Henry Franks A Novel

thirty three





Lightning struck a tree outside, sparks shooting off as the top half broke free, crashing into the roof. Plaster fell from the ceiling, sticking to their skin, wet with rain and blood. A figure appeared in the doorway, long hair dripping water to the floor.

“Mom?” Henry said, his voice raw. He lowered the knives.

Another lightning strike, and the shadows disappeared.

Long hair flying in the wind, a sick grin missing a tooth, and unmistakably male.

William took a shallow breath, then fought his eyes open. Lightning lit the room, the wind whistling through the broken window. Chrissy sat with him, his head in her lap as her fingers played through his hair. Her every breath came out as a hiss, forced through what remained of her throat.

“Henry?” she whispered.

William blinked, but she was still there, the faint trace of a smile somewhere in her damaged face. “Chrissy.” He coughed, trying to clear his lungs. A bubble of blood popped as his lips opened. “What happened?”

“Henry?” she asked again.

“Storm,” he said, pointing toward the window. “Thought you were chasing them.”

Her eyes widened and she shook her head. She moved him to the floor and ran to where the broken glass was letting the hurricane in.

“You attacked me.” He stretched out toward her but she was too far away. His arms fell to the ground.

At the window, she shook her head again.

“Chrissy,” he said, then louder to be heard over the wind. “Chrissy!”

She turned around and looked at him. “Henry?”

“You didn’t?” he asked, pointing to his head, where the blood still ran in thick rivers down his skin.

Once more, she shook her head.

His eyes closed as another cough sent dizzy waves of nausea through him.

“Henry?”

William sighed. “I don’t know,” he closed his eyes. “I thought it was you.”

Lightning broke the sky open, slicing through the tree outside.

“I’m sorry,” he tried to say, but by the time she reached her husband’s side, he was beyond speaking.

“Frank,” she said, the word barely more than a sigh, impossible to understand, and then she kissed him one final time as he died.

The stranger hissed, raising a pipe over his head, swinging it at random in the darkness as he walked toward them.

“Justine, run!” Henry screamed, standing between her and the stranger, knives held high in front of him once again as the footsteps came closer.

Glass shattered to the floor from the kitchen door, and another body crashed into the man with the pipe. Rain poured into the room, the wind screaming across them. Justine grabbed Henry’s hand as the two people rolled over each other on the floor.

The man landed on top, raising the pipe high as he prepared to strike. As one, Henry and Justine lunged forward, each driving a knife into his side. The pipe fell out of his hand as he toppled to the ground.

Lightning struck again, lighting the room. Beneath the dying man, a woman struggled to free herself.

Henry pulled the body off and the woman scrambled back against the wall. Long brown hair lay flat against her scalp, and even in the dim light he could see the necklace of scars she wore.

“Henry,” she hissed, almost a moan, the word barely recognizable.

“Mom?”





Hope and Tragedy in the Aftermath of Erika

Saint Simons Island, GA—August 31, 2009: Over three thousand Glynn County homes are still without electricity two days after Hurricane Erika made landfall to the south, in St. Marys, before turning north inland to Atlanta. It will be the end of the week before full power is restored, utilities management has said. The U.S. Department of Energy, concentrating most resources in Camden County, which suffered a direct hit, says that power has already been restored to 38 percent of those residences in Georgia that lost power in the storm.

Mayor Jim Monroe of Brunswick, helping local businesses clean up the island, praised the efforts of law enforcement and the citizens of Glynn County. “The Golden Isles should be incredibly proud of the men and women who serve here.”

Damage estimates range into the tens of millions, but thanks to the efficient evacuation of the islands, the human toll was remarkably low. “A couple of fender benders and minor accidents,” said police spokesperson Carmella Rawls. “The tragic death of local resident William Franks, who died during the storm, has led to the successful resolution of the vicious murders which have plagued Glynn County this summer.”

“Blunt force trauma,” said Major Daniel Johnson at a hastily called press conference in the aftermath of the storm. “Mr. Franks is the final victim of Richard Adims.”

Adims, 41, a former resident of Waycross, had been institutionalized at Georgia Regional Psychiatric Hospital after being found unable to stand trial for a series of beatings due to mental incompetence. In May, Adims was transferred to Turning Point Hospital after biting off a part of his tongue in an apparent suicide attempt. After attacking a guard on the transport, Adims escaped and had been on the loose ever since.

Dr. Jason Rapp, Chief of Staff at the GRPH, released a brief statement to the press: “Due to a computer error, Richard Adims was mistakenly classified as an N-VO, Non-Violent Offender. In the confusion after the unfortunate situation earlier this year concerning the supervision of patients, this misclassification went unrectified. Funds have been requested from the State discretionary account to assure this does not happen again.”

Repeated calls to the Georgia Regional Psychiatric Hospital for additional information went unreturned.

The body of Richard Adims was found in the debris after the storm in a subdivision on St. Simons Island. The alleged cause of death is puncture wounds that police spokesperson Carmella Rawls says Franks was able to inflict upon his assailant.

“It appears that the suspect, Richard Adims, intended to seek shelter with relatives, who, unfortunately for William Franks, live next door to the Franks’ residence on St. Simons. But Mr. Adims went to the Franks residence instead, where he once lived with his first wife, Margaret Saville, a local psychologist. In the struggle,” Ms. Rawls said, “Mr. Franks suffered a severe blow to the head from the pipe that allegedly was used by the suspect in previous attacks. In self defense, the victim was able to fatally wound his assailant.”

“The people of Glynn County and the Golden Isles are eternally grateful for all of the hard work and dedication of FLETC, the various police departments, and the many people who gave of their time to aid us this summer,” said Mayor Monroe.

William Franks is survived by one son, Henry, 16.