard who called you is standing right outside the door.”

“Thanks you, Miss Drake,” Billy replied and hurried off down the room.  When he reached the room, he flashed his badge again and notified the guard who he was.

“Thank God, I was hoping you got here before she passed.  The doctors said she’s pretty bad off and wouldn’t last more than a few days.  The shock from the wounds is bad enough to kill her alone.”

“Who are we talking about?” Billy asked puzzled.

“Oh, sorry, I jumped ahead.  Patient inside is named Celia Grey.  Neighbor was out walking her dog and passed by her house.  She noticed the front door was left open so she went in.  Neighbor found her in her house strapped to a chair with some pretty bad wounds.  When she got here, the painkillers wore off and she started waving her good hand around frantically.  One of the nurses noticed that she was using sign language for police.  They called me down and when I got to her bedside, she started signing your name over and over.  No one knew why, so I called in to find you.  Thought maybe you knew her.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know a Celia Grey.  Mind if I go in and see her?”

“No, go ahead.  I’m hoping you can get something out of her that will lead you to the sicko who did……that to her.”

Gambino was curious about the situation and pushed the door open.  He walked in and saw the woman on the bed.  Bandages covered her right eye and he also noticed the bandaged stump where her hand should have been.  The woman was in terrible shape and he wondered how she could still be alive.  It was pure luck that she somehow knew his name.  He walked forward and stopped by the side of the bed. 

“Miss Grey?” he said softly.  He didn’t know what to say but he knew in his gut that she had met the Butcher.  Celia’s eyes opened slowly and she tried to speak but no noise came out.  “I’m Detective Gambino,” he told her.  She licked her lips and nodded.  Then she raised her only hand and motioned for a pen.  He picked up the pen and pad on the nearby table and placed it before her. 

She wrote: TAYLOR IN TROUBLE

“Who’s Taylor?”

TAYLOR IRVING IS MY FRIEND

“Why is she in trouble?  Is someone after her?  The same person who did this to you?”

YES.  A MONSTER.

“Where is she now?”

Celia wrote the address to the house in Newton.  Billy copied it onto the folder.  Then he reached in and pulled out the picture of Seth Barlowe on a hunch.  He held it out for her remaining eye to see. 

“Is this the man who did this to you?” he asked her.  Celia wrote down one word to answer the question.

YES.

 

Barlowe drove down the street quietly and without his lights on.  The darkness was perfect cover for him.  The road turned towards the left and he followed.  Just as he was passing the light blue house, he realized that he was there.  A small clearing to the left of the road was big enough to park two or three cars in.  He pulled the car into the clearing and turned it off.  With the silence surrounding the area, he had to be careful about making any noise getting out of the car. 

Once he was out of the car, he crept towards the house and climbed the steps in front of the front door.  Four small windows were centered in the door, looking into the kitchen.  And that was when happiness covered him like a warm blanket.  Taylor Irving stood, leaning against the counter drinking from a teacup.  He had found her.  And the end of the ritual was minutes away.

 

TO BE CONTINUED……

 

 

Part Five

By Sean Lennon

 

            Seth Barlowe kicked the door in and rushed into the kitchen.  His hand wrapped around Taylor’s neck and he began to squeeze tightly.  Taylor choked and clawed at his arm, trying to get him to release his grip.  His grinning face shot fear through her and it absorbed any of the energy she had left from the earlier encounter. 

            “You should have known better than to run.  Stupid bitch.  I am evil incarnate.  You can’t run from me.”

            Taylor could only think of getting Ray away from this Monster.  She brought her knee up and Barlowe blocked it with his leg.  He knew better than to allow that to happen again.  Seth released his grip with one hand and swung hard at her jaw. 

            “Stop fighting,” he gasped.  “Accept the fact that you’re going to die and give up already.”

            “I am not letting you take my baby,” Taylor said through gritted teeth.  She would fight until there was nothing left in her.  She’d be damned if she was going to allow this monster to murder her baby in the name of the devil. 

            “You have no say in anything,” Barlowe told her, “You’ve caused me to fall behind and you will pay dearly for that.”  He tossed her into the living room, near the cold fireplace.  Taylor hit the hard wood floor with a thud and Barlowe walked past her, heading for the stairs.  Taylor was in too much pain to fight back but the fear of losing Ray was too much for her to just lie there and die.  She pushed herself up to her feet and stumbled after him.  Barlowe had a good lead on her and she screamed for him to leave her child alone.  But he did not listen.  There was only one thing on his mind, completing the ritual.

            Barlowe reached the bed where Ray slept and grabbed the child by his arm, pulling him off the bed.  Ray was shocked awake and began crying from the alerting movement and pain from having his fragile arm almost pulled out of it’s socket.  Taylor reached the top of the stairs and saw Barlowe walk out of the bedroom and back towards her.  She knew she could not let him bring Ray downstairs or else it was all over.  So Taylor stood her ground and braced herself on the top step, hoping to push the monster back from descending. 

            “Get out of my way, bitch.” 

            “Fuck you.  Give me back my child.”

            Barlowe smiled at the bitch’s courage and motherly nature.  But he knew better.  She was no match for him.  This was going to be fun.  Lucifer was looking out for him.  He pulled his free arm back and thrusted it forward, slamming it into Taylor’s cheek.  The blow threw her head back and caused her to lose her balance, falling backward.  Taylor tumbled down the stairs and landed on the floor with a sick thud.  Barlowe laughed to himself and the stupidity of the bitch.  He then continued dragging Ray to the living room.

            Seth tossed Ray onto the red couch and pushed it back, revealing more floor to paint the pentagram in which to place the final sacrifice in.  Once he had enough space, he looked over at the door and saw that he had forgotten to bring in his black bag with him.  Foolish me, he thought.  Barlowe looked over at Taylor and saw that she had not moved from the place where she had fallen.  The child had remained on the couch crying in an irritating tone.  They were not going anywhere.  It was safe for him to step away to grab the bag from his car, a few seconds at most.  He walked out of the kitchen and down the stairs.  Quietly creeping back over to the clearing, he opened the back door and reached inside to grab the black bag that contained the cow’s blood, the black candles and the knife used to bleed the children.  It would all be over soon.  Then his place at the front of Lucifer’s army would be definite.  And he would be proud of his achievement. 

Barlowe glided back to the house and walked through the door.  The silence did not sink in at first.  It sank in the moment he walked into the living room.  The brat was not crying.  He looked over at the couch and saw the child was no longer there.  His heart stopped as he twirled around to look at the bottom of the stairs.  The Bitch was also gone from her spot.  And the backdoor was left open.  She had taken the child and escaped.  Barlowe lashed out and punched the wall.  He knew it would be difficult to locate the two of them in the dark woods.  Things were falling apart again.  But he could not fail.  That was not an option.

 

Billy drove down the dark road and looked at the houses hoping to find the one where Taylor Irving was hiding.  Every second counted in saving her and her little boy.  He cursed at his sight and the late hours he had put in on this case. 

“Come on, come on,” he said to himself.  He continued driving, looking for the house number and the brief description that Celia Grey had written on the pad for him.  She had given him the color but in the dead of night, Newton was covered in darkness. 

Gambino wiped the sweat from his forehead and prayed to himself that he find the mother and child in time.  Seth Barlowe had killed enough and it was up to Billy to stop the blood from being spilt again.  He had almost become engulfed in planning a way to stop Barlowe when he drove up to the house.  And the thing that pulled him back to reality was the streak that ran across the road.  Billy squinted and saw that the streak wasn’t a deer but Taylor Irving, carrying her child into the woods.  He hit the brakes and threw the car door open, calling out to her as he did.

“Miss Irving!  It’s Detective Gambino, NYPD!  I’m here to protect you!” he yelled out to her.  Billy removed his badge from his shirt pocket and held it up as proof of who he was.  But Taylor did not even look back, she continued running into the woods.

“Dammit.”  Billy placed his badge back in his pocket and reached back to remove his gun from the holster.  As he did, a voice sounded from behind him.

“Excuse me, Detective?”  Billy turned around, only to see a thick branch swinging down at him.  The jolt to his forehead knocked him to the ground and the black of night took over.

 

Barlowe smiled as the interfering detective fell to the dirt.  That would teach him to stick his nose into the business of one of the generals of Hell’s armies.  He would in no way stop him from doing what must be done.  And the death of the final chosen child was destined to happen.  Seth took Detective Gambino’s gun and went after the Bitch.  He rushed into the woods next to the clearing and listened for the footsteps that would give away her location.  But the area was covered in complete silence.  He took a few steps forward, climbing the steep hill that led up to another road with more houses.  His eyes were still adapting to the dark that surrounded him.  Who would ever want to live in total isolation, he thought to himself.  He had lived in the city all his life and was so used to the constant moving that the silence he would have drove him insane. 

Barlowe crouched low and looked back and forth for any movement.  The Bitch was good but he knew that he was better.  He had Lucifer on his side.  Where was her protector?  Her God, who allowed his followers to die at his hands, was nowhere to be found.  He knew that he was on the right side and she was only delaying the inevitable.  Yet, she was still and quiet.  But he knew a way to make her show herself. 

Barlowe raised the gun towards the top of the hill and fired aimlessly.  Once the echo of the gunshot faded, he listened closely and heard a soft whimper.  It was the child.  The chosen child had been frightened by the gunfire and was crying softly.  Seth rushed forward, focusing in on the sound.  He knew that he was near when the Bitch took off from her hiding spot behind a wide oak and climbed higher up the hill.  He looked up and saw the figure hurrying towards the bright spotlight shining from the backyard of one of the houses at the top.  The child was slowing her down, unable to use one of her arms.  He smiled and knew that he would be able to catch her because of it.  Seth scurried up the hill after her, a smile stretched across his face.  Once he caught her, he’d knocked her unconscious, take the child back to the house and sacrifice it and then return to finish off her and the nosey detective.  It was a plan that was without errors.   He climbed faster up the hill and paused to aim the gun at her.  That was when he felt the hand grip his ankle.

Barlowe looked down and saw the dark figure grabbing his leg.  The figure growled at him and tried to pull him down towards it.  But Seth was determined to complete the sacrifice.  Using his other foot, he tried to kick the figure off him.  But the thing that was stopping him held on tighter.  Seth looked closer at the figure’s face and saw the red coloring.  Could it be, he thought.  No, he shook the thought from his head.  He would not stop him from completing the sacrifice.  All Seth had done was for him anyway.  Why would the Prince of Darkness stop him when he was so close?  Unless he was dissatisfied with the failure.

“No, please, give me one more chance.  I have her in my sights!” Barlowe screeched at the red-faced figure.  Realizing he still had the detective’s gun, Seth looked back up at the Bitch and saw that she had reached the top on the hill.  The light behind her covered her in a soft blue aura.  He couldn’t believe his eyes.  Her God had arrived to protect her.  His light surrounded her, preventing Barlowe from causing her harm.  Fear gripped him at that moment.  This could not be happening to him.  He was destined to lead one of Hell’s armies. 

“No, the child will die!” he screamed to all those listening.  Barlowe aimed the gun at the Bitch and the red-faced figure, Lucifer himself, loomed over him.  A large rock was held over his head and poised to come crashing down onto Barlowe.

“It ends now,” the figure growled.

“No, my Prince.  I’m sorry for failing.  It will not happen again, I swear.”

“Rot in Hell,” the figure said as it brought the rock down onto Barlowe’s skull.  The figure pulled the rock back up and swung it down again and again until there was nothing left but a bloody pile of flesh and broken bone.  Then Billy Gambino released his grip on the rock and collapsed beside the killer’s lifeless body.

 

Taylor Irving managed to drive Detective Gambino to the nearest hospital to have the head wound taken care of.  While she was there, she and Raymond were also examined.  The Newton police were directed to the body of Seth Barlowe and had it shipped to the New York City Morgue for an autopsy, even though the result in death was obvious.  Billy Gambino was soon released of any murder charge on the death of Seth Barlowe, thanks to the testimony of Taylor, resulting in a ruling of self defense.  Taylor visited Gambino shortly after the hearing and thanked him for saving her and her child.  The gesture made Billy smile, something that had not happened since the incident with his partner and wife.  Taylor then explained that Celia had survived the injuries given by Barlowe and that the three of them were moving to Boston so that Celia could be looked at by doctors there in the hopes that she could receive reconstructive surgery and retrieve the beauty she once had.  Gambino wished her luck and took a leave of absence from the force himself.  Years later, Taylor found that Raymond had no recollection of that night and was relieved of the fear that the incident would have traumatized him in some way.  And even though all involved were never the same again, they were all relieved to have survived the horror that was Seth Barlowe.

 

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