Chapter 33


    "You got a visitor, Mercer!" Arge, white, male jail guard announced as he unlocked the cell door.


    Charles sat up drowsy and disoriented on his little bed and watched as Audra came inside the cell. The


    man had been awake for the past several hours, but his energy had been left behind in the shelter. His


    lethargic eyes looked on as Audra, who was wearing only her long, grey wool coat, meekly came inside


    and stood before him. Already the man could feel the weight of her worried stare bear down upon him


    like heat vision. Charles wiped his messy face before taking a huge breath and cing his hands on


    his knees as to say he was preparing for a lesson.


    Audra stood for a moment or two before sitting down beside the man. At first her face was down to the


    floor, appearing as if she were too shy to speak. Down the hallway could be heard other cell doors


    either opening or shutting, along with various men talking out loud or cursing.


    Audra looked up and out the cell door before turning her head to Charles. "They mentioned that you


    would be out of here tomorrow." She said to Charles'' despondent face.


    Charles just nodded before clearing his throat and muttering, "Yep, just a few more hours."


    Audra turned away for a second before looking back at the man with a tense re on her face. "Why


    did you go to that ce, Charles?"


    Charles'' stone face wouldn''t turn from the bars in front of him. It was as though he were transfixed


    upon their cold and lifeless alloy.


    "It''s like I told you, something is hunting me down." His scratchy voice uttered.


    "And you figured that same something was at the shelter?"


    Nodding again, Charles replied, "Yes. To be truthful, I really don''t know what I saw or felt back there,


    but I do know that...that evil is definitely real."


    Bing agitated, Audra remarked, "Charles... I don''t understand any of this. If someone is hunting


    you down then you should have called the police."


    "Woman, this goes so far beyond a person." Charles'' deep voice dropped. "I don''t know what my son


    was in to, but I now realize that nothing good came of it."


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    Audra sat and studied Charles for the longest time before stating, "When I was a little girl. I couldn''t


    have been no more than six or seven. Me, my mother, father and three brothers and sisters lived with


    my grandparents on this old farm. For the first couple of years there everything was just fine. Then, the


    neighbors across the valley were beaten to death by some nsmen who didn''t like them. That old


    house of theirs went unsold for the longest time. Well, me and my siblings, as hardheaded as we were,


    would go over to that old house to be nosey and y around. One day, however, we heard something


    walking about on the top floor. We kids were scared but curious all the same. So we all went upstairs,


    and in this one room, we see thedy that used to live there lying in a bed all by herself crying. Me and


    my siblings were terrified at first, but for the most amazing reason we just couldn''t run away. All we


    could do was stand there at that doorway and listen to that woman cry like a baby. Needless to say, we


    never went back to that old house again after that day. We didn''t even tell anyone about what we saw


    over there. Till this day I don''t know if what we even saw was real or all in our minds. But that moment


    never left my soul after all these years. So much pain and suffering that a person can''t even cross over


    to the next world. They just stay stuck here, not knowing if their alive or dead."


    A tear started to form and dribble down Charles'' right eye at that instant as he listened to Audra and


    endlessly stared at the bars ahead.


    "This is one nasty world we live in." He murmured so sadly while balling up his fists.


    "Yes it is." Audra pitifully added. "But ain''t none of us walking in this nasty world all alone. They said


    that all you have to do is pay a fine and they''ll drop the charges. Personally, I think they went easy on


    you because of your handicap." Audra patted Charles'' leg. "Thank the good Lord it came in handy."


    She then smirked at him.


    Nodding his head, Charles said, "I''ll pay the fine. Then I''lle home, pack my things...and be on my


    way."


    Audra''s face instantly went pale right then. Her hands started to shake as she reared back. "And just


    where are you going?" She held her breath.


    "Somewhere far from here," he kept his eyes on the bars.


    Shaking her head in both dismay and confusion, Audra said, "Charles, whatever you think is happening


    to you, it can be managed. I''ve known you now for four months, and in those months you have to be


    one of the most down to earth people I''ve ever known. Now, I believe that something is tormenting you,


    but I find it hard to believe that it''s causing you to run away."


    Charles couldn''t turn to look at her. For that matter, he couldn''t turn or move at all. It was almost as if


    he were a child be scolded for a wrongdoing.


    "After what I experienced inside that shelter, as well as the past few months, thest thing I ever want


    is to endanger the lives of others. Especially those I care the most about. I''ll just pack my belongings


    and be on my way somewhere. And that''s all I have to say...Mrs. Watson."


    The shaking of Audra''s hands suddenly ceased as the color came back to her face. There remained


    only stillness in her eyes that stared at Charles for at least a full minute before she finally got up and


    went straight for the bars that Charles had been studying ever since she first arrived.


    "I''m ready!" Audra called out.


    At once, the guard came and unlocked the cage before sliding open the door to allow the woman to


    leave. The very instant the door shut again Charlesid back down onto his bed and peered up at the


    grimy ceiling. With the passage of time he soon started to forget what Audra even looked like. Even his


    own son''s face was bing a distant, faded memory the longer his eyes remained stuck to the


    ceiling that he felt was closing in on him.


    "We''reing for you, father." A creepy voice whispered inside of Charles'' head. "We''re on our way for


    you."


    The voice sounded so peaceful in its menace that had Charles not known any better it would have


    taken him right on to sleep.


    "You will end."


    Charles took his hands and looked at them in the strangest way before taking them both and covering


    his ears as tight as he could while rolling over in his bed.