Finding Kafka
“Finding Kafka”
1
“It’s this way…” Said the blonde who carried a backpack, well, all three of them did, it was the only way to get through Europe on summer break.
“Mandy that’s bullshit you have no idea where you’re going!” Said Nathan but he followed anyway his canteen clattering with the hanging cooking utensils as he walked.
“Don’t be so hard on her Nate, she has the guide book.” Said a pretty little brunette named Sarah.
“Sarah I doubt Kafka’s mistress’s house is a big tourist trap.”
“Remind me again why we are doing this?” Asked Sarah.
Mandy twirled around a couple times and screamed out, “Because this is the summer of love!” For that she got a couple stares by people on the street, but she didn’t care. She really didn’t, her green hair with blue streaks and quasi-punk dress always made her stand out, she was used to the stares, why she had died it blonde Nate didn’t know but it was mostly due to Sarah’s persistence, she had to grow up someday if she was going to graduate and get a good job.
Nate and Mandy had an on again off again type of relationship. It was on the night before when she had snuck into Nate’s tent but Nate was beginning to question his actions. She really was a lunatic. “I know what you see in her.” Said Sarah and Nate was confused.
“What a crazy punk bitch?”
“That’s only part of her charm. You know she really loves you right?”
He shook his head in disgust. “Right now I’m not sure I know anything.”
“I know one thing…” Said Mandy as she turned around to look at them and spread out her arms. “We’re here.” Thunder broke free from the clouds and they dropped their moisture well assured of its intention. She leaned back and the rusty gate creaked open. “Come on lets get inside before it really starts coming down.”
“Ugh, I hate the rain.” Said Sarah.
“Yeah but you love getting wet.” He said with a smile and got slapped in the arm for it.
“Shut it or I’ll tell on you.”
Mandy was running up the long walkway that was lined by dead shrubs.
“For what?” Said Nate.
“Making a pass at me.” Said Sarah and she took off running after Mandy.
Nate shook his head again, he really needed a couple puffs of the Amsterdam weed he had been smuggling across half a dozen border crossings.
2
“Look at all this old stuff!” Said Sarah.
“I know right?” Said Mandy and indeed the place was filled with old furniture uncovered except by a thick layer of dust. There seemed to be scratchings in the dust. As Nate peered closer to examine the scratchings he felt Mandy take his elbow. “Isn’t this great?!”
“Guys seriously we could live for years off of this stuff. Do you know how much some of this is worth?” They both shook their heads. “Thousands, tens of thousands. Seriously, am I the only one that watches antiques road show?”
Nate laughed and received a jab to the ribs. “She’s a bit of a shut-in but she’s still my friend.”
“I can hear you.” Nate stopped laughing. “I just like antiques and this place is full of them. I’m going upstairs.”
He got another jab to the ribs. “Be nice to her.”
“I can still here you… Wow guys get up here!”
They trompsed up the stairs leaving the dust to settle in their wake. Nate had forgotten about the scratchings and when he entered the master bedroom he was truly shocked. There, on the mantle was a fantastic jewelry collection, all there for the taking and he became worried.
“Ladies I don’t know about this…” Sarah looked at him and stuck her tongue out. “Why hasn’t anyone taken this stuff before? This place looks like it’s been abandoned for years maybe a century. Who owns this place anyway?”
“Well it turns out that Kafka had a very rich uncle who died weeks before Kafka did and he gave Franz (Kafka) the entirety of his estate, not that good old Franz had a chance to enjoy it. He was pretty sick at the end of his life, and some say insane. Did you know that he burned 90 percent of his work?”
“What a waste!” Said Mandy and Nate had to agree. He had read all Kafka’s books, he was an English Lit. Major with a Minor in European Lit. He could only imagine what other mysterious books Franz had written.
“Look at this broach, isn’t it amazing? I’m trying it on.” Said Sarah and Mandy detached herself from Nate’s side and went to look at the jewelry. “How does it look?”
“You look like the Queen of England with that thing on. It becomes you.” There was a scuffling that seemed to be coming from the ceiling and Nate looked up. He was tracking the noise.
“Honey… What are you doing? Come over here. OMG look at this necklace!” She said picking up a jewel encrusted necklace that had to be worth well over 100,000 dollars.
He helped her put it on but he still swore that he heard something coming from upstairs. “How many floors is this building?”
“Huh?” Said Mandy dusting off a hand print on the mirror.
“How many stories?” Asked Nate again.
“Four. There are a dozen rooms. This place used to be a brothel.” Said Sarah putting on a ring.
Nate was getting worried, what if…? No it couldn’t be… It was just a book, there was no way it was real. But he couldn’t fight off the feeling that there was something strange going on here, some eerie sort of haunting. He voiced his qualms and immediately regretted it. “What if there is something still living in here?”
“What are you talking about?” Said Mandy.
“Look at the dust we are the first people here in a very long time.” Said Sarah.
“What about the scratchings?” Said Nate.
“What scratchings?” Said Mandy.
“On the floor mostly… oh there’s one on the wall.” Said Nate.
“Bugs duh.” Said Sarah.
“Yeah what’s your deal?” Said Mandy.
But Nate wouldn’t give up, “Have you seen any bugs?”
“Wha… what does that have to do with anything?” Said Mandy.
“Yeah you are starting to freak out.” Said Sarah.
“I hate bugs!” Said Mandy.
“See what you did? Now she is freaking out too!”
“It’s not like there is anything living in here, hasn’t been in a long time. So some bugs moved around in the dust what’s the big deal? We haven’t seen any have we Mandy?”
“No.” She caught her breath. “Ohk I just hate ‘em that’s all.”
“Don’t worry no bugs. Let’s go see what else we can find in here. How’s that sound Mandyroo?”
“Good.”
“Her Mom used to call her that.” Said Nate.
“Wow how informed you are, maybe now you know she hates bugs too, do you?” Sarcastically said Sarah.
He glared at her but he had nothing to say.
They left the room and went to another. He didn’t like being in there alone as he followed them, then he saw a trail in the scratchings. He decided, despite his fears, to follow it.
3
He was on the fourth floor and the trail went to a door half open. He tried the handle with no luck. Something seemed to be blocking it. Then he put a shoulder to the door. The hinges creaked as he forced his way in.
The place was a mess of cob webs and broken furniture. The cobwebs seemed to be everywhere. Then he saw it.
A Spider. Not a particularly colorful one, this one was black and white striped like a zebra. He walked over to it. It must be the purveyor of the scratchings. He hated spiders, but they held a certain allure to him. He liked killing them. He bent over to get a better look. Just a spider and not a particularly big one.
Then he got an inkling, it’s poisonous. He smashed it to death with his sneaker. As he watched the blood and guts pool on the floor he realized there was no dust in this room.
Then he heard it
“Click-click hssssss.”
He turned around to see something, something he never believed could be real, a spider as big as a man.
The story was true!
The metamorphosis was real!
How many other strange things did Kafka write into being? How many strange beasts were gone, burned in the fire with his work? He was so shocked that he wasn’t scared a sense of calm came over him.
Then the spider came down from the wall and waved its small front legs, with spikes on them, at him and he realized there was no way out. He was terrified.
He backed up and the spider moved forward. Rather than scream he decided to reason with the giant insect. “Franz is that you? You can’t be mad we found you.”
The huge insect couldn’t be mad, for it wasn’t human, it just hissed at him.
“Please don’t kill me. I am one of your fans.” He said but didn’t realize that it wasn’t Kafka or that his words would have no effect. He backed against the wall and he fell to a sitting position.
The spider was right on him them. The talons were less than a foot from his stomach.
He screamed, he couldn’t help it. He was terrified to the core, a feeling which held no familiarity.
Then the realization hit him. He would die here, in an abandoned house in Prague. His 21 years would be in vein. He had never written anything of worth and he didn’t excel in college though he loved the classes. It was futile to think of it.
He was a gonner…
The small fang legs pierced the flesh of his stomach. They brought the sweet blood to its mouth.
4
“You’re gonna die!” Screamed Mandy.
“Back you beast, back to the depths of hell…” It was Sarah and she held her arms out clutching something.
The insect turned around to face the two women.
He got up.
“Run around it Hunny! We are getting out of here.”
As he ran around he saw Sarah holding a sword, the very sword the previous owner had used to back the beast into this room.
Together they walked backwards the beast nipping at them and hissing.
The beast lunged at them and Sarah cut one of its legs.
It fumed and cried.
“Let’s get the hell out of here!” Said Mandy and they ran down the staircase and outside.
They ran like the wind scared as hell about what was following them.
When they left the gated entrance they knocked down a passerby with groceries and as they ran the spider pulled its first victim back into the house.
They stopped at the bus stop and caught their breath.
“That was hella crazy.” Said Sarah.
“I know, you looked so menacing with that sword.” Said Mandy.
“Thanks.” Then she smiled. “You glad we saw it Nate?”
He shook his head and said, “I can’t believe it was real. It makes me wonder… Did Kafka find it or did he create it?”
“What are you talking about? Writing doesn’t have the power to create.” Said Sarah.
“Oh yeah why not? Ten minutes ago you would have told me there was no such thing as giant spiders.” Said an irritated Nate. He shook his head. “No one is gonna believe this.”
“Well there is something.” Said Mandy and she opened her backpack to reveal a treasure of jewelry.
Nate laughed as he became less irritated and said, “How much is there?”
“A small fortune, easily half a million at least.”
So now they were rich but Nate couldn’t help but shake the terror from his mind, and now the door was open, what manner of chaos had they unleashed on the defenseless city?
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