Daisy's Red Badge of Courage
A Prequel to “Daisy and the Phantom Nurse”

Act Two: A Fearsome Melee

I felt like a Roman gladiator entering into the Colosseum. My blood ran cold, it seemed the whole school was. The parking lot was jammed full of people. And at the center was the beast of the man. He had stripped himself of his collared shirt and tossed it to the side. His eyes burned like fire. The minute I entered into the circle was the minute all eyes turned toward me.

“So the little 'fag' has decided to show up after all!” He bellowed. “Were that fucking boyfriend of yours? He is afraid to show his face?” He bellowed and laughed a little as he held up his hands and smiled. The crowd roared with laughter and a few of the rednecks started to slap their knees in utter amusement. I felt my blood starting to boil.

“Just so you know. We're going to clean this school up! Those little fucking crossdressing freaks, are going to get tared and feathered tonight. And anybody that helps them or tries to get in our way, will be handled..” He bellowed as he pumped his fist into the air and turned toward the gathered crowd. Remember when I told you about ten percent of this school wants a return to the old ways? Well here they are, all ten percent of them. The other ninety percent have gone home to coward under their blankets.

I figured as much though. I don't carry the clout that Jamie does. I'm an outsider here and that's fine. But there was one thing I hated more than anything and that was a bully. I took a deep breath and removed my own shirt and then pulled my hair back in a ponytail.

“I'm going to clip that ponytail and make you eat it!” He said grinning as he started to move toward me. I gritted my teeth and then dashed toward him. He blinked! What did he expect me to run! Run from what? I'm part Irish and part Scottish, we love a good brawl! Here motherfucker let me show what I'm made of.

“Faugh a ballagh!” I yelled as I rushed toward him. That was old Gaelic for 'Clear the Way' and with that my fist connected with his jaw. Blood, spit and a tooth flew out of his mouth as I drove my fist into his jaw. It was like punching a brick wall. I felt my knuckles starting to crack as I watched his head spin around.

“You dirty son of a bitch!” He said as he turned around and peered at me. “I'm going to fucking murder you! Fucking murder you! Then I'm going fucking murder that crossdressing freak! Fucking piece of shit!”

“Erin go bragh!” I shouted again as I rushed toward him. This time I was aiming toward his balls. This was not a fair fight, this was combat, this reminded me of the brawls I'd fought on the cobblestone paved schoolyard of St. Katherine's in Vicksburg. In full view of the Mississippi River.

Now, no matter how big or how strong a man is, once you hit him in the balls he's going to go down. And boy did he go down. The moment he went down was the moment I raised my leg and kicked him right in the face. The force of my kick busted his lip wide open and a trickle of blood started to run down. His face. He coughed and groaned and spat out a mixture of blood and mucus.

But he bounced back and slammed his fist right into my face. I felt like somebody had taken a brick and smashed me in the face with it, I was pushed back and I fell down to the ground. My ears were ringing, a few seconds later I felt like somebody had taken a hammer to my balls. I shuttered and coughed as I forced myself to stand up. My legs started to shake a little as I peered toward the best.

“Fucking little queer lover!” He barked as he started to charge at me. I responded by charging toward him. A moment later we clashed. And it was bloody, very bloody, I repaid him for every insult with a quick slam of my fist into his meaty body. And he repaid me by slamming his fist into my slender frame. I felt bruises started to form as each punch slammed into me.

The seconds ticked by, one after the other. Neither of us had much to say to the other as he traded blows. I started to attack his ears, and he kept pounding my belly. We were both barely walking at this point. But all around us the crowds started to gather around. My ears rang with their chanting!

“Come on Big boy! Show that queer lover what we MAGA boy's believe in!” One of the rednecks shouted as he hooted and waved his hat in the air. The fellow beside him shouted. “Beat that little Vicksburg prick into the ground! Bust his teeth! Come on Big boy! I got fifteen dollars on you smashing that little fucker into the ground!”

So this is what the first amounted to.. it was sickening and made my blood boil even more. I let my guard slip though and the beast caught me with a right hook to the side. I felt myself being thrown to the ground. My warm blood flowed from a fresh cut on my lip down my chin. Again I forced myself to stand up. I was seeing double but still I forced myself to focus.

“Hot damn! That little queer lover can take a beating!” One of the rednecks said smiling. “This better than a movie by damn! Come on Big boy! Smash that fuckers face in! Come on! I'm getting the hot tar ready right now and my girl got a sack full of feathers. Once you done smashing that little fucker, we going to tar and feather his boyfriend and run his ass out of the school at out of town!” He hooted as he waved his hat around.

As I regained my focus, I reached down and peered toward the guy who was shouting out. His voice echoed like a bullhorn. I peered toward him and then toward the beast. And I gathered my remaining strength. I reached down and picked up a piece of broken pavement that was laying at my feet. I reached down, picked up that piece of pavement and paused. Was I really about to do this?

“HEY! That little queer lover is praying! I bet he is praying to that queer loving god that that queer loving pastor believes in!” Shouted the redneck as he poked his friend with his elbow. I believe the only insult he knew was the word 'Queer' because he kept using it over and over again and I was getting tired of it. I was also getting tired of him insulting Cerridwen.

“SHUT THE FUCK UP.” I bellowed as I picked up the peace of paving stone and tossed it at him. The crowd around him quickly vanished and he could only blink. I was aiming for his head. But he ducked at the last minute and the stone sailed passed his shoulder and smashed into the ground. “Next time! I swear to God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit that the next stone I hurl toward you won't fucking miss. You Piece of fucking shit!”

The front of the redneck's jeans started to darken and his face drained of color. A clear stream of liquid ran down the front of his pants leg. He looked terribly twisted and his bottom lip started to tremble a little and his hands started to shake.
“You almost smashed my face in! You Fucking Queer Lover!” He bellowed as he looked around him. The crowd was starting to retreat now, the beast. Took this chance to charge at me, I side stepped him and brought my elbow down on his neck as he passed me by. He fell down on the ground and rolled over. His face looked swollen, his eyelids swollen and puffed up.

“That's it!” I yelled as I then turned around and dashed toward the redneck. He screamed and a moment or two I was on him. Somehow between dashing toward him and dodging the beast I'd managed to take off my leather belt. That leather belt now became a handy weapon. I bounced on him, and looped the belt quickly around and started to strike him from all angles.

He howled and bellowed as the leather kissed his skin. Instead of fighting he cowardly raised his hands to block my blows.

“Y'all get this creeper off of me!” He bellowed as the leather struck him. He rolled over and I went after him. Striking him on his ass, his ear, on his back, on the back of his head and on shoulder. He whimpered and whined.

At this point the beast had awakened and was charging at me. I was a little too slow to act and I felt his fist driving driving into my jaw. I was knocked down from the blow of the punch. I saw colors and stars and felt all the wind leave my lungs. My ears were ringing.

“Fucking little queer lover!” The beast said as he brought his boots down upon my fingers. I bellowed, the pain was beyond measure and I thought that this was it. I was going to die here. I'd used the last of my strength up. My body had taken more abuse that it could handle. I could feel my blood mingling with the earth and feel bits.

I closed my eyes and then reached for a small rock, I picked the rock up and then using what I knew would be my last ounce of strength, I tossed the rock at the beast and hit him square between the eyes. He went down and did not get back up.

“Get you fucking friend!” I bellowed toward the redneck. Who was still shaking like the last remaining leaf on a bare branch in the face of the first taste of winter. “Get you fucking friend now!” I shouted as I rushed toward him, I'd picked my belt up and I gave him several good licks with it to get him to move. A little extra repayment for his insults. “And Cerridwen, a girl! A lady! Don't you dare forget it.”

I did not catch what he said. But he quickly scooped up his friend and placed him on his back and carried him away. It seemed I was the last one left standing. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I was too tired to move. My fingers were blistered, and I could barely see out of one eye. But I'd managed to smile a little as I eased down on the ground.

“Cerridwen I love you.” Was the last thing I remember saying as I laid down on the ground. With that I decided to close my eyes and try to regain some of my lost strength. I hoped the ringing of my ears would stop soon. And that maybe I would regain some feeling in my fingers.

Then as I just felt sleep starting to come over, I found the strength to sing. I often found myself singing when I was in pain or when the spirit moved me.

Life's true worth at last beginneth,
now my sinful eyes behold The Holy Land,
the earth that winneth fame for glories manifold.
I have won my lifelong prayer.
I am in the country where God in human shape did fare.

Lands, the greatest, goodliest, fairest, many such have mine eyes have seen;
O'er them all the crown though bearest.
Think what wonders have been!
From a maid a babe did spring,
O'er the angles host a king;
Was not that a wondrous thing?

Breathing hurt, singing hurt. My ribs felt like somebody had taken a hammer to them. The sun shone down on me, and I felt the strength starting to leave my body. Was this to how my life came to an end? Lying here in an abandoned parking lot? Beaten within a inch of my life? Why the man who had done the beaten had been carried away from the field with honor? Both had been carried away? To have their wounds tended to. To be nursed back to health again so they can bully again. God why?

Here He was baptized with water,
That men might be pure as He.
Here he let them sell Him Later,
That we thralls might so be free.
We had else been lost, I wis.
Spear, Cross, thorn, your praise it is!
Heathens, woe! Ye rage at this.

Of all the boyhood songs I could recall in my dying hour. I had to recall “Palastinalied '' why? What was my soul trying to tell me? Had I been wrong to fight for Cerridwen? Had I been wrong to fight for Jamie? Was I wrong to defend their honor, where was Christ in all of this? I'd been raised in a family that had been Episcopal for generations. My Grandmother had read me prayers from The Book Of Common Prayer before I knew up from down. She had demanded that I follow in my uncle's footsteps and enter into the Priesthood. She believed I would be a priest one day.

Did she know my struggle? Did she know I wished I had been born a girl? Maybe she did, she was a wise woman, who had an almost supernatural sense of the world. Maybe she hoped these prayers written in pure English would blot out that sinful desire. Maybe.. maybe this was for the best. Mom and dad were still young, mom could still give my big sister a little sister to cuddle and spoil. To take on adventures.

Down to hell the Son descended
from the grave wherein he lay.
Him the Father still attended
And the Ghost, whom no mam may
E'er disjoin; the three are one;
Shaft so smooth and straight there's none.

And then I felt it, a peaceful sleep came creeping over me and as the sun dipped down over the trees. I closed my eyes and forced myself to smile. Maybe God will get it right this time?
To be continued.