OSGOOD'S NIGHTMARE
by Diane Batten

The old Madison stood in shabby silence, in the decaying business area. The neon lights from six blocks away blinked in prospers laughter. The lost slept huddled in their own worlds, between the Madison and the furniture store. Osgood clutched his bottle tighter as the sirens screamed from two blocks away. "He'll have a clean bed tonight," he whispered to the bottle and shifted his huge frame closer to the brick wall.

"My baby! My baby! Look what they done to my baby! Please! Please help!" Mildred's pleads shattered the peaceful building. Echoing down the stairwell and filtering to the deaf street.

Maddux shook himself out of his sleep. "Damn woman!" he muttered, grabbing his pass keys. "I ain't had a nights sleep since she got here." He slowly took the first flight of steps. "Ah, go back to bed. I'll shut her up," he snarled at the pair of eyes peeking out of room 102. Sorting through the keys he pulled 406 out and raced up the next flight of steps.

"Mrs. Pratt! It's Maddux!" he shouted over her screams, to let the other boarders know he was doing his job. Unlocking the door he flipped the lights on.

"Look, look what they done to my baby! Call the doctor! Please!" Mildred said. She cradled the pillow.

"Mrs. Pratt, you ain't got no baby, see. That's a pillow you're holding," Maddux said, stepping into the room. "See, it ain't no baby. You're just having a dream, see."

Mildred's body shuttered. "A dream?" she asked. confused.

"Yeah, a dream. You have this one every night, see. Every night for the past week. Every night your screams wake up the whole building! We ain't had a nights sleep since you got here," he said and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, sorry!" Mildred cried.

"Yeah, you're sorry every night. I told you last night I ain't putting up with this no more. I'm going to stand right here while you pack your bags," Maddux said.

Her body stiffened. She ctied, "You cain't throw me out! I'm paid up til the end of the month!"

"I got your money down stairs. You just pack, see. You can get a room over on fifteenth. Now get your stuff together," Maddux said.

"You, you can't throw me out in the middle of the night," Mildred's voice quavered. "Not at night!"

Maddux pushed passed her. "I can, I'm the super here!" he shouted, stuffing her cardboard suite case with her few belongings.

Clutching her suitcase, Mildred nervously searched the sparsely lit street. "Where am I to go?" she mumbled, crossing the street.

Osgood pulled himself to his full, six foot four inches, slicked back his hair with one hand and stuffed his bottle into his coat pocket. "She shouldn't be out here," he whispered, watching Mildred. "Damn Maddux, must of threw her out!"

Mildred crouched and ran passed the door way.

What the hell is she doing? Osgood wondered, crossing the street.

Flattening herself against the wall, her head pivoted around. "Help!" her screams ripped through the deserted street. "Please!"

Osgood stepped off the sidewalk, "I ain't going to hurt you. I see Maddux put you out. This ain't no place for a lady to be walking alone," he said.

Relaxing with each word, Mildred timidly smiled. "Thank you," she whispered.

"My pleasure ma'am," Osgood said, stepping onto the sidewalk. "I'll walk you to where you're going."

"Going?" Mildred whispered.

"Yes ma'am. Where are you going?" Osgood asked.

"They said I could stay here. But, but, Mr. Maddux. Where can I go?" Mildred asked, confused.

Osgood scratched his head, "Maybe we could take you over to the shelter. They might let you in, you being a woman and all," he said.

"I got money. I, I could pay them," Mildred said, holding up a fist full of bills.

"Put that back in your pocket. This ain't no place to be holding up money," Osgood said. "Well, since you got money, you can get a room over at the Dixie Hotel."

Mildred moved away from the wall and stepped into the dim light. Smiling Osgood said, "It ain't far."

"Do you have a room there?" Mildred asked.

"No, ma'am," Osgood said. "I'm in between places right now."

Shifting her suitcase into her left hand, Mildred nodded.

"Osgood's my name," he said, glancing down at her.

"Mildred," she whispered.

"Here we are ma'am," Osgood said, pointing to the Dixie Hotel.

"Thank you, Mr. Osgood," Mildred said.

"Just Osgood, ma'am. And you're welcome," he said and nodded to her.

Lying down Mildred stared at the water spotted ceiling. Safe. she thought, I'll be safe here, until Harmon comes for me. He should come any day now. And we can get Cassy and go home Tomorrow, he'll come tomorrow. Her eyes closed and she slept exhausted from the long night.

Osgood settled against the wall, you sleep, Mildred, sleep and Leona won't have no cause to kick you out, he thought. We'll all get some sleep.

Humming a lullaby, Mildred unpacked, she glanced out the window. I'll be able to see Harmon coming from here, she thought, pulling the chair closer to the window and sat down.

She ain't coming out for breakfast I guess, Osgood thought, watching the front door of the Dixie Hotel. Maybe she's still sleeping. His eye caught the blue shirt of Officer Daley and he moved on. I need to get down to the yard, they're unloading some lumber from Washington, today. He quickened his steps.

Mildred's jaw tightened as the last glimmer of the day dropped behind the skyscrapers. He must be working late. That's it, he's working overtime, she reassured herself.

"Hey, Leona, did that lady that checked in last night go out today?" Osgood asked.

"How the hell should I know?" Leona asked, taking the cigarette from her lips. "This ain't the Ritz. What's it to you anyway? You ain't nothing but a damn bum. Why don't you get a job instead of wasting your life in that bottle?" She shooed him away from the counter. "Go on unless you got the money to stay the night."

"I got the money, but I ain't spending it here," Osgood said, backing away.

"Yeah sure. Go on and drown yourself in that damn bottle," Leona shouted before the door closed.

Osgood mumbled, "What the hell does she know?" He felt for the bills in his pocket. I'll get me something to eat and a bottle, he thought heading for the Deli. I wonder if Mildred ate today? He ordered two steak sandwiches and had one sent up to Mildred. Maybe that's why she has them nightmares, she ain't eating right, he thought settling down in the far corner of the alley. He took a long drink from the bottle, she's just a little lost, that's all, he thought.

Leaping to his feet with the first scream, Osgood raced to the front door of the hotel.

Leona stood at the bottom of the stairs as Osgood burst through the door.

"I should've known you'd bring a crazy woman in here," Leona said. "What the hell she screaming about?"

"It's okay, I'll take care of her. You just stay right here," Osgood said, taking the steps two at a time.

"Well you'd better take care of it, or I'll throw her out of here!" Leona shouted up the stairwell.

Osgood knocked on the door, then shoved it open. Mildred jerked around holding the pillow up.

"Look! Look what they done to my baby!" she cried. Her knees folded and she slowly fluttered to the floor, cradling the pillow.

"Everything will be all right, Mildred," Osgood whispered, kneeling beside her.

Her body shook with each sob. "My baby, my baby!"

"She's going to be fine, just, just fine," Osgood said, helping Mildred to her feet. "It'll be morning soon, you'll see, everything will be fine."

Mildred jerked away and backed into the far wall, "I'm sorry! Please!" She frantically moved her head back and forth, "Please! Pleas don't kick me out! I won't cause no trouble."

"Nobody's going to throw you our, Mildred. You're safe here," Osgood said, watching her lean against the wall for support.

Confused, she shook her head. "They said I could stay here." She moved toward the table. "Have you come to tell me how late Harmon's going to work?" she asked.

"Harman?" Osgood asked.

"My husband, Harman Pratt. Don't you work at the mill with him?" She asked, sinking onto the chair. "He's working late. He works so hard, so hard..." she trailed off.

Osgood shifted his weight, thinking, the mill closed a year ago.

"We're supposed the get Cassy and go home. Harman's saved enough to go home," Mildred said and looked into his weathered face. "Did he send you to tell me he's going to be late?"

"Yes ma'am," Osgood croaked.

"I appreciate that. Mister?" Mildred said.

"Osgood, just Osgood." he answered.

"Osgood, thank you,." she said. "Tell Harmon I'll be ready when he gets here."

He walked toward the door. "Yes. ma'am," he said.

You're the one! Pratt, Harmon Pratt! He held onto the banister for support. I was there that night. He brought his little girl with him to pick up his check. They were moving back home, back home. Tears rolled down his rugged cheeks. The boiler blew. Her screams! He covered his ears, stumbling down the steps. The child's screams! Oh God! God! He ran down the last flight of steps and out the front door.

"Hey where the hell are you going? Is that crazy lady okay?" Leona shouted from the doorway. "Damn drunken bum!"

Huddled in the corner, Osgood cried, "I carried her little body out! Burnt, burnt!" He wiped his face across the sleeve of his coat, "I'll take care of you, Mildred, I'll take care of you. Shhh don't cry. Everything will be fine now, just fine. Osgood's here." He rocked himself. "Just fine." Fumbling in his coat pocket he brought his bottle out. "Just fine. I'll take care of you."

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