Chapter 20


    Charles and Lyte walked down the hallway of the five floor tenement that led towards his


    apartment. The wallpaper was peeling and the hardwood floors creaked with every step. Termites could


    be seen crawling in and out of the walls, while the light bulbs above fizzled off and on every other


    minute.


    But to Charles, his surroundings were all just mere annoyances that he managed to bypass with every


    day that went by; in other words, he didn''t care what his new home looked like, it was a home.


    The second they reached his apartment, Charles took out his key and unlocked the door. Before they


    could even enter, the aroma of fried chicken immediately made its way into their nostrils and out into


    the hallway.


    Allowing Lyte to enter before him, Charles snickered, "I''ve been trying to fry some chicken like Mrs.


    Mercer used to do, but I still don''t have the hang of it after all these years."


    Lyte just casually smiled as Charles closed the door behind him. The apartment was only one


    room that consisted of a murphy bed that was still lying t on its feet, a tiny stove and fridge to the far


    corner and a bureau that sat right next to a window that overlooked Downtown Cypress.


    Directly in the middle of the floor was a small dining table. Charles ced his bible down onto the table


    and meekly uttered, "I''m sorry that the ce is such a mess. I didn''t get much of a chance to pick up


    this morning before I left."


    Grinning, Lyte said, "You don''t have to apologize. Believe me, I''ve seen worse."


    Rubbing his hands together in a nervous fashion, Charles said, "Well, go ahead and have a seat."


    Lyte sat herself down at the dining table while Charles went for the fridge. "Did you want something


    to drink? I have water and milk."


    "I''ll have some water, please."


    At once, Charles took a ss and filled it with water before handing it to her and sitting himself down


    on the other end of the table.


    The man sat in distant silence and watched as the youngdy took her water down in one, continuous


    gulp before she sat the cup back down onto the table.


    Charles thoughtfully reflected upon Lyte, from her eye all the way to her missing finger. Isaac was


    everywhere; no matter where he turned, his son was there. He tried so hard not to stare, but the urge


    stabbed at him like a sword to the stomach. Just Lyte''s mere presence inside his apartment was


    both surreal and haunting.


    "So, this is where you''re staying at now?" Lyte nced all around.


    "Yes, yes, this is it." Charles aimlessly tapped his fingers on the table. "Sometimes we all have to just


    move on."


    Concealing her right hand out of sight, Lyte said, "I went away for a while after the incident, too."


    "Yeah," Charles murmured to himself before looking away for a second. "So, how has the rest of your


    family beentely?" He looked back at Lyte.


    yfully rolling her eyes, Lyte replied, "My family is my family. My sisters are still crazy after all


    these years."


    Smiling, Charles said, "I hear you."


    Lyte then leaned forward and asked, "So tell me, why did you leave your church?"


    Grunting, Charles answered, "Child, sometimes this life takes us in all kinds of unexpected directions."


    "Don''t I know it?"


    "Heck, the men and women in the bible went through all kinds of crazy journeys. I just needed to back


    away for a moment or two."


    Lyte humbly nodded her head. "I know you look at me and wonder just what in the world I''ve been


    up to."


    "It''s crossed my mind a time or two."


    "Well, I''ve been working a lot, and I—


    "Youngdy...don''t try and con a con man." Charles tantly stepped in.


    At once, Lyte sat perfectly still while her eyes jittered back and forth in their sockets. Charles


    waited for a moment while staring continuously at the woman in the most doleful way.


    "How long," he asked.


    "How...how long what?"


    "How long have you been a junkie?"


    Immediately, Lyte blushed while giggling, "A junkie? Are you serious?"


    Charles simply sat and watched as Lyte tried tough away another response. "Isaac told you all


    about my life before I met his mother. Believe me, I know a junkie when I see one. And as much as I


    hate using that word, that''s exactly what you are."


    Lyte turned her head away from Charles at that instant. "What do you want me to say?" She


    shamefully uttered under her breath.


    "I don''t want you to say anything. I''m not a stupid man. I realize that what you and the baby went


    through nearly killed you. But by the grace of God, you''re both still here." Charles could tell that


    Lyte was trying to hold back tears as hard as she could. "Who are you getting the drugs from?"


    Snapping back around, Lyte boldly said, "No one anymore. vell is dead."


    "vell Diggs?"


    "Yep, he got killed the other night. He and his crew," she indignantly responded.


    Charles gently nodded his head up and down. "I knew that brother way back when. I didn''t know him


    personally, but he was a real beast back in the day. It looks like the devil finally snatched him away


    from this here world."


    "I was never afraid of vell." Lyte stated. "I''ve seen worse."


    Charles sat and looked as hard as he could at Lyte before leaning forward and asking, "Lynn, I


    need for you to tell me something, and I want the truth. Now, I know you hate talking about him, but I


    need to know what really happened inside that house."


    Instantly, Lyte shot up from her seat and began wandering about the apartment in an agitated


    fashion.


    "I know it''s a terrible situation to discuss, but I have a feeling that you haven''t discussed it since it took


    ce."


    "What do you want me to say?" She spun around shouting.


    "You and I both saw him that night right before he left this world. That young man that I saw down at


    that church was apletely different man. But I know for a fact that you saw something else. Isaac


    didn''t just beat you, there was something else going on."


    "Yes, something else was going on!" Lyte screamed. "But if I told you, you would never, ever


    believe me! Why? Because I still can''t believe it myself! Hell, as far as I''m concerned, I''m still having a


    nightmare!"


    "This is no nightmare, Lynn. Whatever happened that night has got you hooked on drugs. Look at you,


    you''re slowly wasting away into nothing. You look like you haven''t eaten or slept in weeks. Believe me,


    child, I understand tragedy, but what you went through was more than just a tragedy. You can''t even


    say the man''s name. You won''t even look at the picture sitting next to my bed. You''re avoiding it like a


    gue."


    "I can''t imagine what to tell you!"


    Getting up from the table and approaching Lyte, Charles desperately stated, "You should''ve seen


    his eyes when he came to the church. He didn''t look like himself. He didn''t sound like himself. Isaac


    was never perfect, but I know that he was no junkie, either. Something else had my son."


    Lyte began to cry while trying to back away from Charles, but the man was relentless as he kept


    pace along with her, practically not allowing her to distance herself from him.


    "What was it?" He red strangely into her eyes. "Did it have something to do with the way his eyes


    were? I''m still trying to figure that mess out, too."


    "Please, Mr. Mercer, don''t do this!" Lyte wept even louder.


    "I need to know what had my boy!" Charles roared into her face.


    "Oh, God, I don''t know!" Lyte hollered while crumbling to the floor in a heap and curling up in a ball.


    "Keep that shit down over there!" A man''s voice yelled from the other side of the wall.


    Staring down at Lyte, Charles stood back in jolting fear. He then looked at his hands which were


    shaking, along with the rest of his body. What he saw lying on the floor was a petrified child.


    Slowly, the man knelt down and cradled Lyte in his arms; Lyte in turn grabbed a hold of


    Charles and gripped him as tight as she could.


    "I...I''m so sorry." His skittish voice whispered into her ears.


    Lyte''s body shook inside Charles'' arms while she sobbed. All Charles wanted to do was hold her


    and not let go, while looking over and trying to catch a glimpse of Isaac''s picture on the nightstand next


    to his bed.


    "Do you think he''s in heaven?" Lyte whimpered into Charles'' bosom.


    "Who, honey?"


    "Him," she pointed behind the man.


    With his eyes closed, Charles responded, "I sure pray to Christ so."


    Gradually releasing herself from his grip, Lyte got to her feet and made her way over to the


    window.


    "I can''t even look at my own son. Or better yet...I don''t even want to look at him."


    Charles as well got up from off the floor and stood beside the table, looking straight at the young


    woman.


    "Does he remind you of Isaac?"


    Lyte hesitated before saying, "I don''t know. All I know is that I don''t even want to go back home


    again. I just need to stay off the streets while this thing is running around out there."


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    "The police can take care of that."


    "No, they can''t." She adamantly stated.


    Charles then stared oddly at Lyte before asking, "How do you mean?"


    Lyte then slowly turned around. "There''s something running around out there. It killed vell and


    his entire crew. All it does is kill."


    Charles listened as Lyte went on. Something inside of him wanted to query deeper into just what


    she was talking about, but he held his tongue, not wanting to inflict any more damage than there


    already was upon her.


    "I always pray to God that things could have been different." Mercermented.


    Lyte never turned around; she just remained at the window where she dropped her head and


    sighed.


    "I wish it would rain." She faintly murmured. "At least it would cool down some."


    Charles watched her a bit more before he himself sighed and turned around to see to his shock a blood


    soaked body hanging by a noose in front of the door.


    The man nearly fell all over the table from the sheer sight of the scene before him. Lyte spun


    around and ran over to his aid.


    "What''s the matter?" She frantically asked.


    Clutching his aching chest, Charles began to make out the face that was behind all the blood. It was


    Isaac''s fully naked body hanging before him, with both of his eyes wide open and staring back at his


    father.


    "Mr. Mercer, are you okay?"


    But all Charles could do was lean against the already fragile table and reach out for the horrifying


    looking boy that he wanted so badly.


    "Get her out!" An awful sounding voice hissed from somewhere in the apartment.


    "Can I get you something to drink, or—


    "No, just go!" Charles yelled as he struggled to lift himself up.


    Lyte appearedpletely shocked and confused. "What did I do?" She panicked.


    "Nothing, I just need you to go!" He began shoving her towards the door before the grisly image


    vanished altogether.


    "Remove her!" The menacing voicemanded.Charles opened the door. "Go on, and don''te


    back here again!"


    "But I have nowhere else to go!" Lyte pleaded. "Please, just let me stay one night!"


    But Charles would have none of it. He mmed the door in her face before turning around and


    listening for the evil voice to utter another order.


    With two bulging eyes, Charles gazed all over the apartment while whispering, "Where are you? Where


    the hell are you?"


    But the only thing that could be heard was Lyte crying her eyes out as she walked away from


    earshot.


    Charles remained there against the door, a sweaty, huffing and puffing heap of nerves. He stood, and


    waited, just so he could hear another voice.