Chapter 6

I awoke ravenous. This happened every time; a serious case of the munchies without the fun of the hasheesh. I kept a few bags of potato chips and pretzels by my mattress for occasions such as this.

I tore open a bag of Lays and began stuffing my mouth. It was as if I hadn't eaten in three days. I couldn't chew and swallow fast enough, and I looked up to see Chuck and Doogan staring oddly at me. Ralph-E didn't even look up from his computer " he was used to this sort of thing by now.

“You did it,” Chuck finally said, his eyes glazed as he recalled the dream. “I saw you, and then this little man hurried me out the door.”

“A gnome, yes. His name is, er, was Guinness. The unicorn was properly dealt with and shouldn't be an issue to you any longer, Chuck.”

Chuck grabbed my hand and clutched it with both of his gratefully.

“Oh, thank you Mister Clifton.”

“Just Noah is fine.”

“Noah. You have no idea what this means to me. I've been haunted with that damn horse for, what... about a year now. It was hard to not tell anybody about it. Cept Doogan, of course. He's had to deal with my constant complaining.”

Doogan quirked an eyebrow and rolled his eyes, giving me a look that verified Chuck's statement.

“Well it's no problem. I'm glad I could help,” I muttered through a mouth full of potato chips, “Now as for your payment...”

My arm throbbed painfully, and I stretched it in a vain attempt to stop the hurt.

“I was injured during the job, so that ramps up the price by thirty dollars. Let's say... five hundred, total. Deal?”

“Deal,” said Chuck, but I could tell he felt he was being ripped off. “How do I know it'll be gone for good. What if it comes back?”

“You know where I live. I'll go back in for free if you see it again.”

Chuck nodded and offered me the money, his face calm in the relief I assumed he felt now that he didn't have a revenge-filled killer unicorn hunting him every time he closed his eyes. I showed the two bikers to the door before headed back downstairs to face Ralph-E.

“Hey,” I greeted, an attempt to tear his eyes from the computer screen. I waited until he finished typing and peered at me from above his glasses.

“Thanks for the help. Here.” I handed him twenty bucks, to which he nodded and pocketed it.

“No problemo. You know, my sister is in town this week. You should come over and we can all hang.”

I was taken aback. It had been years since I had 'hung' out with anybody. I led a solitary life now-a-days, with the exception of Guinness who slept most of the day and my stalwart, but silent, tabby.

“Sure. Sure, that sounds great.”

“Right on,” Ralph-E said, giving me a thumbs up. He unplugged his computer and began up the stairs.

“Oh, and you can bring that little friend of yours, too.”

I blanched.

“What little friend?”

“Don't play coy with me. I know you have a gnome or a dwarf or something down here. You don't do a very good job of hiding him. If it is a him. Do the females have beards, too?”

“Ayup,” came a slurred voice from behind a cardboard box. I sighed. Guinness waltzed out, a beer in one hand and a handful of dog kibble in the other.

“Ralph-E...” I started.

“Don't worry yourself none, Noah. I won't tell anybody. No one would believe me anyway.”

Ralph-E gave me a sly grin.

“Anyway, you can bring him. My sister's legit, she won't say anything either. Besides, he seems like a party animal. See you next week.”

“Yeah... see you.”

I closed the door behind him, slamming my back against the door and sliding down into a sitting position with a big sigh. Another job well done.