《The Curse of 1977 (Book 2)》


 Chapter 1: Prologue

    Chapter 1: Prologue


    In These Eyes


    In my life, I have learned that the eyes yield many secrets. Some of those secrets are grand and


    waiting to be told to the world, while others are ugly and sinful; to be locked away where no one could


    ever reach them. Then there are those secrets that some people say are so forbidden, so untouchable,


    that even the soul shutters every time it recalls them.


    So, where does a woman like me begin? From the beginning, I guess. When I was five, in these eyes, I


    saw my father bring home our very first television. When I turned ten, these eyes watched as my


    grandmother''s coffin was being lowered into the ground. When I was sixteen, these eyes saw my three


    sisters get kicked out of the house on the same day. When I was...twenty, my eyes saw another pair of


    eyes. They came home one day, and never really left.


    Those same eyes followed me. I fell in love with those eyes, until... Up until that night, these eyes saw


    something else. In these eyes of mine, I came to the conclusion that everything in my life is trivial, and


    nothing else really matters. For in these eyes, the god in the sky showed me something. In these eyes,


    he allowed me to see what my life was truly worth. If only the world could truly see what these eyes of


    mine got a chance to see then perhaps they would realize just how inconsequential their own sorry


    lives really are.


    In these eyes of mine, these two, delusional eyes of mine, I watched that man of mine. I watched that


    man do something that my eyes will forever hold on to. I cannot close these eyes. No matter how hard I


    try, I just cannot shut these eyes of mine. I dare not tempt the fate that awaits me with a salivating


    breath.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    I cannot rest, I cannot sustain myself, I cannot die; these eyes will not allow me to do so. In these eyes


    of mine...I have crossed Hell''s threshold, and I cannot turn around.

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    Even before she could enter Jimmy''s that evening, Lyte could already hear The Brothers Johnson,


    ''Strawberry Letter 23'', sting loudly inside the building.


    With two jittery legs the young woman steadily ventured towards the establishment like she was


    heading for a prison term. She was wearing only a short-sleeved shirt that read Topaz High Drill Team


    on the front in bright glitter, and a pair of bell-bottomed blue jeans. Her fists were balled up so tight that


    sweat was glistening on both the insides and out.


    The youngdy stepped up on a ledge before approaching the front door where arge ck man was


    standing. Without saying a word to each other, Lyte pulled out two dors and handed it to the man


    before the man opened the door to allow her inside.


    Once she was in, the woman was bombarded by not only the loud music but also by legions of young


    ck men and women roller skating, dancing and ying video games. But rather than be


    engulfed in all the chaos, Lyte simply glided past one merrymaker after another on her way


    towards the rear of the building.


    On her way back, she just happened to take a very quick nce at a certain familiar booth. The booth


    was empty, and that was the only nce she required. She could hear her own heart beat in her ears.


    Before Lyte could even reach the rear, she immediately saw anotherrge ck man standing at a


    door speaking to a young woman. Lyte barged her way past scores of skaters just to get to the


    man.


    "I''m here to see vell!" Lyte raised her voice to the man.


    For a second or two both the man and the woman he was speaking with appeared offended by her


    presence.


    "Is he expecting you?" He spoke out loud.


    "He told me to meet him here around eight! I''m Lynnie!"


    The man stood and stared at the youngdy, contemting his next move. He then sighed and opened


    the door behind him.


    "Follow me!"


    Lyte did as she was told and followed the man down a long, dark corridor. Down the hallway was


    just one light bulb that was burning faintly in a corner all to itself.


    The man then stopped at a door that was at the very end of the hallway. He knocked four times before


    the door swung open to reveal a young, angry looking, slender ck man named Wendell behind it.


    "I got a Lynnie here to see vell."


    Lyte held her breath for what seemed like countless moments while waiting for the man behind the


    door to reply.


    "Oh yeah, we''ve been waitin'' for her." Wendell said as he opened the door all the way.


    Sidestepping therger man, Lyte entered into the smoke-filled room that reeked of marijuana from


    one corner to the next. Seated in a corner was an older ck woman with grey dreadlocks who was


    sifting through bags of white powder, while clear on the other end of the room was another ck man


    named Marvin who was counting money and cutting his own stash of white powder on a table.


    Lyte''s emaciated frame stood at total attention. The woman honestly could not make a single


    move. It was as if she no longer possessed the will to operate her own body. She hadn''t stopped


    shaking since before she entered the parking lot.


    There was another door just two feet away from her. Behind that door emerged an older, caramel


    skinned man with a perfectly manicured mustache and finger waves in his hair. He was wiping his


    hands clean and smiling as he came out.


    The woman and the two other men all stopped what they were doing at that moment to take notice of


    the man.


    "Well, if it ain''t little Lynnie." The man smiled gregariously.


    She probably should have be rxed at that stage, but all Lyte could do was continue to


    stand in the middle of the floor while the music up above her head vibrated down into her feet.


    Sitting himself down in a chair, the man said, "Come closer so I can see you better."


    Unclenching her body, Lyte dragged herself from the middle of the floor to the man. Once she was


    standing directly in front of him, the man sat perfectly still and eyed the woman from her sneakers all


    the way to her face. Once he got to her face, Lyte immediately began to shiver all over again.


    "How long is your eye gonna be like that?" He pointed.


    He was referring to Lyte''s right eye that had a deep, red scar in the middle. Lyte cut her face


    away momentarily before replying, "The doctor said that it was permanent."


    The man only rubbed his chin and said, "I''m sorry to hear that. Don''t take it personally, but I heard that


    you looked a whole lot worse months ago. I''m d to see you doing better."


    "Thank you, vell." Lyte meekly muttered.


    "Have a seat, Lynnie." vell motioned to a chair that was already seated beside her. "You don''t have


    to stand before me; I ain''t no drill sergeant." He smirked.


    Wendell pulled the chair up to where Lyte could sit down right in front of vell. She sat only


    twelve inches apart from the man.


    "I''m sorry for not being here a few weeks back when you first arrived." vell said as he began


    shuffling hundred dor bills on the table he was seated at. "I was busy taking care of business up in


    N.Y."


    "It''s okay." Lyte blushed with knocking knees.


    Right in the middle of his stacking duty, vell all of the sudden paused to turn and look at Lyte.


    "Tell me, how have you been doing all these months?"


    It was as if the question had sawed right through her body like a chainsaw. In her mind, time was


    something that didn''t exist.


    Biting down on her bottom lip, Lyte answered, "I''ve been fine."


    Shaking his head, vell said, "You gotta forgive me for being so nosey, but when they told me what


    Isaac did to you, I almost couldn''t believe it. I mean, I didn''t know the cat all that well, but I never


    imagined he would end up losing his mind like he did."


    Bashfully turning her head, Lyte said, "Yeah... me neither."


    "I heard he was dealing with some Jamaican cats." Wendell cut in.


    "Yeah, we also heard that those same Jamaicans knocked off both Larry and Marvell." vell said.


    "But then again, Larry was such a simple nigga, he would''ve slipped on a banana peel and killed


    himself. That''s the number one rule in this business, never get high on your own supply."


    With the exception of Lyte, everyone gathered inside the room began snickering. Lyte only


    pressed her lips together while holding on to a courteous smile as though her life depended upon it.


    "Well, at least he''s gone now. He can''t hurt anyone anymore." vell patted Lyte on the knee.


    "How''s that boy of yours doing?"


    "He''s fine." Lyte rushed to say. "I, uh, I really have a long night to get back to, with work and school


    and all."


    "Okay, okay, just calm down, you can''t rush perfection." vell smirked as he bundled his wad of bills


    inside a rubber band. "So tell me, how did your meeting with my contact gost night?"


    Lyte hurriedly tried to collect her thoughts on the question that she knew full well was going to


    arrive sooner orter in their meeting.


    "Uh...I didn''t get a chance to get what I needed." She stammered.


    vell''s smirk immediately shrank into a frown at that stage as he stared Lyte in the eye.


    "Nita,e over here and do your thang."


    At once, the olderdy in the corner dropped what she was doing and proceeded to step up behind


    Lyte. From there, she stuffed her hands down Lyte''s blouse and into her pants and panties.


    Lyte could have melted away in sheer fear at that moment. She couldn''t even shut her eyes.


    Once Nita was through with her invasive inspection she raised her hands to vell and went back to


    her table in the corner.


    Nodding his head in approval, vell said, "Just checking, that''s all. Now, tell me why you didn''t get


    what you neededst night."


    Wiping sweat from her forehead, Lyte replied, "I just didn''t feel rightst night. I felt like someone


    was watching us. The meeting ce we were in felt hot."


    vell sat and eyeballed Lyte ever so carefully before steadily saying, "I see. But I was under the


    assumption that you really needed my stuff. I mean, my contact was a sure thing."


    "I know, and please don''t think that I don''t need your stuff, vell, I just get real nervous every now and


    then." Lyte quickly blurted out.


    "I guess I could understand that, with all that happened months ago. But you have to understand, I


    can''t have my people meeting you all over town just for you to up and ghost them. They get real


    nervous, too."


    "I understand, and I''m sorry."


    vell turned his attention back to counting his money on the table and asked, "So now be honest with


    me, Lynnie, it''s been on my mind for a while now. Was your man dealing with those Jamaican cats?


    You see, I need to know if someone is moving in on my turf."


    Rubbing her hands together, Lyte kept her eyes focused solely upon vell. "I swear, Isaac was


    never into drugs." She shook her head from side to side.


    "He sure could''ve fooled everyone back in February." Wendell said.


    "Yeah, the nigga cut off your damn finger, girl." vell turned to Lyte. "I''ve seen those Jamaicans


    do that and a whole lot worse."


    Lyte ced her hands on vell''s table. "That man is gone. Do you understand? He''s gone." She


    firmly stated. "You''re people have been dealing with me now for the past four months, and not one time


    have I double-crossed you, vell. I''ve paid you every time, on time. You''ve no reason to doubt me


    now."


    vell sat and studied the young woman with such a thoughtful contemtion that it seemed he was


    feeling sympathy for her.


    "Tell me, do you still write poetry?" He asked.


    Subtly stunned by the question, Lyte humbly responded, "A little bit, here and there."


    "You oughtae to New York, they got some ces there for up anding artists."


    "Yeah, go to CBGB''S." Wendellughed.


    "Nigga, that''s for white folks!" vell chuckled out loud. "You should go to The Fever, that''s where the


    real ck folks hang out."


    Smirking, Lyte said, "With that Son of Sam guy and that ckout, I think Cypress will do me just


    fine."


    "Man, that Son of Sam cat ain''t stupid enough to step into the ghetto." Wendell added.


    Right then, the front door opened revealing a small, ck boy with an afro and a medium sized crate in


    his skinny arms.


    "Little nigga, what did we tell you abouting in here without knocking first?" One of the other men in


    the room angrily shouted.


    Shaking, the boy said, "I''m sorry, sir, but Jimmy wanted me to bring these down to you guys."


    "Put it over there, Youngblood." vell kindly said as he got up from the table and went over to the boy.


    "What''s your name, my man?"


    "Uh, Sammy, sir," the boy shuddered.


    "Tell you what, Sammy, you take this and be on your way." vell said as he handed the child a


    hundred dor bill.


    "I thought I told you¡ª


    Jimmy, the overweight proprietor of the establishment barged inside the room like a steaming


    lotive. "Oh, I didn''t think he got down here so soon." Jimmy huffed and puffed while his dark face


    blushed out of control.


    "Calm down, big chops," vell motioned with his hand. "Why don''t you go back upstairs and enjoy


    yourself, Sammy?"


    Without any hesitation, Sammy took the bill and darted back the way he came, out the door. Lyte


    watched in silent regret as the boy took off. He couldn''t have been no more than ten or eleven years


    old at best.


    Coming down from his panting tirade, Jimmy said, "My fault, vell, that''s my nephew Sammy. I told


    him to wait till I knew that the coast was clear."


    Approaching Jimmy, vell said, "So let me get this straight, you got your little nephew working in your


    club?"


    "His mom wants me to keep an eye on him this summer. I just thought that having a job here would¡ª


    "I see, I see." vell patted Jimmy on the shoulder. "Let me reassure you of something, Jim, I don''t like


    having my operation left naked like that. You understand?"


    "I sure do, vell." Jimmy stuttered. "Kids tend to have big mouths when ites to seeing stuff like


    this down here." vell then pulled out a handgun from his back pocket before waving it in Jimmy''s


    portly face. "Believe me, I used to be one of those big-mouthed kids. We need this clean and tight. You


    got me?"


    "Yes, sir, I sure do. It won''t happen again." Jimmy stumbled and fumbled before turning and heading


    out the room, shutting the door behind him.


    Still, Lyte would not budge from her seat. All she wanted at that point in the evening was for


    someone to knock her unconscious.


    Slipping his gun back into his pants, vell turned to Lyte. "Well, Lynnie, I''m a very busy man." He


    sighed. "I''ve got a couple of friends stopping byter on, so let''s get this over with."


    Standing up from her chair, Lyte pulled out her own wad of bills and fervently said, "I got it right


    here."


    Rubbing the stubble on his chin, vell said, "Oh, you didn''t hear? The price has gone up."


    Lyte''s stomach dropped at that instant to the point where she wanted to break down and cry.


    "But this is all I have."


    vell just stood and stared at the woman before turning his head to the door behind him. "We can


    always work something out...you and I."


    Everyone of vell''s crew all paused what they were doing at that moment before going back to their


    business as if it were expected of them.


    Lyte saw the door and only the door. Without hesitation, she stuffed her money back into her


    pockets before walking past vell on her way into the bathroom.


    With only her reflection facing her in the cracked mirror inside the tiny bathroom, Lyte saw vell


    slowly making his way towards her. She wanted to close her eyes, but the abrasion in her right eye


    quickly reminded her why she was there to begin with.


    She kept her eyes wide open...and watched as vell shut the door behind him.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    "Good morning, I''m Phil Reynolds for Action Seven News. What you are seeing behind me was once


    the Downtown Forensic Examiners building, but now, it is a pile of ash and rubble.


    Last night, around eleven o''clock, this very building went up in mes.As of now, the cause of the fire is


    still in question, but firefighters are specting that perhaps a faulty outlet could be to me, being that


    the building itself was ny-eight years old.Thankfully, no one inside the four floor building was hurt or


    killed.


    There is still a lot of cleanup to do, as well as trying to figure out just where the new building will be


    erected and just where the funds for the building will emanate from an already cash- strapped city.With


    Mayor Finy''s speechst week on the city''s fiscal plight, erecting another building could very well put


    Cypress in yet another financial bind that it cannot afford at the moment.


    Though Cypress needs a medical examiners station, some say that re-building one in today''s climate


    may not be in the best interest of the city, considering the new subway system that the Mayor wants to


    construct.


    Now, we did get reports that the fire started in the forensicsb downstairs on the bottom floor. Two


    technicians stated that one moment they were working, then the next thing they knew there was a


    sudden burst, and then everything went up in mes.Unfortunately, the fire was so intense that the


    building itself could never be recovered. What''s left would have to be taken down.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    The fire marshal is calling the fire itself very suspicious. Not suspicious in human error, but in the way it


    began. He states that he has never seen a fire spread so quickly. ording to firefighters, it took only


    an hour for the entire building to burn to the ground.


    I''m Phil Reynolds for Action Seven News."

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    Mr. Mercer sat inside his car, right in front of 909 West 7th Blvd. The man''s lips never parted as he


    stared longingly at the disheveled, abandoned home that still looked like a crime scene even after so


    many months.Mercer''s head was oozing sweat. Even without an undershirt on the domineering heat of


    July bore down upon him like an ancient gue. His skin was sticking to his shirt''s fabric making


    simple movements feel squishy and cumbersome.


    Outside on the sidewalk were three scruffy looking, young ck men who looked as if they were in the


    midst ofmitting some sort of heinous act. While clear on the other end of the sidewalk was an old,


    ck man cutting hiswn.


    The man''s left hand was welded to the door''s handle, all he had to do was pull down thetch and it


    would be wide open. But he chose to remain inside the sweltering vehicle and just look on. He couldn''t


    budge an inch; the house appeared as if it wanted to crumble right there in front of his eyes.


    Suddenly, the teenagers that were just milling about on the sidewalk began yelling out loud which in


    turn caused Mercer to awaken from his suspended animation.


    With about as much will power as he could possibly gather, the man opened the door, got out and


    gingerly made his way towards the front door.All around him the sounds of rowdy teenagers, loud


    lawnmowers and simple insects became inaudible. It was as if he had be the only person on the


    net at that point. Even his own two legs felt like they weren''t below him anymore; he suddenly felt as


    though he were levitating rather than walking.


    The very moment he reached the decrepit porch steps, almost immediately the very first board gave


    way. Mercer sidestepped the flimsy wood and simply lifted high hisrge leg on his way up. He stood in


    front of the door and waited. Just what the man was waiting for was lost somewhere between his logic


    and memories of the past. All Mercer could do was stand absolutely motionless for ceaseless moments


    before taking his sweaty right hand and using it to twist the doorknob until it creaked open.


    Immediately, the stench of must and body odor rushed into Mercer''s face and out into the summer air.


    Mercer proceeded to prance right inside, closing the door behind him. The entire living room was


    completely empty. The carpet was stripped bare while the walls still had imprints of where furniture and


    frames once rested. He couldn''t believe how smelly the house still was after so long as he strolled


    about the humid living room and into the kitchen. The small stove and cabs that he passed along


    the way looked like something from out of the previous century.


    Once Mercer approached the backdoor he gazed out the window at the tiny woodshed that was leaning


    to one side as if it could fall to pieces at any second.


    When he was through at the door, Mercer turned and began back in the opposite direction. He went


    from the kitchen to the bedroom that was empty but alive with glorious sunlight that illuminated the


    room from just about every corner.


    Right behind him was the hallway. All Mercer had to do was turn, but his body became strangely


    immobile once again. He couldn''t move a muscle, and deep down, he honestly didn''t want to. There


    was a single window in the bedroom just several feet from where he was standing; jumping out of it


    was an option for the man.


    Mercer gradually turned and found himself inside the cavernous hallway. The man stepped one foot in


    front of the other until his face came into contact with the one room in the house that could possibly


    take his mortal life.


    In front of him was the bathroom. For some reason or another he expected to see at least a few spots


    or speckles of blood in obscure corners of the room, but the entire space was pristine; in fact, it was


    possibly the cleanest room in the entire house, save for the dead mouse on the floor next to the toilet.


    However, behind Mercer, clear down at the other end of the hallway, stood a figure. And stand is all it


    did. It had no face, just the form of a human body that stood patiently and without words or breath,


    unbeknownst to Mercer.


    All Mercer could do was drop his heaving shoulders while staring down at the tile in a dreaded pout.


    Soon, his hands began to tremble. At first, he expected it, but after a second or two the shaking


    became annoying considering he requiredpleteposure for his tour.


    Mercer sped his hands together right then before turning and looking back down at the other end of


    the hallway. The man stood and gazed forever at the quiet corridor in which he figured he was all alone


    inside. But there was something seizing him at that phase. He neither saw nor heard a single individual


    inside the house, and yet, he abruptly found himself surrounded.


    With his hands still clutched tightly together, Mercer''s eyes looked down the dim hallway for at least two


    whole minutes.


    "Dear Lord in heaven...deliver me not into the hands of mine enemies." He whispered. "Be with me


    inside this dwelling, that I may¡ª


    But before Mercer could finish, the sound of something crashing from another room broke right in


    between, causing the man to break out into the most rapid and violent sweat.


    "Be gone from here, Lucifer." He muttered with trembling jaws.


    The man''s legs somehow found the energy to move at that juncture. With one foot in front of the other


    he walked out of the hallway and into the living room to find shattered ss on the floor.


    Mercer looked all around the living room, attempting to recall if he noticed any sort of cup lying about


    as he came into the house. But rather than try and rationalize any further, the man unclenched his


    heavy hands and stormed out the front door with such a fury that he didn''t even bother to shut the door


    behind him.


    "Hey, old man, what the fuck are you doing up in that house?" One of the three young men from the


    sidewalk called out as he and his tworades came towards Mercer.


    Mercer only ignored the boys as he carried on to his car while taking out his keys from his pocket.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    "I asked you a question, motherfucker!"


    Without looking in their direction, Mercer said, "I didn''te here for no trouble."


    "That''s our fuckin'' house, stay your punk ass out of there!" Another one of the boys screamed.


    Still not looking in their direction, Mercer unlocked the car door and proceeded to get in, only to have


    two of the boys grab a hold of the door.


    "Fuck that, you go into one of our houses, you gotta pay!"


    "That''s right; this is our set, nigga!"


    Mercer stood at his own vehicle. The fear that he once was trapped inside of had all but diminished.


    Now, all he could see were three boys who wanted to be men so badly.


    "Get your hands off my car, please." Mercer firmly, yet patiently uttered.


    "Fuck you, old man, pay up!"


    If he required a trigger, all he had to do was look over at the house that the boys seemed so hell-bent


    on protecting for whatever reason.


    Mercer reached and grabbed one of the boys hands before squeezing as hard as he could, snapping


    nearly every bone inside the boy''s appendage.


    "What the hell?" One of the other''s yelled before attempting to attack Mercer.


    But Mercer, as big as he was, was too fast as he simply pped the boy to the ground before taking


    the third young man by the neck and shaking the very life out of him.


    Once he saw the boy''s eyes bulge out of their sockets Mercer immediately released him before


    stepping back and hollering, "I used to run these motherfuckin'' streets long before you little niggas


    were even born!"


    With their lives barely intact, all three boys got up and ran away. All that was left was Mercer and the


    old man across the street who was only wearing a smile as he carried on in his mowing duties.


    He thought he would have been shaking, but Mercer waspletelyposed about himself. He


    didn''t even look to see where the boys had run off to, he just climbed into his car, cut on the ignition


    and paused.


    He wanted to drive away and in a hurry, but there was the house. He wanted it to do something, but


    much like himself, it sat still andposed.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    Like a brazen thief, Lyte snuck her way ever so quietly into the second story window of her parents''


    house.


    With her brown paper bag tucked securely underneath her right armpit, the young woman carefully


    closed her bedroom window before taking off her sneakers and dropping her bag onto the desk that sat


    next to her rocking chair.


    Before anything else, Lyte tip-toed over to the door and listened for any soundsing from the


    other end. It was still the early morning and she was well aware that her mother would be stalking


    about preparing breakfast.


    Once she felt that the coast was clear, Lyte went back over to the desk where her bag was resting


    and ripped it open like a Christmas present. What spilled out onto the desk''s wood grain were tiny,


    white rocks that Lyte hurriedly collected into her hands before they could fall onto the floor.


    From there, she sat back in her seat and pulled out a drawer from within the desk. Inside the drawer


    was a rubber band that she immediately snatched out.


    She then pulled off her jacket and exposed her boney arms that revealed needle marks all up and


    down before taking the rubber band and wrapping it tightly around her right arm.


    "Lynn, are you in there?" A woman''s loud voice shouted from the other side of the bedroom door.


    At the snap of a finger Lyte gathered every rock from off the table and scooted them into the


    drawer. She then put her jacket back on before shooting up from the desk and running towards the


    door.


    "What''s up, Ma?" Lyte huffed.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Her mother bobbed her head up and down and from side to side just trying to peek inside Lyte''s


    room.


    "Are you just now getting home?" Her mother asked in an annoyed manner.


    "Yes, Ma''am," Lyte answered surprised.


    "Why didn''t youe in through the front door?"


    Lyte thought for a moment and said, "Uh...I didn''t want to wake anyone."


    "Let me in there!" Her mother tried to barge in.


    Lyte only slid through the door''s crack on her way out of the room and into the brightly lit hallway,


    quickly shutting the door right behind her.


    "What do you need in there?" Lyte looked perturbed.


    Lyte''s mother, clothed in a brown robe and curlers in her head, just stood and stared at her


    daughter as though she were looking at a total stranger.


    "Why does this job of yours keep you till the morning time?" The woman asked in a more disgruntled


    manner.


    Walking down the stairs, Lyte replied, "What do you mean?"


    Following in behind her, the woman said, "You''ve been away for the past two days! What kind of job


    keeps their employees away from home for so long, Lynn?"


    The moment Lyte reached the living room she immediately went for the kitchen in the hopes of


    ditching her ever so persistent mother.


    "Mama, I told you and dad months ago, they need me to watch over patients while they conduct tests!"


    Lyte sighed as she opened the refrigerator door.


    "I know that, but I''ve never heard of a job that keeps a person away for nights on in like this! You''ve


    been doing this nonstop for months now, child!"


    Rolling her eyes, Lyte pulled out a carton of eggs from the refrigerator and mmed them down


    onto the counter.


    "Dad stays out all night and you never say anything!"


    "First thing, your father is a night watchman, he has to be out, and second, you need to watch your


    tone with me!"


    Spinning around, Lyte asked, "Why are you on me like this? I''ve beening in at this time for the


    past three months now, and you haven''t said anything!"


    "Did you know that your son fell down the steps yesterday morning because he thought he heard you


    coming into the house?"


    Lyte paused, but only for a brief instant before turning and attending to her eggs. "Is he okay?" She


    lethargically inquired.


    "He''s got a big ole'' knot on his head," her mother raised her voice.


    "Oh well, maybe that''ll teach him to keep his little butt in bed." Lyte shrugged as she took out three


    eggs before cing the carton back into the refrigerator.


    "And why do you keep on wearing that jacket? It''s hot!"


    "What''s wrong with me wearing my jacket?" Lyte threw up her hands. "I''ve been at work for the


    past few days! I''m doing all I can for me and my son, and youe at me with this! If I was sitting


    around the house like Jackie, Bernadette and Lavonia you''d be all over me about that! But no, I work


    all the time and I still get beat up!"


    "But they live in their own ce! They can do whatever they want to now!"


    Lyte mmed the refrigerator door before facing her mother. "Then give me till the end of the


    month, and I''ll have myself a brand new ce to live!"Lyte then stormed out of the kitchen with her


    mother following in suit.


    "And what about Isaiah," she hollered.


    "What about him?" Lyte screamed back.


    "How is he going to live while you''re away at work for days? Because I''m sick and tired of taking care


    of all these kids you and your sisters keep throwing on me and your daddy!"


    Lyte stopped short of the front door. "I never asked you or daddy to watch my child! You both


    basicallymanded me to move back in here months ago! But like I said, since we''re such a burden


    on you, we''ll be out of here by the end of the month!"


    "What on earth is going on in here?" A short, bearded, ck man dressed in a blue guard''s uniform


    came in through the kitchen with a metal lunch pail in his hand.


    "Dad, can you please tell mom to stop jumping on me?" Lyte beseeched her father.


    "Don''t go running to your dad! Your little behind is out of control!"


    "How am I out of control?" Lyte yelled.


    "Lower your tone when you speak to your mama!" Her father firmly demanded.


    Lyte quickly caught herself before looking back at her father and saying, "I came in this morning,


    like I always do from work, and mama just starts yelling at me."


    "That''s because I don''t trust this job you''re working at." Her mother remarked.


    Lyte''s father ced his lunch pail onto the couch before sitting his exhausted body down beside it


    and sighing a huge breath.


    The man scratched his beard and calmly said, "You''re mama and I have both been questioning this job


    of yours for quite some time now. I can understand you being away all night, but you''ve been away for


    days, too."


    "But that''s the job, dad." Lyte ardently exined.


    "I ain''t never heard of a job like that."


    "I''ve been doing this for months and no one ever said anything until now."


    "We have been saying something, Lynn, you just keep on ignoring us." Mother said. "All you do is work


    and listen to those foolish eight-tracks like your fifteen all over again."


    "Did your mother tell you that the baby fell down the steps yesterday?"


    "Yes, sir," Lyte dropped her head in shame.


    "Have you seen your son since you got home this morning?"


    "No, sir, I haven''t."


    "Then rather than arguing with your mother, why don''t you go on up and see him? Just because you


    have odd hours at your job doesn''t mean you have to abandon your duty as a mother."


    Lyte plunged her shoulders in defeat. She nced ever so meekly at her parents before dragging


    her sluggish legs towards the stairs and carrying herself up.


    The very moment she rounded the corner that led to Isaiah''s bedroom a cold sliver struck down


    Lyte''s sweaty back. Her legs grew wobbly and her pace turned listless, as if her own body had


    forgotten how to move all of the sudden.


    There were three bedrooms inside the house, and the one room that Lyte had to go to just


    happened to be the same one she loathed most of all.


    She regained her senses and balled up her fists as she stomped down the hallway until she came to


    thest door in the corridor. With a sweaty right palm she twisted the knob and immediately stepped


    inside the room with a determined poise.


    Isaiah was still fast asleep in the bed. Lyte stood above the boy and just looked down at him with


    her ck lips poked out in a defiant manner.The bump on his head was more than a knot, it was a


    downright bulging bruise that would have any other parent rushing their child to the emergency room.


    But Lyte just continued to stand as her son snored away on his back while the sun beamed down


    upon his little head.Her fists were still balled up and her lips remained stiff and puckered. All the young


    woman wanted to do was shut her eyes and pray to God that she could control her shaking hands that


    wanted to reach out.


    Without allowing another second to pass between them, Lyte turned and stomped out of room.


    She could hear Isaiah begin to stir, which only caused her to move faster than before and carefully


    close the door behind her as not to disturb the baby any further.


    She could hear her parents downstairs talking amongst each other about her, but Lyte''s attention


    was elsewhere and everywhere but inside the house. She went directly into her bedroom, shut the door


    behind her and immediately cut on the eight-track yer that already had The Commodores'', ''Easy'',


    ready to y.Lyte turned the volume down on the yer before taking off her jacket and resuming


    her actions from moments earlier.


    As she began wrapping her arm all over again with the rubber band, she couldn''t help but to nce


    outside the window in front of her to see a young, dark-skinned woman jogging up and down the alley.


    Lyte vigorously pped at her right arm while keeping a vignt eye on the woman that kept racing


    back and forth in the empty alley like she were training for an event.


    The very instant she heard Isaiah begin to whine in the other room Lyte wrapped the rubber band


    around her arm so tight that it started to cut off her cirction. She then went over and turned up the


    eight-track yer loud enough to where all she could hear was Lionel Richie''s voice and nothing


    else.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6


    Negril, Jamaica


    "What can you hear, my boy?" Old man Sunta said into Cloyse''s ear in a raspy, Jamaican dialect.


    Cloyse, feelingpletely restrained and helpless, heard everything, from the roaring waves of the sea


    that sounded as if he were right next to them, to his old friend, all the way to a wheezing grunt that


    seemingly surrounded him.


    Cloyse struggled to move, but it felt as if his entire body was shut down. Just trying to wiggle one finger


    was like trying to sprout wings, it was virtually impossible.


    "I...I cannot¡ª


    "Do not try and speak yet, just focus on trying to see." Sunta spoke softly into the young man''s ears.


    Cloyse did as he was told and bore down in the hopes of trying to revive his vision all over again. In


    fact, his eyes were wide open; it was just the ckness that appeared more like fog that kept him from


    seeing clearly.


    "Dey gone...dey gone far away," the wheezing individual from somewhere within the area groaned.


    "Be silent, devil!" Sunta scolded the man. "Now, continue to focus on what you want to see, my boy."


    Cloyse squeezed and stretched until the ckness in front of him gradually formed into splotches.


    "I can...I can see it." Cloyse fought to utter in his own broken English.


    "Good, good, now keep on!" Sunta gleefully urged.


    Cloyse kept stretching before even more forms beganing into sight. Before long, globs and


    splotches eventually turned into brightness. It was so bright in fact that Cloyse had to shut his eyes


    momentarily just to shield from the rays.


    "Can you see now?" Sunta asked.


    Cloyse ever so slightly nodded yes before going back to trying to twist his finger all over again. Much


    like before, attempting such a task was arduous, but the man kept at it until one moving finger turned


    into three, and after three, an entire right hand.


    "You can move now?" Sunta sounded surprised.


    "No good, boy, you be dead by sundown." The nearby groaning man uttered.


    "Please, keep on! You are almost free!"


    Cloyse persisted until he was able to fully operate his right hand. All of the sudden, the young man


    began to cry like a child. He wept so hard that his entire body began shaking inside the chair in which


    he was seated.


    "God be praised, he ising back!"


    "God not here, God not here," the mysterious individual kept gasping in and out as though he were


    fighting to speak.


    Cloyse continued to writhe about in his chair until it began to wobble back and forth. Eventually, the


    man ended up crashing onto the floor, with him still inside the seat. But to Cloyse, just feeling pain at


    that point, and after so long, was euphoria.


    "Are you alright?" Sunta hurriedly aided the man.


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    Crawling about on the warm, gravely floor, Cloyse replied, "I...am."


    "Careful." Sunta said as he hoisted both Cloyse and his chair right back up.


    Cloyse felt all over his hairy face before inquiring, "How...how long have I been under?"


    "Three weeks, I am afraid."


    Soon, the other man began making a sort of snoring racket before saying, "You be dead by de time dey


    come."


    Cloyse sat in his chair and locked his hazy eyes upon the man who was seated across from him inside


    a tiny, grass hut.


    It was a fully bearded, ck man who was sitting in his own chair and had his head down with his arms


    restrained with a rusty chain from the back. His torn and ragged pants looked as if he had worn the


    same clothing for years without ever changing. His emaciated, grey-haired, bare chest looked like he


    hadn''t been nourished in ages. He appeared such a pathetic sight, but inside Cloyse''s heart, only


    disdain seized him. There wasn''t a single fiber inside the man that felt a scrap ofpassion for the


    old being.


    "Where did you capture him?" Cloyse asked Sunta.


    Sunta walked around and stood next to Cloyse. "Doi was returning to de world when I found him. It was


    quite simple after that."


    "Who ya tink ya kill, fool," Doi questioned with his head still hung low. "I know not dyin''."


    "But you do know where my sister...is." Cloyse coughed.


    Doi shook his head from side to side before saying, "Big sister not here. She gone, mon. Dey all gone."


    Cloyse stopped breathing at that very second. His heart was beating so furiously, but the words he


    wanted to say had seemingly been swiped away.


    Cloyse ever so diligently studied the old man''s entire body before sitting back and breathlessly uttering,


    "They''re gone from here."


    "He keeps saying dat, but he is an old fool!" Sunta snapped.


    "No, no, Arthur, Akoni and Damerae are gone, mon. They''re gone far from here."


    Right then, a sudden silence gripped the entire hut. The thundering waves from outside were the only


    things that anyone was able to hear.


    "I know where dey are." Cloyse said. "I saw it before him."


    "It does not matter now." Sunta''s voice shook. "Wherever dey are gone to, not even God in heaven can


    help."


    "You know not about God." Doi grunted. "God not here no more, mon. Who won test de devil now dat


    he loose? Who won test de unknown devil now dat he loose?" Doi said aloud.


    Cloyse continued to sit and stare at Doi for endless minutes before he nced back at Sunta and


    groaned, "Dey are gone from here."


    "But where, mon?"


    "Far north of here," Cloyse sullenly replied.


    "Kingston, mon?"


    "No...even further," Cloyse said. "I want my sister, old man!" he reached for Doi.


    "No, no, no, no big sister, mon." Doi shook his head. "No...I have no more for you."


    With those words, Doi lifted his aged head to reveal a pair of white eyes and fangs before both Cloyse


    and Sunta. Before long, a sinister growl ran up and out of Doi''s throat as his face began to stretch


    outwards forming what looked to be a snout.


    Still not at full strength, all Cloyse could do was try and scoot backwards, away from the oing


    demon that was rapidly transforming right before his cloudy eyes.


    At that very moment, however, Sunta, with a pointy stick in his right hand, approached Doi. He took the


    stick and struck it against the gravely floor before igniting Doi from his feet all the way to his head.


    Almost immediately the old, beastly man was engulfed in mes as he roared and howled in agony.


    From there, Sunta grabbed a hold of Cloyse and dragged him out of the zing hut and onto the sandy


    beach before both men limped as fast as they could away from the burning structure that went up in


    mes a lot quicker than either man had anticipated.


    "Look back no more, boy." Sunta helped a staggering Cloyse down the empty Bloody Bay Beach.


    Just seeing the sight of the blue, sunny sky and glorious water all over again for him was like being


    reborn. Never had any of the sights that he grew up seeing appeared so breathtaking.


    Cloyse continued on side by side his friend until they approached a bamboo forest. "Why are we


    stopped here?" The young man looked over at Sunta.


    Sunta took a few moments before finally answering. "Did you hear what dat devil said?"


    "He said a lot of things." Cloyse huffed. "He said dat all three are gone. And dat is exactly why we must


    go and find dem before dey find my sister."


    Sunta stood a bit longer before entering the forest with Cloyse attached to his shoulder. The two men


    ventured deeper and deeper into the de before Sunta finally came to an abrupt stop right in the


    middle. Sunta then unhinged himself from Cloyse and took five steps forward.


    "You know not if you can find your sister." Sunta said with his back turned to Cloyse.


    Confused, Cloyse nced down at his tattered pants and bare chest before looking back up and


    asking, "Why are we here, mon?"


    "Come hither." Sunta subtlymanded.


    Ever so cautiously, Cloyse limped to Sunta''s side, only to be stopped by the sight of arge, gaping


    hole in the ground.


    Much to the man''s shock and dismay, the hole housed the vilest upants imaginable. Within the hole


    were the dead bodies of Jamaicans. Bloody and torn bodies all piled up and on top of one another.


    From men, women, boys and girls of all sizes and ages. The stench was unbearable and made the


    immense forest feel ustrophobic all of the sudden.


    Cloyse wanted to vomit before turning and staggering, but he held his ground, or what was left of it,


    and remained by his friend''s side as they both gazed down at the mass grave.


    "Doi did dis in one night, mon." Sunta exined in a somber manner.


    Cloyse couldn''t take his eyes off of the people. He could recognize the ones whose bodies and faces


    were still intact, while all the others were entirely too dismembered to make out.


    "What ya tink three can do?" Sunta stared straight at Cloyse. "You go looking for your sister, but for


    three weeks, mon, you were left for dead."


    Trembling from head to toe, Cloyse looked back at Sunta. "Dat is why I need your blessing."


    "Our entire vige is gone, boy!" Sunta screamed. "Everyone...gone! I give you no blessing! I have


    none to give!"


    "I cannot stay here while my sister is out dere!" Cloyse urged.


    Sunta looked Cloyse eye to eye and said, "Den ya go with de devil den."


    Cloyse stood and watched as his friend stepped into the pit andid down on top of one of the bodies.


    "Let me rest wit my people, mon." He said. "Let me go home wit God."


    Cloyse shook some more before dropping his head. He then, with stiff hands, began piling dirt onto the


    old man until his face could no longer be seen. Once he was through, Cloyse turned back and saw only


    a plume of smoke billowing into the hot, summer air. Right there, and much to his own disbelief, he


    suddenly ceased trembling.


    Surrounded by death, the young man closed his eyes and allowed one tear to drop before opening


    them and hobbling back the way he came. He had no blessing to speak of that would walk with his


    soul...and maybe that alone was what caused him to limp even faster.

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7


    On such a hot, hazy and humid summer day sat a two story farmhouse all alone in a quiet valley that


    overlooked two hundred acres of nothing but wheat. As much wheat as the human eye could take in all


    at once.The picturesque sighty beyond the outskirts of Cypress; no more than an hour and some ten


    minutes outside of the town.


    For Charles, however, driving from Cypress to the farm felt like cruising from one end of the earth to the


    other.The man pulled his car into a long, dustyered driveway beforeing to aplete stop in


    front of a white mailbox that bore the name Hob on the side. He looked straight ahead at the


    brown and white house where a mix breed collie, pit-bull came running and barking at him.


    Charles only put the car in park and cut off the ignition before climbing out and proceeding towards the


    house.


    "Can I help you, sir?" A man''s deep voice called out from the front screen door of the house.


    With a genial smile upon his face, Charles approached the porch, only to have the man on the other


    end of the screen doore out in a burst ofughter the second he could see him better.


    "Well I''ll be, look who it is!" The middle-aged, medium built, grey bearded white man shouted in a slight


    southern twinge in his undershirt and blue overalls.


    The two men hugged the life out of each other before the white man stood back and continued to


    beam, "It sure has been a long time!"


    Smiling right back, Charles replied, "Yes, sir, it sure has."


    "What brings you all the way out here, of all ces?"


    "Well¡ª


    "Who are you talking to, Elmer?" A middle-aged white woman questioned as she came out the same


    screen door.


    "Look who it is, Ida." Elmer pointed to Charles.


    Ida stood for a brief second before she clutched her chest and smiled, "My Lord, Charles...is that you?"


    Still holding on to his million dor smile, Charles dly responded, "I''m afraid it is."


    The two embraced before Ida stood back. She then skittishly nced over at Elmer before her smile


    turned into a subtle grimace.


    "We''re so sorry we didn''t get a chance toe to the funeral, Charles." She held Charles'' hands in her


    own.


    Blushing, Charles said, "Now you two cut that out. I didn''te all the way out here for that."


    "Well, can I get you something to drink or eat?"


    Exhaling, Charles said, "On this hot day, I sure could go for a sip of some of that lemonade of yours. If


    you still make it, that is."


    yfully pping Charles across his right arm, Ida answered, "Of course I still make it. You two boys


    go on and y while I take care of that."


    Both men watched as Ida went back into the house before Elmer studied Charles from head to toe as


    though he were just fascinated with the man.


    "I see old Luke still likes to y." Charles patted the bouncing dog on the head.


    "Yep, we''re gonna have to put him out to stud before fall gets here, though." Elmer said as he began


    walking back into the house, making sure Charles was right behind him. "C''mon in, Chuck."


    The two men went through the spacious, sun drenched living room that was littered with nothing but


    pictures of family members from one corner to the other. Charles tried his almighty best not to allow


    any of the frames to catch his eye.


    Once they cleared the living room, Elmer opened a screen door that led to a back porch where two


    rocking chairs were ced right beside the screened in window that overlooked the yard. Charles sat


    down beside Elmer and immediately began rocking back and forth like a little boy.


    "I sure do miss a rocking chair." He grinned from ear to ear.


    "Yep," Elmer sighed, "Ida gets on me for falling asleep out here on this porch."


    A deep silence captured the men at that moment before Elmer put his rough hands together and


    murmured with a blushing face, "Me and Ida are truly sorry for noting to the funeral, Chuck."


    Charles just waved the man''s apology away as to say it wasn''t even necessary before he began


    rocking faster in his chair.


    "The snow just kept us hunkered down here like a bunch of old hermits."


    Leaning forward, Charles smiled, "You stop that right now. You have nothing to be sorry for."


    Elmer only humbly pressed his lips together before asking, "So...how have things been for you?"


    Charles sat back in his chair and clutched the arms as if he were holding on for dear life. "I''m doin'' the


    best I can." He beamed.


    Elmer sat and stared on at the man with a glimmer of kindness on his face and said, "I''m d to hear


    that, my friend."


    "Yeah," Charles sighed, "it''s been an uphill battle, but I''m pulling through."


    "Sorry to interrupt." A young, blonde girl came into the porch with a tter of lemonade and two


    sses.


    Elmer sat up and proudly announced, "This is our granddaughter, Lindsey."


    Lindsey sat the tter down onto the small table between the men and smiled, "Grandma said to bring


    you guys this."


    "This here is Lindsey?" Charles'' eyes lit up. "Good Lord, I haven''t seen you since you were a tiny little


    scratch."


    Lindsey only blushed from head to toe as her grandfather took the pitcher of lemonade and began


    filling both sses.


    "This here is Pastor Charles Mercer." He handed Charles his ss. "Mr. Mercer and I go way, way


    back."


    "Way back." Charles stared back at Elmer with a quiet and humble expression.


    Both men caught themselves for a second or two before Charles looked back up at Lindsey. "So tell


    me, youngdy, do you get that name from the TV show?"


    Giggling, Lindsey replied, "No, sir, but I get teased at school by some of the boys."


    Chuckling himself, Charles said, "Me and my boy used to watch her and the ''Six Million Dor Man'' all


    the time together. Tell your grandmother how much we appreciate the lemonade, darling."


    "Yes, sir," Lindsey dly responded as she turned and walked away.


    Elmer began sipping on his ss. "So, everything is fine, huh?" He asked with a hint of doubt in his


    tone.


    Charles quit slurping on his ss. "My goodness, Ida sure does put a lot of sugar in this here


    lemonade." He looked at the sweating ss. "But that''s how I love it."


    Elmer continued to stare on at Charles. "You didn''t answer my question, Chuck." He uttered in a more


    serious tone.


    Charles ced the ss down onto the table before ncing up at the ceiling. "I got a call from Mr.


    Jesse Jackson himself some months ago."


    "Oh really," Elmer looked stunned.


    "Yep, he wanted to know if I wanted to sue the police department."


    "What did you end up telling him?"


    Shrugging his shoulders, Charles responded, "Sue the police department for what?"


    "Sue them for that officer killing your boy." Elmer reacted somewhat shocked.


    Shaking his head, Charles gulped, "Elmer, no amount of money in this world is gonna...is gonna bring


    that boy back to me."


    Elmer sat and red on and on at Charles. "Perhaps you can sue them for¡ª


    "I left my flock." Charles simply blurted out.


    Right there, a blistering silence hung over the two men. It must havested for nearly an entire minute


    before Elmer stroked his beard and said, "Something told me you didn''t drive all the way out here just


    for my wife''s sugary lemonade."


    Charles only grinned at the man before dolefully saying, "I left three months ago."


    "And just what on earth made you do that?"


    Rolling his eyes to the back of his head, Charles said, "I can''t quite exin why. I guess I don''t see


    myself fit to lead anymore."


    "That couldn''t be further from the truth." Elmer adamantly proimed.


    Sitting up in his seat, Charles said, "I sold my house. I can''t even bring myself to drive by there no


    more. All I do is drive around that city night and day like I''m lost."


    "How are the baby and Lyte doing?"


    Sighing, Charles answered, "Lynn''s mama and daddy won''t even let me see the child. And as for Lynn


    herself, I haven''t seen her since May. She tries and tries to say that she''s not, but the girl is strung out.


    You know I''ve seen that all too many times in my past."


    "Is there anything you can do to reach out to her?" Elmer desperately inquired.


    "As much as I love that child, it''s all for the better that I stay away from her and the baby. I ain''t no good


    to anyone right now."


    "What in the world makes you say that, Chuck?"


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    Charles focused his drooping eyes at Elmer and just stared hard and long at the man. "I have reason to


    believe that I''m going through what Carl went through way back in ''61."


    Elmer''s face immediately went stone white at that instant. "You do recall that what Carl went through


    ended up taking Carl''s life, don''t you?"


    Charles only nodded his head in a nonchnt fashion before closing his eyes and clutching his hands


    together.


    Getting up out of his chair, Elmer stood before Charles and ced his hand on the man''s shoulder


    before whispering, "Let''s go."


    Charles opened his eyes and looked up at the man. For a brief moment all he could see was Elmer''s


    beard, nothing beyond that seemed to appear.


    ***


    It was a quiet stroll amongst the tall corn stalks that sprawled for miles in every direction. The sweat


    that was drooling down Charles'' head was more of a relief than a burden. It let him know that he was


    still feeling something within his human shell.


    With Elmer right beside him, Charles, with his hands inside his pants pockets, kept his eyes pointed


    straight ahead of him.


    "I used to get so upset at this heat." He mumbled lightheartedly. "I reckon that''s normal, being that you


    live in the city."


    Elmer grinned at the man. "What''s funny is, when you leave a ce like this, it always pulls you right


    back. ces where the weeds are taller than you are."


    The men continued on walking until Charles could see what looked to be a tall pole in front of a fence.


    His mind was racing so much that he had to take deep breaths just to gather one thought at a time.


    "I went over to that house." Charles murmured with his head down.


    "I see." Elmer murmured right back.


    "It was the first time I''d been there since Isaac''s life was required of him that night."


    "And just how did that end up going?"


    Charles kept his face to the dry ground beneath his feet and said, "I need to ask you a very important


    question."


    "Ok."


    They kept on walking until they came to the tall, wooden pole and the decrepit fence that the pole was


    leaning against. Charles and Elmer themselves leaned against the crippled barrier as the sound of


    cicadas shrieked from every portion of the valley.


    Studying Elmer''s face very meticulously, Charles gripped the fence as tight as he could. "I need to ask


    you a very important question, and I also need you to bepletely honest with me."


    Smiling, Elmer replied, "Have you ever known me to be anything but honest with you?"


    Charles braced himself. "You canugh at me all you want, but...do you really believe in all that


    demonic possession stuff they show on TV and in the movies these days?"


    Appearing slightly amused, Elmer looked right back at Charles and asked, "What brings this up?"


    "I know that the bible talked about it all the time, but I need to know if you believe it or not."


    "How can you, of all people, not believe in it?" Elmer pointed at Charles.


    Charles nced around the area before looking back at Elmer again. "I never said that I didn''t, but I


    saw my boy that night before he was taken away, and something wasn''t right with him."


    "Well, what do you believe that something was?"


    "I can''t even believe I''m speaking like this, but it''s the first time I''ve ever talked about it with anyone."


    "It''s just you and I out here." Elmer softly uttered.


    Charles paused for a few seconds before opening his mouth. "Ever since the funeral, Satan has been


    chasing me down," he stuttered.


    "That''s to be expected for a man of the cloth."


    "No...this is somethingpletely different." Charles grunted. "I''ve never been attacked like this before.


    That night, Isaac came by the church needing to talk to me. The look in my boy''s eyes that night wasn''t


    right. And I had so many people tell me that perhaps he was on drugs. I''ve seen addicts before; my boy


    was not on drugs. Something else was wrong with him."


    "So why did you ask me if I believed in demonic possession?"


    Slightly grinning, Charles looked at Elmer. "Because...you white folks always seem to be the ones who


    get caught up in that sort of thing."


    Elmer onlyughed out loud and said, "Apparently, you haven''t been to Africa. They got plenty of that


    behavior over there."


    "I''m being serious."


    "And so am I." Elmer strongly stated. "Chuck, I''ve known you for years, and while I''ve never known you


    to speak like this, you''re not a madman either."


    "I can feel this presence surrounding me. It''s dark and ugly. Isaac begged me to do an exorcism on him


    that night, and maybe, just maybe, I could''ve done one on him. But I had seen that same look before in


    his eyes, that''s why I sent him to that hospital in the first ce."


    "Chuck, there are evil forces at work in this world the likes none of us canprehend. People''s heads


    don''t have to be spinning around or any kind of nonsense like that."


    "But you don''t understand, though." Charles obstinately replied. "This darkness follows me everywhere


    I go. I sold my house not only because of all the memories, but also because this evil was there, too.


    When I went over to Lynn''s old house, I felt it. I even had to set some little rascals straight that day.


    Elmer...I nearly killed those boys." He almost lost his breath.


    Elmer just stood and gave Charles a thoughtful look as though he could see right through Charles'' very


    soul.


    With a tear beginning to form in his left eye, Charles looked up in the hazy sky and said, "I ask the Lord


    all the time, just what was my child up to, or doing in his life?"


    "Isaac was a grown man. He was grown enough to make his own decisions."


    "That ain''t good enough for me. His mama and I raised him better than that." Charles retaliated. "That


    night he was going on and on about some woman he was meeting in Cuyahoga Falls. If I could only


    find out who she was, then maybe¡ª


    "Maybe what, Chuck?" Elmer cut in. "What would you do or say to this woman that would change


    things?"


    "I could ask her just what on earth my son was doing in his life. I stay away from Lynn and the baby for


    the simple fact that I don''t want this evil infecting them. But then again, I guess I can''t me that poor


    girl for doing drugs; it''s probably the only thing that''s keeping her from goingpletely insane."


    "What I''m curious about is, are you grieving for Isaac, or for yourself?"


    Charles'' heart at that painstaking moment quit beating, but only for two seconds as he red hard at


    Elmer.


    "You see, Carl was a good man, no one could deny that, but what came upon him was justice. What


    you''re going through now is somethingpletely different."


    "But I have prayed and spoken to the Lord, and he hasn''t spoken back!" Charles beat his chest. "I feel


    like Abraham, like God is being silent to me! But rather than thirteen years, it''s a lifetime! What evil had


    my boy?" He yelled at the top of his lungs."


    Elmer just stood and looked at Charles with the most pitiable appearance on his face. Slowly, the man


    began to say, "If Isaac was taken over, I have a feeling that it was a very powerful spirit. And this spirit


    still lives; it lives to finish its work."


    Charles turned his head away from Elmer at that moment. All he could see in front of him was


    oveppingnd.


    "Is iting for me, Elmer?" He murmured ever so softly with his head still turned. "For all the evil I did


    years ago on the streets? Is iting to take me to hell, too?"


    "You should have never left your flock, Chuck. You are still needed."


    "What did you say?" But when Charles received no reply, he slowly turned his head to his left where he


    thought Elmer was standing only to see a scarecrow beside him. The human that he was speaking to


    was nowhere to be found all of the sudden.


    Charles then gradually turned around to discover that all the tall corn stalks that he was once


    surrounded by were gone as well. In its ce was a barrennd; seemingly long forgotten by the spirit


    of time. The only thing that reminded Charles that he was still alive at that point was the ever so loud


    cicadas.


    He spun around like a dog chasing its own tail before he began back across the field and towards the


    house.


    The closer Charles made it towards the house the more he could sense something was out of ce.


    The very second he reached the yard the once fair looking farmhouse had a totally different


    appearance. It had been on fire. One could tell by the windows that were blown out, the ckness that


    marred every inch of the edifice, and by the roof that was no longer there.


    Gingerly, Charles Mercer advanced towards the charred ruins of what was once a kindly home.


    Through the back entrance that was missing it''s door the man came through. The kitchen was


    tarnished with scorch marks, as was the dining room and porch where Charles and Elmer supposedly


    once sat and drank lemonade together.


    Once Charles made it to the living room he just stood in the middle of the charred floor and red all


    around. The floor upon which he was standing was unstable, he could tell by the rickety floor boards.


    All the pictures and frames that onceyered the walls were gone, as were the sounds of cicadas that


    invaded summer. It was just him inside the destroyed home.


    Suddenly, an awful sense of hopelessness chocked Charles. The man dropped his arms to the side


    before giving the house one final look. But before he could even take one step upon the weak floor, a


    scratching noise from behind him caught his attention.


    Charles stood perfectly still for a few seconds before he turned only his head to see a closet door


    slightly ajar. The racket wasn''t rambunctious by any means, but it was jarring enough for the man''s


    heart to beat rapidly. Soon, his hopelessness was reced with fear.


    At first he figured it to be a rodent within the closet, but the scratching was keeping a rhythm, almost


    like it was telling him toe and see just what was within. He could barely catch his breath.Charles


    wanted to utter a rebuke, but instead, he held his tongue, turned and walked out where the front door


    used to be.


    He kept on walking until he stopped in the middle of the yard to find Luke''s filthy looking bowl still lying


    on the ground right next to an empty hen stable.


    Charles stood next to his car while staring back at the house and the destend thaty behind it.


    There was the Hob''s mailbox, still as white and pristine as the day it was first purchased standing


    beside Charles, reminding him of yesterday.


    All of the sudden, the sweat that was dripping down his face was getting on hisst nerve. He wiped it


    away before climbing into his vehicle and leaving.

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    "Fact number seven. Prehistoric stone monuments called dolmens have been found over the graves of


    the dead in northwest Europe. Anthropologists specte they''ve been ced at the graves to keep


    vampires from rising." The middle-aged, stringy Floyd enthusiastically read from his trusty flipbook as


    he paced back and forth across the floor in front Jeremiah and his desk.


    All Jeremiah could do whenever Floyd wasn''t looking in his direction was lean back in his leather seat


    and roll his eyes in agony as the man recited "so called" facts about something he wished to God he


    had never even brought up to begin with in their session together.


    "Fact number eight, d the Impaler was thought to be the inspiration for who we all know to be


    "Drac."


    "Ok, Floyd, let''s take a break, and¡ª


    "No, no, you have to hear this." Floyd urgently pleaded. "This is where it gets really good!"


    Jeremiah gritted his teeth and sat back once again before gripping his chair''s arms and bearing down


    as hard as possible.


    "Fact number nine, "The Count", you know, from Sesame Street, is believed to be¡ª


    "Ok, Floyd, I think our hour is up now." Jeremiah desperately shot up from his seat and from behind his


    desk.


    Appearingpletely confused, Floyd folded his book and said, "But you didn''t hear the next fact,


    doc."


    Patting Floyd on the back, Jeremiah replied, "It''s not necessary. What you have to know is that your


    progress ising along just fine."


    "Really," Floyd looked up at Jeremiah with stars in his eyes. "But justst month you said that I may


    need to spend another two months in Asndview just for observation."


    Jeremiah stood and just looked at Floyd''s balding head. From a professional standpoint, there were so


    many things Jeremiah needed to say to the pitiful man, but subconsciously, he hadn''t the desire to


    even make one point at that juncture. If the man had remained inside his office another minute he


    would have been tempted to toss him out the window that was only five feet away from where they


    were standing.


    Clearing his throat, Jeremiah said, "I know what I said. Look, just go home and try to forget all about


    the vampire lore. I mean, even if vampires did exist, who''s to say that they would ever visit Cypress?"


    "So you''re saying that it''s possible they coulde here?" Floyd''s eyes lit up.


    "I''m saying that your life is so much more important than some ancient European myth. Go home to


    your wife, make love to her and I''ll see you next week."


    Giggling, Floyd packed up his book as well as his Cincinnati Reds ball cap before saying, "I''ve never


    heard a psychiatrist tell anyone to make love to his wife."


    "Believe me, it''ll work." Jeremiah began shoving the man towards the door. "And put down the vampire


    books. Remember, you live in the real world."


    Shrugging his shoulders, Floyd replied, "Whatever you say, doc."


    As Floyd walked out of the office and down the hallway, Jeremiah caught sight of Gloria Cohen who


    just happened to being out of one of his colleague''s offices at the same time.


    Both her and Floyd passed each other, while all Jeremiah could do was stand at his own door and take


    ever so quaint nces at the young woman who herself appeared embarrassed to even be seen.


    Jeremiah continued to stand and watch as Gloria stood and waited by the elevator. He knew that


    staring at her was unbelievably rude and ufortable, but the man just couldn''t seem to take his


    eyes off of her until she eventually entered the elevator and out of his sight.


    Just before he could turn into his office, his colleague from down the hall waved at Jeremiah for him to


    come and join him.


    Truth be told, thest thing Jeremiah wanted at that point in the day was morepany, but he sighed


    and reluctantly ventured down just three doors where he met his friend Paul who just happened to be


    grinning like an imp.


    "Did Julie give you my message?" Paul asked. "I called at least three timesst night."


    Despondently shaking his head, Jeremiah replied, "Uh, no, I was doing something elsest night."


    Paul led Jeremiah into his office before shutting the door and racing back to his sofa. Jeremiah was


    leery of the man''s erratic behavior, but also curious at the same time. There was something enticing


    racing through Paul''s veins, and Jeremiah, despite his unenthusiastic demeanor, wanted to get down to


    the bottom of it before five p.m. arrived.


    Jeremiah sat himself down on the plush sofa next to Paul and asked, "Okay, what''s got you so happy


    that you look like you just won an Oscar?"


    Unloosening his brown tie, Paul sat back, spread his arms wide behind him and sighed, "Last night, I


    finally did it."


    "Did what?" Jeremiah shrugged his shoulders.


    "I finally got Deborah Lundgren in the sheetsst night." He smiled like a fool.


    Appearing as if his friend''s news went into one ear and clear out the other, Jeremiah squinted,


    "Deborah Lundgren?"


    Paul sat up astonished. "Professor Lundgren!" He said as if Jeremiah should have known all along.


    "The same hard ass professor that said you and I were both too young to be in our profession? I sealed


    the deal with herst night!"


    Giving a nonchnt grin, Jeremiah handed the man a tedious p before sitting back on the sofa and


    rxing his once anxious body.


    "You can''t be serious." Paul tossed up his hands. "Lundgren may be a hard ass, but at forty-eight, the


    woman has to have the best looking body on that campus. You see what happens when you make it?"


    He pped Jeremiah on the chest. "Who ever imagined two menschs like you and I would be at the


    very top of our game this early in our careers?"


    Jeremiah sat and studied Paul with two of the mostzy eyes he could give the man. "You must be very


    proud." He continued to frown.


    Paul onlyughed before saying, "You gotta be kidding me. You and I both wanted to nail that bitch


    from day one, but you''re the one that did the dirty and got hitched. If you ask me, I think I see a green-


    eyed Grinch before me."


    Jeremiah only turned his face and put his hands across his mouth. He wasn''t emotional, just drained of


    anything that would cause him to care.


    "Ok, I give, what''s going on with you?" Paul sat up and asked.


    Jeremiah took his hands off of his mouth before turning his head forward. "Do you realize that I just


    spent an entire hour listening to a fifty-six year old man go on and on about vampire lore?"


    "Ok, what''s so upsetting about that?"


    "And after that, I get my best friend telling me that he just had a one night stand with a professor from


    the university."


    "Hold on, I highly doubt this is about me or your patient." Paul drew closer to Jeremiah. "What''s really


    happening here?"


    Jeremiah hesitated for the longest time before he dropped backwards on the sofa. "Julie kicked me out


    of the housest night." He sighed.


    Paul sat and stared thoughtfully at Jeremiah before he inquired, "Oh, would it have anything to do with


    ¡ª


    "Yeah, that''s exactly it." Jeremiah quickly halted the man.


    "Well, you said yourself she was hard to resist. I mean, she''s been living there since February. What


    did Julie expect?"


    "She expected me to keep my damn hands off of her sister." Jeremiah grunted.


    "C''mon, Jeri, I''ve seen Justine, the woman is a knockout. You''ve got the rest of your life to get it right.


    This is only a blip on the radar."


    Jeremiah only nced at Paul as if he had lost his mind before he slumped even deeper into the sofa.


    "Why do you look at me like that? You''ve been acting weird all these months only because you''ve been


    trying to conceal the fact that you''ve been sleeping with your sister-inw."


    "It''s not so much that, Paul."


    "Then what else is it?"


    Just then, the urge to blurt out the first thing that came to his mind became so intense, but he held his


    wrath down under lock and chain for a while more.


    "Do your parents know?"


    Chuckling from the stomach, Jeremiah replied, "Yeah right, if they find out then they''ll make sure to tell


    the family all the way over in Utica."


    "Well, do you need a ce to stay?"


    "No, I''m at the Holiday Inn down on Meads. I''ll be fine."


    "You look like you haven''t slept in days." Paul turned up his nose. "To tell you the God''s honest truth,


    you look like shit."


    Jeremiah just blushed while trying to divert his thoughts to another subject that wouldn''t offend him so


    much. Paul, however, just sat and continued to stare on and on methodically at the man before asking,


    "Did you happen to catch All in the Familyst night?"


    Jeremiah abruptly caught himself just then like he were about to be hit by a car. "Uh...no, I totally


    missed it." He sarcastically cracked a grin.


    "Right now they''re showing their summer reruns, but anyways, Archie''s best friend, Stretch


    Cunningham, dies. So, Archie and Edith go to the guy''s funeral where they both end up finding out that


    Stretch was a Jew all along."


    Jeremiah just sat and listened to his friend''s story that he hoped and prayed would by some holy


    miracle wind up making sense to him.


    "So Archie, being Archie, not only gives the guy''s eulogy, but of course fumbles and stumbles through it


    like the buffoon that he is."


    Suddenly, Paul stopped speaking. Jeremiah sat and waited for the man to continue to talk. "So...what


    else," Jeremiah widened his eyes.


    Paul leaned forward and peered into Jeremiah''s eyes. "Tell your parents what happened between you


    and Julie." He slowly whispered into the man''s face, sounding as if his words were wise and genuine.


    Jeremiah just shook his head; it was all he could do without getting up and storming out of the man''s


    office.


    With a sigh, Jeremiah said, "I can''t believe I''m sitting here listening to a shrink talk about an episode of


    a TV show I can''t stand to watch."


    "Ok then, big shot, just what the hell is supposed to be wrong with you anyways?" Paul flippantly


    probed. "Look at you," he pointed, "you''re tie is falling apart, your shoes are untied, you''ve even missed


    shaving. You look like you just walked off of skid row."


    Jeremiah sat up and dropped his head. "I just got done telling a guy to go home and make love to his


    wife. Mind you, this same guy beat up his wife just a year ago because he thought she was a vampire.


    And now...Julie," hemented.


    For just a few moments, both men just sat and listened to the air-conditionere to life from the other


    end of the office.


    "I, uh, I don''t know what else to say to that effect." Paul remarked in a somber tone.


    Jeremiah happened to look over at the man. "How are things with Gloria?"


    Paul nced back at the man with a humorous appearance on his face before saying, "Confidentially,


    my friend."


    Jeremiah watched as Paul got up from off the sofa and went back over to his desk. "I sat here and told


    you about Floyd."


    "I can''t help it that you''re a bbermouth."


    "It''s just that...ever since she was sent to Asndview, she seems to be a new person."


    "Gloria wasn''t sent to that ce, she ced herself there voluntarily." Paul remarked as he went into


    his desk and pulled out a bottle of alcohol. "You remember all that she went through in that pervert''s


    house. You ask about her every time you see her."


    "Have you two discussed what took ce¡ª


    "Forget about her, Jeri." Paul cut right in. "Come over here."


    Jeremiah reluctantly got up and ventured over to Paul''s desk where Paul proceeded to take two shot


    sses and ce them both onto the desk.


    "Are you seriously drinking bourbon at this time of the day?" Jeremiah looked halfway amazed. "It''s not


    even five yet."


    Appearing dumbfounded by the man''sment, Paul said, "Jeri, you''re a shrink, if you''re not taking at


    least five shots of this stuff a day then you''re only one day away from taking a self-imposed nose dive


    into Lake Logan."


    Jeremiah stood and watched as Paul poured the drink into the sses before he handed Jeremiah his


    own ss. Jeremiah took the bourbon down with rtive ease, not allowing its sting to startle him.


    "Maybe I''m just feeling bad for myself." Jeremiah sat his ss down onto the desk. "This is all I need at


    a time like this."


    "What else is going on?" Paul drank on his second ss.


    Jeremiah turned around and began strolling about the office. "Has Bernice been around yet?"


    "You know she doesn''t start up until after we leave."


    Jeremiah then turned back to Paul and asked, "Has she been behaving differently as ofte?"


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Chuckling, Paul replied, "Thedy is seventy-one years old. She''s as batty as Bruce Wayne. I wouldn''t


    be surprised if she''s in here every evening taking nips of this stuff while cleaning." Paul held up his


    bottle of bourbon before he began rummaging underneath his desk. "Why do you ask? Is something


    missing from your office?"


    Jeremiah thought for a second and said, "No...she just unearthed something I thought was gone a long


    time ago."


    Coming up from under the desk with a medium brown box in hand, Paul responded, "That''s why you


    need to get a safe, my friend; saves you from mishaps like crazy old cleaningdies."


    Jeremiah looked at the box that Paul was holding in odd curiosity. "What''s that?" He pointed.


    "Tapes," Paul simply answered. "Don''t you record all of your sessions?"


    Twisting his lips, Jeremiah said, "There are some things I''d rather not recall."


    "Well, if there''s one thing I learned from Sanyupta, it was to always keep a record of your patient''s


    sayings, lest theye back and sue."


    "At first I thought we were in the Watergate hotel." Jeremiah quipped.


    "There''s that wise ass I remember." Paulughed. "Listen, let me go and put these in the record room


    and we''ll go and get some drinks down at Billy''s."


    "What, you''re not sloshed yet?" Jeremiah looked surprised.


    "Are you kidding? It''s not even 4:40 yet."


    Shaking his head in humble agreement, Jeremiah replied, "Okay, I''ll meet you in the lot in fifteen. I


    gotta make a quick call." He said as he exited Paul''s office and carried himself back down to his own.


    Once he shut the door, Jeremiah immediately raced over to his desk, sat down in his chair and picked


    up the phone. He didn''t want to just sit there and stare at the phone, Jeremiah wanted to get it over


    with as soon as possible. He knew that had he sat for a long period of time that the words he was going


    to say would have been forgotten in the blink of an eye.


    Jeremiah swiped up the phone, dialed and waited fervently for the rings. When the answering machine


    picked up instead, he quickly swallowed and said the first thing that came to mind.


    "Hey, this is me. Just calling to see how you were doing. I know I''ve said it a hundred times before, but


    I''m saying it again...I''m so sorry. I can''t say it enough. I don''t know what got into me. And no, I''m not


    using my psycho-babble on you either. I just want us to sit down and talk this out. No parents, no


    Justine, just you and I. I won''te home until we have this talk. I''m here at the office, and I''m staying


    at the Holiday Inn on Meads Road. Take care...and I love you."


    At that, Jeremiah hung up the phone and sulked. Just like in Paul''s office, the air-conditioner was


    running full st inside his own. It was such an annoying racket that at any other time he would have to


    cut it off in order to hear himself think, but thinking only hurt his head all the more.


    Jeremiah pulled open the drawer from within his desk and rooted around for his car keys. As he


    searched and looked his hand caught something, something that he himself had managed to push all


    the way to the very back of the desk.


    Ever so hesitantly, the man took hold of the object before slowly pulling it out of the dark recesses of


    the drawer. It was a white crayon that his hand had somehow managed to grab hold of.


    It was the veryst thing that Jeremiah ever expected toe into contact with. The man just sat and


    stared forever at the thing while his entire body remainedpletely numb.


    Unbeknownst to him, his car keys were already seated on the desk in front of him. But there was he


    and a single Cray crayon that he wished the cleaningdy had never discovered to begin with.

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9


    It was hot, smelly and stuffy down below in the Cypress sewer system where Deputy Mayor Mrs.


    Colleen Henderson, a ckdy. Land surveyor Ron Nichols and County Treasurer Leonard Fulton,


    both white men, all carefully trekked along the slimy and slippery walkway that led towards arge light


    just a few yards up ahead.


    With hismplight leading the way, Ron made sure that his two cohorts were steadily behind him as he


    stepped over arge, dead rat that was lying on the ground.


    Leonard remained close to Mrs. Henderson as though her life depended upon him while Henderson


    herself, in a pair of high heels, no less, remained stalwart through the thickness of the sludge that she


    dared to reluctantly plod through.


    Sweating and partially covering her nose from the stench, Colleenined, "If my husband knew


    that I was walking through the sewers with a couple of white men he''d have my ck butt hung." Her


    voice echoed throughout the moldy cavern.


    "Don''t worry, Mrs. Henderson, the sewers are thest ce on earth that your husband would ever


    suspect anyone to be prowling about." Ron sarcastically remarked.


    "How much...further, is the end?" Leonard gasped for air amidst the stifling humidity.


    "Not much further now." Ron stopped dead in his tracks to point his light upwards. "You see these up


    here? The more grates you see, that''s the closer we''re reaching theke. And the closer we reach the


    lake, the closer we can get outta here."


    "Thank God." Colleen exhaled. "I don''t know how anyone can work down here, especially in all this


    heat."


    "It''s not so bad." Ron said. "My brother-inw works down here year round, and he says it''s like


    working in a literal shithouse!" Ronughed out loud.


    "Let''s try and put a mp on the colormentary, Mr. Nichols." Leonard rebuked.


    "It''s okay, Leonard, my husband cusses like there''s no tomorrow." Colleen said as she stepped ahead


    of the two men and resumed the tour.


    "If you don''t mind me asking, Mrs. Henderson, why does Cypress need a subway system?" Ron asked


    as he made sure to keep the light ahead of everyone. "I mean, this city really isn''t all that big to begin


    with."


    "Mayor Finy wants to raise people''s spirits." Colleen exined. "This city is going through a


    depression, building a subway would give some kind of validation that we can improve under dire


    circumstances."


    "Even if it further bankrupts this city into oblivion," Leonard bitterly muttered under his breath.


    "He''s right, I mean, it''ll take at least a year to carve out these sewers, and another two years to set up


    the rail system itself." Ron added.


    Sighing, Colleen said, "Tell that to our beloved Mayor who still thinks he can get three more Sears


    stores toe here."


    "I''m telling you guys, these sewer systems were constructed way back in the 1910''s." Ron contested.


    "Cities like New York, L.A, Chicago and Detroit were all built with rail systems in mind. From the


    electrical output, to the main roads, and¡ª


    "I''m sure the Mayor considered all these matters, Ron." Colleen stepped in.


    "But he never considered the cost, now did he?" Leonard questioned with a snip in his tone.


    "Look, I''m no fan of this either." Colleen said in a frustrated manner. "Not only will this bankrupt us, but


    we don''t have the manpower to construct such a thing. It''s one of the hottest summers on record and


    we''re trolling through a rat infested sewer, for God''s sake. So, gentlemen, let''s do our best as city


    employees to make the old man as happy as a m, just so we can show him how ridiculous this


    whole idea really is."


    Both Ron and Leonard seemed to be caught off guard by Colleen''s sudden, belligerent rant, but at


    least it let them know that they weren''t the only pessimists in the sewers.


    "I must admit that this is not how I envisioned this job." Colleen continued. "A forty-eight year old


    Deputy Mayor stepping through shit," she groaned.


    "Don''t worry, Colleen," Leonard remarked, nearly tripping over another dead rat, "this is Findley''sst


    term. Hopefully we can stall on this idea of his long enough to see him walk out of office before it


    comes to fruition."


    "Okay, guys, we got a problem." Ron all of the sudden came to an abrupt halt right in the middle of the


    tour.


    All three individuals stopped and looked on in dread at the two forks in the middle of the sewer. Two


    corridors that werepletely dark and foreboding to each person that stood before them.


    "Well, where to?" Leonard questioned Ron.


    But Ron just stood in ce while shining his light back and forth down both caverns. "This is a real hum


    dinger." He scratched his face.


    "What''s a real hum dinger?" Colleen asked in sharp tone.


    "When I studied theyout down here, I don''t recall there being these two halls."


    "You''ve gotta be kidding me!" Leonard dropped his arms in defeat. "I''ve got a meeting with the


    Governor at noon, for God''s sake!"


    "Just give me a second while I take a look at the dates on the walls." Ron persisted as he stepped


    close to one of the walls and began to read. "I do know that the older the dates the closer we get back


    to City Hall."


    Colleen only rolled her eyes and brushed her hair clean of cobwebs before walking over and scraping


    her hand against the slime residue on the walls.


    "These walls are so thin and decrepit that it makes me wonder if a rail system could sustain itself down


    here." She said. "I wouldn''t be surprised if this entire sewer system copsed the moment one rail car


    came rolling through."


    "That''s why we call it a pipe dream, Colleen." Leonard paced back and forth. "Hey, Ron, I don''t see any


    grates anywhere anymore. Could we be near theke already?"


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    "I don''t believe so. You see¡ª


    But before Ron could even continue, there was something, something that growled within the sewer. Its


    grunt echoed throughout the caverns making it sound as if it were all around them.


    Everyone stopped what they were doing at that very second. All they could do was just stand and allow


    their eyeballs to make the moves from left to right and up and down.


    "Would someone like to tell me just what in the hell that was?" Colleen shivered in the gooey heat.


    "Let''s not stand around and find out." Leonard spun around to Ron. "Which one should we take?"


    The unearthly growl ripped through the sewers once again, only by then, its roar seemed to be drawing


    closer to the three city officials that had no idea where they were.


    "Uh...fuck it, let''s take this one!" Ron pointed to his right before taking off down the sewer without


    looking behind him.


    Colleen and Leonard gave chase behind the man, only Colleen was having a hard time keeping up due


    to her high heels that kept getting bogged down in the sludge that wasyering the floor.


    "Ron, I don''t see any grates!" Leonard eximed in terror. "Does that mean anything?"


    Ron, however, was too busy trying to outrun whatever was lurking in the sewers to stop and speak.


    The roar only intensified, making it sound as though the thing was angry and hungry all at once.


    Colleen could hear the sshing of water along with something that sounded like heavy steps


    scampering around each corner behind them.


    "Dear God, what is it?" She screamed. "Is someone back there?"


    "Don''t turn around, just keep running!" Leonard yelled as he took a hold of Colleen''s hand and tried his


    best to keep her at his side.


    The more and harder they ran that was all the more virulent the animal''s roars seemed to intensify.


    "Could it be a wild dog?" Leonard shouted in absolute fear.


    Without notice, Colleen dropped to the ground screaming for her life. Frustrated and scared to death,


    Colleen ripped off her heels, tossed them and jumped right back up, racing for her life.


    "I''ve never heard a wild dog sound like that!" Ron yelled.


    They all ran while listening to the animal chase after them with such vigor that it made it seem like the


    three of them were invading its territory. It wouldn''t relent in its chase. It sounded as though it were


    always only three steps behind them.


    "Where the fuck are the grates?" Leonard shouted in anger.


    "I don''t...I don''t know!" Ron huffed and puffed, nearly falling t on his chubby face. "Just keep


    running!"


    Colleen couldn''t help but to keep turning around every other second to see if the animal were close on


    their heels. With every nce she could have sworn see saw two eyes re right back at her in the


    ckness.


    "Stop," Ron suddenly screamed beforeing to an abrupt halt. "Climb thisdder!"


    Immediately, both men let Colleen ahead of them on her way up the rusteddder that eventually met


    with a round grate.


    "You gotta push as hard as you can!" Ron shouted.


    With every shred of energy and muscle she could gather Colleen pushed against the heavy, steel grate


    until it budged.


    "I got it!" She cried out in tion before continuing to push until the thing was finally moved out of the


    way, allowing an explosion of sunlight to enter into the dark sewer.


    Colleen climbed out before helping both Leonard and Ron up. Once all three were above ground they


    all stood and stared back down into the sewer. Ron shined his light down into the cavern while all three


    listened as the animal grunted and growled down below. It was there, dwelling within the darkness, but


    somehow managing to evade Ron''s bright light.


    Soaking wet from both sweat and sewer water, Leonard gasped, "Can someone please tell me just


    what in the hell is it?"


    But all anyone could do was stare down into the sewer and hope above all else that the thing wasn''t


    able to climbdders.


    "Let me put the lid back on here." Ron hurriedly stepped over and picked up the sewer''s lid.


    As Ron was sliding the lid back on, Colleen managed to catch sight of the animal''s eyes once more,


    expect by then, she noticed them shining brighter at her than they once did back down below.


    "I can assure you that it wasn''t a wild dog." Ron wiped his sweaty forehead.


    "That wasn''t a dog." Colleen skittishly muttered. "That thing looked a lot bigger than a dog."


    Leonard happened to turn around to find him and his two colleagues surrounded by a group of young


    Crips who appeared more perplexed than outraged at their appearance from out of the sewer.


    "I think we''d better get back Downtown." Leonard stuttered.

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10


    It was like someone had sshed a bucket of hot, scolding water all over her face. Lyte awoke


    inside her bed with such a jolt that she had to catch her breath that had been eluding her in her night


    terrors.


    Soaking wet and crying, the young woman sat up in her bed clutching her heaving chest while tears


    dripped down from her eyes. Lyte breathed in and out so rapidly that she had to force herself to


    calm down; before long, the inane beating of her heart gradually ceased, but not to a level where the


    woman was satisfied.


    She reached over to her nightstand and yanked out the drawer from underneath before moring for


    the bottle that was within. Feverishly, she twisted open the bottle which in turn caused tiny pills to spill


    up and out of the bottle and all over the bed. Infuriated, Lyte quickly gathered as many pills as she


    could grasp before stuffing a multitude into her mouth all at once. Before she knew it, she was on her


    knees, allowing the pills to take their effect. Lyte''s body began to sway back and forth on the bed.


    Her tank top shirt was saturated in sweat. She happened to notice that her panties were wet from both


    sweat and urine.


    Before she could even attempt a simple move, her body began twitching and jerking before it ended up


    falling off the bed and onto the wood floor. Lyteid there trying her best to keep the "shakes" from


    taking full control of her. She grabbed her body all over in the hopes that she wouldn''t awaken anyone


    else in the house.


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    After nearly ten minutes ofmotion, her entire body went still. Lyte remained on the floor for a


    moment or two more before she looked up at her clock to notice that it was 2:57 am.


    As though she had just fought a battle, Lyte slowly hoisted her body up by the aid of the bed''s


    railing and sat herself down onto the mattress. She was still sweating profusely, but at least the


    convulsions had ended for the evening. Once she was able to regain her bearings, she got up and


    stepped over to the window that overlooked the backyard and alley. All she could see was the bright


    safety light that her father had installed on the back porch shine like a stadium''s beam. Beyond that


    was nothing but nighttime darkness and sounds.


    The woman rooted around a bit longer before she yanked the curtains back and walked herself out of


    the bedroom and into the ckness of the hallway. She stood and viewed all the bedroom doors before


    she carried on down the hall to the final door. With a shaking left hand, Lyte twisted the knob and


    opened the door to find Isaiah fast asleep in his bed. She stood at the threshold momentarily before


    stepping inside and standing over the resting child. Her body wanted to shake, but she wouldn''t allow it


    to be.


    She just stood, watched and listened as her son snored away peacefully before he suddenly turned


    onto his side. Soon, Lyte began to discover something very peculiar, she saw her own two hands


    raise and extend towards the boy. Inside her head was still the nightmare that had disturbed her


    slumber. She didn''t want to try and rationalize why her hands were slowly creeping towards Isaiah''s


    neck; all she knew was that something waspelling them both far beyond her own control.


    With as much will power as she possessed, Lyte pulled away. Before she knew it, she was backing


    out of the room and into the hallway, all the while carrying a revolting frown on her face.


    "What are you doing?" Lyte''s mother appeared all of the sudden from out of nowhere in the


    hallway.


    Right there, Lyte''s body began shaking all over again, but only from sheer, stunned fright.


    "What?" She stammered. "Mama, what are you doing up?"


    Her mother stood down the hallway. All Lyte could see was the woman''s ck silhouette, all of her


    other features were too dark to view.


    "Mama...what are you doing up?" Lyte''s voice rose.


    "What are you doing in there?" Her mother asked in a more indignant tone.


    By then, Lyte was not only afraid, she was bing even more frightened of her mother than she


    was of her nightmare.


    "Mama, why don''t you go back to bed?" Lyte''s voice faltered. "I was just checking on Isaiah."


    "You need to be away from that child."


    "What?" Lyte began to slowly back up. "What are you talking about?"


    For the longest time, Lyte''s mother would not respond. The woman just stood perfectly still, nearly


    hunchbacked only ten feet away from Lyte down the opposite end of the hallway.


    "Stay away from him...he''s not yours to take."


    Lyte, from head to toe, was perfectly solid. Her entire body was as stiff as the old wooden floor she


    was standing upon. It was her mother, the voice let her know that much, but the woman''s words were


    eerie and cryptic. Thest thing Lyte wanted was to cut on the hallway light and see the woman''s


    face.


    She just watched as her mother turned and went back into her room, mming the door behind her.


    The very second her mother was out of sight, Lyte''s body saw fit to unloosen itself from the


    position it was in and race back to her own bedroom. Lyte shut the door and jumped right back into


    bed like a little child scurrying from a thunderstorm.


    It was hot that early morning, nearly 80 degrees, and yet there she was, underneath her covers,


    praying for another nightmare to take her mind away from her own mother.

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11


    Yes, it was zing hot outside in the park. Mosquitoes swarming about made a simple existence


    unbearable, but there was always something alluring for humans to be outdoors on a day where the


    luxury of air-conditioning was nowhere to be sought.


    It was 95 degrees, and it seemed as though people were only fighting the heat rather than escaping it.


    Some dared the humidity to overwhelm them as some yed with their dogs, frolicked at the jungle


    gym or in the Glovers case, barbequed underneath the timid, cool shade of two maple trees while


    listening to The Commodores'', ''Brick House'' on a tiny transistor radio that sat atop a bench table where


    hamburgers, hot dogs, buns and condiments were already spread out.


    Running through an open field within the park were little children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews,


    eight in all, with Lyte chasing after all but one.


    The woman felt as light as a feather as she romped about in the sunshine with her nieces and


    nephews, while all the time ignoring her own son that was doing his best to try and keep up with his


    mother that was steadily trying to make believe that he wasn''t there to begin with.


    When Lyte had finally had enough ying hide and seek she ran back over to the same table


    where her three sisters, Jackie, Bernadette and Lavonia were all casually seated smoking underneath


    one of the trees.


    Sweating, huffing, puffing andughing like one of the other little ones, Lyte dropped herself down


    next to her heavyset sister Bernadette.


    The sisters all stared oddly at the youngdy as she wiped her face with the bottom portion of her t-


    shirt.


    "Damn, I must be gettin'' old," Lyte caught her breath, "I can''t believe I got winded that quickly."


    The three sisters just continued to puff along while giving one another quaint, offhanded nces.


    "Mama," Isaiah came running up to his mother crying. "Gina hit me!" The boy wailed.


    Rolling her eyes, Lyte just gave the child a quick look before yelling, "What do you want me to do


    about it?"


    At that, Isaiah went away crying even louder than before while the sisters once again handed one


    another rolling glimpses.


    "Regina, quit hittin'' people!" Jackie yelled at her daughter.


    "Damn kids get on your nerves, man." Lyte moaned as she turned and focused her attention to her


    sisters. "What ya''ll up to?"


    At first, the sisters didn''t reply, they all just sat and smoked away as to say their baby sister wasn''t even


    there. But their individual, haughty eyes made sure to keep studying Lyte all the same.


    Lyte, feeling the weight of her sisters'' silence bear down upon her, took a cigarette of her own and


    lit it before saying, "Your mama was acting real strangest night."


    "She ain''t the only one acting strange." Lavonia all of the sudden spoke right up.


    Lyte stopped smoking long enough to study her sisters one by one. A cold wave slipped down the


    small of her back just then.


    "What do you mean?" Lyte nervously grinned.


    The sisters all twisted their lips in unison before Bernadette remarked, "Just who do you think you''re


    foolin''?"


    Trying tough off her embarrassment, Lyte persisted, "What is goin'' on?"


    In between puffs, Jackie said, "Look at you. You''re lit up right here, of all ces."


    Trying to conceal her blushing face, Lyte turned her head in the opposite direction as so her eyes


    would no longer connect with her sisters.


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    "Look at your arms. You see, you can fool George and Weezy over there." Jackie pointed to her


    parents. "They still think this is the 1940''s. But you can''t fool us, girl."


    "You''re ck butt is higher than the Goodyear Blimp right now." Lavonia said.


    "No I''m not!" Lyte protested. "Just stop, Lynn." Bernadette calmly ced her hand on top of


    Lyte''s. "You might as well just be cool and don''t make a scene at their square ass barbeque."


    "Yeah, they don''t want us around, but they don''t mind draggin'' us all the way out here in this hot ass


    heat for some cookout." Jackie belligerently stated.


    Lyte knew her sisters well, and vice versa. She was aware that trying to conceal her shame was as


    pointless as trying to keep the sweat off of her brow.


    Lavonia looked Lyte dead in the eye, and in a low tone she asked, "Is it true that you''re fuckin'' with


    vell?"


    "What?" Lyte''s eyes opened wide.


    "You might as well stop foolin''," Jackie said, "It''s all over town that he''s back."


    Giggling like a fool, Lyte shook her head, "I don''t know what you all are talking about."


    "Just so you know, vell ain''t one of these little nickel and dime niggas like we got here in this city."


    Jackie continued. "Nope, this brother is the real deal, baby girl. He not only has New York, Chi-Town


    and Detroit locked up, but they even say that he''s nearly got Houston under his boot."


    "Yep, I heard he got shot twelve times while in Chicago." Bernadette mentioned. "And he still had the


    nerve to get up the very next day and get the people back for doin'' it."


    "Next thing you know, he''ll not only have you strung out, but he''ll have you out there on 32nd Ave


    trickin'' for ''em." Lavonia said.


    "And you thought Isaac was bad, vell will eat you alive if you fuck up." Jackie grinned.


    All Lyte could do was sit with her still smoldering cigarette dangling in between her fingers. No


    longer could she even stand to look at her sisters. The cold wave that had slithered down her back was


    gradually making its way to her stomach and causing it to growl.


    With her lips poked out and her forehead beginning to sweat all over again, Lyte looked hard at all


    three sisters. "What the fuck do you all know about Isaac?"


    Jackie, Bernadette and Lavonia all sat and stared strangely at Lyte as though the woman was


    turning into another being right before their eyes.


    "Hold on, we''re just tryin'' to¡ª


    "The burgers are done!" Their father shouted from the barbeque pit.


    "Fuck those burgers." Lyte attempted to get up and away from the table. But before the youngdy


    could even hit the grass, she saw something from out of the corner of her eye.


    There were plenty of people in the park jogging and walking around, but there was one person among


    many that Lyte''s eyes just couldn''t seem to part from. Amongst all the revelers, the aromas of meat


    cooking on a grill, the joyous screams of children ying, all Lyte could seem to connect with was


    the ck woman that was jogging across the field from where she and her sisters were sitting.


    "Why are you getting mad at us?" Lavonia also sat up. "Don''t be mad because we''re tellin'' your ass the


    truth!"


    But Lyte was paying her sister no attention whatsoever; instead, she kept her focus solely upon the


    jogging female that seemed to be drawing closer to her vicinity.


    "What are you looking at?" Bernadette frowned.


    Lyte stood and pointed at the woman with a jittery, aggressive index finger. "That ck bitch over


    there." She grunted. "I''ve been seeing that same bitch now sincest week."


    All three sisters stopped smoking and spun around. One by one Jackie, Bernadette and Lavonia slowly


    got up from the table.


    "Who is she?" Bernadette questioned.


    "I don''t know, but she''s been jogging around in mama and daddy''s back alley like she knows me."


    "Hey, skank," Jackie all of the sudden shouted out as she and the other two began advancing towards


    the woman.


    Lyte, however, wasn''t as precarious as her sisters. She gave chase, but not to where she was side


    by side with the pack. The woman held back a few steps just to see what her sisters were ultimately


    going to do.


    Taken off guard, the jogging woman eventually stopped and looked at the sisters in the most puzzled


    fashion.


    She was a young woman with afro puffs, and dressed only in a t-shirt and a pair of shorts, but beyond


    those features Lyte had no other visual.


    "Yo, bitch, what you doin'' stalking our sister?" Lavonia ran up to the woman''s face.


    All the woman could do was stand in silent amazement before Lyte finally caught up with her


    sisters only to see something that she wished to God her eyes had nevere across to begin with.


    At that point, Lyte wished that she had never even arrived at the pic, let alone bring up the


    woman''s presence at all.Lyte saw absolutely nothing else on the woman, nothing that is, but her


    eyes; two stunned, auburn eyes that stared endlessly right back at her.


    By then, Lyte began to stumble backwards, nearly falling to the grass in the process as her sisters


    ranted and yelled at the woman before attacking her with fists and feet.


    Soon, both the parents and all the children came running and screaming, but Lyte could hear


    nothing by then.The youngdy just stood back and watched as her sistersid waste to the strange


    woman on the ground while their parents tried to tear them off of her.


    But Lyte just kept on slowly backing away from absolute fright before Isaiah came rushing to his


    mother''s side crying. Lyte didn''t even acknowledge the boy, she just nonchntly shoved him out


    of the way before turning and running as hard and fast as she could away from the entire scene


    altogether.

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12


    In every city, in just about every corner of America, there was always a section that seemed to be


    closed off; a portion of a town that was seemingly left behind, abandoned or just in forgotten. On


    Cypress'' lower west side there resided such a section. It''s not that it was forgotten by the rest of the


    city, Cypress residents could have only been so fortunate; it''s just the mere fact that it was a reminder


    of what the city what once was. A piece of Cypress that city developers had a desire to overhaul, but


    persistently kept shoving to the side in favor of more profitable ventures.


    On this particr side of town, there were unused rail tracks, along with three abandoned apartment


    buildings. All three buildings were dpidated and appeared as though they had been that way for


    decades due to most of the structures'' bricks being strewn all over the ground. In the bleak midst of


    night, there was that one building among the three that became a dwelling; a hopeless hovel to others,


    but a home away from home for another.


    Way up top on the eighth floor of the middle building. Inside one of the disheveled apartments were two


    beings. There was no furniture to speak of within the darkness, just a floor where a lone, naked man


    was kneeling in the middle of a chalk drawn circle.


    Standing above him was another individual. The individual possessed only two dark, glowing, orange


    eyes that beamed down upon the kneeling man. There were a pair of arms, hands, legs and feet, but


    any sort of attire or facial features were nowhere to be seen. It appeared as more of a vapor in human


    form than anything.


    The kneeling man was ck, young looking and bald. He kept his head bowed before the one standing


    above him in humble reverence.


    The bald individual remained there inside his hand drawn circle locked in a stringent prayer that caused


    his forehead to sweat profusely. The apparition above him never budged, it just stood looking down at


    its subject with its pair of ominous eyes as though it were admonishing an unruly little one. But the bald


    man stayed put in his position, seemingly content in his servitude, which was until his ears caught the


    sound of something scraping across the floor towards his direction.


    At once, the specter that stood above the bald man vanishedpletely out of sight, in its ce


    appeared a young woman who was crawling across the ragged wood floor in a fashion that would have


    suggested she were physically drained.


    Ever so steadily the bald man lifted his head and opened his eye lids to reveal two pairs of shining


    eyes. Once the woman atst reached the man she copsed at his side. Appearing unfazed by her


    rundown condition, the man simply lifted her up by her unkempt hair and examined her bloody and


    bruised face from side to side.


    The woman never parted her lips to speak; she just stared ever so feebly back at the man with her own


    pair of shining eyes.


    "Deye to us." The bald man softly uttered in a broken Jamaican dialect. "Soon...deye to us.


    You go now." He said as he shoved the woman away from his sight before he got to his feet, walked


    out of the apartment and down the ram shackled stairs that led outside to the empty street.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    With only the silent darkness of the night caressing his naked form, the man simply stood right in the


    middle of the closed off road and listened to the dead evening.


    "We go now." He whispered into the sky. "We go now."

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13


    Seated inside a brand new, turquoise blue, 1977 Cadic Eldorado was both Wendell and a jumpy


    Lyte who was more than eagerly awaiting her friend to finish rooting around inside his brown paper


    bag, while keeping a vignt eye on her dark surroundings within the alley where they were parked.


    Lyte bit her already withered fingernails down to the nubs and tapped her right foot on the floor in a


    rapid session; it was all the woman could do to keep from jumping through a window and going


    completely out of her mind.


    Ever since the encounter in the park, Lyte was wound up like a machine, nothing or no one could


    bring her down. Around every corner was only a pair of eyes. And despite being drowsy, she dared


    herself to fall asleep for fear of one nightmare after another.


    "Okay, here we go." Wendell said as he pulled out several, small white rocks from within his bag and


    presented them to Lyte.


    Lyte just rolled her eyes and asked, "What are these?"


    "It''s what you asked for." Wendell replied in a surprised manner.


    Pointing at the rocks, Lyte turned up her nose, "This is what I asked for? I looked at these the other


    day when vell gave them to me. I thought he had done me dirty."


    Grinning from ear to ear, Wendell waved his hand, "No, no, this is something new. It''s getting some


    traction out in Cali, and vell wants to bring it here."


    "What is it?"


    "You have to melt the stuff down, and then use a syringe. Like I said, folks out in Cali are starting to


    catch on real quick."


    Lyte took the rocks and stuffed them into her pants pocket. "What else do you have?" She


    feverishly asked. "I need something right now."


    "Okay, hold on." Wendell urged. "I may have something else up in here."


    That was all Lyte needed to hear at that point. Just as long as it was close she was satisfied.


    "It''s been a real rough day."


    "Oh yeah," Wendell hummed as he searched around inside the glovepartment. "What happened?"


    "Yesterday, my sisters jumped some woman in the park. And if you knew my sisters, believe me, it


    wasn''t a pretty sight."


    While Wendell was rifling through the contents of the glovepartment, Lyte continued to stare


    out the window at the alley. From the trash cans to the various garages, the woman''s eyes went back


    and forth. Not one inch of the alley was missed. Each and every sound, from that of a mouse to


    crickets was taken extremely serious.


    "Okay, I got some of this right here." Wendell announced as he took out a bag of pills and ced them


    in herp.


    Without a moment''s hesitation, Lyte took and swallowed as many white pills as her mouth could


    take in all at once.


    "Whoa, hold on!" Wendell pleaded. "You wanna end it all right here because of a stupid fight your


    sisters had? Take it easy on that shit!"


    But Lyte was going away, as far away from the world as possible, and she wasn''t nning on


    taking anyone with her along for the ride. Once she had swallowed her body instantly went into a state


    of blissful calm, along with the customary shakes and groans that came along with the high.


    Wendell just sat and stared at the woman for a while before asking, "So, uh, how do you get along


    without one of your fingers?"


    Lyte heard the question, and in times past the inquiry would have either enraged her or shoved her


    into silence, but instead she just turned to the man and whispered with a half grin, "I get on just fine."


    "That was pretty fucked up what Isaac did to you. You should havee to vell, he would''ve taken


    care of the nigga before he went all psycho on you."


    Lazily sniggering, Lyte said, "Believe me when I say, Isaac would''ve sliced that nigga in half. Trust


    me, I know."


    "What?" Wendell sat back in disbelief. vell isin'' up in the world. My man is takin'' over the east


    and west coast. Ohio is only the beginning." He smugly proimed. "And speakin'' ofin'' up, vell


    wants you on board, too."


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    "Oh really," Lyte''s eyelids lifted.


    "Yeah, he wanted me to ask if you wouldn''t mind trickin'' for him."


    For a quick second Lyte heard her sisters inside her head; just a mere glimpse of their voices


    echoed before she turned her head to the window in dismay.


    "It wouldn''t be every night at first; he knows that you got your kid and all. Just a couple of nights during


    the week, and one day during the weekend."


    Lyte looked back and forth, from an ardent Wendell, to the alley. With a sluggish tongue, she said,


    "Look, I can''t really see me doing¡ª


    At that split second, something inside Lyte''s ears shot her lethargic senses wide awake to where


    she sat up, bumping the top of her head on the car''s roof.


    "What''s the matter?" Wendell looked amazed.


    With frenzied eyes, Lyte stammered, "Did you hear that?"


    Wendell sat and gawked all around. "I don''t hear shit." He shrugged.


    "It''s out there." She breathlessly gasped.


    "What''s out there?"


    "Just listen." She whispered aloud.


    Both individuals sat and listened for what seemed like an eternity before Wendell twisted his lips.


    "Man, you got me all paranoid. Ain''t nobody out there."


    "But I thought¡ª


    "Is that why you ran from Lucius that night? Man, that dude thought you were a fed or something."


    "I don''t like being in alleys." Lyte defensively responded. "I thought I heard something that night,


    too. That''s why I ran. I can''t meet up in alleys anymore like this." She started to tremble.


    "I think you took way too many of those pills."


    "Can you just tell me how much I owe you so I can go?"


    "Look, I''ll prove to you that there''s no one out there." Wendell said before turning on the vehicle''s


    headlights that shined brightly clear down to the end of the alley.


    Lyte sat and braced her entire body while gazing endlessly out the window. The longer she sat the


    more time just seemed to drag on and on.


    "See?" He cut the lights off. "You took too many of those."


    "I could''ve sworn I heard something." Lyte exhaled.


    "Ain''t nothin'' out there. Now, about your payment," Wendell mentioned as he unzipped his pants.


    Lyte sat and watched as the man anxiously pulled down his boxers right before something big and


    loud exploded through the windshield and into Wendell''s face, tearing him limb from limb.


    "No, Isaac!" Lyte shrieked at the top of her lungs.


    Not one thought passed through her head; like a crazed lunatic Lyte jumped out of the car and ran


    down the opposite end of the alley with arms iling in the air.


    She could still hear the creature roar and growl behind her. It was as if Wendell didn''t stand a chance in


    the world.


    "Isaac, no," she continued to desperately scream as she raced out into the empty, 1:28 a.m. street.

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14


    It was hot, but the heat was somewhat stymied by the clouds that loomed heavy in the humid sky that


    morning as police officers milled about the gruesome crime scene in the alley on the south side of the


    town.


    The Cadic was aplete wreck, from its smashed windshield, to the blood soaked seats, both front


    and back, all the way to the back window which was destroyed as well. Still settled inside the driver''s


    seat was Wendell''s body, the only difference was that his mutted head was lying on the passenger''s


    seat beside him. His body, from the chest all the way down to his legs had been eaten away. Only


    scant shards of his clothing, along with bits and pieces of flesh that was scattered all over the car


    remained.


    Inspector Ortega climbed out of his brown sedan and straightened his brown tie as he made his way


    over to the scene. All along the alleyway were the usual onlookers and gawkers, most of which resided


    in the neighborhood. The entiremotion was blocked off by a yellow tape barricade.


    Ortega used only his badge to get past the officers before ducking under the tape and curiously making


    his way over to a pudgy white man who was prying his way inside the vehicle.


    Ortega, trying his best not to step into any puddles of blood that was on the ground, approached the


    individual from behind, and in a chipper voice said, "Looks like we got one heck of a dilemma on our


    hands here."


    Unresponsive to the man''s words, the pudgy man, with his ample rear poked out for the world to see,


    just kept on at his detail.


    Somewhat perturbed by the man''s ill-gotten silence, Ortega sucked in his gut and announced a bit


    louder, "I said¡ª


    "I heard what you said the first time." The man inside the car huffed. "It''s too hot for clich¨¦''s."


    "I uh, I was just wondering what took ce here."


    "And you are?" The pudgy man asked in a muffled voice.


    "Inspector David Ortega," he said out loud.


    Almost immediately, the man pulled his girth from out of the vehicle and approached Ortega with only a


    pair of forceps in his right hand.


    "Oh, so you''re the new inspector." The man reacted, a bit taken off guard. "The name''s Brice. Patrick


    Brice. I''m the forensics officer here."


    "Good to meet you, Mr. Brice." Ortega said as he nced around the scene for a moment before


    turning back to Brice.


    "I was told that the new inspector wouldn''t be starting until next month." Brice pushed his eyesses


    back onto his face.


    "Yeah, well, I was never one for punctuality."


    "Have you met O''Dea yet, by any chance?" Brice smirked.


    Ortega just squared his eyes at Brice. "I''ve been getting a lot of k on Inspector O''Dea ever since I


    first got here. What gives with the guy?"


    Brice just continued to grin before turning around to the car and reaching for a few papers that were


    ced on the hood.


    Ortega rolled his eyes at Brice before taking a peek inside the car to see the maimed cadaver. The


    sight was both ghastly and somewhat sad for the man. Sad, until he noticed pills and traces of white


    powder littered all over inside the car.


    "What exactly took ce here?" Ortega questioned. Turning back around, Brice replied with a sigh,


    "Well, we got one ck male torn to bits and pieces by...something."


    Ortega examined the corpse''s chest which was split wide open. "Something, huh," he shrugged.


    "Must''ve been one huge something."


    "You could say that." Brice said in a coy vernacr.


    Ortega took a stroll about the vehicle until he came to the passenger''s side. "Does anyone know who


    else was in here with him?"


    Brice walked over to Ortega. "No, not yet," he said. "But lucky for them, they got away."


    "Looks like a drug deal gone terribly wrong."


    Brice just eyeballed the man with the most wary stare he could give before saying, "With all due


    respect, Inspector, this was more than just a simple drug deal."


    "Really," Ortega perked up. "What, do dealers here in Cypress use wild animals to kill off other


    dealers?" He grinned.


    "And just where are you from?"


    "Chicago."


    "And tell me, have you ever seen anything like this in Chicago before, Inspector?"


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Ortega breathed in. "No...not exactly," he then exhaled. "But then again, ever since I''ve arrived here in


    Cypress, I''ve never seen six foot dogs burned to death in alleys either."


    At that very moment, it was like someone had ringed the loudest bell in Brice''s face. The man dropped


    his forceps and papers to the ground beforeing face to face with Ortega in the most desperate


    manner.


    "You were there that morning they found that animal?" Brice stammered.


    Taken aback, Ortega said, "Yeah...it was pretty gruesome. Not as gruesome as this, obviously, but bad


    enough."


    Brice immediately took Ortega by the arm and led him as far away from the car as possible, even


    further away from the throng of officers and gawkers.


    "What''s going on?" Ortega snatched his arm away.


    "You saw that thing that morning?" Brice whispered.


    " Yeah, yeah I saw it." Ortega looked around confused. "What about it?"


    "I wasn''t here when that went down. I was in Martha''s Vineyard visiting my dad and stepmother, but


    everyone I ask down at the station is keeping quiet about it. I need to know what it was you saw that


    morning."


    "Well, what I saw that morning was something of...of an animal. It was burned to a crisp." He shrugged.


    "But you mentioned that it was six feet. Six feet wide or long," Brice asked.


    Ortega peered strangely into Brice''s wild eyes. "Look, what are you getting at?"


    "You look like an intelligent man, Inspector, so it wouldn''t surprise you that most dogs don''t grow to six


    feet. Doesn''t that strike you as odd?"


    "Perhaps, but then again, it could''ve escaped from the zoo."


    With the force of two men, Brice once again grabbed Ortega by the arm and practically dragged the


    man back over to the car.


    "Look at that." He adamantly pointed. "Does this guy look like he was killed by a zoo animal? Look at


    the car itself. Unless you''re a rhino or an elephant, no zoo animal can destroy a vehicle this brutally."


    Ortega nced at the body before looking back at Brice. "Are you kidding me?" He grimaced. "Just


    what else could he have been killed by?"


    Brice just stood back and wiped the sweat from off his forehead. "I can''t believe this." He gasped.


    "Can''t believe what?" Ortega urged.


    Spinning around in a circle, Brice came to aplete stop in Ortega''s face. "Look, this was not done


    by some drug dealers, or by some zoo animal. This was something else."


    "You know what killed this man?"


    Brice''s eyes suspiciously red around his surroundings. "I believe I do." He whispered.


    "C''mon, Brice, we gotta get this guy out of here!" A coroner impatiently came along with a ck, stic


    bag in hand.


    "I...I''m almost done here!" Brice waved at the man before turning back to Ortega. "Look, in order for me


    to fully exin myself, I...I gotta have someone''s undivided attention."


    "You''ve got mine."


    Twisting his lips, Brice dismissivelymented, "I''ve heard that one before. The only reason I need to


    talk to you specifically is because you actually saw the thing. I''d talk to Wilson, but he and his wife are


    taking their third vacation for the year. Who knows when he''ll be back?"


    Drawing closer to Brice, Ortega whispered, "Look, I have a series of meetings with both the Deputy


    mayor and Captain Brickman today, but tomorrow, I''ll be free."


    Shaking his head up and down, Brice replied, "Okay, I''ll see you then." As the man began to walk away,


    he suddenly stopped and said, "Oh...and wee to Cypress, Ohio, Inspector Ortega."


    Ortega only stood and pondered as the pudgy man carried himself away into the sea of officers before


    he turned back to the dead man inside the car.


    Piece by piece the two coroners gathered a head, a body and other bits and pieces of what was left of


    the person. In Ortega''s eyes all that he could visualize from Brice''s animated take on the subject was


    something that he himself had never seen or possibly heard of. But he was aware of one thing,


    whatever tore the driver apart the way it did had his exclusive attention, whether it wanted it or not.


    Even after the coroners had collected all the body parts, Ortega remained beside the car.


    Unexpectedly, the man just couldn''t make a move, which was until his eye just happened to spot a few


    strands of brown fur lying on the car''s dashboard.


    Ortega reached inside and picked it up before studying the fibers from end to


    end.

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15


    "I can''t stand that disco bullshit!" vell irately snarled as he put on his red velvet jacket and checked


    his wavy hair in a mirror that was attached to the wall.


    "Do you want me to go up and tell Jimmy to y something else?" Lucius put on his ck Fedora.


    Pressing out his mustache, vell muttered, "No, we got more important matters to attend to."


    Above their collective heads The Trammps'', ''Disco Inferno'' thumped loud enough to where even the


    various malt liquor bottles that were scattered on the tables downstairs in the work area were clinking


    against one another.


    It was vell who was dressed to the nines in a red velvet zer, red velvet pants and matching


    tform shoes. Nita, who was performing her customary duty of staying seated and separating the


    cocaine, gave only subtle nces at her boss as to say she was somewhat jealous, while Marvin, who


    along with vell and Lucius, was cleaning himself up from head to toe for a night out on the town.


    Clear in a corner all to themselves were two fairly young white men who were both adorned in blue


    id, polyester suits. One of the men had a blonde mustache, while the other, who appeared as if he


    were straight out of high school, wore a pair of eyesses and long, dark hair. Both men were holding


    their own brown briefcase and shivering as if the room they were sequestered in was freezing cold.


    vell pulled himself away from the mirror and reached into his coat pocket to take out and count a


    cluster of hundred dor bills.


    "Hey, Marv, hand me one of those Cuban''s."


    At once, Marvin rushed over and handed vell a Cuban cigar before igniting the tip. vell puffed


    away on the cigar while rifling through his bills in a curious fashion. Suddenly, right in the middle of


    smokes, vell happened to nce over at the two white men who were huddled together side by side


    like frightened mice.


    With a grin, vell pointed at the men, "Boy, you two look like you''re about to fall to pieces. What''s the


    problem?"


    "Look, vell." One of the men stuttered before catching himself midway. "Excuse me, Mr. Diggs. But


    we really just need to hurry and get this over with. We have another drop after this one."


    Looking subtly surprised, vell asked, "What, you two peckerwoods don''t like being around us


    darkies for too long?"


    "No, sir, it''s not that, we just¡ª


    "Blood, just cool out," vell motioned with his cigar. "This ce is the safest joint in the city. Besides, I


    got another transaction I have to clear up before we leave."


    "It''s just that with your friend getting killedst night, we just don''t need any other mishaps."


    Right then, the entire room grew eerily quiet. vell just turned his head in the other direction before


    pacing the floor.


    "Yeah...when we find the motherfucker who did that to Wendell he''ll wish to God he was never born. In


    the meantime, you two just hang loose."


    "But we¡ª "The man said shut the fuck up!" Marvin yelled clear from the other side of the room.


    At once, both men became permanent fixtures of the wall that they were already attached to, quiet and


    unassuming.


    Giggling at the two, vellmented, "Damn, I bet if we were way out there in Beverly Hills they


    would be as cool as ms."


    At that very second, three knocks sted at the door. Marvin went over and opened it to find a tall,


    well-built, bald, ck man and the afro-puffeddy right behind him.


    "Come on in!" vell warmly greeted.


    With a cavalier smile on his face, the bald man with a perfectly manicured goatee entered into the


    room. Immediately, vell embraced the man who was wearing only a multi-colored dashiki, a pair of


    white cks and a pair of sandals. While his friend, whose face was swollen and her height slightly


    lengthened, wore only a red dress with sandals.


    "Man, I was wondering when you two was goin'' to get here!" vell eximed.


    "We had certain matters to attend to, mon." The bald man smiled in a deep Jamaican ent.


    vell then took a gander of the woman before turning up his nose and saying, "Damn, girl, what


    happened to you? You look like you''ve had one rough day."


    The youngdy just cracked a simple, blushing grin before ncing over at herpanion and


    dropping her head.


    "Akoni not speak too much, mon. She speak only when necessary."


    "It''s cool, blood, it''s cool." vell patted the man on the back. "I want you all to meet my friends, Akoni


    and Arthur!" vell announced to hisrades.


    Everyone in the room greeted the duo with the kind of respect that was expected of them, everyone


    that is except Nita, who remained at her trusty table with an eye targeted only at Akoni.


    "Uh...listen, we didn''t know that you were gonna bring over some foreigners." One of the white men


    stammered. "We weren''t told of any foreigners!"


    vell red at the two men with the most confounded look on his face. "What, are you peckerwoods


    racist or something?"


    "No, sir, we''re not, we just weren''t informed about any others joining in on this."


    "Calm down, my friends are real deal." vell led both Arthur and Akoni over to where two chairs were


    ced before having them take a seat. "You see, you honkeys don''t quite understand how business is


    conducted these days. This ain''t the old Al Capone days where some cannoli eatin'' motherfucker calls


    all the shots. This is 1977, the future. Times have changed. And you two corn-fed, college boy, faggots


    had better learn that and quick. I ain''t some nickel and dime porch nigga, Iwork worldwide!"


    The two white men just remained against the wall they were perched to in total submission. Meanwhile,


    there was Akoni, a woman of few words. She sat in her chair with her legs crossed in a demure fashion


    while her eyes seemingly examined the room in which she was gathered in.


    From one corner and edge of the room she meticulously studied until her eyes eventually connected


    with those of Nita''s, who in turn was staring continuously right back at her. Nita just wouldn''t remove


    her hard ze away from the mysteriously silent woman. It was as if they were mas attracted to


    one another. All the while, the men in the room carried on in a jovial manner. But there was something


    obviously amiss with the women, and only the women.


    Akoni kept her hands on herp while a polite smile graced her swollen face. Nita, who had her left


    hand on the table, next to her cocaine, had her other hand underneath the table, where her index finger


    was tickling the trigger of a nine millimeter. But the men kept on and on.


    "C''mon, man, let''s do this before these two pansies wet their pants." vell said to Arthur. "Now, if I''m


    not mistaken, you had some real serious shit for me and my clients."


    "I''m afraid I cannot do dat, mon." Arthur sat back and rxed in his seat.


    vell looked back at the man in a stunned re before sniggering, "I beg your pardon? Man, c''mon,


    me and my partners have another engagement to go to."


    "Akoni and I did note here for your money, mon."


    Still sniggering and snorting, vell asked, "What the hell did youe here for then?"


    Arthur just sat and looked up at vell in a clever style, as if he hadn''t a worry in the world.


    "We note for dat, mon, wee for something else."


    The smile that was on vell''s face quickly dissipated as he approached Arthur and said, "Hold on, we


    had a deal for some pure diamonds. Now, it''s time to pay up."


    "I bet these niggas didn''t even bring the product!" Lucius shouted.


    Drawing closer to Arthur, vell demanded, "Wipe that stupid ass grin off your face before I smack it


    off, nigga."


    Arthur just gazed up at vell, refusing to rub the look off of his face. "Wee all de way here for


    something else, mon."


    "Ain''t this about a bitch?" vell angrily yelled as he spun around. "I deal with these Jamaican


    motherfuckers for a whole month and this is what happens!"


    "Never trust these ind niggas!" Marvin said.


    vell turned back around and immediately whipped out his silver-ted pistol before pointing it


    directly at Arthur''s face. "You gonna give me my product, or¡ª


    "You have her scent on you." Arthur blurted out.


    Everyone inside the room once more paused. It was a pause ofplete confusion; one that caused


    each person, excluding Arthur and Akoni, to nce at each other in total bewilderment.


    "What the hell are you talking about?" vell turned up his face.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    "You have her scent on you." Arthur repeated.


    "Who''s scent?"


    "De girl, Lyte," Arthur raised his eyebrows.


    Giggling all over again, vell nced back at everyone else. "Lynnie," he shrugged. "What''s she got


    to do with anything?"


    "I smell her all over you, mon. Akoni see herst night with your friend. We not here for your money, we


    want you to know that we smell her."


    "Hold up, you know where Lynn is?" Lucius belligerently walked over.


    "Stay loose, man." vell ordered Lucius before turning back to Arthur. "Are you trying to say that


    Lynnie had something to do with Wendell gettin'' killedst night?"


    "I say just dat, mon."


    "Ain''t that about a bitch?" vell furiously backed up. "Something told me not to trust that skeezer after


    she ran away from you, Lucius!"


    "That bitch just jumped out of the car and took off down the alley, for no reason!"


    "She not fear you, mon. No, no." Arthur spoke up. "It was Damerae that she feared."


    "Who the fuck is that," Lucius frowned.


    "He was supposed to finish de job, but he did not. So...I burn his very soul."


    "Okay, okay, that''s it," one of the white men stepped forward, "we didn''te here for all of this


    voodoo, shaman talk. We just came to do business and leave."


    "Shut the fuck up and get back to that wall!" vell pointed his gun at the two men.


    Without haste, both men retreated back to their favorite wall where they remained tight-lipped for the


    time being.


    "Now, you''re gonna tell me just what the hell is going on here, or I''m gonna put four slugs in that bald


    head of yours!" vell returned the gun back to Arthur.


    But Arthur continued to sit cool and rxed in the midst of an escting storm. He had the demeanor


    of a person that actually delighted in conflict. His look wasn''t so much cocky, but rather serene, as if he


    had the matter all under control.


    "I not want your money, vell. Ie for your soul." Arthur said.


    "I knew it!" Marvin shouted. "These Jamaican niggas are always into that voodoo bullshit!"


    "It was voodoo that happenedst year." Nita, from out of nowhere, uttered.


    vell turned his head and asked, "What are you going on about?"


    With her right hand still stuck up underneath the table, Nita slowly exined, "Last year, at


    Thanksgiving, something broke into this house and ate up all these Jamaicans. They never found out


    what it was that did it."


    "Oh yeah, I heard about that." Marvin added. "They found Isaac in there, too."


    "Ahh, Isaac...I knew him well." Arthur dropped his head.


    "You knew that nigga Isaac?" vell looked shocked. "Where was I when all this went down?"


    "You were out in Cali taking care of business." Lucius replied.


    Raising his head back up, Arthur replied, "Yes, he was very special to me."


    "That means that Lynn had something to do with it, too!" vell screamed. "And we had that bitch up in


    here! She was probably wired the whole time!"


    "But we checked her out!" Marvin insisted.


    "Man, the feds now have tiny ear pieces!" vell said. "She probably set Wendell upst night! That''s


    why no one can find her ck ass!"


    "Oh, but we will find her." Arthur said.


    vell slowly turned back to Arthur and said, "Wait a second, I now see how this shit is going down.


    You Jamaican motherfuckers have been trying to muscle in on my turf all this time. First, you send


    some wild animal to kill some of your own. Then you hire Isaac and Lynn as undercovers, but Isaac


    goes crazy on some of his own supply and the cops take him out. Then, what do you do? You have


    Lynnie not onlye in here, but you have her set my man Wendell up to get killed."


    But Arthur remainedpletely stalwart in his sitting and listening. Not once did he budge or even


    twitch while vell and the others ranted and rampaged about like several angry lions.


    "Look at you and her both." vell pointed at Arthur and Akoni. "You bothe up in here thinkin'' that


    you can just take what you want. You even have the same eye color."


    "They''re probably inbreeds!" Luciusughed out loud.


    "Shut the fuck up, nigga!" vell sted. "Then what do you do? You have the nerve to tell me what''s


    going to happen. Motherfucker, this is my town! I own these fuckin'' streets! Hell, I made my first five G''s


    at thirteen! My name is Godzi! I spit fire and motherfuckers die! I''m the motherfucker you should fear!


    First I''ll kill you two, then I''ll find Lynn and split her wide open!"


    Arthur''s sociable grin soon vanished. The man momentarily turned to Akoni, who was still studying


    Nita, before he refocused his attention back to vell.


    In a steady, slow tone, Arthur uttered, "You say you Godzi. Ie in many forms. Some see me as a


    ghost. Soon, you see me as something else. You not touch Lynn. Ie for your soul, vell."


    Right at that very second, the lights in the room began to blink off and on before the music up above


    abruptly cut off.


    "Have you ever seen an anaconda feast?" Akoni surprisingly spoke very slowly.


    At once, everyone inside the room focused their stuttering attention to the woman. With the flickering


    lights and the chatter of agitated dancers above on the top floor, the tension in the room became so


    thick that most of the people found it hard to even breathe at that juncture.


    "Before it feeds, it sizes up its victim. It moves ever so slowly when it tinks that its victim is at its


    weakest. At its most vulnerable. When de victim doesn''t suspect a thing. Dat is when the anaconda


    moves in and wraps itself around its victim before it swallows de victim whole. Dat is exactly what has


    been happening here. You all have been sized up."


    "We need to kill these niggas and quick!" Marvin whipped out his pistol.


    "No, no, wait until the musices back on, then we''ll plug them both." vell said before turning to


    the two white men. "Maybe you two were right; doing business with foreigners ain''t very smart."


    "We need to shoot them now!" Nita all of the sudden exploded from her table with her gun drawn.


    "Cool out, girl!" Lucius struck back. "It''s probably an electrical short or something!"


    Without notice, Akoni got up from out of her chair and just stood. vell, Nita, Marvin and Lucius


    immediately all pointed their weapons at the woman.


    "Sit your ass back down!" vell screamed.


    But the woman would not obey themand; instead, she simply lifted her dress up and over her head


    revealing herpletely naked body before the entire crowd.


    "What the fuck is this?" Marvin shrieked.


    "These motherfuckers are high!" vell hollered.


    Akoni''s body began to tremble before she threw back her head and started to moan, sounding as


    though she were in agony.


    Turning to Arthur, vell stammered, "What the fuck is she doing?"


    But everyone was far too busy paying attention to Akoni to notice that Arthur''s eyes had turned


    completely white all of the sudden. A hissing noise soon came from out of his mouth. Slobbering fangs


    began to extend as did his fingernails that were rapidly turning into ws.


    "Fuck this!" One of the white men yelled before rushing to the door and trying desperately to open it,


    only to find that it was seemingly locked tight; it wouldn''t budge for anything. "We can''t get out!" The


    other man sniveled.


    But all everyone else could do was stand and watch as Arthur ripped his own clothes off before


    dropping to the floor in a heap.


    "Fuck this," vell relented. "Shoot these motherfuckers!"


    At once, guns fired at the two, but something just wasn''t right. Rather than sumb to the effects of


    the bullets, the two foreigners'' facial and bodily features changed right before their eyes.


    "What are they doing?" vell continued to shoot. Lucius and Marvin took off for the door, but much


    like for their Caucasian counterparts, the door would not open for them either.


    "What''s with the door?" Marvin screamed at the top of his lungs.


    Completely out of bullets, Nita slowly stumbled backwards until her back hit the wall. Then, while


    witnessing the entire transformation, which in her eyes was both terrifying and fascinating all at once,


    she dropped her gun to the floor and murmured in a dull lisp, "I always knew this would happen."


    ***


    "Just give me a moment, ya''ll!" Jimmy urged everyone through the microphone. "We''ll have the music


    back up in a second!"


    The crowd was entirely too restless to be contained. Jimmy frantically fiddled and fumbled with one


    button after another at the turntable. But after so much trying, a sound began to erupt from the speaker.


    At once, Jimmy''s stomach that had been lodged down into his knees gradually picked right back up.


    "Here ites, everyone!" He excitedly announced.


    At once, the crowd of agitated dancers pped and cheered, that is until a type of music they weren''t


    ustomed to hearing started to y. The Mama''s and Papa''s'', ''Words of Love,'' just happened to be


    the selection. That alone sent the crowd not only into a frenzy, but also moring out the door.


    "Come on, ya''ll, give me one moment!" Jimmy pleaded before looking down at young Sammy and


    saying, "Man, go downstairs and check in the fuse room to see if any of the fuses are off!"


    At once, Sammy rushed off towards the basement door. Past the door the boy headed down the stairs


    and walked on until he saw the first door to his right. He opened the door and right away saw the fuse


    box.


    The boy examined each and every fuse that appeared to be working just fine. No sooner had he


    finished, a ruckus caught his attention; that ruckus wasing from clear down at the other end of the


    hallway.


    Leaving the fuse box wide open, Sammy skittishly began down the hallway towards the door at the


    end. He was always told by his uncle not to go anywhere near the door at the end of the hallway, but


    something was pulling him towards it all the same.


    The boy drew closer and closer before hearing the sound of people screaming. Those same screams


    were followed by roars. The roars alone caused Sammy''s entire body to tense up. He stood perfectly


    still just ten feet away from the door as the roars and growls from the other end echoed out into the


    hallway. Screams and yells of "help", and "God" would not cease. The shouts were followed by bumps


    against the door, as well as ss breaking. Sammy could hear the hinges on the door begin toe


    loose, that was when the child slowly began to pace backwards.


    His pace soon went from slow to fast the more he heard the angered roars and snarls of animals draw


    nearer to him. Sammy''s legs, that at one time felt stiff and unmovable, atst saw fit to awaken and


    carry the boy down the hall at a quicker pace. But before Sammy could reach the stairs, two glowing,


    orange eyes appeared before him.


    The eyes were part of what appeared to be a mist-like body that stood above the boy in the dimness of


    the hallway.


    Sammy, at once, just stopped and stared. It was all he could do, just stand in ce and be mesmerized


    by the being that seemingly dared him to make another move.


    "Man, what the hell are you doing down here?" Jimmy came tearing down the steps and straight


    through the apparition that Sammy was staring at.


    Caught up in its withering, ck mist, Jimmy swatted and swung until the mysterious fogpletely


    vanished.


    "Is there a fire down here?" He sniffed and smelled before gazing down at Sammy. "Little nigga, what


    are you doin'' down here? Did you check the fuse box? Folks are leaving!"


    But Sammy would not speak or move, he just stood with the most wide-eyed scowl on his face, as if he


    were about to cry.


    Jimmy grabbed Sammy by the shoulders and shook him. "What''s the matter with you?" He yelled into


    the boy''s face. "What are¡ª


    Just then, something from the other end of the door at the end of the hallway crashed. It sounded like a


    crane exploding through a brick wall.


    Jimmy released Sammy before taking his nine millimeter from out of his back pocket and carefully


    proceeding down towards the door. The second he reached the door''s knob, Jimmy paused. He waited


    and listened for any other noises that may have turned up. Then, with as much caution as he could


    muster, he twisted the knob and pushed open the door to find nothing but severed body parts, blood


    and a hole where one of the walls used to be.


    Sammy crept up behind Jimmy. The two of them stood in mouth-dropping awe at the death that was so


    lavishly presented to them.


    From one corner of the room to the other were heads, arms, legs and fingers, while stered on each


    and every remaining wall was blood; blood that even somehow managed to reach the ceiling. Guts


    Jimmy ced a shaking hand on Sammy''s shoulder, and without even looking down at the boy, he said


    under his breath, "Well, Mexico...here Ie."

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16


    The Cypress Guardian


    Wednesday, July 20th 1977


    Once more, a vicious animal attack has struck Cypress, this time at Jimmy''s, a roller rink on the corner


    of Harrison Ave and 18th, on the city''s Northeast end.


    Authorities are not giving many details as of now, but they are saying that it is definitely an animal


    attack.58 year old vell Diggs, 57 year old Anita Lunsford, 31 year old Marvin Reeve and 28 year old


    Lucius Turner were all found mutted inside the basement of the rinkst night.


    Those questioned at the site said they heard nothing in the basement of the rink, while some say


    gunshots could be heard, but that it was so loud inside the building that it was hard to tell.Police,


    however, did happen to discover multiple grams of cocaine, marijuana and other drug paraphernalia


    down inside the basement where the murders took ce.


    When sought for questioning, the rink''s owner, James Tolliver, was nowhere to be found. But needless


    to say that the rink will be shutdown indefinitely, or until at least Mr. Tolliver can be located.


    While authorities have not been able to pinpoint just what kind of animal could be responsible, it leads


    them to believe that perhaps this all could harken back to simr animal attacks in the past. Mainly


    those that took ce in Cuyahoga Falls this past February.


    ***


    "You gotta be kidding me." Ortega sighed in dismay before folding his newspaper and looking around


    at the busy floor of the police station.


    "C''mon, pal, and get in here!" A white, in clothes officer shouted as he and another in clothes


    officer who happened to be ck dragged a raggedy looking ck man into the area before nting


    him down into a chair.


    Ortega, forgetting that he had his newspaper tucked underneath his armpit, nonchntly carried


    himself over to the scene where he managed to keep himself somewhat in a partial distance, just close


    enough to hear but not appear as being nosey.


    The man seated in the chair wore nappy dreadlocks and a scruffy beard. His shorts had a huge hole in


    the side while his tank top shirt had grease stains stered all over. Judging by his appearance, he


    looked to be in his early to mid-thirties.


    "Okay, buddy, we''re gonna keep going over this until we get it right." The ck officer stood above the


    young, overconfident looking man. "Is there a rival gang here in town?"


    Growing a grin, the man sat and said, "Hey, mon, I know nuting about any gangs."


    Rolling his eyes, the white officer stood on the other end and said, "C''mon, George, how many times


    are you gonna tell us that? You know about the murders fromst night, as well as the guy in the alley


    just the other night. There has to be a connection."


    Pointing at himself, George asked, "Why ya ask me?"


    "Because some of the folks at Jimmy''s said that there were two Jamaicans that entered that clubst


    night, and no one ever saw them again." The ck officer stated. "Let''s face it, my friend, there aren''t


    too many of you guys in this city to begin with. You folks have to beworking."


    Still wearing his grin, George replied, "Look, mon, I was at home allst night. I don''t even know how to


    skate."


    "Wipe that stupid look off of your face." The white officer grudgingly ordered. "You want us to bring up


    that little charge you had so mysteriously wiped away a month ago?"


    Promptly, George frowned before wiping the sweat from off his face. "Look, mon, I know nuting about


    no murders."


    "We never asked anything about any murders." The white officer gritted his teeth. "We want to know if


    there are any Jamaican gangs in this city. Any drug rivals."


    With his hands outstretched, George pleaded, "It''s hot, mon. Too hot for murder."


    "You people should be used to the heat." The ck officer said. "Now, tell us what we need to know


    and you can go back home to your nice, cozy fan."


    George sat back in the chair and exhaled before saying, "Okay, mon, in de streets, I be hearing about a


    woman and a mon."


    "Keep going." The white officer said.


    George then shrugged his shoulders and continued, "I hear dat dey live down in Hollis Estates."


    "That does it!" The white officer irately eximed before lifting George to his feet. "Get thisedian


    outta here before I crack him in half!"


    Ortega just stood and watched as George was carted away, all the while pleading his so called case to


    anyone who would listen.


    Once the man was out of sight, Ortega approached the white officer."Tell me, uh...why did you just


    have that man taken away when he was giving you the information that you needed?"


    The officer just stared back at Ortega as though the man were growing a new set of ears right before


    his eyes.


    "And you are?" the officer grimaced.


    "Inspector David Ortega," Ortega snapped back.


    "Oh, so you''re the new Inspector." The man cracked a grin.


    "Yeah, I am. Now, what was all that about?"


    "Just a Q and A, that''s all."


    "But he sounded as if he were giving you a tip on a lead."


    The officer stood and smiled at Ortega like he was looking at a simple child. "Inspector, Hollis Estates is


    a rundown slum. Not even the rats go down there. The ce is a ghost town. Completely empty."


    Ortega watched as the man walked away, leaving him all to himself in the middle of the floor. Just


    before he was about to go back to his own office, he caught a glimpse of Brice who just happened to


    be rushing down the stairs.


    Ortega dropped his newspaper and took off after the man until he was able to catch up to him on the


    bottom floor.


    "Hey, fe," Ortega called out. "You''re one hard guy to find!"


    Brice only kept walking until he reached a door and went through with Ortega right on his heels.


    "Good morning, Mr. Ortega." Brice greeted in a dismal tone.


    It was a tiny office littered with shiny, silver utensils, cameras and boxes of papers from one corner to


    the other. Just trying to find a ce to step was nearly impossible.


    Appearing out of sorts, Ortega shut the door behind him and said, "I, uh, I''m d I was able to catch up


    with you."


    Dropping his satchel to the floor, Brice turned around and took off his sses. "Look, Inspector, I


    apologize for being so...unorthodox, yesterday. I just had a lot of things on my mind." Brice exined,


    looking as if he hadn''t slept in days. "Just wipe everything I mentioned the other day out of your head.


    I''m sorry I opened that can of worms."


    "You didn''t open a can of worms, you threw a bag of snakes at me." Ortega said. "You just can''t toss all


    that at me and expect me to just go away with my tail tucked in between my legs, Mr. Brice. You want


    an audience...here it is."


    Brice looked hard at the man with the most depressed ze on his face, as to say that he was at a loss


    for words or anything else rational.


    "Have a seat." Brice said as he sat himself down in his old, wooden chair that was ced just a couple


    of feet away from where Ortega took his own seat. Taking off his sses and wiping the lenses, Brice


    murmured, "You gotta forgive me, I''ve been up all night."


    Thoughtfully staring right back at the man, Ortega asked, "You were at that rinkst night, weren''t


    you?"


    cing his sses back on his face, Brice pressed his lips and said, "Yep, all night long."


    "A cop''s job is never done." Ortega humbly stated.


    "Yeah, you can say that again." Brice said while fiddling with a ballpoint pen.


    "So, tell me, what happened therest night? From your perspective," Ortega inquired.


    Brice exhaled before saying, "Just imagine your worst horror movie, and magnify that by five."


    "That bad, huh," Ortega shrugged.


    "Oh yeah," Brice shook his head up and down. "Tell me something, Inspector, how much of the news


    do you keep up with, by any chance?"


    "Enough, I guess." Ortega blushed.


    Brice would every so often nce at Ortega before returning his attention back to his pen. "There''s


    something wrong here in this city, Inspector. And it all seemed to startst year."


    "Keep going."


    "Last year, a wild animal, presumably, broke into a home and murdered three grown men. There was


    hardly anything left of them. Then came this past February," Brice sat up. "Do you recall The Broad


    Open Daylight Kidnapper case?"


    Ortega pondered for a moment. "I believe so. Wasn''t he eventually caught?"


    "Not caught, but tore in half...literally."


    "Now I remember reading about that in the paper. He was killed by some animal, and then the animal


    killed some other people, right?"


    "Yes, a family that lived right down the road from the guy." Brice replied. "Now, tell me, Inspector, do


    you recall hearing a story about a young man by the name of Isaac Mercer?"


    Once more, Ortega had to stretch far back in his mind to grab at something. "The name sounds kind of


    vague."


    "All of this is in the case files on the third floor; I''m just giving you the abridged version. Isaac


    apparently tried to kill not only his fianc¨¦e, but also their own son before he himself was shot and killed


    by one of our detectives."


    Ortega kept reaching until he finally snatched out the first thing that came to mind. "Now I remember."


    He inhaled. "Wasn''t he supposedly high on some new drug when he did that?"


    Brice just sat and eyed the Inspector with scrupulous precision. "Is that all you heard, Inspector?" His


    tone methodically dropped.


    Chuckling, Ortega asked, "Is there more to it?"


    Brice cut his eyes away for a second. "Last year, they said that a pack of wild dogs attacked those


    men. Back in February, they said that a bear killed Cummins and the family that lived down the road.


    There was an elderly couple that lived right next door to where the Mercer incident took ce. If you''ve


    ever seen this neighborhood, the houses are so small and close knit they might as well be apartments.


    This same elderly couple swore up and down that they heard an animal inside that house. But neither


    the cops nor coroners carried out an animal, only a dead man''s body."


    "Well, they were old; maybe their imaginations got the best of them. I mean, this Mercer guy was high.


    I''ve seen people on drugs do some pretty crazy stuff. Sounding like an animal wouldn''t be too out of


    the ordinary. Crazy people don''t know restraint, Mr. Brice. They tend to be a lot stronger than us normal


    people."


    Still, Brice''s eyes would not stop staring endlessly at Ortega in the most uncharacteristic fashion.


    "Inspector, in each and every incident, I discovered two things. Number one, these people were by no


    way murdered by a pack of dogs or a bear. Neither beast is as destructive or strong. Number two, I


    have something else."


    Ortega sat and looked on as Brice turned around and reached into his desk to pull out a shoebox. The


    man then turned back and opened the box before taking out its contents.


    "These are strands of fur."


    Ortega took the fur and examined it from end to end. "What kind of fur?"


    Brice held back for a second or two before replying, "Wolf fur, Inspector."


    Ortega''s eyes quickly went for Brice''s face. "There are wolves in Ohio?"


    "Not the kind you''re thinking of, but something else."


    Ortega handed the fur back to Brice and asked, "What kind then?"


    Brice stuffed the fur back into his shoebox and said, "Inspector, I just happened to gather more fur from


    not only the alley incident, but also fromst night. You saw the guy inside that car. No normal wolf


    could have or would have ever caused that much destruction. Last night, inside that roller rink, I saw


    bodies torn apart. I saw a type of madness the likes I have never witnessed before."


    Waving his hands, Ortega pleaded, "Okay, okay, I need for you to stop beating around the bush, Mr.


    Brice. You''ve been up all night long looking at death. I get it. But I need for you toe clean with me


    right now. What are you getting at?"


    Brice turned around and sat his shoebox on top of his desk before reaching inside another drawer and


    taking out a collection of Proid''s.


    "Just this past February, a woman was seen walking along the Logan bridge walkwaypletely


    naked. Mind you, it was about ten degrees that morning, and yet, there she was, as naked as a jaybird.


    One guy, who wanted to get his jolly''s, just happened to take out his camera, but when he took the


    pictures, he discovered something very unusual about this woman before she jumped into the water."


    Brice handed Ortega the pictures, but David was entirely too wound up with anticipation to even try and


    figure out what he was looking at.


    "I...I can''t make any of this out. What am I supposed to be seeing here?"


    "Look at the woman''s face, Inspector." Brice insisted. "The Fotomat never lies."


    Ortega studied the ck woman''s face as closely as his vision would allow. All he could see were the


    woman''s eyes that appeared all white.


    "These Proid''s all have discolored resolution." Ortega griped.


    "Look at her teeth."


    "Just what am I supposed to be looking at?" Ortega asked in a short-tempered manner.


    "Something was growing out of her mouth, Inspector."


    Ortega slowly pulled the pictures away from his face and looked Brice straight in the eye. For the


    longest of moments both men just sat and stared at one another inplete and utter silence. Only the


    hallway chatter outside the door interrupted their unsettling quiet.


    "You''re still not going to tell me just what you''re getting at, are you?"


    "I know, I sound like Leonard Nimoy, but you''re an educated man. I''ll let you figure it out. But this is no


    coincidence."


    Ortega continued to study the man before asking, "What about Mercer''s fianc¨¦e? She was there. What


    did she have to say in the matter?"


    "Nothing much," Brice nonchntly shrugged. "No one has heard from her since the incident."


    "I''ve seen strange cases before, but I have to admit that this one takes the cake." Ortega sighed.


    "We''re not dealing with gangsters here, Inspector. I happen to believe that there may be more than one


    of these things prowling this city of ours."


    Ortega''s eyes grew two sizes at that point. "What makes you say that?"


    "Much like Cummins'' house, the basement wall at that roller rink was demolished. Wild dogs or a bear


    could not tear down a solid brick wall. I refuse to believe that one vicious animal could take out several


    well-armed people. I...I could spend all day on this." Brice tossed up his hands in frustration.


    Ortega sat and examined the young man in a pitiable manner. "You actually enjoy all this, don''t you?"


    He grunted at Brice. "For God''s sake, you even still have evidence from thest crime scene sitting


    here in your office."


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    "I remember Detective Bruin came to me two days after Cummins was killed. He asked me about


    something concerning burning fur."


    "Who''s Detective Bruin?"


    "He was the guy that covered the case. He was also the guy that put down Mercer."


    Lookingpletely taken by surprise, Ortega asked, "Well, what on earth does he have to say about


    all this?"


    Brice sat back in his chair before spinning around to his desk and taking out a paper from within one of


    the drawers. He then turned back around, and with a dreary grimace on his face handed the paper to


    Ortega.


    David took the newspaper and read where the paragraph was outlined in red marker. He sat and


    studied before looking back up at Brice with his own miserable frown.


    "I knew Linus, he was a good cop." Brice stated. "Everyone else in this station may look at me like a


    fool, but I know for a fact that whatever he saw inside that house that night drove him crazy enough to


    put that gun to his head and pull the trigger."


    At that very instant, the office door flew open. Behind it was Fitzpatrick, who just stepped inside and


    handed Brice a piece of paper.


    "And next time don''t leave the crime scene before it''s wrapped up!" n grumbled before turning and


    beginning to walk away.


    "Fitzpatrick, have you met our new Inspector?" Brice called out.


    Fitzpatrick, who was adorned in an all-ck officer''s uniform, rolled his eyes before extending a right


    hand and shaking Ortega''s.


    "Officer n Fitzpatrick."


    "Good to meet you, Officer." Ortega greeted. "Tell me, were you just at the roller rink scene?" He stood


    up.


    Rolling his eyes once again, Fitzpatrick replied, "Yeah, I had to work a double, and I''m about two


    shakes away from passing out."


    "I was just wondering, were you able to discover anything unusual about the murders?"


    Fitzpatrick stood and eyeballed the Inspector for a second before turning to Brice who just happened to


    be staring right back at Fitzpatrick.


    "You gotta be kidding me." Fitzpatrick angrily gritted his teeth. "What the hell has this loon been telling


    you?"


    Appearing stunned, Ortega said, "I was just listening to Mr. Brice''s take on the situation fromst


    evening."


    Stepping closer to Brice, Fitzpatrick pointed, "You keep Linus'' name out of your damn mouth! You hear


    me?"


    "Whoa, hold on, cowboy." Ortega stood in front of the man. "There''s no need to get upset."


    "This guy is a nut!" Fitzpatrick protested. "He stays down here in this janitor''s closet thinking up new


    crap to lose his mind over!"


    "Ok, ok, just calm down." Ortega subtly urged. "We''re gonna get to the bottom of this."


    "I''m already at the bottom." Fitzpatrick cantankerously huffed before yanking himself away from both


    men and bolting back out into the hallway.


    Slowly turning back to Brice, Ortega, who looked more exhausted than anything, asked, "Do you mind


    telling me just what that was all about?"


    Twisting his lips, Brice simplymented, "He''s still pissed because he got knocked back down to


    officer."


    "Knocked down?" Ortega chuckled haplessly.


    "Look, he''s not important." Brice began fiddling with his pen all over again. "What is important is that


    the coroners building across the street went up in mes while I was visiting my father. They say that


    they carried that animal that was incinerated in the alley there. I would''ve given anything to see the


    bastard." He growled.


    Ortega stood and looked down at Brice in the most peculiar manner before catching a glimpse of his


    watch on his wrist.


    "Look...I''mte for a meeting with the D.A. But there is one thing I would like to know. What does


    Captain Brickman think of all this? I mean, the guy has to have something to say pertaining to you


    keeping evidence inside your office."


    "I was told by our beloved captain months ago that this isn''t the National Enquirer. Who am I to say


    otherwise?" Brice''s tone dropped.


    Ortega remained still for just a few more moments before gradually turning and heading for the door.


    His mind couldn''t take another shake.


    "Just remember, Inspector...they never carried an animal''s body out of that house." Brice uttered at the


    most inopportune moment right then.


    Ortega simply gave the man a salty nce as he headed out.


    ***


    The medium sized room was filled with the vigorous odors of both cigarette smoke and fresh brewed


    coffee. From one end of the room to the other was a sea of police officers, from white, ck and


    Hispanic, to male and female, to uniformed and in clothed. Each man and woman was chattering


    amongst themselves while either sipping on their Styrofoam cups of steaming java or trading lighters


    back and forth between each other.


    It was hot inside the room, in spite of the crippled air-conditioner that was whispering a gentle breeze


    throughout. Only hot breath that reeked of nicotine seemed to rece the oxygen that was so needed.


    "Okay, everyone, let''s quiet it down!" Captain Brickman and his gruff sounding voice came into the


    room and stood behind the podium with his own cup of coffee in hand and a cigarette lodged in


    between his lips.


    Heid down a collection of papers on the podium''s t surface while the gathering of officers all


    immediately hushed their mor until it became quiet, minus a couple of coughs and sneezes here and


    there amongst the group.


    Brickman took a sip of his still simmering coffee before looking up at the crowd and sighing, "Alright, I''m


    gonna make this as neat and tidy as I can. Last night, all hell broke loose. All I can say is, thank God no


    one innocent was taken out. And as far as the mayor''s sons are concerned, if Mr. Finy is too


    ashamed to have his own sons'' names printed in the newspaper along with other drug dealers, then


    there''s no need for us to rush to find justice for them either."


    A collection of murmurs and chuckles circumvented throughout the gathering for a few moments before


    everyone settled down once more.


    "Now, I know a lot of you are thinking the same thing I am...Cuyahoga Falls. Thest thing we need is


    for anyone to jump to any startled conclusions. We already have a city in panic mode; we don''t need


    anyone running around half-cocked."


    Brickman''s demeanor, while stalwart, was somewhat unsettled. The man''s thoughts kept going


    backwards to both people and events. He lowered his head momentarily and paused before looking


    back out at the humanity before him.


    "There is something in this city that shouldn''t be here. So far, it''s taken out nothing but drug dealers,


    but we''ve seen what this something was capable of doing once before. Something is obviously not


    adding up. If we are dealing with that same something, then it''s up to each and every one of us to take


    it out now before it vanishes again for a few months and then resurfaces. Just remember, this thing


    broke into a house and murdered an entire family. We''re all aware of what it''s capable of. It leaves only


    tracks and fur behind. I don''t want any vigntes running around out there on these streets thinking


    they can take the thing out."


    "But, Captain, we''re hearing that there may be two of these things running around." A ck officer


    stood to his feet.


    "Then that means we need to ramp up shifts. I wanna see more of you down in the shooting range.


    This thing is not to be reasoned with; it''s an animal, a veryrge and dangerous animal. It needs to be


    taken out at first sight. Now, we do know that it attacks at night. That means that we need to keep an


    extra eye on alleys. If there are two of these things...then you have the authority to use every resource


    avable. That means use extreme vignce. I want people questioned; I don''t care what their race,


    gender or religion, if they could somehow have a possible connection then consider them a suspect.


    We''re at red alert, people. Now, get out there and do your jobs...and try not to get eaten."

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17


    "Wake up, honey!" Arge, ck, female jail guard shouted as she unlocked and opened the cell door.


    As though she were awakening from a yearlonga, Lyte''s eyes slowly and painfully creaked


    open to see not only the guard, but also her own mother standing outside the cell.


    Feeling like her body had been beaten from pir to post, Lyte dropped herself off the bed and onto


    the floor before crawling backwards to the wall.


    "No...no," Lyte held up her hands in self-defense.


    With a determined stride, the guard stepped in and grabbed Lyte by her skinny arms before picking


    her up from off the floor.


    "No, I can''t leave!" Lyte begged, crying along the way.


    "Yes you can." The guard carried her out of the cell and down a long hallway with Lyte''s mother


    following.


    Once they reached a door, the guard opened it and went over behind a desk. Lyte stood next to


    her mother shaking from fear. Every so often she would nce outside the ss door behind her and


    tremble even more.Her clothes, from her faded tennis shoes, all the way up to her tattered t-shirt were


    a brazen mess.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    She looked and smelled as though she hadn''t cleaned herself in days. The stench of old sweat clung to


    her skin and clothing like so much dirt.


    "We picked your daughter up two nights ago around 38th Street." The guard exined. "She was


    attempting to rob a convenient store."


    Lyte''s mother just looked over at her child as though she didn''t even know who Lyte was all of


    the sudden. Her expression was so listless.


    "But, if you ask me, I truly believe that she wanted to get arrested, just so she could get tossed in here."


    The guard said. "The store''s owner dropped all the charges. But no matter what, your daughter did not


    want to leave her cell."


    Still, Lyte''s mother would not stop staring at her. She remained there beside her with her purse


    firmly in hand before approaching the desk and signing a few papers.


    "Take care of yourself, honey." The guardpassionately sighed.


    Taking Lyte by the arm, her mother had to practically drag her out of the building and to the station


    wagon out in the parking lot.


    Reluctantly, Lyte got in on the passenger''s side and watched as the station behind her grew


    smaller and smaller the further they drove away.


    All Lyte could do at that point was turn back around in her seat and clinch her body as tight as she


    could. She didn''t even want to look at her mother who was uncannily silent as she tooled along while


    the car''s air-conditioner blew into both of their faces.


    As they passed along the city streets, all Lyte''s fretful eyes wanted to do was ogle at each and


    every person that walked down the sidewalk. It didn''t matter how fast they seemed to fly by, she made


    sure to watch each soul as though her life depended upon it.


    "You know, you and your sisters all think that your father and I are a couple of squares when ites


    to knowing what''s going on in this world."


    Without warning, Lyte''s attention was abruptly diverted from the people on the streets to the


    person seated next to her. Her mother''s words were so sudden and unexpected that she couldn''t


    believe that they actually came out of the woman''s mouth to begin with.


    "Somehow, someway, with the way you''ve been behaving these past few months, I just knew where to


    find you." Her mother said without taking her eyes off the road.


    Lyte had nothing to say. She remained perfectly still. Even the air that was blowing inside the


    vehicle provided the youngdy with no relief from the overbearing ustrophobia that she was


    condensed in.


    "Your father works himself to death for us, that''s exactly why I try to keep most of what happens away


    from him. And as much as we love your sisters, those three are just in unruly and full of the devil.


    But you, youngdy...I truly am surprised at you."


    "Mama, I¡ª


    "Just hold on." Her mother forcefully said. "You don''t have a job, do you?"


    Lyte just dropped her head and held herself even tighter than before. At that point she didn''t even


    want to look at her mother anymore.


    "You''re not fooling anyone, youngdy."


    "What makes you say that?" Lyte began weeping.


    At first, she expected her mother to burst out in rage at her constant denial, but instead the woman kept


    on driving without once taking her eyes off the road in front of her.


    "You''ve been this way ever since what happened with you and Isaac."


    Instantly, Lyte cried even harder to where her tears began blinding her sight. She couldn''t contain


    herself at that juncture.


    "Lynn, I understand that what he did to you and Isaiah was terrible, but you never allowed yourself to


    fully ovee that. You just went straight down the tube."


    "You don''t know what happened!" Lyte shouted out.


    "You never told us what really happened."


    "Mama, I can''t take this!" Lyte yelled as she bumped her head against the headrest behind her.


    "You don''t even treat your own son the same. We may not be a church going family, but you better


    believe we''re a family that loves our children nheless."


    "I do love my child!" Lyte defiantly fired back.


    Lyte''s mother simply nced at her before looking back at the road. "Do you realize that ever since


    you came home from the hospital back in February, I''ve never seen you one time even hold that boy,


    let alone acknowledge that he''s even there?"


    Lyte sat and thought about Isaiah, but her thoughts were insipid and pointless. No matter how hard


    she tried, she just couldn''t seem to evoke her only son''s image into her head.


    "You may think otherwise, but believe it or not, your dad and I admired Isaac. We knew that he came


    from a good, Christian family, and that he was trying to do better in life." Her mother stated. "But we


    also knew that whatever happened that night inside that house was not normal of that boy. Something


    ungodly happened to him, and it''s somehow taken you to a cepletely not of this world."


    Lyte couldn''t decide just what was worse, listening to her mother rant on and on about Isaac and


    the events of that night, or listening to her mother actually speak like a person that was trying to reach


    her daughter''s soul without raising her voice.


    In all actuality, the woman had every right to scream at her, but her tone and speech werepletely


    alien to her ears. There was someone else operating the station wagon that hot afternoon.The car


    came to a stop at a traffic light.


    "Only you can put Isaac''s soul to rest, Lynn." Her mother droned on while keeping an eye on the light


    above. "Whatever happened that night inside your house shook you worse than any beating he handed


    you. Something else visited that night, didn''t it?"


    Lyte''s head slowly turned and stared at her mother in the most stunningly frightening way. The


    shaking she was doing back at the police station was nothingpared to what she was doing at that


    moment.


    Without allowing another second to go by, Lyte opened the door and rushed out into the street


    where other vehicles were waiting for the light to change.


    She ran down the sidewalk and as far away from her mother as possible.

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18


    With only his left hand scaling the rusted railing of The Martin Bridge that overlooked Lake Logan,


    along with a pair of ssy eyes that looked as if they hadn''t closed in days, Cloyse peered aimlessly


    down at the endless, shimmering water.Beside him on the street were vehicles both big and small


    passing him by, but in his mind, they were non-existent.


    His left hand steadily felt not the aged railing''s coarseness, but rather a vibration. His entire body felt as


    if it could levitate right there as he plodded along.Cloyse couldn''t tell if he was nearing the end of the


    bridge''s walkway or not, all he wanted and needed was the warm tremor to guide him through.


    The more violent the sensation, the more he knew that his long journey was not in vain.The man''s eyes


    continued to stare down at the water until his left hand began to go numb. Just as the young man was


    about to release, a force suddenly seized his hand. It grabbed him with so much vigor that he had to


    stop right where he was and just stand.


    Cloyse remained in the middle of the walkway and gaped out at the expansiveke. His eyes carried


    him far off into the distance at a light''s speed until he came to an abrupt end. Cloyse''s entire body


    shook as if someone had grabbed him by the shoulders and yanked him back and forth.Somehow, not


    only the left, but the right hand seemed to find its way to the railing. Before long, Cloyse was hanging


    on for dear life to a piece of frail steel that could have at any moment given away.


    Soon, after so much standing, the sights and sounds of his surroundings came upon him like an


    overpowering tidal wave.


    A tear dropped out of his right eye as his hands slowly let go of the railing. Suddenly, all around him he


    became aware of his environment, from cars, trucks and bicycles, to people walking past him on the


    sidewalk. All the man could do was slowly turn around and be enveloped in everything that the


    world had to toss at him all at once.Cars and trucks were not only speeding by at breakneck flows, but


    in his eyes they appeared two times bigger in size.


    The people that passed by him had eyes of white and fangs that drooled blood.The man began to


    shake before stumbling back and forth like he was intoxicated. His head began to spin, and before long


    he found his own legs bing unstable. There really wasn''t too much space between the bridge''s


    walkway and the road, so when Cloyse''s watery brain became too unhinged to maintain, the young


    man began drifting from off the sidewalk and into the street right before a white man was able to catch


    him just in time.


    "Hey, fe, look out!" The white man yelled as he grabbed Cloyse by the arm.


    Sweating profusely, Cloyse looked at the man before slumping against the railing in an ailing fashion.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    "Are you feeling alright, sir?" The man asked as he held Cloyse''s arm in a consoling manner.


    Trying to catch his breath, Cloyse stared at the man and cried, "She gone!"


    "Who''s gone?"


    "She gone! My sister...she gone," he pointed out to theke.


    The white man spun around in a panic. "Your sister is in theke?" He hysterically hollered. "Holy shit,


    stay here while I get a cop!"


    Cloyse watched in agony as the man ran off in the other direction before he himself turned and began


    back the opposite end, identally bumping into other people along the way.


    The moment Cloyse departed the walkway he immediately spotted a park bench just a few yards up


    ahead. The man dragged his lethargic body as hard as he could before finally making it to the bench


    where he sat and tried to take in as much oxygen as he could into his heaving lungs.


    With a swimming head that would not cease throbbing, Cloyse balled up his fists and pondered on the


    big sister that he had hoped he would see again. He honestly did not expect a happy reunion, but he


    certainly did not see her demise as being what it ended up as. He rubbed all over his newly cut hair


    forgetting that he had chopped off his dreads. All he could hear inside his head was Sunta''s final words


    to him before he covered the old man in dirt. How he would not grant him his blessing before his


    parting. It made Cloyse feel hollow from within. He wanted to be enraged, but the fury was locked


    away far inside.


    Cloyse then scanned his current surroundings to discover that he was in a meeting ce of sorts.


    People were throwing Frisbees, ying catch with their dogs and jogging about. He was finding that


    the various scenes all about him were making him sick to his stomach.


    Ever so carefully Cloyse stood up and stared a hard, hateful glower at each and every person that his


    eyes could capture. One by one, person after person passed him until a certain homeless ck man


    came strolling along with a shopping cart full of empty soda cans.


    "You dere," Cloyse said aloud to the man.


    At once, the rough looking, bearded man stopped and pointed at himself, looking as if he were in


    trouble. "You want me?" He muttered.


    "Yes...I want you." Cloyse replied as he stepped to the man.


    "What you want with me, nigga?"


    Taken aback for a moment, Cloyse looked the man up and down before asking, "Do you see me?"


    The homeless man stared at Cloyse as if the young man werepletely out of his mind.


    "You''re foreign, aren''t'' you?" He grinned.


    "Do you see me?" Cloyse continued on in a more agitated and determined tenor.


    Backing up some, the homeless man stuttered, "Yeah, man, I see you. What do you want?"


    "I am dead to you now."


    "You look alive to me."


    Cloyse''s tone grew more sinister with every moment he stood before the man. "They have fed, haven''t


    they?"


    "Man, get outta here!" The man yelled before attempting to sidestep Cloyse.


    But Cloyse managed to grab the man''s arm. "This whole city will drown in its own blood before it is all


    said and done! This city will die!" He urgently spat.


    "Nigga, you better let me go before I kick your ck ass!" The man snatched his arm away before


    taking his cart and shuffling on.


    Cloyse didn''t bother to watch the man leave, instead, his eyes caught sight of the man that aided him


    at the bridge, along with a police officer that both came running at him.


    The young man wasted no time in taking off in the opposite direction before they could catch up to him.


    The faster and harder he ran, the angrier he became, and the sorrier he began to feel for the city of


    Cypress.

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19


    Charles sat inside the quiet office of his former church waiting patiently while viewing the walls that at


    one time bore all of his personal property. From one end of the small office to the other he carefully


    studied until his eyes met up with the middle of the floor.


    Charles sat and stared at the grimy carpet where a small chair once sat. In the chair was a young man


    that Charles once knew; a young man that he spoke so fondly to one Sunday morning a time ago.


    The man scratched at his growing, grey beard. He wore his jacket that smelled of aging sweat, while


    his dingy, white undershirt underneath stuck to his chest. His corduroy pants looked as if they hadn''t


    been pressed in weeks, while his shoes still wore the dried up dirt stains of his ill-fated trip to the


    country.


    Charles remained in his seat, still looking down at the middle of the floor with a drooping bottom lip. All


    he could hear was his son''s voice speaking to him. It didn''t matter what he was saying, as long as


    Isaac was talking, Charles could keep the image inside his head.


    The office door abruptly opened, behind it appeared Mr. Hawthorne, who with a bible in hand, also


    wore a vexed frown upon his light-skinned face.


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Charles immediately pulled himself out of his trance before sitting up and paying absolute attention to


    Hawthorne who sat down behind his desk and ced the bible in front of him.


    "I found it in the janitor''s closet, of all ces." Hawthorne said while pointing at the bible. "Brother, do


    you know how it even got in there?"


    Shaking his head from side to side, Charles replied with a grin, "I can''t even begin to imagine."


    "Well, it''s yours." Hawthorne smiled back before gently shoving the book towards Charles.


    Charles reached and retrieved the bible. He sat back with it and ruffled through the pages. "It looks like


    it hasn''t been damaged at all."


    Hawthorne sat and thoughtfully stared at Charles in the most pitiable way. The man folded his hands


    and asked, "Charles, aren''t you hot?"


    Taking his eyes away from his bible, Charles waved his hand saying, "Nah, I''m fine."


    Hawthorne then sat back in his chair. "Did you know that Sister Woods'' granddaughter had her baby


    last month?"


    With a simple smile, Charles replied, "No, I didn''t. That''s good."


    "Have you heard from Lynn and the babytely?"


    Charles leaned over in his seat and sighed, "No, Lynn is out there somewhere. All I can do is pray for


    the child."


    "Well, she is grown; I guess she has to find her own way in the world."


    "Yeah, I reckon so." Charles groaned.


    A deafening silence lingered all around the men like dense fog. The longer it was quiet, the less


    Charles could think of something to say.


    "We got a few new membersst month, too." Hawthorne mentioned from out of nowhere."


    "Well, praise Jesus for that." Charles mumbled with a humble grin.


    "We were gonna try and have our picst Saturday, but¡ª


    "Was I wrong for sending Isaac to that hospital?" Charles unexpectedly asked.


    Hawthorne sat with a paused appearance written all over his face. It seemed as if the question were


    offsetting to him, considering the paleness his face took on at that moment.


    "Brother, I...I can''t answer that for you."


    "I can''t answer it either." Charles'' head hung.


    "You have to understand, you just up and left everyone."


    Sitting back, Charles said, "I didn''t know what else to do."


    "You could''ve stayed here with your flock. We were all here for you."


    Charles sat and looked back at the middle of the floor for a moment before turning back to Hawthorne.


    "I just feel like something left me."


    "How do you mean?"


    Charles folded his arms. "I feel like when Isaac was taken, something was taken from me as well. And


    I''m not talking just about him physically, but...something departed from me."


    "What do you think that something was?"


    Charles waited for endless seconds before saying, "My tongue won''t let me speak it."


    Hawthorne sat back and sighed, "Well, you certainly didn''t leave me with a very easy job when you left.


    You never told me how difficult being a pastor would be."


    Charles looked at the man with a sharp eye and said, "You''ve been my friend and deacon for over


    seventeen years. How could you not be prepared?"


    "Man, you never told me about all the people in need that would being to me for all kinds of help."


    Hawthorne giggled. "I had one young man ask me to help him fight some gang a couple of months ago.


    Do I honestly look like I can fight?" He pointed at himself.


    Both men justughed for a while beforeing back down and settling. To Charles, just having the


    opportunity to joke, albeit briefly, was like hearing a favorite song from long ago; it felt good for a


    moment until the tune faded.


    "You should''ve never left, Charles." Hawthorne seriously stated at Charles.


    Charles just sat and looked at the man in frozen time. His stare was locked on the pastor until a knock


    at the door erupted.


    "Come in!" Hawthorne said out loud.


    From behind the door appeared an older, ckdy with some papers in her hand. "Good afternoon,


    Pastor. I have those minutes from the¡ª


    The woman paused at the sight of Charles'' presence. Charles stood to his feet and stepped forward to


    the woman only to have her back away slightly.


    "Sister Mary." He smiled. "How have you been?"


    Appearing dismayed, Mary pressed her thin lips together as tight as she could before replying in a cold


    tone, "Fine. She then turned back to Hawthorne. "These are the minutes fromst Wednesday''s prayer


    meeting."


    "Thank you, Sister." Hawthorne said as he took the papers and ced them down onto his desk.


    Charles watched with a heavy stomach as the woman simply turned, without taking another nce at


    him, and walked out the door.


    "Well...I''d better be going myself." Charles murmured with a cotton mouth.


    "You don''t have to leave so soon, Brother."


    "Yes I do." He turned to Hawthorne and extended his hand for a shake.


    But rather than shake his hand, Hawthorne instead grabbed Charles and pulled him in for a healthy


    hug.


    "You need anything, just let me know." Hawthorne whispered into Charles'' ear.


    As the two released each other, Charles stood back with his bible in hand and said, "I need for God to


    speak to me."


    With that, Charles walked out of the office and through the sanctuary that lead to the front door.


    As he carried on through the peacefully quiet area, he felt something tap him on the shoulder from


    behind. Charles immediately stopped right in the middle of the floor, in between the aisle of pews. He


    wanted to turn around, but he knew better. Instead, he simply ceased his every movement and


    listened.


    There was a presence along with him inside the sanctuary. He had felt its weight time and time before.


    Amidst the ominous silence, he waspletely surrounded. It was such a dreadful feeling that the man


    wanted to drop to his knees which were already trying to buckle beneath him. But he stood strong until


    he was eventually able to at least turn his head to his right to see a person standing down at the altar.


    It was an old woman adorned in an all snow white dress. Her hair was totally white, as was her face


    that looked as if it were dipped in white paint. She was waving back at Charles in a delightful manner


    while smiling a mouth full of blood-stained fangs at the man.


    Something inside of him wanted to scream out loud, but Charles was aware that such an action would


    have been futile. The old hag just waved in all her ghastly glory before Charles'' legs found the will to


    move.


    The man turned around and stormed out the front entrance. He didn''t even check behind him to make


    sure the double doors were shut all the way; he just persisted in moving as fast as he could to his car.


    mming his bible onto the hood, Charles whipped his car keys out of his pants pocket before a


    person came trotting out from behind the vehicle as if they were hiding.


    Out of instinct, Charles swung around with both of his fists drawn before he recognized the individual.


    "Lynn?" His eyes lit up in surprise as his breath left him. "Child, what are you doin'' here?"


    Shaking with her arms outstretched, Lyte carefully approached Charles. "I...I saw your car here."


    She timidly stammered. "I just happened to be in the neighborhood."


    Charles stepped towards the woman and embraced her as hard as he could; Lyte returned the


    gesture, only her hug seemed to feel even more aggressive, as though she didn''t want to let go.


    Politely prying himself away from her grip, Charles looked down at her and asked, "How...how are you


    doing, sweetheart?"


    "I''ve been better." She meekly replied.


    With just one nce Charles could tell otherwise, but he also realized that he himself wasn''t too far


    from judgment. A swelling of pity dropped deep down into his gut. For the first time in months he took


    his own anguish and set it aside.


    "How is Isaiah doing?"


    "Uh, he''s fine." She hastily answered. "Look...I need to talk to you."


    The two just stood in the church parking lot gazing at one another in the strangest manner possible. He


    couldn''t speak for Lyte, but Charles was at aplete loss for words on so many levels. He was


    ted to see her, and frightened all at the same time.


    Clearing his sore throat, Charles smiled and said, "Of course you can talk to me. Get in on the other


    side."


    At once, Lyte carried herself over to the passenger side of the car. The second Charles closed his


    door a burst of heat immediately struck him across the face. However, it wasn''t heat from the


    temperature, but rather that of emotion. He hadn''t forgotten what he experienced back inside the


    church, but with Lyte''s sudden appearance from out of nowhere, an outpouring of panic


    overwhelmed him to where his feet began to tremble ever so slightly. There had to be a link, he thought


    to himself.


    The man cut on the ignition and pulled out and onto the road. He made sure to roll down his window


    first before suggesting the same for Lyte.


    The moment she rolled down her window, Charles said, "I''ve been trying so hard to reach you these


    past few months."


    "I know, and I''m sorry." Lyte sighed. "My parents can be overbearing at times."


    "Don''t be sorry, I understand." Charles modestly replied before taking a quick nce at the youngdy.


    "So...how have you been all these months?"


    It took a moment before Lyte finally said, "I''ve been better. Just working and stuff."


    "I bet Isaiah is getting real big by now." Charles smiled from ear to ear. "I sure do miss that little


    scratch."


    "Mr. Mercer, I really do need your help right about now." Lyte desperately looked over at the man.


    Promptly, Charles withdrew his smile and asked, "What''s the matter, child?"


    "It''s...it''s my mother. She''s been acting real strangetely."


    "What''s wrong with her?"


    "I don''t know for sure. She''s just talking really weird and...


    Charles looked over to see Lyte simply trail off and away as though her mind had been transported


    to another.


    "Lynn, what''s wrong?"


    "Huh?" She shook back awake. "I''m sorry, I just got lost for a second."


    Charles drove down the road while trying his best to keep his eyes off of the young woman the best he


    could.


    "I don''t quite know how to tell you this, but...I don''t think I''m the right person to help your mother."


    "Why not," Lyte looked at the man.


    Exhaling, Charles replied, "I haven''t pastored since March, honey. As a matter of fact, I don''t do much


    of anything these days. And as you can see, I''m a little worse for wear."


    The car in which both individuals were inside was quiet for a while. The sound of rushing wind blowing


    by was as loud as being next to an airne''s turbine. Charles tried in earnest to lose himself within the


    noise.


    "Did you hear about the animal attacks these past few days?" Lyte feebly asked.


    "Yeah, I read about it in the newspaper. I''d still like to know after all these months how Isaac was able


    to escape the thing and not all these other people. But I guess¡ª


    "Please...stop talking about him." Lyte began to whimper.


    Charles looked over at the woman with a worried look on his face. "Honey, I didn''t mean to upset you."


    He gently reassured. "All I can say is that...I''m so very, very sorry for what happened. I never got the


    chance to say that to you."


    Bursting out into uncontroble tears, Lyte said, "I don''t have anywhere else to go! I wanna leave


    this city and just run away!"


    Seeing a gas station only a few yards ahead of him, Charles pulled the car inside and parked. He then


    touched Lyte on the shoulder and asked, "What about your parents'' house?"


    Wiping tears away, she answered, "I can''t go back there. I can''t go anywhere!"


    Charles'' entire face began expunging so much sweat at that instant that he had to wipe his eyes every


    two seconds.


    "Are you sure you don''t have anywhere else to go?"


    "No." Lyte wept while shaking her head from side to side.


    Out of weariness and worry, Charles dropped his head for a minute before looking back up again.


    "Then why don''t youe with me for a while, until we both get some things worked out."


    Still wiping her face clean, Lyte looked over at the man and smiled before wrapping her arms


    around his sweaty neck.


    Charles wanted so badly to pull away from her, but her warm arms actually felt so good snaked around


    his skin.

 Chapter 20

    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¡ª


    "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¡ª


    "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.

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21


    2:58 a.m.


    Charles snored away that early morning. The window beside his bed was wide open, allowing in only a


    faint whisper of cool air into the already stuffy apartment.His rest was a stressful one.


    He had to force himself to fall asleep, and hearing Lyte''s crying voice ringing repeatedly back in his


    dreams didn''t help matters at all.Clothed in only a tank top shirt and boxers, the manid t on his


    stomach with his left hand dangling off the bed.


    Underneath the bed, however, there was another appendage, a w that was slowly reaching out from


    under. It crept its way upwards until it touched Charles'' limp hand. The very second it was able to


    connect, the w violently snatched the man off the bed and onto the floor where it then proceeded to


    pull a waking Charles under.


    Charles fought and relented, but the evil force had him to where he could not only free himself, but


    where he couldn''t even yell for help, as another w wrapped itself around the man''s mouth.


    Once Charles waspletely enveloped under the bed, the bed itself wobbled and vibrated for at least


    two whole minutes before spilling Charles'' body back out onto the floor in a bloody mess.


    Charles coughed and gagged against the radiator while crying like a baby. Neighbors banged against


    the wall and hollered for him to "keep quiet," and "shut up," but the man just could not stop sobbing. It


    was as if he had lost any and all control over himself.


    Against the radiator, Charles Mercer could not even pray...he couldn''t even remember a God.


    ***


    The time was still early, but notte. Charles, still adorned in his nighttime wear, slowly walked up the


    staircase until he found himself at a final door.Then, with a lethargic right hand, he twisted the knob and


    simply allowed the door to swing open all by itself.The door led to the balcony of the building.


    With a pair of rubbery legs Charles ventured on across the floor. His eyes were bleary and non-


    coherent. He was still soaked in blood; whether it was his own blood or not didn''t seem to weigh


    heavily upon him. As a matter of fact, not much that morning, or after what had taken ce seemed to


    matter too much to him.It was like he was stuck inside a trance that he couldn''t or didn''t want to wake


    up from. Isaac, Lyte and everyone else were nowhere present inside his mind. All his eyes could


    see in front of him was darkness; everything beyond that was non-existent.


    Once his legs bumped against what felt like a barrier, Charles paused and lifted one leg before raising


    the other. Before long, his body was standing on a ledge. If Charles was aware of such a fact, there


    was a possibility that he wouldn''t possess the will to even care at that point.For endless moments the


    man stood on the ledge with only a gentle breeze swaying hisrge body back and forth.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Once more, no faces or memories crossed his mind at that instant. His movements were simple, yet


    precise. With only a few muscles he moved one leg forward, which in turn caused his entire body to


    drop off both the ledge and building altogether.


    "Good boy." The wicked voice whispered in the night air.

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22


    Topaz Central High


    rence Higgs, school principal, John Hopewell, gym teacher, Joan Roach, tenth grade algebra


    teacher and Catherine Lewis, the twelfth grade health teacher were all gathered inside the teachers''


    lounge on the third floor of the empty school building.Seated on one side of the long table were Higgs


    and Roach, while on the other end sat Hopewell and Lewis.


    With the exception of Higgs, the other three were a collection of lethargic, nk masses of white flesh


    that sat sullenly in their wooden seats much like many of their various students during ss.Mr. Higgs,


    who was ck and older, sat while steadily scribbling away on his notepad, seemingly oblivious to the


    stuffy heat that inhabited the room despite two of the windows being wide open.Hopewell sipped away


    at his thermos while Lewis, who was the youngest of the group, wiped sweat from off her brow and


    fanned herself with a piece of notebook paper. All the while, Roach, the eldest, who was patiently


    waiting for Higgs to finish, conspicuously tapped her fingernails on the table.


    "Okay," Higgs sighed before stopping his writing, "I promised that this wouldn''t take long."


    "I''m awfully d to hear that, because I promised my kids that we would go to Kings Ind once I got


    home." Hopewell sat up and irascibly protested.


    Straightening his sses, Higgs stared at the man for a second before looking all around the table.


    "I apologize for wasting your time, Mr. Hopewell." Higgs kept his piercing eyes on the man. "Perhaps


    you would like to re-convene this meeting once your family outing isplete?" He stated in a dry,


    commanding tone.


    Hopewell just sat back and pressed his lips as to say that the matter was closed, while thedies


    nced at each other in an unttering, hopeless manner.


    "Now, this shouldn''t take any more than fifteen minutes toplete." Higgs said. "We just need to go


    over the new student roster before next month so we can get a clue as to who these new students from


    Eastern High are."


    "Well, we do know that we got some good, strong fes from that schooling over here." Hopewell


    sat up and mentioned. "Have you seen this Jackson kid? The guy is built like a tank. He could be our


    best offensive lineman we''ve had in a long time."


    "Before we move any further, I''d like to take our minutes on the recorder." Higgs said as he pulled out a


    mini tape recorder from his pocket and sat it on the table in front of him.


    "Besides great football yers, I happen to know that Eastern has some very learned geometry


    students." Mrs. Roach spoke up. "That''s something this school could definitely use when ites to


    the ''In The Know'' meets."


    "Okay, okay, just because Eastern is shutting down does not mean we use this to our advantage."


    Higgs stepped in. "These are students, not prospects. Now, we''ve all heard of the disciplinary issues


    that Eastern has been known for these past few years. And considering why that school is shutting


    down to begin with, it shoulde as no surprise to any of us that we may end up with some issues of


    our own."


    "How do you propose we weed out the troublemakers in this vast group?" Mrs. Lewis asked. "I mean,


    let''s face it, it''s not as if we as a faculty get to choose who we do and do not want here."


    "With all due respect, Mr. Higgs, Mrs. Lewis is right." Hopewell interjected. "We''re kind of picking apples


    blindfolded here."


    Higgs took off his sses and sat them down on the table beside the tape recorder before folding his


    hands and saying, "I admit that we do have a few major issues here; one of those issues being ack


    of discipline at Eastern. The other being that we are going to have an overflow of students in this


    already crowded school."


    "That''s what I myself am curious about." Mrs. Roach said. "How is this exactly supposed to work?


    Topaz itself isn''t a very big school to begin with."


    "I understand your concern, Mrs. Roach, but the school board assured us that this transfer would only


    be for a year, no more."


    "That''s what they said three years ago to Southern, and look at the problems they have." Hopewell


    tossed up his hands. "For God''s sake, just this past year alone they had eight kids arrested for smoking


    grass in the bathrooms. If they''re doing that, who knows what else they could be conjuring up for the


    following year?"


    "With all due respect, Mr. Higgs, I honestly don''t think I can handle this." Mrs. Lewis suddenly stood up


    from her seat. "My husband and I are nning on having a baby before this year is up, and I don''t think


    I can handle the stress of more students, especially if those students are doing the things that Mr.


    Hopewell is talking about."


    "Mrs. Lewis, I absolutely understand your concerns. And like I said before, the school board is¡ª


    Right then, a distant explosion of ss stopped Higgs'' speech in mid-sentence. Everyone inside the


    lounge, with the exception of Hopewell, remained perfectly still.


    With lips twisted, Hopewell rolled his eyes, "You see, those hooligans are already starting up their


    shenanigans for the year, and it''s still only July."


    "Maybe Mr. Holt broke something while he was cleaning." Mrs. Lewis sat back down in her chair.


    "We can go and check it outter; right now we need an official count of¡ª


    Yet again, Higgs'' words were interrupted, not by shattering ss, but by a loud roar that sounded like a


    cross between a lotive an enraged lion. There were only four floors in the entire building, and yet,


    the roar managed to echo its way through just about every corridor.


    All four individuals sat absolutely still and quiet in their seats as if they were told to do so. The only


    thing that moved was the drooling sweat that poured viciously down their foreheads.


    With trembling hands, Mrs. Roach''s voice stammered, "Would someone like to tell me just what in the


    world that was?"


    "It was probably just a dog." Hopewell slowly began to get up from his seat.


    "I''ve never heard a dog sound like that before." Mr. Higgs stated as he too got up and walked over to


    the window to look out and down at the parking lot, only to see five vehicles parked.


    "Maybe it''s some kids ying a prank." Mrs. Lewis'' voice cracked.


    "Maybe," Higgs irritably sighed as he made his way over to the door. "I''m gonna go and see if Mr. Holt


    heard anything."


    Once more, the roar that was heard before rang out through the halls. Higgs only stood at the closed


    door with his hand reaching for the knob.


    "Holy Jesus, what is that?" Hopewell yelled before picking up a stool from a nearby corner.


    "Maybe we should call the police." Lewis began to shake.


    Everyone stood still for a few moments before Higgs turned back and said, "I think we should just


    gather our things and head home. It''s probably some kids, but let''s just y it safe."


    At once, thedies gathered their purses while Hopewell sat his stool down and Higgs opened the door.


    Just as soon as all four were out of the room, the roar sounded off again.


    "Oh, dear God, what is that?" Roach shivered behind Higgs.


    "Mr. Holt, are you around?" Higgs shouted as loud as he could.


    "I hate it we have to go all the way downstairs to the front office just to use the phone." Lewis gawked


    and gazed all around the empty hallway.


    "Okay, listen, Mr. Hopewell, you and Mrs. Roach go down that end of the hallway, and Mrs. Lewis and I


    will take the other end." Mr. Higgs suggested in between deep breaths. "We''ll all meet out in the


    parking lot."


    "Yeah, good idea, and then I get to my truck and get my gun." Hopewell snarled before taking off down


    the opposite end with Mrs. Roach in behind him.


    But before anyone could get any further, another roar ripped through the hallways, expect by then, the


    noise sounded as if it were nearby. All four stood still before Hopewell nced back at Higgs in the


    most startled manner.


    "Take the other steps." Higgs desperately whispered to Hopewell.


    At once, both Hopewell and Roach charged straight ahead and towards another set of stairs. Once


    they were out of sight Higgs and Lewis slowly began to back away until they were clear down at the


    other end of the hallway.


    "Do...do you think there''s two of them in here?" Mrs. Lewis stuttered.


    Trying not to allow his voice to falter, Mr. Higgs slowly replied, "We can find that outter. Right now, we


    need¡ª


    First, there was a sound, a sound that came thumping around the stairwell corner. That very sound was


    soon followed by a figure.


    Both Higgs and Lewis were beyond stunned; their individual hearts skipped beatings as they watched


    an enormous, hairy creature stalk its way up the stairs and towards them on all fours.


    Though it was a sunny afternoon, the clouds outside would at times cover the sun, which in turn


    caused the hallways to be engulfed in a momentary shade. That same shade gave both principal


    and teacher the unwanted opportunity to see not only the beast''s size, but also its glowing eyes that


    stared right back at them.


    "What...is that?" Mrs. Lewis grabbed Mr. Higgs'' hand.


    "Don''t worry about that now." Higgs gripped her hand tightly. "Just run and don''t look back."


    At the snap of a finger both of them turned and ripped down the stairs with the beast growling behind


    them. Mrs. Lewis'' crying eyes could hardly see anything in front of her. Both her purse and shoes were


    dropped along the way while Mr. Higgs kept on holding her hand until they reached the second floor.


    "C''mon on this way," Higgs shouted as they took off down another hallway. "We can lose it down these


    steps!"


    As they raced along, the sound of the beast''s roar belted out seemingly in front of them. Higgs and


    Lewis immediately stopped short of the stairwell directly in front of them. Both of their faces were


    sweating so much that they could barely keep the perspiration out of their eyes.


    "Dear God, there''s another one!" Higgs'' throat nearly closed up.


    Spinning around at hearing the other creature, Mrs. Lewis released herself from Higgs'' hand and ran


    towards the very first ssroom to her immediate right, only to discover that the door was locked.


    "What are we gonna do?" She screamed at Higgs.


    No sooner had Mrs. Lewis stopped screaming, the beast that was chasing them down the stairs came


    scampering off the steps and towards them. With her petrified eyes opened wide, Mrs. Lewis twirled


    around and around until she finally went for the stairs behind her, only to trip over the second step and


    tumble down in such an ugly fashion that shended awkwardly on her neck, instantly breaking it.


    Higgs looked down at the dead woman below before he turned back to see the beast galloping on all


    fours towards him, snarling and gnashing its fangs.


    Without even thinking, Higgs ran over to a nearby balcony and jumped over the steel barrier, only to


    crash face first, sixty-two feet down onto the next floor.


    ***


    "Why are all the doors locked?" Mrs. Roach hollered as she and Mr. Hopewell pushed against door


    after door on the first floor of the building.


    Hopewell went from one door to the next in the hopes that escape was imminent, but when even his


    own logic had seemingly eluded him, he stopped fighting and stood still in the middle of the floor next to


    the school''s trophy case.


    "I know I heard Cathy screaming a moment ago!" Mrs. Roach urgently insisted with tearsing down


    her face. "I know I heard her!"


    "Just calm down," Hopewell waved her off.


    "Calm down?" Roach fired back. "There''s a wild animal in this building!"


    "Don''t you think I know that?" He yelled. "I honestly think there are two of these things in here!"


    Hopewell kept on gawking all around until his eyes caught sight of the gymnasium. "C''mon!" He


    screamed before darting off towards the door.


    Mrs. Roach followed Hopewell to the door only to find the door, much like all the others, was locked.


    But Hopewell would be just as defiant as he pushed and pushed against the longtch.


    Another roar from behind made itself known. It was that same roar that caused Hopewell''s already


    racing heart to beat even faster. The man ran over to the other side of the hallway where a fire


    extinguisher was hanging. He grabbed the thing before running back over and using the butt of the


    extinguisher to break the door''s slim ss window.


    Once the ss was broken, he reached his hand inside and lifted thetch from the other end. "Get in


    there!" Hopewell hollered at Roach.


    Both mored inside the gymnasium before Hopewell mmed the door shut behind them. "We can


    just hide in here until the damn thing moves on." He breathed in and out.


    "But how do we know it''ll move on?" Roach panted.


    "Keep your damn voice down." He urged. "It can''t stay cooped up inside this school all day. It''s an


    animal, therefore it has to eat. When it realizes that there''s no food inside this ce, then it''ll go away."


    He studied the gymnasium that he had been ustomed to for seven years. Two basketball hoops on


    opposite ends of the gym; bleachers that were still stretched out, and grey gym mats that were hanging


    on the sides of the walls. There was his long desk that sat directly next to the door.


    "Oh my God," Mrs. Roach squealed all of the sudden.


    Hopewell spun around to see what the woman was rmed by. But it didn''t take too long for the man to


    realize her shock as his eyes connected with a body lying next to the girls'' locker room.


    "Stay here!" Hopewell ordered Roach as he carefully tip-toed over to the body.


    Once the man approached the body, he right away knew who it was. From the blue overalls, all the way


    down to his worn out tennis shoes, it was Mr. Holt, the school''s janitor. From the old, white man''s neck,


    all the way down to his midsection was nothing but torn out intestines and blood. Mr. Hopewell did all


    he could not to vomit all over the floor beneath him.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    "What...do you think that thing did this?" Mrs. Roach approached Hopewell from behind.


    "Of course it did this!" He barked at her.


    "I can''t be here!" She screamed wildly. "How do you think it got in here to begin with?"


    Completely spent and bewildered, Hopewell began wandering around the gymnasium before he heard


    something from within the girls'' locker room snarl and stomp about.


    Hopewell and Roach stood perfectly still on the hardwood floor. Neither of them said a word, they just


    remained motionless as the stomps neared closer and closer before arge, brown-haired animal


    came lurking out of the locker room''s entrance.


    The thing just slowly stalked both man and woman like it knew full well that there was no escape for


    them. Its eyes and slobbering fangs gleaming at Roach and Hopewell as if the feast it enjoyed with Mr.


    Holt hadn''t sufficed it.


    "Dear God...give me strength, please." Mrs. Roach whispered in a drifting stammer right before the


    beast lunged at her.


    All Mr. Hopewell''s body could do was stand and watch as the beast devoured his co-worker like she


    was a mere supper. Bones were crunched on and body parts were taken apart, and yet, the man could


    do nothing but watch in suspended animation. No thoughts whatsoever crossed his mind at that jarring


    moment.


    Soon, his legs and feet began to ever so slowly creep backwards. Hopewell wasn''t so much trying to


    sneak away, but rather, his body had taken on a life all its own. John was entirely too absorbed in the


    image of seeing something that shouldn''t have been real in the first ce lurk before him.


    Soon enough, however, as it appeared as if the beast was nearing the end of its feast, Hopewell felt the


    urge to turn around and run away towards the door only to have his desk that was ced by the door


    move all by itself in front of him blocking his escape route altogether.


    The supernatural urrence should have set the man off even more than he already was, but instead


    of taking the time to be shocked by it, he attempted to move the desk only to see the eyes of the other


    beast from the other side of the broken ss in the door.


    The creature only growled back at him. Hopewell jumped back before copsing to the floor in a painful


    heap. Wallowing about on the floor the man happened to turn around to see the other beast creep at


    him on all of its fours.


    Lying t on his back, John Hopewell could only see his two sons and two daughters waiting for their


    father toe home. The jolting sight of blood-stained fangs staring straight at him bore little effect...all


    that was left was his children.

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23


    Saint Joseph''s Women''s Shelter


    It wasn''t a particrly big building, but it was sizeable enough to temporarily house 76 women and


    children. But it just had to be on such an evening, an evening where the temperatures were into the


    eighties past 9 p.m. , that the beloved air-conditioner would end up going on the fritz.


    All around inside therge room where everyone was gathered were twin sized beds where mothers,


    ck, white and Hispanic, were all fanning themselves while either trying to keep control of their


    wandering children or watching one of the two televisions that was ying. The smell of the room


    consisted of underarm odor and soiled diapers. It was stuffy and humid, and the shrill noises of little


    ones crying and whining only made the already miserable situation all the more excruciating.


    Clear in the back of the room, next to the kitchen, was one older, ckdy, Audra, one younger, white


    woman, Meredith and an old, ck man, Clyde. All three were huddled at the fuse box. Both Audra and


    Meredith were gawking at the various switches, while Clyde, with his shlight, kept flicking switches


    from left to right in an attempt to revive the ill-fated cooling system.


    "Maybe there''s something downstairs that blew out." Audra suggested while taking nces back and


    forth from the fuse box to the increasingly impatient crowd in the other room.


    "I don''t think messing with those fuses is gonna help much of anything." Meredith moaned.


    Without giving her so much as an eyeball, Clyde continued doing what he was doing while irritably


    saying, "Woman, I served in Iwo Jima for two years! I can handle this!"


    Audra and Meredith just gave each other the most nonchnt stares as if to say the old man were


    more off his rocker than first believed.


    "You were a cook in Iwo Jima, Clyde." Audra twisted her lips.


    "I still served!" Clyde fired back before pulling away from the fuse box. "I''m going downstairs to see


    something!"


    Audra and Meredith just sniggered as Clyde turned and stormed away down into the cer. "Is it me or


    does he get more cantankerous with every passing day?" Meredithughed out loud.


    "Child, that man was born that way." Audraughed back as she began for the living area with Meredith


    following in behind.


    Both women stood at the threshold and observed with concerned eyes the gathered humanity that


    seemed to be on the brink of melting down at a moment''s notice. All Audra could do was shake her


    head in dismay while fanning her face.


    "And all that mayor of ours wants to do is build a subway." She griped.


    "Today it''s a subway system, tomorrow it''ll be football stadium." Meredith glumly stated.


    Audra continued to eye the masses before she patted Meredith on the shoulder and said, "Why don''t


    we try our best to calm these folks down before someone attacks someone else?"


    "You think we should get more milk from downstairs?" Meredith asked.


    "No, let''s save that forter." Audra sighed. "Lord knows we need to ration what we still have left."


    Audra then reached over to the wall where a tablet was hanging by a single nail. She took the tablet


    and began reading off names that were listed from top to bottom on the page. "I think we''ll skip roll call


    for tonight." She studied the page. "But I am curious about a couple of people that signed out early


    though."


    "Who are they?"Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    "Umm...Florence Gates and her three kids. She signed out about eight this morning, and she knows


    good and well that those doors are locked by eight p.m."


    "I remember her saying that her mother may have an extra room for her and the kids. I''m not too sure


    though." Meredith pondered.


    "Okay, but then there''s Lyte Glover. She signed out yesterday evening."


    "I know, but she was in such a rush to get out of here that she didn''t even bother to tell me when she


    was or if she was evening back."


    Audra pressed her lips in a dismal fashion. "Hmm, that poor little thing, she doesn''t need a shelter, she


    needs rehab."


    "She sure looked like she did." Meredith added before going out into the crowd.


    Audra studied the tablet a bit longer before cing it back onto the wall and taking a long gander at the


    weary multitude, from women fanning themselves and their children, to little ones running in reckless


    abandon like they were outside.


    There was a side of Audra that felt sympathy for the ones gathered inside the crumbling building. The


    fact that their lives were so disheveled that being inside an overcrowded shelter was to be their final


    resort caused Audra to feel even more remorse for them, and less for herself. Losing just one individual


    was a tragedy.


    From one end of the room to the other her eyes scanned before she caught sight of a little ck girl


    being knocked to the floor by two little ck boys. Immediately, Audra skated over to the crying child


    and helped her up from off the floor.


    "There, there now." Audra soothed the girl. "Let me see if you''re hurt."


    "It was those heathen brothers of hers that knocked her down!" A plump, ckdy fumed from behind


    Audra.


    Carefully scooting the girl back over to the bed where her mother was seated, Audra examined the


    child''s body from top to bottom.


    "Did you hurt yourself, honey?" Audra asked.


    "I banged my knee." The girl sniffed.


    "I told those fools to stop all that runnin'' around!" The mother continued to rant.


    Smiling, Audra said, "Oh well, these youngens don''t know what else to do." She then reached into her


    apron''s pouch and pulled out a Band-Aid. "I carry these around everywhere I go." Audramented.


    "Theye in real handy in these situations." Gently, Audra ced the bandage on the girl''s knee.


    She then happened to nce at one of the two televisions that were ying in the area. The one set


    that was nearest to them was running ''Good Times''. Audra just giggled, "Lord, I stopped watching that


    once they got rid of James."


    Snickering right back, the mother replied, "Shoot, I thought he really was dead until I saw him on


    ''Roots'' some months ago."


    "It''s just not the same show without him." Audra protested. "It''s too bad we only have four, six and ten


    on these TV''s."


    "I know, girl, I hate it when they rece characters like that. They did the same with ''Sanford and Son''


    when Fred left."


    The twodies continued on and on before Audra extended her hand and stated, "My name is Audra


    Watson. When I''m not here, I volunteer down at St. Phillips Hospital."


    "My name is Jo-Ann, and this my youngest, Andinika. Her brothers are runnin'' around here


    somewhere, the little bad-asses."


    Audra just grinned and said, "I''m sorry for not having any air in here. The city keeps promising to give


    us a new air-conditioner, but that promise was madest summer."


    "Girl, it was the city that had us evicted from our apartment all because they wanted to tear down our


    building."


    "That''s awful." Audramented.


    Stroking Andinika''s braided hair, Jo-Ann said, "Yep, they gave us one week to move out. And here we


    are. President Carter can tell everyone to conserve energy, but he can''t save folks'' homes."


    Looking around, Audra sighed, "I know what you mean, but it''s all we have for now."


    cing her hand upon Audra''s, Jo-Annpassionately responded, "Girl, if all me and my kids have


    to worry about is a broken air-conditioner, then we''ve been truly blessed." Jo-Ann then began to


    unravel andb Andinika''s hair while the television went to a newsbreakmercial. Staring up at


    the TV, Jo-Ann asked Audra, "Did you hear about those folks that were killed in that school yesterday?"


    Audra turned around and watched remorsefully as the newscaster reported on the murders. "It just


    seems that this poor city keeps getting worse and worse by the day." She groaned.


    "What do you think could have done that?" Jo-Ann frowned.


    "I can''t imagine that those people were running away from or were killed by a pack of dogs." Audra


    thoughtfully stated.


    "Uh, uh, girl, something else got in that school and did that. It just seems like this city ising to an


    end. Something very ugly got those people."


    "Mama, can dogs kill people?" Andinika turned and asked.


    Grinning and rolling her eyes, Jo-Ann said, "Only the bad ones, child."


    All of the sudden, the electricity in the entire building went out simultaneously; sending a chorus of


    moans and cries throughout.


    "I bet that fool Clyde ended up cutting some wires that didn''t even need to be cut in the first ce."


    Audra anxiouslyined. "That''s all we need right now."


    "I know, my kids are scared to death of the dark." Jo-Ann said as she held Andinika close to her chest.


    "Let me go next door and see if I can call the powerpany." Audra suggested as she began to get


    up from off the bed.


    "Look, mama, there''s the devil." Andinika''s little finger pointed behind Audra at a woman who was


    seated in a corner with two, bright, glowing eyes pointed right back at them in the darkness of the


    shelter.

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24


    Assembled Downtown that following morning was a modest gathering of city officials and Cypress


    residents. Though not required to do so, the onlookers stood in the baking sun awaiting words from the


    podium ahead of them from their city''s leaders.


    Through the throngs of humanity came Akoni on a wooden crutch appearing as if she were as crippled


    and broken down as an old woman just released from the hospital. Her tattered blue jean bell bottoms


    and white tank top shirt reeked of must and mildew, while her unkempt, rust brown hair sprung out from


    just about every direction. Her swollen facial features gave her the appearance of a person who was


    suffering from an illness, while the rest of her body remained perfectly thin, fit and tall.


    Her nostrils kept ring in and out as she passed by each and every person on her way towards the


    front of the crowd. The ring scent of hot, sweaty flesh was always a sweet aroma to Akoni, much like


    blood to a mosquito. The woman just couldn''t help but to sniff each individual, young and old. The


    overwhelming sensation was slowly causing her fangs to extend.


    Unexpectedly the woman stopped short of the marker where police were standing before she caught


    herself and covered her mouth with her free hand in order to suppress her burgeoning desire.


    Approaching the podium was Lieutenant Mayor Colleen Henderson, as well as a host of other city


    officials, including Leonard Fulton. Colleen stood in front of the microphone before checking to make


    sure the thing was on.


    "Good morning, people of Cypress!" She said out loud. "I am here on behalf of Mayor Finy, due to


    the deaths of his sons, to inform the citizens of this city of a very pertinent issue that is currently


    guing our very town! Over the course of the past few days, a very toxic situation has emerged!


    These animal attacks have not only taken this city under siege, they have also brought understandable


    fear and panic to our town! But I am here to inform you that our police force has everything under


    control!"


    At once, the crowd began to murmur and holler at Henderson in an obscene manner. Colleen gathered


    herself and said, "Please, I realize that these attacks are frightening, but hysteria and vigntism is not


    the way to go about this situation! Self-imposed, trigger happy hunters are not the answer!"


    "What is the answer then?" A male voice shouted from the crowd.


    "The answer is calm and allowing our police force to handle this situation the best they know how! The


    attacks at Topaz and the women''s shelter yesterday were very tragic, but this is not New York City, this


    is Cypress, Ohio, and we shall ovee this, too! Anarchy and chaos are not this city''s ways! Law,


    order and civility are what make each Cypress citizen triumphant! Please, I urge you to obey the


    mandatory curfew, and by all means do not, I repeat, do not take thew into your own hands! Our


    city''s police force can and will handle this matter to the utmost degree! Thank you all!"


    Still, the masses would not be silenced, they continued to rant and groan which in turn only caused


    Colleen to spin around and study each and every member of her cab in dismay.


    Leaning hard on her crutch, Akoni stubbornly made her way up the podium steps until she was within


    earshot of Colleen.


    "Captain, please tell me that your people have something on this fucking thing." Colleen stood beside


    Captain Brickman.


    Brickman only scratched at his mustache before saying, "Mrs. Henderson, we''re doing everything we


    can to hunt these things down."


    "Things," Leonard nearly chocked. "You never mentioned that there was more than one of these


    animals! What are these people supposed to think now?"


    Captain Brickman only gave the man a sharp nce before focusing solely upon Mrs. Henderson.


    "Ma''am, we didn''t inform everyone that there was more than one of these things for fear that it may


    cause an even bigger uproar."


    "You gotta be kidding me!" Leonard loudly protested.


    "That''ll do, Mr. Fulton." Colleen rebuked. "Captain, I don''t care if there is a whole pack of these things


    running around. You saw what it didst night at that shelter." She stared hard into Brickman''s fidgety,


    blue eyes. "I don''t need to stand here and tell you the price we had to pay." Her voice began to break in


    mid-sentence. "I think I can speak for us all when I say we could care less what the Mayor has to say. I


    and every citizen is saying find these things and fucking kill them. I don''t care if you have to chop them


    up and throw them back to hell; you do what you have to do. Whatever you need from us, just ask. But


    find them and destroy them. Or do I have to stand here and remind you of the death toll fromst


    night?"


    Brickman swallowed heavy and replied, "No, ma''am...you do not."


    As Colleen began to turn she was instantly taken off guard by Akoni who just happened to be standing


    right behind her the entire time.


    "Oh...I beg your pardon, youngdy." Colleen jolted backwards. "How can I help you?"


    Akoni only leaned against her crutch while examining the woman up and down with a smirking


    curiosity.


    "I am d to see you in de light dis time." She uttered with a childlike expression.


    Colleen just nced over at Leonard for a brief second before looking back at Akoni and saying,


    "Uh...are you ill?"


    Still smiling, Akoni only turned and hobbled back down the steps that led to the crowd. As she fought


    her way past the humans amongst her, a sudden whiff nearly took her very breath away at that


    moment. It was somewhat familiar, and yet so very pungent.


    The woman gawked from one patch of people to another before she found herself spinning around like


    a top. After so much searching and sniffing, her senses eventually locked eyes with a face that was


    standing only ten feet ahead of her. One person after another sifted out of the way before Akoni''s eyes


    finally met with Cloyse''s.


    The woman stood absolutely still. For a few moments she actually forgot she needed a crutch. Her


    entire body, from head to toe, became as stiff as iron the longer she stared at the young man.


    As Cloyse began making his way past one person beyond another Akoni couldn''t help but to grip her


    crutch even tighter. The way her aching body felt right then only reminded her that abat situation


    would have been ill-advised.


    "You are actually here." Akoni said in an awed stammer.


    "It was not very hard to locate you." Cloyse responded in a quiet, stern demeanor.


    Akoni kept eyeing the man from the bottom up. "I see you have cut your hair. Did de old man do dat for


    you?"


    Cloyse only remained stalwart against the unraveling crowd amongst him. "My sister¡ª


    "Your sister was and is de least of your problems." Akoni straight out stated. "Look around you. Dese


    people are so ripe. It makes my heart leap for joy."


    "I do not care about dese people. But I do see someting." Cloyse suddenly cocked his head. "Where is


    Damerae?"


    "You are de one wit de second vision. Dat answer shoulde very easily to you, just as de answer as


    to what happened to your beloved sibling."


    Cloyse then clutched his fists. "How long do you and Arthur tink you can keep this going?"


    Akoniughed out loud, "We have gone unchallenged for years! All but two are gone, and dere lives


    not even God will have a say in. Dis is not up for debate, Cloyse."


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Cloyse inspected Akoni for what seemed like minutes before he asked, "How long have you been using


    dat stick to walk about? How long do you believe you and Arthur can remain like dis?"


    With those scathing words Akoni''s light-hearted character gradually began to sink. A contemptible


    grimace made its way upon her dark face.


    Just then, Cloyse began to advance towards her. Akoni backed up, only to spot a male police officer


    strolling nearby, trying to help disperse the crowd.


    Immediately, the woman pasted a sorrowful frown on her face before grabbing at the officer and


    pointing, "Constable, dat man is threatening me. I am only a weak woman as you can see."


    Instantly, Cloyse stopped moving and began eyeing the masses around him. The officer, tugging at his


    baton, approached Cloyse inquiring, "What''s going here?"


    "He is my boyfriend, constable." Akoni pitifully stammered. "He followed me all de way from Jamaica


    just to finish me off."


    The officer looked the young man up and down. "Let me see some I.D., sir." He forcefullymanded.


    Cloyse''s eyes continued to scan the crowd before he turned and took off in the opposite direction with


    the officer chasing after him. Before long, both men werepletely engulfed in the masses until they


    eventually vanished.


    Akoni, still leaning on her crutch, paused and pondered on the blistering situation that fell upon her so


    abruptly as people milled about her like she weren''t even there at all. Soon, the same people that she


    felt such a ravenous hunger for were eerily caving in on her like tall buildingsing down.


    "Ma''am, are you alright?" Another male officer came up behind her.


    Akoni only looked up at the man before opening her mouth and shining her fangs. Once she was


    through, she hobbled her way back into the gathering from which she emerged earlier that


    morning.

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25


    With rolled up sleeves and a shirt that was halfway unbuttoned due to the exhausting heat inside the


    police station, David, with a man folder in one hand, came out of his office with a tenacious, almost


    hateful expression on his face. To others, it appeared as if he waspletely enraged, but on the


    inside, David was a washout of emotion.


    Outside his office were officers rushing about like busy bees in a hive. Phones were alive with such


    vibrant energy that one who wasn''t in the know would have thought an international attack had just


    taken ce.


    In David''s eyes it was all a blusterymotion that he was more than ustomed to being from


    Chicago; but there was something else that was digging deep into his inner being. Just the simple


    feeling of the work ce that morning seemed to copse upon him. It was oppressive and downright


    stifling to where just simply standing in ce seemedborious.


    Before he could even take one step to the left, David spotted Officer Fitzpatrick carrying a brown box to


    his desk. Ever so curious, David made it a point to recklessly bypass everyone else just to reach n


    who was steadily packing his belongings into his box.


    "Good morning, Officer." David presented himself from behind.


    Startled, n spun around. With a miniature American g in his right hand, the man said, "Oh, I didn''t


    see you standing there."


    "I didn''t mean to surprise you." David said while observing n packing all sorts of belongings into the


    box, from pictures of his family, to an autographed baseball.


    n was wearing a id, button down shirt and polyester pants, while on top of his head was a


    Cincinnati Reds ball cap. David wasn''t dull, he could very well tell just what was happening.


    "Crazy morning, huh," n asked while carelessly stuffing more and more items into his box.


    David watched before saying, "So tell me, how did the captain take your sudden departure?"


    n suddenly stopped what he was doing before he turned around and sighed, "I told Brickman that I


    was getting sick and tired of this job, but apparently the old man didn''t believe me. Sometimes you


    have to show a person just how serious you are."


    "I was just wondering if you''re departure would have anything to do with what took ce yesterday."


    n stood and looked at David for a second or two. "Look, life is just too short for this."


    "I watched the press conference this morning on TV." David mentioned. "It sounds like we may have a


    pretty serious problem on our hands."


    Sniggering, n replied, "Problem? That broad of a lieutenant Mayor understated one helluva fact if


    you ask me."


    "Don''t you think that''s a bit too harsh?"


    "Are you kidding? This whole town is...I gotta go." n hastily remarked before picking up his box and


    rushing away.


    David made sure to follow the man off the floor and down the stairs. "I read the file on your partner,


    Linus Bruin!" David shouted.


    Instantly, n stopped trotting down the steps. His face was turned in the opposite direction while he


    leaned against the stairs'' railing


    "There''s a lot more to this than what I read, isn''t there, Officer?"


    n slowly turned his head. "You don''t give up, do you?"


    Cracking a salty grin, David said, "Not when there''s a story that hasn''t been told all the way."


    One officer after another passed the two men in the stairwell before n eventually cocked his head


    downwards indicating that he wanted David to follow him.


    They both carried on until they made it to the stuffy parking garage. David kept a close pace right


    behind n who was skulking about as though he were expecting someone or something to jump out


    from the parked vehicles at any moment.


    Waving his hand in front of his face, David exhaled, "Is it always this miserable down here?"


    Stopping beside a light blue and white Volkswagen van, n ced his box down onto the ground and


    rushed to say, "Only when someone is ying ''Deepthroat''." He bobbed his head up and down and all


    around before looking back at David and uttering quietly, "Look, there''s only two reasons as to why I''m


    even talking to you. Number one, it''s myst day. And two, I''d rather not have my best friend''s good


    name dragged through the mud like it has been these past few months.


    "Skimming through his folder, David eximed, "I can understand that, but what took ce back in


    February could possibly have implications as to what may be happening here today."


    n peeked over David''s shoulder. "There''s a very good reason that I''m packing both myself and my


    family and leaving this city. Something is happening, and you''re right, it could have something to do


    with what happened months ago."


    "It says on page twenty-two something about you leaving your piece inside one of the squad cars."


    David eluded. "Did you leave it inside the car so Bruin could use it that night?"


    Rolling his eyes, n flippantly replied, "I had a bad habit of forgetting to log in my piece at the end of


    my shift. Sue me." He shrugged. "But that night...I was in such a rush to get home, it justpletely


    skipped my mind."


    "But Bruin did use your gun to kill this Isaac Mercer, did he not?"


    "Yeah, he did." nmented. "But something else is erroneous in all this."


    "How so," David squared his eyes.n dropped his head for a moment before ncing at David.


    "Linus was a damn good cop. Yeah, he went to a looney bin for a few months, but that was a totally


    unrted event. The day after he took out Mercer, he just walked out of the interrogation room and


    came down here to his car. When I got down here he was holding his gun and crying."


    "He was that shaken up?"


    "No, no." n shook his head. "Linus had to take a life back in ''72. Sure, we all go through the motions


    whenever we''re forced to take someone out. But when I pulled him out of that car that morning...there


    was something different inside that man''s eyes that I had never seen before. And I''ll be damned if I


    didn''t see the same look on Gloria Cohen''s face that day we found her down in that basement."


    "I''d love to know more about that whole Cummins'' incident."


    "Forget Cummins. He was just a nobodypared to Mercer."


    "How do you mean?"


    n looked around the garage and said, "Linus and I went to see Mercer the night before everything


    went down. The kid didn''t look right. Linus mentioned something about Gloria being more afraid of


    Mercer than she was of Cummins."


    "Is it possible that Mercer could have been an aplice along with Cummins?"


    Biting his lip, n answered, "I highly doubt it. There''s no evidence that would point to collusion. But I


    do know for a fact that Linus saw something inside that house that night he killed Mercer. We all saw


    his fianc¨¦e, and even she was all screwed up after that, both physically and emotionally. Linus never,


    ever mentioned to anyone what he saw, but for the love of God, I just can''t imagine taking my own life


    over it."


    David''s legs were bing unsteady at that point. He wanted to keep n speaking for as long as he


    could, even if it meant inconveniencing the man beyond his threshold of tolerance.


    "Does anyone know where this fianc¨¦e is?" David queried.


    "Only God knows, but I can''t stick around here anymore."


    "Hold on, what do you mean?" David held out his hand. "You''re up and leaving right in the middle of a


    city-wide siege."


    "Siege," n''s eyes popped wide open. "Are you kidding me? I thought I saw everything months ago


    when they carried those Sanders'' girls out of that house, but this is something unbelievable!"


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    David remained still while studying n''s wild eyes that wouldn''t cease from jittering from side to side.


    "There''s something else you''re not telling me, Officer."


    n mmed his back into his van. "I''m sick and tired of seeing dead kids!" He hollered. "Last


    night...that''s all I saw. I got five kids of my own. How do I as a father exin all this to them? My wife''s


    niece, or I should say, our niece, Meredith, she was killedst night, too. She was such a good kid. All


    she ever wanted to do was help people. And this is what she gets for it?" He began to weep.


    David crossed his arms and scraped the cement floor with his shoe before saying, "Thank God not


    everyonest night was murdered."


    "Sure, but Meredith was torn to bits and pieces!" n iled his arms all around. "Where is thising


    from all of the sudden? This city didn''t have any of this beforest Thanksgiving. One moment you''re


    tracking down a kidnapper, rapist and murderer, the next you''re chasing after some Godforsaken


    animal! And all anyone can tell you about it is that it''s big and hairy! That sure narrows it down!"


    David wanted to say something to the man that would possibly console him, but it wasn''t his ce to


    do so. Rather, he just stared at n''s sentiment like it had been the first time he had ever witnessed a


    man trying to conceal his tears.


    "You know, I never bought into the whole notion of evil before. But when I saw Gloria and Linus''


    faces...that all changed." n wiped his eyes. "What Linus saw in that house that night stuck with him


    till the day he died. We all did all we could as both colleagues and friends to keep him around...but he


    just couldn''t beforted. Now what makes you think I want to stick around and allow myself to go up


    the wall like he did?"


    Stepping forward to n, David adamantly exined, "Look, all I know is that ever since I''ve been here


    in this town I''ve arrived at the scene of madness. And no one seems to be able to give me any kind of


    rational answers."


    "That''s because there are no rational answers!" n banged his fist against the van. "Haven''t you


    heard a word I said?" He then pped his hands in David''s face. "I''m leaving because I don''t want


    myself or my family to be dead in the next few days! I''m taking us all as far away from this city as


    possible. All I want to do is watch the Reds y, drink a beer and be left alone. If this animal wants this


    city, it can have it."


    From there, n picked up his box and opened the driver''s side door. David impatiently watched as the


    man hopped inside, mmed the door and cut on the vehicle.


    "I need more than that, Mr. Fitzpatrick!" He urgently insisted.


    Before putting the van in gear, n looked over. "There are two things that I''m going to tell you. One of


    the two you''ll carry with you for the rest of your life."


    "I''m listening."


    "The other day when you and Brice were having your little pow-wow, did he happen to mention


    anything about a recording?"


    Shaking his head, David replied, "No...no, it doesn''t ring a bell."


    "One of the many sick things that Cummins would do before killing his victims was record himself


    raping them. The night he was ughtered, he left his tape recorder on. The recorder happened to


    catch the beast itself killing him. That same recording is in the archive room."


    "There''s a recording of the thing?" David appeared stunned.


    Nodding his head, n said, "That''s right. Captain Brickman said that it sounded like it was from the


    mouth of hell. And believe me, he was right."


    "Are you telling me that this recording could possibly be the key to finding this thing?"


    n put the van in gear and began rolling backwards, but not before he turned to David and said out


    loud, "Linus Bruin was a good man! And I know for a fact that he didn''t kill any man that night!"


    Suddenly, David''s legs became antsy. He didn''t even stand long enough to watch n pull out of his


    space before he turned and raced back towards the stairwell.


    As he rampaged his way up David bumped into two officers who were walking the same stairs.


    "Looking for the archive room," David panted.


    "It''s on the sixth floor." One of the officers pointed upwards.


    Without as much as a "thank you" David ascended the stairwell with the vigor of a twelve year old on


    steroids until atst he reached the desired floor.


    Sweating and out of breath, David traveled down the hallway until he saw the words Archive Room


    painted on the wall beside him with an arrow pointing straight ahead. He followed the arrow until he


    reached a door.


    David stepped right in to find a quiet,pacted room full of seven tall shelves that were all stacked


    against one another so tightly that scooting across each row required a person to be paper thin in


    width.


    Cataloged on each shelf were twelve inch sized, clunky audiotapesbeled in alphabetical order. Some


    were recordings of trial proceedings, while others were of interrogations. David sifted through until he


    came across the C section.


    The man''s eyes cycled through each and every tape until he found exactly what he had hoped to find.


    The very instant his eyes connected with Cummins, David hurriedly ripped the tape from out of its slot.


    "Hello?" A female voice called out from around the corner.


    Taken by surprise, David dropped the tape to the floor. He bent over to pick it up. The moment he


    raised back up he saw Officer Shirley Donaldson standing there right in front of him with an rmed,


    yet amused look on her chubby face.


    "Oh my," sheughed. "I knew I heard someone walk in here, but I wasn''t quite sure."


    "Sorry about that." David huffed. "I was just looking for something."


    Extending her hand, Shirley said, "You must be the new inspector."


    Wearing an impatient smile, David shook her hand. "That''s me. David Ortega."


    "Everyone said that you''ve been buzzing about the department for the past week or so. I''m d to


    finally meet you."


    David could sense just by her lighthearted, homely demeanor that she was possibly the one and only


    coherent human being that he had encountered since being at the Cypress police department.


    "I, uh, I just came by to grab this here tape." David held the object up for her to see.


    Shirley eyeballed thebeling on the tape before looking back at David in a strange manner and


    saying, "Oh...that one."


    Sighing, David replied, "Don''t tell me that you have a story to tell on this one, too."


    Shirley''s eyes took a more doleful turn before she said, "I was there that morning we found that


    recording."


    David''s stomach plunged at that second. "Oh really," he lit up. "Tell me, what was it like? Because to be


    perfectly honest with you, all I can get from some of the others here is just a lot of back and forth


    riddles."


    Shaking her head from side to side, Shirley said, "It was a very sad day. That''s exactly why I chose to


    be transferred here to Archives rather than go through any of that again."


    "Do you have any clue as to what this thing is that''s killing everyone?"


    Blushing, Shirley responded, "I don''t even like thinking about the thing. Just knowing that it could


    possibly be here in this city makes my skin crawl."


    "But you saw what it did to that Cummins man, right?"


    "Thankfully I only saw the coroners carry what was left of him out inside a stic bag. It wasn''t so


    much that sight that made me want to transfer, as it was seeing poor Gloria Cohen."


    "Has anyone heard from her since that incident? The reason I ask is because it''s a possibility that she


    could have seen the thing, and that she could I.D. it so we could have a pinpoint description of it."


    "We all lost track of her, I''m afraid." Shirley''s face began to sulk. "I just remember the way she looked


    that morning in that basement. I don''t ever recall seeing such...fear in a person''s face before."


    David examined the woman before him who seemed like she was drifting far away from him in spirit.


    Something inside of him wanted to continue to press her for even more inquires, but he held himself


    back simply by reminding himself of what he was holding in his hand.


    "Look, I don''t want to hold you up any longer." David said. "I really need to check this out."


    "Oh no, that''s fine." Shirley immediately perked right back up. "You know there was another recording,


    don''t you?"


    David nearly dropped the tape to the floor all over again. "You don''t say."


    "Yep, the guys found it at the school the other day." Shirley said. "I guess the teachers that were there


    just happened to be taping themselves right before the animal attacked them."


    "Where''s this tape now, Shirley?"


    Shrugging her shoulders, Shirley humbly answered, "Like a lot of things in life, it up and vanished."


    "Vanished, you say?" David raised an eyebrow.


    Whimsically rolling her eyes, Shirley said, "Yep...vanished into thin air. That''s what usually happens to


    evidence around here sometimes."


    Cracking a grin, David replied, "Believe me,ing from where I''m from, I''m all too familiar with the


    subject." David then turned and began for the door. "Well, Officer, thank you for your help."


    Following the man, Shirley happily said, "It''s no problem at all. Anytime you need toe back here I''ll


    be sitting over there at my desk."


    Looking all around at the various shelves, David marveled, "Yeah, a person could spend all day and


    night in here. It''s like a history booke to life almost."


    "Just one thing, Mr. Ortega," Shirley stopped walking.


    David, too, stopped before turning around and facing the woman.


    "Anytime you need anything in this room, I''d advise you to retrieve it before the sun goes down for the


    evening."


    David stared at thedy whose once pleasant deportment had within the span of three seconds


    morphed into a deadpan, worried ze.


    "And why is that, Officer?" David ced his hands on his hips.


    "Well, over the past few months, some of the others that have been in here after dark have


    experienced certain things."


    "Things like what?"


    "Like hearing voices, only to discover there was no one else in here besides them."


    David just chuckled, "Great, not only does Cypress have wild animals running rampant in the streets,


    now this city is haunted."


    Smiling herself, Shirley tossed up her hands, "I can''t exin it, but all I know is that I make sure to


    scoot out of here before sunset every evening. One officer even said that he saw a pair of glowing eyes


    right over there in that corner." She pointed next to the door.


    David only shook his head in disbelief before saying, "Officer, we''re gonna get to the bottom of this


    whole mess before we all lose our minds."


    "I sure hope so, because I''m getting far too old to be so scared anymore." Shirleyughed.


    "You have a good day." David said as he walked out the door.


    "You do the same, and it was great meeting you!"


    As David shut the door behind him all the man could do was just stand in ce and wonder to himself.


    Within his right hand he had something that his ears wanted to hear more than anything else in the


    world, and yet, speaking to both Fitzpatrick and Donaldson in such rapid session only made his


    head spin.


    David looked back at the door behind him only to hear a loud thude from the other side. The


    sudden noise caused the man to jump back a bit. It could have been anything, he hoped.

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26


    David sat in his recliner within the dimly lit living room of his three bedroom apartment, intently listening


    to, with his Pioneer headphones attached to his ears, the vaunted recording of an animal destroying a


    human being with such ferocity that it made David''s body squirm.


    Despite being seatedfortably, David was far from rxed. The man had listened to the tape well


    over twenty times since he got home that evening, and not one time did he ever feel the urge to want to


    separate himself from its unrelenting hold.


    David recalled what n mentioned about it sounding like it was from hell. And as hard as he tried to,


    David could not put a finger on what sort of creature it was that he could have been hearing. Every time


    he rewound the tape he expected to notice a different sound, but instead he got only the same thing


    over and over.


    He wanted to give up and toss it all to the wind, but something malignant not only in the recording but


    in the urrences over the past few days kept him relentlessly on the edge of his seat.Every animal


    attack seemed to possess one simr trait, the utter destruction of property.


    He viewed photos of Leroy Cummins'' house, the incident at the roller rink and the shelter, and they all


    wore the same demolished mask. David wasn''t a na?ve man, he knew full well that no ordinary animal


    could possess such great power to knock down solid brick walls, and yet there he was constantly


    rewinding the same tape in order to gain a visual of the beast that was ying tricks with his head.


    Soon, the very room he was sitting in became non-existent the more and harder he pressed the rewind


    button on the tape recorder.


    "I said, it''s time for supper!" David''s wife nudged him on the shoulder.


    David could have jumped to the ceiling from sheer shock at that moment before he spun around to see


    the woman standing above him.The man identally dropped the tape recorder to the floor as he took


    off his headphones.


    "I...I was listening to this thing on here." He caught his breath.


    Appearingpletely lost, David''s wife asked, "What thing are you talking about?"


    David picked the recorder up from off the floor and sat it back on the table beside him. He then handed


    his wife the headphones. The woman wiped her hands clean on the rag that she had in her hands


    before she ced the headphones on her ears.


    "Okay, now listen to this." David hastily pressed the y button.


    He watched as his wife turned up her nose at the sound of the beast in the recording. He waited with


    bated anticipation for her to open her mouth and say something.His wife ripped the headphones from


    off her ears before handing them back to David in disgust.


    "What was that supposed to be?" She griped with a frown.


    "It''s a recording of the animal that killed this rapist and murderer a few months ago." David panted. "I


    have reason to believe that this may be the same thing that''s going around on this killing spree now."


    Standing over him while shaking her head in dismay, David''s wife said, "You never change, do you?"


    Looking up at the woman, David shrugged his shoulders, "What do you mean?"


    "Just like back in Chicago, you still bring your work home."


    "Esmeralda, this isn''t just work, this thing is running around the city eating people!" David beseeched.


    Esmeralda snatched both the tape recorder and headphones away from him before cing them on


    the table beside David. She then grabbed his arm and proceeded to hoist the man up from out of his


    chair.


    "C''mon, it''s supper time. I''m not gonna let you drown yourself in work like you did back there."


    Esmeralda adamantly stated.


    Clutching his sore legs, David capitted, "Okay, okay, I''ll take the tape back tomorrow."


    Esmeralda paused to see why David was holding his legs. "What''s the matter? She stared on.


    "I forgot how old I was today while I was running up the stairs." David humbly responded. "Now I''m


    paying for it."


    Esmeralda only twisted her lips before taking her dishrag and pping David across the chest with it.


    "Old fifty-six year old men don''t run up stairs."


    David only popped Esmeralda on the backside before he cut off the light in the living room and followed


    in behind his wife into the kitchen where a young woman and a toddler were already seated at the


    small kitchen table where dinner was being served.


    David rolled up his sleeves and nced at the miniature television set that was seated on the kitchen


    counter that was ying ''Chico & The Man''. From the onset the tiny family spoke Spanish back and


    forth to one another while Esmeralda served everyone tes full of sliced chicken breasts, rice and


    peas before she sat down next to David at the table.The banter carried on for at least ten minutes.


    David spoke to his daughter while the young woman fed her son a fork full of rice that he dly took


    and swallowed.


    "Papi, when are you gonna get that other TV fixed?" His daughter practically whined. "I''m tired of


    watching shows on that tiny, old thing."


    "When I get my first paycheck, that''s when," David replied while eating away at a piece of chicken.


    "And speaking of paychecks, when do you n on looking for a job, youngdy? We''ve been in


    Cypress now for nearly five weeks and you still haven''t even gone out looking."


    "Papi, I told you, I''m waiting for Carlos to give me money."


    "Rosa, Carlos is a bumb!" Her mother mmed her hand on the table. "I''m d we left Chicago just so


    we could get away from him."


    "Mama, don''t call him that."


    "Don''t argue with your mother." David interjected himself. "We''re both sick and tired of you making


    excuses for the likes of him. How can you defend such a man that up and leaves his woman and son?"


    Rosa just blushed while hanging her head to her te as she fiddled with her food with her fork like a


    child.


    "Besides, I''m scared to walk these streets here in this city with that thing running around." Rosa


    mumbled.


    "Your father brought home a recording of the animal for whatever reason." Esmeralda announced. "I


    can''t imagine what he thinks he can get from it."


    "Really," Rosa suddenly perked right back up. "Can I hear it?"


    "No, we''re still eating supper." Esmeralda struck back."


    David as well used his fork to scrape and poke at the food that was left in his te while contemting


    in his head. Every so often the television would grab his waning attention, but all in all the man''s


    concentration was focused upon one matter.


    Without looking in her direction, David asked Esmeralda, "Do you remember the Constino case from


    back home, Esmeralda?"


    Esmeralda and Rosa both stopped eating at that instant. Esmeralda then ced her fork down onto


    her te and asked, "What makes you ask about that?"


    Putting his fork down, David dropped both of his elbows onto the table and folded his hands. "I don''t


    know for sure. But what''s happening here sounds awfully simr to that whole case back home."


    "But, Papi, Vinnie Constino was a gangster." Rosa mentioned. "This thing is an escaped animal from


    the zoo."


    "Who told you that it was from the zoo?" Esmeralda stared at Rosa.


    "That''s the talk around the neighborhood." Rosa defended herself.


    "What''s prowling these streets could never be contained in a zoo." David stated in a listless tone. "No,


    this thing is from another ce."


    "So how does Constinoe into this?" Esmeralda questioned.


    Sitting back in his chair, David said, "Constino was a madman that went around targeting specific


    ces in Chicago. He was never a random killer. He was very meticulous in his choice of yings."


    David then rested his hands on his stomach. "Something is just not adding up in all of this. Why would


    this thing break into and attack a roller rink, a school with only five people inside and a women''s


    shelter? What was it about these specific ces that attracted the thing?"


    "I saw in this one movie where certain smells caught the attention of this vampire that went around


    killing people in London." Rosa blurted out.


    Both David and Esmeralda sat and studied the youngdy with downcast eyes, as if to say their child


    had lost her senses.


    Turning to his wife, David urged, "C''mon, Esmeralda, you heard it. What did you make of it?"


    Shrugging her shoulders, Esmeralda haplessly replied, "What do you mean, what did I make of it? It


    sounded like a wild animal to me."


    "But this same wild animal can bust down walls like they were made of cardboard. There has to be a


    common denominator in all of this. Where does it n on striking next?"


    "This is exactly why I hate it when you bring your work home." Esmeraldained as she got up


    and went over to the sink. "You get so wrapped up in these cases that you begin to fall apart."


    "What else do you expect me to do?" He tossed up his hands. "Either we''re dealing with a crazed man-


    eater, or there may be someone that''s controlling it."


    "Perhaps a trainer," Rosa asked.


    "Precisamente," David shouted out loud. "That''s exactly what I''m thinking!"


    "But who would be sick enough to do something like that?" Esmeralda sat back down at the table."


    "Constino was sick. Perhaps Cypress has their own version of the demon, because ording to


    people who live here, this all just beganst year."


    "I know one thing is for sure, I want that tape out of this ce by tomorrow." Esmeralda obstinately


    stated. "We are a God-fearing family; I cannot stand to have any of that evil in this home."


    "I agree with mama, Papi." Rosa spoke up. "I don''t think I wanna hear it now."


    "Oh no, you''re the brave one in the family." David yfully teased the youngdy. "You''re the one who


    loves scary stuff like little girls'' heads spinning around, and high school proms burning everyone up."


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    "Get away from me, Papi!" Rosa waved her napkin at her father in a humorous fashion.


    "You two be careful before¡ª It was right then and there that Esmeralda''s words were instantly ceased


    by a strangemotion that wasing from the living room.


    Every person in the kitchen, including the baby, all pointed their collective heads in the direction of the


    living room in odd and startled curiosity.


    "I thought you said the TV doesn''t work anymore." Esmeralda looked back at David.


    "The wiring is burned out, so it shouldn''t be working at all." David said as he got up from his seat and


    walked towards the living room with his entire family biting at his heels behind him.


    Just as soon as they all made it to the living room''s threshold, every soul stood absolutely still and


    petrified at the sight that their individual eyes were taking in. There was a living room, but everything


    inside of it waspletely different. The furniture, the entire setting, even the very smell had all but


    been transformed before them. They all stood and looked as a television that wasn''t theirs at all yed


    ''The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.'' Seated in front of the TV set was a white man with snow white


    sideburns who ended up cutting off the television before reaching for a magazine.


    David and his family all looked on with wide open, dry mouths as the man that was sitting in the chair


    began pleasuring himself as if he wasn''t even aware that he hadpany. For David, he had no


    words. All the man could do was just remain perfectly still within the scene that was ying out before


    him in his own home; for his own home was seemingly no longer his, but someone else''s all of the


    sudden.


    David could feel a hand clutching his left shoulder. The hand was shivering, but that was as much of a


    sensation that he could sense. The man couldn''t even turn around at that point.


    Before long, however, a smell, followed by the sound of mes igniting, sprung up from a bureau that


    was ced to the left of the Ortega''s. Every member of the family began to back away as the man in


    the chair jumped up and ran over to the dresser only to have the small fire explode in everyone''s faces.


    David, Esmeralda, Rosa and the baby all screamed out in terror as the inferno burst through the living


    room and into the kitchen before eventually making its way out the window.


    Before long, the entire fifth floor of the apartment building was engulfed in mes.

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27


    There sat a red and white, three story home on the very corner of a modest, middle ss neighborhood


    clear on the outskirts of Cypress.The home wasn''t as big as the upants had desired, but at least it


    was as far away from the city''s hustle and bustle as one could possibly get.


    A perfectly manicuredwn and well paved driveway is where a 1975 maroon Camaro sat right beside


    a ck 1977 Corvette.Both vehicles were awkwardly parked to where the walkway that led to the


    house was all but blocked off. If a person wanted to get into the house they would have to use thewn


    as an alternative entrance.


    On other side of the door was a well lived in dwelling; an oak mantle that supported various pictures of


    white family members, as well as vacation spots and wedding photos. However, the rest of the living


    room was rapidly bing vacant with the passing of days. Gone were the two leather couches, love


    seat and coffee table that inhabited the area. Up and along the stairs was a loud thumping like that of a


    herd of humans chasing after one another.


    Down the steps came a young, five month pregnant woman with arge box in her arms. In her


    condition such a strenuous task of carrying a sizable load should have been advised against, but she


    handled said duty with the stamina of a weight lifter until she reached the living room and simply


    dropped the box of clothes onto the hardwood floor.


    "Julie, I told you I would carry everything out." Jeremiah came rushing after his wife down the stairs.


    With a red scarf wrapped around her sweaty, freckled forehead, Julie took off her eyesses and said,


    "Oh, now you''re concerned about my welfare?"


    As soon as Jeremiah stepped onto the floor, he went for the box and rummaged through his clothing in


    a rush.


    "Do you think your car can fit the rest of the boxes?" Julie huffed.


    Standing back up, Jeremiah looked at the woman with disappointment in his sullen eyes.


    "Look...maybe we should¡ª


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    "Oh, I almost forgot about those baseball cards of yours." Julie suddenly perked up. "I''ll be right back."


    But before she could take off, Jeremiah managed to grab her by the arm and halt her progression.


    "We need to talk." He forcefully stated.


    Julie just gradually pulled her arm from out of Jeremiah''s grip before taking three ominous steps


    backwards like she were afraid of him.


    "Let''s just take a few minutes to talk this over." Jeremiah patted the air with his hands.


    Appearingpletely at ease, Julie stood and stared at Jeremiah in the most profound manner.


    "Jeremiah, there really isn''t anything that needs to be said at this point." She calmly specified.


    "But I think there is."


    sping her hands together, Julie asked, "Okay, okay, what would you like for us to talk about? How


    we''re gonna divide up this house? Or how we''re going to have custody of the baby?"


    All Jeremiah could do was stand in the middle of the floor and break out into a feverish sweat in his


    undershirt, green and white hip-hugger shorts and Nike''s.


    "What is it you would like to talk about, Jeremiah?" Julie cocked her head. "Because to be perfectly


    honest, I think we''ve talked ourselves to death at this point."


    "How can you stand there and say that?"


    "Simple, because when I found my husband screwing my baby sister doggy-style on our living room


    floor, I really have nothing to discuss!" Julie all of the sudden exploded.


    Jeremiah wanted to step forward andfort his pregnant wife, but all he could do was remain still out


    of utter mortification.He could tell that Julie wanted to break down and cry, but instead she just paced


    back and forth on the floor like she was searching for something more to utter.


    Julie soon stopped walking long enough to say, "I truly do believe that you and I need a break. I


    mean...I''m mad as hell, but with you, Jeri, there''s been something going on with you these past few


    months."


    Trying to keep his knees from knocking, Jeremiah pointed at himself, "Me? How do you mean?"


    "Don''t y that role with me, Jeri. All I want to know is, is it me that''s been driving you away?"


    "How can you say that, Julie?"


    "Is it being a father for the first time? Are you afraid?"


    "Julie, it''s neither you nor the baby."


    "Then what is it?" Jeremiah began his own march back and forth across the floor until his hands met


    with the banister.


    "You really think that I''m that na?ve, don''t you?"


    Jeremiah looked at Julie in the most confused way. "What are you talking about?"


    Julie stared at the man before saying, "Ever since February, you''ve been apletely different


    person."


    "February," Jeremiah strained to say.


    "You don''t remember February?" Julie began to advance towards Jeremiah. "Ever since your patient


    went on that rampage?"


    Jeremiah dropped his head before stepping over and sitting down on the second tost step on the


    stairs.


    Standing above him, Julie said in aposed voice, "Jeri, look in the bottom of your box."


    Jeremiah looked up at Julie before he reached over to the box and sifted through all the clothes until he


    came to the very bottom. What his hand eventually made contact with was something that not even he


    ever imagined would be there.


    Slowly, Jeremiah pulled out a framed picture that contained a newspaper clipping of Isaac Mercer''s


    death. Jeremiah just stared at the thing in a trance.


    "I found that not in your study, but underneath our own bed." Julie said. "I never wanted to say


    anything, but I always had a hunch all these months that you''ve been holding all this inside of you."


    Jeremiah tossed the frame back into the box before getting up from off the stairs and proceeding to


    pace the floor all over again.


    "Maybe you need to talk to someone." Julie suggested. "Perhaps the psychiatrist needs a psychiatrist."


    "Oh, Julie, please." Jeremiah grumbled.


    "Have you tried speaking with Paul?"


    "Yeah right, that''s like talking with a thirteen year old." He rolled his eyes.


    "Then I don''t know what else to do!" Julie screamed. "Because whatever is happening was strong


    enough to cause you to cheat on me! Now, my husband is sleeping at a Holiday Inn and moving out of


    our house!"


    "These are the things you wanted, not me!"


    "Why would I want to stay with someone who can''t even talk to his own wife?"


    "Julie, I don''t know what made me do what I did with Justine! All I know is that...I don''t know anything


    anymore!" Jeremiah capitted.


    Julie just walked over and began repacking Jeremiah''s clothes back into the box. "Did you happen to


    sleep with any of your female patients over the past few months, too?"


    Spinning around in shock, Jeremiah said, "Of course not."


    "Good, because thest thing any of us needs is to have one of your groupies dropping by


    unannounced."


    "How can you say something like that, Julie?" Jeremiah became outraged. "I''m a professional. I''ve


    never done anything like that."


    Julie just stood and gave Jeremiah the most nk face she could before clutching her stomach.


    Immediately, Jeremiah rushed over to her aid."Is it another stomach ache?" He coddled his wife.


    A knock at the front door caused Julie to step away from Jeremiah with her stale expression still


    attached to her pale face. Jeremiah stood and marveled at his wife''s ominous character. It was almost


    as if something or someone had pushed them apart from each other and kept them that way.The


    second series of knocks at the door were louder than the first. Julie rolled her eyes before walking to


    the door to answer it.


    Jeremiah could hear that it was a man at the door. He didn''t want to look back and see just who exactly


    it was.He went over and picked up the framed picture that was lying inside his box before carrying it


    through the dining room, kitchen and eventually downstairs into the basement.


    Being a fairly new house the basement didn''t possess the usual creaks, odors or appearances that


    older homes carried with them. No cobwebs had formed as of yet, nor were the musty aromas of age


    anywhere present. All that resided within the cer was a washer, dryer, a tool table and wrapped


    boxes that sat in a corner.


    As soon as Jeremiah hit the final step, he cut on the light switch and went straight for the tool table.


    With as much angst as he could muster he mmed the frame down onto the table before leaning


    against the edge and exhaling as hard as he could.


    Everything Julie had said to him back upstairs, coupled with finding the picture, came rushing back at


    Jeremiah like a bullet to the face. He opened his eyes to see the frame cracked with Isaac''s smiling


    face staring right back at him.


    Jeremiah picked up the frame and angrily tossed it to the other side of the room like a football. The


    man then began walking around the basement in a salty trance while listening to Julie and a man


    whose voice he didn''t even recognize converse up above.


    In the midst of his tour Jeremiah tried his hardest not to even nce at the broken frame that was lying


    in pieces on the floor. He honestly couldn''t believe that Julie even found the thing, let alone hid the fact


    from him all those months.


    Jeremiah continued to spread his ever erratic attention in all directions, from Isaac to Julie, all the way


    to the man she was speaking with. When his focus power had all but diminished Jeremiah shut his


    eyes and stopped right in the middle of the floor next to the furnace.


    Something was amiss, his ears could sense it. Jeremiah listened more to both Julie''s voice and the


    man who was sounding less like a normal human being and more like a deep-throated, angry brute that


    was on the edge of losing his temper.


    Without a moment''s more hesitation the man leapt up the stairs and ran through both the kitchen and


    dining room until he finally made it to the front room to find absolutely no one there.


    Jeremiah raced to the door, flung it open and looked outside to see nothing but his own yard and a


    couple of cars tool down the street.


    "Julie!" He screamed as he came flying back into the house.


    Jeremiah sprinted up the stairs like a raving lunatic, eventually stopping at their bedroom to find Julie


    sitting up on the bed watching television.


    Breathing heavy and sweating, Jeremiah caught his breath and asked, "Who was that at the door?"


    Julie''s face took on a conceited, if not faintly surprised appearance at that moment. She turned down


    the volume on the TV and said in a dry tone, "Jeri, that was an hour ago. You''re just now asking me


    that?"


    "Whaddya mean, an hour," Jeremiah''s body grew stiff. "I was only downstairs for a few minutes."


    Julie continued to stare at Jeremiah in an insipid manner which suggested that she was all but weary of


    the conversation just ten seconds into.


    "It was the paperboy, Jeri." Julie said. "He stopped by to collectst month''s payment."


    "But that sounded like a grown man at the door." Jeremiah insisted.


    Exhaling, Julie remarked, "Jeri, why don''t you go back down into the basement and finish doing what


    you''ve been doing for the past hour or so? I''m lying down." Julie cut off the television before rolling over


    onto her side.


    Jeremiah stood a moment or two more before carefully closing the door on his way out. He then looked


    down at his wristwatch to discover the ss cracked. He frantically took it off of his left arm and


    examined the piece.


    Beyond the broken shards of ss he could see the time. 11:22 a.m. Jeremiah then ran back down the


    stairs and went immediately next to the mantle where the grandfather clock sat.


    It read 12:24 p.m.

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28


    Lethargically climbing out of his Camaro as if he had been driving non-stop for days, Jeremiah, clothed


    in a pair of blue id cks and a white, short-sleeved button down shirt, dragged his body towards his


    ce of employment.He had totally forgotten his briefcase back inside the car, but just managing to


    stuff the bottom half of his shirt into his pants was more of an important task than remembering some


    briefcase.


    As he carried on Jeremiah couldn''t help but to nce to his right to see Gloria Cohen''s orange Datsun


    parked just three spaces down from the entrance. The man kept on walking, trying in earnest not to


    be too enthralled with the vehicle that wasn''t bothering him in the first ce.


    Jeremiah stepped into the building, past the receptionist and towards the elevator. Right before he


    could even press the up button, the whiff of Old Spice cologne whistled into his nostrils.


    In a sh, the man finished stuffing his shirt into his pants and buttoned the very top button before


    wiping his moist hair to the side.Out the door behind the receptionist''s desk came a physically


    imposing, older white gentleman dressed in a dapper grey suit. His full white beard and balding head


    made him appear, at least in Jeremiah''s eyes, like a neenth century philosopher directly out of one


    of the historical books that he once read back in his youth.


    "Well, good morning, Doctor Levin." The man warmly greeted as he ced a pile of papers onto the


    receptionist''s desk before approaching the young man face to face.


    Clearing his milky throat, Jeremiah replied with a smile, "Good morning, Doctor Hircshbaum."


    Examining his watch, Hirschbaum gave Jeremiah a scrupulous re. "I see you''re thirty-three minutes


    late this morning. Maybe you should invest in a watch these days."


    Hanging onto his ingratiating smile, Jeremiah said, "I actually have one at home, but it sorta had a


    malfunction yesterday."


    Heading for the elevator, Hirschbaum said, "I''m awfully d I was able to catch you out of the blue like


    this. I''d like to have a talk with you in my office."


    "That would be great, sir." Jeremiah rubbed his sweaty palms before following in behind Hirschbaum


    inside the elevator.


    Jeremiah watched as Hirschbaum pushed the buttonbeled five before saying, "I didn''t see your car


    out in the parking lot. I honestly didn''t expect you today."


    Hirschbaum replied, "Mrs. Hirschbaum is giving a mathematics lecture down at Ohio State. Speaking of


    wives, how is Mrs. Levin?"


    Swallowing, Jeremiah said, "Well, she''s still having strong stomach cramps, but the doctor told her to


    just get a lot of rest."


    "I see." Hirschbaum grinned back in a dignified manner. "My wife and I knew right off the bat that we


    would never make good parents. Vasectomy''s are a life saver, my friend."


    Jeremiah just stuffed his hands into his pants pockets and pressed his lips together as hard as he


    could.


    The elevator door opened, Hirschbaum was the first to exit with Jeremiah taking ackluster rear. The


    closer they reached Hirschbaum''s office the more Jeremiah''s forehead felt like a sponge. He couldn''t


    stop sweating or fumbling over his own feet. Just running into the doctor on a morning when his


    attention was already near the moon wasn''t exactly what Levin had in mind for a good day.


    Hirschbaum unlocked his office door and went straight for his chair that sat behind hisrge, oak desk.


    Jeremiah shut the door behind him and sat down in the seat on the other side of the desk.


    "Anne, hold all my calls for the next hour, please." Hirschbaum said into the speaker of his phone that


    was ced beside him on the desk.


    Right then and there Jeremiah''s stomach began to grumble before his entire body broke out into a


    boiling sweat. If he had moved in his chair it would have possibly sounded as if he were soaking wet.


    "Jeremiah, I want to get right down to the point." Hirschbaum sat forward and folded his hands. "Over


    the course of these past few months, I''ve noticed a considerable change in you."


    "I can exin, Doctor, you see¡ª


    "No, no, let me finish. You''re a good psychiatrist. I realize that one of your patients having a psychotic


    breakdown back in February unsettled you. These things happen unfortunately." Hirschbaum simply


    shrugged his shoulders. "But looking forward, I want you to be at the top of your profession."


    At the beginning of the conversation Jeremiah figured he knew exactly what Hirschbaum was going to


    say, but after a while, the man''s train of thought becamepletely derailed to the point where he


    nearly slid out of his own seat.


    "Now, I understand that you have roots here at this practice, and that you and Julie have just moved


    into your house, but I was wondering what you thought of Boston."


    It was as if he had just been pped right across the face. All Jeremiah could do just then was bat his


    eyshes repeatedly while trying to conjure something as simple as a word up in his head.


    "I...uh...I don''t quite understand." Jeremiah caught his breath. "I''m talking about you starting a practice


    out in Boston, Massachusetts, young man."


    Still, Jeremiah could not fullyprehend what was taking ce. He could hear the wordsing


    from Hirschbaum''s mouth, but deciphering their meaning was draining him off all energy.


    "You want me to move all the way out to Boston?"


    Sitting back, Hirschbaum asked, "Why not? You graduated at the top of your ss. You''ve been such a


    sess here. Why not spread your wings and take off? Do it while you''re still young."


    Listening to the man speak so fondly of him gave Jeremiah such a sinking feeling that he actually


    wanted to get up and walk away.


    Trying to smile, Jeremiah said, "I honestly don''t know what to say."


    "Say yes!" Hirschbaum said out loud in a joyful manner. "This is a chance of a lifetime! Hell, if I got this


    opportunity when I was your age I would''ve jumped at it."


    "It almost sounds as if you''re trying to get rid of me." Jeremiah blushed.


    Hirschbaum stood to his feet at that moment. Jeremiah did the same. He watched as the doctor came


    around his desk and ced a considerate hand on his shoulder.


    "Jeremiah, I''ve known your parents for thirty-seven years now, thest thing they want is for their prized


    son to throw an opportunity like this away. Don''t look at it as a dismissal; see it as a brand new start for


    you and your family. Have some hutzpah, my boy!"


    Jeremiah humbly nodded his head. "I''ll give it consideration. Thank you, Doctor." He shook the man''s


    hand before walking out of the office.


    "You do that." Hirschbaum remarked. "And before you begin your day, could I ask you to stop by the


    record room and pull Doctor Sanyupta''s files from July ofst year for me, please?"


    The second Jeremiah shut the door behind him a strong force immediately seized his body. There


    alone in the hallway the man began to shudder. Every word, sentence and smile from Hirschbaum felt


    putrid inside of him, so much so that Jeremiah wanted to vomit all over the newly shampooed floor


    beneath him.


    Feeling like he was carrying rocks inside his own shoes, Jeremiah turned and began down the hallway


    towards the record room. As he ventured on he passed by numerous doors, one of the doors just


    happened to be Paul''s.Just for a brief instance Jeremiah paused and pressed his ear against the door.


    At first all he could hear was Paul''s voiceughing out loud, but soon after his joviality died down Gloria


    began speaking. Jeremiah listened hard at every word she was saying, even if sounded muffled.He


    kept on eavesdropping until a woman came out of the restroom down the hallway.


    Immediately the man pulled away and resumed his march down the floor until he came to the record


    room.Jeremiah walked in and cut on the light switch. Within the room were seven file cabs all lined


    up against a wall. Jeremiah knew exactly which cab he needed.


    He carried on towards the correct cab that had thebel July 1976 printed on it. Jeremiah rooted


    around inside the cab in search of the file. There were so many folders within, all with strange


    names, that finding the right one would take a while.


    Jeremiah looked and looked before his already frazzled attention became distracted. His eyes couldn''t


    help but to nce over to his immediate right. There was a cabbeled Recordings. Soon,


    Jeremiah found himself, just as he had any other time he was in the room, wanting and desiring.


    His search for Hirschbaum''s file was far from important at that point. The force that he felt back in the


    hallway waspelling him more so than it had ever before. Leaving his cab wide open, Jeremiah


    stepped over, opened the other cab and searched through Paul''s files until he came upon the


    tapes.Jeremiah''s eyes caught sight of minutes from the month of June. He took one tape out before


    going over to a shelf where a tape yer was already ced. He then took the tape and inserted it


    inside the yer before blindly pressing the y button.


    Jeremiah stood and waited for a second or two before going back to his original cab and resuming


    his previous, pretend search.Not once during his seeking did he feel even the slightest hint of regret or


    shame. He just listened as both Paul and Gloria conversed back and forth while he himself carelessly


    rifled through one folder after another.


    "Well, it''s been a couple of weeks since you and Ist talked. How have you been?"


    "Not bad, really," Gloria sounded meek. "I did as you said and went out."


    "Oh really," Paul sounded surprised. "How did it go?"


    "Not too bad. I went to see that ''Star Wars'' movie."


    "Really? I heard it was out of sight."


    "It was actually not as nauseating as I thought it would have been. And I''m not even a science- fiction


    fan. But I think it''s more for kids than adults, though."


    "What else did you do? Have you had anymore truck dreamstely?"


    "Off and on, but I find taking long jogs in the park seem to help deter my mind from them."


    "It helps to put things back into perspective again."


    "It really does."


    "Now, I wanted us to take a few moments and discuss what we talked about on ourst visit."


    There came a stifling silence in the recording at that moment. Jeremiah could hear Gloria sighing in the


    background. It sounded anguished.


    "Do we really have to?" She whined. "I mean, I thought I was beginning to make progress."


    "And you are, but I believe that in order for you to trulye up out of this pit, you have to be willing to


    vocalize your experiences."


    "How do you except me to vocalize what I experienced when I can''t even remember any of it?"


    "Gloria...your memories are still there. If you truly want to live with this, you have to be willing to speak


    it and then conquer it."


    Once more, a strong quiet prevailed in the recording. Jeremiah''s hands had all but stopped rifling


    through the folders at that point. He held his breath for the longest time.


    "Okay." Gloria moaned. "I remember hearing Leroy open the basement door. I heard something heavy


    tumble down the stairs."


    "What was that something?"


    "It was his body."


    "Mercer, you mean?"


    "Yes. At first, he was just lying there totally naked on the floor. Then he just started to move. I


    remember getting so excited because he looked like he had survived. But...


    "But what, Gloria?"


    "But he began to speak. I tried to tell him to keep his voice down, but I guess he couldn''t hear me."


    "Gloria, you have to keep moving forward with this. You always stop right here. Its right here that I think


    you can turn a corner. Now, tell me, what happened next?"


    Jeremiah could hear Gloria sniff while trying to getfortable in the noisy leather couch that made


    sounds every time someone sat on it.


    "He rolled over onto his back...and he opened his eyes."


    "Keep going."


    "That''s when it happened."


    "Don''t stop, Gloria. You can do this." Paul pressed.


    "No, I can''t!" Gloria yelled.


    "Yes you can. You went to Asndview for a reason, and I believe that reason wasn''t solely for Leroy


    Cummins. You need to keep moving forward with this. You''re almost around the bend."


    "It''s silly."


    "It''s only silly if you allow it to control you."


    Gloria paused for the longest time. Jeremiah felt like he was right there beside her rather than inside


    the record room.


    "I saw him...change."


    "You saw Mercer change? Change into what?"


    "I saw...no, better yet, my eyes saw him change."


    "Good, good, our eyes y tricks on us sometimes. Now, tell me what your eyes saw."


    "I saw him change into...into a werewolf." She broke down and cried. "Fangs and fur, and all! My eyes


    saw him change into that thing! At first I thought it was going to kill me, but it ran back up the stairs and


    killed Leroy! God...I can''t believe I''m even talking about this!"This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Jeremiah could have been knocked over by a mere whisper. Without a second''s more hesitation the


    man bolted out of the record room and down the hallway until he came to Paul''s office.


    Rampaging right inside, Jeremiah saw only Gloria who was seated on the couch. "Are you sure that''s


    what you saw inside that man''s house?" He hollered like a fool.


    "What the hell is this?" Paul sat up behind his desk.


    Drawing closer to a petrified Gloria, Jeremiah, practically frothing at the mouth, asked, "Are you sure


    that you saw Isaac Mercer do just that?"


    "Jeremiah, get the hell outta here!" Paul furiously pointed at the door.


    But it was as if Jeremiah hadn''t heard a single word the man was saying because his interrogation


    increased all the more.


    "I was Isaac''s doctor before he was killed!" He desperately said into Gloria''s face. "Did you really see


    him turn into that thing?"


    "Gloria, you don''t have to answer that question!" Paul began to advance towards Jeremiah.


    "What on earth is going on in here?" Doctor Hirschbaum came rushing into the office.


    Appearingpletely startled and disoriented, Gloria stood up and began for the door, but not before


    Jeremiah stepped right in front of her.


    "I''m sorry I scared you, but I have to know this for myself! I have to know about Isaac!"


    "Jeremiah, get the fuck outta here!" Paul angrily yelled.


    With tears in her eyes, Gloria shoved past Jeremiah on her way out the door. Jeremiah turned and


    watched as she took the stairs rather than the elevator down.


    Looking lost and frustrated, Hirschbaum asked, "Would someone please tell me what the hell is going


    on here?"


    "This son of a bitch just cost me a patient, that''s what!" Paul screamed into Jeremiah''s face. "I''ve been


    working on her for the past two months, and youe and fuck it all up!"


    All Jeremiah could do was stand and take the vocal lynching the best he could without striking back


    himself.


    "Okay, okay, let''s just calm down and figure out what''s happening here." Hirschbaum tried to step in


    between the two men.


    With a strawberry red face, Paul continued, "I''m not going to let him drag me into this sewer that he''s


    been sinking into these past few months!" Paul then pushed Jeremiah out of the way before rushing


    out the door and down the hallway.


    Copious amounts of sweat drizzled and drooled down Jeremiah''s face making him appear as if he had


    just ran a marathon. He couldn''t even catch his own breath, let alone look anyone else in the eye.


    Gradually, a hostile calm began to settle. Hirschbaum, who was wearing a somewhat dissatisfied look


    on his face, said to Jeremiah, "Why don''t you and I talk about thister?"


    But Jeremiah was all out of words to even hold a conversation. He brushed by Hirschbaum on his way


    out the door where other doctors were curiously observing.Like a prisoner walking his final mile,


    Jeremiah Levin hauled his body down the stairs until he found himself in the front lobby. All his


    bloodshot eyes could see in front of him were the double doors that he simply strolled out of.


    The heat of the sun soaked into his already zing body to where he felt absolutely numb and parched


    like a rock in an age old desert.The man aimlessly walked about the parking lot,pletely unaware


    that he had just passed his own car in the process.


    "Excuse me." A delicate voice uttered nearby.


    Jeremiah stopped and turned to see Gloria standing by her car. Clearing the fog from both his eyes and


    head, Jeremiah walked over to the young woman who was wearing a pink t-shirt and matching hip-high


    shorts.


    "Look...I want to apologize for¡ª


    "You knew him?" Gloria interrupted.


    Jeremiah dropped his head before muttering, "Yes, I knew Isaac."


    The two of them both stood in juddering silence while the cicadas carried on all around them in a


    blistering chorus. Jeremiah found it hard to even lift his head to look at Gloria, let alone ask her


    anymore questions that had been burning within him for the past few months.


    Gloria brushed her long, brte hair to the side before saying, "You know, this is the veryst ce I


    ever imagined I would end up."


    Jeremiah suddenly found the courage to raise his head and look directly at Gloria. His eyes couldn''t


    help but to stare longingly at her shy face.


    "I honestly thought after Asndview that everything would be okay. But when the nightmares started


    all over again, I knew that I needed something more."


    "Did you get what you needed from here?" Jeremiah asked in a skittish way.


    Looking all around, Gloria answered, "Not really. Or at least not until I met you just a few minutes ago,


    that is."


    "Look, I never meant to scare you." Jeremiahpassionately emphasized. "It''s just that...ever since


    February I''ve been going shit-faced over this whole thing of Isaac."


    "What was he like?" Gloria stepped closer to Jeremiah.


    Jeremiah took an ever so extended pause in order to conjure just a simple image of the young man


    inside his head; as if doing so were the hardest thing in the world to do.


    "Thest thing I want is to throw salt on a dead man." He said. "I only got a chance to meet Isaac on


    several asions. Thest time I saw him, something terrible was vexing him."


    "Just for the record...I don''t really believe in such things." Gloria timidly stated.


    Still staring straight at her, Jeremiah asked, "And yet, that''s what you believe you saw?"


    Gloria stared just as persistently right back at Jeremiah. "I got knocked out and screwed up the asshole


    by a pervert. I could''ve seen a leprechaun for all I know."


    "But something tells me that you didn''t see a leprechaun."


    "Do you believe in such things?"


    Sighing, Jeremiah replied, "No, even though it would exin all those yings that''s been happening in


    the city."


    Gloria began to wander about her vehicle before she found herself standing next to the driver''s side


    door.


    "I really want to know more about Isaac." She said while taking her keys from out of her purse."


    Jeremiah stood for a moment. He then watched as Gloria climbed into her car and reached over to


    unlock the passenger door.


    With a fidgety right hand, he lifted the handle and got into the steaming hot Datsun.The engine came to


    life. As they pulled out of the parking space Jeremiah''s eyes couldn''t help but to nce upwards at the


    building only to see Paul gazing back down from his fifth floor office with a nk expression upon his


    face.

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29


    Seated next to Gloria, Jeremiah had no clue as to where they were headed, and truth be told, he really


    couldn''t have cared less. Just feeling the warm breeze st into his face from the open window was


    soothing enough for the man.


    ''Baracuda'' from Heart was ying loud on the radio as Gloria kept a steady pace down the lonesome


    highway. Every now and then Jeremiah would nce over at her and wonder just what was on her


    mind. For the duration of their journey they spoke off and on about Isaac, her time at Asndview and


    the animal yings in Cypress.


    Jeremiah made sure to tread lightly when it came to their discussions. Just in the short time since he


    knew her face to face he automatically felt a connection to the woman, but she was still fragile. Within


    certain sentences he could hear Gloria''s voice shake or hesitate. As a psychologist he knew when to


    go only so far, but as a human being, as Jeremiah Levin, he had his own breaking point.


    Every so often, however, in the midst of their conversation Jeremiah would drift away. His eyes would


    find themselves sinking downwards towards Gloria''s bare legs. Immediately his thoughts would race


    back to Julie who just so happened to have a doctor''s appointment that particr morning. If it wasn''t


    Julie or a pair of smooth legs then it was Isaac.


    "Did they teach you that in your psychology ss, too?" Gloria asked.


    Instantly, Jeremiah shook himself back into the car and the conversation. "I''m sorry, what did you say


    again?"


    Giggling, Gloria replied, "I said, did they teach you about modern childcare in your psychology ss?"


    Cracking a subtle grin, Jeremiah said, "Uh...I honestly don''t recall."


    "They did for me, before I dropped out that is. Maybe you should''ve listened more to your professor


    before assuming that your wife was just having sympathy pains."


    Jeremiah only began tough out loud, "My wife knows exactly how to draw sympathy from me! She


    doesn''t have to feign abdominal pain!"


    Gloria sat quiet for a moment before she opened her mouth and said, "I wish I had the courage to go


    back to Cypress State again."


    Looking over at her, Jeremiah asked, "What''s stopping you?"


    "I guess I don''t want a whole bunch of people staring at me like I just escaped an asylum. I just don''t


    feel like exining myself to everyone."


    "But people know what happened to you."


    "No, they don''t." Gloria blushed. "I mean, they know I was kidnapped, but besides my sister, no one


    knows that I went to Asndview. I told my parents that I had been studying over in Paris for the past


    few months."


    "I see." Jeremiah humbly nodded in silent adoration. "Doctor Sanyupta once told me that keeping


    ourselves locked away from society is like keeping the book of knowledge buried in a tomb. Each


    human being is their own gift that we share with the world."


    "That''s really beautiful." Gloria sighed. "I''ve heard Paul speak about him from time to time. Does he still


    reside at the institute?"


    With a heaving chest, Jeremiah said, "Doctor Sanyupta was killed in a train derailment back in March."


    With a re of concern on her face, Gloria only nced at Jeremiah before she pulled her car into a


    long driveway and stopped short of a ranch-style home that looked like it had seen better days.


    "Where are we?" Jeremiah sat up in his seat.


    Gloria said nothing at first, she just sat and stared straight ahead at the house, looking as if she were


    waiting for something or someone toe out.


    "Gloria...are you okay?" Jeremiah touched Gloria''s right hand.


    With a quivering bottom lip, she answered, "We''re here."


    Jeremiah turned to the house ahead. It took a good while, but soon, he got it. He watched as the


    woman got out of the car and stood at the front bumper.


    Jeremiah climbed out and perched himself on the other side of the vehicle''s bumper. The both of them


    watched as the house in front of them studied them right back. The driveway in which they were


    standing had weeds protruding up from the cracked cement while the grass all around them stood


    almost as tall as they did. There was a maple tree in the middle of the yard that was split down the


    middle from where lightning had struck. Branches, bothrge and small littered the area around the


    decrepit tree.


    The house itself, while at one time the most luxurious home on the road, appeared more like a hollow


    reminder of its ghastly interior. Weeds sprouted up and all around the home while the shingles on the


    roof were gradually falling to the ground. The destroyed wall had been repaired, but by then, even its


    very foundation was beginning to see weakness as pieces of brick were shedding from one side to the


    other. Some of the windows, from the front to the back had been shattered. The only thing that looked


    remotely shameless was the front door that still possessed its noble oak finish.


    Jeremiah marveled at the property in a hushed, subdued awe. He never lingered on the ugliness of


    where he was, rather, he examined Gloria who was just standing beside her vehicle staring off at the


    house. Rationality was tossed out the window. Jeremiah knew full well that Gloria had seen something


    absolutely jarring inside Cummins'' old house. Whether it was a mythical character or the result of her


    rape, something had disrupted the woman''s soul to the point where she had to actually revisit the


    scene of where it all took ce.


    Gloria suddenly slipped off her pair of tform wedges and slowly began to walk towards the house.


    Jeremiah stood back and held his breath while arge semi-truck roared past behind him on the


    highway. Gloria kept advancing until her bare feet left the cement and touched the grass. She


    continued on around to the side of the house until she came face to face with the reced part of the


    wall. Gloria stopped right there and just studied the wall from top to bottom.


    "How big do you think it was?" Gloria said aloud.


    Jeremiah pulled himself away from the car and ventured towards Gloria. The moment he found himself


    standing beside her he asked, "Are you sure that''s exactly what you saw, Gloria?"


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Gloria faltered at first before she sighed, "That''s the problem with people today, especially our tribe, we


    try and question everything. I''m sure your parents, just like mine, always tell you to look beyond what


    your eyes can see."


    Taking off his sses, Jeremiah murmured, "Yeah, something like that."


    With her eyes still stuck on the wall, Gloria said, "For the past two months, I''ve been having this dream


    of trucks. I honestly have no idea where they came from or why I''m having them to begin with. No more


    than I can figure out what I saw down inside that basement."


    "I do believe that what you saw was real." Jeremiah stated. "And I also believe that this is exactly what


    you need."


    Gloria turned her head to Jeremiah and asked, "How do you mean?"


    Slipping his hands into his pockets, Jeremiah replied, "Coming all the way out here. Believe it or not, I


    needed it, too. This is where Isaac was taken, and this is where he escaped from." Jeremiah soon


    began to wander about the grass. "Neither of you were crazy. And there''s nothing strange in the water


    supply. Something happened to you both. I definitely believe that more than anything else."


    Walking behind Jeremiah, Gloria hastily queried, "So you believe in the existence of evil? Because


    that''s the very first andst thing they teach against in psychology ss."


    Jeremiah stopped strolling and turned around to face Gloria. "Everything we learned in our respective


    sses was bullshit as far as I''m concerned. The human psyche is far moreplex than anything we


    could everprehend. How dare anyone try and reconfigure what our eyes take in. I mean, I''ve never


    seen a ghost, but countless people throughout the ages have experienced paranormal happenings.


    How wrong can they all be? You saw something inside this house, Gloria. Isaac was going through


    something before he died. There was and still is something gripping not only your life, but the city as


    well. And it''s not going to stop before it takes me down with it." Jeremiah then reached down, picked up


    a small branch and hurled it across the yard. "Fuck, I can''t believe this is happening to me!" He raged.


    Another semi-truck screamed past down the road. Once the noise of the machine had passed all that


    seemingly remained were the cicadas that upied the lonely area.


    Jeremiah found himselfpletely spent once again. He couldn''t even recall what he had just said


    from a few seconds ago. He could feel his shirt sticking to his sweaty skin while his hands felt squishy.


    "I guess some nightmares cane true, huh?" Gloria remained still by the wall.


    Jeremiah just nced at the woman for a second before he turned back to the road. "I think we should


    head back to the institute." He groaned as if it were thest ce on earth he wanted to be. "I need to


    call my wife and see how she''s doing."


    Jeremiah turned back around to see Gloria standing by the old tree all of the sudden. He never even


    heard her walk over there, and it seemingly took her only a mere second to make the move. Then, he


    heard something else scatter about right behind him.


    Jeremiah spun around to see Gloria standing directly in front of him. The man''s stomach did at least


    two flips at that instant.


    "I don''t want to live anymore." Gloria uttered in a dreadful tone.


    Completely disoriented, Jeremiah twisted around only to see the other Gloria, with arge branch in


    hand,e at him and st him over the head with the stick.


    Jeremiah crumbled to the ground in a heap. Gloria repeatedly beat him over the head and body until


    spurts of blood began sttering all over the grass. The man could only lift his hands in defense before


    he became too weak to mount any further resistance.


    The assaultsted for nearly three whole minutes, but to Jeremiah, who was slowly fading, it might as


    well have been hours. Gradually, the man''s energy was depleting as his arms and legs were bing


    number to the point where lifting one hand was nearly impossible.


    "Gloria." He feebly gasped as he tried to reach for her leg, only to have the young woman kick him in


    the face.


    Gloria thenid one more powerful strike across the man''s face before she dropped the branch


    altogether.


    Jeremiah was diminishing. It seemed as though his eyes were the only things that were functioning.


    With his eyes that were seeing more darkness than light, he watched as Gloria Cohen carried her body


    away from him and onto the highway.


    In his ears Jeremiah could hear a loud horn sting in the summer air. Behind that same horn was an


    equally loud engine. Gloria stood right in the middle of thene until a semi-truck crashed into her body,


    causing it to explode into numerous pieces all over the pavement.


    Thest thing Jeremiah could hear was the screeching of tires. The veryst thing he saw was one of


    Gloria''s legs roll about on the highway.

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30


    "How many of you guys believe in jinxes?" An old, white homeless man asked his fellow bunkmates, as


    well as Cloyse, inside the men''s shelter that evening.


    The five men that surrounded him, two white and three ck, all sat in amazed silence at the man''s


    question. The two ck men just twisted their lips and rolled their eyes, while the white men nced at


    each other as though the question itself were a ticking time bomb.


    But Cloyse remained perfectly still Indian style on his bunk bed steadily ring at the old, odd man,


    waiting in ardent anticipation for him to finish what he was going to say.


    "Man, what kind of jinx are you talking about?" One of the ck men tossed up his hands. "I''m talking


    about witches hexes."


    The old man adamantly pointed to the floor. "When I was sixteen and in the Navy, way back in 1912 we


    sailed to Guam. While there, we snuck up on this old witch woman who put a hex on one of our


    crewmates for stealing some of her beads."


    "What kind of hex did she put on the fellow?" One of the white men peered into the old man''s eyes.


    "The hex was that of deep pain in the balls." The old man stared right back. "For weeks his balls itched


    and burned, until finally, they fell right off."


    Every man, minus Cloyse, burst out in jovialughter. "Man, that ain''t no curse, that''s called the blue


    ball snatch!" One of the ck men giggled. "He screwed her, that''s how he ended up with dropped


    balls!"


    The old man just sat back on his bunk bed and rolled his eyes before waving his hand, as to say he


    was through entertaining his listeners.


    Cloyse stared at the old, downtrodden man for a bit more before scanning his dull surroundings. Rough


    and ragged men, ck, white, Hispanic and a couple of Asians were all gathered inside the stuffy


    shelter. The air-conditioner was out which meant osciting fans that were distributed in various points


    throughout the area would have to suffice.


    From a distance Cloyse could see the kitchen where two white men, one middle-aged and the other


    elderly, were conversing in what appeared to be a heated conversation. The young man made sure to


    keep his waning attention locked on both men, all the while watching the front entrance fifty-two feet to


    his left.


    "You all canugh at me all you want." The old man harangued his hecklers. "But I happen to know for


    sure that someone put a hex on this here city of ours."


    Without warning, Cloyse''s attention was immediately snatched from the kitchen and back to the


    conversation that was being held within his tight circle.


    Yawning, one of the white men said, "I don''t believe in hexes, but I do believe that this city is in for a


    whole world of hurt if we don''t find whatever it is eating everyone up."


    Cloyse sat sullen and motionless on his bunk bed and carefully observed his fellow mates as they


    bickered back and forth on a subject that in all honesty they had no clue as to what they were talking


    about.


    The young man was numb. He felt more hopeless at that point in his excruciating journey than he ever


    did back at home. Surrounded by foreigners, naysayers and blusterous fools, Cloyse was suffocating.


    He could hardly even bear to be around them any longer, let alone listen to another worde out of


    their collective mouths. All he could do right then was drop his head in defeat and try to drown out their


    voices with the sounds of other men gathered inside the shelter.


    "Shit, all I know is that just one of these dogs killed vell and his entire crew in one night." One of the


    ck men said. "And we all know how bad vell was. So just imagine what it could do to the rest of


    us."


    "Dere are two." Cloyse grunted with his head still dropped to the floor.


    Everyone amongst him stopped speaking and pointed their astonished faces at the man as if he had


    be a brand new person right before their very eyes.


    "It had to be two of them for them to do all the killing like they''ve been doing." The old man stated.


    Raising his head, Cloyse said, "Dey are more dan dogs. Dey are demons."


    "Well, look at this, the dead has arisen atst." One of the ck men pointed at Cloyse.


    "I have seen dese tings and what dey can do."


    "Oh yeah," one of the white men spoke up. "Tell me, kid, what do they look like? Because all anyone


    can seem to say is that they saw nothing but fur."


    Cloyse only red deep at the shabby man before saying in a raspy whisper, "You see dese people in


    here. People outside dis ce. You all have not seen like I have. Dere is evil in dis city."


    "Shit." One of the ck men waved his hand. "Next thing you know he''ll be preaching to us about God


    and Lucifer."


    All the men gathered began sniggering, but Cloyse held hisposure. "I as well did not take it


    seriously. Until my people began vanishing. Until screams and cries in de night became more and more


    frequent. Until bodies began piling up all along de shores. Bodies of women, children, even other


    animals. Where is God? Where is Jesus? Nowhere to be found. All I''ve ever seen is Lucifer. He sent


    them to my ind to devour us all. What does God know? The Devil eats everyone in de end."


    Every man gathered within the tiny circle all just sat with their collective jaws hanging to the floor as


    their eyes stayed on him like finely tuned targets. Their staggered silence meant absolutely nothing to


    Cloyse. He sulked inside his bitter trance like a cool bath on an otherwise sweltering evening. He didn''t


    even desire to make eye contact with any of them.


    Scratching at his heavy beard, the old man asked, "Where are you from anyways, young fe? Africa


    or something?"


    "No, no, he''s from one of those cities out there in California I bet." One of the other white men


    suggested.


    Just then, a mild uproar began to stir within the shelter. Cloyse, along with the rest of his circle, all


    looked up to see the two white men that were arguing in the kitchen, along with several other men,


    putting up five foot tall boards against the front door.


    Bing anxious, Cloyse asked, "What are dey doing?"


    "They''re locking us in here for the night, my man," one ck man replied.


    "Thank goodness too, because I guarantee you, those women at their shelter definitely didn''t think of


    doing that." The old man said.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    "Your blockades are useless." Cloyse grunted as he began to get up from off his bed.


    "Hey, where are you going?" One white man asked. "I''m leaving dis ce."


    "Man, are you crazy? It''s getting dark out there. Who knows where that thing or things are?"


    Cloyse only stared at the man for a few scathing seconds before pulling himself away from them all and


    charging towards the front door.


    "Where are you going, young man?" One of the white men in charge of the shelter stood before


    Cloyse.


    "I''m leaving!" Cloyse defiantly pointed at the door.


    "I don''t think so." The man adamantly responded. "We''re locking up for the night. Once these boards


    are up, no one gets in or out until the morning."


    Sidestepping the man, Cloyse began removing one board after another. Every man in the shelter all


    stood by and watched in wonder at what the young man was attempting to do; like he was the craziest


    human being alive.


    Grabbing Cloyse by the shoulders, the older gentleman desperately said into his face, "If you go out


    there, there is noing back in here. Do you understand that? You will be out there all night long."


    Cloyse looked deep into the man''s grey eyes while the others stood around him. From there, he


    unhinged himself from the old man before unlocking the door and heading out into the sunset.


    Not once looking back, Cloyse carried on down the sidewalk where on the street beside him passed


    cars, trucks and buses in their usual routine of getting home for the evening. Behind him was the fading


    sun whose shining luster was still hanging ever so glorious in the sky. It was warm that twilight,


    somewhere within the 70 degree range; a bit cooler than it had been the past few nights.


    Cloyse treaded with a scornful purpose with his hands inside his pockets. Every person that passed by


    him were mere distortions in his eyesight. He hadpletely lost sight of why he was even in Ohio to


    start with. Ever since first arriving all he did was wander and blunder from one part of town to the other


    in an angry descent.


    Meeting up with Akoni the other day waspletely by ident, and he realized that before it was all


    said and done both her and Arthur would make their ultimate strike right before his eyes, and there


    wouldn''t be anything he could do about it.


    Horns honked, police sirens red, pimps scolded their prostitutes, and yet Cloyse was oblivious to it


    all. He had been walking long enough to the point where when he looked up at the sky he found it to be


    saturated in ckness. Nightfall had arrived with a fresh, full moon in tow.


    As Cloyse dropped his head back to the earth he suddenly noticed what looked like flower petals


    scattered on the sidewalk. As he continued on he saw more and more. At first nce he figured it to be


    nothing more than trash floating about on the ground, but when he saw his feet step on and over a


    collection of stems, his waning attention couldn''t help but to be drawn further in.


    He shouldn''t have been so enthralled with flowers of all things, but the young man just could not resist.


    He followed until he came face to face with some steps. Upon the steps were even more flowers,


    roses, carnations and lilies all strewn across the steps of the vacant women''s shelter.


    Cloyse stood back and looked up at the ckened, lonely building. His eyes were then directed back


    down to the flowers again. He reached down and picked up one rose. He didn''t even have to put it to


    his nostrils to smell the fragrance that was still ever present.


    On one of the steps Cloyse could see a spot or two of dried up blood. He carefully ced the lone rose


    right on top of the blood, but before he could even raise back up, a sudden jolt seized his entire body.


    He nearly fell backwards from themotion, but Cloyse knew full well that what had taken control of


    him was no mere feeling.


    With a trembling jaw and a steady stream of drool dripping from his bottom lip, Cloyse stuttered,


    "Where...where is she?" The man clinched his right fist so hard that blood began seeping from within.


    "Where is she?" He continued to whisper to himself.


    Soon, he had to catch himself from fallingpletely to the ground. Once Cloyse was able to regain


    his bearings he gawked all around the sidewalk and into the street with bugged out eyes. He


    unknowingly stumbled backwards into a brightly dressed pimp and a couple of his "workers."


    Grabbing the pimp by the shoulders, Cloyse screamed into the man''s face," Where is your police


    station?"


    Snatching himself from Cloyse''s crazed grip, the pimp retaliated, "Hey, blood, what''s the matter with


    you?"


    "I need to find de police!"


    Both the pimp and his charges all stared at the young man in the most confounded sort of way before


    the pimp stated, "Man, I don''t know what you''d want with the fuzz in this town." He then pointed


    southward. "Head down that street, about three blocks, you''ll find them."


    Like a crazed fool Cloyse spun around and around before storming out into the zing traffic with


    horns, curses and vulgar hand gestures scooting him along the way.

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31


    Lyte opened the door and ever so sluggishly heaved her carcass out of the stall in which she had


    confined herself for the past hour or so. She hadn''t been using the bathroom that long; it took her only


    a minute and a half for her to do her business. Rather, she kept to herself for as much and as long as


    she could.


    With as little energy as she could assemble the young woman pulled herself towards the sink and


    washed her hands. Shethered her hands in the soapy, warm water seemingly forever until the water


    began going cold on her. She then rested her wet hands on top of the sink and watched withzy eyes


    as the sudsy water gradually dissolved into the drain.


    Lyte did everything she could not to lift her head, but the restraint was evaporating with every


    passing second. Fighting against her own neck muscles, the woman gradually raised her head. Her


    eyes soon then connected with the mirror, a gesture that caused her stomach to tumble.There before


    her stood a foreigner, someone she didn''t recognize. ssy, red eyes, matted down, ubed hair,


    ck dirt marksyered on both cheeks. Every feature disgusted her to the point where all she could


    do was wobble back and forth as if she had no control over her own body.


    Lyte then began scanning her surroundings, from the all-white tile, to the seven stalls, all the way


    to the five sinks where one wasyered in dried up, pink soap solution. The putrid stench of period


    blood hung lightly in the bathroom like a soft whiff of air that lingered about in a warm breeze.The song,


    ''Leaving on a Jet ne'' by John Denver started to y on the inte outside the bathroom.


    Lyte couldn''t help but to stand still at that moment while the tune that she had heard some times in


    the past but paid no attention to caused her mind to drift off into a daze.All she did was stand at the


    mirror and stare at her reflection while allowing images of her child to flood her brain. No matter where


    in Cypress she ran, there Isaiah was. Lyte could hardly stand to be around the boy for more than


    thirty minutes at best, and yet she couldn''t get him out of her throbbing head.


    Abruptly, through the door rushed a young, ck woman who was wearing a pair of shades, two afro


    puffs that were wrapped up in a green scarf, a silk turquoise blouse and a pair of tight, green polyester


    pants.


    Immediately, Lyteposed herself before pretending to wash her hands in the sink before


    her.Huffing and puffing as if she had been running from something or someone, the woman went for


    the very first sink.


    "You won''t believe de night I''ve been having." She said in a Jamaican ent.


    Lyte only smirked before shutting off the water and reaching over and snatching several sheets to


    dry her hands with.


    "Dese men today, dey are animals." The woman continued on. "I swear, all a woman has to do is dress


    a certain way and dey act like dey just escaped from de zoo or someting."


    Tossing the wet rags into the dumpster, Lyte turned and began for the door. "Yeah, I know what


    you mean." She nonchntly replied.


    "Would ya happen to have a smoke?" The woman jumped right into Lyte''s face.


    Feeling inconvenienced, Lyte reached into her back pocket and took out a cigarette before


    reluctantly handing it to her.


    "I''m sorry for asking, but I need to calm my nerves before I hit de block again."


    Lyte then took her lighter and lit the tip of the cigarette before saying, "I know what you mean."


    Taking a long drag, the woman asked, "You work, too?"


    Appearing stunned, Lyte said, "No, no, I''m just saying, I know how it feels to do what you gotta do."


    Tapping one of her open-toed shoes on the floor, the woman sighed, "Yeah, I''ve been doing dis now for


    fourteen years, and it still doesn''t get any easier."


    "For fourteen years?" Lyte''s eyes blew up. "But you look so young."


    Smiling, the woman said, "Don''t let my looks fool you, sweetheart, dese streets will age a girl real


    quick." The woman then extended her free right hand. "My name is Karyn."


    Lyte shook Karyn''s hand right back. "Lynn." She replied in a dry pitch.


    Taking another soothing drag, Karyn said, "I tink I''ll stay in here for a while. It takes a moment or two


    before my...man,es looking for me."


    "Girl, you''d better get you a gun for his ass."


    Karyn inhaled another puff of smoke. "I have other ways of keeping him in line." She then stared hard


    at Lyte. "You have very lovely hair. Did anyone ever tell you dat you could be a model?"


    Blushing, Lyte responded, "Those days are far behind me."


    Karyn took her hand and lightly brushed it across Lyte''s unkempt hair. It not only unsettled the


    youngdy to have a total stranger touching her, but not being able to see Karyn''s eyes through the


    large lenses of her shades only caused her to step back an inch or two.


    "Don''t be shy, my love, you have exquisite features." Karyn smiled before turning around and looking at


    herself in one of the mirrors. "I, too, once had lovely looks, but someting happened to me."


    "What?" Lyte found herself asking for no specific reason.


    "I fell for de wrong man. Soon after dat, I could see everytinge at me like a hurricane." She


    exined in a somewhat mournful demeanor.


    "Believe me, I know something about wrong men, but that doesn''t mean I knew what was going to


    come my way." Lyte turned her head in repulsion.


    Karyn then turned around, tossed her butt to the floor and said, "Everyting dat I never imagined would


    happen, ended up happening."


    "Just how do you mean?"


    Karyn then began pacing the floor. "Babies being taken away in de middle of de night," she carried on


    in a woeful manner. "Children being ughtered inside of schools of all ces. "I''ve even seen giant


    waves from de sease and invadend."


    Lyte just stood and listened to the odd woman as if her life depended upon it. All that Karyn was


    saying sounded like the ramblings of a person that had been walking the streets all night, non-stop.


    She was possibly doped up on all sorts of drugs just to stay awake or bear her profession, she


    pondered. But within the woman''s sayings Lyte could hear something that she had never heard


    before from another human being. There was an uncanny desperation in her voice that sounded so


    familiar, almost as if Lyte had heard it all before. There was something in Karyn''s character, in her


    every movement that caused Lyte to tremble right there before her. And she felt that if she had


    even attempted to put a finger on it then it would frighten her further to the core.


    Karyn then stopped right in front of the mirror and peered straight at her own reflection asking, "Have


    you ever been in love with someone before, my dear?"


    Lyte shut her eyes at that second. Just hearing the question float off of Karyn''s tongue sent such a


    violent shiver down her already quivering spine.


    "You don''t have to answer." Karyn said. "Dere was a time when I was in love with such a wonderful


    man. He was so sweet and kind to me at first."


    "Aren''t they all...at first?" Lyte balled up her fists.


    Giggling, Karyn replied, "Yes, dey are. But dis one was one of a kind. He showed me so many tings


    and wonders I had never experienced before. He promised dat he would take me to ces far from


    home."


    "Honey, all men make those silly promises, just to get into our panties."


    Spinning around, Karyn remarked, "No, no, dis man really could do such tings." She then approached


    Lyte face to face. "He was so tender in his speech. So thoughtful in ways I never imagined a man


    could be."


    All Lyte could do was just listen. Inside, she wanted to tear out of the bathroom as fast as possible.


    Just hearing the wordse out of Karyn''s mouth was like feeling a thousand bees bite at her all at


    once. But for the strangest reason the woman couldn''t budge. Thest thing she wanted was to have


    Isaac''s image boil up insider her mind. But Lyte could not move.


    "Everyting was lovely, dat is until I met his family." Karyn''s voice, without warning, dropped. "I had


    known his family for years, but I never had de chance to meet dem, especially his sister. Once she


    stepped in, dat was when de man I loved changed right before my eyes."


    Lyte wanted to hear no more. She didn''t want to identify with Karyn any longer; she wanted to


    leave the woman''s presence post-haste.


    "You probably tink I am high on drugs right now, don''t you?" Karyn asked.


    "I...I don''t know." Lyte stammered in ce.


    Karyn then grabbed Lyte''s hands and held them as tight as she could. Lyte tried to pull away,


    but Karyn''s grasp was entirely too firm.


    "I am in my right mind, my love. Maybe tomorrow you will understand better. Maybe tomorrow."


    Karyn then let go of Lyte''s hands before taking off her sunsses to reveal a pair of hazel eyes


    that were steadily turning white.


    Lyte began to cry, not only from the wicked sight, but also from the terrifying fact that she still could


    not move a single muscle in her body. It felt like she was being restrained.


    "Tomorrow is almost here." Karyn''s voice began to plunge into a growl.


    At the snap of a finger Lyte abruptly opened her eyes to find herself lying on the same bench that


    she had been upying for the past two days. She struggled to catch her breath while listening to the


    lady over the loud speaker announce bus destinations.


    Lyte then sat up and coughed before ncing behind her at the women''s bathroom. She stared on


    at the door for nearly an entire minute before wiping the sweat from off her forehead and turning back


    around.


    The bus station that she was in had only a few people either walking around or standing at the ticket


    line. John Denver was still ying over the speakers in the station.


    "Attention! Attention, please! At 9:30, bus 213 will be leaving for Phdelphia! At 10:25, bus 304 will be


    departing for Anta, and at 12:40, bus 202 will be departing for Phoenix! Thank You!"


    Lyte listened closely to the woman as if her words meant life and death to her. She then


    immediately jumped up from off her warm bench and headed straight for the line where three people


    were already standing in front of her.


    Lyte couldn''t keep her eyes off of the women''s bathroom door. Every so often a white woman or an


    old ckdy would go in and out. The young woman had no belongings to carry with her, so keeping


    her hands stuffed inside her pants pockets was the only sce she had to grasp to.It was an illusion,


    and yet Lyte realized that it was much more. She didn''t want to think of Isaac, or even the rest of


    her family, which included her own son. She just wanted the world and everyone in it to vanish and


    never return. It was such an unrelenting urge that she would at times actually device ways to eliminate


    certain people out of her life altogether.


    "Next!" An older whitedy said out loud from behind the ticket counter.


    Lyte jumped back to her senses and approached the window where the woman was patiently


    waiting.


    Fidgeting inside her own pockets, Lyte said, "I''d like a ticket to Phoenix, please."


    "Okay, that''ll be one hundred and nine dors."


    Lyte''s warm skin crawled at that moment. She continued to root about in her pockets as if she


    were trying to give off the impression that she had the money. Meanwhile, thedy behind the window


    sighed while shuffling some papers from side to side on her desk.


    Lyte began to perspire the longer she searched until she atst found some money. Then, like she


    had just stumbled upon gold, Lyte yanked out a wad of bills and some coins and hurriedly handed


    it to thedy.


    The woman took the money and counted. When she was done counting she gave Lyte a s¨¦


    expression, as to say the youngdy before her knew better.


    Lifting up the bills, the woman stated, "This is only fifty-eight dors."


    With a dried out mouth, Lyte responded, "Is it? I could''ve sworn that was all of it."


    "We need the whole amount or else I cannot give you a ticket."


    Lyte continued to rummage through her jeans while keeping an eye on the women''s bathroom


    behind her.


    "Listen, can''t you just give me the ticket and I''ll mail you the rest of the money?" She desperately


    entreated. "I''ll give you my address once I get to my destination."


    "Ma''am, I cannot give you a ticket without the proper funds. That''s the rule."


    Lyte pulled her hands out of her pockets and drew closer to the window to where she was able to


    ce her hands on the ledge.


    With eyes beginning to water, Lyte implored, "You don''t understand, I have to get out of this state.


    Someone is hunting me down."


    "If that''s the case then you need to contact the authorities."


    "But they can''t do anything!" Lyte mmed her hands on the ledge.


    Thedy behind the window turned her head in weariness for a moment before looking back at


    Lyte.


    "Ever since yesterday, I''ve watched you walk this station like it were a park. I''ve watched you sleep on


    that bench over there. Honey, I see young girls like you in here all the time."


    "I''m not a hooker." Lyte openly wept.


    "Okay, okay." Thedy said. "But I''ve been working here for seventeen years, and I''ve seen young girls


    come in and out of this ce looking to get out of town. Honey, you''re in some kind of terrible trouble,


    and right now, you need to go home."


    "But I can''t go home. I keep on having these nightmares."


    "And you really believe that going all the way to Arizona will solve all of your problems?"


    Lyte only paused in ce at that instant and allowed the woman''s words to sink into every pore of


    her rigid body.


    "Look...that''s all the money I have." She gulped. "I don''t have anything else in this world."


    The woman studied Lyte''s face with such a painstaking precision that Lyte actually thought for


    a moment that her worries would be alleviated.


    Leaning forward, thedy said quietly, "Look around you."Lyte turned around and observed the


    humans that were milling about the bus station in their own various ways."Each one of those people


    has a ce to go to. Whether they''reing or going, they all have a ce to be. No amount of


    money you have or don''t have will ever get you to where you should be, youngdy."


    Lyte slowly turned back to the woman behind the window and stared hard at her before wiping the


    tears from her eyes.


    "Now, you give the right amount of money, and I''ll be more than happy to sell you a ticket to Phoenix, or


    anywhere else you desire to go. But right now, I believe you should go back home."


    The anxiety that nketed Lyte''s body was gradually sifting away. Thedy behind the window slid


    her money back across. Without another word Lyte took her money back and gingerly walked


    away.


    She stumbled past one person after another before she came to a payphone. She took a quarter with


    the money she had and inserted it into the slot, she then dialed.


    The line she was trying to connect with was busy. After so many attempts the woman hung up the


    phone and simply hauled her body away like a defeated, battle-weary soldier.


    Perched up above her in different spots throughout the terminal were televisions, all of which just


    happened to be tuned to multiple channels. The set that hung above Lyte''s head somehow


    managed to catch her attention. It was the nightly news break giving an hourly weather report. Lyte


    stood and looked up at the weatherman pointing at the various cities and states throughout the country


    with a dismayed frown on her face. Phoenix had a high of 110 degrees.


    "Here in Cypress it''s a balmy 76 degrees with light winds. A chance of showers in the next couple of


    days is a possibility."


    "Thank you, Fred. Now, a word from Channel Seven''s station manager, Rudy Ward."


    "Thank you, Gene. Good evening. Tonight I would like very much to discuss a situation with you, my


    fellow Cypress citizens. A situation that has been on this station manager''s mind for quite some time


    now. That situation concerns the recent animal killings that have been guing this city for the past few


    days.


    Now, I know a lot of people are specting that the thing or things is just some wild, endangered


    creature that somehow got loose from a zoo, or just happened to creep in through Ohio''s borders. But I


    happen to believe that this may be something a lot more, dare I use the word, bizarre.


    Last November, and just this past February, Ohio was gued with the same sort of animal attacks.


    And as of yet, no one has been able to pinpoint just what species of animal these things are or where


    they even emanate from. I''ve heard stories of Bigfoot and the Abominable Snowman, but unlike those


    tall tales, we happen to have a very seriously real issue here.


    The loss of innocent life is something we all take to heart. The murders at Topaz and those at the


    women''s shelter were all tragic and ghastly events. And yet, our police force seems to be clueless as to


    how to ascertain just where this beast could possibly be. Something that can kill seventeen women and


    children in one night cannot be too hard to find. And let''s not overlook the murders at the skating rink


    as well.


    These yings are not just the random doings of some sort of wild dog. I believe it to be much more


    than the eye can see. Especially since no one can even gain a glimpse of the creature. No, my friends,


    this station manager happens to believe that we have a much more serious matter here.


    Never before has our fair city been in such peril. Never before have we experienced the grip of fear the


    likes we are undergoing now. If the police are not able to protect us from this enemy, then what, might I


    ask, are we the citizens supposed to do? As I speak, there are vigntes running wild in our streets


    doing the work that the police should be doing. I personally fear for these people''s lives. They have no


    earthly idea just what they may be getting themselves into.


    This invader that has besieged our city is a foreign enemy. It is an enemy the likes we''ve never seen


    before or will never see again. I personally do not believe in the concept of evil; I believe that both man


    and beast are inherently able to be reasoned with. But there is something here in Cypress that gives


    me great pause. Something that we as citizens of this great city must be willing to ept as fact, and


    that fact is we are not only under siege, but fear is our greatest enemy. For Channel Seven, I''m Rudy


    Ward. Until we meet again."


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    Lyte''s entire being melted to the floor at that stage. She felt as though she were the only person


    inside the terminal anymore.


    "Attention, please! In five minutes we will be shutting off the air unit! I repeat, in five minutes we will be


    shutting off the air unit! Thank you!" Thedy over the loud P.A. system announced.


    Just a few feet to her immediate right was the exit. The full moon outside shined bright on one of the


    buses that had passengers boarding one by one. Luggage was being loaded into the lower


    compartment of the bus while people of all sorts, including some women with their small children, all


    climbed into the waiting vehicle. A couple of people passed Lyte on their way out the door. Some


    even bumped right into her as though she wasn''t even there at all.


    Once she was through taking enough abuse, Lyte as well exited through the door and ventured out


    into the moonlit night that awaited her with such fervor.

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32


    "When or if you see your sister, tell her to give us a call!" Mr. Glover said aloud over the phone before


    hanging up.


    Seated on the couch with Isaiah right next to her sucking on a cup, Mrs. Glover asked, "What did


    Lavonia say?"


    Turning around and grunting, Mr. Glover replied, "She said she doesn''t know where Lynn is. But then


    again, she''s probably over there with the rest of them getting high and acting like a bunch of fools!"


    Mrs. Glover sat and watched with troubled eyes as her long-suffering husband, still adorned in his blue


    night watchman''s uniform, traipsed back and forth across the carpet.


    "Maybe we should call the police again," Mrs. Glover wringed her hands."Just like they said yesterday,


    they''re doing everything they can to look for her."


    Mr. Glover rubbed his head. "I can''t believe she just up and ran off like this!" He yelled.


    "Poor Lyte has always had her unusual ways." Mrs. Glover turned her head.


    "Her ways," Mr. Glover stopped pacing. "Wilma, that girl has lost her ever loving mind! I''m sick and tired


    of these girls of ours acting like they''ve got no home training!"


    "You don''t have to raise your voice."


    "Like hell I don''t!" The man tossed his arms in the air. "You should''ve heard Lavonia over that phone. It


    sounded like she''s got a party going on over there with all those kids!"


    "She tried." Wilma softly uttered.


    "Tried at what?" Mr. Glover approached his wife. "Just where did we go wrong with them?"


    Without looking him in the eye, Wilma said, "Lynn is a good girl. There''s something else going on with


    her. I saw it when I got her out of jail the other day. She¡ª


    "Hold on, when you got her out of what?"


    Wilma''s eyes immediately connected with her husband''s at that instant. In what appeared to be


    minutes, the two just stared at each other before Mr. Glover turned away and walked over to the


    mantle.


    "What did the girl do?" He sighed.


    "It doesn''t matter."


    "What the hell do you mean it doesn''t matter?" He roared while spinning around.


    Just then, the lights in the living room all went out. At once, Isaiah began to cry which only caused Mr.


    Glover to go into a more rage-filled stomp across the floor.


    "Shut him up while I go downstairs and look at the fuse box!"


    Wilma got up from off the couch and began for one of the front windows. "It''s probably another one of


    these rolling ckouts!" She shouted before opening one of the curtains to look outside. "But everyone


    else''s lights are still on, Julius!"Once Wilma was through looking outside she turned back around to


    attend to Isaiah who was trying to climb off the couch and onto the floor."Boy, if you don''t get up from


    off that floor." Wilma lightly warned as she scooped the child up and into her arms.


    "The darn fuses are all still on." Mr. Glover announced as he came back into the living room. "You said


    that the rest of the neighborhood was still up and running?"


    "They sure are."Mr. Glover, with shlight in hand, went over to the front window and gawked out into


    the dark neighborhood.


    "It figures ours would be out while everyone else is still enjoying their electricity. Boy, I tell ya, if it ain''t


    one thing it''s another."


    "Maybe we should call the bus station." Wilma walked around the living room with Isaiah attached to


    her. "They usually have a lot of people going in and out of there."


    Julius continued to stare out at the various houses before he pulled himself away from the window.


    "I guess I could." He dropped his shoulders. "But if she''s down there, then that means she''s fixin'' to


    skip town. And just why would she want to do that, especially with her own child still here?"


    "God only knows." Wilma said. "That child''s soul is so backwards now, she couldn''t even¡ª


    At that very moment, a knock at the front door sidestepped Wilma''s every word. Julius nearly dropped


    his shlight before he turned and went for the door. Wilma stared oddly at the door before her jaws


    stuttered, "Don''t open it."


    "It''s probably one of the neighbors." Julius said as he unlocked the door and opened it to see a tall


    silhouette with two twinkling eyes standing on the other end.


    "Good evening, sir, we heard you had a power outage." A man''s deep, foreign sounding voice spoke in


    the dark of the porch.


    "Uh...yeah," Julius shined his shlight into the man''s face. "How did you get here so quick," he


    squared his eyes at the man.


    "We were already in de neighborhood." He answered, "We saw your lights out, sir."


    Julius just stood still while keeping his shlight tuned to the man''s smiling, bearded face. "Uh...look,


    we''ll just get in touch with the powerpany."


    "But we are de powerpany, sir. The name''s Arthur Bushard. And dis here is my assistant, Akoni."


    Julius then shined his light on Akoni who was walking up the porch steps with her own toolbox in hand.


    He noticed that both Akoni and Arthur were wearing white tank top shirts and dingy blue jeans.


    "If you''d just let us inside we''d be able to service you better, sir." Arthur continued to gleam his teeth at


    a nervous Mr. Glover.


    Julius nced back behind him at his wife before turning around to face Arthur. "Look, um, why don''t


    you two just¡ª


    "Just let us in, sir." Arthur said, sounding desperate. "De sooner we get inside, de sooner you can have


    your power back on."


    "You certainly do not want your food to go to waste in dis heat, do you?" Akoni asked.


    Julius hesitated for what seemed like countless seconds before he stepped aside to allow both of them


    in.


    Wilma sat on the couch with Isaiah and watched with foreboding eyes as Arthur and Akoni looked all


    around the living room. The veryst thing she wanted was to see the two of them inside her house,


    which was exactly why her grip on Isaiah''s waist increased with every passing minute. Just their very


    presence gave off an ominous, if not downright appalling heaviness that engulfed the entire living room,


    causing the darkness to feel even more suffocating.


    "You have a very nice home, sir." Arthur marveled at the area.


    "Yeah, from what you can see in the dark," Julius bluntly remarked. "The fuse box is down in the


    basement. Let''s see some work being done."


    "Yes, sir," Arthur dlyplied.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    At once, Akoni, with her toolbox, ventured out of the living room and towards the kitchen, leaving


    everyone else behind.


    "You are quite fortunate dat we were in de neighborhood when we were." Arthur stated. "We''ve been


    getting all kinds of reports of rolling ckoutstely."


    "We''re used to it by now." Wilma said.


    Arthur then pointed his eyes at the woman in a witty manner that would have suggested he was


    amused by her.


    "Look, how long is this gonna take?" Julius asked while still shining his shlight. "It just seems kind of


    funny to me the timing of all this."


    "Not much longer, sir," Arthur responded. "My sister is very efficient in her work."


    "That girl is your sister?" Julius pointed behind him.


    "Yes, sir, for quite some time now," Arthur''s smile grewrger. "Our business should not take too long."


    "I could''ve sworn that girl looked awfully familiar. Awfully familiar," he insisted.


    Wilma could not take her eyes off of Arthur. She noticed that every time Julius would remove the


    shlight''s beam away from his face, Arthur''s eyes seemed to possess a certain radiance about them.


    She noticed it all too well.


    "So tell me, how long have you and your sister been in this country?" Julius asked.


    "Oh, for a while now," Arthur said. "We came here with our brother as well, but he moved on to other


    tings."


    "I see. So where are you guys from exactly?"


    "Jamaica, sir," Arthur remarked before turning to his left to see the mantle above the firece. The man


    then ventured over and viewed the various frames of family members thatyered the mantle."I see


    you have a very lovely family, sir."


    "Yeah, that''s them." Julius shined his light on the man''s bald head.


    Wilma watched intently as Arthur viewed each and every picture, in the dark no less, until he came


    across Lyte''s frame. Right there, the man''s entire body stood perfectly immobile as he stared


    endlessly at the youngdy''s face.


    Suddenly, Isaiah began to cry. Wilma tried to calm the child but he just seemed to grow more agitated


    with every passing moment.


    "I''m gonna go see what that girl is doing." Julius said as he began towards the kitchen.


    "No, don''t you go anywhere." Wilma fretfullymanded the man.


    "De cries of a baby are someting very sweet to my ears." Arthur gradually turned around with


    Lyte''s picture in hand. "I have heard dem many, many times in my life."


    Instantly, Isaiah ceased crying as Arthur ced his toolbox onto the floor. "We have known all along


    where dis house is." Both his smile and voice shrank. "But, we are having much difficulty finding your


    child."


    "You and your sister get the hell outta here!" Julius shouted.


    Something from upstairs began to rattle and stir right then. It sounded like someone was moving


    furniture across the floor.Without a moment''s hesitation, Julius charged at the stairs only to be stopped


    at the very first step.


    "Who the hell is that up there?" He angrily hollered.


    Arthur mmed Lyte''s frame to the floor, smashing the ss to bits. "A familiar face, sir," Arthur


    said.


    Wilma sat and looked at Arthur, who without the shlight beaming in his face, appeared more like an


    animal in the dark with his shining eyes.


    "What the holy hell?" Julius stood back aghast as a figure came trotting down the stairs ever so slowly.


    Wilma turned around to see just who in the world it was, but because of the darkness, making out a


    face was nearly impossible; all she could hear were footsteps.


    Julius shined his shlight at the figure before dropping the light to the floor in horror and tumbling


    backwards.


    "Mama," he screamed out in terror.


    Wilma watched as the dark figure continued to descend until it eventually reached the bottom step


    before vanishing altogether out of sight.


    "Out of all de ces I have visited, dis one pleases me de most." Arthur spread his arms out wide.


    Wilma heard the man, but her eyes were relentlessly transfixed on the apparent woman that just


    vanished like a whisper. Just moving a simple finger at that point seemed impossible for her to do.


    Julius then got up from off the floor before taking out an umbre from the closet and advancing


    towards Arthur with it in an aggressive manner.


    But before the man coulde any closer, Arthur reached out, grabbed the umbre and snatched it


    away from Julius. He then backhanded Julius across the jaw sending him to the floor.Wilma looked on


    at the man who appearedpletely unconscious lying t on his stomach in the dark.


    Dropping the umbre to the floor, Arthur drew close to Wilma and Isaiah who were both shivering on


    the couch. Wilma held the child as tight as she could while covering the boy''s eyes with her right hand.


    All Wilma could see standing above her was a broad-shouldered profile with glowing eyes pointed right


    down at her.


    "In dis darkness, mother, I can see forever." Arthur uttered. "Wee for your daughter, but she not


    here. Wee to finish our work, but we find only de child and no mama."


    Wilma sat on the couch shaking like a leaf. Behind her she could feel a presence standing. It breathed


    in and out before it growled. On her bare left arm she felt something wet and warm drop. It felt like


    something or someone was slobbering on her.


    Soon enough, the drool was followed by the sound of even more growling. Wilma only held Isaiah


    closer to her bosom. The child tried to whimper but she made sure that not one sound could be heard


    coming from his mouth.


    "Where your daughter at, mother," Arthur questioned. "Tell her toe home."


    "I don''t know where she is." Wilma''s teeth grated back and forth until they began to hurt.


    Arthur only drew closer to the woman before he eventually stopped. Wilma held her breath as she


    looked up at the ghoul before her. Then, she felt a pair of cold, hard, sharp nails embrace her shoulders


    from behind. The woman held her grandson all the firmer while not taking her eyes off of the one that


    stared right back at her.


    "What are you tinking now, mother?" Arthur asked.


    Wilma would not answer, even while the ws that were restraining her began piercing her skin. But


    Arthur remained still in front of her. Suddenly, his movements in the dark appeared somewhat stranger


    than they did earlier. It was like he was hesitating to make another step.


    Wilma just couldn''t remove her eyes from the man. No more was she all too concerned with the beast


    behind her, nor was she giving much attention to her husband that was still knocked out; it was Arthur


    Bushard that had her full, unmitigated consideration.


    Arthur stood straight up and questioned in a low, almost threatening manner, "Who are you?"


    Without warning, Akoni''s grip on Wilma''s shoulders gradually loosened. Within a matter of seconds her


    once brooding presence behind her didn''t feel so chilling.


    "You are not afraid of us." Arthur''s voice sounded small. "Why are you not afraid us, mother?"


    Wilma would not speak a word. Her intimidating silence was as strange as the beings that had invaded


    her home. Once Isaiah had stopped crying, she pulled him away from her sweaty chest and held his


    tiny hands in hers.


    Akoni came around and stood beside Arthur. Before Wilma stood two pairs of glowing eyes that


    wouldn''t stop staring down at her. All four persons either stood or sat quietly as they looked upon each


    other as though they were daring the other to speak another word in the warm darkness of the house.


    Wilma''s eyes then widened as another pair of eyes appeared behind Arthur; except the eyes were a


    dark, glowing orange.


    "Who are you?" The voice behind Arthur and Akoni hissed.


    Wilma said absolutely nothing. She only held her grandson beside her on the couch and quietly


    observed her devilish intruders.

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33


    11:37 p.m.


    Lyte sat in the backseat of the cab, huddled in the corner like a horrified child. She wanted the cab


    driver to take his sweet time getting back to her parents'' house. She prayed that every traffic light they


    came across would hold for the longest time. All the woman could see in her mind was the


    disappointed looks on her parents'' faces; not once did she even entertain a single thought of Isaiah.


    She couldn''t even speak the boy''s name inside her own head.


    With every stop the cab made Lyte''s heart dropped to the floor. She didn''t even have the courage


    to nce out the window at the nighttime scenery just to see where she was. All that mattered to her


    was time and how much of that time she could possibly waste inside the span of one evening.


    "Here we are." The cab driver announced as he stopped and put the vehicle in park.


    Lyte finally looked up and out the window to see her house which waspletely ckened. She


    knew that someone was inside and that those people were usually in bed by ten p.m.


    She reached into her pocket and pulled out a five dor bill which she promptly handed to the driver.


    "This is only a down payment." She said. "I need to go inside and do something. Could you please wait


    out here for me? I won''t be that long."


    The young, white man took the bill and replied, "No problem; I''m at the end of my shift anyways."


    Then, with as much skittish mettle as she could assemble Lyte rolled out of the cab and began for


    the front porch.


    "All I need is a hundred and nine dors." She murmured to herself. "I promise I''ll be back before the


    year''s end. I''ll give the money back to you when I return. I just need to go and do something for a


    while."


    The slower she walked the more she recited her ill-fated speech. Before long, however, she found


    herself face to face with the front door.


    Just as Lyte was about to pull out her house key, her eyes caught sight of the door which looked


    somewhat odd. She noticed that the door itself appeared as if it wasn''t closed all the way. Immediately,


    what she had to say to her parents didn''t seem to matter all too much.


    This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Lyte lightly shoved the door open and said out loud, "Mama! Daddy!"


    From outside on the porch all Lyte could see were a few shapes and outlines of furniture. She


    clutched her aching stomach at that stage, wondering just what on earth was happening.


    "Lynn." A frail voice called out.


    Lyte nearly went into cardiac arrest at that instant. She recognized her mother''s voice, but the way


    it sounded wasn''t normal. Lyte rushed her way inside.


    "Mama, where are you?" her voice stuttered.


    "We''re over here." Wilma replied. "Your father''s shlight is lying next to the stairs."


    Lyte searched in the dark for the shlight until she eventually stumbled upon it. She then clicked


    the thing on and pointed it in the direction her mother''s voice wasing from. The light shined on


    both her mother and father who were seated on the floor in front of the couch. Her mother was cradling


    her dad in her arms.


    Lyte slowly crept upon her parents. She first focused upon her father who had a deepceration


    across the right side of his face. She could see his hands shaking, while in his eyes was a vacant stare


    that was off in another world. She saw his lips move while soft, incoherent words came out of his


    mouth.


    "They hurt your dad really bad." Wilma uttered while stroking the man''s hair.


    Lyte then tuned the shlight to her mother''s face. Her look was worn, yet somewhat at ease.


    Lyte knew that something had taken ce, but by her mother''sckluster appearance one would


    believe that she was either settled or at least in a state ofplete shock.


    Getting closer with only her shlight, Lyte, with trembling hands and legs asked, "Mama, what


    happened?"


    At first, Wilma only shook her head from left to right. Bing more disturbed by the second, Lyte


    went over and attempted to cut on themp that sat on the end table next to the window.


    "They cut off the power, child. The phones don''t work either."


    Coming back over to her parents, Lyte questioned, "Who cut off the power?"


    "Those people," Wilma continued to shake her head in dismay.


    Kneeling, Lyte persisted, "Mama, what happened here? What happened to you and dad?"


    Wilma''s nd eyes atst connected with Lyte''s. The women stared at each other for a few


    moments before Wilma opened her mouth.


    "They came here and took your child."


    "What?" Lyte lost her breath. "What are you talking about?"


    Wilma only dropped her head to look upon her husband. "Those people came in here. They hurt your


    dad, and then they took your baby."


    By then Lyte was starting to get a headache, not only from the weariness of the days that were


    wearing her nerves thin, but by her mother''s cryptic ramblings.


    "Mama, I don''t understand who you are talking about!" Lyte raised her voice.


    Wilma then looked Lyte in the eye again before saying, "The woman you and your sisters attacked


    in the park. The man she was with, and that devil, too."


    Lyte''s eyes nearly fell right out of their sockets at that moment from sheer fright. She fell


    backwards onto the floor, dropping the shlight.


    "They came in here, and they all took him away."


    Lyte then jumped up from off the floor before reaching and grabbing her mother''s shoulders. She


    violently shook the woman back and forth while screaming, "Mama, what is wrong with you? What is


    going on?"


    "It''s like a disease that branches out to everything...and everyone." Wilma only mumbled in a distant


    tone before refocusing her attention back to Julius who was still muttering sweet nothings.


    "Where did we go wrong?" The man ever so gently purred.


    Lyte gradually got to her quaking feet. What was ironic was that thanks to where she had dropped


    the shlight she was able to watch her parents as she backed out of the house. Neither of them


    looked like the people she grew up knowing all her life. They too, had been gued.


    Lyte stumbled out of the house and down the porch steps, nearly tripping and falling along the way.


    She was hyperventting all the way back to the waiting cab.


    "I thought you forgot all about me." The cab driver snickered.


    Lyte sat in the backseat wheezing in and out. She couldn''t stop herself from shaking and


    slobbering.


    "Are you okay back there?" The driver looked back.


    "Can...can you drive me to the...police station?" She stammered uncontrobly.


    "Uh...sure," he oddly replied before turning around and pulling away.


    Her mother didn''t have to specify who had invaded the house. There was no more exnation or


    storytelling to be deliberated upon. From out of nowhere, and after so many months, Lyte had a


    son all over again, and she couldn''t stop shaking while remembering him reaching out for her back


    inside the bathroom way back in February.


    She couldn''t recall anything her mother said to her back at the house but that her child had been taken.


    It grieved Lyte''s already queasy stomach to know that deep within her, she actually hoped that


    whoever they were, would take Isaiah and themselves far, far away from her.

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34


    Like a frightened kitten Lyte crept into the semi-busy police station where a light stream of


    disorderly traffic swept through the floor; from officers escorting pimps and prostitutes, to drug addicts


    and homeless people being processed at various points throughout the area.


    In Lyte''s mind everyone that surrounded her were shadows that were caving in on her. She held


    her boney arms as though she were freezing cold while trying not to make physical contact with any of


    the other undesirables that resided in the station''s front lobby.


    Ahead of her was a long podium that stretched at least fifty feet wide. At the very center of the podium


    was an older ckdy who was dressed in full police regalia and steadily writing away on a piece of


    paper while sessfully ignoring the rest of the world around her.


    "Excuse me." Lyte meekly gawked at the woman.


    Thedy, who was still scribbling away on her piece of paper, didn''t remove her eyes from her duty.


    "Can I help you?" She mumbled.


    "My...my son has been kidnapped." Lyte stammered.


    At the snap of a finger thedy stopped writing and looked straight at Lyte asking with a suddenly


    concerned look, "How long ago was your son taken?"


    "I...I don''t know for sure. Maybe about an hour ago or something."


    "Okay, just hold on, I''ll be right back," the woman said while getting up from out of her seat and walking


    away.


    Lyte stood by and watched as the unnamed shadows passed by her in a simultaneous chorus of


    blundering chaos. She didn''t know whether to remain at the podium or simply walk away altogether.


    She couldn''t stop shaking, and the more she thought of Isaiah the more she just wanted to break down


    and bawl all over the floor. It had been months since she had control over her own being.


    "Can I help you?" A middle-aged, ck police officer approached Lyte.


    Lyte looked at the man and tried to speak. "I...my son has been taken away."


    "Okay, follow me and we''ll see what we can do."


    The man led Lyte away from the open floor and to a series of desks that were located in an


    adjacent area. Within the area were other officers who were either heading home for the evening or just


    beginning their shifts.


    The officer pulled out a chair for Lyte to sit in. Seated just three feet beside her was another desk


    where a white man who was disguised as a mime was arguing with an officer.


    "Okay, my name is Officer Barron." The man said as he sat down behind his desk. "And what is your


    name, ma''am?"


    "Uh, Lyte Glover," she timidly replied. Barron paused for a bit looking as if he were trapped inside a


    thought.


    "Glover, Glover. Why does that name sound so familiar?" He tapped his fingers on his desk. "It doesn''t


    matter. Miss Glover, can you describe your son for me, please?"


    "He''s two years old. He has...he has." Lyte tried and tried so diligently but could not seem to


    conjure a mere picture of her son in her head. "I''m sorry, I''m not thinking very clearly right now.."


    "That''s okay, but we need some kind of description in order to get this search underway. Now, what


    was he wearing when youst saw him?"


    "I...I don''t know for sure."


    Barron ced his pen down onto the desk before sitting and studying Lyte very meticulously.


    "Miss Glover, are you sure that your son is even missing?"


    "Yes, yes he is!" Lyte hurried to say. "You see, I haven''t been home in a few days. I''ve


    been...working a lot."


    Barron continued to hand the young woman the ''square eye'' before he picked up his pen and began


    writing all over again.


    "Can you possibly give me anything to go on? Something about your son that we couldtch on to in


    order to make this easier," Barron persisted.


    Lyte bore down as hard as she could before blurting out the first thing that came to mind. "He has


    curly hair and a scar on his left hand that his...father gave him."


    "Curly hair and a scar on his left hand," Barron recited to himself while writing. "Is it possible that his


    father¡ª


    Barron right there stopped himself before taking his pen and nibbling on the very tip while staring on at


    Lyte. "Now I remember that name." He said in a low voice.


    Lyte only turned her head and blushed the longer Barron looked at her. "Miss Glover, where was


    your son when he was abducted?"


    "He was with my parents at their house."


    "Okay, and what''s your parents'' address?"


    "2167 Anders Road."


    "Would your parents be able to give an urate description of your son? It would help."


    Shaking her head in a futile manner, Lyte said, "No, they were both attacked this evening, too."


    "I''m taking that this was a burry?"


    "Yes."


    "Did your parents happen to get a description of the intruder or intruders?"


    "My mother said that there was¡ª


    Lyte''s brain came to aplete and abrupt stop at that very instant. All she could think of was


    what her mother had mentioned.


    "Miss Glover, are you okay?" Barron waved his hand in front of her nk, pale face.


    At once, Lyte started to tremble all over again. "My...my mama said that there were three?" She


    turned her head.


    "Who were the other two?" She then began to cry.


    Reaching his hand out, Barron said, "Okay, Miss Glover, I''m going to need you to calm down."


    "She said there were three of them!" Lyte sobbed loud enough for everyone within earshot to hear.


    "Miss Glover, please try and calm yourself."


    "But I don''t know who the other two were!"


    "Look, I know exactly how you feel. I have two sons of my own." Barron said. "But in order for us to find


    your child, I need for you to settle down and tell me everything you know."


    Lyte wiped her face clean before sping her hands together as tight as possible. "I know one of


    them." She whimpered. "She had these brown eyes and afro puffs. She was dark skinned. Thest


    time I saw her was in Skyler Park."


    Writing on his pad, Barron asked, "Okay, what about the other two?"


    "That''s just it, I don''t know of any other two." Lyte tried to catch her breath. "My mother said that


    there were three of them, but I only know of the woman."


    "Is it possible that this woman could be part of a gang?" Barron inquired. "We have been seeing a spike


    in gang activity in the city as ofte."


    Lyte shut her eyes for a few seconds before opening them and exhaling the warm air around her.


    The words she wanted and needed to say were right there on the very tip of her dry tongue, all she had


    to do was open her mouth and let them flow.


    In a very calm voice, Lyte exined, "I''m going to tell you something that you won''t believe at first,


    but it needs to be said all the same."


    Officer Barron sat up close and personal to the young woman while not batting a single eysh as he


    stared hard at her.


    "What I am about to tell you won''t sound...real, but it''s all I have. These animal killings that have been


    happening, I know of¡ª


    At that very moment, a loudmotion erupted from clear on the other side of the area. It was two


    men wrestling with several police officers on their way into the station.


    At once, everyone within the vicinity, from officers to victims and perps, stopped what they were doing


    and directed their attention at the melee which began sprawling all onto the floor, making it appear like


    a mad riot.


    "You''re gonna have to excuse me!" Barron breathlessly stated as he shot up from out of his chair and


    raced towards the scene to aid.


    At once, numerous officers all descended upon the two unruly men in order to subdue the turmoil, while


    Lyte sat by in her chair and watched in astonishment.


    Both of her hands trembled on herp as her teeth chattered. Lyte was wrapped up in all sorts of


    misery, from the spurts of profanityced mayhem clear on the other side of the room, to her own son;


    no matter what, the woman could not catch a simple breath. She had spent months ignoring Isaiah to


    the point where at times she forgot that the boy actually existed.


    All every thought seemed to do was make her body shudder from head to toe. She couldn''t believe that


    he was gone. The same child that she hadn''t seen in days was nowhere to be found, and just knowing


    that something beyond darkness had taken him to God knows where only made her want to throw up


    right on the floor beneath her.


    "Tea," a man''s voice suddenly spoke.


    Lyte looked all around until her eyes connected with the man seated only three feet to her right at


    the next desk.


    "What?" She cleared her throat.


    "I said, tea." The young man in his mime disguise casually remarked from his chair. "Drinking a warm


    cup of tea will calm those jitters."


    Trying to gather herself, Lyte sat up in her seat and wiped her misty eyes. "Thanks." She stuttered.


    "Believe me, sister, I used to shoot up, too. That is until a good friend told me about the wonderful


    effects of tea calming the nerves."


    Appearing bbergasted, Lyte looked at the man and arrogantly said, "For you information, I am


    not high."


    All it took was for the man to stare at Lyte''s scarred up arms for her to turn away from him in total


    embarrassment.


    "Look, I''m sorry your kid is missing, but thest thing you need is to be in here of all ces shaking like


    a leaf. These cops see it every day. The cop that was attending to you isn''t stupid."


    Lyte tried her hardest not to look at the man, who with his makeup only appeared as a scary clown


    in her eyes, despite his carefree tone.


    "Look at that mess over there." He nodded his head.


    Lyte slightly turned her head to view the carnage that was still taking ce in the middle of the


    floor.


    "These people are so understaffed due to most of them walking the beat after this wild animal that''s


    running loose." The man exined. "That''s why I''m here now. No, I take that back," he sniggered. "I''m


    actually here because I was harassing this elderly couple. They said they would give me five dors for


    my routine, but once I was through, the old geezers just up and walked away. Next thing I know, I''m


    sitting here in a police station missing ''Wee back Kotter.''"


    "Maybe it''s a good thing that you''re sitting in here and not out there." Lyte found the courage to


    speak up.


    "Maybe you''re right." The man relented.


    Sitting in her cozy chair with her arms wrapped around her body in the hopes that her shakes would


    end, Lyte watched in silentfort as the officers eventually brought the two men to their knees. In


    her drowsy eyes it was like watching a movie.


    "There''s something out there, and there''s nothing any of us can do to kill it." Her voice faltered. "I''ve


    seen it before with my own two eyes."


    "Wait a minute, you''ve actually seen this animal before?" The mime asked amazed.


    "Yeah, twice now," she replied. "Ever since then...I know what the devil looks like. He either has fur, or


    he tells me how fine I am."


    "You sound like a poet." The mime said.


    "No, I''m not, I just see people for who they really are."


    "Yeah, so do I." The man began to rub off the white paint from his face. "I''ve been cooped up inside this


    station for the past three hours, and in those three hours I''ve had the opportunity to see all sorts of


    characters besides myself." He indignantly stated. "You see that old, ckdy over there?" He


    pointed. "She has aint about her neighbors'' dogs that keep barking all night. Then you have


    that guy right there, the bald, white fellow. He''s in hereining that a hooker didn''t give him the


    blowjob he paid for. Then there''s that guy right over there in the cuffs. The ck kid. This joker actually


    walked in here on his own volition a while ago. Apparently he''s been running around town for the past


    few days harassing people. The cops have been searching for him ever since Henderson''s speech the


    other day. Then suddenly he stumbles up in here looking for someone himself. What luck? Yep, the


    police station seems to bring out who we really are really quickly, especially when there''s a full moon


    out."


    Lyte studied each person carefully until she came eye to eye with the aforementioned bearded,


    ''ck kid'' that the mime spoke ofst.


    The young man sat cuffed to his chair staring right back at Lyte in the most distressed manner


    possible, as if he wanted to reach out for her in the worst way, even though he was fifty or so feet apart


    from her.


    Lyte tried to divert both her eyes and attention away from the man, but the more she twisted and


    squirmed in her seat, that was all the more she couldn''t seem to escape his doom gaze.


    "God, I wish they would hurry and at least put me in a cell already." The mime grumbled. "I can''t take


    this sitting a second longer."


    The more time passed that was the antsier and more ufortable Lyte became, until after so


    long she couldn''t bear it any longer. She got up from out of her chair and began walking away.


    "Hey, what about your missing kid,dy?" The mime tossed up his hands in confusion.


    But Lyte blew him off as she carried on past one busy officer after another. At that point, and after


    so much anarchy her brain had been reduced to mush. Isaiah was still fresh in her heart, but Lyte


    desired to be away from prowling eyes, officers and mimes.


    As she came closer to the handcuffed man Lyte couldn''t help but to quickly nce at him on her


    way out the door.


    "Lynn!" Cloyse shouted.


    Lyte nearly fell to the floor trying to stop. When she gazed down all she could see was Cloyse


    looking back up at her like a lost, desperate puppy panting for water.


    "Who...who are you?" She fumbled over her own tongue.


    Scooting his chair closer to her, Cloyse gasped, "You are alive."


    Lyte only backed away from the feverish man as though he had a disease. "Who are you?" She


    started to shake all over again.


    Cloyse appeared as if he were about to cry. His face and clothes were saturated in sweat, while his


    bloodshot eyes gave the impression that he hadn''t rested in ages.


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    Lyte could only see a fraught, pathetic man before her who could have been high on the same


    kinds of drugs she had been indulging in for the past few months; his looks wouldn''t have proven


    otherwise.


    "Please...let me out of here." He grieved.


    "I don''t know you." Lyte turned up her nose before pulling away from Cloyse.


    "I can see in your face dat you have seen them!" He said out loud.


    Lyte once more stopped before turning back around and frowning, "Nigga, what are you talking


    about?"


    Cloyse dropped his head for a moment before looking back up and saying, "You have seen Arthur and


    his sister."


    "Who," Lyte clinched her fists.


    "The two with de eyes," Cloyse remarked.


    Lyte''s left foot tapped so hard on the floor from fear that she could hardly even stand in ce.


    "Who are you and what are you talking about?"


    "I too have seen dem. I have seen dem all of my life. Dey are here, in dis city. Dey havee for you."


    Lyte''s eyes couldn''t have gotten any wider than they were at that painstaking instant. She heard


    the wordsing out of Cloyse''s mouth, but she honestly couldn''t believe what she was listening to.


    "I don''t know you!" She yelled. "Who''sing for me?"


    "Okay, fe, that''ll do it for you." A male, white officer came up behind Cloyse and began to uncuff him


    from the chair that he was attached to.


    "No, no, I need to speak with him!" Lyte urged the officer.


    "Lady, I have to get this guy to a cell, pronto." The officer began dragging Cloyse away.


    "Miss Glover, I need for you toe back to my desk so we can finish your missing persons report."


    Officer Barron came up behind Lyte.


    Anxiously, Lyte spun around and said, "I have to talk to him!" she pointed at Cloyse.


    "Miss Glover, this guy has been harassing¡ª


    "I know all that, but it''s important that I speak with him!" Lyte pleaded with Barron. "Something tells


    me that he may know where my son is!"


    Barron and the white officer both stood and eyed each other. Lyte then approached Cloyse and


    asked in an adamant tone, "Just where have you been these past few days, Charles?"


    Cloyse''s face took on a more confounded re. For a second or two he gawked all around wondering


    just who she was addressing.


    "You''ve been running all over the city bothering folks when all you had to do was take your medication."


    Lyte continued. "Why didn''t youe home the other night like I told you?" Lyte then turned to


    Barron. "He''s my cousin...from Africa. Me and the family have been looking all over for him. Thank God


    you all found him."


    "Well, he actually found us." The white officermented. "He came in here a couple of hours ago


    looking for some woman."


    Patting Cloyse on the shoulder, Lyte looked doe-eyed at the man and said, "Poor Charles, he must


    mean Aunt Wilma." She then turned back to Barron. "She was his mother who died three years ago.


    You see, without his medication, he''s aplete mess. If I could just take him home then he''ll be out of


    your hair before you know it."


    The white officer stepped forward and tried to say, "Look, I don''t¡ª


    "Hold on, I think there''s a little con game going on here." Officer Barron halted the officer. "Let him go."


    The officer looked at Barron as to say releasing Cloyse was out of the question.


    "Just let him go, Lord knows we''ve got a hundred other problems to deal with at the moment."


    Ever so reluctantly, the officer unlocked Cloyse''s cuffs. Lyte then took the man by the arm and


    began leading him towards the front door.


    "Thank you so much." She smiled at both officers.


    "Do us all a favor and stay off the streets, the both of you." Barron rolled his eyes as he walked away.


    Forcefully escorting Cloyse out the door, Lyte whispered into his ear, "What do you know about


    me?"


    Rubbing his sore wrists, Cloyse red his confused eyes at Lyte before replying, "I know why


    Arthur and Akoni are here."


    "Who and who," Lyte shrugged her shoulders.


    "De two devils dat are here in dis town," Cloyse said, sounding as if she should have known what he


    was talking about.


    "But you know my name."


    Cloyse looked all around at the lively downtown scenery before turning back to Lyte. "I know a lot


    of tings. I have traveled very far to find my sister, and to hunt dem down and kill dem."


    Lyte''s mind was racing faster than the vehicles that were flying down the street past her. The


    woman didn''t even know what day it was.


    "Okay, if you know about me, then do you know anything about my son, too? Apparently these same


    devils that you speak of came to my parents'' house and took him."


    Cloyse''s eyes began to water up at that instant. All Lyte could seem to do upon staring at him was


    try and restrain her own knees from buckling like they wanted to.


    "Where is my son?" She whimpered.


    "I...I did not know dat dey took your child." Cloyse''s voice broke up.


    "Well, they did!" Lyte screamed into his face. "You need to tell me where they took him, because


    those police in there now think I''m full of shit, and I don''t know what else to do!"


    Cloyse put his hands on his hips and paced back and forth on the sidewalk. But Lyte was


    persistent in her urging as she yanked the man by his arm and whipped him back to her face.


    "Tell me what you know!" She hysterically hollered.


    "I only know what I can see." Cloyse looked her straight in the eye.


    "What does that mean?" Cloyse pulled his arm away from Lyte''s hold before cing his hands


    over his face in a hopeless manner.


    Lyte, on the other hand, felt even more destitute and pointless. All she saw before her was a


    complete stranger who could have been just as evil as the ones that abducted her son as far as she


    was concerned.


    She folded her arms and began a stroll of her own back and forth upon the pavement until she came to


    a stop at a newspaper vending port where the headlines read only of the animal attacks.


    "Are you hungry?" She asked with her back still turned to Cloyse.


    "I am...very much." Cloyse pitifully muttered.


    With her hazy eyes still reading the newspaper headline, Lyte adamantly said, "Then follow me."


    Lyte began down the busy sidewalk with Cloyse following in behind like a lost child in tow.


    ***


    "I can''t believe thatdy just up and left without even trying to find her own kid." The mime kept on


    marveling while guzzling down his fourth cup of water from a Styrofoam cup.


    "You know how these colored broads are." The older, white male officer ranted as he plucked away at


    his typewriter on his desk. "They drop these kids then forget all about them."


    With only scant traces of white paint on his face, the mime responded, "She probably doesn''t even


    have a son for all we know. But who am I to judge? I dress up like a clown every other night."


    "You got that right, pal." The officer snickered. "Now, we''re gonna let you go simply because we don''t


    have any more room in the cells. But a piece of advice, quit harassing old folks, nobody cares about


    mimes anymore."


    "That''s one thing you don''t have to worry about, Officer." The mime pressed his hands together in a


    praying fashion. "If I ever even think of miming again you can lock me under the jail."


    "Alright, get outta here, and don''t let me see you down here again."


    Ecstatic, the young man got up from out of his seat only to be stopped by the unnerving sounds of what


    could only be described as howlinging from outside the building.


    In fact, everyone that resided on the first floor of the building all paused what they were doing at that


    very instant just to take notice of the two beasts that howled a session of nighttime chants for at


    least a full minute.


    It was an eerie noise to hear in the city of all ces; it was just as uncanny to see everyone inside the


    station''s first floore to aplete and utter stop as though each and every heart had ceased in


    their usual routine. A person could actually hear a pencil fall to the floor. Even the telephones had


    stopped ringing right then.


    Slowly sitting himself back down in his chair, the mime, with a trembling pair of hands and his face


    pointed at the windows, said to the equally speechless officer, "Uhh...did I mention that I raped ady


    last week, too?"

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35


    Inside a tiny, all-night diner at the edge of Downtown, Lyte sat on her side of the tattered, red


    leathered booth and watched as Cloyse swallowed thest morsel of his hot dog before gulping down


    another chug of Dr.Pepper from his stic cup.


    The aromatic smells of greasy, frying food from the kitchen engulfed the entire establishment, causing


    the ce to smell almost as if it were on fire. Lyte was growing more and more impatient with the


    man.


    She could have honestly cared less that he hadn''t eaten since God knows when, she had questions to


    ask, so being rude to Cloyse wasn''t exactly going to cause another bead of sweat to form on her


    already scorching forehead.


    Before Cloyse could swipe up another French fry from off his ketchup stered te, Lyte


    snatched the te away from him.


    "Okay, now tell me, where is my son?" She indignantly ordered.


    Appearing taken aback by her action, the man swallowed before saying, "My name is Cloyse. I came


    here to dis city to find Arthur and Akoni."


    "Who are they?"


    "Dey are brother and sister from my town."


    "Your town in Africa," Lyte asked.


    Blushing, Cloyse replied, "I am not from Africa. I am from a town in Jamaica."


    "Jamaica?" Lyte frowned.


    "Yes. Arthur and Akoni came here with deir brother Damerae, but for some reason or another dey both


    murdered him. Now, it is only dose two."


    "So are you saying that these two have my son?"


    Suddenly, on the speaker above their heads, the Kenny Rogers'' song ''Lucille'' began to y. Startled,


    Cloyse began looking all around the diner to see just where the music wasing from.


    mming both of her hands on the table, Lyte raised her voice, "I need you to focus on this


    conversation! Not that stupid song!"


    Cloyse sat up and still in his seat like a soldier. "I don''t know if dey have your son or not. But I do know


    dat dey are here for you and him both."


    "Why? What did we do to them?"


    Cloyse''s eyes dropped to the table in a depressed manner. "You and your son did nothing to warrant


    your deaths, neither did my sister. It is all a part of de curse."


    "Your sister," Lyte questioned. "They''re here for your sister, too?"


    Looking back at Lyte, Cloyse said, "My sister Karyn and Arthur were lovers back in our town. But


    when Karyn found out what Arthur truly was, he vited her and turned into dat demon."


    Lyte, upon hearing the name Karyn, froze up. She chose to remain silent on the woman, and just


    where she had heard the name before.


    Drawing close to Cloyse''s face, Lyte whispered, "So, let me get this straight. You know what they


    are? You actually believe in these things?"


    "Of course I do." Cloyse sounded a bit stunned. "Dey all murdered everyone in our vige."


    Gawking around for a moment, Lyte then asked, "What exactly did your people call these things?


    Because I don''t want to sit here and act like I know what they are."


    "We called dem devils, because de devil sent dem to us."


    Lyte scrupulously eyed the man. "What do they look like?"


    "You do not know?"


    "I just need to make sure we''re talking about the same thing here."


    Sighing, Cloyse responded, "Dey have fur all over dem. Dey stand at least seven feet or so. Dey


    appear like wolves."


    Lyte sat back at that instant and inhaled the description that only she wished she hadn''t heard at


    all.


    "You sit there and act like it''s nothing to you." She threw up her hands.


    "I, much like most of de people from my vige, was born into it. For years we witnessed dem destroy


    our people left and right. Believe me, it is someting, someting dat I have learned to live with, and


    someting dat I will die with."


    Shaking her head, Lyte said, "I just have a hard time sitting here and believing all of this. I mean,


    this is something out of Hollywood. Something that only white folks believe in."


    "Evil knows no color."


    "Maybe not, but none of this exins why my son and I are being targeted. It was my fianc¨¦e that was


    that thing. He nearly killed us both back in February."


    Cloyse stared on at Lyte like she was the most tragic thing in the world as the song above them


    both yed on.


    "I did not know dat your fianc¨¦e was cursed as well."


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    "Yeah, neither did I." Lyte twisted her lips. "I thought his ass was just high on some drugs or


    something."


    "Dat is how my sister behaved before she left for dis cityst year."


    "Hold on,st year?" Lyte all of the sudden clinched her fists underneath the table. "Whenst year


    did your sister arrive here in Cypress?"


    "She had suffered many years with de curse before she left homest July."


    Lyte''s mind traveled at the speed of light right then. She turned her head away from Cloyse for a


    moment and said, "So tell me, how do you know of me?"


    "I felt your presence at dat woman''s shelter dis evening."


    "My presence," she red back at the man.


    "Yes, you were dere for a time. Dat is why I went to de police station. I could sense dat you had not


    only been face to face with one of de devils, but dat you were still alive."


    "But I don''t understand, how can sense something like that?"


    Cloyse examined the few diner patrons that were milling through before he pulled closer to Lyte


    and whispered, "I have dis curse of my own. It allows me to see and sense tings just by touching dem,


    or seeing tings far, far away. Dis curse has been with me ever since I was a child. I too am infected with


    devils."


    Rolling her eyes, Lyte said, "You''re not possessed. You have something called ESP."


    "Can de disease kill me?" Cloyse looked shocked.


    Sounding irritated, Lyte replied, "It''s not a disease. My father watches this show on TV sometimes


    where certain people in the world have this sixth sense. I used to think it was stupid. Then again, I used


    to think a lot of things were stupid."


    "But it led me here to dis town, and dat is how I recognized you in de police station. It is like a ma


    dat pulls me towards a person or ting."


    "Talk about dumb luck." Lyte dropped her shoulders.


    "Arthur and Akoni have been all over dis city doing as dey please."


    "Yeah, I know. They even attacked some teachers at my old high school the other day."


    "You have to understand, dis curse is like a disease. It doesn''t just infect de ones dat are dammed, but


    it also hurts dose around dem as well."


    "I don''t understand." Lyte''s hands began to tremble on the table.


    "Dere is a curse within de curse itself. You have seen firsthand what happens to one dat is first


    infected. But what takes ce after dat is like a scar dat cannot be removed. Everyone dat one person


    once knew or loved is also taken in until dey are destroyed. One doesn''t have to be eaten alive in order


    to be wiped out. Whoever your fianc¨¦e came into contact with somehow, someway bes caught up


    in de storm."


    "But my son and I didn''t do anything!" Lyte desperately pointed at herself.


    "You never had to. For Arthur and Akoni to be here in dis city, has to mean dat you both were marked


    at one time. Dey will not stop until you both are dead. Dey never stopped until dey murdered everyone


    in my vige. Now...I am dest."


    "I think I saw this Akoni at the park a few days ago."


    "I saw her within a crowd some days back myself. Someting is wrong, however."


    "How do you mean?"


    "She is using a crutch to move about. Dat only means dat she has been changing back and forth


    constantly."


    "So," Lyte shrugged.


    "If dis is true for de both of dem, den dey are weakened. My friend and I back in my vige managed to


    capture deir father in a weakened condition before we put an end to him."


    Just then, Lyte began to giggle to herself. Cloyse sat and stared at her like she had lost her


    senses.


    "I...I can''t believe I''m actually sitting here and listening to this bullshit." She tossed up her hands. "For


    all I know you could be one of them, or at least some crazy serial killer like the guy in New York going


    around shooting folks left and right. I feel like I can''t wake up."


    "I have never killed anyone in my life." Cloyse spoke seriously. "But I vow to kill both of dem."


    Calming down from her forced jocr tirade, Lyte said, "Look, can you use your ESP to find my


    child? Because once you do, me and him both are leaving this town for good. I''d like to see theme


    and find us."


    Cloyse sat absolutely motionless at that point. To Lyte, he looked like a mannequin, he was so


    immobile.


    "What''s the matter?" She shivered.


    "Dere is nowhere on dis you can run to." Cloyse spoke so grimly. "Dis is not de police we are


    talking about...de devil has you and your son on de palms of his hands."


    "You two sound like a couple of movie folks!" A raggedy looking, drunk white man slurred as he rose up


    from his own booth to invade theirs. "Hell, if he were still alive, I''d tell Cecil B. Demille to give you both


    the Oscar right now!"


    Taken off their guard, both Lyte and Cloyse blushed. Lyte then took a ten dor bill out of her


    pocket and mmed it onto the table before getting up.


    "C''mon, we need to keep moving." She said to Cloyse. Cloyse got up from the booth and followed


    Lyte out the door.


    Before Lyte could take another step down the sidewalk, she stopped and stared at a red neon sign


    across the street that read ncy''s Department Store.


    "You look like you haven''t slept in days." Cloyse mentioned as he stood beside her. "I could see it in


    your eyes."


    But Lyte paid the man no attention. Her worn, stinging eyes remained only on the sign across the


    semi-empty road.


    "Do you really wanna sleep in this town?" She turned her nose up at Cloyse. "C''mon, you have my


    child to find."

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36


    Lyte sat up against the corroded steel barrier of the rail bridge while listening and feeling the 6:15


    roar by above both her and a snoring Cloyse. The young man was sleeping away on a cardboard t


    that he had carved out for himself the night before. Lyte could tell that his so called rest was


    anything but. He tossed, turned and threw a couple of fists in the air ever since falling asleep.


    But as for Lyte herself, even if she wanted to, she couldn''t shut her eyes. No matter where she


    turned there was something there in front of her chocking the life out of her. Isaiah was still somewhere


    in the city, she couldn''t quite exin how she knew that, it was just one of those gut feelings. She


    couldn''t exin to herself why she was sitting underneath a bridge with a switchde in her hand and


    not out searching for her child with the zeal of a nationwide manhunt. Perhaps it was fear of what she


    may end up finding. But after hearing what Cloyse said the night before about her and the baby being


    targeted, something told her that her hunters wanted her to suffer.


    Killing Isaiah would be too easy. But then there was the man. The man that she once thought she


    knew. With him all she could see was a monster, a monster from beginning to his grisly end. She


    couldn''t tell if she wanted to ignore him or see him burn in hell for eternity. Every so often, even though


    she couldn''t really confirm it, she could see Isaac turning from her and running to Karyn.


    All the arguments they had, tost Thanksgiving, even his trip to Cuyahoga Falls, everything was


    coming full circle as far as Lyte was concerned. And as hard as she may have tried to divert her


    attention elsewhere, that monster would not go away. Then again, Lyte thought, perhaps she was


    to be inescapably linked to Isaac forevermore.


    The louder the train above roared by, the nails and screws that held the rickety rails together buckled


    and jostled. Lyte observed as Cloyse began to squirm and twist before he sat up in such a violent


    sweat that he actually screamed out loud. Lyte raised her switchde only momentarily before


    realizing that he was just having a nightmare.


    Cloyse''s crazed eyes gawked all around before they connected with Lyte. The longer he looked


    upon her the more he began to calm down.


    "You okay?" She asked with rtive ease.


    Wiping sweat from his face, Cloyse coughed before saying, "I am. I saw someting in my dreams."


    Getting up from off the warm ground, Lyte asked, "What was that?"


    "I saw three towers." He huffed. "I saw three buildings dat were once beautiful. I cannot imagine where


    I have seen dem before."


    "It''s hard to tell." Lyte stretched the life out of her body before slipping her switchde into her


    back pocket. "C''mon, let''s get outta here before someone finds us. We look and smell like we climbed


    out of theke."


    Cloyse got up and followed Lyte out from under the bridge. It was a warm morning, no more than


    seventy degrees with the unwanted expectation that it would be hotter as the day wore on.


    The two walked alongside the train tracks next to theke where some trains were slowly meandering


    along while a few others sat idle, waiting to be operated.


    "I wonder how my parents are doing." Lyte sighed.


    "What condition were dey in when you saw themst?"


    "They were pretty messed up." Lyte said. "My mother has been really off in the head since...it


    doesn''t matter anymore." She relented.


    "I can hardly remember my mother and father, dey both died when I was very young."


    "What do you remember about your sister?"


    Cloyse hesitated before answering. "She was kind to me. She became a mother to me once our


    mother died."


    Lyte then stopped beside a boxcar and turned around to face Cloyse. "What do you remember


    when you first saw one of them?"


    Cloyse turned his head for a second before replying, "For years, dey were only folklore and myth on


    our ind. We noticed people missing or turning up dead, but we always thought it was wild animals


    killing everyone. Den I saw my sister change for de first time." His voice dropped. "After dat, I was


    forever terrified of her. I wanted to save her, but I knew dat it wasn''t possible."


    Lyte stood and studied the man for a few moments as though she were viewing life''s cruelest joke.


    "I just remember him turning back into a man after that detective killed him." She mournfully muttered.


    "I remember him changing into that thing, but what sticks with me the most is him turning back. I


    always wonder what it could have felt like for him to make that change. I had known that nigga since


    the sixth grade, and to see him turn into that...thing, just doesn''t seem real to me."


    "How did dis detective manage to kill him?"


    Lyte said, "He used a shotgun."


    Nodding his head, Cloyse stated, "Strong guns like dose work well, but on my ind, firearms as


    scarce. Our best weapon was fire."


    "What, you just set them on fire, and poof, they were dead?"


    "Dey are still flesh and blood, so if it is strong enough, any weapon could work."


    "Good, I''ll keep that in mind." Lyte said as she turned and began to walk away in the opposite


    direction.


    "Did your fianc¨¦e do dat to your finger?" Cloyse all of the sudden asked.


    Lyte froze in ce. She couldn''t exin why the question just sliced right through her like a sharp


    sword. She slowly turned back around and looked Cloyse right in the eye.


    "I keep my scars as mementos." Lyte stated with grinding teeth. "Everyone thought that Isaac had


    just beaten me up, and I n on allowing them to believe that for the rest of my days simply because


    it''s all I have to offer as far as exnations are concerned. What else am I supposed to tell people?"


    She shrugged.


    Cloyse''s face took on its own wretched frown at that instant. "I am just thankful that you and your son


    were spared his fate."


    "How do you mean?"


    Smirking, Cloyse said, "I am not as na?ve as you may believe me to be, Lyte. I am aware of how


    dis curse is passed on. Either through a bite, scratches, or...another way."


    Lyte squared her eyes at Cloyse right then. She wasn''t na?ve either. "I thought the same thing, too.


    But now that you mention it, thest sexual encounter Isaac and I had was through...sucking and


    eating. He and I hadn''t screwed since beforest November. After that, that''s when he started acting


    like an even bigger jackass than he was before."


    Both Lyte and Cloyse stared each other down as hard as they both possibly could for what


    seemed like forever before Lyte eventually turned and began walking away down the tracks.


    "Some nights ago, while I was sitting inside a car with...someone I knew, one of them sted through


    the windshield and killed him." Lyte sorrowfully exined with folded arms. "All I saw was fur. I


    didn''t see or hear anything else. All I ever saw was fur."


    "Growing up, all I saw was de dead bodies of de people on my ind." Cloyse said. "After a while...you


    get used to seeing dead people."


    Lyte continued to walk on until she saw the pier just a few yards up ahead. The more the morning


    wore on the warmer it became until a soothingke breeze began caressing her face.


    "You never did tell me how this all began." She uttered. "I mean, how did this Akoni and Arthur be


    these things to begin with?"


    For the longest time Cloyse never responded. Lyte had to actually look behind her just to make


    sure that the man was still there in her presence.


    His head was turned in the direction of another train being pulled down the tracks. He had the nk


    look of someone who just wasn''t there anymore. His dark skin was actually turning insipid.


    "It''s like two mas." Cloyse spoke in a hopeless demeanor. "No one knows for sure where he came


    from, but, years ago, a mon washed ashore on our ind. Till dis day, no one knows what he even


    looked like. Dey say dat dis mon brought wit him his own witchcraft and sorcery. But on our ind, dere


    was already a family of witches. De father, mother and deir three children were very wicked people.


    Dey would perform sacrifices on animals and burn down houses. Dey was soon kicked out of de


    vige, but dey were never very far from us. Soon, dis family happened upon the shipwrecked invader.


    Dey all joined together to form dis union. Not too long after deir union was forged, what we all thought


    at first to be animal attacks began taking ce. But dese so called animals had a different form. They


    looked like animals, but walked like people. Dis evil went on for years until...until deypleted what


    dey set out to do."


    Lyte suddenly stopped and turned around to look at Cloyse. The man was standing right there


    behind her. She could sense the tension in his voice that sounded like nail-biting bitterness.


    "Like I saidst night, when dey mark someone, dey hunt until dat someone is destroyed. Dey came


    back for our vige for kicking dem out. I watched as our parents were driven mad by de devils. If you


    are not ughtered, den you are broken in spirit. One way or another, you will be dead."


    All Lyte could do was stand in ce and drop her head in shuddering defeat. With her right toe she


    aimlessly scraped against the gravel burdened ground before folding her arms.


    "I hate him." She faintly muttered to herself.


    "What did you say?"


    "I said that I hate him." Lyte lifted her head. "I never imagined that I would say that out loud. But I


    truly hate that man with everything inside of me."


    As Cloyse began to advance towards Lyte the man was abruptly seized to the point where he


    clutched his stomach and dropped to his knees.


    Lyte ran to his aid asking, "What''s the matter with you?"


    Trying to catch his breath, Cloyse said, "I see...I see de three buildings again."


    "What three buildings could you be talking about?"


    Cloyse started to cry before he slowly rose back to his feet and pointed northwest. "I see someting from


    dat direction." He gasped.


    Lyte turned in the direction of his pointed finger. At first all her eyes could see was the hazy


    Downtown skyline. But just as soon as she was about to return her attention back to Cloyse, Lyte


    unexpectedly caught herself and gazed back in the same direction all over again.


    Remembering his ''gift'', Lyte shut her eyes for a second before saying in a dreadful tone, "Oh God,


    the three buildings. You have to be talking about Hollis Estates."


    "What is Hollis Estates?"


    Looking back at Cloyse, she replied, "It''s a collection of buildings that were shut down way back in ''71.


    No one lives there. Not even the fuzz will go there."


    "Dat must be where dey are keeping your son. We must go!" Cloyse began to take off.


    But Lyte remained in ce while holding her arms together as tight as she could. Her entire body


    began to quiver at that moment to where her knees wanted to buckle.


    "What is de matter?" Cloyse began to walk towards her.


    With a tear dropping down from her eye, Lyte whispered, "Is this just a dream?"


    Frowning in confusion, Cloyse asked, "What are you saying?"


    "Please say that this is all just a dream." She pleaded while drooling from the mouth.


    Cloyse attempted to take Lyte by the arm but instead she backed away crying even more furiously.


    "I''m fucking scared!"


    "So am I. But my visions are never wrong, Lyte. Your son is over dere, and we must get him."


    "But they''ll turn into those things!" She stomped her foot on the ground.


    "Maybe...maybe we should just let them have Isaiah."


    Cloyse stood and ced his hands on his hips while gazing up at the sun that was gradually emerging


    from the clouds.


    "What was your life like before you found out your fianc¨¦ was damned?"


    Wiping her wet face, Lyte said, "It surely didn''t have this going on in it! All I had to worry about was


    a hardheaded boyfriend and getting A''s in my writing ss at Cypress State!" She yelled.


    Steadily looking at Lyte, Cloyse remarked, "I was born into dis, Lyte. All I know is fear and


    death. I used to wake up almost every morning seeing or hearing about a dead body floating in a


    stream or washing ashore on de ind." Looking up, he added, "All of dis, dis city, dis country of yours,


    dis is all you have ever known. All I see here are people who overfeed themselves and call each other


    nigger left and right. Your fear, my fear, none of it matters. All dat matters now is getting your son and


    killing Arthur and Akoni."


    "But how do we kill them, for God''s sake? You''ve seen them; you''ve seen what they be!"


    Cloyse took off his right shoe and pulled out a small pouch from within. "Dis is de one ting dat de police


    didn''t notice when dey were arresting me."


    Gawking strangely, Lyte asked, "What is it?"


    "It does not have a name, but it is a concoction dat those witches brewed up over de years. It paralyzes


    a person from head to toe. My friend Sunta discovered it, but not in time, I am afraid. If we can


    somehow manage to use it on dem, den we will have a better chance."


    "Maybe we should call the police."


    "But you just saidst night dat dey would not take you seriously."


    "I know, but...I just can''t believe¡ª


    "You must be strong, Lyte," Cloyse yelled, "because we are going into purgatory!"


    Lyte rolled her eyes up to the sky while pacing back and forth as though she were searching hard


    for some sort of daring rage that would propel her intobat.


    "Dere is only one more ting you must bear in mind." Cloyse stated. "Seven years ago, we managed to


    put an end to de mother of de family. Den came de father atst. Damerae was next. Akoni can be


    dispatched no differently dan de others, but dere is Arthur."


    Lyte''s entire body at that instant wentpletely numb. There was a huge engine rolling behind


    her at that second, and not even its thunderous roar could deter her attention away from what Cloyse


    was exining.


    "Out of all of dem, Arthur, the eldest child, is quite different. While he is a beast, he is also someting


    else. Somehow, someway, over de course of time he has managed to tap into a different source of evil.


    For some reason, he has de ability to cross over into another world and be something different."


    "Different how," Lyte held her breath.


    "He is both flesh, and not flesh."


    "You can''t be serious." Lyte''s voice and stomach dropped before she caught sight of a payphone


    lanced to a tall pole about five yards ahead of her.


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    Without another second''s hesitation she ran until she came face to face with the old, dingy phone.


    "Who are you calling?" Cloyse coughed and spat, still trying to seize his fleeting wind.


    ncing back at the man in disbelief, Lyte reached into and searched her pants pocket. "You want


    to go head to head with the Devil with some fairy dust? You and I both know what we''re dealing with.


    I''m calling the police, and I don''t care what they think of me." She bluntly remarked.


    Lyte pulled out a quarter and inserted it. She then dialed and waited. "Cypress Police Department.


    How may I direct your call?" The female operator spoke.


    "Yes, my son was kidnappedst night, and I believe he is being held at Hollis Estates!" Lyte said


    out loud.


    At first there was a long pause over the phone, the pause was soon followed by a sigh. "Ma''am, this is


    a busy police line. We do not have time for prank calls."


    "But this isn''t a prank call!" Lyte stomped her feet. "My son really is at Hollis Estates! If you would


    just send a unit down there, then¡ª


    "Ma''am, either quit wasting our time, or else I will have no other choice than to report you to the proper


    authorities." The woman hung up.


    What little life Lyte possessed had all but been sucked right out of her at that very instant as she


    simply dropped the phone, leaving it dangling by only its cord.


    "What did de police say?" Cloyse questioned.


    But Lyte didn''t answer, she just began walking northwest with her mouth hanging slightly ajar.


    "Lyte, what is de matter?" Cloyse persisted as he followed her.


    But Lyte still did not respond. She just walked in a trance, and would not stop.

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37


    "I must say that this is truly a great opportunity and honor for you two to have us here this morning."


    The young, white, dingy-clothed and bearded Barry smiled and nodded his head while seated Indian-


    style on the floor.


    "Believe me when I say, de pleasure is all ours, my friend." Arthur smiled back while he and Akoni, with


    Isaiah in her arms, sat across from Barry and two otherdies that were seated on both sides of him, all


    Indian-style on the floor inside one of the empty apartments on the eighth floor of the middle building at


    Hollis Estates.


    "I have to say that this arrangement you two have here is quite borate, but simple." udia, a young


    Native American,mented as she gazed all around at the bare room. "And you both have such


    lovely eyes. They must be a trait where you''re from."


    "My sister and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts." Arthur''s face shined with delight.


    "Like I said, we''re so d that you invited us here today to share in the feast of Satan with other


    brothers and sisters." Barry happily stated. "We''re grateful to be here with our new brother and sister


    and their lovely young one as we usher in a brand new day of unity for our beloved father Lucifer."


    Still smiling, Arthur purred, "Yes...Satan is his name."


    "How old is your son, might I ask?" Naomi, the whitedy, asked.


    Holding a sleeping Isaiah in her arms, Akoni replied, "He is nearly three."


    "Man, that''s super, it really is." Barry pushed his sses back on his face before brushing his curly hair.


    "Yes, my sister would not grant me a child, so we were forced to borrow someone else''s instead."


    Arthurmented.


    "Incest, I can really dig that." udia marveled. "Keep it all in the family."


    "Yeah, we don''t allow this fascist society to dictate to us how we should live." Barry indignantly


    remarked. "No one is gonna tell me that I can''t marry two of the most beautiful women in the world at


    the same time. I spent four years in Da Nang fighting for this country, I deserve my pleasure."


    Both Arthur and Akoni sat and grinned at the three across from them. Their silent stillness could be felt


    all around the disheveled apartment like thick smoke.


    "Allow me to fill you two in on just who we are and what we represent." Barry said. "We are faithful


    followers of Brother Manson. And even though he is currently behind bars as we speak, unjustly I might


    add, his spirit is with us nheless. Brother Manson''s message was for unity amongst the white race,


    but I happen to believe that unity must first be established with all races, which is why I have a white


    and Comanche wife. Why we are here with our Afro-American brother and sister in Satan."


    "You do know who Brother Manson is, don''t you?" Naomi asked Arthur and Akoni.


    "We are somewhat familiar." Akoni softly answered.


    "Good, because much like him, we too are visionaries." Barry said. "We too, believe that a war is


    coming, but not the aforementioned war that Brother Manson refers to. Instead, it''s a war between the


    saints of Lucifer, and of the so called saints of that fascist Christ."


    "Ahh, we know him very well." Arthur folded his hands together while batting his eyshes.


    "Yes, it seems that everyone does." udia rolled her eyes.


    "But now, this war must be fought with the might and power of Satan supreme." Barry added. "We as


    believers must be willing to stand up and say we are here now!"


    "Which is why we are so d that you invited the three of us here," Naomi spread her arms wide open.


    "It doesn''t matter your color or nationality, Lord Lucifer sees us all as equals, even if this society does


    not."


    "Tell us again, where are you both from?" udia asked.


    "We are from a far offnd called Jamaica." Akoni replied.


    "Wow, what a beautiful ce it must be." Barry smiled.


    "It is, my friend, it truly is." Arthur insisted. "But we were forced to leave our homnd in order toe


    here andplete what our master has charged us to do."


    "Speaking of your master, would they happen to be in conjunction with ours?" Barry asked.


    Arthur only smiled from ear to ear before saying, "I assure, mon, he is closer dan you tink. You see, we


    brought you three here today to partake in de feast of dose who came before us."


    "Long ago, our master came to our ind and blessed us." Akoni stepped in. "De least we can do as


    servant''s is repay his kindness by sharing in de meal dat he set before us."


    Pointing his finger, Barry said, "You know, I always said that the cks were some of the most


    misunderstood people in the world. Maybe I should take on a ck wife. Whaddya girls say?"


    Both udia and Naomi smiled and nodded in approval while Arthur and Akoni just sat and grinned on


    and on.


    "Now, you mentioned that you had something very important to show us, which is why I brought my


    camera to film it all." Barry said as he got up from off the floor with his handheld camera. "I want this


    experience to be captured forever and for all who believe in the power of Satan. We''ve traveled all over


    this country. We just got back from a journey to Maine just a couple of weeks ago, right before all these


    animal attacks started up."


    "The folks out in San Francisco will be so impressed!" udia jumped up from off the floor in


    excitement.


    Standing above Arthur and Akoni, Barry cut on his camera and focused it on the siblings. "Okay, guys,


    we''re ready whenever you are."


    Arthur only nced at Akoni before getting up and walking over to a nearby corner. He then knelt down


    on both knees in the corner before rising up and down in a bowing fashion.


    "After we''re done with this, we can all head over to Burger King and have lunch." Naomi whispered into


    Akoni''s ear.


    Akoni never bothered to look back at the zealous woman; she just kept her attention on her brother as


    to say the woman''s offer was absolutely insignificant.


    Arthur then took off his shirt and tossed it behind him. Before long, a vapor emerged from the corner


    that eventually elevated to the grimy ceiling.


    "Whaddya got back there, buddy, some incense?" Barry inquired as he continued to film the event.


    But Arthur would not reply. The mist that hovered above everyone''s heads began to settle before Barry


    and his camera. Barry backed up a slight bit, somewhat taken off guard. He, udia and Naomi all


    watched as something within the vapor took on a sound that resembled a multitude of people humming


    all at once.


    "What...what''s happening?" udia shivered.


    Soon, two dark, orange eyes appeared inside the mist. Barry nearly dropped his camera to the floor at


    that second. The mist then took on the form of a head, arms and legs that stood directly in front of


    Barry in an imposing fashion.


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    "Is this...is this really happening?" Barry stammered.


    "Do you recall dis past winter when de little girls were eaten inside deir own home?" Akoni asked.


    "Yeah...I remember that." Barry stuttered while keeping his camera tuned to the figure in front of him.


    "This is absolutely amazing." He nearly lost his breath. "Father Satan, is that really you?"


    Barry, udia and Naomi all stood in total awe at the apparition that only stared right back at each of


    them. "Are you capturing this?" Naomi''s mouth hung wide open.


    "I...I don''t think we should be here anymore." udia began to shake from head to toe.


    "No, no, honey, this is what we''ve been waiting for all our lives." Barry panted. "I never imagined I


    would see our master face to face in my lifetime."


    Just as Barry was about to adjust the volume on the camera, he, along with his wives began hearing a


    growl emanate from somewhere within the apartment.


    "Hey, uh, do you guys have a dog around here or something?" Barry asked while still rolling.


    The growling grew more intense, so much so that Barry managed to take his camera away from the


    mist and scan the rest of the room until he captured Akoni standing behind him with a pair of white


    eyes and foaming fangs.


    "Oh my God," Barry shouted as he fumbled with his camera before dropping it to the floorpletely.


    Akoni reached down and picked up the camera. She then examined the strange contraption before


    dropping it back down to the floor.


    Before long, Arthur came out from his corner and approached the three. "Is dis not what you desired?"


    He shined his own fangs at them.


    Dropping to her knees, Naomi begged, "Please, don''t kill us!"


    "We need not a full form to devour you." Arthur snarled.


    Holding up his shaking hands, Barry implored, "Hey...we were only joking about the devil worshipping


    bit!"


    Seated in another corner of the room Isaiah awoke from his deep slumber to the shrill yells and


    screams of three people being torn, shredded and whipped from one end of the room to the other.


    In his little, unknowing eyes all he saw was redness being flung onto the filthy walls, and peoples


    ''tummies'' being split wide open. In his ears were the sounds of puppy dogs that sounded like those


    who had carried him away from grandma and papaw. In his mind, mama was nowhere to be found.


    Once the melee wasplete, Arthur and Akoni, with their clothes and faces dripping with blood,


    approached the child and stood over him. Blood dribbled down from their mouths and onto the floor in


    front of Isaiah.


    All the boy could do was cry his eyes out while trying to crawl in the opposite direction. But Arthur


    managed to grab a hold of him and pick him up. He held him in the air as high as he could lift him.


    "I can smell his blood." Akoni hissed.


    "I...I can''t breathe!" Barry squealed from the other side of the room. "Please, God...help me! I can''t


    breathe anymore!"


    "Mommy," Isaiah screamed into Arthur''s ghoulish-looking face.


    "Jesus loves me, dis I know," Arthur began to sing gently at the child. "For de bible tells me so. Little


    ones to him belong, dey are weak, but he is strong."

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38


    Rising and climbing over mounds of rocks, trash and debris, Lyte and Cloyse arrived at Hollis


    Estates just shy of noontime. They could have taken a bus or a cab like Cloyse had urgently insisted,


    but Lyte chose to take the hard, long way, past gang territory and even the police station to reach


    the buildings.It was reaching noon.


    The sun was full and zing in the cloudy sky. Lyte and Cloyse were sweaty, soaking messes to


    where even their clothes were drooping off of their bodies. Lyte, with Cloyse bringing up the far


    rear, climbed over piles of rubble and a few old couches on her way to the very top of a brick heap to


    see the three shelled out hulks standing crippled and broken down before her.


    Within the lonely vicinity was a dead quiet. All around all Lyte could see was ruin, much like a war-


    torn section of somebat riddled neighborhood from decades earlier in a foreign country.She stood


    there with her arms folded and her misty eyes locked ahead of her as though she were caught up in a


    deadly daze.


    Breathing hard, Cloyse came up behind Lyte and said, "In my vision, I saw three buildings, but I


    never envisioned dey would look like dis."


    "My aunt and uncle on my mother''s side used to live here way back in the sixties." Lyte continued


    to stare at the buildings. "I used to hateing here because people would always be selling drugs."


    "Well, we''re certainly not going to aplish anything by standing here." Cloyse remarked as he stood


    next to Lyte. "We''ve wasted enough time just walking all de way here."


    Lyte noticed that Cloyse was moving ahead of her down the rock pile and towards the buildings,


    but she couldn''t even take one step forward.


    Cloyse stopped plodding down the mound long enough to turn around. He then sighed in agitation


    before ascending the pile and facing Lyte.


    "I know you are scared, but¡ª


    "But, what," Lyte interjected. "What are you gonna tell me? To have courage? To face my fears?


    You''ve seen those things. For the past six months I''ve been doing everything imaginable to erase my


    memory of it."


    "But your son," he pressed.


    "You don''t have to tell me about my son!" Lyte fired back. "Do you know what it''s like to look at


    your own son and see nothing but his father in his face? Every time I look into my child''s eyes I see


    Isaac!"


    "So what, you''re just going to stand here and let dem kill your child?" Cloyse just shrugged. "Do you


    think me to be simple? Hell yes I am scared! I get scared every time I look one of dem in de eye! And


    yes...I may die in dere, but I can assure you dat I am not leaving dis world until deye along with


    me! They wiped out my entire vige! You cannot erase any of dat!"


    Lyte braced herself as tight as she could while trying in earnest to shove Cloyse''s speech out of


    her head. The main road was only sixty or so yards behind her, and it appeared so luxurious in all its


    stained glory.


    "Dat''s exactly why you took so long in getting here, because of your fear!" Cloyse screwed up his


    already disappointed face at her. "If you will not go inside and get your son, then I shall!"


    Lyte stood and watched in dread as the man defiantly walked right by her on his way down the


    rubble and towards the buildings.Her legs werepletely stiff to the point where just moving one of


    them felt as though they would break apart.


    The closer Cloyse approached the buildings the more Lyte realized that he wasn''t going to stop;


    the man didn''t even bother to look back at her on his way, he just simply trekked on along like the


    reluctant warrior that he had seemingly grown up to be.


    With sweat drizzling down her face and her fists balled up Lyte treaded down the mound until her


    feet met with solid pavement. Between both her and Cloyse was about a hundred yards, give or take.


    She wasn''t all too concerned with catching up to him as she was about the welfare of her child.


    Yes, Lyte pondered and worried much about Isaiah; as hard as she may have wanted, the boy


    would not vacate her soul. All the drugs in the world couldn''t erase her love for him. All the distance


    that she kept between her and him for the past few months was never far enough to escape Isaiah. Not


    once did her baby leave her thoughts, but her stuttering feet had a mind all their own.


    With every step they kept on moving slower and slower, tripping over themselves every other minute


    before Lyte had to actually stop.Cloyse as well stopped just short of the left building''s entrance.


    Lyte stood behind only a mere thirty feet and watched the man gaze all the way up the shabby


    structure''s exterior. She then ultimately met him side by side.


    "Are you sure that''s he''s here?" She asked with vibrating jaws.


    At first the young man didn''t reply, he stood with his head pointed to the sky in a trance-like state.


    Lyte looked at him before slowly backing away from his side.


    "What...what if he''s not down here?" She whispered.


    "When I was but six, for a whole week straight I had a dream of a fire dat killed seventeen people


    inside a ughter house at my vige." He gently uttered. "My mother and father kept telling me dat it


    was only a dream. Dat I liked to make up stories and fables. Den, after the week was over, dere was a


    fire at de ughter house. But de fire was only a cover-up for de Bushards. All five of dem went into dat


    ce and killed every man inside."


    "And after all of dat, not one of dose old fools in dat vige ever questioned de odd, little boy again."


    Akoni suddenly appeared from out of the middle building''s entrance.


    Lyte and Cloyse both jumped at the sight of the woman. Cloyse made sure to stand right in front of


    Lyte, while Lyte began backing away from not only him, but from Akoni and her auburn eyes.


    Akoni, with a smirk on herpletely healed face, steadily strolled towards them both with her hands


    inside her pants pockets. "Do I appear different to you, my love?" Akoni asked Lyte.


    "Stay back, sorceress!" Cloyse hollered.


    Akoni stopped and kept her eyes solely on Lyte. "You fear for your own life." She peered at the


    woman. "I have seen dat look on people''s faces more times than I can recall. Did ya tink me a dream,


    love, especially after what your sisters did to me?"


    Lyte held up her hands. The urge to turn and race away caused her entire body to shake. She


    couldn''t believe that she was actually in the woman''s presence, just feet away from her. In her mind


    was Isaac standing right beside Akoni with the same devilish, auburn eyes.


    Pulling out a patch from his back pocket, Cloyse pointed at Akoni saying, "Come no closer, witch. You


    know what dis is."


    It was as though someone were pointing a gun at her face, because Akoni steadily began backing


    away with her eyes opened wide.


    "You know what dis is." Cloyse dared.


    "I am aware of its power, just as you are aware dat her child is inside dis building." Akoni pointed


    behind her.


    "Wait...please, my baby!" Lyte tapped Cloyse on the shoulder.


    Cloyse nced behind him before lowering his pouch. "Den you will take us to her child!" He


    demanded.


    Akoni stood and held out her right hand. After about an entire minute, Cloyse grudgingly handed the


    pouch to her.


    Slipping the pouch into her back pocket, Akoni asked, "You came all de way here for dis cow and her


    pup?"


    Cloyse only dropped his head and balled up his fists. "You know why I am here." He bitterly murmured.


    Akoni studied both pathetic individuals before turning and heading straight for the middle building


    ahead of her.


    "You will follow me!" She said aloud.


    Like she was attached to him, Lyte unwillingly followed Cloyse, who in turn followed in behind


    Akoni through a carved out section of a wooden door on their way inside.


    Once inside Lyte viewed her filthy surroundings which included soiled furniture littered throughout


    what was once the lobby area. The floor was soaking wet with smelly, rust colored water while some of


    the mailboxes that were attached to the walls were open to reveal dead rats and mice.


    Lyte''s frazzled eyes captured everything in a rapid motion. Not one detail did she overlook. The


    smell of the building was beyond putrid; the odor was an amalgam of bodily wastes and moldy fixtures.


    Lyte watched Akoni''s body slink through the lobby like she owned the ce beforeing to the


    stairwell. So badly she wanted to turn and run away, but knowing that Isaiah could be within arm''s


    reachpelled the youngdy to remain for the time being.


    Every so often Akoni would nce back at both Cloyse and Lyte with her strange eyes and a stale


    frown on her face. Lyte''s hands slid across the chipped paint of the bannisters as she tried her


    hardest not to look at the woman and her scornful re.


    "Where are we going?" Cloyse asked.


    "Time will reveal much." Akoni replied without looking back. "If you try to attack me, my brother hears


    much and everyting."


    "Is my son alright?" Lyte''s voice cracked.


    Akoni did not answer; she kept on ascending the stairs as if the numerous flights were mere exercise.


    As they rounded each floor Lyte could hear voices within the hallways. She bobbed her head up


    and down and from side to side trying to figure out just where the people wereing from.


    The second they reached the fifth floor Lyte caught sight of a glowing, female figure walking down


    the hallway and into one of the vacant apartments.


    "Who was that?" Lyte jolted. "I hear people all around us."


    "Be silent." Cloyse whispered with an index finger against his lips. "De dead do not know we are here."


    Lyte nearly lost her footing at that point trying to gulp down the man''s response. After that, she


    made sure to keep her eyes locked solely on the two beings in front of her.The voices, however,


    became louder the higher they climbed before Akoni finally stopped at the eighth floor and ventured


    down the ominously dim hallway. It was ominous for the fact that while the rest of the building just


    happened to be bathed in afternoon sunlight, the eighth floor looked as if sunset had beset it much


    earlier.


    Akoni walked past one door after another beforeing to aplete stop at a doorbeled 207. The


    woman then simply twisted the rickety knob and pushed open the door.Inside the apartment was a


    calm brightness. The blinds were shut leaving the room in only a candlelit menagerie from one corner


    to the other.


    Lying directly in the middle of the floor, side by side, were three blood soaked sheets that were


    covering threerge lumps. Lyte''s body was shaking so much that she couldn''t even hold herself in


    ce. Her eyes were witnessing a malevolence that only made her wish that the drugs she had been


    abusing for the past few months had all but finished her offpletely. She wanted to break down and


    just curl up in a corner. She knew full well that she was wide awake, and that fact alone nearly stopped


    her heart from beating at that moment in time.


    With a right hand motioning to the floor where the sheets were lying, Akoni said, "You will forgive


    brother and I, we were quite famished dis morning."


    "Where is her child?" Cloyse screamed.


    "Your boisterous tone knows no boundary, does it?" Arthur, with Isaiah coddled in his arms, casually


    came out of one of the bedrooms. "You were just as demanding back home, farm boy."


    Immediately, Isaiah reached out and cried for his mother, but Lyte remained in ce, seemingly


    not wanting to take a step forward.


    "Look at her, she is terrified beyond words." Akoni mentioned with a grin.


    "Yes, I can see." Arthur tried to restrain Isaiah. "Do you not want toe and see your boy, mama?"


    Lyte stood absolutely still. Her child''s cries were shrill and deafening, but taking at least one step


    forward only seemed to send a piercing tingle of pain down her legs that made it feel as though her


    veins were going to burst.


    "Come, mama,e see your boy." Arthur motioned for Lyte toe.


    "Let her and her child go!" Cloyse stepped in. "Let dis be between us!"


    Lyte watched as Arthur restrained Isaiah underneath his armpit. "Please, don''t hurt my baby!" She


    shrieked.


    Arthur took the baby and mmed him down onto a couch. The very second the boy tried to get up,


    Arthur turned and growled at him, which in turn caused Isaiah to jump back and whimper.


    Turning back, Arthur said, "Now dat we have you all here, let usmence with de ceremony."


    "We have before us, Cloyse Hoyton of Negril." Akoni presented. "He, along wit de rest of his vige


    idiots have hunted us down for years. Now, he is all dat remains. Den, we have Lyte Glover,


    associated with Isaac."


    "Ahh, my Isaac," Arthur proudly rubbed his hands. "But he did notplete his final duty dat night."


    "He was only my boyfriend!" Lyte breathlessly objected.


    "But you two were to be betrothed? Were you not?"


    "No, no, that was never the case!"


    "Do not capitte to dem, Lyte, dey know all." Cloyse held her hand.


    "Yes, he is correct. Did he regale you wit our family history as well?"


    "I told her enough. Now, free her and her son...and I shall atst be yours."


    Arthur and Akoni nced at each other for a moment or two before Arthur reached into his pants


    pocket and slipped out something shiny.


    To the naked eye the object was small and odd shaped, but to the keener observer it was something a


    whole lot more poignant.


    Cloyse''s shocked eyes made sure to emphasize that startling fact.Clutching his chest, Cloyse yelled at


    Arthur, "ver! You are a ver!"


    Lyte stood back and watched as Cloyse began to rush at Arthur only to have Akoni grab him from


    behind and tackle him face down to the floor.


    Cloyse wrestled and tussled while being restrained by the woman whose body looked as if it hadn''t


    been nourished in weeks.


    "You all will go to hell!" Cloyse hollered with all his might.


    Holding a diamond in his left hand and a cheesy smirk on his face, Arthur remarked, "Hell? You are in


    hell, farm boy!"


    Cloyse fought more and more before finally relenting and resting his body on the floor with his eyes


    pointing straight up at a frightened Lyte.


    "It is valiant when one tries to resist." Arthur said to Lyte. "Isaac tried dat night to resist our master,


    but he failed, hence, why you and your bastard are still here." He then looked down at Cloyse. "Even


    your dear sister tried to resist, but her best efforts led to her end."


    "You and her are all dat is left," Cloyse spat on the floor. "Your father, mother and brother are all dining


    with de Devil! Soon, you both will be under his fucking hoof!"


    cing the diamond on the floor, Arthur stepped forward and knelt down saying, "You came all dis way


    to seek us, and look at what you have found."


    "Call Jesus now, shit grinder." Akoni snarled before taking her wed right hand and digging it right into


    Cloyse''s back.


    Cloyse screamed out loud in pain while Lyte bawled and cried to her knees. All she could see was


    the man writhing in agony as Akoni used her hand to dig deeper into his back, ripping and wing


    away at his flesh.


    Arthur stood up andughed at the entire incident before Cloyse, seemingly as ast ditch effort,


    managed to roll over and impale the woman through the stomach with something sharp enough to end


    the frivolities altogether.


    At first, all was quiet within the room, that is until Akoni looked up at Arthur with pain-stricken eyes and


    a trembling bottom jaw.


    "Hell waits...for us all, you bitch!" Cloyse gasped before pulling Akoni''s lips to his and pressing them


    together as hard as he could before she could release herself.


    Akoni then got up off of Cloyse and held her bleeding stomach. She looked up at her brother who was


    wearing the most casual appearance on his sweaty face, as to say all was well in hand.


    "Brother!" Akoni grunted out loud.


    "Let it out." Arthur simply responded.


    Lyte didn''t require much exnation, she could tell just what the man meant by his three words,


    which was why she slowly backed up until she bumped into the same couch that Isaiah was sitting on.


    Lyte picked up the child, but just before she could mount an escape Arthur happened to spin


    around and stare her down without even saying one word.Lyte, still holding the baby, stepped back


    into the corner and ever so unwillingly watched as Akoni undressed before dropping to her knees.


    From there, the woman began the most dreadful thing that Lyte''s eyes never wanted to witness all


    over again. ws, fangs and fur all sprouted from the woman''s body before a snout took her entire


    facepletely over.


    Lyte couldn''t tell what was worse, watching the transformation, or hearing the bones crack and


    twist to form hind legs and two pointy ears. All she could do was sob while shielding Isaiah''s eyes from


    the horrific scene that just would not end.


    The entire ordeal took well over three minutes toplete, but by the time it was through, not only was


    Akoni all but gone, but the sun that was once shining so brightly outside the windows was bing a


    faded memory as well.


    Lyte watched in terrified dismay as all around her the looming veil of death reminded her that both


    her and her son''s lives were slipping away like sand through a tiny hourss.Lyte looked up to see


    the beast growl and stomp about on the floor.


    Its shining eyes immediately caught sight of mother and son, but before it could even roar and attack,


    Arthur stepped right in front of the thing and yelled, "No!"


    Like a trained animal, the beast stood down and prowled about the floor back and forth like a caged


    lion awaiting its nextmand.


    Turning around, Arthur asked Lyte, "In your culture, what do you name dat?"


    Lyte couldn''t answer the man, her tongue would not move and her legs were more wobbly than


    they were than earlier.


    "Did your friend tell you of me?"


    "Who," Lyte shook from head to toe.


    "De dead man on de floor," Arthur pointed behind him.


    "No...no, he didn''t." She stumbled.


    Arthur grinned and said, "Dat is a shame. He and his entire group of people are all gone now. And dey


    take my secret wit dem to hell." Arthur then approached Lyte. He stood over her like a towering


    nightfall. He took her right hand and examined it. "Your beloved Isaac took your finger dat night."


    The beast roared out in a scolding rage at that instant. Lyte peeked over Arthur''s shoulder at the


    thing that looked as if it were two seconds away from tearing past the man on its way over to finish her


    and Isaiah off.


    "My dear sister approved of his actions. I hope you approved of my actions when I took my brother''s


    life in dat alley a few days ago. I handed you a little more time to bring yourself to me, so to speak."


    "Please, don''t kill us." Lyte wept uncontrobly.


    "Ohh, but I will kill you and your boy, just as de master ordained."


    "No...please, God, no!"


    Arthurughed before saying, "God? Each and every time dey scream out for God." He then stood


    back and spread open his arms. "But each time, he never shows his face."


    Lyte held Isaiah tighter to her chest as she took a nce out the boarded window to notice


    darkness as far as her eyes could see.


    "Where...where is the sun?" She profusely sweated.


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    "Lynn...do not be...afraid," Cloyse spat up blood before allowing a switchde to fall out of his right


    hand and onto the floor. "They will never kill...us."


    At that very instant, the beast that was prowling and growling about on the floor pounced on top of


    Cloyse''s body and proceeded to devour him.


    Lyte continued to block Isaiah''s face away from the massacre while keeping her own eyes turned


    away.


    Picking up the diamond from off the floor, Arthur ventured over to mother and son before calmly sitting


    down on the couch beside them.


    "Look at how it shines, mama." He whispered into Lyte''s ear.


    "No!" She squealed.


    "Dere are dose back home who mine for dese on a daily basis. I long for only two tings in dis wretched


    life, more diamonds...and my beloved child."


    But all Lyte could hear was the tearing and chewing of flesh from just a few feet away from her.


    Even bones weren''t discarded as they were eventually gnawed on as well.


    Lyte kept her eyes shut as tight as possible while Arthur''s fingers caressed and lingered all over


    her hair and sweaty neck in ascivious fashion.

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39


    Lyte sat shaking on the couch with Isaiah huddled close to her while the beast lurched in front of


    them like a guard dog. Its fangs were still fresh andced with Cloyse''s blood that was mixed in with


    soapy foam.The smell and feel of the entire room was pungent to the point where Lyte could see


    hazy lines in front of her amidst the candlelight.


    Every so often she would nce down at Isaiah to find him dozing in and out of sleep. She prayed that


    he would just fall asleep for a while, or even more, altogether, just to spare him the prolonged torture


    that their captors had in store.


    At certain points, the beast would stop right in front of them for no other reason than just to stare with


    its shiny eyes. Lyte could tell that it wanted to attack both her and her child just by how loud its


    fangs shed against each, making them sound like steel utensils grinding back and forth. She


    couldn''t fathom that such a thing was actually before her.


    When Isaac attacked she never got much of an chance to view the animal''s striking features, but right


    there in front of her was something that her human imagination couldn''t even conjure. It was so big and


    evil looking, like its anger could set fire to the entire room.The ws that it possessed were as sharp as


    a grizzly''s; every time it moved about on the floor they could be heard loudly clicking and cking.


    They looked like they could slice right through steel without a single pause. The muscles on its arms


    and legs which were hidden behind so much fur were substantial enough to where breaking through


    solid brick walls the way they had been doing in past days seemed like no trouble at all.


    Then there were the eyes behind the brown fur. The burning, bright eyes that she saw the final night


    she made love to Isaac. It was one of the veryst images Lyte wanted to conjure, and in all


    honesty, it just appeared from out of nowhere. But his eyes were something that she never gave much


    consideration to when he first woke up with them. It was that man, and only that man that Lyte


    could see in front of her.


    She was aware that a woman named Akoni had changed, but Isaac Mercer still wanted to eat her and


    their son. Suddenly, Lyte''s shaking slowly began to draw down to a bitter ease.


    "What do you tink of, mama?" Arthur asked, standing at the threshold from what looked to be the


    kitchen.


    Lyte jumped in her seat to find the man looking down at her. "I...I don''t know what you mean." She


    stammered.


    Arthur went over and took Isaiah from out of her arms before he grabbed Lyte''s hands and pulled


    her off of the couch.


    Lyte began shivering all over again as Arthur wrapped his hands into hers and began waltzing


    about the room while staring at her with his bright eyes.Crying, Lyte would look back at Isaiah to


    see him wallowing about on the couch before looking back at Arthur who just happened to be grinning


    at her.


    "What goes through dat head of yours, mama?" He softly uttered into her face with his smelly breath. "I


    watched you every night. I saw as you were having pleasure with your Isaac."


    "Did...did you?" she cringed.


    "Come now, are you still afraid of me?"


    Instead of answering the question Lyte caught a glimpse of Cloyse''s maimed corpse still lying on


    the floor. Parts of his face were scattered to one side while his left arm barely hung on to the bone,


    making him appear like a jigsaw puzzle.


    "Please...let us go."


    "No, no, mama, you and baby no go anywhere." Arthur said as he unlocked his hands from hers and


    proceeded to then unbuckle her pants.


    "No, no, don''t do that!" Lyte furiously fought back.


    But Arthur would have none of it as he forced her down to the floor and climbed on top of her. Lyte


    continued to struggle against the man who only began fondling her breasts.


    "Please, God, don''t do this!" Lyte hollered at the top of her lungs.


    "I told you, mama, I won my child!" Arthur yelled back before unzipping her jeans.


    Lyte looked down to see the man undo his own pants before attempting to pull out his member. At


    that juncture all she wanted to do was pass out as quickly as possible or do something to make the


    beast just kill her.


    "Where am I?" One of the persons underneath the sheets on the floor shrieked out in terror.The beast


    roared back to life before galloping over.


    Arthur instantly jumped up from off of Lyte and uncovered the sheet that was hiding udia


    underneath it.


    Lyte looked up to see a bloody woman''s hands shaking and rising. Both Arthur and the beast just


    lumbered over her in a curious fashion, appearing as if they were surprised that she was still alive.


    "Yes...even the deade back." A scratchy voice soon spoke.


    Lyte whipped her head from the woman on the floor to the other side of the room to see Cloyse''s


    body move about on the floor. Lyte did all she could not to vomit all over herself.Arthur immediately


    knelt to the floor as the voice from the dead man''s body cackled in tion.Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    "Ahh, the cunt and her bastard are here." The voice said. "Finish the bitch off." It then pointed to


    udia.


    At once, the beast tore right into udia, whipping her body from side to side, separating limbs in the


    process.


    Lyte cried out in shock as she rolled over and attempted to get up, only to have Arthur grab her


    from behind and hold her down.


    Cloyse''s body began to get up from off the floor and approach Lyte. In the candlelight she could


    see the body dripping from head to toe in blood as its eyes glowed a dark orange. The left arm dangled


    while its legs limped forward.


    "I have Isaac in here with me." It hissed. "He longs to join you and your child."


    Lyte kicked and screamed at both Arthur and the spirit. She bit down on her own tongue, but that


    pain was minisculepared to her current dilemma.


    "Inside your sister''s trousers is a gift." It said to Arthur.


    At first, Arthur looked perplexed. He released Lyte and went over to where Akoni''s clothes were


    still lying on the floor. He checked in every pocket before finding Cloyse''s pouch.


    "Ahh, de farm boy must have brought it wit him." Arthur breathed a sigh of relief as he came back over


    to Lyte. "Do you know what dis is, mama?"


    But Lyte no longer had the desire to speak; as a matter of fact she no longer possessed the desire


    to do much of anything at that point but die.


    Arthur took out a pinch of the grain from within the pouch and blew it into Lyte''s face. Lyte


    wiped the dust away before struggling to slide her body back over to the couch where Isaiah was


    sitting.


    "It shall make the ordeal much less painful." The entity said, standing behind Arthur.


    "Is anyone in there?" A loud voice from outside shouted.


    Instinctively, the beast roared, so loud that Lyte had to cover her ears. It then rampaged through


    the room, identally knocking some of the candles that were sitting on the floor onto their sides on its


    way out the door. It sounded like a marauding brute on its way into boisterous battle as it galloped


    down the numerous flights of stairs.


    Arthur ran over and looked out the window. "It''s dew," he grunted.


    "Go, be by your sister''s side and dispatch of them." The spirit ordered.


    Lyte watched as Arthur raced out the door. She then looked up at Cloyse''s body that was standing


    over her. Due to the turned over candles the face was more visible to see. Cloyse''s skull was nearly


    exposed while his jaw bone hung to the side.


    "Who...who are you?" She shivered.


    "Ask me who I was."


    But Lyte didn''t do so; she instead listened as the police officers outside screeched out in terror as


    both beasts tore into them. The room in which she, Isaiah and the spirit were gathered inside was


    bing more engrossed in mes. The bodies that were lying on the floor eventually caught on fire.


    "You and your child may leave." The spirit pointed to the door.


    At once, Lyte''s entire being lit up with the exuberance of a freed prisoner after years of


    incarceration, that was until she realized that there could have been an underlying motivation.


    "Your freedom has been paid in full."


    Without blinking, Lyte got up from off the couch, gathered Isaiah into her arms and fled past the


    spirit and growing mes on her way out the door.


    Down the dark hallway she sprinted until she came to the stairwell. Nearly tripping and falling Lyte


    managed to hold on to the railing and regain her footing. The very second she reached the sixth floor a


    sensation from out of nowhere abruptly seized her chest.


    Lyte slowed down but not enough to where she had to stop. The young woman kept on until she


    reached the next set of stairs, but by then the same chest pain was starting to make her legs feel like


    she were treading cement.


    Completely out of breath, Lyte stumbled backwards. She gazed down the steps only to have her


    head swim causing her vision to be distorted. The stairs that she was about to venture down


    appeared as though they weren''t there at all. A sudden burst of sweat exploded all over her body.


    "Hold on...baby." Lyte wheezed as she backed away from the stairs.


    The hallway began to spin out of control. The doors on both sides of the hall looked as if they were


    melting, but Lyte didn''t want to stop, such a ghastly notion never urred to her. But her body, for


    the strangest reason, had other thoughts in mind. At first she just figured that she was physically spent,


    her strength had eluded her, but there was something else afoot; something quite menacing.


    "No, God, no," she whimpered as she allowed her body to back further and further away from the


    stairs.


    Lyte bumped and blundered about the hallway like a pinball before copsing against one of the


    doors that immediately gave way sending her and Isaiah crashing to the floor.


    The woman sat up and pushed the door closed before crawling back to her child.The sweat was


    dripping off of her like blood from a gaping wound. Soon enough, not only were her legs bing


    numb and immobile, but her arms felt like they no longer wanted to operate. Just reaching out for her


    baby made her feel as though her right arm wasn''t even there anymore.


    Isaiah crawled over, and in what appeared to be a gesture ofpassion, took his mother''s right hand


    and held it, only to have Lyte''s entire body drop back first onto the wooden floor.


    "God...what...what''s happening?" She fought to speak with all her might.


    She tried to raise her arms, but they just wouldn''t move. Her legs felt as if something or someone were


    holding them down. Just attempting to twist and squirm in the slightest measure was for nothing. She


    couldn''t move one single muscle below her trembling jaws.


    Then, much to her horror, the inevitable began taking ce. Her eyesight started to grow shadowy. At


    first she thought it was due to the sweat that had been pouring into her eyes, but rather than see a


    ssy image, all her eyes could register was grey fog until the fog itself all but vanished leaving her in


    complete darkness.


    There Lyte was, lying perfectly motionless on the floor. She could still feel and hear. She could feel


    Isaiah patting her on the forehead while crying "Mommy, mommy!" over and over. She could hear


    something like that of a monstrous roar echo back into the building. But the roar seemed to be followed


    by that of another in the far distance. Lyte had the wherewithal to realize that brother Arthur had


    taken part in his beastly transformation as well.


    "Don''t...be...loud...baby." Lyte''s feeble tongue dragged on.

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40


    "Okay, okay, okay, okay!" Lyte repeatedly and breathlessly said inside her head as sheid upon


    the floor. "Okay, Lynn, you need to pull your damn self together and think. Apparently, Cloyse was right


    about his fairy dust, so what we need to do is find some way or another to break free, because I can


    hear both of those fuckers inside this building now!"


    With as much energy, will and hope as she could collect, Lyte tried so hard to move at least one


    finger on her right hand, but no matter what it would not budge. She tried again and again but to no


    avail whatsoever.


    "Okay, okay, at least Isaiah has stopped crying." She panted. "Now, if I could somehow just open at


    least one eye, I could see what he was up to."Her eyes were wide open, but the sight in them was


    ck.


    She had no clue as how to even begin with regaining at least one tiny glimpse of light. She could hear


    the boy moving about in the room, babbling and apparently ying with something that in her ears


    sounded like a heavy piece of steel.


    "Baby...be...quiet." She struggled so hard to utter.


    Just trying to push out one word felt like trying to strain mud through a peephole; Lyte''s vocal cords


    were actually beginning to hurt to the point where she wanted to give up speaking and focus solely on


    her limbs.


    "Okay, girl, you have to concentrate. Think about what you want to do and just do it, because I can now


    smell smoke and it smells like it''s near."


    She fought with the resiliency of a titan, attempting to move one finger or two after another, but yet and


    still, nothing would act. Lyte wanted to cry, but even something as simple as tears would not form


    inside her eyes.


    "Mama," Isaiah blurted out real loud.


    The shock of hearing him yell should have sent a wave of fear down her entire body, but Lyte could


    feel nothing physically. She wanted to tell him to be quiet, or better yet, close his mouth with her own


    hand.


    "Please...stop." Lyte grunted in a monotone fashion.


    She listened as Isaiah romped about the room before the growls of the beasts from a far distance came


    into earshot.


    "Isaiah...shut...up." She began to bleed from the mouth.


    Lyte had experienced helplessness before, from the night in the bathroom with Isaac, from being


    upstairs with Arthur, but at that juncture, lying on the floor and not being able to at least see her son,


    the feeling of powerlessness was the ugliest and most soul crushing bit of ungodliness she had ever


    tasted. It was not only frightful, but also demeaning.


    Just as Lyte gave thought to another attempt at moving, something began to rattle at the door. She


    could tell that it was behind the door for the simple fact that she could hear the doorknob twist from side


    to side.


    Out of instinct, Lyte''s eyes opened wide. She could hear Isaiah walk towards the door and pound


    against it. There wasn''t a single bone or nerve inside her body that didn''t want to wake up and scream


    at that moment.


    "Don''t...Isaiah."


    After about a few seconds the door swung open. Lyte could hear footsteps stomp inside the


    apartment before the door mmed shut.


    "Bernice, where the fuck are you," a man''s loud, stern voice shouted.


    Lyte''s eyeballs rolled about in their respective sockets in the hopes that they would mercifullye


    back to life.


    "I...I was in the kitchen cooking your supper." A woman timidly answered.


    The smell of the room unexpectedly changed from an old must to that of the aroma of food, frying


    chicken to be exact.


    "Bitch, I told your ass to meet me downstairs around five o''clock! Where the fuck were you?" The man


    stomped his heavy foot on the floor.


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    "I...I must''ve lost track of time, honey." Thedy stuttered about.


    "Fuck that honey shit, bring your ass here!"


    Lyte could hear the two scuffle about on the floor, but for the life of her she couldn''t hear a


    mumbling word from Isaiah. She couldn''t figure out just what on earth was happening, and just knowing


    that her child was right in the middle of the melee only made her want to fight all the harder.


    "God...please...help...me." She groaned."Okay, God, you''ve sat back and watched me and my son go


    through all of this, now, I am asking you! I''m begging you, fucking help us! I am asking for your help!


    Please, fucking help me!"


    Lyte bore down as hard as she could, straining nearly every muscle inside her stationary body.


    Just listening to the man scream and toss hisdy from one end of the room to the other only caused


    Lyte''s ire to increase to a level that she never imagined it could reach.


    "Okay, Lynn, just focus." She breathlessly gasped. "Just focus on it and it will happen! Focus on one


    finger; it doesn''t matter which one, just one!"


    She thought of moving just one finger, but all that seemed to do was propel even more blood from out


    of her mouth from the straining.


    "Fuck that, I''m gonna blow your ck ass away!" The man in the room roared with blustery rage.


    "Get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up!" She hollered over


    and over again in her head as astonishingly loud as she could.


    "Please, Woody, don''t shoot me!" The woman begged the man.


    "Get the fuck up, bitch!"


    Right then, like someone or something had struck her over the face, her right index finger suddenly


    budged. Lyte''s eyes opened as wide as they could while she kept on trying to move. She was


    finding that the more she kept on pushing, the more feeling began flooding back into her body, like a


    slow trickle from a drain.


    "Don''t stop, just keeping going!"


    Her one finger began stretching in and out before she realized that the other fingers on her right hand


    could do the same. Before long, her entire right arm became mobile, so much so that she began


    pounding on the floor.


    "Come...here, Isaiah." She spoke more fluidly.


    "Bang, bang, bang!" she heard him scream out.


    "Isaiah,e here!" Her muffled voice started to clear up.


    Lyte''s entire body at that stage began to take on an exuberant surge of energy. No, she didn''t have


    the strength to just leap to her feet like a cat, but just being able to operate her own limbs made her feel


    as though she had risen from the grave.


    Lyte managed to roll over onto her stomach before a glimmer of light flickered in her left eye like


    someone was shing a candle in front of her.She waved her hands in front of her face before feeling


    Isaiah touch her forehead. Lyte immediately grabbed her child and held on to him.


    The more the man yelled the more her vision was graduallying back to her.After about four


    minutes what Lyte could see in front of her was fog with shapes within it. It was certainly a lot


    better than what she had been seeing earlier. Standing above both her and Isaiah was arge man,


    and a cowering woman''s silhouette. The man had his gun pointed directly at the woman''s face before


    he pulled the trigger and fired, causing her face to explode upon contact.


    Lyte screamed out in fright, which in turn caused the two beasts downstairs to roar. Before


    Lyte could even react, she watched as both the man that was standing with his gun and the


    woman lying dead on the floor vanished right before her very eyes. The gun that the evil man was


    holding simply dropped to the floor.


    "Bang, bang, bang!" Isaiah pointed his finger and shouted.


    "Hush, baby," Lyte covered his mouth while scooting across the floor towards another room within


    the apartment.


    Still too weak to get to her own feet Lyte carried Isaiah in her arms while listening to something big


    gallop up each step and floor. She never once lost sight of the fact that they were still animals and that


    their sense of hearing and smell was unmatched. She realized that not only did her screaming attract


    them, but all the sweat and blood that she had secreted wasyered all over the sixth floor.


    "Oh, God," her teeth chattered.


    From one corner of the dark, murky room to the other she searched and scanned before her eyes


    caught sight of a venttion shaft within one of the walls. The ck, steel grate covering was hanging


    loosely off its hinges. Lyte crawled over and inspected the square hole before shoving Isaiah


    inside.


    From there she climbed inside herself and took the grate.Drug abuse andck of food were the


    reasons Lyte could fit nearly perfectly inside the vent. It was tight and snug and moving was


    halfway impossible, but both her and her son were still inside.


    As she struggled to fit the grating onto its hinges she could hear one of the beastse upon the sixth


    floor. Instead of fidgeting with the grate Lyte covered Isaiah''s mouth as tight as she could andid


    down perfectly still inside the soot filled vent.


    Outside the apartment door she could hear it growl and plod around before the door itself burst into


    pieces. She saw just one of the demonse in; where the other could have been was another


    mystery.The thing skulked and roared about each room beforeing to aplete stop in the middle


    of the living room floor where it both sniffed and licked up the blood that Lyte had bled just


    moments earlier. From there, it crept about until it managed to sniff out both mother and son in the


    vent.


    Lyte watched as its fur appeared before its snout did. She began to slide backwards before the


    beast ripped the grating right off the wall and reached inside with its massive paw after the two. It


    roared and snarled at them like an enraged, rabid animal that couldn''t attack its prey.Isaiah cried while


    Lyte kept pushing further and further backwards until her feet hit something solid.


    She looked back to see another grating. She furiously kicked at the covering until it brokepletely


    off. Lyte slid out of the vent saturated in nothing but ck soot from head to toe. She then


    attempted to get to her feet only to have them both give way, sending her copsing to the floor.


    She wanted to get angry, but she brushed it aside and used a window pane to propel herself upwards


    before reaching down and picking up Isaiah. She limped towards the door and ever so carefully and


    quietly opened it.


    "Now, I need you to be very, very quiet." She whispered softly into Isaiah''s face before creeping out into


    the hallway, making sure to keep her eyes open for the other lurking beast.


    As they passed by the apartment, they could hear the demon inside continue to rampage about, still


    trying in earnest to reach its food.


    Lyte tip-toed down the hallway until she came to the stairs, the second she reached the first step


    she could right away hear the other snarling.With the stealth of a mouse, Lyte snuck over and


    peeked down the flight of stairs to see it lurking about the first floor lobby between the moonlight''s


    beams like it was waiting on her.


    But above and all around, something was burning. Parts of the ceiling were beginning to crumble into


    ash right above Lyte and Isaiah''s heads. The stench of smoke began filling the sixth floor, and all


    Lyte could do was look down at the creature that had no idea that they were watching it from


    above.


    Lyte kept her sons'' mouth covered as she turned and tip-toed in the opposite direction down


    the

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41


    With the slightest of ease Lyte pushed open a door and let herself inside another vacant


    apartment. She then shut the door as gently as she could behind her before limping over to the first


    window that she could spot within the room.Outside it was pitch ck. Only the bright full moon could


    provide the adequate lighting she required in order to see. Lyte could tell that they were facing


    west because Downtown always led out of the city.


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    She could still hear the beast rummage and growl about the apartment they had just escaped. What


    furniture and appliances that were still left inside the room were by then being destroyed by the thing''s


    blind and furious attempts to search for its nourishment.Still, Lyte made sure to not only keep


    Isaiah''s mouth covered but also her own in the hopes that the beast would somehow, someway move


    on. But even she at that point in their madness knew better.


    With her face pointed outside the window, Lyte thought to herself, "I wonder what time it is. We


    couldn''t have been inside this ce that long."She then gazed down at the dark ground. "If that really


    was the fuzz that showed up, then where in fuck is their backup?" She asked herself while grinding her


    teeth back and forth.


    Lyte pulled away from the window and inhaled more thick smoke that seemed to be seeping its


    way down onto their floor. She then took Isaiah, looked the boy deep in his eyes and grunted softly, "If


    your fucking father isn''t in hell already, I''m gonna make sure he will be when I see his ck ass next


    time."


    Isaiah only smiled back at his mother while wiping his bleary eyes. Lyte did all she could to keep


    from crying out loud for the boy''s well-being. He was tired and in the beginning stages of bing


    fussy, something that neither of them really could afford right then.


    "Just hang on, sweetie, God will get us out of here." She whispered into his ear.


    All of the sudden, the loudest crashing noise erupted from outside the door. For a moment it sounded


    as if the ceiling were caving in. Just before Lyte could take one step forward the roars of the beast


    from out in the hallway red out.


    "Doggy," Isaiah shouted. "Shh, boy," Lyte covered his mouth.


    Lyte stood, shook and listened as the creature stomped about outside. But soon she realized that


    something was off kilter. First off, it possessed a keen sense of smell, it knew exactly where they were,


    which was exactly why it sounded as though it were outside the door. And second, there was smoke


    filtering in through the bottom of the door; thick, ck smoke that was filling the room rapidly.


    Lyte ced Isaiah down onto the floor and carefully crept towards the door. She just had to


    examine with her own misty eyes just what was taking ce on the other side. With her right hand she


    touched the knob to notice it scolding hot. Quickly she withdrew and stood back for a minute.


    "If I remember correctly, all three of these buildings had elevators." She thought. "I probably missed this


    floor''s altogether."


    Covering her mouth and nose from the smoke Lyte once more grabbed the knob and twisted


    before flinging the door wide open to find not only a wall of mes before her, but also half of the ceiling


    lying on the floor and the beast lurking about beyond the mes.


    Lyte''s very first instinct was to scream and m the door shut, but instead she paused and looked.


    Between both her and the beast was about six or more feet, all of which had them both separated by


    the ze.


    The creature stood up on its two legs and roared while swiping at the mes in a furious manner trying


    to get at her.


    "Fire, mommy," Isaiah squealed from behind.


    The beast only roared all the louder at the sound of the child, but it was just as helpless as its human


    counterparts.


    "Now I can scream as loud as I want to, motherfucker!" Lyte bawled her lungs out before mming


    the door shut and coughing.


    Dragging herself over to the window Lyte peered outside and looked down. It was a long way to


    the ground, jumping from a great distance wouldn''t have been wise...but then again.


    "I...I think I saw the elevator out there." Lyte said to Isaiah as she began searching all over the


    living room, the kitchen and eventually the one bedroom to find a dingy, white nket lying on the floor


    right next to a dead rat.


    She swiped the thing from off the floor and made her way into the tiny bathroom where she opened the


    toilet seat and reached inside. The second her hand connected with scant traces of something wet she


    quickly dipped the nket inside in an attempt to dampen the cloth as much as possible. It wasn''t


    much, but what she managed to get would have to do. The nket by then had the stifling stench of


    age old, stale urine.


    Lyte hobbled back to where Isaiah was seated on the floor before she gathered the boy and


    wrapped both herself and him inside the rancid nket.


    She could hear the mes outside the door crackle and spurt with such intensity that for all she knew


    the entire floor could have been swallowed up by fire.


    "Okay, baby, just hold on to me and don''t let go." Lyte said into Isaiah''s ear. "We''re gonna have to


    be brave and make a run for it. It may hurt...but at least we''ll be one step closer to getting out."


    She couldn''t see the boy''s face due to it being covered in the filthy nket, but she could definitely feel


    him gripping her t-shirt which let her know that he was still coherent.


    Making sure the wet portion of the nket was to the front of them Lyte twisted the scorching hot


    knob and opened the door to see even more mes in front of her. She tried her best to see just where


    the beast was, but with all the mes it was hard to pinpoint its whereabouts.


    Rather than stand and wait for her nket to dry, Lyte braced herself and darted past the fire. The


    woman yelled out in agony as she passed along the mes before making it through the clear.


    Just before she reached the steps Lyte took the steaming nket and tossed it to the floor before


    looking back at the fire. A great portion of the sixth floor had sumbed to the ze. The elevator


    shaft that she needed was partially blocked by portions of the copsed ceiling. Isaiah coughed and


    hacked so much that he began losing his breath.


    "Hang on, sweetheart! We''ll be outta here soon!" Lyte panicked before hearing something from


    behind her scratch and move about.


    At first she figured it was the other part of the ceiling about to give way, but as she looked back there


    was still one apartment door open. Out the door appeared the beast that was growling and gnashing its


    fangs back and forth.


    The woman had seen enough. Without hesitation Lyte took off in the opposite direction towards the


    opened elevator shaft with the beast racing in behind.


    Lyte struggled to climb past and over parts of ceiling and crumbled walls in an effort to at least get


    inside the shaft. She managed to wedge her way in between the broken wood and cement before


    falling about twelve feet down onto the top of the stalled elevator.


    Lyte cried out in pain before looking up to see the creature looking down at both her and Isaiah


    roaring and howling like an enraged animal. It was shoving debris out of its way in order to squeeze


    itself into the shaft.


    Picking both her and her son up, Lyte frantically threw open the elevator''s top hatch before jumping


    inside. The car toppled and teetered from side to side as if the cable that was holding it could snap at


    any time. Isaiah was a bawling mess, and she herself was racked in pain, and still it never once


    crossed Lyte''s mind to ponder her next move as she stood up and tried to open the elevator''s


    doors.


    The poison that had inflicted her earlier was still having itsborious effects. Her legs were feeble and


    wobbly, her eyesight was dim and her arms still felt as if they were chained to the floor, and yet, with


    her child wailing out in pain and a demon on their tails, the woman had not one notion of slowing down.


    Lyte could hear the beast above her as well as the wreckage that it was throwing down onto the


    car itself causing it to waver even more. With her miniscule strength the woman took her two hands


    and tried to pry open the elevator door. With every roar Lyte fought all the harder until the door


    ever so gradually parted revealing that the car was stuck between two floors with only three feet of


    space to the floor above.


    "Isaiah, get up!" She screamed at the boy who was still lying on the floor crying. "I said get up, Isaiah!"


    Lyte used her back and two feet to keep the doors open while Isaiah rolled over and got up only to


    be snatched by the arm by his mother. Lyte then simply hoisted the child up onto the floor above


    them.


    Then, just like that, the beastnded on top of the elevator car. Lyte could both hear and feel the


    car''s cable begin to give way. She looked up to see the beast''s snout protruding through the top hatch


    of the car.The young woman nced up at the floor where Isaiahnded and made the leap of faith


    herself. She jumped and climbed to the ledge before the door behind her quickly mmed shut.


    Lyte then listened as the beast somehow managed to fall into the car. It ferociously pounded on


    the closed door while roaring. Lyte picked Isaiah up from off the floor before she slowly backed


    away. She could hear the already frayed and weak cable that was holding the elevator twinge and


    snap.


    The steel car banged against the stone of the corridor it was inside of before the cable itself finally


    snapped sending the car crashing down.It took no more than seven seconds before it finally hit the


    bottom most floor of the building.


    The loud collision sounded like tons of steel being crushed at a junkyard. Lyte snuck over to the


    stairwell and peeked down to see the beast that was supposedly guarding the first floor mor and


    skulk about wondering just what on earth had just taken ce. The thing meandered in and out of the


    lobby area like a crazed and confused animal.


    With Isaiah''s mouth muzzled Lyte watched and waited. There wasn''t a single fiber in her body that


    didn''t want to make a daring escape past the creature during its rampaging tirade. But the woman


    thought and kept thinking. She and her son were trapped inside a burning house of horrors; freedom


    had toe at a high ransom.


    "Mommy, I went potty." Isaiah whimpered into his mother''s chest.


    Dragging back down the hallway, Lyte muttered, "So did I, baby... so did I."

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42


    Barricaded inside another apartment on a floor which Lyte really didn''t care to even identify, both


    mother and son sat on the floor with the window wide open as to allow smoke to escape and not


    suffocate them.She had hoped that with enough smoke escaping the building that it would rm


    someone outside to contact the fire department.


    The roars of the beast downstairs were bing more like purring snarls. It sounded at times like it


    were growing weary and tired, but none of that set Lyte at ease. She was wise enough to realize


    that her life would be required of her in order to leave the building.Isaiah slept away on the floor right


    next to the window. The smoke inside the room wasn''t stifling enough to where no one could breathe


    as of yet, but the time was drawing nigh. More debris was falling from floor to floor and the noise of


    raging fire was bing louder and more intense.


    Getting up from off the floor, Lyte made sure to take long drags of oxygen from out the window


    while rummaging throughout the darkened room for something sharp. She had no ns or schemes to


    free herself and her child, just raw anxiety and a stomach that was about to explode at any moment


    from both smoke inhtion and fear.She never bothered to revel in the destruction of one of the


    beasts, and truth be told, she didn''t even know which one it was. All that mattered to her was her baby


    at that point, and if she couldn''t free him then Lyte was determined beyond all hope to be


    ughtered right by his side.


    The woman went from room to room until she happened upon a wooden curtain rod in one of the


    bedrooms that was stillnced upon the top of the window.She reached up and took it down before


    going back into the kitchen and searching through the sink and in the cabs for something sharp.


    When she couldn''t find something like a knife she instead sufficed for three spoons and a fork.With her


    utensils in hand the woman went back into the front room where Isaiah was resting and sat down next


    to him by the window where she proceeded to go to work.One by one she bent and twisted off the top


    portion of the spoons leaving only the sharpened ends of the silverware exposed.


    From there she ripped a piece of fabric from off the dirty old rug that was lying on the floor in front of


    her and bound the spoons and fork together tightly.Lyte worked diligently while making sure to take


    puffs of oxygen from the window above her head.


    As she kept on she could hear something from within the kitchen scratch and scuffle about. All she did


    was toss it up to a rodent or perhaps the fire crackling from the other side of the walls. The disturbance


    wasn''t anything too distracting for her to halt her work.


    As the youngdy tarried on, she couldn''t help but to mumble to herself incoherent babblings that not


    even she was sure what they meant. She was holding a dialogue with God, but her words were less


    than rational.


    "I must''ve seen it at least a hundred times since I was a little girl." She whispered. "But for the life of


    me, I can''t remember the name of it. It''s like a Tootsie Roll or something like that. "C''mon, God, you can


    do anything, tell me what that candy was daddy bought me when I was¡ª


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Without warning, Lyte''s entire body froze. Even her tongue seemed to not want to move anymore.


    She stared off at the ck wall ahead of her before her bottom lip began to tremble.


    "God...are we gonna die?" She slurred so softly. "Why is this happening to us?"


    The sudden feeling of destion wrapped her up so tightly that the smoke that was seeping its way


    underneath the front door for a moment blew right past her on its way out the window.


    Right then, the racket from the kitchen grew louder to where Lyte snapped right out of her trance


    and went back to her detail.With her utensils wrapped up, the woman took one end of the curtain rod


    and positioned the utensils at the very tip.


    "Mama," a child''s voice suddenly spoke out in the ckness.


    Lyte dropped her newly forged weapon to the floor before scooting backwards. With bulging eyes


    she looked all around her before catching sight of a small silhouetteing from out of the kitchen.


    Lyte grabbed Isaiah and held him against her while shaking uncontrobly. What looked to be a


    child slowly crept closer and closer before Lyte found that she couldn''t back away any further due


    to another wall behind her.


    The child kepting towards them before it finally stopped just a foot away from Lyte''s face.


    Lyte held out her shivering left hand in defense.


    The child only stood for a moment or two before it asked in the most pitiful way, "Are you my mama?"


    "Wha...what," Lyte shuddered.


    "Are you my mama?"


    Lyte couldn''t see the child''s face, but she could smell something that resembled age old must


    emanate from off the little boy''s being.


    "Is my mama in here?"


    "I...I don''t know for sure."


    The child looked all around while standing in ce. "Okay then. If you see my mama, can you tell her


    I''ll be outside ying? My name is Dougie Ferguson, and I live on the third floor."


    Lyte only shook her head yes as she watched the boy turn and walk away, only to vanish right


    before he reached the kitchen.


    Lyte sat curled up in the corner and allowed the harrowing moment to soak all the way inside


    before cing Isaiah back down onto the floor. Then, with her eyes still pointed vigntly at the kitchen,


    she picked up her weapon and went back to her duty.


    As her shaking hands continued to work Lyte all of the sudden realized something that the boy had


    said. She dropped her weapon and got up before going to the door. The knob was warm but not hot


    enough to pull away quickly. She opened the door, tip-toed over to the stairwell and counted the floors


    that led to the smoke-filled lobby.


    Once she was done counting she crept back to the apartment, shut the door behind her and went over


    to the window. She looked outside at the sky that was slowly bing bright. In the far off distance a


    streak of lightning split the sky though it was not followed by thunder.


    Lyte stood for a brief moment and stared even closer at the Downtown skyline. Ever so sharply a


    coarse ripple struck down her spine.


    "The sun''s noting up...it''sing back?" She murmured to herself in confusion.


    No sooner had she turned around then from the other side of the door an explosion of sorts caused the


    floor to vibrate. It sounded like the entire building itself was on the verge of copse.


    Without another moment''s hesitation the woman picked up both her child and her weapon before


    heading for the door.


    "Get up, Isaiah!" She hollered at the boy. "You''re not gonna be my dead weight! I need you wide


    awake, boy!"


    The child began crying only to have his mother sp his mouth shut. She then flung open the door to


    find the ceiling above crumblingrge piece afterrge piece onto the floor in front of them. Even the


    apartment they were inside of sumbed to the effects of the fire as the wallpaper began peeling and


    melting.


    Lyte knew full well that they couldn''t remain inside the building. Death was inevitable either way


    she saw it. The woman, with her whining son''s face shielded from the fire, held her breath while making


    her way past sizeable chunks of wreckage on her way to the stairwell.


    The moment she made it to the set of stairs that led to the first floor, Lyte could not only see that


    the lobby was bing brighter, but that the other beast was still lurking about in the smoke. With


    thick, flowing smoke surrounding her and her son Lyte stood and looked down at the thing.


    At that point in the ordeal she couldn''t even tell if she was dead or alive. Her body still felt like walking


    cement, and knowing that she and her son were only a few yards away from a prowling evil certainly


    did not cause her feet to scoot any faster.


    Beyond the smoke Lyte could see what looked to be the door in which they first entered. As the


    beast skulked back and forth Lyte managed to catch a glimpse of its body, but the thing that


    seemed to grab her eye the most was its thick coat of fur.


    "I''ll be damned, that''s you, isn''t it, Arthur?" She said under her breath. "I''ve got to be one fucking fool."


    The heat inside the building was reaching dangerous, toxic levels, as was the smoke that they had


    been breathing in, but the exit was only a few yards away from where Lyte was standing.


    Lyte was well aware that even if she did make it outside the creature would be hot on her slow


    heels like a cat on two mice. Lyte gripped her weapon as tight as she could before looking back to


    see more ceiling copse to the floor behind her.


    The woman didn''t shut her eyes, nor did she pray a prayer, she simply pressed her lips firmly together


    and stepped down one stair after another until her two feet finally met the first floor.


    The beast snarled within the smoke before its noises ceased altogether. From where Lyte was


    standing the doorway was located about thirty or so feet to her left. She could sense that the creature


    was somewhere in front of her, its brooding presence was far too heavy.


    The woman coughed and heaved uprge amounts of mucus which she promptly spat onto the floor


    before cing Isaiah down on the floor behind her and raising her weapon. At that very moment,


    however, Lyte could see the beast rise to its two feet and stand hunched over in the smoke. The


    woman wanted to faint right there. For a meager second she saw only her bathroom and Isaac.


    The beast then began growling as it lurched from side to side. It was aware, Lyte thought to


    herself. It was well aware.


    "Don''t you have any feelings for anyone?" She whispered with a juddering tongue.


    All of the sudden, the beast roared out before going back on all fours and charging straight at Lyte.


    Nearly forgetting that she had a weapon to begin with, she raised her pole and poked the rampaging


    thing somewhere in the face which in turn sent it hurtling to the floor.


    Lyte reached down and moved Isaiah out of the way. The smoke made it nearly impossible for her


    to see, but with the reemergence of the sun at least its hulking fur was bing more and more


    visible.


    Breathing heavier than she had in months Lyte raced back over and began stabbing the wounded


    brute all over its body before it managed to grab her makeshift weapon and simply snap it in half.


    Lyte fell backwards onto something hard before reaching back for her baby that was still crawling


    about on the wet floor.


    The beast got back up and proceeded to lunge at mother and son only to have Lyte move both her


    and Isaiah out of the way just in the nick of time.


    "Go through that door, Isaiah!" Lyte shoved the child. "Go out the fucking door!"


    But Isaiah only cried and wallowed about in the smoke as though he had no idea what was happening.


    Lyte kept feeling something hard and sharp pierce her backside, but that didn''t deter her from


    evading the beast left and right.


    As she attempted to get up, the thing managed to grab her by the buckle of her jeans and pull her


    backwards. Lyte kicked and screamed at the thing before she was able to kick at its snout. The


    second it released her she fell so hard on her back that whatever was poking her from behind caused


    her to squeal out in pain.


    Lyte, from where she was lying, looked up to see the beast head straight for Isaiah who was


    gradually wandering about in an aimless blunder, unable to see just where he was going.


    "Get out of here, Isaiah!" She furiously screamed.


    Trying to get to her feet Lyte felt her backside only for her right hand to connect with something


    very unusual. She reached down into her back pocket and pulled out her switchde, the same


    switchde she totally forgot she had.


    Every moment at that stage began to crawl in time. From pulling out the knife, to hearing her son cry in


    the smoke, to the demon press forward towards him.


    With the speed of a cat Lyte ran over. With the ferocity of arger cat, she dug the de right into


    the beast''s back, repeatedly stabbing it in any and every part of its body that she could before the thing


    flung her off, sending her body plunging backwards into a wall.


    Lyte could immediately feel something break in her back, while in front of her,rge chunks of


    ming ceiling came falling down, just missing her legs by inches.


    Lyte''s aching back was to the wall. The beast regained its bearings before seeing just where its


    prey was located. Lyte tried to get up, or at least roll over but her back was in too much pain; it was


    like she was pregnant all over again, except with twins. Without a hint of relent the demon began racing


    towards her.


    Lyte looked over at Isaiah who was steadily crying and reaching out for her next to the doorway.


    She herself broke down and wept, for her child was next once she was through, and that thought alone


    nearly stopped her heart from beating altogether.


    Then, from out of nowhere, something that resembled the sound of scraping metal stopped the beast


    dead in its tracks. Through the smoky mist Lyte could see a slim figure emerge from the elevator


    that had crashed to the bottom earlier.


    The person shoved the doors open enough to where they could slide right out. It was Akoni, in her


    human form all over again. From her head all the way down to her naked feet the woman was covered


    in blood. She looked like she had just walked away from a horrific car crash. She was limping while


    holding her stomach in anguish.


    "Brot...brother," she strained to gasp.


    The beast, seemingly forgetting all about Lyte, tuned its eyes to the battered woman before it


    began a slow, snarling march towards her. Akoni had the most astonished look on her blood-covered


    face while backing away.


    "No...please!" She gulped.


    But the beast would not listen; it just kept on stalking on all fours towards her before its march


    eventually turned into a mad dash. Akoni couldn''t even scream before she was engulfed and backed


    right into the elevator all over again.


    The whole thought process was finished. With as much pain as she was in Lyte managed to get up


    as fast as she could before reaching down and picking up one of the burning chunks of ceiling.


    With her two hands feeling the intense heat, the woman ran over to where the demon was destroying


    its sister and tossed the burning rubble into the elevator along with them both. Just like that the elevator


    exploded into a ming glory. The beast howled out as though the fire was eating it alive.


    Lyte limped as fast as she could towards Isaiah. She had nothing else more to view as far as the


    demon itself was concerned, only its wails of torment sent the woman racing all the more speedily out


    of the hecious building with her baby in tow.


    With buckets of sweat saturating their faces Lyte went straight through the wrecked, wood door


    and out into the front of the building. The woman had exhausted just about everyst bit of energy she


    had left to expend. Her y feet dragged further and further away from the building before her crippled


    legs could no longer take one more step.


    Just like that, she copsed to the ground before looking up at the sky and letting out the single most


    bloodcurdling scream that her lungs could expel. The grey sky responded in kind by pouring down a


    heavy torrent of warm rain that pounded upon mother and son.


    "Isaac!" Her vocal cords hollered themselves to death. "Isaac!"


    The rain came down so hard on both her and Isaiah that it was washing off the blood, ashes and every


    other sort of filth thatyered their bodies. Lyte and Isaiah coughed and spat all over themselves in


    an exhaustive effort to regain their breaths and breathe in holy oxygen.


    The longer Lyte knelt on the ground crying and screaming the louder the building behind her


    exploded into mes. She just couldn''t stop bawling, no matter how much her voice wanted to give out.


    She didn''t give a care as to what could havee out of the building behind her; all Lyte could do


    was wail while the long-awaited rain drenched her and her son''s bodies.


    Soon, the thunder followed.


    ***


    Downtown Cypress, Ohio was not spared the overwhelming, and long hoped for soaking that took over


    for the remainder of the afternoon. People walked down the sidewalks with umbres covering their


    heads and raincoats suited over their bodies. Sewers rapidly overflowed while the steamy streets were


    bing flooded, giving way to vehicles of all sorts inadvertently sshing pedestrians along their


    speeding course.


    The thunder that ripped through the downtown area sounded cavernous as its rumble echoed and


    bounced from one tall building to the other. Some people walked fast while others ran from one


    sidewalk and street to the other, but not Lyte Glover.


    The woman, with her son cradled securely to her bosom, hobbled down the sidewalk without any


    protectant from the elements whatsoever. From her face all the way to her torn and tattered sneakers


    she was drenched. She could feel and hear the water inside her shoes ssh, making her already slow


    march all the more sluggish. The rain was getting into her misty eyes, which in turn caused her to


    nearly miss a traffic stop.


    There were the onlookers, the ones who may have stoppedpletely or simply kept moving while


    keeping a curious eye on the unfortunate woman and her child. To Lyte, they were the shadows


    that she had encountered back at the Estates; annoying, but harmless.


    "Honey, do you need help?" A ckdy tried to console Lyte.


    Snatching her body away, the woman growled, "Leave me the fuck alone!"


    Down the wet sidewalk she carried on, while in a far distance, a lone building burned.

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43


    "Good evening, everyone, and wee to the six o'' clock edition of Action Seven News. I''m Ted


    Hall.As you can see here behind me, one of the three Hollis Estates buildings is on fire.


    Now, the fire department has managed to contain the ze, but there are a lot of questions and


    concerns surrounding this fire. Fire officials do believe that it was arson, but above that, a macabre


    discovery has been stumbled upon here, notably the findings of five dead bodies, all of which looked to


    be mutted and burned beyond recognition, as well as multiple, vacant apartments where bone


    fragments were discovered.


    That''s right, you heard me correctly,dies and gentlemen. Within this abandoned building behind me


    were found five dead, mutted and burned corpses and bones and skulls. Police are specting that


    over the years ever since the Estates were condemned that homeless squatters have inhabited this


    area, but they also are surmising that the animal or animals that have been responsible for the recent


    attacks have made their home here as well; perhaps making Hollis Estates a feeding ground of sorts.


    The five bodies that were discovered have not been identified as of yet, and to be perfectly honest, it


    may be a good while before deducing their identities bes a possibility considering the extensive


    damage to their corpses. However, no sign of the animals has yet to be discovered.


    Police, as of now, are checking the other two buildings to see if there are any other bodies or skeletal


    remains to be found. When this ze started is still a mystery, but that goes along with the uncanny


    and unannounced eclipse that overcame Cypress earlier today as well. Stay with Action Seven News


    for more developing details. I''m Ted Hall."


    Appearing fatigued, Ted dropped his microphone before looking over at his cameraman and asking,


    "Are we off?"


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    "Yeah, we''re good." The cameraman replied before shutting off his camera.


    Holding to his umbre, Ted looked all around at the hectic firefighters, police officers and investigators


    who were shuffling in and out of all three buildings like busy ants in the rain.


    "Can you believe this?" The cameraman looked on in dismay.


    Stuffing his thin microphone into his coat pocket, Ted stared up at the smoldering middle building


    before saying, "Are you kidding? I''m surprised these shithole buildings are still standing after all these


    years. Maybe now they''ll demolish all these ces. For all we know, we taxpayers could''ve been


    paying rent here ever since ''71, for Christ''s sake. Let''s get back to the van before we float away from


    here."


    As Ted turned and headed towards the area where various other news vans were parked, his


    cameraman tugged the reporter on the shoulder.


    "Hey, hey, do you see that kid over there?" He pointed. "The little ck kid."


    Ted turned back around and squinted before he spotted the obscure, shabby looking boy that was


    wandering around the grounds as though he were visible only to the two men. Every other firefighter


    and officer seemed topletely ignore him.


    "Holy Christ," Ted gasped. "Turn on the camera! We may have a witness!" He mored in


    astonishment as he chased after the boy. "Come on, Brad!" He yelled. "Hey, kid! Hold up!"


    But the little lost boy, without saying a mumbling word, simply turned and walked away in the opposite


    direction, towards a wooded area behind the buildings with the newscaster and his partner chasing


    right after him.

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44


    The warm, spewing rain persisted all the way to Lyte''s neighborhood. The woman''s slothful stride


    had remained the same ever since clearing Hollis Estates over two hours earlier.


    The brightness of the day that had unexpectedlye back seemingly after hours of inactivity was


    once again progressively making its descent back into darkness the natural way. But Lyte knew the


    way home by the variousmunities that she had passed along the way.The streetmps all began


    flickering on simultaneously causing a glossy re to shine upon the slick sidewalk upon which she


    treaded and sshed.


    Her entire face was soaking wet. Isaiah was snoring away in her arms and that was exactly the way


    she wanted it. Lyte couldn''t bear to see her son''s face, not after all that they had endured over the


    course of the past few hours, or even the past few months for that matter. She was no longer skittish of


    Isaiah, but that didn''t mean she had happened upon the courage to face the boy. There would always


    and forever be a dark, looming cloud hanging above them both for as long as they dared to breathe,


    and sooner or muchter, Lyte knew that she would have to answer for the storm.


    The youngdy kept on a few more paces before turning into a yard via the saturatedwn and


    stomping up onto the porch. She didn''t reach into her pockets for her key, instead, she simply pushed


    open the surprisingly already unlocked front door and let herself inside.


    Before she could even shut the door behind her Lyte stood and exhaled as deep as she could.


    Once she was through she pulled a soaking wet Isaiah away from her chest just as her mother,


    dressed in her bathrobe, came rushing into the living room from the kitchen.


    With the most stunned look on her face, the woman squealed out, "Where the fuck have you been?"


    Lyte was dripping rain from just about every portion of her body. The floor beneath her sneakers


    was a soppy mess. Just staring on at her fuming mother''s red face caused Lyte to realize that


    whatever spell the woman had possibly been under for the past few days had all but worn off. She was


    no longer afraid of her mother; she went back to being weary and agitated of the woman.


    "I''ve been calling the police ever sincest night!" Her mother raged on. "And every time I call them and


    tell them that Isaiah is missing they hang up on me! And here you show up, out of nowhere, looking like


    a wet possum!"


    Still, Lyte had nothing to say. She could speak, but words had no meaning at that juncture. All she


    wanted to do was stand and drip.


    "I asked you a question, dammit! Where have you been?" Her mother advanced towards her.


    Lyte stood her ground until her mother attempted to grab her by the shoulder; that was when


    Lyte yanked herself away screaming, "Don''t you touch me!"


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    Her mother stood back but only for a brief moment before trying to take hold of her daughter all over


    again.


    "Where have you been with that baby?" She yelled.


    But Lyte only wrestled both herself and Isaiah away from her mother before grabbing her mother''s


    right wrist and restraining it.


    "I said don''t touch me!" She tossed the woman''s hand back down.


    Her mother stood there in the middle of the living room lookingpletely thunderstruck. She, much


    like Lyte was breathing in and out heavily.


    "We''re here now!" Lyte hollered. "That''s all you and daddy need to know! My boy and I are here!"


    Shaking her head in utter disbelief, her mother pulled a rag from out of her robe pocket and pressed it


    against her forehead before sighing, "I don''t know what''s been going on since¡ª


    "Mama, you don''t have to know." Lyte adamantly remarked. "Like I said, we''re here."


    Pacing the partially lit living room, her mother kept pointing her finger at Lyte saying, "You''re just


    like your damn sisters. You and them are always doing what you want to do."


    "I am not like them!" Lyte angrily struggled to scream. "Not one of those bitches is worth a damn!


    Not one of them! You, daddy and my sisters don''t have a clue as to what...I''m done."


    She relented. For what seemed like countless minutes, both women stood in the living room while the


    rain outside sounded as if it were bing increasingly louder and irate along with the beleaguered


    mother and daughter. It actually possessed its own rhythm and tone.


    Lyte soon found the strength to turn and walk towards the stairs only to have her mother attempt to


    follow her.


    "I just wish someone would tell me just what in the hell has been going on around here these past few


    days!" She desperately yelled. "I just wish you would let me inside!"


    Lyte, nearly losing her grip on Isaiah, spun around on the first step and said, "Let you in? Mama,


    how can I let you in when I myself don''t want to be inside? You don''t know what me and this little boy


    have been through these past few months!"


    "That''s because you won''t tell me, Lynn! These past few months you''ve been in and out of this house


    like an alley cat! Now look at you! You look like you were torn apart by something!"


    Lyte wanted to cry all over again, but she reserved herself while staring into her mother''s pain-


    stricken eyes that looked as though they wanted to break down. It wasn''t what she had expected, but


    that didn''t mean she didn''t understand her mother.


    "I''ve been hooked on drugs these past few months." Lyte exhaled all the air out of her lungs in one


    breath.


    Lyte''s mother dropped the rag that she had pressed against her forehead to the floor before


    paleness took control of her once blushing face.


    "That''s what I''ve been hiding from you all these months. Your daughter is a junkie bitch." She inly


    stated.


    And with that, Lyte carried both herself and her son up the stairs, leaving her already lonely mother


    in an even more ustrophobic state than she was before.


    ***


    And the rain kept falling:


    In the warm bathroom, and on her sore knees, Lyte washed Isaiah from head to filthy toe in the


    bathtub. She herself was still a brazen mess of cuts and bruises, but her well-being was the furthest


    thing from her mind. All she could do was stare at the child who appearedpletely drained and


    disoriented more than anything else. With her own grimy fingernails she washed the boy''s hair with


    soap. With every scrub sheid upon the child the more she began to realize she was actually touching


    him.


    Lyte had her hands all over Isaiah and she didn''t even flinch. It had been months since she had


    been so tender to him that the sudden revtion just crashed upon her like a sledgehammer to the


    head.


    Her own bleary eyes every so often would recall the events back at the Estates, from watching Akoni


    transform to racing like a scared mouse through a haunted building. Her stomach would drop every


    time she would hear a vehicles loud engine outside rip by the house, thinking it was something she had


    just escaped on her way toe and get her.From time to time her hands would be limp as she


    washed Isaiah''s hair while her eyes aimlessly drifted from one end of the tile in front of her to the other.


    "Do you miss your daddy?" she asked in a listless fashion.


    Isaiah just looked up for a moment and babbled, "Daddy."


    "Your daddy," Lyte''s mind wandered. "Do you know that I can''t even go back to our old house


    anymore? I''m too scared to."


    Isaiah began sshing in the water but Lyte gave his frivolity no attention whatsoever. She just


    kept on babbling to herself as if she were the only one inside the bathroom.


    "Your daddy and I once had a favorite song. ''Maybe Tomorrow.'' You know the Jacksons cartoon you


    love so much?"


    "Jacksons!" Isaiah blurted out in subtle excitement. "On TV!"


    "Yeah...your daddy and I would listen to that song over and over again until we wore out the record. It


    was our favorite song."


    In her head Lyte really had no clue as to what she was saying. She was pondering on Isaac, but


    the words that wereing out of her mouth were unbeknownst to her.


    All of the sudden, the young mother stopped scrubbing her son''s hair the second he began to whimper.


    She removed her scarred hands from his head and sat back. It was like someone had taken a dark veil


    away from her eyes at that instant. Her lips started to quiver as did her hands the longer she stared at


    the child. On the outside he was absolutely oblivious, but she could see in his eyes that something was


    off kilter.


    Lyte''s breath was escaping her. She tried to get up from off the floor but no sooner did she attempt


    such a task that something caused her to wobble off bnce. She leaned her aching back up against


    the wall for a moment as the entire bathroom began spinning around and around. The whole jarring


    experience caused her to open the door and stumble out into the darkened hallway.


    The second she came to the stairs a sudden case of vertigo captured her. Before she could even set


    one foot onto the first step she clutched her thumping heart. With the greatest of ease she took one


    step at a time down the tall stairs until she reached the living room.


    She was beingpelled, by what was beyond her, but Lyte had to keep moving. She kept on


    towards the front door, onto the porch and out into the warm, soaking rain.It was by thenpletely


    dark outside as she ventured further into the front yard where she stopped directly in the middle of the


    lawn and stood. Distant rumbles of thunder rolled by every other minute or so.


    The rain beat upon her body so hard that it seemed as though it could knock her over at any second.


    Then, without any warning whatsoever Lyte simply copsed to her knees on the ground and


    remained there.


    In all truthfulness she hadn''t beenpletely dried off from her initial drenching earlier, so receiving


    another shower was inconsequential.


    Her own hair began drooping down to where it was blinding her eyes, but there was nothing to see


    anyways but the streetmps and a couple of passing cars.


    "I''m sorry, Isaac." She whimpered to herself before shutting her eyes.


    Behind her she could hear something scratch and move about in the grass. It sounded close, like it was


    on her back. Soon, it began to grunt and growl, but rather than clinch her body, Lyte instead let go.


    The growling chorus carried on for at least two whole minutes before the sound ultimately ceased.


    Lyte then opened her eyes and turned around to see nothing behind her. Whether anything was


    there at all or not didn''t concern the woman.


    Lyte''s knees started to sink slowly into the muddy ground the longer she remained in the kneeling


    position.


    "Arthur!" She screamed out in anguish. "Oh my God...Arthur," she then pounded her fists on the grass.


    "I''m so sorry, Isaac." Her voice weakened more and more.


    By then, she couldn''t move...

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45


    And the rain continued to fall:


    It was like his body was an ancient, rusted and forgotten vehicle that was being brought back to life


    after so many years of inactivity.


    Ever so gently, twitching and twisting, Jeremiah''s fingers moved before his two hands became


    animated once more.


    The rain funneled into the man''s wide open mouth nearly chocking him in the process. Jeremiah


    coughed and hacked before rolling over onto the muddy grass that he was lying on.


    He opened his stinging eyes to see nothing but ckness above. Jeremiah opened his eyes wider


    before shielding his face from the rain and looking from side to side.


    The man attempted to get up but his body was entirely too frail and broken to aplish such a feat.


    Jeremiah then cried out in agony before crawling about on the grass like a wounded animal. His legs


    and arms felt like they could all snap in half at any moment. His head felt like someone were still


    cracking him with a branch. The inside of his mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton. Absolutely


    nothing was right as far as he was concerned.


    He kept on crawling before he eventually stopped and gazed all around at what looked to be a


    spacious field. He expected to see the Cummins house or at least a road, but there was nothing in


    sight but grass for as far as his frail eyes could see in the rain.


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    "Hell...hello," his weak voice tried to call out.


    Jeremiah copsed to the ground and justid there for a minute in the hopes of catching his breath.


    When a spurt of energy returned the man once more endeavored to get to his feet. With just about


    everyst ounce of vitality he could gather in his busted body Jeremiah rose to his feet only to fall back


    to the ground.


    His hands were shaking and his head was spinning, but he was bound and determined to get back up.


    Slipping along the way, Jeremiah struggled and fought before atst standing up, albeit hunched over.


    With the heavy rain weighing down his hair even more than it already was, Jeremiah scanned around


    the open range before limping and staggering off in no particr direction. His right wrist was broken,


    as was his left arm. It felt as if his left kneecap wanted to dislodge from its joint. His entire face felt like


    it was going to fall off. With his numb hands he touched all over his face that felt like putty. There were


    pieces of flesh that were falling off and onto the ground. Thest thing Jeremiah wanted was to look


    into a mirror of all things.


    The more he lumbered on, the harder the rain seemed to fall causing his already blurred vision to fail


    all the more. Soon, there came a feeling, the feeling was then followed by a sound.


    Jeremiah stopped walking to look behind him and from left to right. But there was nothing but grass and


    the night surrounding him.


    Jeremiah, resuming his trek towards God knows where, made sure to keep a watchful eye on his


    whereabouts until the sound that he had heard came into earshot once more. The man kept hobbling


    on while gawking back and forth. By then his heart rate increased simply because it was a sound that


    he wasn''t all too familiar with. He knew he was in a rural area and that it could have possibly been


    anything from an animal to a farm machine, but the sound was too close by anding from all


    directions.


    Just then, the sound that Jeremiah was hearing became clearer and more familiar. It was an animal,


    and it wasn''t a small one; in Jeremiah''s ears it sounded big and mad.


    "Hell...hello," he began shivering out of fear.


    Jeremiah kept on but the animal seemed to be following him. He could hear it behind him, but every


    time he looked back there was nothing in sight to see.


    He kept on before the angry sounding beast began growling directly in front of him just a few yards


    ahead. Jeremiah suddenly stopped before spinning all around like a top. He could see nothing in the


    blinding rain, and yet, there was something there in his midst, and that same something was closing in


    on him. The thought of going to his left crossed his mind, but just as soon as he attempted to do so the


    animal somehow made it there first, which in turn caused Jeremiah to believe that there was more than


    one surrounding him.


    "Please...please, I''m lost!" He stuttered uncontrobly.


    But the animal or animals kept on growling. By then, he was seemingly surrounded by the creatures.


    Jeremiah contemted whether or not it was all real. He had been beaten within an inch of his life and


    left for dead, hallucinations were bound to ur. But even his college educated rationale couldn''t


    soothe his bothered nerves at that stage.


    "God...help me please!" His jaws shuddered. "Please, whoever you are, I''m lost!"


    But the animals kept growling in all directions. Jeremiah stood in the pouring twilight rain not quite sure


    as to what to do. He was dead in all directions, he assumed. His wife and soon to be born baby had


    taken a backseat to his current tribtion. He wanted to see them, but first Jeremiah desired freedom.


    In all four directions he was encased, but there was always one small pocket of space that was free. If


    North, South, East and West were upied, Northwest would be all clear, and that was exactly the


    route he pursued.


    Without taking a breath the man bolted off. His mind had forgotten that his legs were crippled; it was


    raw adrenaline that possessed his every move. A sheet of rain was all he could see in front of him as


    the angry animals behind him kept growling and roaring while chasing him down.


    "God...please help me!" He squealed for all he was worth.


    Within the fraught marathon Jeremiah copsed face first to the ground only to jump right back up and


    continue forward as though his legs had never given out at all. His face was covered in mud and grass,


    but all the young man had to do was wipe it off and just keep on running forward while trying to shut out


    the awful roars of the animals that were hunting him down.


    Before him in the distance were two bright, shining beams of light. Jeremiah couldn''t make the beams


    out in all the rain but he knew that something had to give. The beams wereing at him just as fast


    as he was at it, and all that seemed to do was make Jeremiah run even harder.


    Behind him, however, he could feel the animals breaths nip at his partially naked heels. Jeremiah


    nearly tripped and fell all over again. He was too petrified to turn and look behind him, all he could do


    was keep sprinting forward towards the two bright beams until his feet shockingly met what felt like


    pavement.


    In front of the man were the two beams that were immediately followed by a loud horn and the


    screeching of tires. Jeremiah jumped out of the way beforending back first on the road.


    "What in the blue hell are you doing?" A man''s irate voice shouted.


    moring to get to his feet, Jeremiah ran to the man. "Get into your truck!" He implored.


    "Are you okay?"


    "Just get in!" Jeremiah pushed the man along. "They''reing," he yelled.


    Jeremiah climbed into the passenger''s side of the rig while the driver got back into his side. Jeremiah


    gawked and gazed all out the wet windows to see just what was chasing him.


    "What the hell is going on, man?" The older, white man looked confounded.


    With shaking hands, Jeremiah hysterically motioned, "Go, go, go!"


    The white bearded driver put his truck back in gear and resumed his drive down the road with


    Fleetwood Mac''s, ''Go your own way'' ying in the eight-track yer.


    "Holy Jesus, brother, you look like someone''s done kicked the crap out of you!"


    Jeremiah stared at the rearview mirror at the darkness behind him. He was still shaking like a leaf. He


    should have been in a world of hurt and pain, but he was numb from fright. He couldn''t feel a single


    thing from his head all the way down to his bloody feet.


    "Do you need me to take you to the hospital, buddy?"


    Jeremiah looked over at the man and said, "Yeah...yes, please. I have a wife."


    The driver kept a worried eye on Jeremiah while steadily driving. "How did you get all the way out here,


    if you don''t mind me asking?"


    Jeremiah couldn''t recollect upon such a question. All he could still hear in his ears were the beasts that


    were chasing him down like fresh meat. They were sounds that harkened back to certain conversations


    with certain individuals. He couldn''t exin why he out of nowhere thought of such people, they just


    happened to materialize in his head


    "How long have you been out here?" The driver asked.


    Jeremiah heard the man''s inquiry, but he just sat and remembered discussions while his mouth hung


    wide open.


    His right eye happened to catch a glimpse of his bloody face in the rearview mirror, and that was all he


    wanted to see, just a glimpse.


    "There was something out there." Jeremiah mumbled.


    "Something, huh," the driver snickered. "Brother, you''re something could have ranged from a cow all


    the way to a coyote."


    "There''s coyotes out here?" Jeremiah looked over.


    "Sure." The man spoke up in a confident manner.


    Jeremiah closed his mouth and looked back outside the window. "What about...wolves," he hesitated.


    "Wolves?" the driver sounded surprised. "It''s a possibility, but I can guarantee that what you were


    running from were coyotes. Those rascals probably haven''t eaten in days, that''s why they had you on


    the run. Nope, I''ve never seen a wolf in my life, and I was raised in and around these parts."


    Jeremiah kept his drowsy eyes on the passing road beside him and just pondered on the conversations


    from the past.


    Particrly one...

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46


    And the rain kept on falling:


    David could hear something eerily reminiscent to pebbles pelting the window that was located just


    three feet to his left.His eyes slowly and achingly opened, but only his left eye appeared to be


    operational, the right one waspletely cked out.


    With his one eye the man feebly peered around what looked to be a hospital room,plete with a


    television mounted on the wall in front of him, an oxygen tank hanging to his right side and a tube from


    the machine that was connected to his neck.


    David then managed to catch a mere glimpse of his right hand which was bandaged, as well as his left


    one. He touched all over his face to discover that it as well wasyered in what felt like bandages.


    "My...my family," he tried so hard to open his mouth and speak.


    "Good morning, my friend."


    David all of the sudden heard a voice utter inside the room.The besieged man gawked and squirmed


    all around before his one eye connected with that of a man seated in a chair near the door.


    "The name''s O''Dea." He sat up in his seat. "The nurses said that you''ve been calling out for your family


    ever since you were brought here days ago."


    David studied the man ever so diligently, from his white, buttoned down shirt, all the way to his perfectly


    creased grey cks. The name was quite familiar, but the person was about as important to him as an


    alley cat as far as David was concerned.


    "You should see it outside." O''Dea pointed at the window. "The news said it should cool down some,


    but it''s still hotter than hell out there. I love it when the rain falls and it steams off the pavement. Kind of


    reminds you of some old film noir. Touch of Evil. I love that flick." He casually babbled on.


    David curiously watched as O''Dea got up from out of his chair and began just strolling about the room.


    His presence there, out of nowhere, no less, startled the man just as much as the whereabouts of his


    family.


    "So, you''re the amigo that''s been rattling cages down at the station." O''Dea said. "And you''re probably


    wondering just what I''m doing here."


    David wanted to speak so badly, but for some reason or another, his mouth wouldn''t or couldn''t open.


    Even feeling his tongue seemed like a strenuous detail. It was like it wasn''t even there anymore. He felt


    his itchy, stinging skin behind the bandages squirm and twitch.


    "You''ve been sticking your bulbous nose into something that I think you shouldn''t have, my friend. Now


    look at you, lying here with third degree burns all over your body. What a tragedy."


    Still, David wanted to know more than anything in the world why the man that was so despised back at


    the station was there in his hospital room of all ces. Something was awry, and all the man could do


    was lie still and listen to the spiteful gentleman blunder on and on until he reached his so called point.


    With his hands in his pockets, O''Dea continued to stroll around the room. "Yes, we had us a little...


    situation, some months earlier. And that situation nearly broke the station and everyone in it. The


    problem is, Mr. Ortega, is that you dug just a little too deep down the well, and here you are."


    Images and voices suddenly began to funnel back into David''s head at that very moment. He


    remembered trying feverishly to rush his family out of the explosion, but he also recalled the scene


    inside his living room with vivid precision.


    O''Dea was present for a reason, and he himself was foraging right into the very core as deep as he


    grudgingly could.


    "I still have some connections down at that station, and those connections informed me that you took


    something home with you. And lo and behold, here you are." O''Dea stopped right in front of David''s


    bed. "I''m quite sure you''ve heard of Linus Bruin and what took ce back in February. Detective Bruin


    had some problems, and being the inspector, it was my duty to protect the force from the man''s


    personal issues. Bottom line, Linus had no business being brought back to the force after going to that


    asylum. I tried over and over again to warn Brickman, but the man was fixated on having Bruin back."


    The more O''Dea spoke the more David wanted to break free of both his bandages and the bed. There


    was just something about the man that caused David to explode into a violent sweat all over.


    "I do believe that Linus saw something jarring inside that house that night. But you, Mr. Ortega,


    managed to see something yourself that night inside your home, too. Didn''t you?"


    David only shut his eye momentarily before opening it again to only see a ball of fire exploding in his


    face.


    "Linus was a lot of things, but a nut wasn''t one of them." O''Dea said before resuming his pace about


    the room. "That man walked in on something very, very ugly." O''Dea then happened to turn around to


    face the television above his head. "Yesterday, one of the Hollis Estates buildings went up in mes.


    They''re saying that''s where the animals that have been terrorizing our fair city were holed up. They


    found bodies and bones inside the building. I remember when they put those buildings up back in the


    forties. I was a rookie cop at the time. Hollis Estates was the ce where most of the city''s coloreds


    were housed."


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    David''s body at that instant reverted back to a resting stage. His eye caught sight of the newsbreak on


    the television. Inside he found himself wrestling with both thoughts of his family and what he had been


    searching into ever since arriving in town; but something inside told him to rx.


    Turning back around, O''Dea stated, "Linus Bruin didn''t just happen to run into a domestic violence


    disturbance, that man stepped into another world. Something went on inside that old apartment


    building yesterday. I don''t believe for one moment we''re dealing with some pack of wild dogs." O''Dea


    then approached David at the side of his bed before leaning forward and whispering into his face, "A


    few days ago, you took very important evidence with you home. That same evening, Mr. Ortega, said


    evidence sent you straight here. Now, I need for you to tell me just what in that evidence you saw."


    David only stared right back at the man with the most contemptuous re his one eye could point. He


    wasn''t concerned about all of the warnings and descriptions that he had been inundated with when it


    came to O''Dea, all he could see before him was someone who could have cared less about his


    condition.


    O''Dea was after something; the man had left his career salivating over the case. Pulling away, O''Dea


    said, "Okay, okay, I see exactly how this is going to work." O''Dea then went over and picked up his wet


    umbre from off the air-conditioning unit below the window. "Back in ''72, Uruguayan flight 571 crashed


    into the Andes. Out of forty-five people, only sixteen survived. Why? Because they ate the others,"


    O''Dea dropped his shoulders. "We are survivors. This isn''t Chicago, Mr. Ortega, where they cope with


    baseball jinxes, this is Cypress, Ohio. And you just happened to learn that the hard way. There is


    something quite disturbing running this city, and all I required of you was something, anything, that


    could aid me in my probe. And you just lie there."


    David only soaked in the words, responding to them would only cause his body to itch all the more.


    O''Dea was just an imp, what he caught sitting inside his home days earlier was the real and foreboding


    torment that stuck tighter than all the bandages he was encased inside of.


    Heading for the door, O''Dea said, "It was a gant effort on your part, Inspector. Imend thee." He


    then nced at the television before pointing and stating in a nonchnt demeanor, "Oh, look, the


    Hardy Boys are on." From that, the man walked out the door. "Sorry about your family!" He callously


    mentioned on his way out.


    David''s body was still rxed. He was trapped in a perfect state of calm as the television ran the


    opening theme to the aforementioned program. He remembered a man seated inside his living room,


    and that was that.


    David lifted his frail right arm and managed to grab hold of the tube that was connected to the oxygen


    tank. Then, with what little strength he had left, the man pulled at the rubber tube until it snapped in


    half.


    His hand dropped to the side of the bed as the machine t-lined.

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47


    Like so much garbage, Charles was tossed into the pit-like dungeon in his sleeveless undershirt and


    boxers.


    Confused, the man looked through the small peephole to see the guards turning away andughing as


    they happily marched out of sight. He then turned back around to find himself surrounded by wolves,


    wolves of varying colors, from all ck to all white and mixed shades. They all remained perfectly


    docile as they plodded around the equally calm man that saw fit to only stand perfectly still in ce.


    As Charles began to shuffle amongst the pack he suddenly heard something that resembled someone


    speaking. He gawked all around before an old, Middle-Eastern man came waddling out of the shadows


    within the dungeon. He was a raggedy looking fellow from head to toe. His grey, scraggly beard drew


    down past his chin.


    "I am here because of the king, my dear friend." The old man said as he approached Charles.


    Charles stood and watched as the old man stepped up to him. "Who is the king?" Mercer asked.


    The old man looked dismayed as he opened his mouth and replied, "I would not praise his gods, so


    here must I die, with the beasts."


    Charles stared oddly at the old man for a few moments before another figure emerged from the


    shadows. The figure had the brightest eyes that Charles had ever seen. They were so bright in fact that


    the man had to squint just to shield his vision from them. Much like the old man, the bright-eyed


    individual was wearing tattered clothing; a brown cloth-like material that covered only their body with


    nothing protecting their feet.


    N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    The closer the person came the more Charles could make out a face behind the eyes. The face was


    that of his son''s. But rather than light up with gleeful enthusiasm, Charles just stood still and stared at


    his child with a most mystified re.


    "Son, what happened to you?" His voice cracked.


    cing his hand on his father''s left shoulder, Isaac calmly said, "I am here because of the king, dad."


    "These beasts were to devour us, but the Lord has spared our very lives." The old man humbly smiled.


    "Praise be to God in heaven."


    But Charles was neither impressed with the familiar old man or the wolves that circled him. He just


    wanted to keep his eyes on his son for as long as he could without the brightness blinding him too


    severely.


    Isaac withdrew his hand from his father''s shoulder before turning and pacing around the wolves.


    "I am here because of the king." Isaac uttered in a downcast tone.


    "Boy...what were you up to?" Charles'' heart began to beat out of pace. "What on earth were you doing


    to end up like this?"


    "Perhaps he should have bought that dog." A slick voice spoke behind Charles.


    Charles spun around to see a ck-furred wolf actually standing behind him on two feet. It was only


    five inches taller than Charles, and yet as jolting as it should have appeared, the man waspletely


    unfazed by the sight.


    He turned back to see both Isaac and the old man drop to their knees and begin to pray out loud in


    unison, "The king put us here! Very soon, we will see the king again!"


    In subtle awe, Charles stood in front of the wolf and watched as his boy and the age-old prophet lifted


    praises to the heavens above.


    "What were you doing in this world, son?" He desperately whispered.


    "Fear not for Isaac," the wolf behind him patted Charles on the shoulders, "his time in hell will be short


    lived."


    Isaac then got up from off his knees, approached his father and whispered directly into his face, "Tell


    mama I''m sorry."


    Charles only grabbed Isaac by the shoulders and shook him screaming, "What were you doing, nigga?"


    "Soon and very soon...we will see the king."


    Charles'' eyes popped right open at that very second to the soft sound of a woman singing, ''Soon and


    very soon we''re going to see the king.''


    The top of the man''s head wasyered in bandages, as well as his chest and stomach which ached


    whenever he moved too suddenly.


    "Oh my," Audra twirled around surprised with a red and white stripped apron around her waist. "Praise


    the good Lord, you''ve finally awakened!"


    Charles stared all around the hospital room like he was on another. His head hurt so badly that it


    felt like it was about to pop wide open.


    "You should lie back down." Audra came over to his bedside. "You''ve been out cold for days now."


    Charles looked at the woman in an almost frightened manner. He began to scoot away from her in his


    bed the closer she approached him.


    "No, no, I''m not here to hurt you." She gently reassured. "My name is Audra. I volunteer here at the


    hospital. Just wait here, and I''ll go get¡ª


    But before she could even turn, Charles caught Audra by the hand and held her as tight as he could. At


    first, Audra tried to free herself, but after a moment or two she calmed down and stood still.


    Charles held her as his eyes jittered and a tear dropped."What was my boy up to?" He grunted.


    "Sir...I don''t know your boy. I was just in here fluffing some of your pillows." She innocently remarked.


    Charles continued to re into Audra''s eyes before he asked again, "What was my boy up to?"


    Audra managed to release herself from Charles'' hold before she rested his body back onto the bed


    once again.


    "Now, now, just rx." She said. "We had another gentleman wake up earlier this morning before he


    went home to be with the Lord not too long after." Audra patiently exined. "Don''t you go and work


    yourself into a tizzy."


    Charles was still sleepy. His eyelids felt like led weights. He kept on slipping in and out of


    consciousness, and yet, thest thing he wanted was to sumb to slumber once more. He watched


    as Audra opened the blinds and went back to singing.


    "I...I can''t feel my legs." He whimpered ever so pitifully."


    Audra immediately stopped singing and handed the man apassionate frown. "Wait here...I''ll get a


    doctor."


    The very thought that he was still alive had all but escaped him. It never once registered inside his


    conscience.


    "Where are you, my boy?" He whispered with quivering jaws. "Lord...where''s my child


    at?"

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48


    And behold, it stood upon the sand of the sea, and I saw a beast rise up out of the sea:


    She wore an all blue one-piece bathing suit as she treaded in the three foot high, crystal blue ocean


    water. Lyte''s hair was wrapped in a halo of lilies, and the tranquil smile that she wore upon her face


    was reminiscent of that to someone who had just happened across the threshold of life and eternity


    above the clouds. She allowed her hands to skim across the soft, warm water as she carried on


    deeper.


    For as far as her eyes would allow all she could see before her was wide, open and blue water. There


    were no clouds to speak of in the sky, nor was there a boat or person anywhere to be found. She was


    absolutely alone in the expanse; even her breath felt effervescent, like she had just tasted the greatest


    sip of refreshing water that lingered inside her mouth unceasingly.


    There were the events of the past weeks and days that somehow, someway were nowhere present


    inside her being. The woman was a picture of istion and rest. Even when her smile vanished there


    was still a rxed warmness melting inside her belly that caused it to tickle with every movement. She


    looked down at the shimmering water to see goldfish swimming back and forth around her feet and


    ankles.


    The further out she ventured that was all the more clearer the air became. She breathed it all inside her


    lungs until she couldn''t inhale any more. Behind her was a sound. She could feel the waves nudge her


    bottom half forward. She turned only her head around to see none other than a naked Arthur Bushard


    coming towards her with a gentile grin gracing his handsome face.


    Lyte didn''t cringe or even budge for that matter, she just turned her head back aroundwhile the


    man came up behind her and fondled her chest and neck with his soft, strong hands.


    The youngdy closed her eyes and allowed the man''s actions to carry her further away into the


    blissful abyss. Soon enough, his lips met with her neck. She moaned in ecstasy as Arthur''s luscious


    mouth kissed all over her warm, goose-pimpled skin.


    Lyte took Arthur''s hands off of her before turning around and sping his face. Her eyes were still


    shut as she pressed her lips against his in one passionate, tongue-induced kiss while the burning sun''s


    rays caressed their beautiful, ck bodies.


    Lyte''s eyes then opened. Lying beside her was Isaiah. She gawked all around to find herself lying


    in her own bed inside her room. The woman, somewhat confused, continued to scan around before


    catching her mother sitting in her rocking chair against the wall.


    Her mother was wearing the most idyllic look on her face as she sat in her bathrobe staring at her. It


    unsettled Lyte more than she already was.


    "I haven''t watched you sleep since you were a little girl." Her mother quietly stated.


    Lyte ignored thement before listening to water outside the window tap in a chorus. "Is it still


    raining?" Lyte rubbed her aching forehead.


    "A little bit." Her mother sat up. "I think the sh flood warnings are all over with. I got tired of all those


    beeping rms on the TV, so I ended up turning the darn thing off after a while."


    Lyte managed to catch a glimpse of her blue pajamas that she was wearing underneath the


    covers. She then nced back over at the baby who was steadily snoring right beside her.


    "I don''t even remember getting cleaned upst night." Lyte attempted to sit up on the bed, only to


    realize that her entire body was nearly immobilized from head to toe.


    "I found you outsidest night on the frontwn." Her mother began rocking back and forth. "You were


    just kneeling there. I don''t think you were even hardly awake when I brought you inside. And, child,


    your breath sure was stinking, too." She giggled.


    Lyte cracked a grin while still struggling to get up. But when she came to the realization that her


    body just wasn''t in any condition to act, she instead resigned to her fate and lied back down on the bed


    underneath the old nket that her grandmother made for her when she was still a little girl.


    She was sore to the very bone. Both her and her mother stared at one another for endless minutes. For


    Lyte, just being inside the same room with her mom seemed normal for the first time in years, and


    that thought alone caused her heart to race with anticipation as to what could have been around the


    corner next.


    "I never realized how restless of a sleeper you are." Her mother said. "At first I thought you were going


    to hurt Isaiah with all your tossing and turning."


    "I think I was dreaming of Jaws." Lyte feebly quipped.


    Lyte''s mother only grinned before saying, "That eclipse yesterday was something to see; if you


    could see, that is. We all thought the world was about to end."


    Lyte rested upon her ufortable pillow while wondering in her head why she didn''t happen


    upon any harsh nightmares.


    "God is funny." Her mother suddenly remarked.


    Lyte lifted her weary head and looked dead at her mom in the most curious fashion. "What?" She


    frowned.


    "It''s funny how he seems to bring things back around full circle. I can''t remember a single thing that''s


    been going on these past few days, and yet, here you and I are, right where we started back in


    February when you came home from the hospital."


    Lyte recalled the event with perfect rity, except rather than sitting in the chair, her mother was


    seated at the foot of her bed. But she got the woman''s message all the same.


    "Mama, why didn''t we go to church growing up?"


    Her mother only turned her eyes away for a moment and kept them locked on the closet door to her


    right.


    "Your father and I got married, had you and your sisters, and then we both gotcent in our lives


    to where going to church was such a burden. It didn''t mean that we didn''t believe in or love God, we


    just felt that we worked so hard that we deserved at least one day to ourselves. But I look back now


    and realize that...it may have hurt our girls."


    Wanting to cry, Lyte said, "I saw...I saw such an evil, mama. It''s not that I never wanted to talk to


    you about it, it''s just that...I didn''t know how to." Her voice cracked. "I didn''t know how and where to


    begin. It all started with Isaac, and then...then it just went downhill from there. I still think that I''m


    dreaming even now. Am I even alive?"


    Wilma sat and looked so fondly at her child as though it were the very first time she had done so.


    "I know that I haven''t been easy to live with these past few months. I know that I''ve caused so much


    damage, but you and daddy have to understand that...I just don''t know where to begin with it all."


    Wilma continued to look on at Lyte before asking, "Why did you stop writing your poetry?"


    Lyte mmed her head back down onto her pillow and sighed, "Mama, I don''t have the will to do


    that anymore."


    "But I remember you told me years ago that writing poetry gave you the opportunity to express yourself


    in ways that you couldn''t say out loud. I never once said that you had to tell me every minor detail in


    your life, but I never wanted to be cut out of itpletely either."


    Lyte looked back at her mother with a baffled grimace, as to say her words had cut deep inside.


    "I know that what you went through with Isaac was terrible, but, child, you''ve been through something


    recently, too. I can see it not only in your body, but also in your soul. I have a feeling that what you went


    through back in February, andst night for that matter, shook you so hard that words just can''t express


    it all."


    "The funny thing is, it''s not even about Isaac anymore." Lyte sniffed. "This whole matter goes so far


    beyond that man. When I say evil, I don''t just mean something bad, this was something from hell. It got


    Isaac, and it almost got me and Isaiah. Something came into this world...and it just won''t leave."


    "Then sometimes, little girl, it''s up to us to make it leave." Her mother said in a stern, yetposed


    manner.


    Right then and there Lyte''s vision mysteriously began to blink in and out. At first she thought she


    was going blind, but once her sight remained intact she realized that it wasn''t a physical happening, but


    rather spiritual.


    "You''re not like your sisters." Her mother stated. "There''s a motivation about you that they don''t have.


    And that same motivation is what has caused you to survive all this time. God is with you, and he''ll


    continue to be with you."


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Lyte lifted her body up from off the bed before sitting on the edge. Her mother''s words didn''t have


    to sink inside, they hit with such ferocity and suddenness that thinking about it was only a waste of


    time. The little girl got it.


    "Where''s daddy at?" She muttered.


    Exhaling, her mother replied, "He''s in the room. I guess something happened to him, too. He doesn''t


    want to talk about it."


    Lyte, daring to exert her already damaged body any further, got up from off the bed and went for


    the door with her mother right behind her.


    "You should''ve heard the babyst night; he was singing ''Jesus loves me'' in his sleep." Wilma


    mentioned before shutting the door behind her.


    Lyte limped down the hallway, just two doors down before she came to her parents'' room. The


    door was wide open. She looked inside to see her father lying down in the bed, rolled over onto his side


    to where she could only see his back.


    She couldn''t tell if he was awake or not, all she knew was that both he and her mother were not the


    same people she once knew all her life. The man lying on the bed was just an unfamiliar husk of a


    human being.


    "He''s been like that ever since I came around yesterday." Wilma mentioned. "I don''t know what went on


    here...but I am so damn d it''s over." She started to whimper. "So, so d."


    Lyte just stood at the doorway and stared on at her long-suffering father while listening to her


    mother behind her speak so delicately.


    All the words, sights and thoughts were entirely too much to handle and grasp all at once. Lyte


    simply shut herself down like a machine right then.


    "I...I have to leave for a while." Lyte whispered.


    A minute and a half passed by before her mother patted her back and said, "Then you do whatever you


    have to do. And don''te back until it''s done. Live to fight another day."


    Lyte listened as her mother walked down the stairs. She stood and watched her father with


    mournful eyes for a bit more before turning and heading back to her own room. The instant she


    reached her room door she leaned up against it and listened as the tapping rain spat upon the old


    house.


    Every muscle and fiber in her body wanted to open the door, but she relented as hard as she could


    while moving her hands against the wood.


    "Goodbye, little baby boy." She whispered so softly at the door.


    Pulling away from the door Lyte went inside the adjacent bathroom and shut the door right behind


    her.


    There was such a grim quiet inside the room that Lyte figured at first that her hearing was fading


    away. She stood before the medicine cab mirror without looking at her own reflection. She then


    pulled up the bottom half of her pajama shirt and examined thecerations that covered her stomach.


    From her stomach she made her way down to her legs and feet that were marked up with bruises and


    cuts. The youngdy was a picture perfect coge of misery. Even her hands had scorch marks from


    where she handled the piece of fire that she tossed at the siblings. But beyond all of the physical


    mise, there was Arthur who remained with her for endless hourster.


    She could still feel his hands attempt to undo her pants. The aroma of the man''s breath was such a


    striking stench that Lyte could smell nothing else besides it. Just knowing that he ate people


    caused her to gulp down a huge glob of saliva.


    Both of the creatures had their ws all over her at one point or another. Two things that should have


    been relegated to ate night matinee were at one time right in front of her face. Just the very thought


    of such an urrence hit Lyte with such a blunt force that the woman had to brace herself from


    shaking all over again.


    She was sick and tired of shaking. Fed up with running, and downright frustrated with being afraid. At


    last, Lyte lifted her head and stared straight at herself in the mirror for at least ten whole seconds


    before opening the medicine cab door and taking out her father''s shaving de.


    With the sharp utensil in her right hand the youngdy blindly glossed over its shine from one tip to the


    other before cing it against her left wrist. The will to have the de break skin was there, but her


    strength was nowhere to be found. It''s not as if it took a mountain of muscle to open herself up, rather,


    her own right hand just couldn''t seem to perform the action of pressing it against her pulsating vein


    hard enough.Soon, she found that both her right hand and the razor de were shivering.


    Lyte kept on pressing it against her flesh, but rather than a gory split, she instead got only a trickle


    that shocked her so much that she dropped the de to the floor before stumbling backwards and


    sitting down on top of the toilet seat.


    There Lyte was, ogling at her slightly bleeding left wrist that required only a small Band-Aid to


    conceal.


    All around her was the ever so unnatural sound of silence. Earlier, she wondered to herself just why the


    nightmares hadn''t begun yet; she wished to God she had never asked the question to begin with.


    "Please...wake up." She murmured. "Just wake up already, bitch."

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49


    "And now, a statement from Channel Seven Station Manager, Rudy Ward."


    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    "Here we are, Cypress Citizens, on the edge. That is exactly how it feels at this very moment in our fair


    city. Cypress has faced numerous challenges and obstacles before. From the copse of the National


    Building back in ''42, to the assassination of Governor Billups in ''67; Cypress, Ohio has managed to rise


    up above the chaos and tumult of the times.


    But now, something else has emerged, and that something is possibly even more primeval than


    anything we have faced before. Instead of gun wielding murderers, I believe we are dealing with a force


    not even our sophisticated society can handle. Are we headed down the same path as New York City?


    Is our descent into madness a one way journey?


    Now, most people, including yours truly, will agree that the decision to demolish the Hollis towers is


    long overdue. They were a blight to the city and a ma for debauchery. But knowing what we now


    know about what was going on inside one of the buildings, it is safe to assume that we are not dealing


    with amon threat.


    These recent animal attacks have people not only staying inside their own homes as though this was


    the Old West, but most Cypress citizens are actually fleeing the city for safer pastures. And who can


    me them? The police are dumbfounded, citizens are terrified, and on top of all that, no one alive has


    ever seen these beasts. Perhaps destroying theirir is the start we need to flush out these animals.


    But the fact remains, what other sort of terror have they wrought?


    Are we safe, or are we in the calm of a very bitter and violent storm? No one can seem to answer such


    questions. All we as citizens of this great city can do is batten down our defenses and hope for the


    best. I am an optimistic man. I do believe that Cypress will prevail in the face of disaster.


    This is not New York City where a person walks out of their home only to get mugged within five


    seconds. I happen to believe in our police force, our city council members, and most of all, our citizens.


    We will stand tall and fight back. We will be more vignt and aware, and we will not rest until this


    sphemy has atst been extinguished. As the old Negro hymn goes, ''we shall ovee.'' Cypress,


    Ohio will once more shine like a jewel.


    And if leaving this city is your decision, then Godspeed. But I assure you, if you do decide to return, you


    shalle back to a different life, a brand new perspective. Our story is far from over. When you


    return, life as you once knew it, shall be no more.


    All we have to do...is keep fighting. For Channel Seven, I''m Rudy Ward."

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50


    There was a steady, tepid rain that sprinkled down upon the cemetery which Lyte and only


    Lyte inhabited. A very distant rumble of thunder rolled by behind her as she stood with her


    umbre held above her head while staring down at Linus Bruin''s headstone that was littered with


    various police medals.


    She could have stood there all day long. She was surprised at how steady her legs were. Upon her


    arrival she thought she would be a gushing mess, but all the youngdy could do was stand and soak


    in the serene surrounding, along with the humid summertime air.


    Swallowing as hard as she could, Lyte opened her mouth and said, "I hateing to these ces,


    especially after all that I''ve been through. But I thought that it would be appropriate at this time."


    The woman nced around at the other graves before looking back down again. "I...I, um, I just came


    to say goodbye, and thank you. Thank you for saving me and my son''s lives that night."


    She once more took a long pause while sumbing to the will of her memories of her bathroom back


    on that February night. Right then, her knees started to buckle, and right on time nheless.


    Wiping her eyes and sniffing, Lyte continued, "I swore to myself that I wasn''t going to cry...but here


    I am." She then knelt down to one knee. "You and I saw something that we wished to God we hadn''t.


    I''m so very sorry that it swallowed you up enough to make you want to leave this world permanently.


    Truth be told, I''ve been trying these past few months to do the same myself. But I figure it wasn''t in the


    books for me to do. I feel like sometimes I''m the one that needs to be in an asylum. I can hardly sleep,


    eat or even think straight. But I guess that''s to be expected. Sometimes, I ask myself if it all really


    happened. Did we really see what we thought we saw that night?"


    Lyte touched the top of the headstone before saying, "It seems that everyone is always helping


    me, but now it''s time for me to help myself. And that''s all I have to say. I''m sorry that it took so long for


    me toe here." She uttered with a stiff upper lip as she stood back up.


    "Thank you, Cloyse." She then looked up at the cloudy sky.


    As she turned and began back for her waiting cab that was parked alongside the road, Lyte


    stopped, nced back and whispered, "Did it really happen? Am I really here?"


    Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    She stood and red on before eventually turning around and resuming her limping march back to the


    cab without a single pause in her pace.

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51


    Port Cypress Airport


    As if she were ailing, Lyte hurled into the toilet for the third time during her stay at the airport.


    When she had vomited enough she lifted her head up out of the bowl and rested her back against the


    closed door of the stall she was locked inside of.


    The young woman sat for the longest time staring back at the toilet she had been praising for the past


    hour with sullen, red eyes. Lying on the floor beside her was her purse. She reached inside and rooted


    about before pulling out a bottle of pills. In a mad rush she opened the childproof cap before emptying


    out several pills into her shaking, waiting right hand.


    Just before she could even raise her hand to her mouth she immediately stopped and stared hard at


    the pink tablets. Her sweaty palms could hardly maintain a grip on the pills that were slowly sliding off


    her hand. Before they could even fall to the floor she stretched out her arm and dropped them into the


    toilet, along with the rest of the bottle''s contents.


    Lyte then got to her knees and grudgingly flushed the toilet before standing up and letting herself


    out of the stall.


    "Wake up, girl." She groaned under her breath. "Wake up, already."


    She was all alone inside the bathroom as the speaker above her head yed ''Moon River.'' With her


    purse in hand she stumbled straight ahead to the first sink that she saw and stood there staring at her


    own overwrought reflection in the mirror.


    She appeared as if she hadn''t slept in days. Her eyes were insipid while her hands trembled on the


    porcin. The longer she studied herself the more she just wanted to turn away.


    Lyte then twisted on the cold water faucet and dipped her hands in before washing her entire face.


    When she was through she gave her reflection another gander, except by then her look was phony-


    determined. She epted it nheless. She cut off the faucet before turning and scanning the entire


    bathroom once more.


    She tucked her blue blouse into her bell-bottomed jeans, wrapped a blue scarf around her forehead


    and put on her pair of cat''s eye sunsses before strolling out of the bathroom and into the busy


    terminal where others were either rushing to their various nes or simply waiting by the windows that


    overlooked the parked aircrafts.


    Making sure to keep her head pointed to the floor, Lyte side-stepped one person after another on


    her way to a vacant seat near the window. The very second she sat down she exhaled as deep as she


    could before ncing out the window at one ne race down the runway and take off into the sky.


    Suddenly, the nauseous sensation that she had carried with her to the airport resurfaced, and the


    bathroom was too far away for her to race to.


    "You look like you''ve never flown before, honey."


    Lyte looked up and over to see an elderly ck woman seated right next to her. The woman was


    wearing a ck flower hat with stic daisies sticking out in the front. Lyte immediately pulled


    herself together right then.


    "No, no, I''ve flown before." She caught her breath. "I''m just really...nervous. That''s why I was in the


    bathroom for so long."


    Chuckling, thedy remarked, "Thest time I was stuck in the bathroom like that was on my wedding


    day way back in 1938."


    Lyte only giggled and said, "I could only wish it was a wedding."


    "I''m going to see my grandson way out in Colorado."


    Lyte turned her body towards thedy at that moment. Never before had sheid eyes on the


    woman, and yet, inside an airport, she remembered her mother sitting in her rocking chair and talking


    to her while shey in bed. It would be just one more fond memory that would apany her.


    "Where in Colorado does your grandson live?"


    "A ce called Boulder." She said. "My son is paying for my ticket, so that makes it a lot easier on me, I


    guess."


    Lyte smiled at thedy before saying, "I sure hope my son treats me that well when he grows up."


    "You have a son, too?"


    "Yes, ma''am," Lyte proudly chimed in. "He''ll be three next month."


    "Little boys sure are beautiful when they''re that age. It''s only when they get to be teenagers that they


    turn into fools." Thedyughed out loud.


    Lyteughed, but only for a glimpse of a moment before frowning and bashfully looking away.


    "I often wonder what kind of man he''ll grow up to be."


    "Well, it all depends on what his childhood is like." Thedy replied. "Some boys have a hard childhood


    and end up bing good men, while some have an easy one and grow up to be hard-headed


    heathens. Only the good Lord knows for sure."


    Lyte turned back to face thedy. She wanted to blurt out the very first thing that came into her


    head at that instant, but she restrained herself while another ne left the ground and kissed the sky.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.


    "The parents y such an important role in their lives as well." Thedy said. "If we parents can do our


    best to not only teach our youngens well, but protect them from this wicked world, then we''ve done a


    good job."


    Lyte stared on at thedy before taking off her sses and exposing her teary eyes. "Me and my


    son''s father haven''t been very good parents to our son." Her voice faltered. "I me myself too,


    because...because I felt like I could''ve done more."


    Thedy only red back at Lyte with the kindest look in her brown eyes. cing a hand on her


    knee, she said, "You still have time to set things straight. You see, my ten year old grandson was killed


    by a drunk driver three years ago. Ever since then, my son flies me out for a few days so he and I can


    visit his grave."


    Lyte could actually feel her heart inside her throat at that slow instant in time. She ced her


    shaking hand on thedy''s and stuttered, "It was such a long winter."


    Thedy continued to smile while saying, "Yes...Lord knows it sure was."


    Wiping her eyes, Lyte stood up and said, "Speaking of the Lord, I have a call to make."


    Walking over to a series of payphones that were located next to the bathrooms, Lyte took out a


    quarter from her purse and inserted it into the slot before dialing only three numbers.


    "Cypress Police Department. How may I direct your call?"


    "Yes, this is Lynn...Grier. I''m a reporter with the Cypress Guardian. I was calling to inquire why there


    was never a backup unit called for the police officers that came to the Hollis Estates four days ago."


    There was a long pause over the phone at that moment which caused Lyte to believe that she had


    been hung up on.


    "Uh, Miss Grier, we never sent a unit to the Hollis Estates four days ago. I''m afraid you people have


    your facts mixed up there again at your paper."


    At that, the person on the other end hung up. Lyte responded in kind, only rather than be


    upset she simply smirked and nced upwards really quick.


    "Flight 701 to Miami now boarding," the announcer proimed. "Flight 701 to Miami now boarding!"


    Once the announcer was through, The Crusaders'', ''It Happens Everyday'' started ying over the


    speaker.


    Lyte limped her way back over to thedy where she hugged her and kissed her on the cheek


    before joining in along the throngs of people boarding Flight 701.


    She eventually melted away, and out of sight...


    In the Beginning...


    In the beginning...no, no, let me start over. This is how it goes.


    I once knew a young man. Besides Jermaine Jackson, that young man was my very first crush. I loved


    that young man. I cherished that young man. I adored that young man. But something went very, very


    wrong. Something happened. My eyes saw something very ugly, and if I dwell on it for too long, then


    my decisions will forever be altered.


    I am not a brilliant woman, but how do I forgive the one person who has brought so much pain to me


    and our child''s lives? I guess I should ask, could he ever forgive me? After all, I too have...have


    skeletons. And yet, God still stands beside me.


    I''m not a religious person. Hell, with the exception of February, I can''t recall thest time I went to


    church, but God saved our lives time and time again. With me and God there is a stalemate. I can''t see


    you, God. I can''t hear you or even touch you, but I know for a fact what I saw, and it wasn''t a stupid


    dream.


    Detective Bruin saw it as well. I always heard that people whomit suicide end up going to Hell in


    the end. If I am allowed to ask, please, Jesus, please...show that man the same mercy you''ve shown


    me. For you know exactly what we''ve seen. You know exactly what we''ve been through. Need I exin


    anymore?


    I honestly don''t know if this is the beginning or the end. All I know is that I don''t have much time left,


    and neither does my child.


    I have nothing more to say to anyone at this point.As for you, God, I''d rather you not follow me...for at


    last, I''m going to Hell.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!