《The Beast of 1977 (Book 1)》


 Chapter 1: Foreword

    Chapter 1: Foreword


    Circa 1977, twas a year I recall...with a lovely fondness.


    The Unknown...


    Foreword


    November, 26th 1976


    "Don''t forget the man''s arm. It''s lying over there."


    Detective Wilson pointed while surveying the living room from a distant corner with a queasy


    appearance attached to his dark, middle-aged face.


    Wrapped in his ck London Fog winter coat, the stocky Wilson meticulously scratched his heavy


    mustache as though he were entangled in some sort of deep thought.The mangled and tattered front


    door was still hanging wide open to allow his fellow officers to enter and exit at will.


    The bitter cold morning wind swept its way into the foul smelling house where four motionless bodies


    laid on the floor.Some officers, as they entered, would pause to watch the detective stand in his safe


    corner as though he were trying to avoid work.


    Truth be told, it was the ungodly stench of the house that kept the veteranwman in ce. The odor


    was that of both bloody bodies and marijuana hanging profusely in the air.From left to right on the


    carpeted floorid a menagerie of carnage. Three horribly mutted ck males and their appendages


    and intestines strewn all over the floor, and one other person, who appeared to still be intact, sprawled


    out in all his skinny nakedness.


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    Wilson watched in somber angst as the coroners lifted arms, severed heads and legs into ck Hefty


    bags as though they were scooping up leaves from off the ground.


    "Hey, Wilson," a young, white police officer called out from the front door. "The captain wants an update


    on the situation!"


    Detective Wilson slightly shifted his eyes away from the macabre scene on the floor to look at the


    officer as he approached him.


    "Situation," Wilson questioned with a grunt in his dry throat. "Tell ''em toe down here. I''ve got a


    situation for him."


    The young officer stepped up beside the detective and peered down at the floor where Wilson was


    staring. From where Wilson was standing it was hard for his eyes to take in everything all at once. So


    much blood and mayhem contained in one area. The smell was overwhelming to the degree that his


    breathing had be stifled.


    "Have you ever seen anything like this before, Detective?"


    Wilson rolled his eyes in agitation before saying, "Dawson, why do you even ask such a question?"


    Dawson sucked in his gut and modestly asked, "Just what exactly do you think did this?"


    Gingerly, Wilson turned his pudgy body around to a destroyed closet door and said, "Well, it looks as


    though our Jamaican friends that were all over the floor a while ago may have had some kind of animal


    locked up in this here closet. It must''ve got out and tore the poor bastards apart."


    "Poor," Dawson asked with a grimace. "Detective, look at the table, it''s lined with coke and pot. It looks


    to me like these guys had iting to them."


    "Perhaps," Wilson shrugged while still examining the closet door.


    "And what about this one," Dawson pointed down where the naked man was lying. "There''s not a


    scratch on him."


    Wilson reached into the closet and picked up a pair of torn Levi blue jeans that was lying on the floor.


    He then dug into the back pocket and pulled out a wallet.


    Wilson gazed at the photo on the driver''s license and said, "That looks like him, alright."


    "But what about his face," Dawson inquired. "Looks like he was beaten up."


    Wilson knelt down to view the young ck man''s swollen features. "Not a single scratch on him. How


    then did his clothes end up in that closet? Was he locked in there along with the animal?" Wilson


    irritably grumbled.


    Dawson took his shlight from out of his holster and inspected the closet even closer. He saw nothing


    but jackets, shoeboxes and shards of long, ck hair that wasyered all over the floor.


    "Detective, take a look at this."


    Wilson stood back up and stepped over to where Dawson was standing. "What is it, son?"


    "This." Dawson pointed as he stooped down to pick up the thick fuzz."


    "What is it, a dust bunny?"


    "I''m afraid not, Detective. It looks like fur."


    "Fur from what, for God''s sake?"


    "It''s hard to say, given what it did to these fellows."


    "Could it be a ck bear?"


    "In these parts, sir," Dawson smugly replied. "It''s highly unlikely."


    "Don''t stand there and beat around the bush, boy. It is likely that a bear, or something like a bear, got


    into this house, killed the three men and then escaped out the front door. And if it''s escaped this house,


    then this city has a helluva problem on its hands; something a whole lot worse than some kidnapper."


    "It was strong enough to tear a hole not only through the closet door, but also the front door as well."


    Dawson added. "But, Detective, I can assure you that this was no bear."


    "How can you be sure of that?"


    "Look at the size of the closet. It''s the same size as my mother''s linen closet. It''s impossible that a full


    grown bear could fit inside there."


    "But a full grown bear could eat three full grown men up like appetizers."


    "It''s a possibility, but judging from the bullet holes in the walls, it seemed as if the guys were able to pull


    off a few rounds before meeting their maker. Those guns on the floor are nine millimeters; three men


    with three guns weren''t able to take down a full grown bear."


    "Wait a minute." Wilson inhaled. "I''m guessing that those voodoo motherfuckers probably stole a bear


    from the zoo, brought it home and the damn thing went crazy and killed them. Hell, if an animal is mad


    enough it could withstand a shotgun st. Who knows what went on in herest night? For all we


    know, they could have fed the bear some of that coke before it went on its rampage. These Jamaicans


    are half out of their mind anyways."


    "You can say that again."


    "Take that fur down to the station and give it to forensics. We''ll see what theye up with."


    "Forensics," Dawson griped. "I hate going down to the basement to see those guys. They talk your ear


    off."


    "What are youining about? You don''t have to fill out the paperwork on this mess." Wilson


    offhandedly replied while holding in a hearty belch that was trying to bring up his wife''s macaroni and


    cheese from the Thanksgiving feast from the night before.


    "Well, at least that poor guy is still alive." Dawsonmented as he and Wilson watched the


    paramedics lift the naked man onto a gurney.


    "Alive...and still in one piece," Wilson said. "Helluva way to spend the holidays."


    "Just what are you going to tell the captain when you speak to him, sir?"


    Wilson nced over at the curious young man, and with a re of conceit in his eyes, he confidently


    eximed, "Are you kidding? It won''t matter what I say to the old man. When I get home tonight, my


    wife and I are gonna n our vacation to Hawaii. I''d like to see him stop that."


    As both men began for the disheveled front door, Wilson couldn''t help but to pause and look back once


    more at the gory sight that was once a living room. Blood stered all over the carpet, walls and the


    dining table. It all appeared as though someone had gone crazy and sshed red paint everywhere in


    reckless abandon.


    "Happy Thanksgiving, fes," Wilson haplessly stated before exiting the home.

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    "Good morning. I''m Helen Lewis with Action Seven News. We are pre-empting our regrly scheduled


    programming to bring you this live report. I''m here on the campus of Cypress State Community College


    where yet another kidnapping has just taken ce here just twenty minutes ago.


    Twenty-two year old Gloria Cohen was abducted right here, in front of this vending machine by the


    elusive B.O.D. Kidnapper ording to eyewitnesses, Gloria, who is a psychology major here at the


    college, left one of her sses. Her schoolmates say that she stops here every day to purchase a


    candy bar and a soda. One moment everything is fine, and then the next moment, Gloria is heard


    screaming while being snatched away by arge man wearing a blue ski mask. This man grabbed


    Gloria, tossed her into a blue Ford van and took off down Charleston Street.


    Members of the Cypress State basketball team chased after the van, but to no avail, as the vehicle


    sped away down the road. Gloria''s abduction makes this the sixteenth kidnapping by the same


    individual. We got a chance to speak with some of Gloria''s ssmates. Sir, can you tell us just what


    took ce here?"


    "I don''t know...it all happened so fast. One second, Gloria was by the vending machine, then you turn


    your head for one moment, and she''s gone. Just like that. Where are the police when something like


    this happens? What are our parents paying takes for when the cops aren''t even around to protect


    people?"


    "Okay, obviously a very distraught young man, indeed. Ma''am, were you able to describe the individual


    that snatched Gloria away."


    "He was wearing a blue ski mask and ck gloves! He just picked her up like a baby and threw her into


    the van! He was tall! I don''t know, maybe six-foot four or five! I can''t believe this is happening! Gloria is


    such a nice person! Who would do such a thing?"


    "Well, as you can see, tensions are high here at Cypress State. We will keep you apprised of this tragic


    situation as it unfolds. For Action Seven News, I''m Helen Lewis. We now send you back to The Jokers


    Wild."


    ***


    Isaac Mercer. Six foot. Dark brown skin. Low cut hair; a pair of brown jeans, and amber eyes that


    shined like shards of crystal in the dark.


    One by one, Isaac neatly ced articles of clothing into his blue suitcase while listening to the


    disorderlymotion outside his room.They were the white noises that he would be taking home with


    him. Sounds of disturbed patients screaming and moaning for no apparent reason other than the want


    of attention.


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    From his room he could smell the cafeteria preparing lunch for the day; macaroni and cheese, tapioca,


    and his favorite, beef stew.


    As he ced hisst pair of Fruit of the Loom underwear into the suitcase, Isaac paused and nced


    over at the picture of his mother that was sitting on the nightstand next to his made bed. He reached


    over, picked up the frame and red deeply into the woman''s smiling face.


    Almost instantly, Isaac himself began to smirk as though she would be waiting for him the moment he


    walked out of the building.


    Gently, Isaac packed the frame into his suitcase before reaching over and taking the photo of his


    longtime girlfriend and young son. His body could hardly contain itself from the overwhelming feeling it


    had in knowing that in only an hour''s time he would be seeing them once again.


    Isaac couldn''t count how many times he had masturbated to hisdy''s image before falling asleep at


    night, or just the thought of holding his little boy in his arms as though he were a newborn all over


    again. It all made his body jitter with unbridled tion.


    "Hey, man." A muscr, bearded ck man came into Isaac''s room with a brown paper bag in hand.


    "Hey, what''s up?" Isaac smiled as he gave the man their daily, five point "ghetto" hand shake.


    "Not much, just thought I''d stop by and give you this before you left." The orderly remarked as he


    handed Isaac the bag.Isaac took the bag and reached inside to find a carton of oatmeal cream pies.


    He snickered and said, "Thanks, brother. I''m gonna need these for that long trip home."


    "I sure as hell ain''t gonna miss sneaking those things to you at two in the morning!" The orderly


    laughed out loud.


    "I hear you, man!" Isaacughed back. "Listen, I really appreciate everything you''ve done for me since I


    was here."


    "That''s my job, my man." He shrugged. "You just make sure you take care of that woman and son of


    yours."


    "Will do," Isaac said as he pped hands with the man once again. "You gonnae and meet my


    dad before we leave out?"


    "Sorry, my man, I gotta go clean Mr. Reynolds'' bed." The orderly sighed. "You know how that dude can


    get after he eats cornbread. But you state loose, Merc."


    "I will. You do the same." Isaac grinned as he watched the man exit the bedroom, leaving the door


    opened behind him.


    As Isaac turned around he found himself suddenly paralyzed by his own reflection in the mirror that


    was mounted on the closet door. He couldn''t exin why the image seized him so violently at that


    moment, or why he even spun around so quickly to begin with.


    Skittishly, he approached the mirror and stared deeply into his own strange looking eyes, the same


    eyes he had been carrying with him sincest November. He then took his right hand and gipped his


    left forearm. He squeezed and rubbed the appendage as though it were bothering him.


    Once he was through massaging his arm, he slowly opened the creaking closet door and vigntly


    looked inside. From left to right all he could see was empty space, ready for the next patient''s


    arrival.The odor or feces began to whisper into Isaac''s room like the air was carrying it straight to him


    personally. He shut the closet door and tossed a fewst items into his stuffed suitcase before hoisting


    it off the bed and carrying on out the room.


    "Ahh, Isaac my friend." Doctor Sanyupta called out as both he and Doctor Levin rounded the corner. "I


    see you are ready to leave us today, young man." He graciously smiled.


    "I sure am." Isaac humbly and bashfully grinned."Before you leave I would like for you to meet Doctor


    Jeremiah Levin. He will be taking my ce for the next two months while I practice over in Asia."


    "How are you, Isaac?" Levin greeted with a smile and a handshake.


    "Doing good." Isaac responded in kind.


    "Doctor Levin will be meeting with you at his office in Ligon in a few days. Anything you need you will


    take it to him."


    "Okay." Isaac simply replied."I am very proud of you, young man." Sanyupta beamed. "You''re recovery


    here has been nothing short of phenomenal. You are now on the road to a bright future."


    All Isaac could do was stand in the middle of the hallway floor and blush. Suddenly, the heavy weight of


    his suitcase seemed almost inconsequential."Well, we must be on our way. Goodbye, Isaac." Sanyupta


    said while shaking Isaac''s hand.


    "Goodbye, sir."


    "So long, Isaac," Levin said as he shook Isaac''s hand once more before following in behind Sanyupta


    down the hallway.


    Isaac watched as both men turned down a noisy corridor full of the boisterous sounds of men and


    women groaning and crying for someone to assist them.Isaac turned and began walking in the


    opposite direction.


    The door up ahead, just mere feet away, seemed like crossing an ocean as the rackets increased with


    every room that he passed by. Isaac twisted the knob, pushed open the door and then shut it behind


    him.


    Like the flick of a light switch, the enchanting harmonies of Glen Miller''s, ''Moon Love'' cooed into his


    warm ears from the speaker up above his head.


    At the front desk stood ate fiftyish, portly ck man who was writing on a notebook pad. Instantly,


    the man looked up and noticed Isaac standing at the doorway. A delighted beam shined under his full


    mustache.


    He dropped his pen that he was using, and without saying a word, therge gentleman grabbed Isaac


    into his arms and hugged the life out of him."How are you, boy?" The man smiled, rubbing his


    mustache.


    "I''m alright, dad." Isaac modestly replied as he dropped his suitcase to the floor, straightened his white


    undershirt and stepped back to examine his father from afar. "Uh, oh, looks like you''ve been losin''


    some weight there."


    Embarrassed, Isaac''s father waved his right hand and said, "Cut that mess out, boy. Any weight I''ve


    lost is in my head. C''mon and let''s go home." The man chuckled while handing Isaac a grey winter


    coat.Isaac put on the coat, picked up his suitcase and followed in behind his father.


    "Is it real cold out?""


    You better believe it is. Zip up so you won''t catch your death out here." Father replied, holding the door


    open for his son.


    The second Isaac stepped out of the warm confines of Asndview his entire body surged with


    shocking electricity. It was well below ten degrees that cloudy morning, but Isaac could feel nothing


    inside of him except serene and affectionate warmth.


    Asndview wasn''t a prison, but no one ever called it home.The customary odors of urine, stale


    vegetables and soiled linen were all reced with the aroma of a cold winter breeze that would have


    any other person running for shelter; but to Isaac, it felt fresh and brand new, like the start of a new


    year.


    Unlike most of the other patients, Isaac''s stay at Asndview was short. Over the time he was there


    the young man had been inundated with stories from other residents and orderlies about how horrible it


    was to be inside for only one week.


    Dissimr from his father, Isaac wasn''t much of a praying man, but he made sure to thank God every


    day for pulling through.


    Both men stepped over sheets of ice and snow on their way to a brown, 1972 Ford Pinto that was


    parked next to arge, whiteundry truck.


    "I thought you were gonna get a brand new car, dad." Isaac mentioned as he climbed in on the


    passenger''s side.


    "Shucks," the elder Merger sniggered, "I''m still trying to recover from all that Christmas shopping I did.


    How do you expect me to get a brand new anything, son?"


    "I figured God would make a way for you." Isaac offhandedly jibed."You know better than to test the


    Lord," Isaac''s father rebuked before cutting on the rickety ignition and pulling out of the parking lot.


    From Asndview to home was a forty-five minute trip, Isaac realized that his father had a lot of


    questions to ask, notably inquiries about his condition. Isaac wasn''t looking forward to any of them, but


    he braced himself nheless, like an oing ident waiting to take ce.


    "So, did you see that Superbowlst month?" Father asked as he cut on the car''s heater.


    "Yes, sir, Oand sure put a whoopin'' on those Vikings." Isaac smiled. Minnesota ain''t never gonna win


    a title. Everybody up in that ce was goin'' crazy. Even Sanyupta had money on that game."


    "What?" Father frowned. "What does he need money for? He''s a doctor."


    "Dad, it was all just for fun. Isaac respectfully chided his father.


    "I see." Isaac''s father relented while worriedly ncing over at his son''s face. "Did they ever find out


    what was wrong with your eyes?"


    As though he were put on the spot, Isaac immediately directed his attention to the window beside him


    and said from out of the side of his mouth, "Uh, Doctor Sanyupta said that it may have something to do


    with trauma. Almost like hysterical blindness, but without the blindness. If that makes any sense."


    "Hysterical blindness, huh," the man shrugged in disbelief. "Well, I''ve heard of hysterical blindness, but


    I ain''t never heard of someone''s eye color just up and changing overnight like yours did. And you''re not


    even blind. You''ve been that way since the beginning ofst November."


    "C''mon, dad," Isaac moaned. "I told youst month, it''s nothing big. It''ll go away soon."


    Isaac''s father sighed. Isaac figured that the man was trying to conjure up another series of questions to


    hurl his way.


    "I heard the weatherman say that we were gonna get some more snow soon." Isaac said.


    "Yeah, maybe six or seven inches by the end of the week. But you know how these weather folks are,


    they say snow and we end up getting rain. Hey, did you happen to catch previews for that new movie


    seriesing to TV, about the ves?"


    "The only thing we ever saw on TV in that ce was these stupid singing shows. If I see another


    episode of Hee Haw I''m gonna snap." Isaac giggled.Isaac''s father joined inughing.


    "You think that''s bad? Allst week they showed nothing but the Donny and Marie Show for twenty-four


    hours. Now that''s torture!"


    Unexpectedly, Isaac''s mncholy mood began to diminish, right along with the frost that had gathered


    on the windshield.


    "It wasn''t so bad in there." Isaac exhaled. "We got three squares a day. We really didn''t have to worry


    about much, expect Doctor Sanyupta''s treatment sessions."


    "Treatment sessions," Mr. Mercer grimaced. "What kind of treatments are we talking about?"


    "Do you remember a couple of years ago, you and Deacon Hawthorne went to see that Jack Nicholson


    movie?"


    Mr. Mercer pondered and then squinted his eyes, "You mean that cuckoo movie?"


    "Yes, sir," Isaac said."Okay, I remember."


    "Well, Doctor Sanyupta''s treatment sessions were sorta like that. No one got electrocuted or smothered


    with pillows. We just sat around, talked about our feelings and mediated like a bunch of monks." Isaac


    exined. "There was this one woman named Shannon. She killed her dad with some scissors years


    ago and acted like nothing ever happened. But after a few sessions, she started to open up, and before


    you knew it, she was okay."


    "I see." Mr. Mercer sighed. "So, do you think you''re okay now?"


    Isaac hesitated at first to reply; it was as if he were waiting for something to interrupt him. "I think so.


    Although I''m not too crazy about going back to church, or the old neighborhood again."


    "Why on earth not," Mr. Mercer asked."C''mon, dad," Isaac whined, "everyone knows where I went and


    why I went there. It''s embarrassing. I''d rather say that I went to the Penn than to a mental hospital."


    "Don''t say that, son. Only me, Lyte and the good Lord know where you''ve been. What''s done is


    done. God wants you to move forward with your life. He''s given you a brand new te, now its time to


    start writing a new chapter in your life."


    Isaac listened intently to his father speak words that before going away were torturous to him. But


    sitting there in the same car alongside his father and away from the institution, the man''s speech never


    sounded so relieving.


    "Lynn and Isaiah can''t wait to see you again, and as far as folks in the church and neighborhood are


    concerned, everyone thinks that you went to see your Aunt Doris down in Columbus for the past few


    months. And that''s another thing, I wanna see you and Lynn in church for a change. It''s time you start


    showing your family how a manes back from adversity. Proverbs 23:18 says: surely there is a


    future, and your hope will not be cut off."


    Isaac nced over at his dad and noticed the man''s eyes watering up. He had never seen his father


    cry outwards, but for the very first time, the man that he knew as the strongest human being alive was


    sitting in the driver''s seat, silently weeping.


    "Hey, dad, if you had to do it all over again, sending me away...would you?"


    Mr. Mercer wiped his eyes and said, "Son, you weren''t exactly yourself a few months back. As much as


    it killed me to do so, I did what I thought was right. You have to understand, before then, I''ve never


    seen you behave that way. Can you believe that Deacon Hawthorne actually wanted me to perform, of


    all things, one of those exorcisms on you?"


    Isaac looked up and cracked a whimsical smirk before asking, "You mean like the movie?"


    "I''m dead serious, man." Mr. Mercer chuckled. "I kept on telling the brother that the Lord will know what


    to do. Whatever is wrong with Isaac, God will make a way. He always does in the end."


    Isaac once more lowered his head in shame. Every so often he would peek at his uncanny eyes in the


    rearview mirror beside him as though he were expecting something sinister to ur out of nowhere.


    He then closed his tired eyelids and slumped deep into his seat, listening carefully as the car''s loud


    engine hummed along the endless highway that led homeward.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    Mr. Mercer stopped the car in front of a shabby, one floor, white and ck house and said, "I won''t be


    able toe and pick you up till around eight tonight."


    "That''s cool, I''ll just catch the bus home." Isaac nonchntly responded while fixing his hair in the


    rearview mirror.


    Mr. Mercer then began to fiddle with the car keys that were still lodged in the ignition until he was able


    to unhinge a rusty, gold key and hand it to Isaac.


    "You be carefuling home."


    "Yes, sir," Isaac replied as he grabbed the key that was still tightly gripped inside his father''srge


    hand.


    Without looking at each other, both men''s hands grasped the others for a few moments. There were no


    words exchanged during the event, just heavy breathing and longing silence. Isaac''s own hand was


    bing increasingly sore with his father''s paw gripping his, but the young man held on, and he held


    on some more.


    "See you at home, boy." Mr. Mercer said as he released Isaac''s sweaty hand.Isaac took the key and


    got out of the car.


    With water in his eyes he watched as his dad pulled away back onto the main road before carrying on


    towards the house ahead of him.He didn''t even want to ponder on how his father felt at that point,


    Isaac knew that it would only cause him to shatter right there on the sidewalk.


    The neighborhood was a rundown excuse for amunity. On both sides of the street sat six houses,


    four of the six on Isaac''s side were boarded up, while the others werepletely in shambles; all


    forgotten by a city that in and of itself was in the thralls of ruination.


    Just as Isaac was about to step up onto the dpidated porch, loud music could be heard shing


    down the street. It was a dark green Volkswagen Beetle proudly ying Rose Royce''s, ''Car Wash'' for


    everyone to hear.


    For Isaac, it wasn''t the song that caught his attention, nor was it the volume at which it was ying, but


    rather the vehicle''s color that seemed to mesmerize the man. Only his drooling eyes watched as the


    car tooled down the road. Its green tint shed in his face like an explosion.Isaac stood on the porch


    and waited for the car to clear the street before turning and knocking on the front door. Suddenly, all he


    could see was the color green in front of him.


    Standing there on the porch, Isaac could hear footsteps march their way to the door. He immediately


    wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans and waited ever so impatiently for the door to swing open.


    Abruptly, the door opened to reveal a young, short, brown skinned woman with hair rolled up in pink


    curlers. The youngdy''s face instantly became mortified and nervously excited at the sight of Isaac.


    "Isaac." She stuttered as though he were thest person in the world that she was expecting to see


    standing on the other side of the door. "I...I thought you wouldn''t be here till tomorrow."


    Smiling from ear to ear, Isaac said, "I wanted to surprise you."Isaac then stepped through the door and


    hugged the woman with such force that he could hear her bones pop a bit.


    Quaintly, the woman unhinged herself from Isaac''s grip before looking into his face and asking with a


    serious expression, "They still haven''t figured out what''s wrong with your eyes?"


    Isaac drew back surprised, and with a confused re on his face he remarked, "I get home after two


    whole months and you ask me about my eyes?"


    "I''m sorry, I guess I still haven''t gotten used to them." She humbly replied. "I sure wish I knew that you


    would be here today. I would''ve done something with this crazy hair of mine. How did you get here from


    the hospital?"


    Rxing himself a bit, Isaac said, "Dad brought me." He then moved in and passionately kissed the


    woman on the lips. "Damn, you look fine."


    "Negro, please, my hair is a mess, and I got a hole in my jeans." She callously waved off.


    "You don''t see meining, do you?"


    "You sure look like you''ve lost a lot of weight." The woman studied Isaac from top to bottom. "Are you


    still in pain?"


    "A little bit...here and there." Isaac carefully answered. "But, hey, I didn''te here to talk about me,


    Lynn. Where''s that boy of mine at?"


    "He''s in there asleep." Lynn pointed behind her.


    Isaac stood in the middle of the living room, only three inches away from Lynn, and stared her thin


    body up and down with both intense passion and empathy in his abnormal eyes. He could sense just


    by her shaky tone that his very presence was unsettling to her.


    "Isaac...I¡ª


    Just then, a small, chubby-legged little boy clothed in a dark blue Batman t-shirt and diapers came


    waddling out of the hallway and into the warm living room. His bleary-eyed self nearly bumped into the


    hot kerosene heater that was positioned up against the wall.


    Immediately, Isaac rushed over and scooped the sleepy toddler into his arms as though he were


    handling a pot of gold. He excitedly kissed the boy''s soft cheeks and forehead while rubbing his thick


    head of hair.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    "He''s been such a good little boy since daddy''s been gone." Lynn said while standing next to Isaac and


    caressing the child''s cheeks.


    Isaac sat himself and Isaiah down onto the couch and tried to wake his son from his hazy blindness.


    "Wassup, little man? How you been doin''?" Isaac joviallyughed.


    "Say, ''I''ve been a good little boy, daddy.'' Lynn mocked as she sat down next to Isaac.


    Gradually, the child opened his brown eyes and gazed strangely upon his father as if he were looking


    at a total stranger.Isaac continued to y with the baby until Isaiah began to anxiously wrestle out of


    his dad''s hold and reach for his mother.


    Isaac''s entire body wentpletely numb at that moment. "Damn, Lynn, he wouldn''t even let me hold


    ''em for two seconds."


    Cradling the baby in her arms, Lynn patiently replied, "Well, he hasn''t seen you for two months, Isaac.


    You have to give him time to get used to you all over again."


    "Maybe if you would''ve brought him along when you came to visit me back in December, then he


    probably wouldn''t act like that." Isaac pouted as if Lyte were his greatest nemesis.


    Lynn looked over at Isaac with a stale ze in her eyes and said, "Isaac, I told you that I don''t want our


    son to see his father in a ce like that."


    A few moments of blistering silence passed before Isaac spitefully turned his head and asked, "So,


    how have you two been doin''?"


    Sighing, Lynn responded, "We''ve been okay. Got behind on the electric bill against month. Mr. Harris


    said if it happens again then we''ll have to find another ce to live."


    "Another ce," Isaac gasped. "But you''re only renting this shithole! How can he treat you like that?"


    Rolling her eyes, Lynn said, "Isaac, I don''t make the rules, I just follow them. Your father has been


    helping me, but...I''m tired of other people helping me out. If it''s not your father then it''s mine. If not my


    dad then it''s my mother and sisters. I need my man to help me." She urgently exined while pensively


    eyeballing Isaac.


    "Does your family know where I was these past two months?"


    "No, Isaac." Lynn irritably groaned. "I haven''t told anyone else."


    "Look, I''ll see if I can get my old job back at the¡ª


    "At where," Lynn contemptuously interjected. "Down at Larry''s garage, where they also sell drugs after


    hours? Isaac, if your father knew all of that was going on there, he would have a fit."


    "But he doesn''t know!" Isaac intolerantly yelled.


    "Shh, baby, it''s alright." Lynn softly said into Isaiah''s ears as she tried to console the startled baby that


    was beginning to sob.


    Isaac shot up from off the couch and began to wander about the small living room that was full of


    nothing but two wooden chairs and a firece with pictures ced on the mantle above.


    "Did Mr. Harris ever fix the backdoor?"


    "No, he said that he''d have to rece the entire thing."


    Out of agitation, Isaac rolled his eyes and stormed into the smoldering kitchen where he noticed a pot


    of greens boiling on the stove. He bypassed the cooking food that was making his stomach grumble to


    reach the backdoor.


    The second he grabbed the door''s knob Isaac tried with all his might to twist and turn the rusty thing


    only to discover that it was practically welded shut.


    "It probably just needs some WD-40!" He proimed while making his way back into the living room.


    "Thesendlords will do anything to escape doing their job."


    "Well, let''s just forget about." Lynn sighed. "Since we''ve been here I haven''t needed to use the


    backdoor for anything."


    Sitting back down on the couch, Isaac smirked at Lynn, "I see you cookin'' up some greens without me."


    Grinning back, Lynn said, "Well, if someone had told me that they wereing home today then I


    would have made more."


    "Later for you, girl, I''ll go home and get some food then." Isaac yfully leaned over and kissed Lynn


    on the cheek. "I wanna take us out tomorrow."


    "Yeah? You wanna see a movie or something?"


    "What''s ying?"


    "There''s this one movie called ''Fun with Dick and Jane'' that looks kinda funny."


    "Who''s in it?" "Jane Fonda." Isaac simply nced over and twisted his lips as to say that the idea was


    ludicrous.


    "Okay then, turkey, do you have any ns?" Lynn jokingly shoved Isaac''s shoulder.


    "Instead of spending $2.20 a head for a movie ticket just so we can see Jane Fonda''s skinny ass, let''s


    all three of us go to Jimmy''s and have pizza."


    Lyte approvingly shook her head and said, "Okay that sounds good. But I wanna hurry and get


    back before eight, because I wanna see this movie that''sing on about the ves."


    "Dad was talkin'' about that in the car. What in the world is so important about this movie?" Isaac tossed


    up his hands.


    Appearing surprised, Lynn replied, "You mean you haven''t heard about it? It''s called Roots. It''s


    supposed to be really good. It''s got James from ''Good Times'' and O.J. Simpson in it." She eagerly


    exined.


    Isaac disapprovingly sighed before uttering, "Lynn, thest thing I wanna see is more depression. I just


    got out of the nut house."


    "Don''t call it that." Lynn put her hand on Isaac''sp. "You were just...a little tightly wound, after what


    you went through in that house and all."


    Isaac turned his head in the other direction and began to blush as though the subject were too


    devastating to discuss.


    "Isaac, I just want you to know that if you want to talk about what happened at the house, or back at


    Asndview, I''m here for you." Lynnpassionately rified.


    Isaac looked over to see his son gazing wildly back at him as if his father''s image were slowly


    bing more and more familiar.


    "Well, let me get lunch together so Isaiah can eat." Lynn feebly exhaled as she got up, with child in tow,


    from off the couch.


    Isaac sat and watched as Lyte carried on into the kitchen. In all aspects, he wasn''t in any sort of


    mood to watch a movie or go out and face other people, but the desire to reconnect with his family was


    so overwhelming that Isaac would have shed blood just toplete such a valiant mission.


    Isaac realized the damage that he caused months earlier to both Lyte and his father, and above all


    else he was bound and determined to make amends, even if it meant having to swallow chunks of


    pride along the way.


    Just being inside the house alongside his girlfriend and son caused the young man to gulp deeply until


    he felt it hit the pit of his churning stomach. On one hand he was overjoyed, on the other, the front door


    was only a mere five feet away from where he was seated.


    Distraught, Isaac stood up and began for the bathroom, but before he could even round the corner, he


    stopped in the hallway and caught his somber reflection in the small mirror hanging on the wall next to


    the clothes hamper.


    It seemed that every time he happened to stare upon his own likeness all he could see staring back at


    him was an insidious man, someone that he hated more than anything in the world. There was


    absolutely nothing within his image that made him content.


    He poked and pulled at his face before rubbing his arms up and down, just as he did back at


    Asndview, checking for any more pain that may suddenly arise without notice.


    It was a relentless, tedious habit that he repeated five times a day, every day.

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    That evening, Isaac stood at his father''s bedroom door with a fist pick lodged in his thick hair, silently


    watching as the well-disciplined man studied his bible, as he did every evening prior to falling asleep.


    Forever it amazed Isaac at how deep and methodical his dad would sink himself into his lessons, even


    to the point where the man would be totally oblivious to another person standing near him.


    Isaac examined his father up and down as though he were an age old masterpiece that was clothed in


    a pair of striped pajama bottoms and a white Fruit of the Loom undershirt. His drooping cheeks and


    sullen eyes gave the impression that whatever he was reading upon in his great book was something


    very serious, yet somber.


    Mr. Mercer then sighed and took off his reading sses before slowly closing his book and staring off


    straight ahead at the bare, white wall for ten seconds. Once the ten seconds had passed, the man


    gradually looked up at Isaac and slightly grinned as if he were awakening from a stupor.


    "Hey." Mr. Mercer yawned as he ced his bible on the bed next to him. "I didn''t see you there."


    Humbly grinning with his hands in his pockets, Isaac said, "You never do, dad. I just stopped by to see


    how you were doin.''"


    "Aww, shoot, I''m just getting ready to fall asleep." Mr. Mercer gleefully smiled while stretching his


    chunky arms outwards. "It''s been a long day. A long, good day, son."


    "You know, I was just thinkin'' to myself, perhaps I''ll go and find a job."


    "You goin'' back to the garage?"


    "Uh...no, sir," Isaac began to squirm. "I was thinkin'' about maybe another line of work.


    Maybe...cleaning."


    Almost immediately, Mr. Mercer''s eyes grew two sizesrger with joy at his son''s remark. "Cleaning,


    huh? And what brought this on? I thought you liked working down at the garage with Larry and Marvell.


    You three have been buddies for years."


    "Yeah, I know, but...I wanna do something on my own for a change."


    "Well, I can put in a good word for you with Mr. Wace. Maybe he can put you with me at the federal


    building downtown. We can go in together every afternoon. That is if you don''t mind getting off at eight


    every evening."


    "That''s cool. I figure it''s time for me to start something new. Like you said this morning, ''start a brand


    new te.''


    Mr. Mercer smiled favorably at his boy and asked, "So, what was it like to see Isaiah after all this time?"


    "Okay, I guess." Isaac huffed."Just okay," Mr. Mercer questioned in awe. "I figured you''d be over there


    all night."


    "Yeah, me too, but he acts like he doesn''t even know me." Isaac griped. "Lynn says that I just need to


    give him time to readjust to me all over again. Man, if only she had brought him along when she came


    to visit, then he wouldn''t be actin'' like this."


    "Sometimes we act in the best interest of those we love." Mr. Mercer patiently exined. "Lyte did


    what she thought was right for your son. You can''t be mad at her for that. Proverbs 14:29 says that


    whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered disys folly."


    Isaac swallowed heavily at his father''s words and asked, "So does that mean I''m supposed to forgive


    Lynn, even when she keeps my boy away from me?"


    "It means put it behind you and be thankful for what you have now. God hates an unforgiving heart."


    Isaac humbly shook his head and then said, "I was nning on taking us three down to Jimmy''s


    tomorrow for dinner."


    "Oh yeah," Mr. Mercer yawned.


    "Yes, sir, just a little something to get us all back together again."


    Without saying another word, Mr. Mercer reached over to his nightstand drawer and pulled out a ck


    wallet. He then took out a bill and handed it to Isaac.


    Isaac took the money and gazed seriously at the numeral 20 as if he had neverid eyes on such a


    large amount of money before in his life.


    "For real," Isaac marveled.


    With a grin and a shrug, Mr. Mercer said, "Why not? You can pay me back when you get your first


    paycheck."


    Isaac stuffed the bill into his pants pocket and watched as his father began to tuck himself into his


    covers.


    There was so much he wanted to tell the man on the way home from Asndview, but the shock of


    leaving the ce was stillying heavy on his soul.


    "Hey, dad," Isaac stuttered, trying not to allow his voice to crack in mid-sentence, "I just wanted to say


    that I''m...sorry for everything I did."


    Mr. Mercer raised himself up from out of the bed and stroked his face while looking up at his child with


    consoling eyes.With a heavy sigh, the man said, "Son, what happened has happened. Neither God nor


    I want you to live the rest of your life full of regret. I realize that what took ce back in November with


    your friends getting killed really tore you apart, but they''re in the good Lord''s hands now. You''re here,


    and you have to move on, not just for your sake, but also for Lyte and Isaiah. You''ve always been


    a good boy, now go and be a good man."


    With that, Mr. Mercer cut off hismp while Isaac, with tears welling up in his eyes gently whispered,


    "Goodnight, dad."


    Isaac turned and carefully shut his father''s bedroom door before venturing out into the darkened


    hallway.


    Wearing only a long John shirt and a pair of grew sweatpants, Isaac went into the living room and


    turned on the television. The full moon outside shined brightly into the room like a fogmp in the


    darkness.He flicked on themp and picked up the TV''s remote control to flip the channels.


    Isaac recalled his dad saying that it was a good day. The young man wanted more than anything to put


    the past behind him. It seemed as though that all the important people that he had hurt had pretty much


    forgiven him, which in turn set him at ease.


    Isaac tossed the remote down onto the couch and stepped over to the mantle where a wide mirror was


    mounted, along with an assortment of Kodak pictures that sat side by side above the firece. Isaac


    picked up the frame of himself, before his eyes changed their color. From the photo to the mirror and


    back again he gazed.


    The person he saw in the picture was someone he missed the most, while the man in the mirror was


    someone that he realized would not go away anytime soon, no matter how much and how hard he


    prayed. The longer he peered into the mirror that was the angrier his stomach seemed to grow. Isaac


    ced the frame back onto the mantle and made his way into the kitchen.


    11:10 p.m.


    Jiffypop popcorn cooked on the stove that Isaac was standing over. He watched and waited as the


    metallic package ballooned in both size and smell over the course of three and a half minutes.


    11:16 p.m.


    Isaac watched television while gobbling down every kernel of buttery popcorn that his wide mouth


    could inhale, along with the oatmeal cream pies that were given to him earlier in the day.


    11:21 p.m.


    From one channel to the next he flipped and flipped; from the eleven o'' clock news, to a Bewitched


    rerun, and all the way to an interview with President Jimmy Carter.


    Isaac wasn''t sleepy, which was odd considering that he had been awake since four that morning


    awaiting his release from the institution. For him, being away from such a protected environment like a


    mental hospital meant that all of the things that he wanted to do while he was interned there could at


    laste to fruition, but sitting there in the lonely living room, gawking at a television screen and


    listening to the furnace roar from out of the nearby register wasn''t exactly what he had in mind for a


    homing.


    Isaac envisioned a girlfriend that was no longer leery of her man''s behavior. He longed for a son that


    would embrace his dad the moment he walked through the door, but when all of his so called hopes


    and aspirations fell through, there remained only an empty feeling in the pit of his gut. He was bored


    and let down, and watching a President babble on and on wasn''t going to alleviate his condition one


    bit.


    12:33 a.m.


    Isaac got up, went to the bathroom and shaved. The young man detested even the slightest stubble on


    his face. With every meticulous stoke of the de Isaac made sure that not one shard of hair was left


    behind. Even if it meant cutting close to the grain, nothing was missed.


    Deeper and more carefully he shaved, until atst, like many times in the past, he nicked himself, this


    time just beside his left nostril.


    "Shit!" He screeched, making sure that his father was nowhere near to hear him.


    Isaac reached over and ripped off a piece of toilet paper before patting the open wound that was


    beginning to drip into the sink below.


    At first, Isaac ignored the blood, as he usually did in past instances; it was just his own blood. But the


    more he tried to soak up the substance that was all the more his nostrils began to re. Suddenly, the


    blood had a scent that seemed to burn his nose hairs every time he inhaled.


    Without notice, everything around Isaac began to drop into slow motion. The man felt as light as a


    feather at that moment. Just then, the bathroom light started to flicker off and on. Isaac looked up and


    twisted the hot bulb to make sure it was screwed in tight. He then looked down at his bloody fingers.


    His mind wentpletely nk at the sight. It was as if he had never witnessed such a gruesome


    urrence before.


    There was no fear, angst or even a slight hint of shock, just subtle curiosity and a strong aroma that


    caused his once settled stomach to rumble all over again.


    The light flickered again, but by then Isaac gave it no attention, he was entirely too mesmerized by his


    messy hands.


    Minutes passed by before, like an oing, rushing wind, a bald, naked ck man unexpectedly


    stumbled into the bathroom with his head hung low to where his youthful face could not be seen.


    The very second Isaac looked up his eyes immediately caught sight of the uncanny figure. Out of sheer


    fright he stumbled back into the shower curtain, nearly tearing the stic off the rod.


    "C''mon, man." Isaac pitifully whimpered, too scared to scream out loud.


    The intruder said nothing. With his head still hanging, he simply dragged himself back out of the


    bathroom and into the dark hallway.


    Breathing heavily, Isaac began to cry before getting back to his feet and reluctantly following in behind


    the slow marching phantom.


    Isaac trailed him all the way to the living room where the television set was still on. Isaac watched as


    the man dropped himself down onto the sofa. The man sat there, apparently waiting for Isaac''s petrified


    self to join him. Isaac stood next to the television, staring down at the nude figure.


    He wanted to see the man''s face, just to make sure that he resembled a human, if not at one time in its


    existence.


    The phantom then raised his right hand, and just like that, the television and themp went out


    simultaneously, leaving the entire living roompletely ck.


    Out of fear, Isaac began to turn and run, but the phantom only held up his right index finger in a forceful


    manner, as to tell the young man not to move.Isaac paused directly in the middle of the floor, seemingly


    entranced by the intruder''s potent motion.


    He then slowly walked over and sat down in the chair that was ced in front of the couch.Piece by


    piece Isaac began to take off his own clothes until he was stark naked. His mind was stagnant as his


    eyes shined away in the darkness. No words left his tight lips. Isaac remained still while his eyes stared


    straight ahead at the specter across from him.


    ***


    2:37 a.m.


    Mr. Mercer awoke to a scratchy throat that early morning. It was usual, which was why he always had a


    ss of water seated on his nightstand beside him.


    He reached over and swallowed half of the cool drink before cing the cup back onto the table.


    As he rolled back over in the bed, out of the corner of his foggy left eye was a twinkle which resembled


    two, tiny lights staring back at him from the side of the bed.


    Mr. Mercer squeezed his eyes enough to where he could make out a round shape behind the lights.


    Panicked and out of breath, the man grabbed a hold of his covers and gasped for air while squinting


    some more until the silhouette rose up and began lurking itself around the bed.


    "Isaac...is that you, son?" He stammered, holding the covers as tight as he could.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    As Isaac casually stumbled towards the door, he slurred, "Em llik." (Kill me)


    Mr. Mercer watched as his son crept out the already opened door before watching the door itself m


    shut without Isaac even grabbing a hold of the knob.


    The manid there in his bed, drowning in his own pool of sweat and breathing heavier than he had


    done so in years.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    Jimmy''s Roller Rink


    On Just about any and every night the establishment was an energetic madhouse of young, ck men


    and women skating, ying video games and frequent hookups.The insane rumblings of roller skates


    scraping across every square inch of the floor could be heard clear outside the building, along with the


    loud melodies of ''Junior Walker & The All Stars'', ''Shotgun'', booming in the speakers above the rink, as


    part of the club''s weekly retro night.


    Isaac eagerly stood in line behind four people, waiting not only for his turn to order but also to return to


    his table where both Lyte and Isaiah were seated.From the concession stand he had a bird''s eye


    view of both of them nodding their heads to the music.


    To him, it still felt strange to be amongst their presence after so long. Two months away seemed more


    like two years.With each person that was in front of him ordering food and drinks that was all the more


    Isaac wanted to just throw up his hands in frustration and take his tiny family elsewhere, until eventually


    it was his turn to approach the counter.


    With only ten dors left in his pocket, he ordered two Pepsi''s and a small bucket of popcorn.Once he


    was through at the counter, Isaac attempted the arduous task of trekking his way back across the room


    while ducking and dodging skaters left and right.


    The instant he was able to reach the table in one piece, Isaiah looked up, and almost instantly his


    bright eyes bubbled at the sight of the red and white container of popcorn that his father brought with


    him.


    "Man, he ain''t never gonna let his old man get some!" Isaac tedly remarked as he sat down across


    from Lyte and the baby.


    Sipping on her cup of soda, Lyte exined, "The boy loves him some popcorn." She then sat her


    cup down on the table and said, "It was nice of your father to give us some money to go out. Lord


    knows he''s already done so much for us as it is."


    "Yeah, well, that''s gonna change real soon." Isaac adamantly stated.


    "How do you mean?"


    "Dad is gonna put in a good word for me at his cleaningpany so I can get put on."


    "For real," Lyte beamed. "You mean to say that you''re not going back to Larry''s again?"


    "Nope, I''m done with that fool."


    "Thank God." Lyte graciously exhaled. "Sooner orter he was gonna end up getting himself killed


    or you in the process."


    As Isaac fiddled with his straw''s wrapper, every so often his eyes would shift from the table in front of


    him to Lyte''s curly hair that was wrapped in a green scarf in the back, and herrge, sparkling


    green earrings. He was aware of just how ufortable she would be whenever he stared at


    her, but he wanted to grab her attention.


    "What are you looking at?" Lyte blushed as if everyone in the rink were gawking at her all at once.


    "Just the most beautiful girl in the ce," he slyly smirked.


    Lyte rolled her eyes and smiled, "Please, you need your eyes checked."


    "I can see things just fine."


    "I bet you can." Lyte murmured. "So, what did you end up doingst night when you got home?"Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    "Nothing much," Isaac shrugged. "Just watched some TV. When I woke up this morning, I wasying at


    the foot of my bed. For the life of me I can''t remember what I did after I watched TV."


    "You sure you weren''t watching that nasty ''Benny Hill Show'' again?" She joked.


    "Huh, so you wanna jive a brother?" Isaacughed out loud. "For your information, while I was away I


    was actually reading a lot about mental health issues and all the stuff doctors are doing to help folks."


    Lyte dropped her head before asking, "It''s not like it is in the movies, is it? Where they give people


    shock therapy and all that?"


    "No, it''s not like that." Isaac waved his hand. "Actually, the only bad thing about Asndview was the


    food. My first night there they served hotdogs for supper. I ended up having the runs for almost an


    entire week after eating their food."


    "That''s real nice to know right after I just got through eating a Coney dog myself, Isaac." Lyte


    grimaced before taking another sip of soda. "I know you don''t like talking about it, but I was just


    curious, that''s all. I just don''t want you to hate me for not bringing Isaiah along when I came to visit."


    "I''m not mad. I thought about it, and you were right, it wasn''t a good ce to bring a child. All the folks


    in there yelling and screaming like they''re...crazy. But I''ll tell you this, I really enjoyed your poems. They


    helped me through some lonely nights. I''m d that you never gave that up."


    "I have a friend that I go to Cypress State with, and she says that my poetry is good enough to be


    published. She knows someone who may be able to send it off to an editor. Who knows, maybe I can


    get a book deal." Lyte proudly blushed.


    "Damn right, girl!" Isaac proimed excitedly. "I knew you could do it!"


    Lyte''s once prideful expression immediately sank within a matter of two seconds. She stared at


    Isaac with a serious re on her face and said, "This is really important to me; my poetry and


    bing a nurse, Isaac. All three of my sisters got pregnant in high school and dropped out. Now, all


    they do is sit at home, collect welfare and watch ''The Price Is Right'' every day. I swore that I would


    never end up like them."


    Lynn''s voice began to tremble. "It''s hard, Isaac. It''s damn hard for me to do this all on my own. I''m sick


    and tired of getting up at five a.m. every morning, feeding a baby, getting a baby ready for the sitter,


    running off to school, then off to work, just toe home and start all over again, when I should have


    my man there every step of the way."


    Isaac couldn''t tear his jittery eyes away from Lyte at that second. He had heard the same


    scorching speech over and over again from her, except right then, the words were actually bleeding


    through to the bone.


    Isaac stared a bit more at Lyte''s shaky face before he sat back in his leather seat and said, "I


    never did tell you what my father did years ago, did I?"


    Lyte scrunched up her face and asked, "What, he wasn''t always a janitor?"


    "No. You see, back in the day, he was a pimp and a drug dealer."


    Lyte only started to snigger while rolling her disbelieving eyes. "Yeah right, not Mr. Merc."


    "The one and only," Isaac replied.


    "Are you serious?" Lyte lit up. "What happened?"


    "Well, he and his crew used to run 89th and Forest Blvd back then. Until one day, he saw this woman


    coming out of church one Sunday. He wanted to get with her so bad. He''d start rappin'' about how much


    he would take care of her, and how pretty she was. But this woman, being a church going woman and


    all, wasn''t gonna have anything to do with him. But dad kept on and on until finally, this same woman


    broke down and told him that if he changed his ways, stop pimping and selling drugs, then maybe, just


    maybe, she''d have a cup of coffee with him. So anyways, dad started to change, here and there. He


    gave up nging the heroin and messing around with women. Two yearster, he approached this


    woman again. Well, I figure she saw what an incredible transformation he had made in his life, and she


    kept her word about having coffee. So they went Downtown to Leonard''s Caf¨¦, had coffee, and they


    continued to do so for the next three years. They eventually got married, and nine monthster...I


    showed up."


    Lyte caressed Isaiah''s head and modestly said, "I think I have a feeling where this story is


    headed."


    Isaac sat up, reached his hands across the table and said, "Lynn, I know I fuc...messed up. But I''m


    trying real hard to change. All that stuff that happenedst year, I wanna put it in the past. I wanna be


    there for you two. I hate seeing you work your ass off all the time. I want us to get married. I want you


    to be my wife and not my son''s mom. I want all of the stuff that you want, even more. You gotta believe


    me." Isaac urged.


    Isaac watched as Lyte''s eyes began to water, but he could sense that with such arge crowd


    looming about that she was hesitant to allow the tears to flow. She instead wiped her eyes and gazed


    upon Isaac''s desperate conviction. Even Isaac, at that instant, was surprised at himself.


    "Isaac...I want us to be together, too. But, I feel like I''m listening to a broken record. Do you know how


    much it hurt me to see you run out of the house like you did back on Thanksgiving?" She faintly


    sobbed. "And then all of the sudden wake up the next morning to find out that you''re in the hospital?


    You and I have known each other since the sixth grade, Isaac. I thought we could talk to each other


    about anything."


    Mortified, Isaac turned his head and looked the other way, too overwhelmed to stare into her tearful


    eyes a second longer.


    "Uh, uh, you look at me." The young woman firmlymanded. "You always turn your head whenever


    someone tells you about yourself."


    Isaac reluctantly did as ordered and redirected his attention back to Lyte.


    With an abrasive, yet vulnerable ze written all over her face, Lyte asked, "Do you promise to do


    better this time? Do you promise to control your temper and not run away every time we have a


    disagreement?"


    It didn''t take long for Isaac to respond to her ardent questions. Without mulling over it, he got up out of


    his seat, took three steps around the table and knelt down to one knee in front of Lyte.


    Everyone that passed by their direct vicinity paused, gasped and pointed at the young man who was in


    the midst of making the so called ultimate manly gesture.


    With a plunging stomach, Isaac looked straight into Lyte''s eyes and said, "I don''t have a ring right


    now, but...will you be my wife?"


    With popcorn balled up in his tiny right hand, Isaiah nced up at his overly blushing mother who


    appeared more thunderstruck than anything else.


    There was no verbal response from the young woman, only a quaint smile and a simple nod yes before


    reaching down and hugging Isaac''s sweaty neck.


    All the female bystanders gave their collective "Aww''s" before letting out a chorus of jubnt apuse


    at the young couple''s happiness.


    "You see that, folks? Everyone falls in love at Jimmy''s!" Jimmy Tolliver, the owner of the rink, loudly and


    delightedly announced over the P.A. system.


    The cheers went on and on as Marvin Gaye''s, ''You''re all I need'' began ying on the speakers. Amidst


    all the adoring des Isaac continued to hold his woman''s body, not wanting to let go.


    "Isn''t this better than sitting home and watching a movie about ves?" He teased into her ear. Isaac


    could feel Lyte''s body jiggle withughter.


    Still, the woman had no words to utter. Isaac only hugged her tighter.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6


    With a head full of irate bluster, Isaac sted out of the small, white building in front of his father like a


    madman on a mission. The second he reached his dad''s car, he mmed his fists on the roof as hard


    as he could.


    "Isaac, hitting things isn''t gonna make the situation any easier." Mr. Mercer rationally exined as he


    walked around to the driver''s side and got in.


    Isaac waited until his dad unlocked the other door before he jumped inside and mmed the door


    behind him.


    "What does he mean," ''I don''t have any experience?'' "What kind of experience do you need to clean


    toilets?" He yelled while wiping sweat from off his forehead. "Ain''t this about a blip?"


    "You gotta understand something, son, there''s a lot more to being a janitor than just cleaning toilets.


    Besides, Mr. Wace already has a full staff. He said that he''ll give you a call when something opens


    up again." Mr. Mercer calmly rified before cutting on the ignition and pulling away onto the street.


    "Yeah right, and when something does open up, that jive turkey will probably forget all about my ck


    ass!"


    "Cut that out!" Mr. Mercer scolded. "God never once promised any of us an easy life. Times are tough


    for everyone right now. People are losing jobs left and right. Gas is drying up. It''s our hardships that


    make us stronger people. You''ll find something. Besides, you''ve got a wedding to n."


    Isaac just turned his head in disgust and remarked, "What good is a wedding when the husband


    doesn''t even have a job? I promised Lynn that I would help her out. Now what?"


    "Now, you trust in the Lord. You have to allow him to take control of the situation."


    Isaac rolled his eyes in silent frustration at his father''s constant religious intervention. To him, it was like


    dousing a cup of acid on an already gaping wound.


    As they drove along the decaying side streets of Cypress, it suddenly donned on Isaac as to just where


    he was at that moment. He had been away for only two months, but yet, it was those two months that


    seemed to make all the startling difference in the world when it came to his ugly urban surroundings.


    Once tall, busy downtown buildings had tragically sumbed to the plight of an economic slump.


    Crippled and dpidated structuresyered almost every corner of the vicinity. Most businesses, which


    had been around since the turn of the century, had be mere shadows of a more vibrant and


    industrious yesterday; a bittersweet reminder of a once thriving metropolis known as Cypress, Ohio.


    As they passed by a Dairy Queen, Isaac caught himself fondly recalling a childhood memory where he


    was holding his mother''s hand as they both walked down the strip to the restaurant on hot summer


    days. The mini-mall that was located just across the road from where his father would take him every


    other weekend to buyic books was by then only a convenient store that had a store closing sign


    posted on the front window.


    Those and many other institutions had been shut down for months and years, and still Isaac could not


    seem to get it into his head that time had passed him by seemingly overnight.


    Every so often he would nce over at his father, who by then needed his sses to drive even in the


    daytime, hunched over the steering wheel as though seeing the road ahead of him was a million dor


    challenge. The mightiest man in the world had the striking appearance of a feeble senior citizen who


    looked as though he were ready to fall asleep at a moment''s notice.


    All Isaac could do was soak in every remembrance, past and present, sigh and shut his eyes. The


    feeling of hopelessness squeezed the life out of him.


    Mr. Mercer began to giggle to himself before saying, "I feel like a woman every time I think about you


    and Lynn getting married."


    Isaac snapped out of his disparaging trance and muttered, "Whaddya mean?"


    "I just wanna n everything, from the invitations, right down to the kind of tux you''ll be wearing. Your


    mama sure would be happy to see you getting married. Yes, sir, that woman sure loved her some


    weddings."


    Isaac''s sorrowful mood wasn''t dissipating, but just for a few glimmering seconds, just seeing his


    father''s gushing face seemed to relieve a tiny measure of pressure enough for him to breath.


    As they tooled along, unexpectedly, out of the corner of his eye, Isaac took notice of the Tri-State


    Savings & Loan bank building to his right that they were speeding by. His head had to take a double


    spin backwards just to make sure he wasn''t seeing things.


    "Do you think I can find a job soon, dad?"


    "Sure you can." Mr. Mercer exhaled. "There''s still plenty of work out there, you just have to keep on


    looking."


    Isaac relented. He held back as much as he possibly could, fighting the temptation like a wild,


    rampaging animal...but it was too much to stomach.


    "Dad...can you let me out here?" He sheepishly uttered.


    "Right here, at this stop light?"


    "Yes, sir, I think I saw a help wanted sign back there."


    "Well, do you want me to turn around and wait until you fill out an application?"


    "That''s okay. Why don''t you go home and get some rest? I''ll catch the bus back."


    Without any more words, Mr. Mercer pulled the car over. Isaac hopped out and began marching off in


    the opposite direction down the cold sidewalk.


    He wanted something, anything to either distract or stop him altogether from going back, but the closer


    he neared his destination, that was all the more he realized that it was inevitable for him to do what he


    had to.


    He cut down a corner and felt the harsh winter wind p his fidgety face. Isaac stopped in front of the


    bank building before looking to his immediate left where he eyed a broke-down garage that had its


    closed sign facing the outside window.


    He stepped over to the garage, ignored the sign and entered through the surprisingly unlocked front


    door, allowing the tiny shing bells above his head to ring.


    "We''re fuckin'' closed!" A loud, angry voice yelled from the noisy back where Stevie Wonder''s, ''I Wish''


    was ring on a stereo.


    Isaac apprehensively entered the darkened garage identally knocking over an empty gas can along


    the way. The instant he approached an ajar door he braced himself and barged his way through to spot


    one young, skinny, light skinned, shirtless man seated at a table snorting lines of what looked to be


    cocaine, and arge, heavily bearded ck man pointing a .45 handgun directly at his face.


    "I said we''re fuckin'' closed, motherfucker!" The shirtless man hollered as he looked up to see Isaac


    shuddering at the doorway.


    In a deep, coarse tone, therge man, with a ck knit hat on his head, announced, "Look who it is,


    Larry, the prodigal son."


    Wiping the powder away from his nose, Larry slurred, "What the fuck? Put your piece away, Marvell.


    Can''t you see we gotpany?"


    Isaac inched a bit closer to Larry, but not too much to where he was within arm''s reach. He made sure


    to keep his jittery eyes poked at the backdoor.


    "How''d you get in here, man?" Larry asked.


    "The front door was unlocked."


    From out of a nearby corner came trotting a female Doberman pincher who skittishly shuffled past


    Isaac on her way to a nearby tool table where she eventually cowered underneath. Isaac began to


    move towards the dog only to have the animal whimper and whine the closer he approached.


    "It''s okay, Queen, it''s only Isaac." Larry assured his pet while stumbling towards Isaac. "She''s still afraid


    of you, brother," he grinned. "So, what brings you back here after all this time?"


    "I, uh, I just came by to see how things were going." Isaac stuttered while maintaining a vignt eye on


    Marvell, who in turn had both of his eyes locked on him while flipping through hundred dor bills.


    "Going?" Larry eximed. "Shit, things are goin'' real will, my nigga. Look around you, business is


    boomin''!" Larry proimed with outstretched arms. "Jimmy The Peanut is already lookin'' after us


    colored folks. Before you know it, Larry''s Garage will be the only mechanic racket in town."


    As Isaac reached for a stool behind him, Marvell brazenly snatched it away before cing it beside him


    instead, not once taking his eyes off of the scared, young man.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    "Don''t mind Marvell, someone just stiffed him yesterday for a couple of hundred. You know how he gets


    whenever someone holds out on him." Larry rified as he wandered back to his table. "Hey, Marv,


    turn on something for the lucky man!"


    "Lucky? Whaddya mean, lucky?" Isaac questioned.


    "You getting'' married, aint'' you?"


    "How''d you find out about that, man?"


    "This is ain''t L.A. or New York." Larry tossed up his hands. "It doesn''t take long for news to travel in


    Cypress."


    "No...not really," Isaac bowed his head.


    "So, you and that fine ass Lynn are finally tying the knot, huh? Man, if that were my woman I''d be


    smiling from ear to ear. What''s with the sour puss, brother man?"


    Isaac reached back into the furthest corner of his brain to try and remember why he even bothered to


    show up at all.


    Larry then boldly stepped into Isaac''s face and asked, "What, did youe back to get your job?"


    "No." Isaac stammered. "I just came back to see how you were doing."


    Both Larry and Marvell began tough out loud at Isaac''s seemingly innocent response, as though they


    were expecting it all along.


    "C''mon, Isaac, you can tell me. Why are you back here?" Larry persisted on, only in a more serious


    tone.


    Isaac''s hands became increasingly sweaty as he nced down at the equally frightened dog under the


    tool table ahead of him. It was already warm inside the garage, so it was no surprise to Isaac that he


    would be sweating buckets while two dangerous men were surrounding him.


    "I know why you''re here." Larry sniffed. "You wanna give me some jive about how sorry you are that


    you just up and left the way you did. Is that it, Isaac? You wanna apologize for acting like a fool the way


    you did?"


    Marvell got up from off his seat, strolled over to the table where Larry was snorting cocaine and picked


    up a Phillips wrench. He then began to toss the tool back and forth in hisrge hands as if it were a


    football he was ying with.


    Staring deep into Isaac''s face, Larry questioned, "Where did you go, Isaac?"


    "Whaddya mean?" Isaac stuttered while smelling Larry''s noxious breath.


    "You gonna stand there and bullshit me like that, man? You''ve been gone since December. You see, I


    got it in my head that you was up to no good back in November. If you wanted in on the operation, why


    didn''t you just say so?" He grabbed Isaac by the shoulders.


    "What operation, man?" Isaac nearly lost his breath.


    "C''mon, Isaac, you didn''t have to go behind my back, you could''ve trusted me, I''m your best friend."


    "Larry, I don''t know what you''re talkin'' about, man." Isaac began to squirm. "Okay, you want the truth?


    Fine. I dide back here for a job. I need one bad, man!"


    "Fuck a job!" Larry screamed as he pounded his right fist on the table beside him. "You make a deal


    with those Jamaican motherfuckers, and you leave us out of it?"


    "Jamaicans," Isaac turned up his nose.


    "Those nigga''s deal with more heroin than American''s do! And you leave us out of the deal? Then what


    happens? You pissed off the wrong person, and they let their dogs loose on your ck asses. All you


    had to do was let Marvell and me know, we could''ve dealt with them. We all could have made some


    serious loot. Ya dig?"


    "Larry," Isaac hysterically panted, "you know I ain''t never dealt with that shit! We''ve known each other


    since the fifth grade, man! Why would I double cross you after all these years?"


    "Because you''re a dumb ass nigga, that''s why." Marvell sniggered.


    "Fuck you, motherfucker! Ain''t nobody asked your ck ass!" Isaac irately retaliated.


    Just like that, Marvell balled up his right fist and punched Isaac square in the forehead, sending him


    crashing to the floor.


    Both Larry and Marvell knelt down and grabbed Isaac''s body while the cowering dog whimpered even


    louder from behind.


    "Shut the fuck up, Queen!" Larry yelled before turning his attention back to Isaac. "You see, I think I got


    this all figured out after all this time. You deal with the Jamaicans, behind our backs no less. Get fucked


    up on some of their ganga shit. Start acting all crazy. Your eyes get all fucked up. Then, out of the blue,


    you just vanish into ck air." Larry steadily exined while holding Isaac''s shaking legs still. "I think


    you was with the fuzz these past few months, tellin'' them everything about our little operation here.


    Wait a minute...you''re probably wired right now."


    "C''mon, Larry," Isaac beseeched. "It wasn''t anything like that! I didn''t have anything to do with those


    Jamaican cats!"


    "Shit, whoever you hired to kill those dudes sure did a helluva job. They made sure to spare your ck


    ass." Larry snickered. "I''m surprised you''re even walking around out there. Don''t you know that there''s


    a kidnapper on the loose? He snatches up cute little white girls and pretty little colored boys like you."


    "He probably takes ''em back to his pad and fucks them up in the ass!" Marvell howled before ripping


    open Isaac''s coat and white button down shirt.


    At that painstaking instant, all Isaac could think of was his father''s beaming face back in the car, and


    just how proud he was of him.


    The cold, hard wrench that Marvell was pressing against Isaac''s face felt like ice sinking into his flesh.


    All he could see in front of him was a glimpse of Queen staring back in fearful trepidation. He watched


    the dog''s frightful eyes shift up and down right before his own blood that was seeping from his


    wounded forehead began to drip down his face and blind his vision.


    "I say we tear out this nigga''s tongue and break his legs." Marvell insidiously grimaced. "We''ll see how


    well he walks down the aisle in crutches. I wanna hear him try and say I do!"


    All of the sudden, Isaac''s eyesight grew dim. The words that the men were screaming were bing


    more distant and foreign, like they were speaking a differentnguage altogether.


    "Yeah, maybe I can drop by and see how Lynn is doin''." Larry jumped in. "I never told you, I would pass


    by her house every now and then just to make sure that the electric was still on." Heughed as he


    took the wrench from Marvell and bashed Isaac''s right leg with it as hard as he could.


    But instead of screaming or even wincing in pain, to the shock of both Larry and Marvell, Isaac did


    somethingpletely unexpected. He shut his eyes and began to hum. "Dog llik." (Kill God)


    Isaac moaned in a coarse tone before surprisingly snatching the wrench from out of Larry''s startled


    hand and somehow managing to power out from the clutches of both men.


    Larry and Marvell stood to their feet and watched as Isaac, too, rose up. They looked on as he spoke


    more unfamiliar words, words that sounded as though they wereing from someone else''s mouth


    rather than his own.


    "This nigga is high again!" Marvell said as he stepped away, too rmed to do anything at that instant.


    With the wrench firmly gripped in his right hand, Isaac bumped up against one table and into another,


    nearly falling to the floor in the process.


    Queen helplessly yelped from underneath the confines of her tool table. Larry backed up, only enough


    to where he could gain a more precise view at what was taking ce. He couldn''t tell if what was


    happening was for real or just one of his own drug induced hallucinations.


    Isaac''s erratic movements looked more as if he were being pulled and pushed by an unseen force. The


    behaviorsted nearly two whole minutes before Isaac took the wrench that he was holding and


    cracked Marvell over the face with it, sending him reeling into the wall behind him. Isaac then lunged


    forward and struck Larry over the head.


    "C''mon, Isaac, I was just yin''!" Larry dreadfully screamed while holding his hands up in merciful


    defense. "I didn''t see your girl, man!"


    Isaac''s body turned around and began to beat Marvell over the head with the wrench until blood oozed


    out and onto the floor.


    From there he spun around and handed his childhood friend the same treatment. "Eid uoy...eid uou, eid


    uoy!" (You die, you die, you die) Isaac viscously ranted on as he beat Larry over the head repeatedly


    until he could hear his skull crack wide open like a coconut.


    Isaac then stood back and watched as Larry''s unconscious body began to convulse right there on the


    cement floor in front of him.


    Isaac dropped the wrench, grabbed Larry by the neck and pulled him over to a corner where he


    proceeded to get down on all fours and lick up the blood that was seeping from out of his gaping head.


    In the midst of his drinking feast, Isaac paused and turned to Queen, who by then had managed to


    sneak underneath Larry''s tow truck.


    Isaac''s shiny eyes blinked in rapid sequence. He fed off of the animal''s fear of him like a drug. It turned


    him on to see the dog cower like a pup. "Ereh emoc." (Come here) Isaac grunted from his stomach.


    "Ereh emoc, uoy hctib! (Come here, you bitch!)


    But the dog would not budge. It sat under the truck as Isaac, on all fours no less, began to crawl over


    towards its direction, hissing and grunting while shining his set of blood stained teeth along the way.


    Soon, the sound of a fire engine ring outside down the street sent Isaac scurrying back into another


    dark corner to where only his bright eyes could be seen.


    He got to his feet and fled out the backdoor that led to the alley.

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7


    Lake Logan went on for nearly eighty miles until it conjoined with Lake Erie. Isaac sat at the tip of the


    pier. The icy wind sliced right through his open coat and shirt and into his body like a rusty butcher


    knife.


    Hispletely numb physique rocked back and forth on the ledge as though it were weightless.


    The waves fiercely crashed and jostled up and down as if they were distressed or angered. Gripped


    strongly in the young man''s right hand was a headless seagull. Its blood dripped down from out of its


    neck like water from a flowing faucet; being still a fresh kill.


    Isaac''s head hung low. His bottom lip was drooping, allowing the blood from the fowl to slowly funnel


    out of his gaping mouth. His eyes were slightly opened, but there was no life in them whatsoever that


    harsh afternoon as the brutally cold waves sshed onto both his pair of dress shoes and the bottom


    portion of his Sunday pants, causing them to be more damp by the minute.


    Behind Isaac, in a fifty yard distance, sat a bright green 1975 Monte Carlo with its engine humming.


    The windows were darkly tinted to where only the ndestine individual inside could see out.


    The driver sat in the shy vehicle and calmly watched the young, spellbound man down at the pier all


    by himself, appearing as if he were only inches away from being swept out into the violent current that


    wasshing out at him.


    The driver in the green car just happened to be in the perfect position to possibly rear end Isaac directly


    into the water. But instead, the mysterious person put the car in reverse and simply drove away.


    Isaac never budged an inch, unless the wind had nudged him. His eyelids didn''t blink. It was as if his


    body was there, but his soul had remained back at the garage, along with his two former friends.


    Doctor Levin stood over his desk in his small, uncoordinated office while peering down at an x-ray of


    Isaac''s skull and chatting over the phone with his ever so tenacious wife.


    It didn''t seem to bother him all too much that what he was staring at took center stage over what his


    wife was desperately trying to convey to him. He would catch only every other sentence that she was


    saying, and if she asked him to repeat what she had said he would find himself prevaricating the entire


    conversation right where he stood.


    "I realize that, honey, but does your sister have to go to bed at eight? I have some very important


    colleagues stopping by tonight." Jeremiah wined while focusing his blue eyes closer in on the x-ray.


    "Just think what it would look like if they walked in and saw Justine sprawled out on the couch like a


    homeless woman."


    For him, being a psychiatrist and not a medical doctor meant that he really had no idea as to what


    exactly he was looking at. In his eyes it was only a human skull.


    "I know, Julie." He moaned. "We''ll just have to take it step by step. "I''m a shrink, not a rabbi." Levin


    shoved aside the one x-ray and pulled another set from out of a man folder that was already lying on


    his paper burdened desk.


    He raised the images up to the light and closely studied all three sets. One was taken of Isaac''s chest,


    the second of his arms and thest was of his legs and feet. He wasn''t a physician, but even he could


    see the hateful damage that had taken ce in the x-rays.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    All of the sudden, his wife''s incessant banter over the phone had be mere gibberish within the


    span of three minutes.


    With a dry throat, Jeremiah said, "Uh, honey, let me call you backter. I''ve got a patient arriving soon.


    I love you, too." He mumbled as he hung up the phone without taking his eyes off of the disturbing


    images in front of him.

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    Without hesitating a second longer, he picked up the phone again and dialed a number. Levin waited


    as five dial tone''s burped into his ears.


    "Yes, this is Doctor Jeremiah Levin. I am partnered through the Asndview Psychiatric Center. I was


    wondering if I could speak with a Doctor Morgan Shields, please."


    Levin waited for at least five of the longest minutes of his life for the anticipated doctor to answer while


    listening to Barry Manilow''s, ''I Write The Songs'', over the line.


    "This is Doctor Shields. To whom am I speaking?" The man seriously spoke.


    "Yes," Levin coughed, "this is Doctor Jeri Levin. How are you today, sir?"


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    "Quite well, sir." He heavily exhaled, sounding as though his time were being wasted. "What can I do


    for you?"


    "Well, I am here looking over a patient''s x-rays, and if I''m not mistaken, you were the presiding


    physician when this young man was brought into your emergency room three months ago."


    "I''m afraid you''re going to have to be a bit more specific than that, Doctor Levin. Would this patient


    happen to have a name?"


    "Yes, sir, it''s Isaac Mercer. He was the young, ck male that was brought in following the animal


    attack on Thanksgiving."


    At first there was a breathing pause over the phone, until Doctor Shields woke up and said, "Now I


    remember. Yes, quite a bizarre tragedy if I recall. You don''t exactly forget something like that, Doctor."


    "I can imagine. But you see, sir, I''m looking at Mr. Mercer''s x-rays as we speak, and it seems as though


    there are some...abnormalities, concerning his bone structure." Levin gulped. "Doctor, if I may ask, was


    Isaac beaten before he was rushed in that morning? I''m seeing multiple bone fractures from head to


    toe. If I didn''t know any better, I''d swear it looks as though his entire jaw was...stretched outwards? As


    ludicrous as that may sound."


    "Yes, Doctor Levin, this young man was quite a puzzle to us all that morning. We all believed that he


    too was attacked by this so called animal, but there were absolutely no scars, or even a scratch on him.


    He was soaking in blood from head to toe. And yes, his bones had seemingly been broken."


    "Had been," Levin questioned. "Can you borate?"


    "It''s still a mystery to myself, but it seems as though this young man''s entire bone structure had


    been...reconfigured, and then restored all over again. If you notice in the x-rays that I took that morning,


    certain joints seemed to have, pardon my illiteracy,e apart. His muscles also went through a


    tremendous amount of trauma as well. It looked as if he had lifted weights for a whole week straight,


    non-stop. You could actually feel the soreness in them. He kept on crying that he needed Ben-Gay to


    rub all over himself." Doctor Shields flippantly carried on.


    Levin sank himself into a long, drawn out trance the deeper he gazed at the three x-rays. If Doctor


    Shields had no clear cut exnation, then he too waspletely dumbfounded.


    "Are you still there, Doctor?" Shields asked.


    "Yes, I''m still here, sir." Levin coughed himself back. "I apologize; I guess I got a little confused for a


    moment or two."


    "Is Mr. Mercer alright?"


    "Physically, yes," Jeremiah stated.


    "I am forced to confess that I''ve never seen anything like it before in all my years. Most scientists could


    write novels on this kid. He''s a modern marvel. Bones re-fusing themselves. Honestly, I was shocked


    just to see him walk out of this hospital at all."


    "Yes, Doctor, it is a miracle." Levin muttered in a perturbed tone. "Well, sir, I do appreciate your time."


    "The pleasure is all mine, Doctor. Good day."


    Levin slowly hung up the phone and took out the previous x-ray of Isaac''s once deformed skull. The


    slightly protruded jaw bone startled the man enough to where he had to push aside the image as


    though he were thoroughly repulsed by the very sight altogether.


    He had to take a breath, just to clear his mind. Thest thing he wanted was to drive himself mad


    before his patient arrived.


    Right then, three knocks at the door interrupted Levin''s irrational ramblings. As if he were trying to


    escape, he hastily shoved each of the x-rays into one folder before saying out loud, "Come in!"


    From behind the door appeared Isaac.

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9


    Dressed in his slightly tattered grey winter coat, a Clevnd Browns knit hat and a Band-Aid in the


    center of his forehead, Isaac stepped inside and dly shook Levin''s hand.


    "Hi, Isaac," Levin warmly greeted.


    Rubbing his cold hands together, Isaac smiled back, "How ya doin'', man"


    "Well, why don''t you have a seat?" Jeremiah said as he sat himself down behind hispact desk.


    Isaac took off his coat and hat andid them on the leather couch behind him. He then tried to caress


    some warmth into his arms. He was wearing a green Izod sweater and a faded pair of blue jeans, and


    even in all of hisyers the young man still felt like a six foot tall ice pick.


    "Can I bum a smoke off of you, my man?" Isaac anxiously asked.


    "Sure." Levin strangely eyed Isaac as he opened a drawer within his desk and took out a pack of


    Marlboro''s.


    Isaac secured the cigarette from the doctor and waited until Levin whipped out a lighter to ignite the tip.


    "I wasn''t aware that you smoked." Levin curiously grinned.


    Isaac sat down in the chair in front of the desk and stated, "I don''t smoke in front of my father and kid.


    But anywhere else, I''m game."


    "I understand." Levin nonchntly waved his hand. "Everyone here seems to frown upon anyone who


    smokes anymore." He hopelessly sighed. "So, how are you doing these days?"


    Graduallying down from his cold fit, Isaac exined in between puffs, "Not bad. Been looking for a


    job. And I got engaged the other night."


    "Congrattions!" Levin lit up. "When is the wedding?"


    "Mydy says she wants a spring wedding, so, I figure it''ll be sometime around April or May."


    "Super, just super," Levin graciously smiled.


    Isaac stared pensively at the doctor while taking a long drag on his cigarette. He wasn''t ustomed to


    being around such a young looking professional man. In a way, it put him at ease, it made him feel as


    though he didn''t have to live up to a lofty, generational expectation that seemingly everyone over the


    age of forty had already set for him.


    Studying Jeremiah with a keen eye, Isaac cunningly grinned, "You sure you''re a psychiatrist and not


    some college kid trying to get extra credit from his professor or something?"


    Levin just sat back. "I''m actually five years older than you. I received my bachelors from Ohio State


    when I turned twenty-three. I hope that meets your standards." He cracked a smile.


    "Man, you must''ve been real smart back in high school. If it hadn''t been for me smoking since the


    eighth grade I probably would''ve joined the football team. And who knows, maybe the NFL."


    "My dad once told me that smoking was the poetry of liars. It hides the true you behind a fa?ade of so


    called lethargy."


    Isaac screwed up his face and giggled, "Your dad sounds like mine. I swear, that man can recite just


    about every verse out of the bible, and ny-nine percent of the time I don''t have a damn clue as to


    what he''s talkin'' about."


    Jeremiah joined in on the humor while unhinging his tie. "I have an uncle who happens to be a rabbit in


    Utica, New York. Till this day the man still gets me to recite verses out of the Tanakh."


    "Does he have that real deep Jewish ent? You know, like he''s gagging on something whenever he


    talks?" Isaac smirked.


    "Yep, that''s my uncle Jerome alright." Levin lightheartedly chuckled.


    "Don''t get me wrong, I love my dad to death, but you get tired of always hearing bible verses night and


    day. You would think after hearing it for twenty years that I''d have the whole bible memorized by now."


    Isaac joked while squashing the butt of his cigarette out in the ss ashtray on the desk.


    "So tell me, how do you and your father get along?"


    "We''re cool, I guess." Isaac exhaled.


    "Just cool," Jeremiah queried.


    "Yeah, I mean, besides what happened back in November, me and him see eye to eye."


    "You mean with what took ce back at that house? Doctor Sanyupta never went into much detail back


    at Asndview."


    "No, I mean me trying to hit my dad."


    "Oh really," Levin panted. "What brought that on?"


    "I don''t know." Isaac sulked. "I wasn''t exactly myself at the time. I swung at ''em, next thing I know, I


    wake up in my bed with a swollen jaw."


    "It was that bad, huh?"


    "Have you ever seen my father? The man isn''t exactly a lightweight, if you catch my drift."


    "How did you feel when your father brought you to Asndview, Isaac?"


    Isaac sat back in his seat and rolled his eyes upwards as though he were ailing. "At first, I was pissed. I


    was pissed at a lot of things at the time. But when I finally came to and realized what I had done to both


    him and mydy, him sending me to that ce made all the sense in the world."


    Levin pointed his eyes down at his desk and said, "Doctor Sanyupta mentioned that your mother was


    deceased."


    "Yeah, she died six years ago from a brain tumor."


    "Would you say that her passing brought you and your father closer together?"


    "I don''t know, like I said, besides November, we always got along. If anything changed after my mom''s


    death, it had to be that my dad stopped working so much. I think he slowed down so he could spend


    more time with me."


    "You keep mentioning November." Levin insisted.


    "Hold it right there." Isaac adamantly pointed. "I know what you''re trying to do. Sanyupta did the same


    thing. So before you try and go back in time with me, understand, I can barely remember what


    happened yesterday, let alone three months ago."


    "Really," Levin''s eyes opened wide.


    "Yeah, I keep on having these...ckouts. Sometimes I can''t remember things. Hell, I can''t even


    remember how I got this knot on my forehead." Isaac pointed to his skull.


    Levin picked up his ballpoint pen and began to jot something down on a piece of white notebook paper


    in front of him.


    "Doctor Sanyupta mentioned that you suffered from ckouts before. Have you seen a doctor about


    them? Are any of these ckouts preceded by headaches of any sort?"


    "Look, I don''t have the money to go see a doctor just so he can tell me to take some Anacin. If it


    weren''t for the state paying for this visit I wouldn''t be here now."


    "I really want to get down to the root of these ckouts, Isaac, especially since they began after the


    incident in November."


    Isaac squirmed about in his seat like an impatient five year old at that moment. He tried to cut his eyes


    away from the doctor''s, but Levin was seemingly just as persistent in reaching his patient.


    "The other night, I remember talking to my dad. Then I went and made some popcorn and watched


    some TV. After that, everything went dark. When I woke up the next morning, I was hanging out of my


    bed with the covers wrapped around my neck."


    "I see." Levin murmured, still scribbling away on his pad. "Any headaches?"


    "No, not really," Isaac shrugged. "And then there was yesterday. I remember waking up, eating


    breakfast, talking to Lynn on the phone and then my dad taking me down to his job to see if I could get


    on. Then, we got back in the car, my dad stopped at a red light, and...that''s that." Isaac heavily


    pondered while staring endlessly at the brown carpeted floor.


    "Doctor Sanyupta did mention that you would see...another person in your bedroom from time to time."


    Isaac blushed before he turned his head and exhaled as if he were too ashamed to hear anything more


    come from the doctor''s mouth.


    "Isaac, look," Levin steadily spoke, extending his right hand outwards to Isaac, "it''s just you and me in


    here. The only other person that knows about this is Sanyupta. I''m not trying to pry, I just want to make


    sure that you''re okay."


    Isaac looked up and coughed, acting as though he were trying to find the proper words to say at that


    stage.


    "Look, ever since what happened back in November, I''ve been seeing this...thing. I''m not even gonna


    call it a person because I never see its face. It justes out of nowhere, and then it just leaves. It


    never speaks. It just walks around. I don''t know if it''s a ghost or if it''s all in my head." He bashfully


    exined. "Shit, I feel like Ford. I''m falling all over the fucking ce."


    "Isaac, I understand that you don''t want to talk about what took ce inside that house, but piece by


    piece, it''ll start toe together for you. I mean, I heard when they first brought you to Asnview that


    you were a...forck of a better term, a wreck. But after only a few weeks, you''ve made significant


    improvement. You''re a totally different man."


    Blushing, Isaac began to snicker to himself as if he were recalling something funny before he said, "I


    guess Sanyupta told you about what I thought I was."


    Levin sat back and took off his sses. "Uh, yeah," he modestly answered. "I''ll admit that it''s not


    exactly what I expected to hear from a man like yourself."


    "What you really mean to say is that you''ve never heard a colored person sat that he was a...you


    know...that thing."


    "I thought you people didn''t like to be called colored." Levin haphazardly jibed while apparently waiting


    for a smile to make its way to Isaac''s face.


    Isaac red oddly at the doctor beforeughing. He got the joke, he was just awestruck at the sheer


    boldness of the person who was telling it.


    "Isaac, look, I''ve been in this profession for two years now, and so far I''ve had three people tell me that


    they were vampires. One guy that swears he''s James Bond. Another person tell me that he''s the


    reincarnation of Att the Hun, and a woman who believed that she was a ghost, even though she was


    about as alive as you and I are right now. What you think you are is the least of your problems. It''s


    normal to have these thoughts. You saw three of your friends get killed. That would give anyone a jolt."


    Isaac dropped his head and said, "Those cats weren''t my friends. And as far as what happened back in


    November, let''s just say, for now...I got caught up in something totally unexpected."


    "Well, speaking of the unexpected, I happened across some of your x-rays from your hospital visit after


    the incident. Isaac, I just have to know, were you beaten up that night? Because your x-rays revealed


    significant damage to your entire skeletal system. Extreme muscle strains. And even more amazing, it


    appeared as though your body healed within days." Levin exined, sounding astonished.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Isaac once again regressed into his vegetative state of silence. He was determined not to go back in


    time at all costs.


    "I just can''t even begin to imagine the utter pain and agony that you went through." Jeremiah nearly


    lost his breath.


    "Well, all I can say is that...I wasn''t beaten up. And you''re damn right, it was painful." He gritted his


    teeth.


    Just as it looked as if Levin were about to throw another barrage of inquiries at Isaac, he paused to


    examine the young man who suddenly took on the eerie appearance of someone who wasn''t even in


    the same room alongside him.


    Isaac sat in his seat, slumping closer and closer to the floor like he was about to melt right out of his


    chair.


    "I miss my mom." The young man uttered in a tone that seemed so distant.


    "I beg your pardon?" Sitting up, Isaac reiterated,


    "I said, I miss my mom. Sometimes she could be just like my dad, spitting bible verses left and right,


    but for a long time, she was my best friend. I was the one that pulled away from her. I got to that age


    when I thought I was too cool. Couldn''t nobody tell me shit. I''ll never forget the day before they took her


    to the hospital, she and I argued because I wasn''t doing my homework. That was thest time I spoke


    to her before she passed. I always med myself for her dying."


    With a look of syrupy sympathy in his blue eyes, Levin got up, sat down on the edge of his desk in front


    of Isaac and said, "Guilt binds us in all sorts of trouble, Isaac. This so called ghost that you see, this


    mythical creature that you think you are, it''s all part of the culpability that you''ve been carrying all this


    time. It finally materialized when those men were killed in that house. Do you feel guilty that you were


    the only one that survived?"


    Isaac''s eyes shifted upwards to the doctor''s face. "Guilt had nothing to do with what happened that


    night. Everything that I felt that night was real. I''m talking about a second chance. When I wasid up in


    Asndview, I got a chance to do a lot of thinking. I got a son. I look at a lot of brotha''s out there now,


    fuckin'' up, doin'' things they''re not supposed to be doin''. I swore that I''d be different. I want my son to


    look up to me like I look up to my dad. I want my fianc¨¦ to have a man that she can depend on. I swore


    to God and even my own mother that I would be different. God spared my life that night because he


    wanted to give me a second chance."


    The more Isaac spoke, something inside of him began to twist and turn, much like a stomach ache, but


    on a less gut wrenching level. He felt a crucifixion taking ce.


    "I was wrong. I was wrong about everything, but now, I can change things." Isaac continued on. "What


    happened to me that night hasn''t happened again since, and I wanna keep it that way."


    Jeremiah, with a re of confidence on his face, got up from off his desk and stuffed his hands into his


    pants pockets.


    "So, is that it?" Isaac eagerly asked.


    "Yeah...yeah, I think so." Levin smiled.


    "So tell me, do you still think I''m crazy?" Isaac questioned while stepping over and picking up his coat,


    only to have several Cray crayons fall from out of one of the pockets. Giggling while picking up the


    crayons, the man blushed, "My son and I were coloring togetherst night. That boy stuffed crayons


    any and everywhere he could, even in the toilet."


    "Well, you''re either crazy or you''re the most rational man of the decade." Levin dly remarked. "But I


    would like very much for you to see a doctor about those ckouts. That''s something that could be


    potentially dangerous in the long run."


    "I''ll see what I can do, man." Isaac replied in a patronizing fashion before shaking the doctor''s hand


    and heading for the door. "Oh, and be careful taking I-75 home this afternoon. There''s a real big


    ident out there."


    "Okay," Levin shrugged oddly, "but it''s only 10:41."


    Isaac cunningly smirked and asked, "Its Friday, aren''t you people supposed to stop working by


    sunset?"


    Jeremiah dropped his head and grinned back, saying, "Touch¨¦, my friend, touch¨¦."


    "Ay ees. (See ya) Isaac spoke while walking out the door and heading towards the elevator. However,


    the closer and closer he reached the doors, Isaac found it increasingly difficult to ignore his full dder


    that possibly would not survive an hour long bus ride home.


    Aware of the bus'' strict schedule, the man turned and jogged back down the opposite end of the


    hallway that led to the men''s bathroom.


    The instant he stepped inside, Isaac didn''t even bother to look around to see just who was in there


    along with him. He stormed his way into the first stall, locked the door and unzipped his pants.


    Immediately, the intense rush was a miraculous relief that he had been holding in for at least an hour. It


    was orgasmic enough to where Isaac had to close his eyes just to savor the moment.


    The end was nearing. Just mere seconds away from finishing thest few drops, something from


    behind pulled Isaac backwards into the stall''s door.


    A steady stream of urine sprayed all over both the stall and Isaac himself. The young man sat there on


    the floor before going to his knees and swaying side to side in an entranced state of mind.


    There was something lingering about inside his mouth, like a word that was hanging on the very tip of


    his tongue. Isaac continued to bob from side to side while urine dripped from his midsection. He felt so


    sleepy all of the sudden; his eyes would hardly stay open.


    Right then, someone walked into the bathroom. Immediately, Isaac stood to his feet and turned to face


    the stall door before groaning, "Tuo." (Out)


    The person on the end of the stall was washing their hands. In Isaac''s ears all he could hear was


    water, water that sounded as if it were a raging waterfall.


    "Tuo," Isaac again moaned, nearly snarling as he scratched at the door with his own right hand.


    "I''m sorry?" The man on the other end stammered. "Do you need help in there?"


    "Tuo," he continued on.


    A brief silence prevailed inside the bathroom before the man said out loud, "If you need help in there I


    can¡ª


    "Tuo," Isaac aimlessly rambled on.


    Isaac could hear footsteps before what sounded like the bathroom''s door being opened and shut


    echoed inside.


    The stall''stch slid in the opposite direction. The door slowly swung open, allowing Isaac''s half naked


    body to exit. With his pants still hanging down around his ankles, the young man caught a glimpse of


    his reflection in the mirror just a few feet ahead.


    He stumbled and plodded along the way while still mumbling his repetitive word. The instant he


    reached the mirror, Isaac scraped his right hand across the ss and examined his face, as well as his


    bleeding forehead from where the Band-Aid was peeling off.


    "Tuo...tuo...tuo...tuo."


    Without looking, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out coins, lint and crayons. However, out of


    all the items that spilled to the floor, the only one that remained stuck to his hand was a green crayon.


    With the crayon, Isaac began to blindly scribble lines and peculiar childlike shapes on the mirror while


    uttering "tuo" over and over again.


    The doodling went on seemingly for minutes until strange and uncoordinated lines began to take on a


    form; the form of words.


    His fingers barely had a grip on the crayon that he was using; they were loose and limp as though he


    had forgotten how to use them.


    On the mirror, in green Cray, Isaac''s hand wrote: Won tuo. (Out now)

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10


    "We preempt Hollywood Squares to bring you this Action Seven News, Special Report!"


    "Good Saturday evening. And wee to this special, seven o''clock edition of Action News. I''m Paul


    Jensen. This evening, we take a more in depth look into the mind of a kidnapper. With me is Cypress


    police detective, Linus Bruin. Detective Bruin has been with the Cypress P.D. now for thirty-four years,


    and he is currently heading up the search for the Broad Open Daylight Kidnapper. Thank you for being


    with us this evening, Detective."


    "Thank you, Paul; it''s good to be here."


    "Let''s get down to business. Since September of ''76, sixteen people have been, literally, snatched right


    off the streets and taken away. Thetest of these abductions taking ce just four days ago when


    Gloria Cohen was taken on her way to ss at Cypress State Community College. Detective, what


    exactly are we dealing with here when it pertains to this individual?"


    "Well, Paul, we''re obviously dealing with an individual that has no fear of getting caught while snatching


    people right off the streets. Now, I''m no psychologist, but it almost seems that the suspect, if you''ll


    excuse my tone, gets off, onmitting these crimes not only during the daytime, but also whererge


    associations of people just happen to be gathered. To him, it may be a very clever game that he enjoys


    ying."


    "Detective, you mentioned getting off. I''m not sure if you and I can get away with such terminology on


    broadcast TV, but, are we possibly dealing with a rapist? I mean, so far, the only people that the


    suspect has had any interest in abducting are young white females and young ck males. Could


    there be a possible connection between the two, or are these abductions just random?"


    "It''s difficult to figure out the suspect''s motives at this time, Paul. While it is possible to assume that the


    abductor may have, what we call, a fetish, we cannot bring ourselves to believe that these are just


    random kidnappings."


    "C''mon, Detective, ten white females and six ck males. It sounds to me like this person has an


    obsession if I''ve ever seen one."


    "Like I said, Paul, we''re not assuming anything at this point. Right now, we are more concentrated on


    the kidnapper''s modes of transport. We have assessed that in each abduction, the suspect used a


    different color van. All Chevy''s. Either this person is of great wealth or he must be stealing vans and


    then ditching them along the way."


    "What leads, if any, do you have on the suspect?"


    "So far we are going on the assumption that this person lives outside of town. Possibly westwards,


    near Cuyahoga Falls. One onlooker managed to catch a glimpse of his license ce that read Summit


    County. As far as a description goes, all we have to go on is a stocky, well-built man that has a


    noticeable limp. No race has been established as of yet."


    "Last night, a candlelight vigil was held in honor of Gloria on the campus of Cypress State. Are we to


    assume that these sixteen victims are all dead?"


    "Paul, as hard as we at the Cypress Police Division like to hope above hope, we really do not want to


    toss salt on already open wounds. There is still a possibility that all sixteen of these people are still very


    much alive."


    "What would you tell others out there to do if they are approached by an out of the ordinary individual?"


    N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    "Well, the best thing to do is stay within a group. Never travel alone if possible. Don''t talk to strangers


    was probably some of the best advice our parents ever gave us. Be aware of anything suspicious.


    Anything out of ce. If you suspect something out of the ordinary, do not hesitate to contact the


    Cypress Police Department immediately. We are doing everything within our power to find not only the


    suspect, but also all sixteen victims. It is imperative to remember that screaming and yelling will


    possibly scare the individual away and save your life in the process."


    "Good advice, Detective Bruin. Thank you for being with us this evening. Coming up next, the odd lives


    of The Cypress Zoo''s first set of African lions. Can they adapt to our frigid environment? We''ll talk to


    zoologist, Gary Ziggler, right after these messages."

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11


    From an aerial perspective, the scene inside the hallowed and raucous halls of Saint John the Baptist


    Church appeared at first nce to resemble an out of control gathering.


    Both male and female ck parishioners hooped and hollered at the powerful words that Mr. Mercer


    shouted as he stood firm behind his almighty wooden pulpit clear down in front of the church.Outfitted


    in his customary ck and red robe, Mercer preached with the fire of a man hell-bent on saving each


    and every soul that was seated in front of him.


    His arms iled back and forth and up and down while his deep voice spewed words of God''s love and


    forgiveness from one end of the old building to the other.Old women sat in their pews, just waving their


    frail hands from side to side, too weak anymore to jump for joy, while old men nodded their heads and


    pped their hands, assuring both the pastor and themselves that every word was soaking through just


    fine.


    The younger crowd squirmed and fidgeted in their seats next to their parents, impatiently waiting for


    what they would consider an ordeal to be over a lot sooner thanter.


    Down clear in the front pew sat both Isaac and Lyte, with Isaiah amazingly fast asleep in his


    mother''s pping arms.Isaac sat glued to his pew, as he had been doing ever since he was smaller


    than his son, listening to every sentence that his father was shouting in his high stature.


    The young man was in good spirits that Sunday Morning. He tapped his feet every time the organist hit


    a specific note that happened to coincide with one of the pastor''s "highlight moments" in his all


    important message.


    Every so often Isaac would turn and look over to his right to see Lyte shouting the words "Amen


    and Praise God!" She, much like him, wasn''t all too much into church going, save for Easter and


    Christmas.There was a slight, proud smirk on the young man''s face. A look of both peacefulness and


    warmth being amongst his familiar surroundings after being away for so long. No longer was he


    carrying the dreaded feelings of trepidation with him every time he dared think about what took ce


    back in November. Sitting next to his family only made him realize what he truly missed, and ultimately


    nearly lost.


    The louder his father preached on the book of Gtians, that was all the more rowdy the crowd''s


    intensity seemed to increase. Though Isaac was not all too animated, he always found it within himself


    to be a curious bystander. The man nced from side to side and from front to back as though he were


    inspecting the melee. He kept on and on until a stiff aroma ended up seizing himpletely out of


    nowhere and all of the sudden.


    He smelled the scent before, but never was it as breathtaking as it was that morning. The odor seared


    into his nostrils to the point where Isaac had to wipe his nose just to keep himself from sneezing.


    He gawked around the church in the hopes of locating the area from which the stench was emanating,


    but the more his nose skulked about, the stronger the aroma seemed to grow.


    Ever so gradually, he leaned over and sniffed Lyte while she wasn''t noticing only to discover that


    she was only wearing her perfume which he had smelled all morning long.


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    He then turned to his left. Just three feet apart were another set of pews and a young, full-figured


    woman clothed in a ck dress, ck stockings and a ck hat, pping and cheering while joyfully


    jumping up and down in her seat.


    At first nce, he smiled the interruption away, but Isaac was finding that the odor was far too powerful


    to be ignored, at least by him. The more the woman''s backside left her seat, the more Isaac''s eyes


    began to drift away, as though he were bing sleepy. His lips began to move; he was whispering


    the same words that his father was speaking, only Isaac''s words were three seconds ahead of his


    dad''s. It was as if he knew every part of the sermon, even though it was the very first time he had ever


    heard it in his life.


    With his sullen eyes pointed directly at therge woman and his lips mimicking the pastor''s, Isaac


    deeply inhaled. To anyone else who would have been able to smell it, it would have resembled a putrid


    stench, something to be discretely taken care of immediately by a member of the fairer sex, but to


    Isaac, it was utter bliss. Isaac breathed in the strong odor that was soaking badly inside the overweight


    woman.


    Soon, and much to his own shock, everyone inside the church had vanished, everyone that is expect


    six people. Gone were his father, Lyte, his son and the vast majority of the congregation, all that


    was left was six unfamiliar souls that sat in various other pews within the sanctuary. Three young ck


    men and three young white women, all of whom were clothed in blood soaked rags from head to toe.


    With drowsy eyes, Isaac studied each individual who had their heads pointed to the floor beneath them.


    Isaac couldn''t find the will to get up out of his seat, all the man could do was continue to sit and watch


    the persons quietly remain in their ces.


    The church itself waspletely silent. A person could actually hear the other breathing, it was so


    quiet. It was quiet enough for Isaac to hear what sounded like something moving across the carpeted


    floor towards him.


    The young man turned around to see a tall figure clothed in a blood soaked white sheet standing right


    in front of him. Isaac sat, but rather than be afraid, he just gawked at the individual as it stretched


    out its arms to him.


    "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me


    beside still waters." All six of the young people gathered began chanting in unison. Isaac spun around


    to see them all standing and reciting the 23rd Psalm in perfect synchronicity in all their bloody glory.


    "Come home." The hooded figure in front of Isaac hissed before lunging at the man.


    Isaac jumped back only to find Lyte grabbing him by the back of his suit jacket and staring at him


    as though he had lost his mind. Isaac looked back at her with his amber eyes as though he was gazing


    at a total stranger all of the sudden. He was in shock to see her hand touching him.


    Mr. Mercer had momentarily stopped preaching to take a long look at his son before he resumed his


    sermon.


    The young man sat back and began to p his hands along with the rest of the crowd. Everyone else


    in the congregation was seemingly ignoring Isaac; it was all part of the morning''s entertainment as far


    they were concerned.


    "Nema!" Isaac jubntly said out loud to his father.


    ***


    A half an hourter, church let out, with the usual after service cheer that went along with leaving after


    an extended Sunday morning.


    Joyful faces smiling at one another and wishing love and peace for the following week ahead. With half


    of the crowd inside and the other half out on the front steps, Isaac and Lyte found themselves


    caught in between both streams of chaos. People d to see them back in church again, and


    congratting them on their engagement. Hugs, kisses and handshakes were traded back and forth


    while questions on Isaac''s whereabouts were being evaded with artful precision by the young man who


    would have rather not have been snared into the subject in the first ce.


    Mr. Mercer, still dressed in his robe, came up beside Isaac and Lyte and asked, "Hey, before you


    two head home, would you like toe with me and Deacon Hawthorne to Don''s for supper?"


    Both Lyte and Isaac''s faces lit up at that second with the visions of free food and hopeful leftovers


    to take home with them.


    "We sure would, Pastor." Lyte jovially smiled while putting on Isaiah''s coat.


    "Good." Mr. Mercer smiled back. "Let me get my clothes changed and I''ll meet everyone outside."


    "Man, I sure do miss Don''s fried chicken." Isaac drooled. "Not as much as I miss momma''s, but it''s


    darn close."


    Mr. Mercer happened to snag Isaac by the shoulder and whisper into his ear, "Son, I wanna see you


    before we leave."


    Isaac shook a couple of more hands before following his dad back to his study that was located next to


    the restrooms in the back of the church.


    The second Isaac stepped through the door, he immediately caught sight of his father taking off his


    robe and politelyncing it on a coat hanger that sat next to his desk where his bible, a portrait of Jesus


    looking upwards and a picture of his wife was ced.


    "Have a seat, son." Mr. Mercer anxiously sighed while wiping sweat away from his brow.


    Isaac sat himself down on a white stool in the middle of the floor and waited for his father to speak.


    "Son, I wanted to talk to you about something, and¡ª


    "Dad, if this has anything to do with me noting homest night, I can exin." Isaac hurriedly cut


    in. "I was at Lynn''s house, and¡ª


    "No, it''s not that." Mr. Mercer said as he leaned against the desk. "I wanted to talk to you about...the


    other night. I didn''t want to bring it up the other day because you were so upset over not getting the


    job."


    Isaac sat in his seat with his eyes focused directly at his father in a forceful, cold manner, dreadfully


    awaiting whatever was toe out of the man''s mouth next.


    "Son, what were you doing in my bedroom the other night around two a.m.?" Mr. Mercer suspiciously


    questioned.


    Isaac thought to himself at first before saying, "Two a.m.? Dad...I can hardly remember anything


    anymore. For the past few days, I''ve been having these ckouts."


    "ckouts," Mr. Mercer chocked. "Why didn''t you tell me about this, boy?"


    "Because, I didn''t want to worry anyone. I did tell the psychiatrist back on Friday when I went to see


    him. He said to go to a doctor. I told him that I didn''t have the money for that."


    Frustrated, Mr. Mercer shot up from off the desk and said, "Isaac, this is very serious! You just can''t


    take this so lightly!"


    "I''m not taking it lightly, dad." Isaac vehemently protested. It''s not like it happens every day."


    "When was thest time it happened?"


    "I dunno," Isaac shrugged, "I think back on Friday. But it was only for a few seconds."


    "Son, I can''t believe you''re taking this so calmly. Don''t you know how dangerous this sort of thing is?"


    "I know, dad, and I''m sorry. For the life of me, I don''t remember being in your room at two a.m. I


    remember you and I talking earlier that night, but¡ª


    At that very instant, Isaac heard a scratching racket at the door behind him. Immediately, he spun


    around and stared at the closed door.


    "What is it, son?" Mr. Mercer questioned with folded arms and a concerned face.


    The moment Isaac realized that he was the only person in the room that could hear the sound, he


    turned back around and shut his eyes for a few seconds in the hopes that the wing noise would go


    away.


    Isaac then opened his eyes, and just like that, the racket that was taking ce on the other end of the


    door had ceased. Isaac looked to see his father with his back facing him.


    "Son, I want you to¡ª


    "Why didn''t you cry at mama''s funeral?"


    Isaac abruptly asked. Isaac could tell that the question had caught his fatherpletely off guard, and


    in all rights, he himself couldn''tprehend why he had asked such a thing at the most inopportune


    moment.


    Isaac sat and watched as his father slowly turned around to face him. The man''srge hands were


    trembling while paleness engulfed his chubby face.


    "I never told anyone before Friday, but before mama went to the hospital, she and I argued. The


    psychiatrist said that those delusions I was havingst year may havee from guilt."


    Mr. Mercer opened his mouth, but for the longest time nothing came out.


    "Son," he stuttered, "your mother and I knew that she was sick long before she went to the hospital.


    Neither of us wanted to upset you with it all."


    Isaac remained stuck to his stool while listening to a man that in his eyes appeared like someone who


    was creeping on the verge of a breakdown.


    "Boy, for days leading up to your mama''s death, I cried like a baby. By the time her funeral came


    around...I was all cried out. You didn''t have anything to do with your mother dying. Is that what''s been


    on your mind all these years?" He deeply frowned.


    "Maybe," Isaac shamefully mumbled.


    Mr. Mercer knelt down, ced his right hand on Isaac''s shoulder and said, "Do you see what happens


    when we keep things away from each other? It''s funny, I can talk to seventy-two people every Sunday


    about God, but I can''t even tell my own son why I never cried at his mother''s funeral. We learn


    something new every day." He timidly smirked.


    Isaac then looked his father in the eye and uttered, "I don''t want you to think that I hated you all these


    years, it''s just something that came up back on Friday."


    Mr. Mercer pulled Isaac close and kissed him on the cheek before softly saying, "I know you didn''t, boy.


    I think this is the Lord''s way of saying that everything is gonna be alright."


    Feeling weightless, Isaac got to his feet. "I''ll go warm up the car."


    Mr. Mercer just pressed his lips together and nodded before rising and turning away towards the wall.


    As Isaac began for the doorknob, he suddenly paused. He twisted the knob and ever so carefully


    pulled open the door before poking his head out into the hallway to make sure the coast was clear.


    As Isaac rounded the corner that led to the front door of the church, the stiff aroma that he had caught


    earlier snatched him halfway down the aisle. He clutched his aching stomach and listened as it rumbled


    as though it were about to explode.


    He looked back at the first pew where therge woman once sat. He was only four rows back from the


    stench, and yet, the odor was as prevalent and strong as if it were right there in front of his nose.


    Isaac breathed in and out while gazing up at the rafters that looked as though they were rapidly closing


    in on him. A dominant sense of ustrophobia set in at that instant. The more he exhaled, the dizzier


    he became. He wanted ever so much to reach the front door but both of his legs weighed a ton each.


    He grabbed one bench after another, trying his best to escape not only the aroma but also the wing


    noise that he heard back in his father''s study that had returned and was quickly gaining on him.


    Suddenly, the scratching grew more angry and loud the closer he dared reach the front door, until at


    last, he was able to grab the final pew. Isaac looked back to see nothing behind him but the old, empty


    church that he had grown up in, silently staring back at him.


    Isaac clutched the door''s handle and boldly pushed it wide open, allowing the cold, winter wind to enter


    the building before forcefully mming it shut behind him.

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12


    Mr. Mercer drove down the road at a steady pace while conversing back and forth with Deacon


    Hawthorne who was seated in the front while Lyte, Isaac and Isaiah were all packed in the back


    seat of the car. The deacon''s bald, light skinned head bobbed up and down, agreeing with just about


    everything that Mr. Mercer was mentioning about the book of Gtians, while Isaac kept his attention


    solely at the passing scenery outside his window.


    He had hardly said a single word ever since leaving church earlier; he didn''t even acknowledge his own


    son when he reached out for him to be picked up into his arms. Isaac''s head was elsewhere that


    cloudy afternoon.


    Light flurries rained down from the sky, making it look like aplete whiteout, even though not one


    ke seemed to be sticking to the ground. With every building that passed, Isaac''s stomach growled


    even more loud and irate.


    "Uh oh," Deacon Hawthorne said, "sounds like someone didn''t eat breakfast this morning."


    "That boy always eats breakfast." Mr. Mercer giggled. "I can''t imagine why he would be so hungry


    now."


    Isaac could tell that his menacing silence was causing a bitter chill in the backseat. Even though he


    didn''t want to look at her, Isaac could feel Lyte''s eyes pierce his flesh.


    "Pastor Mercer," Lyte all of the suddenly called out.


    "Yes, ma''am," Mr. Mercer replied.


    "Your son here told me a very interesting story about you the other night."


    As if someone had clocked him over the head, Isaac awoke from his deep spell and stared peculiarly at


    Lyte.


    "He told me that you once were a pimp and a drug dealer before you became a pastor."


    "Oh, did he now?" Mr. Mercer amazingly smiled.


    "Yes, sir. Is it true? Because I''m having a very hard time believing that one myself."


    "Yes, my dear, it''s very true." Mr. Mercer appeared amused. "That was way back when Satan had his


    ws all over me. I was into a lot of mess back then. Then I met Mrs. Mercer, and well...let''s just say


    that the Lord brings us special people to save our lives. And Isaac''s mama was a very special person


    indeed."


    "Amen, she surely was." Deacon Hawthorne nodded.


    "I see," Lyte grinned.


    "And then after all that, Isaac came along?"


    "Yes...the end." Mr. Mercerughed out loud.


    Everyone inside the car, including Isaac, joined in on the chorus ofughter at the young man''s


    expense.


    "You all are some stone-cold, jive people." Isaac smirked. "You even got my own sonughing at me."


    He looked down and over at Isaiah who was grinning from ear to ear in his winter coat that had the


    hood down above his forehead.


    "You know we''re only foolin'' with you, son." Mr. Mercer calmed down. "You''re alright with me. But we''d


    better get some gas or else we won''t make it to Don''s at all.


    As Mr. Mercer pulled into the Texaco station, little Isaiah chimed along with the ringing that the ck,


    rubber hose made when the car rolled into the lot.


    "Was that the baby doing that, too?" Deacon Hawthorne smiled as he looked at the child.


    "Yes, sir," Lyte replied. "He always does that every time we stop at the filling station. I think it''s his


    favorite sound in the whole wide world."


    "I''ll pump for you, dad." Isaac said while zipping up his coat.


    "Okay then." Mr. Mercerplied as he reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet and handed Isaac


    a ten dor bill." Go ahead and fill it up."


    Isaac took the money and got out. As he marched his way into the blowing fury that was flying flurries


    towards the tiny cashier''s hut, a homeless man, smoking a cigarette caught his attention. For some odd


    reason Isaac couldn''t seem to take his eyes off of the man; it was like he was familiar with him. It was


    by sheer luck that he didn''t bump into anyone along the way.


    Isaac continued to walk before a face inexplicably shed before his eyes. It was the face of a man, a


    light-skinned, young man that resembled an old, childhood friend. In his mouth he wanted to say a


    name, but his jaws seemed to bepletely immobile.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    "Hey, man, watch it!" Arge ck man warned as he and Isaac bumped into one another.


    Isaac regained his senses and resumed his journey once more to the line where five other people were


    already standing, who instead of wanting to buy gasoline, only desired to purchase cartons and packs


    of cigarettes. Isaac, too, longed for a smoke, but at least he could wait until he got home.


    Right in front of him was a young woman. She stood only a few inches shorter than Isaac. Thedy


    was wearing an autumn orange and brown knit hat, a long, ck leather coat that reached her knees


    and a pair of long, ck leather boots.


    Her long dreadlocks that sprouted from underneath her hat were yet another thing that snatched


    Isaac''s already blundering attention for the day.


    He waited behind the woman as she whispered at the clerk. Isaac impatiently rolled his eyes, thinking


    she too was in line for smokes. The very instant the woman made her purchase she turned and


    eyeballed Isaac. Isaac looked back at the woman before nearly falling to the ground in devastating fear.


    She as well stopped dead in her tracks, as if someone had pointed a gun at her head.


    Their bright, amber eyes stared into each other''s fear-stricken faces. Nothing or no one could tear them


    apart from the other at that breathtaking moment; they were locked like two finely tuned targets.


    "You''re up next, Amigo." The cashier announced.


    Isaac jumped back into the world and skittishly stepped forward to the counter while keeping his eyes


    on the woman who was racing back to her green Monte Carlo that was parked in the lot.


    Forgetting why he even got out of his father''s car to begin with, Isaac tore himself away from the


    counter and stormed back to the lot to watch the woman''s vehicle rip out of the station and onto the


    road.


    He caught a mere glimpse of the license te county name before racing back to his dad''s car and


    jumping in.


    "Did you pump already?" Mr. Mercer asked.


    Sweating and breathing as if he had been running for miles, Isaac responded, "Uh...no, sir. They just


    shut down the pumps for a while. We gotta go to another station."


    Sighing, Mr. Mercer said, "Well, we''d better hurry and find another station soon, or else we''ll be pushing


    this old car home."


    Ignoring every person inside the vehicle, Isaac held on to his door''s handle as tight as he could.


    He would have given just about anything in the world at that second just to see the bright green Monte


    Carlo one more time; even if it meant giving his own life in the process.

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13


    It waspletely dark inside Lyte''s bedroom that snowy evening as The O''Jay''s, ''Darlin'', darlin'',


    baby'', yed on low volume on the Panasonic stereo that sat on the dresser next to the bed.


    With the baby sleeping peacefully in his crib in a nearby corner and the kerosene heater blowing in


    their direction, both mother and father had to be especially quiet as not to awaken the child with their


    incessant moans of ecstasy.


    Lyte rubbed all over Isaac''s head. He could tell just by the quivering of her naked body that she


    wanted so much to at least moan out loud.


    Physically, Isaac was ted to be in the moment. The wider he opened Lyte''s pussy lips, the


    harder she grabbed his head. Just to hear her try and stifle the sounds only seemed to turn him on all


    the more as his lips did all the work. He loved how she would sensually caress his head and bury his


    face deeper into her pussy as though she were trying to smother him.


    Emotionally, however, his mind was in a whole different ce. For the remainder of the day, ever since


    running into the woman at the gas station, he was a man that did his best to evade everyone he loved.


    There were the gaps in his memory of the church service, along with his father telling him about his


    early morning visit inside his bedroom, which to Isaac could have only meant that his odd behavior had


    resurfaced.


    Right then, Lyte grabbed a hold of the bed''s railing behind her, opened her mouth wide and let out


    a mute gasp the second she squirted all over Isaac''s face.


    Isaac raised his head slightly, closed his eyes and allowed the gooey substance tocerate his mouth,


    the bridge of his nose and his eyelids. He then lowered his head again while trying to keep Lyte''s


    quivering body from squirming off the bed.


    Isaac rose and watched as her entire naked body uncontrobly jolted up and down beforeing to


    an eventual rest.


    Isaac wiped his wet face clean before drawing close to Lyte for a kiss, only to have the youngdy


    subtly push him away.


    "I''m sorry...I''m sorry." She whispered while pulling the covers onto her body.


    Isaac wasn''t upset at the gesture, he understood, but he was still horny, so he decided to attempt a


    new approach, something a bit more appealing. He pulled the covers away and proceeded to suck on


    her small breasts.


    "Isaac...I have an early ss in the morning." Lyte winced while anxiously turning over and pulling


    the covers back onto her body.


    Isaacid there next to her feeling as though he had done something wrong. He wanted to get mad, but


    the anger was nowhere to be found inside of him. Next, he wanted to get up and walk away, but at the


    same time he didn''t want to leave the presence of Lyte''s soft, warm body that made the entire bed


    feel sofortable.


    So in the end, he chalked up his loses, wrapped his arm around her body and pulled her close to him.


    "I''m sorry." He pitifully whispered into her ear.


    Lyte turned over. "I didn''t mean to spoil the mood." She whispered back. "I guess I''m still not used


    to...the eyes."


    "You didn''t spoil anything, girl. Isaac replied as he kissed her on the forehead.


    Lyte wrapped her arms around Isaac''s sweaty body and nestled herself deep into his hairy chest.


    As shey there, Isaac could hear a sudden chuckle begin to bubble from out of her gut.


    "What''s so funny?" He red strangely.


    Lyte looked into Isaac''s eyes and said, "Isaac, if I asked you to be honest with me, would you?"


    "I have before, haven''t I?"


    Lyte sighed, "I don''t know, you just seemed so distant today. It was like you didn''t want to talk to


    anyone. You were even acting funny at Don''s. You hardly touched your food. Is there something


    bothering you?"


    "I just have these headaches every now and then." He shrugged. "It''s nothing big."


    "Isaac, I do believe in us. I don''t know what you went through back at Asndview, but I want you to


    know that I was always thinking of you. I never wanted to see you leave."


    "Asndview was cool. We got fed three times a day. yed a bunch of board games, watched TV


    and sat around in a circle and talked about our feelings. I even had one of the orderly''s sneak oatmeal


    cream pies to me at night."


    "You and your cream pies." She giggled.


    "I can''t help it, it''s an addiction." Isaac sniggered back.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Lyte rubbed her warm, mmy hands across Isaac''s back at that moment. "Do you know what


    kind of wedding I want, Isaac?"


    "What kind?"


    "I want it to be down at the church. I want my nieces to be wearing purple dresses. I want Isaiah to be


    in a little tuxedo, carrying the ring down the aisle. I wanna see you dressed in that slick ck and white


    tux that we sawst year at ncy''s department store Downtown."


    Isaacid and listened with attentive ears as Lyte rattled on about her fantasy wedding. He wished


    she could have seen the ear to ear smile that was on his face right then. He wanted to bare his inner


    most joyous thoughts to her. For the first time since they had been together, he was excited about


    getting married.


    "Isaac," Lyte moaned into his face, "I want so much for us. What happened back in November is


    just a distant memory. The memories we make now are what will shape our future."


    Isaac stared strangely at her and asked, "Is that from one of your poems, too?"


    "Yeah, I just thought I''d slip it in at the right moment." She giggled.


    Isaac, too, giggled along with her. "Do you remember when we were in the eleventh grade and we


    skipped school to go down to Logan Park to hang out?"


    "Yep, and I also remember getting home that afternoon and having my ass torn apart by my father after


    the school reported us truant."


    "But it was worth it though. We just walked around all day and did nothing but talk and make out."


    "Yeah, it was a real nice day." Lyte faintly uttered, creeping in and out of sleep.


    Isaac looked down and took notice of her slurred speech. "It looks like we''re gonna get a few feet of


    snow by morning. My dad doesn''t have to go to work tomorrow, so I''m gonna take his car and look for a


    job."


    "Can you take Isaiah to his aunt''s house in the morning, too? Since I have that early ss? And don''t


    forget to buy some Tylenol nose drops for him; his cold is getting worse." Lyte mumbled until cute


    little snores began to escape her mouth.


    "Yeah, I can do that." Isaac whispered before kissing her on the cheek.


    Heid there in bed for only a few more minutes before carefully climbing out and putting on his white


    undershirt that had the word ''Dynomite!'' printed across the front, along with a pair of long johns.


    He then crept over and cut off the stereo before making his way to the door, stopping and looking back


    to mutter the words, "I don''t want you to think I''m crazy, Lynn."


    He found it incredibly difficult at best to tear himself away from the sight of the woman he loved lying


    serenely in her bed. It was like looking at a glowing figure. There was still someone left in the world that


    loved and trusted him all over again.


    Isaac turned and stepped out of the warm confines of the bedroom and into the cool hallway. As he


    made his way out into the living room, unbeknownst to Isaac, his mysterious phantom snuck behind


    him from out of nowhere and crept down the other end of the hallway, as quiet and stealth as a mouse.


    Isaac stood in front of the living room window and gazed out into the pink sky where huge snowkes


    fell hard onto the already snow covered ground. By then, the entire neighborhood was zed in a finely


    coated mixture of both snow and light rain.


    All day long he tortured himself by pondering on the woman back at the gas station. He was even


    thinking about her while eating Lyte out. It had be something of a recurring nightmare to him.


    Her green Monte Carlo roaring away into traffic kept on beating into his head like a thousand drums all


    at once. Her eyes...her bright, amber eyes caused his stomach to gurgle and turn over, as if he were


    bing sick.


    He lied to Lyte when he told her about the headaches. He hated doing so, but it was all he could


    think of without having her worry about him. All of the sudden, ever since leaving Asndview,


    everything he had chalked up to paranoia and superstition had alle rushing back at him like a


    raging tsunami.


    Rapidly, the coldness in the living room had be a mere afterthought; Isaac had his fear to keep


    him warm for the remainder of the evening.


    In a few months he would be getting married. The very next day, he would be leaving town. All Isaac


    could hope for was a possible safe return.


    A pathetic belly chuckle coughed up into his throat. Everything was real, he thought to


    himself.

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14


    Late afternoon, the following day


    Isaac didn''t lie when he told Lyte that he would be going job hunting. He had been up since five


    a.m. racing from one end of Cypress to the other in his father''s car in search of employment.


    If it wasn''t Dairy Queen then it was other shops or even the local car wash scene. When he had


    exhausted every ounce of patience and ink in his pen from filling out countless job applications, he fled


    town.


    It took him well over an hour to reach Summit County. His slow timing wasn''t due to the snow covered


    roads, the city cleanup crews did a fairly decent job in removing a lot of the snow that had fallen


    overnight, it was his fear that caused ackadaisical right foot to barely touch the gas. The brooding


    expression on his exhausted face would have suggested that he would have rather been anywhere


    else in the world at that stage than to be on the long road that he found himself traveling upon.


    The bright sun caused its rays to re off the white nket of snow that covered the vast farnd he


    was passing by. The strong shimmer would have caused anyone else to pull down the visor to shield


    their eyes, but instead, Isaac chose to allow the warmness to soothe his emotionally battered skin,


    hoping to gain a measure of calm from the breath of God in the process.


    Just up ahead, a few yards to the left, Isaac caught sight of a small diner with a rotating sign on top of


    the roof that read ''Scats''. Right then, Isaac''s stomach began to grumble all over again, just as it had


    been doing all day, off and on.


    He pulled his father''s car into the full parking lot, parked and nced over to his right to see the same


    green Monte Carlo sitting only two spaces down. He turned off the vehicle''s ignition and listened as it


    putted and sputtered for at least a minute before finally shutting down. Then, with about as much


    determination as he could assemble, Isaac loosened his ck Sunday tie, climbed out and marched


    towards the diner''s front door as though he were heading straight for an old west showdown of sorts.


    He unzipped his stuffy coat and snatched out the bottom half of his white, button down dress shirt for


    morefort.


    The instant he opened the door, The Eagles'', ''Hotel California'' could be heard ying on the cheap


    stereo system that was mounted on a table in a corner behind the lunch counter. The aromas of French


    fries and eggs pleasantly filled the entire restaurant.


    "Just go ahead and have a seat anywhere, sweetheart, and I''ll be with you in a moment!" A perky,


    young white woman said while carrying hot tes of food from one end of the diner to the other.


    Isaac wasn''t in search of a seat; his eyes were transfixed on the hungry characters that inhabited the


    busy establishment. From left to right sat nothing but white people of different ages, sexes and sizes,


    not one minority face could be found.


    As Isaac began to lurch deeper into the diner it suddenly donned on him to look towards the women''s


    bathroom. She was there; her car was still parked outside. She was the only person in the world that


    Isaac knew that drove a bright green Monte Carlo.


    He stood at the counter, only a few feet away from the women''s restroom. The young man patiently


    watched as two young white girls came out,ughing and giggling about a boy they both liked from


    school. The longer he waited, the more some of the patrons started to gawk his way, wondering just


    what the peculiar ck man was doing leaning near the women''s bathroom.


    Suddenly, after watching three more women step out, from behind the door a dark skinned ck


    woman appeared, wiping her hands dry with a paper towel.


    At the snap of a finger, Isaac snatched her by her right arm and harshly whispered, "We need to talk."


    The startled woman dropped her wet towel to the floor while looking up at Isaac as though he were


    bigger than life itself. Isaac could tell that she no more wanted to see him than he did her; but even she


    had to realize that their meeting was as inevitable as theing of another day.


    "I didn''t know you were still here, Karyn." The young waitress smiled as she walked behind the counter.


    "Were you two going to have supper together?"


    "Yeah, we''re gonna have a seat for a moment." Isaac adamantly replied before practically dragging


    Karyn over to an empty booth and sitting down.


    The two of them sat and stared each other down with cold, steel res in their amber eyes, as if they


    wanted to explode all over the other at any second. Karyn pressed her quivering lips together as tight


    as she could. In a disgraceful manner, she cut her eyes away from Isaac''s firm face.


    "Well," the waitress said as she approached the table with a pencil and pad in hand, "what can I get for


    you two?"


    Without even looking in her direction, Isaac sternly responded, "Give us a moment. We still gotta think


    about it."


    The waitress turned up her nose and simply walked away, leaving two frightened individuals awaiting


    the other''s words to exit their throats.


    "How did you find me?" Karyn stuttered in a raspy, Jamaican dialect while rapidly blinking her eyelids.


    "I remembered that you lived in Cuyahoga Falls. I don''t know, somehow I knew that you would be right


    here, at this ce. Or did you forget about our little night together?"


    "Don''t sit dere and give me dat smug tone, Isaac." Karyn snapped before taking off her winter hat and


    mming it down onto the table. "What do you want?"


    Stunned by the very question itself, Isaac leaned forward and frowned, "What do I want? Bitch, look at


    my fuckin'' eyes! Ever since you and I fucked, I''ve been going out of my damn mind. And don''t you sit


    there and look at me like I''m crazy. Your ass never stuck around after that night at your friends'' house."


    Karyn sat back and lowered her sullen eyes as though she were distressed. "Isaac, do you really know


    what took ce dat night?"


    "Hell yeah I know! You turned into a¡ª


    "Stop," Karyn forcefully pointed. "Before you even say another word, just stop, and listen to yourself.


    How do you know for sure what you saw dat night? How do you know dat same something is inside of


    you?"


    It got under the young man''s already burning skin to sit and listen as Karyn yed everything off as


    paranoid delusion.


    Isaac hopelessly giggled and said, "I figured it was all in my head at first. My own father sent me to a


    mental hospital because I was acting like fuckin'' fool. Everyone, from my psychiatrist to my dad,


    convinced me that it was all in my head, and I believed it, too. That is until I ran into your ass yesterday.


    Now...now I know what happened was for real. I know what I felt that night. It took weeks for my body


    to heal. I know there is something inside of me, I can feel it moving around, like it''s trying to w its


    way out."


    Karyn dropped her hands to the side and looked out the window to her right at the blue sky and fading


    sun that was beginning its timely descent. In a downtrodden tone, Karyn said, "I came to America three


    years ago, hoping to find some way to...rid myself of this. But, it only seemed like it became worse


    once I got here. I never meant to pass it along to you, Isaac."


    Isaac balled up his fists while his dark face took on a more sinister, disgruntled expression. "You don''t


    forget that kind of pain that I went through that night."


    Karyn twisted her head around and said, "Don''t talk to me about pain, Isaac. I''ve had to live with dis for


    fourteen years. Do you know how many times I''ve thought about killing myself? Or wishing someone


    would do it for me?"


    "There has to be a cure, dammit!" Isaac angrily said out loud. "There has to be someone out there that


    can help the both of us! Why didn''t you tell me about this before weid down?"


    Karyn eyeballed Isaac with a confused contort on her face before slowly asking, "Would you have


    believed me? You don''t just go around telling people dat sort of ting, Isaac, lest I too end up in a mental


    institution. Besides, I''m not de one who chose to cheat on my girlfriend. Dat was you."


    Out of a sense of both anxiety and frustration, Isaac covered his face with his gloved hands and wiped


    tears away from his eyes. With every passing moment he could see both Lyte and Isaiah slip away


    from him.


    "You don''t know what it''s like, man." He openly wept. "I''m supposed to be getting married soon. I got a


    kid. I''m trying to keep myself together, but it''s getting harder every day. Sometimes...I don''t even know


    what day it is. Everything just keeps running all together. When I got home the other day, I looked in the


    mirror and there was blood and feathers all over my mouth and teeth. I keep having these damn


    ckouts. I can''t remember shit!"


    "Wait a minute." Karyn hastily interrupted. "When was thest time you had a ckout, Isaac?" She


    nervously inquired.


    Shaking his head from side to side, Isaac replied, "I don''t know, I think I had one yesterday in church.


    One minute my father was preaching, then...there''s this wide gap in my brain. It happened a few days


    before that too, I think."


    Karyn''s entire face grew a shade lighter right there. It was expressionless, as if she had seen her own


    existence shatter into a million pieces in mere seconds. "Isaac," she stammered, "de ckouts mean


    dat de cycle is beginning all over again."


    "Cycle, what the fuck is a cycle? What are you talkin'' about?" Isaac helplessly threw his hands into the


    air.


    Karyn''s hands trembled on the table. "It wants to feed again, Isaac. It''s trying toe back again."


    "No...no," Isaac loudly resisted with huge tears falling from his eyes. "Do you mean that I''m


    gonna...change again?"


    With tears forming in her own eyes, Karyn leaned forward, took Isaac''s shaking hands into hers and


    carefully stated, "The demon hasin dormant inside of you for de past few months. It has been


    resting, and it will continue to do so until it is ready to feed again. Sometimes it will hibernate for weeks,


    months or even years. I went a full four years without changing before. I figured dat maybe it went


    away, dat is until de ckouts. It''s like de demon takes over for a little bit. Sometimes anger, spilled


    blood or even pain will arouse it. Isaac...when it is ready to feed, it will emerge, whether you are ready


    or not."


    Slowly, Karyn began to slide out of her seat, all the while keeping a cautious eye on Isaac. "Stay away


    from people, Isaac. Don''t go back home." She sobbed as she stood up and started for the door.


    Isaac, too, rose and grabbed Karyn by the arm." You need to tell me how to stop this!" He yelled into


    her face.


    Everyone in the diner stopped what they were doing to watch in amazement the unfolding events


    before them all.


    "Let go of me!" Karyn barked while snatching her arm away.


    Isaac watched the woman storm out of the diner before following in behind her in the hopes of grabbing


    her once again.


    Being careful not to slip and fall in the snow, Isaac chased after Karyn, only to miss her by inches


    before she was able to jump into her car.


    "Stop the car, bitch!" Isaac insanely yelled as he pounded on the driver side window. "Please help me!"


    But rather than stop, Karyn only put the car in drive and tore out of the parking lot and onto the road.


    Frantically, Isaac whipped out the keys from his pocket, ran to his father''s car and tried to start the


    engine. He repeatedly twisted the key, but all the vehicle wanted to do was sputter and whine. It had


    been behaving irrationally all day long. The old, worn down car wasn''t equipped to handle a long haul


    to Cuyahoga Falls.


    Isaac pulled the hood''s release lever, got out of the vehicle and inspected the supposed dilemma.


    Desperately, he pulled a few hoses here and there while examining the warm engine.


    "Looks like you got yourself some car trouble." A heavy, velvety voice said from behind. Isaac spun


    around to see a stocky, middle-aged white man dressed in a fancy coffee colored long winter coat, a


    smoke grey fedora and a pair of tight blue jeans and brown cowboy boots. The man stood in the middle


    of the lot holding a Styrofoam cup full of steaming coffee.


    "Uh, yeah, I think it''s the carburetor." Isaac grunted as he lifted his body out from underneath the hood.


    "Well, I can tell you right now that this is no ce to be stranded after dark, my friend, especially when


    all the truckers get here. I have a shop right down the road from here. I could get your car looked at if


    you want." The man kindly smiled while sipping away at his coffee.


    Isaac was too enthralled with catching Karyn, who by then was at least a mile away, to think twice


    about taking a ride from a total stranger. At that juncture, he would have epted help from Satan if he


    had offered.


    "Sure." He carelessly shrugged. "How far down the road is your shop?" Isaac questioned while


    mming the hood shut.


    "About six miles," the man said. "C''mon, it''s getting dark out." The man limped back to his blue, 1974


    BMW 3.0 CS that was parked clear on the other side of the lot. Isaac ran after the generous gentleman


    and got in on the passenger''s side.


    The smell of cigarettes, coffee and fading perfume stunk up the entire vehicle. Isaac looked around,


    from front to back out of curiosity at how well kept the vehicle appeared.


    "Was that your girlfriend you were chasing after?" The man asked before putting his cup down into the


    holder in front of him and cutting on the ignition.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Isaac blew heat back into his hands before saying, "Uh, no. Just someone I happened to know."


    "Are you cold?" The man inquired as he pulled onto the open road.


    "Not really, man, I''m just really upset at that woman."


    "That''s a woman for you." The manughed. "They''re always good at making a man upset. So, I saw


    the tag on your tes. You''re from Arkin County. What are you doing all the way out here?"


    "I just came to see her, that''s all." Isaac nervously chuckled while keeping his eyes on the passing


    farnd outside the window.


    "Yeah, I''ve been to Cypress a few times myself over the past few months. It used to be a real nice city


    years ago."


    Isaac could hear the gregarious man chatter on, but his thoughts were lights years away. Even if he


    could get the car fixed, Karyn was long gone. It was dumb luck that he found her at the diner to begin


    with.


    "Did you hear me?" The man nced over.


    "Huh?" Isaac stuttered as he turned towards the man. "My fault, I didn''t hear you."


    "I said, I like your eyes. You don''t see too many ck guys with eyes like yours."


    To hear a manment on how alluring his eyes were was unsettling to him, but it was all just


    meaningless words.


    "Yep, it was sure a pretty snowstorm we gotst night."


    Isaac said nothing. His eyes started to water up as they passed by an all-white church that sat alone in


    a valley. Every so often he would nce over at the man and see only his lips moving. Isaac seemed


    unfazed by all the incessant babbling.


    All he could ponder was the look on Karyn''s flushed face as she exined cycles and hibernating


    demons. It was all foreign to him. But the one thing that brought the most fear out was being told not to


    go back home. Lyte''s trusting image shed before his eyes.


    Isaac shut his eyes and exhaled before opening them to see a white man and four little girls climb out


    of a brown station wagon and walk towards a red and white brick house.


    His eyes rolled upwards to the orange sky that was growing darker with every passing minute. Isaac


    tried in earnest to recall one of his father''s strong sermons, anything that had something in it


    concerning God''s forgiveness and unconditional love for people, no matter what sins theymitted.


    "Hey, man, does this shop of yours have a phone? Because I¡ª


    At that very split second, Isaac felt an incredible sting of zing heat surge throughout his entire body.


    Almost immediately his head hit the window beside him. He was slipping in and out of


    unconsciousness. Isaac couldn''t lift a single finger or even open his mouth to mutter a word. He could


    feel his body jerk from side to side as droolzily dripped out and down from his mouth.


    "Do you like music, sweetie?" Isaac heard a deep voice ask.


    He could hear a song, but only for a few scant seconds before his warm ears could no longer pick up


    anything more.

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15


    By the time the BMW reached its destination the sun had already ducked itself behind the dark clouds


    for the evening. A brutally cold, stiff wind blew past the valley in which the driver''s brown and white


    ranch-style home was located.


    The driver pulled the eight-track from out of the deck before tossing it in the backseat. He then got out,


    mmed his door behind him and made his way around to the other side. His warm, fidgety hands


    could hardly grab a hold of the door''s handle. The second he was able to take a hold of the knob he


    flung open the door with such a force that it caused Isaac''s lifeless body to fall out of the car and onto


    the snowy ground.


    The driver closed the door and picked the young man up into his burly arms as though he were an


    infant. From there, he carried him from the curved driveway and on to the house, a total twenty-two


    feet. Somehow, with Isaac in his arms, the man managed to reach into his right pants pocket and pull


    out his house key.


    The man opened the door, but before even shutting it behind him, he carried Isaac over to a ck


    leather couch and carefullyid him down, allowing his head to softly hit the pillow at the foot of the


    sofa. Then, like the rush of the wind, the driver ran back over, shut the front door and clicked on the


    lamp light next to the television before feverishly tearing off his clothes and tossing them to the floor in


    reckless abandon.


    His soft, multicolored carpet felt squishy and smooth in between his feet as he shuffled across the floor


    to a ss table where a Panasonic stereo rested. From underneath there was a small drawer. Before


    reaching inside, the driver raced across the floor and retrieved his pants. He rooted around the pockets


    until he found his Taser gun. He then went back to the drawer, ced the gun inside and pulled out a


    record which he promptly ced on the stereo''s turn style. Right beside the stereo was ced a tape


    recorder. With one finger the driver hit the record button.


    Just like that, Chicago''s, ''If you leave me now'', began to y on the stereo, filling the entire living room


    with Peter Cetera''s light, harmonious voice. The man then reached over and began to pull off Isaac''s


    clothing. From his coat, shirt and tie, all the way down to his Fruit of the Loom underwear and socks.


    Once he was through, he raised up and shut all the blinds in the front window before stretching behind


    the couch and pulling up a half empty canister of Vaseline. He twisted open the metal container and


    with his two right fingers scooped out a glob and proceeded to lubricate Isaac''s rectum with the gel.


    After he was done, the driver just happened to look up at all the pictures that were ced on the


    mantle above the firece of a white man that resembled a younger version of himself. His pain


    stricken eyes didn''t want to even catch a mere glimpse of the man''s face. He ducked his head down


    and kissed Isaac on the cheek before spreading his butt cheeks and entering. The eventsted no


    more than two and a half minutes.


    The sweaty, out of breath man slowly pulled out and stood up, jerking from side to side while semen


    oozed from his penis and onto the carpet. The song that was ying on the stereo ended right on time.


    With sweatcing his forehead and hairy chest, the gasping man looked back at Isaac''s body that was


    dangling off of the sofa. There were drops of blood that emanated from the young man''s rear.


    The man, in all his unbridled nakedness, stepped over and turned off the stereo. He then began to


    pace the floor back and forth in the quiet living room, trying his hardest not to look at the young person


    that he had brought home with him. It was a cross-like burden that seemed to weigh him down.


    Suddenly, he wanted nothing more to do with the individual that was lying helplessly on his brand new


    couch. To him, the young man was nothing more than a piece of trash that needed to be discarded and


    forgotten. Without warning, Isaac''s teetering body fell off the couch and onto the carpet.


    With semen still streaming from his penis the man walked over, picked Isaac up and carried him from


    the living room to the kitchen. Within the spacious kitchen was a door. With one hand, the man


    unlocked the wooden door before opening it wide and throwing Isaac''s body down the stairs. The


    second he heard him hit the bottom, the man mmed the door shut.


    From the basement door he regrettably marched over to a nearby cab and took out a sharp knife.


    ced on the counter beside a cookie jar was a blue and white electric knife sharpener. With the flip of


    a switch, the machine came to life. With steady precision, the man ced the knife''s edge against the


    loud contraption and watched with his bare eyes as sparks flew from left to right.


    It had never urred before in times past, his house was newly built, there was never any problem of


    sorts with such a thing, but all of the sudden, the lights in the kitchen began to flicker off and on.


    The driver, startled only a slight bit, paused for a few moments before resuming his meticulous


    sharpening detail.


    ***


    The basement, much like the kitchen, was brightly lit, with four ceiling fans spread out along the


    expansive room. Lanced upon the ceiling were sixteen hooks, all of which were supporting sixteen


    blood soaked, brown cloth sacks, each one with its own bulge. The cement floor wasyered from one


    end to the other with blood. It looked as though someone had spilled red paint and didn''t bother to


    clean up after themselves. The pungent odor of dead, dposing bodies was akin to an overflowing


    sewer on a hot summer''s day. Maggots swarmed and feasted on the bloody floor while Isaac''s body


    laid still, curled up in a ball.


    Right above him hung a lonesome young woman who was dangling inside her own special brown, cloth


    sack. With a tiny hole that she herself had carved open, she looked down upon Isaac''s body in utter


    dismay, realizing that with yet another victim added to the lineup, her odds of escaping had all but


    shrank.


    She held her naked self as tight as she could while resuming her daily regimen of desperate prayer


    time, hoping beyond all hope that someone woulde and save her from the barrage of collected


    death that she was reluctantly gathered amongst. The more she prayed, that was all the longer time


    seemed to stretch out for her. Every so often she would take quick nces down at the motionless


    body on the floor just to make sure he wasn''t moving.


    "Dog kcuf," Isaac grunted aloud with his eyes still closed.


    The youngdy''s ears perked up like an attentive dog at what she hoped she had heard. She poked


    one eye out of the hole and noticed that Isaac''s hands were moving.


    "C''mon...c''mon and get up." She gasped with just about every ounce of air inside her lungs.


    She watched in fervent exultation as the man''s hands pped the bloody floor all while repeating the


    words he was shouting.


    "Shh," she strongly whispered, "don''t talk too loud or else he''ll hear you."


    Isaac didn''t utter another word, he only rolled over onto his back and opened his eyes. The woman in


    the sack saw two eyes, but there was something different. The man''s eyes rolled backwards to where


    all she could see was nothing but white. His body then turned back over until it was on its hands and


    knees.


    The man breathed in and out as though he were fighting for air. To the shock of the captive woman


    above, Isaac began to growl an unearthly noise. The woman''s entire body clinched itself as she


    watched the man''s arms expand in size.


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    His legs and feet cracked and extended in length while his fingers scraped across the floor until they


    began to bleed. Soon, sharp ws shot out from Isaac''s fingernails while thick, ck fur protracted


    from just about every aperture of his body until there was nothing left but arger sized, hairy version of


    the man.


    The woman hung in her sack while her petrified eyes caught way too much of the unspeakable. At first,


    she threw it all up to delirium. She had been kidnapped, raped and nearly murdered, both her mind and


    eyes could have been ying all sorts of cruel jokes on her at that point.


    The young man that at one time she hoped would be her escape, was seemingly gone, what lurked


    about on the basement floor was nothing but a mutated former human being.


    The woman could still see Isaac''s white eyes and what resembled a face, a face that astonishingly


    began to stretch outwards into what appeared to be a snout and sharp fangs. The man could be heard


    crying out in unbearable pain until his human voice had all but morphed into that of an animal''s roar.


    She couldn''t contain herself a moment more. Not only was she shaking like a leaf, but she was also


    urinating at the sight of seeing pointy ears extend up from the beast''s head before its once white eyes


    drew back to amber.


    With her one eye the woman watched as the creature sniffed at the floor. It snarled and licked up spots


    of blood until it came upon the warm, wet space below her. On its powerful arms and hind legs it


    lurched its way over and smelled before looking up with its shining eyes at the sack. She wanted to


    shut off her brain, or at least go into a fit of hysterical blindness.


    Just as it seemed as if it were about to attack, the buzzing noise from the floor above captured the


    beast''s attention. The woman watched as the thing appeared somewhat confounded. Its head turned


    from her to the stairs and back again before growling in anger and galloping for the steps. Her eyes


    had captured the ungodly; it was time for her ears to take over.


    She heard the creature tear through the basement door before letting out a devastating roar. Her captor


    didn''t seem to even have enough time to let out a simple squeal before being mauled by the thing.


    Two things, and only two things she heard, the animal roar and growl, and the crashing of a human


    body being tossed from one end of the kitchen to the other. It sounded as if someone were taking a


    jackhammer and using it on the floor with as much reckless noise that was taking ce. Just for the


    briefest of moment''s, the young, captivedy actually felt a glint of sorrow for her uncaring captor.


    Then, after seemingly endless minutes, the crashing racket stopped. The woman could hear what


    sounded like sharp teeth tearing and chomping before another rumble entered the home. To her it


    sounded as if an entire door had been knocked down again.


    There was a bitter hush. The knife sharpener was still operating, but inside the woman''s head was


    jarring stillness. She could no longer hear the beast. She couldn''t hear roaring or teeth tearing flesh.


    There was nothing but hushed silence inside the home, along with a whistling wind that she prayed


    would serenade her to sleep that evening.

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16


    Nightfall was a hard and acrimonious plight in the quiet valley as the beast crunched its way across the


    snow and towards a crippled forest. Its enormous paws and hind legs stretched forward at a pace that


    would be quite unusual for a creature of its enormity.


    It trekked along as though it was aware that food was near, even though its stomach was nearly full by


    that point in the evening. Its hot breath steamed out in front of it as the demon entered the dark forest


    roaring and growling an ever-present warning to anything that may be in its sprinting way. The withered


    trees were more of a nuisance that only stood in its path. One by one, the demon''s hairy arms bumped


    and crashed against the oaks that dared stand in front of it.


    The thing''s shiny eyes pierced the sheer ckness of night; its sight was wless. The temperature


    was well below the teens that evening, and yet, the demon''s thick coat of fur provided the ever so


    perfect instion that it required for lurking. As soon as the creature cleared the forest thick, its eyes


    caught sight of a brightly lit house just a few yards up ahead.


    Like a charging steed into medieval battle, the demon trampled further towards therge home,


    snarling and snorting across a snowy, open field that young boys would often y football in.


    ***


    "You''ve been on my ass ever since me and the girls got home this evening! And it''s only eight o''fucking


    clock!" An angry, balding, middle-aged white man raged as he mmed the refrigerator door shut and


    advanced towards his shuddering wife.


    His wife, who was adorned in a pink bathrobe, hai and slippers, stood in the middle of the kitchen


    floor, staring a distraught eye at her fuming husband while holding her cold arms together.


    "I told you to bring the girls home at four o'' clock, Gary! You know full well that they have to eat before


    seven!"


    "Well excuse me all to hell for wanting to spend a little quality time with my own children!" Gary


    screamed while waving his arms in the air. "You''re the one that keeps on bitching about how I don''t


    spend enough time with them, and when I finally do, you jump all over my ass! What the hell do you


    want from me, Sarah?"


    Sarah stepped away from Gary and began to pace the floor as though she were trying to think up


    something important to say at that instant; like she had something to get off of her chest, but didn''t


    exactly know how to let it go.


    Gary only backed away and rolled his eyes in blistering frustration. The backdoor was only a few feet to


    his left, and there was nothing more he wanted than to storm away.


    "Gary," Sarah pathetically whimpered, "I think...I just think that you and I should get a divorce."


    With a drained appearance on his face, the man stared deep into his crying wife''s eyes. It was as if his


    very breath had inexplicably been snatched away. His skin grew a shade whiter.


    With tears flowing, Sarah said, "You can''t be surprised, Gary. It''s been a long timeing. I can''t talk


    to you anymore. If you''re not in Clevnd then you''re in New York! If it''s not New York, then it''s


    Chicago! You''re hardly even home anymore! And you want to stand there and take credit for taking the


    girls out for ice cream?" She hollered while stomping her right foot on the linoleum.


    "I work, Sarah." Gary said. "I''m not like your brother who just sits around all day long and does


    absolutely nothing! Or you''re instigating mother who just lets herself in our house every morning like


    she owns the damn ce! I have a fucking career! And for that, I get this?"


    "Oh, God, Gary," Sarah shouted at the top of her lungs, "This is not about you!"


    Gary stood back, and with a smug expression on his face he asked, "A divorce, huh? Did Gloria


    Steinem tell you to do that?"


    Sarah just rolled her eyes in defeat and exhaled as though the fight had taken everythingpletely


    out of her.


    "Well...if that''s the way you want it, then I guess I''ll see your sorry ass in court." Gary sternly replied


    before re-opening the refrigerator door and resuming his search for food.


    With her left hand covering her mouth, Sarah carried herself back into the dimly lit living room and


    dropped herself down onto the couch.


    Hearing his wife cry in the other room suddenly caused Gary''s rage to gradually dissipate. Like angry


    storm clouds, he could see the destruction of their union from miles away, but he honestly never


    imagined that he would hear the word ''divorce'' said straight to his face.


    He rooted around in the refrigerator, pretending to be in need of sustenance. Gary didn''t want Sarah to


    think that he too was falling apart. In an aimless blunder, Gary recklessly sifted past an open box of


    baking powder and a carton of milk in order to reach a block of cheese before hearing a loud crash,


    which was followed by a heavy thud from the basement.


    Gary shut the refrigerator door and leisurely stepped over to where the basement door was located.


    The ferocious ruckus could have been yet another roon or possum, even though neither creature


    had ever made such thunderous, violent racket before.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Gary reached behind him and grabbed a red broom that was ced next to the sink; he then opened


    the basement door only to see nothing but darkness below. The noises had suddenly ceased. The


    longer the quiet down below reigned, the more Gary began to realize that whatever was at one time


    down there could have possibly run off the moment it heard the door open.


    Just as Gary was about to shut the door, out of the corner of his eye he caught what looked to be two


    bright beams of wavering light appear in the ckness of the basement. Gary stood back as the beams


    began to slowly advance towards him.


    His own heart nearly jumped out of his chest at that second. He was ustomed to seeing animals


    shine their night eyes in the dark, but the thing that was apparently skulking about on his basement


    stairs had a strikingly different kind of sound to it, like that of an angry, snarling lion.


    Both man and beast stood opposite the other, staring each other down. Even the light from the kitchen


    wasn''t able to shine bright enough to where Gary could catch a more precise glimpse of the supposed


    animal that was prowling about.


    As Gary began back up the steps, he felt his right arm being snatched forward. Before he could even


    let out a single scream, the beast tore into his face, ripping away at his eyes and mouth with its


    sadistically sharp fangs. All that could be heard was the bumping and thrashing of Gary''s legs as they


    kicked from left to right, knocking over a canister of nails that was perched in a nearby corner.


    Sarah, still seated on the couch in the living room, rolled her eyes in disgust at all the rumpus that she


    assumed Gary was making.


    She immediately shot up from off the couch, carried her tired self into the kitchen and sighed, "What


    are you doing now? I thought you were getting something to eat."


    When she received no response, Sarah looked at the open basement door and figured that Gary was


    downstairs; it was customary for him to retreat downwards whenever a fight broke out between the two.


    "Can you at least try and keep it down?" She irritably yelled. "I''m going upstairs to be with the girls!"


    But still, there was no reply, only the racket of what resembled something being torn apart, and snorting


    coming from the stairwell.


    "Gary, why don''t you have the light on?" She shook while noticing the red broom lying on the floor. As


    she leaned forward to pick it up, her trembling left hand managed to cut on the light switch.


    Glorious light filled the top half of the basement, enough light for the woman to see an enormous, hairy


    animal ravenously eating away at her husband''s stomach.


    Without blinking, Sarah dropped the broom, turned and ran away, only to be chased down into the


    living room, hollering for help.


    The beast pounced onto her back and proceeded to tear into her soft flesh. Pieces of red hair were torn


    out of her head to where the woman was nearly bald. The demon then used its powerful jaws to crunch


    into her skull.


    Meanwhile, upstairs in the parents'' bedroom, four little girls, two red heads and two blondes, all sat on


    the queen sized bed, watching ''Wonder Woman'' on the RCA television in front of them and wondering


    why their mother had squealed for help the way she did.


    Three of the scared children looked over at the eldest sister that was seated at the foot of the bed. Her


    little hands and legs shook with unyielding fear.


    They had heard their parents fight before, but never had there been such an aggressivemotion as


    there was that evening. Never was there a plea for help.


    "Is daddy hitting mommy again, Jamie?" The second youngest girl asked while wiping tears away from


    her eyes.


    "Don''t worry...I''ll go and see." The youngdy stammered before reluctantly rising to her trembling feet


    and marching her way over to the door.


    As she twisted the knob, her only thoughts were that her father would not take out his aggression on


    her and her sisters.


    When she finally opened the door and looked out into the brightly lit hallway, all Jamie could see was


    the blueundry basket that was full of clothes sitting next to the bathroom door.


    Too petrified to go downstairs, the girl carefully closed the door and climbed back onto the bed


    alongside her sisters.


    Right behind the child, a loud chorus of thumps could be heard rumbling up the stairs. It sounded as


    though a series of people were chasing after one another.


    "Daddy''s gonna get mommy!" Another one of the girls screamed out.


    Jamie covered her sister''s wailing mouth with her hand while holding her own knocking knees together


    and thinking only of her three sisters that were gathered amongst her.


    When the rumbling tter ended, a new sound began to resonate. There was something on the other


    end of the bedroom door, sniffing up and down like a dog.


    The girls held themselves in silent, dreaded anticipation. Not one child moved an inch as Lynda Carter


    spun around in a circle to reveal her alter ego on the TV in front of them.


    One...two...three seconds passed by. Like a bulldozer, a fur covered arm crashed through the door.


    The arm was followed by a loud, unearthly roar.


    The girls all yelled out in blood curdling unison as the hulking beast rampaged its way into the


    bedroom.


    Outside, and from a clear distance, the bedroommp could be seen wildly thrashing all about, until


    finally, it wentpletely dark inside.

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17


    An empty, small, quiet church inhabited an equally isted pasture. Eight pews in all; four on both


    sides. Down in front, a short pulpit, behind the pulpit, a ten foot tall porcin statue of Christ Jesus,


    nailed to a cross that wasnced onto a wall above, looking down with a woeful demeanor.


    Like a sudden explosion, the beast crashed straight through one of the windows and into the church,


    landing on the newly cleaned red carpet. It shook off shards of ss from its thick fur while its mouth


    waspletely soaked with blood.


    Its face appeared as evil as the sins that it had beenmitting all evening long. It crept about the


    building as though it were in search of something. Its heavy breathing echoed throughout the church.


    The demon''s immense paws tracked snow, mud and blood all over the floor, leaving both a mess and


    deep crevices behind it. As it prowled,rge globs of feces dropped from its anus; some in small


    clumps, and others in elephant sizedyers.


    The ungodly creature, on all fours, plodded around the sanctuary until it found itself in front of the altar.


    Its ring eyes happened to look up to see the crucified savior.


    At first, the beast only shook its hairy head from side to side like an agitated bull, until it managed to


    catch the statue''s eyes slowly creep open and look back down upon it.At first, both individuals gave


    each other only hard stares, as if they were waiting for the other to make a move.


    Then, the beast, possibly out of a confused rage, opened its mouth wide and let out a vicious roar


    before slumping down to its knees in agony.


    It lied on the carpet, writing in pain. A minute or two passed before the Nazarene, with his crown of


    bloody thorns perched upon his head, picked the demon up by its shoulders and dragged it away,


    leaving only a ck streak behind on the carpet.Ever so gradually, the beast''s snout was beginning to


    shrink.


    There was an uncanny, almost appalling silence in the deep farnd that evening. The natural


    nighttime sounds, from the hooting owl, to the asional rambling barking dog, were nowhere to be


    heard.


    A February winters twilight never felt so alone and frigid; it was as if the entire world had left Cuyahoga


    Falls behind.


    Silence never sounded so ugly.


    6:37 a.m.


    The subzero, overcast sky bared down upon the seven brown and white police cruisers that crept into


    the driveway of 1941 Prosler Road that following morning.


    Both Detective Linus Bruin and his partner, Detective n Fitzpatrick climbed out of their vehicle with


    their individual pistols already in hand. Fourteen other police officers tagged along behind the two, all


    with their respective weapons drawn.


    Bruin''s white sideburns coiled in the harsh wind as he brashly stalked towards the house. He pulled


    down his ck wool hat tighter on his head as his pale white face grew a shade lighter from stomach


    dropping anticipation.


    The man was never prepared to engage a suspect, and at 53, physicalbat was practically a


    forgone fantasy.He poked his head up to see through the frosted front window of the stylish home. He


    wasn''t sure just what he would end up finding, but he was certain that nothing was going to catch him


    off guard; the man had invested entirely too much time and effort into the case to allow it to copse


    before his eyes.


    The detective stepped up onto the porch, knocked on the door and loudly hollered, "Police! Open Up!"


    After five seconds, he looked back at the waiting officers before returning his attention to the door


    where he proceeded to muster all of the strength in his right leg to kick it in.


    After three striking attempts, the door went flying wide open. The instant he stepped inside, the piercing


    buzzing sound of a loud device could be heard clear from the front door.


    "Hello?" Bruin called oud, pointing his gun straight ahead while skulking about for any signs of


    humanity.


    One by one, Fitzpatrick and the other officers all cautiously made their way inside. Two ventured down


    a hallway, while the others stuck behind Bruin.


    As Linus neared the kitchen, he was all the more convinced that there could have been someone


    waiting for him on the other end. The buzzingmotion waspletely unfamiliar to him. Right then,


    a blustery wind rushed into the living room from the kitchen. At first he reckoned that his suspect had


    escaped through a backdoor, which was exactly why his heavy feet paced even faster towards the


    kitchen''s threshold.


    The very second he crossed through the kitchen''s doorway, his brown eyes were immediately


    bombarded by the grotesque visual of bloodyered walls, and what resembled a mass of both torn


    bones and ripped flesh lying in a heap on the floor.


    Every officer that viewed the muttion stood back in both awe and repulsion at the horrendous scene


    laid out before them.


    Bruin, a man who had always hoped that a gunshot victim would be the worst thing that he would ever


    have to experience in his storied career as an officer, suddenly became ill to his stomach. He didn''t


    want to step into the kitchen, but there were others behind him that were a lot more daring.


    Without giving it a second nce, the officers stampeded their way inside the freezing kitchen.


    "Well," Fitzpatrick cringed, "I''ll be dammed."


    "No one in the other rooms, Detective," a ck officer announced as he ventured into the kitchen.


    "What the hell?" He suddenly gulped.


    Bruin and his fellow officers all tip-toed around the disfigured corpse, but with all of the blood and body


    parts that littered the floor, it was nearly impossible not to step in something gruesome.


    "Is this him?" Bruin examined, kneeling down and poking at the body''s mangled face with the tip of his


    gun.


    "Leroy Cummins The Third." Fitzpatrick replied while clicking off the switch to the knife sharpener on


    the counter. "Age fifty-five."


    In total astonishment, Bruin looked up to see the gaping hole in the wall to his right. "And just what in


    the blue hell could have done that?" He pointed.


    "Quite possibly the same thing that did this," Fitzpatrick motioned to the body while crouching beside


    Bruin.


    The two men nced over at each other with confounded res on their cold faces as the hostile wind


    mmed into the kitchen and on top of them.


    "Look at this." One officer pointed at the destroyed basement door. "We''re going down." He brazenly


    proimed, taking seven other officers along with him.


    Bruin and Fitzpatrick handed each other unsettling stares as though they had been one-upped by the


    other officers.


    Just then, a young, heavy set, brown-haired white man with thick sses and a brown winter coat


    came rambling into the kitchen. Unlike his fellow officers, he didn''t appear to be all too shaken by the


    macabre sight thaty before him.


    He carelessly stepped over the carcass, nearly knocking over both Bruin and Fitzpatrick in the process,


    before approaching the open wall. "What is this?" He questioned as he stooped down to the snowy


    ground.


    "It''s called snow, Brice." Fitzpatrick snidely remarked.


    "I don''t mean that. I mean, what kind of animal left these tracks?"


    Bruin and Fitzpatrick stood to their feet and made their way over to where Brice was already crouched.


    They looked closely at the oversized paw prints that were creviced in the snow in amazement.


    "Could it be a bear?" Bruin curiously inquired while jabbing at one of the tracks with his finger.


    "I''ve never seen a bear leave these kinds of tracks before." Brice confidently replied while looking over


    to his immediate left to take notice of a few strands of ck fur that was strewn all over the ground.


    "No, what we have here it far too big to be a bear, I''m afraid."


    "What is that, mane?" Fitzpatrick ogled.


    "Lions have mane, Detective." Brice smugly answered without taking his eyes off of the specimen.


    "This is more of a North American species, if you ask me."


    "Well, whatever it is, it looks like it came up from out of the basement and got to Cummins." Bruin


    deliberated. "The tracks look to head west of here."


    "Let''s get a body bag for this one!" Fitzpatrick pointed to the corpse before stepping back into the


    house, whipping out a piece of chalk from his hip pocket and tracing a line around the cadaver.


    "We''ve got sixteen bags down here!" An officer called out from the basement. "No survivors!" He then


    shamefully added.


    "The sick fucker probably fed them to whatever he had hiding down there." Fitzpatrick sulked before


    stepping away from his outlining duty.


    Bruin knew that he should have gone downstairs immediately. Deep within, he realized that after so


    many months, finding any survivors was all but a pipe dream, and yet, to hear a fellow officer announce


    it to the world was like having his own chest crack in half. To him, it was all wasted hope and effort. He


    had no words or energy left in him to disburse.


    "I only wish I could have personally fed Cummins to the damn thing myself." Fitzpatrick bitterly groaned


    before walking back into the living room.


    Bruin was all too ready to leave the house altogether, the entire investigation and cleanup would take


    nearly all day.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    He stood to the side and meticulously observed two male coronerse into the kitchen to retrieve the


    body. Ever so carefully they reached down and attempted to pick up what was left of the dead man only


    to have his body split in two right in their hands.


    "Fuck me!" One of the young men angrily yelled before kneeling down to pick up Cummins'' bottom


    portion.

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18


    Completely deted, Bruin dragged himself past the murder scene on his way back into the living room


    to find Fitzpatrick holding a tape recorder. He then watched as his partner pushed the rewind button


    and allowed the recording to y.


    Everyone that was gathered in the living room stood and listened with disgusted faces as Cummins


    huffed and wheezed to a Chicago song ying in the background. It wasn''t too difficult for everyone to


    figure out what the man was doing in the recording.


    "Damn shit." Fitzpatrick growled as he ced the machine back down onto the ss table without


    stopping the recording.


    "Hey, Jones," Bruin motioned to the floor, "there''s a thing of Vaseline beside the couch there."


    "Where''s the fellow that he snatched yesterday?" One of the other officers asked.


    "Maybe he''s downstairs." Bruin miserably replied before starting for the bedrooms.


    "I guess it makes sense in a way," Fitzpatrick mentioned while gawking about the sophisticated living


    room, "he''s been using his own vehicles to snatch people."


    "We''ve got a live one down here!" A voice gleefully shouted out from the basement.


    Like little boys on summer vacation, both Bruin and Fitzpatrick raced through the living room, into the


    kitchen and down the basement stairs to see fifteen naked, dead bodies lying all over a bloodied floor,


    and one living, naked person curled up in a secure ball, holding her thin hands together as tight as she


    could while her blue eyes bulged out of her head in a horrific manner.


    "Someone get Donaldson down here, now!" Bruin feverishly screamed as he got down to his knees


    and attempted to tenderly hold the woman in his arms.


    "It''s okay, honey. It''s all over now." He gently reassured the girl while taking off his coat and wrapping it


    around her shockingly warm body.


    Right around the corner at the top of the stairs was a plump, blonde white female officer. The woman


    came rushing down the steps only to stop midway at the sight of the sadistic death that took hold of her


    eyes.


    "Shirley,e here, we need you to take her upstairs!" Bruin yelled.


    But Donaldson appeared too afraid to make another move forward. She slowly began to back away


    until she stumbled against one of the steps behind her.


    "Get your ass down here now, Donaldson!" Fitzpatrick furiously gestured with his left hand.


    The petrified woman skittishly stepped down the stairs and approached the youngdy on the floor.


    From there she coddled the woman in her arms like a child.


    "Talk to her, Donaldson, she''s a baby girl!" Bruin urgently ranted.


    "Hold on...sweetheart, we''re gonna get you out of here real soon." Donaldson stammered while


    caressing the woman''s long, brte hair.


    With his hands shaking, Bruin stood back up and surveyed every corpse that was lying on the floor.


    Each body, including the young woman''s, had deep puncture wounds to the stomach area.


    Their pale, distraught faces told the story of their final moments of life. Handsome, young ck men


    and pretty, young white women were all scattered from one end of the basement to the other. Even the


    overwhelming stench of the room couldn''t tear the officers and detectives away from the bludgeoning


    sight of all the death that stared ever so lifelessly right back at them. Every moment passed by in


    surreal slow motion.


    "There''s Calvin over there." Fitzpatrick pointed straight ahead.


    Bruin turned around and watched as the medics helped the youngdy from off of the floor and onto a


    gurney.


    Bruin was handed his coat back by one of the medics before turning and saying to an officer beside


    him, "Smiley, contact the Cohen family. Inform them that we''ve found their daughter...alive."


    Brice scurried his hefty girth down the stairs and began to examine the bodies one by one. After he had


    overturned each corpse onto its stomach, he coldly stated out loud, "Forced insertion wounds to the


    rectal areas. Looks like our man raped his victims before killing them all. That would exin the


    Vaseline."


    "So where the hell is this fellow that Cummins took yesterday?" Fitzpatrick griped.


    Ignoring his partner, Bruin noticed even more ck fur that was located next to the steps. "Yep, it came


    out of here alright." He remarked as he gazed deep at the fur. "Pat, are you sure this isn''t bear fur?"


    Brice stood up, retrieved the fur from out of Bruin''s hand and sighed, "Linus, forensics fucked it all up


    last November when their supposed bear attacked those Jamaican guys. Everyone down at theb


    was in such a hurry to get home for the holiday that they would have said an elephant did it. This fur


    resembles that of a wolf rather than a bear. You saw the bite marks all over Cummins; it even left a


    tooth behind, for God''s sake."


    "So you''re saying that a wolf did that to Cummins?" Fitzpatrick stepped up beside both men. "C''mon,


    Brice, you saw that faggot bastard, he was torn in half."


    "Unless it was a pack of wolves, that''s not too umon for these parts." Bruin said.


    "There''s only one set of paw prints tracked in the snow, Linus." Brice added.


    "Well, let''s only hope that this Mercer guy escaped while he could." Bruin exhaled.


    "If he did end up escaping, he did so a naked man." Fitzpatrick said. "His clothes are still upstairs on


    the couch. I''m gonna call back to¡ª


    Right then, the bizarre roars of an angry animal shot out from upstairs. Every officer and detective that


    was in the basement pulled out their weapons before racing back up the steps.


    Once they made their way into the living room, to their stunned surprise, the sounds that they were


    hearing wereing from the tape recorder that Fitzpatrick left ying earlier.


    Each and every officer stood in the middle of the living room and listened to the roars and growls of the


    beast that was tearing a human being to shreds.


    "Is that a bear?" Fitzpatrick''s face turned up.


    "I''ve never heard a bear sound like that before." One of the other officers chimed in.


    They all continued to eavesdrop until the crashing of wood came into earshot, which was followed by


    utter silence. Bruin picked up the recorder and hit the off button.


    "That''s not all." Another officer pointed to the front window. "Look out there."


    Every man inside peeked out the window to see news vans and reporters all descend upon the


    residence like a swarm of hungry bees.


    "Well, you''re the big TV star here." Fitzpatrick sarcastically grinned at Bruin. "Go get ''em, tiger."


    The veryst thing Bruin wanted at that stage was to speak with nosey reporters, or anyone else for


    that matter, but it was his case, it had been for the past six months, there was no turning back.


    With cement feet, the detective stepped outside onto the icy porch with his hands slipped tightly into his


    coat pockets.


    "Detective Bruin, is this the residence of the B.O.D. kidnapper?" A male reporter asked with a mini tape


    recorder pointed at Bruin''s blushing face.


    "Yes it is." Bruin bashfully exhaled. "We received an anonymous tip. The tipster described a ck male


    in his early twenties epting a ride from a man that fit our description. Upon our arrival here this


    morning, Leroy Cummins the Third was found dead inside his home."


    "Wait a minute, Detective, are we talking about the same Leroy Cummins that owns Cummins''


    Chevrolet here in town?" A female reporter questioned in a bbergasted tone.


    "That is correct." Bruin shook his head. "We discovered sixteen bodies located in Mr. Cummins''


    basement this morning."


    "Were there any survivors, Detective?" "Just one, so far," Bruin stated. "One Gloria Cohen was found


    alive, but in a shell-shocked condition."


    "What about this person that Cummins abducted yesterday?"


    "So far, we haven''t been able to locate Mr. Mercer. We''re only hoping that he managed to escape and


    is on his way back home as we speak."


    "Detective, you mentioned that Cummins was found dead. What exactly was the cause of death?"


    Bruin held his tongue for a few seconds before uttering, "We are not releasing that information at this


    time."


    "Detective, there are rumors that an animal, possibly a killer bear, murdered Cummins. Is this true?"


    "Like I said, we are not at liberty to discuss Cummins'' cause of death at this point, but, we are working


    in conjunction with Cuyahoga Falls'' authorities and informing residents to stay clear of wooded areas


    for the time being, until we are able to investigate further. That is all for now."


    Bruin turned and stepped back into the frigid confines of the house, leaving the ravenous reporters


    screaming for more.


    "Just how the fuck did the bear story get out that quick?" Bruin snarled at Fitzpatrick who was holding a


    Taser gun in his right hand.


    "You know how some people are." He shrugged. "Someone else probably saw the tracks, too. Look at


    this." Fitzpatrick said while holding up the weapon. "How much you wanna bet he used this to


    incapacitate his victims?"


    "Where did you find that?"


    "Right behind the sofa here," he said.


    Ignoring the Taser that his partner seemed so proud to embrace, Bruin stepped towards the hallway


    that led to the bedrooms before an officer approached him and said, "We found more tapes inside his


    room, Detective."


    "Thanks, Dudley." Bruin despondently replied, ncing past the officer and straight ahead at Cummins''


    bedroom.


    As he made his way inside, Bruin began to stroll about the room that smelled of Old Spice cologne and


    uncleanundry. The unmade, queen sized bed wasyered in nothing but dirty men''s and women''s


    underwear.


    There were spots of blood sprinkled all over the tan carpet, along with dirty tampons and cut out


    pictures of famous ck males, noticeably The Jackson Five and Jimmie ''JJ'' Walker, to Billy Dee


    Williams.


    Pasted on the cream colored walls were photos of well-known white woman from Diane Lane and


    Jodie Foster, to Linda ir.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    With a pen that he pulled out from his back pocket, Bruin picked up a pair of blue panties from off the


    bed before asking, "Hey, Al, what was the name of the guy from the diner again?"


    Fitzpatrick stopped snapping pictures with his Kodak camera before saying, "Mercer, I believe."


    "No, his first name," Bruin said. Fitzpatrick paused again and remarked, "The car was registered to a


    Charles Mercer. Fifty-eight years old, from Cypress."


    Bruin dropped the panties back onto the bed and frowned, "Fifty-eight? I thought the waitress at the


    diner said he was a young guy."


    "You''re right, Detective." A young, ck officer announced as he abruptly entered into the bedroom. "I


    found his I.D. in his pants pocket. His name is Isaac Mercer. He''s twenty."


    "Thanks, Smith." Bruin responded, securing the wallet from the officer''s hand. "If he''s from Cypress,


    what in the world was he doing all the way out here in the sticks of all ces?"


    "The waitress did say that he was arguing with a woman there before she got up and took off. Maybe


    they were lovers or something of that nature." Fitzpatrick rified while slipping on a pair of blue rubber


    gloves.


    "Christ, I feel filthy just being in this room." Bruin turned up his nose. "I''m guessing that Isaac is the son


    of Charles, and Charles is probably wondering just where in the world both his son and his car are right


    about now."


    Fitzpatrick knelt down to the floor and said, "I think we need to head back to Cypress and quick, before


    this guy''s family goes insane worrying about him."


    "Not only that, but I''d also like to follow those tracks in the back as well. From the sound of it, I don''t


    think this was thest ce our furry friend visitedst night." Bruin said as he turned and wandered


    out of the bedroom and back into the living room.


    He stood next to the sofa looking on in silent aversion. Everything he had expected, minus the


    ughtered kidnapper, hade to vibrant and horrifying life.


    Once the busy path of pacing officers and medics was clear, Bruin stepped lightly back into the slippery


    kitchen. There was still more evidence to collect down in the basement, but he was in no such rush to


    get down there anytime soon. Just staring off at the hole in the wall was jarring enough.


    "Detective, we''ve got a report of a murder just a few miles west of this location." An older officer


    announced as he stepped inside through the gaping hole.


    "Just west of here, huh," Bruin cynically shrugged. "We get rid of one animal, we end up with another.


    Any more surprises?"


    His conscience couldn''t decide on what was more terrifying, a kidnapper that rapes and kills his


    victims, or a supposed animal that splits the kidnapper in two and leaves a seven foot wide hole in the


    sturdy wall as a calling card.


    His beating heart wanted ever so much to grieve over the victims and their long suffering families.


    Bruin''s hands at that instant began to tremble, even though his entire body was on fire.


    Mournfully, Linus turned away from both the officer and the hole before making his way


    downstairs.

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19


    "What time is it?" Linus moaned while driving all too slowly down the deste highway on a day that


    was nearing noontime.


    Fitzpatrick looked out at the passing farnd scenery and asked, "Does it really matter?"


    Linus must have sighed at least three to four times since leaving the house. The man''s entire body felt


    as if it were carrying a load of bricks tied to his heels. No matter what, he just couldn''t get the fog out of


    his brain.


    "It''s hard to believe that this thing hiked almost three miles away just to eat more people."


    Stirring awake from his dull stupor, Linus nced over and grunted, "Huh?"


    "I said, I can''t believe the thing hiked three miles just to eat more people." Fitzpatrick replied a bit


    louder.


    "Yeah," Linus sighed again."


    "You gotta be kidding me." n griped.


    "Whaddya mean?"


    "What''s with all the damn sighing? You sound like my wife whenever she wants sex from me?"


    Linus shrugged and said, "We just wrapped up a five and a half month kidnapping investigation, and


    you''re asking what''s with all the sighing?"


    "For Christ''s sake," n grumbled, "it''s not the first kidnapping we''ve ever covered."


    Linus didn''t bother to look over at his partner, instead, he gazed upwards into the grey, brooding sky.


    "What would make a person do all of that, Al?"


    "Do what?"


    "Kidnap, rape and kill. He even raped the guys, for God''s sake." Linus shook his head in shame. "I''m


    sitting here trying to figure out what sort of twisted event in this man''s life could have brought him to


    such a point."


    "Who knows?" n groaned. "He obviously had some kind of sick fetish that needed to be fulfilled. You


    mentioned it yourself back at the TV station."


    "And the smell," Linusmented. "How can any normal human being tolerate having all those dead


    bodies in that house and not be sick themselves?"


    "After a while, even the most perverted person bes ustomed to his or hers perversion. The


    man was obviously tormented."


    Bruin only scanned the grazingnd that passed by at 33 mph.


    "I wonder if Gloria saw¡ª


    "That''s enough!" A frustrated Fitzpatrick hollered.


    A momentary quiet took ce inside the car before Linus again sighed and said, "I suppose you''re


    gonna tell me that I''m feeling sorry for myself, right?"


    "No, it''s not that." Fitzpatrick huffed. "You''re shitting bricks because after all these months someone or


    something else got that fucker before you could. We all wanted to plug a bullet in the guy, but we


    missed out."


    Linus rolled his eyes in the other direction, hoping that he could possibly ignore his partner''s rant, but it


    seemed that the more he tried to focus on other matters, Gloria''s pale, terrified image would cross his


    path in stunning full color.


    "Whaddya think?" Fitzpatrick looked over.


    "Think about what?"


    "About what Brice said about the fur. Do you believe that there could be a pack of wolves running


    around out here?"


    "Who''s to say?" Linus gripped the steering wheel tighter. "I can''t see wolves tearing through a wall like


    a wrecking ball. Maybe it''s something that escaped from the zoo."


    "The zoo," Fitzpatrick chuckled. "If I ever see the thing that could eat the way that fucker didst night,


    then I hope we never find it."


    Linus actually wanted the creature to materialize inside his mind, but he had to sift through the dead


    bodies first before he could even ce the image of an overgrown killer beast prowling the countryside


    into his psyche.


    "A wolf," Fitzpatrick sniggered. "I swear that Brice gets dumber by the day."


    Linus smirked before asking, "You don''t think too much of Pat, do you?"


    "It''s not that I don''t like the kid, it''s just that...well, he''s a kid." n tossed up his hands. "An Ivy league,


    smarty pants, know-it-all kid. He''s just twenty years younger than you and I. The guy is creepy, if you


    ask me."


    "Are you trying to say that we''re old men?"


    "Nope, I like to y it like my wife; I turn twenty-four with every passing birthday."


    Linus smiled at the remark while ncing down at the speedometer to notice for the very first time that


    he was driving extra slow.


    "Damn kids are taking our jobs." Fitzpatrick begrudged in a doleful tone.


    "Is that all you''re concerned about?"


    "No, I also hope I get home in time this evening to watch ''Battle of the Network Stars.''"


    Linus wanted to burst outughing, but he restrained himself as a semi-truck roared past them on the


    other side of the road. The first sign of life ever since leaving Cummins'' house.


    "I was thinking about calling Linda." Linus muttered.


    It took a few moments before Fitzpatrick said anything. "It''s a shame that you have to actually think


    about calling home."


    "Yeah...it is." Linus bitterly sulked with a far off expression hanging on his face. "I hate to say this, but I


    think you have a better chance of speaking rationally with someone like O''Dea than you do with Linda."


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    "I can handle O''Dea, in small doses, mind you."


    Once more, a drowning silence took ce inside the cruiser. For a few moments Linus actually


    believed that he had slipped into another trance.


    "Did you catch the body on that one reporter?"


    "Which one," Linus nced strangely over at his partner.


    "The ckdy," Fitzpatrick smirked.


    "Oh yeah, she was a looker."


    "I can see you with a ck chic."


    Linus grinned...and drove along.


    ***


    As Linus parked the cruiser behind a coroners van, both he and n noticed a barrage of officers and


    reporters all milling about the yard of a red and white brick house. Without uttering a single word, they


    climbed out of the vehicle and dragged themselves towards another squad car just a few feet away


    where a bald, middle-aged ck officer was standing with a C.B. radio in his hand.


    "Good afternoon, guys." The officer greeted as he ced the radio back into the holster inside the car.


    "Long time no see." He shook both Linus and n''s hands.


    "How are you, Phelps?" Fitzpatrick asked.


    "Not too well, I''m afraid." Phelps pouted before turning to the house to his right. "We got six dead


    bodies. A mother, father and their four daughters. The mother was found in the living room. Her entire


    skull was cracked wide open. The father was found in the basement with his guts lying all over the


    steps."


    "It even got the daughters, too?" Linus regrettably inquired.


    "Upstairs...all four girls. Two, four, seven and ten," Phelps chocked. "Something just...just tore its way


    through the bedroom door and got them all."


    "Who found them?" Linus asked while zipping up his coat.


    "The wife''s mother," Phelps said. "She lives right across the street. She and the mother have coffee


    every morning. Can you imagine finding this, of all things?"


    All three men looked over to a distant pine bush and watched as the loudly weeping grandmother was


    consoled by a number of female neighbors.


    "You two should see the bedroom." Phelps murmured. "You can hardly take two steps without...it''s like


    something from out of one of these dickhead horror movies."


    "We would like to take a quick peek inside, just to see what we''re dealing with." Linus said while


    ncing nervously over at the foreboding house.


    "I heard you found your guy."


    "It was more like we found what was left of him." Fitzpatrick snickered. "But, as it so happens,


    something else found him first."


    "And whatever found him made its way here." Phelps rubbed his face in weariness. "It broke in through


    a basement window."


    Linus stepped forward, ced his right hand on Phelps'' shoulder and sympathetically whispered into


    the man''s face, "We''re sorry about Calvin, Lou."


    Phelps dropped his head in a noblementation before ncing back and saying, "Sometimes, losing a


    nephew feels like losing your own son. This is all his mother needs right now. Does anyone know what


    did all of this? A bear or something?"


    "That''s what we''re still trying to sort out." Linus responded. "Our man kept a recording of all the rapes


    hemitted. Last night, right after he got through with hisst victim, something came up from out of


    his basement and tore him limb from limb, literally. He left his recorder on the entire time. We can''t


    seem to make heads or tails of just what exactly it is."


    "Brice, from forensics, doesn''t believe it''s a bear." Fitzpatrick added. "He says that the paw tracks are


    toorge."


    "Come inside and take a look at this." Phelps said as he stepped away from his cruiser and led Bruin


    and Fitzpatrick to the house ahead.


    From left to right, all three men dodged officers and four covered stretchers that were being wheeled


    out of the house. Ironically, both Bruin and Fitzpatrick had the same thing in mind when it came to who


    was up under the ck nkets.


    As all three men entered into the house, the strong odor of exposed human organs pped them


    across the face hard enough to where Linus had to cover his nose with his fingers all over again.


    "Here they are." Phelps somberly announced while holding up the picture of the entire family in a


    frame. "The Sanders. The husband, Gary, was an architect. The wife, Sarah, was a homemaker."


    "What were the girls'' names?" Linus inquired while ncing down at the floor to see strands of red hair


    sporadically sprinkled all over the carpet.


    "Jamie, Giselle, Jodie and Terry," Phelps remarked.


    Linus paced forward and examined the frame closer. "That''s nice." He regrettably frowned. "They were


    a handsome family."


    "What I have to show you guys is unfortunately upstairs."


    "Let''s go check it out." Fitzpatrick said in an almost eager manner.


    Linus stared at the man as if he had lost all control of his mental faculties. He himself was still trying to


    grasp the fact that an entire family had been ostensibly wiped out in one night; heading upstairs to


    witness even more ugliness wasn''t in his agenda.


    Phelps and Fitzpatrick carried on up the stairs, with Linus bringing up a very reluctant rear. As the men


    rounded a corner, a sudden whiff of cold air sprang out into the hallway. A streak of blood was smeared


    along the wall right above a blueundry basket.


    "Here it is." Phelps broadcasted, stepping into the blood spattered room.


    "What the hell?" Linus astonishingly inhaled at the hole in the wall that led outside.


    "Yep, apparently after it was through, it jumped out not only the window, but it took half the damn wall


    as well." Phelps exined. "Take a look at this." Phelps pointed to the bed.


    Linus and n peered down at the destroyed, bleeding bed. Almost immediately, beyond all the blood,


    the one thing that Linus took notice of was all the ck fur that was littered from one end of the bed to


    the other.


    Piece by piece, Linus picked up strands. "Can we take some of this with us?"


    "Be my guest." Phelps said. "There''s not much else anyone can take anymore. The damn thing was


    strong enough to throw one of the girls out of the room and clear into the hallway. That was the two


    year old."


    Fitzpatrick, holding his nose, gradually backed out of the bedroom while mumbling, "This was a bad


    idea, guys."


    "You were the one that wanted toe up here so bad, Evel Knievel." Linus replied with an uneasy


    smirk.


    "That''s the one problem with living way out in the sticks, no one can hear you whenever trouble arises."


    Phelps observed while marching over and picking up the shattered ssmp from off the floor before


    cing it onto the nightstand. "We''re there any survivors in that guy''s house?"


    "The woman he kidnapped some days ago." Linus answered. "You should have seen her face, Lou.


    She''ll have to live with what that man did to her for the rest of her life. All that poor girl could do was


    stare off into space."


    Phelps quaintly chuckled, "You get rid of one animal, and herees another."


    "I have a feeling that we''ll be hearing a lot more of that phrase in the days toe." Fitzpatrick chimed


    in from the safety of the hallway.


    Both Linus and Lou exited the bedroom. For Linus, he felt even heavier than he did before entering. All


    he could do was turn back and catch one final, brief glimpse of the bed from out of the corner of his


    eye.


    "Officer Phelps!" A young, white officer yelled, running up the stairs. "We''ve got a report of a break in at


    a church, just a few miles west of this location!"


    Phelps sniggered to himself, looking as if he had no idea as to what to do with such information. "Uh,


    as you can see, officer, we sorta got bigger fish to fry right here."


    "Wait a minute, Lou." Linus breathlessly interjected. "What was the extent of the damage?" He then


    asked the young officer.


    "That''s easy, Detective, ording to the guys already there, it looks like a bulldozer just crashed


    through a window. There''s a big mess inside the ce."


    Linus looked over at n and shook his head up and down as to say that they were already on their


    way.


    Without speaking another word, both detectives handed Phelps a final nod before heading back


    downstairs.


    "Ten bucks says our friend got a conscience and went straight to confessionst night." n jibed.

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20


    Bruin and Fitzpatrick got out of their cruiser. Standing at the entrance of the tiny church was Brice, who


    was shivering like an overstuffed popsicle with his hands lodged securely inside his pockets.


    As the detectives made their way towards the man, Linus couldn''t help but to nce over at the white


    man and woman who were staring down at a mutted cow on the ground.


    There was something inside of Linus that wanted so badly to veer off over to where the couple was


    standing behind an old rugged, wooden fence. But with as much restraint as he could amass, the man


    maintained his course towards the long-suffering Brice and the tiny church he was standing in front of.


    All three men entered the church through the double doors. Once they were inside, they caught sight of


    two, white officers who were conversing with an elderly white minister who was bundled up in a ck


    winter coat.


    Brice happened to look down at the carpet to find the same mammoth paw prints that he examined


    earlier, while Linus and n surveyed the freezing church.


    "I sure hope to God no one was in herest night." Linus'' teeth chattered while kneeling down to pick


    up even more strands of fur from off the floor.


    "Guys, take a look at this." Brice said, pointing to the floor.


    Linus and n made their way over to Brice''s direction to observe what looked to be a smelly heap of


    waste.


    "Is that what I think it is?" Linus turned up his nose.


    "Yep," Brice replied in a snippy sort of voice while taking out a pair of small tongs from his coat pocket.


    Linus and n looked on at the young man as though he were doing something wrong. They stood


    and watched as Brice poked and prodded at the dung like a science experiment until he was able to


    grab a hold of something.


    "Do I even want to know what that is?" n cringed, too afraid to step any closer.


    "You got it." Brice despondently replied as his tongs scooped up a partially eaten human thumb from


    out of the thickness of the feces.


    Trying not to appear jarred by the scene, Linus too stood back and asked, "What is that over there?"


    With his human body part still lodged in between the tongs'' tight grip, Brice scooted forward and


    examined what appeared to be a glob of clear mucus lying on the floor, just a few feet away from the


    altar.


    "Is it blood?" Fitzpatrick mumbled.


    "It''s blood, and then...some saliva." Brice answered.


    "How do we know it''s the saliva of the animal?" n questioned. "It did kill seven peoplest night. It


    could just be residue."


    "True, but this is the only saliva sample that I''ve managed to collect all morning long so far. It looks as


    though the thing vomited. Most animals regurgitate their food, and then eat the remains."


    "Excuse me, gentleman." The short, bearded minster approached the three men from behind. "Are you


    men police officers?"


    "Yes, sir," Linus replied. "This is Detective Fitzpatrick, Brice, and I''m Bruin."


    "Good to meet you. My name is Pastor Gabriel Longfellow." The genial man greeted, wiping the cold


    fog away from his eyesses.


    "Mr. Longfellow, how old is this church?" Fitzpatrick asked.


    "Oh my," Longfellow pondered in his head, "this ce has been around since 1883. It''s the oldest in


    the city. Why do you ask?"


    "No particr reason, I''m just fascinated with old things."


    "Tell me, does anyone know just what it was that left those kinds of tracks, or what killed the Franklin''s


    cow out there?"


    "We''re still working on that, sir." Linus seriously responded.


    "Hey, guys, look at this for a second." Brice stirred, crawling about on the floor in the direction of the


    paw prints. "The tracks seem to end...right here." He motioned.


    Linus, n and the pastor all gawked down at the muddy carpet in disbelief.


    "Hold on," Linus panted, "look here. It appears as if the thing crashed through the window over there,


    took a stroll down the aisle, then...look at that."


    Everyone looked to their immediate left to see a long, dark smudge streaked across the floor in an


    almost orderly fashion.


    "There aren''t any tracks leading out of this ce either." n noted. "Judging by the direction of the


    streak, it looks as though it were dragged away."


    "Who could''ve dragged something that enormous?" The pastor asked.


    "We have no clue, sir." Linus replied while kneeling down and rubbing against the smudge. "It ends


    right here. Now, unless our friend can fly, there is absolutely no way in the world it could have gotten


    out of here without leaving any tracks in its wake."


    "This church has only one floor, Detective." One of the officersmented. "We searched every


    corner. We''re the only people in here."


    Linus looked over at the pastor and asked, "Sir, was there anyone else in herest night?"


    "No, sir, Mr. Bruin," Longfellow scratched at his beard. "Last night we had our prayer meeting at six. I


    locked up around seven, and that was that."


    Studying the carpet with a sharp eye, Linus began to pace back and forth until he found himself face to


    face with the crucified Christ that wasnced on the cross down behind the altar.


    The detective then turned around and wearily exhaled, "Somebody, please kick me in the head."


    "It makes no sense trying to rack our brains over this, Linus." Fitzpatrick said while standing next to his


    exhausted partner. "The trail ends here. And we still got one fe that''s missing."


    "Can you tell me, detectives, did the kidnapper leave any survivors?" Longfellow desperately asked.


    "Yes, sir, we have two." Bruin sighed.


    "Thank the good Lord." The pastor graciously smiled.


    "Thank the Lord?" Linus smirked in a coy manner. "Where was the Lord when all of those kidnapped


    people were murdered? No offense, padre, but four little girls were eaten alivest night. It makes no


    sense whatsoever."


    "Sir, the Lord works in mysterious ways. I cannot exin it, but his love does endure forever. I can only


    hope and pray that the two survivors can pull their lives back together again in Jesus'' name."


    In silent rebuttal, Linus turned to n and whispered, "We need to get Mercer''s address."


    "Let''s get the hell outta here." n grumbled before turning back to Longfellow and smiling, "Thanks


    for all your help, sir."


    "I''m here whenever you need me." The pastor waved.


    "Youin'' with us, Brice?" Linus looked down at the young man.


    Standing back to his feet, Brice, with a stic pouch in hand, said, "I think I''ll hitch a ride back with


    some of the other officers. There''s still a wealth of info I need to collect just right here."


    Linus nced over at n before turning and walking out of the church. "Perhaps you''re right about


    that guy, Al." Linus whispered into the man''s ear.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    "A wealth of what, poop," n asked with a snicker. "What the hell is wrong with that generation


    anyways?"


    As they made their way outside, still standing behind the fence was the couple who were still ogling


    down at the deceased cow in the snow.


    Linus'' once rapid pace back to the cruiser gradually slowed the longer he stared on and on at the


    couple before he eventually paused and made a direct approach towards their direction. The man just


    couldn''t help himself.


    "It killed ourst cow." The middle-aged, ragged looking woman said without even being asked.


    Linus stopped short of the fence before looking down at the animal that had its entire stomach torn


    wide open.


    "I was just wondering, do you two happen to live around these parts?" Linus asked.


    The woman turned her attention back to the dead animal while the man lifted his head to stare at Linus.


    His entire face was full of unshaven, silver fur that ruffled in the brazen wind. His brown eyes shot


    bullets at Linus like the question he asked was sinful. "We live around here." His scratchy voice


    answered. "Are you reporters?"


    Unfazed by the man''s piercing demeanor, Linus pulled out his badge and replied, "No, sir, we''re


    Detectives Bruin and Fitzpatrick."


    The man stared on at Linus for a bit longer before saying, "My wife and I live around here."


    "Can you tell us if you saw or heard anythingst night?"


    The man, with his hard stare still stuck on Linus, replied, "I was born and raised in these parts. I''ve


    lived here all my life."


    "Did you manage to see or hear anything?" Linus'' tone urged.


    The man turned his face away from Linus and pointed it behind him. "You see that field out there? Last


    night, I saw something that I''ve never seen before in my life."


    "Let''s get out of here." n whispered into Linus'' ear. "This guy looks like he''s about three sheets to


    the wind."


    "Last night, I saw it." The man''s tone turned suddenly methodical.


    "You saw what?" Linus'' attention perked up.


    "Last night, in that field, I saw it running around."


    "Was it a bear?" Linus asked.


    Shaking his head, the man said, "No, bears don''t look like the thing I sawst night. This thing had hind


    legs. A snout and eyes."


    "So it was a wolf." Fitzpatrick shrugged.


    "I never said that. I was taking out the trash when I saw it racing through the field. It didn''t look or sound


    like anything I''ve ever seen before. But it did look at me."


    "It looked at you?" Linus frowned.


    "It had these eyes. These glowing eyes that just nced at me for a few seconds before it took off


    again."


    "Wait a second, if you saw this thing, did you ever contact the police?" Linus questioned in an agitated


    voice.


    The man just kept his face pointed towards the snowy field. "Perhaps I should have, but I just


    remember its shining eyes."


    "You gotta be kidding me." n moaned. "We didn''te all the way out here for this Rod Serling,


    ''Night Gallery'' bullshit. Let''s get back to Cypress."


    Without another word, the mysterious couple meandered away from the detectives and plodded their


    way back across the field.


    Right then, the wind found it within itself to be even more stiff and rampant, but that didn''t seem to


    deter Linus who began his own jaunt over the fence, past the cow carcass and out into the field.


    "Are you crazy?" n hollered. "It''s 19 degrees out here!"


    Linus carried on and on until he managed to stop halfway between the church and the middle of the


    field. He stood and eyed the spaciousndscape from front to back and side to side before looking


    down to spot a set of tracksyered in the snow.


    Linus stuck his booted foot in the track and noticed that it was about five sizes bigger than his own.


    There was more fur lying in the tracks, but the man had no desire to gather any more evidence for the


    day.


    Instead, he remained in the middle of the sprawling field all to himself, just where he wanted to


    be.

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21


    With the phone tucked securely underneath his right armpit, Mr. Mercer anxiously paced from the living


    room and back to the hallway, totally forgetting that the phone''s cord wasn''t as long as he would have


    wished it could have been while fussing with the police over the line.


    Adorned in his all blue janitor''s jumpsuit, Mercer looked at the clock that was nailed to the wall in the


    living room and realized that heading into work would be futile at that point in the day.


    "I don''t understand why no one can give me any information about my own son!" The man irately


    yelled. "He''s out there somewhere, for God''s sake!"


    He dragged the phone back into the living room where he just happened to look out the front window to


    see a police cruiser parked right in front of the house. Without saying a simple "goodbye", Mr. Mercer


    hung up the phone, and with quivering knees, stepped across the floor and to the door, opening it


    before the detectives could even get out of their car.


    He stood at the doorway watching and waiting with bated breath for the two men to make their way to


    him. Over and over again he kept on reying the worst scene in his head. As cold as it was outside,


    his palms couldn''t stop sweating. His knees were ready to copse right where he stood; the stiff,


    unrelenting wind sshed into his sweaty face like a bucket of ice cold water.


    Just then, thew officers opened their doors, climbed out and began their march towards the home.


    Mercer gritted his teeth to the point where they started to hurt the closer they approached.


    "Good afternoon, sir. I''m Detective Linus¡ª


    "Is my boy dead?" Mercer impulsively jumped in.


    Taken aback by the very question, both Bruin and Fitzpatrick blushed. Bruin then nced over at his


    partner and then back again at Mercer who was shuddering, not from the cold air, but from


    heartbreaking fear.


    "Uh, sir, we aren''t quite sure yet." Bruin slowly uttered. "Can wee in and talk for a moment,


    please?"


    Steadily, Mr. Mercer moved aside to allow the men into his warm home. The moment he shut the door


    behind him, Mercer crossed his arms and asked, "Okay, where''s my son at?"


    "You are Charles Mercer, right?" Fitzpatrick questioned.


    "That''s me." He intolerantly sighed. "Now, where''s my son?"


    "Mr. Mercer, this is Detective Bruin, and I''m Detective Fitzpatrick. I don''t know if you are aware of this or


    not, but we found the B.O.D. kidnapper this morning."


    "I heard all about that, yes." Mercer said.


    "Well, sir, your son Isaac wasst seen taking a ride with the aforementioned person yesterday


    evening."


    Right then, Mercer''s sullen eyes opened to twice their original size. He dropped his arms to his side


    and slowly stuttered, "What...was he doing with that man?"


    "A witness at the diner where Isaac wasst seen said that your car seemed to be having trouble. That


    was when your son epted a ride from Cummins." Fitzpatrick rified. "Mr. Mercer, right now we


    don''t have a clue as to where Isaac is."


    "Wha...whaddya mean you don''t have a clue?" Mercer breathlessly stammered. "He went with that


    kidnapper, didn''t he?"


    "Yes, sir, but when we arrived at the residence this morning, Isaac was nowhere to be found."


    "Well, maybe he escaped and went back to this diner to get the car." Mercer eagerly said.


    "Sir, the car was still at the diner this morning." Fitzpatrick continued on. "Some of our people are


    having it brought back here, and¡ª


    "I don''t give a damn about that car!" Mercer angrily hollered. "I want my boy!"


    "Sir, please calm down." Fitzpatrick urged.


    "Calm down?" Mercer threw up his hands. "My son is out there! He could be dead or waiting for


    someone toe and rescue him! And all you can talk about is my car?"


    Both Bruin and Fitzpatrick turned their heads in a manner that would have suggested that they had


    nothing left to say at that point.


    With his hands outstretched, Mr. Mercer cried, "Isaac has a son...he''s two years old. He''s got a fianc¨¦e.


    What on earth was he doing all the way out in Cuyahoga Falls to begin with?"


    "Our witness mentioned that¡ª


    "Our witness informed us that Isaac was asking for directions at the diner." Linus brazenly cut right in


    between his partner.


    "Well, Isaac never did have a good sense of direction." Mr. Mercer dropped his hands. "But that still


    doesn''t exin why he would take a ride from aplete stranger."


    "Would there be any other ce Isaac would possibly go? Other ces he would hide out? Because


    for all we know, he could be on his way back to Cypress as we speak." Linus insisted.


    "If he''s not at Lynn''s house, then I don''t have a clue."


    "And who is this Lynn?" Linus questioned, taking out a pen and pad from his back pocket.


    "Lyte Glover is his fianc¨¦e. She lives at 909 West Seventh Blvd. I tried calling her a while ago, but


    her line was busy." Mercer exhaled before reaching over to the mantle and pulling out a photo of Isaac.


    "Here''s his picture, if it''ll help any."


    "Okay, thank you, sir." Linus replied, taking the photo and slipping it into his pocket. "I assure you, Mr.


    Mercer, we are doing everything in our power to find your son. It''s been a long, trying day for us all.


    Hopefully Isaac will be in a safe frame of mind when we do find him."


    All of the sudden, like a door violently mming shut, Mr. Mercer looked up at the detectives with a


    sadistic frown on his face. It was menacing enough to where both Bruin and Fitzpatrick actually had to


    take a slight step backwards in unison.


    "My son isn''t crazy, Detective." Mercer uttered in a foreboding murmur. "Do you hear me? Isaac is just


    fine. You''ll do best to remember that."


    "Yes, sir," Linus muttered right back while sliding his pen and pad back into his pocket. "Your car should


    be arriving sometime before six this evening."


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    At that very second, with an evil eye pointed directly at both detectives, Mercer stood still, right in the


    middle of the floor, while attentively watching the officers turn and walk out the door from which they


    entered.


    From left to right, the heavy burdened man looked on as though the walls in his own home were caving


    in on him. He then sat down on the sofa, sped his hands and closed his eyes. A quiet, lone tear


    dropped down from out of his left eye and onto his folded, hardened hands.


    ***


    "What the hell was that all about?" Fitzpatrick blurted out while climbing into the passenger side of the


    cruiser.


    "I don''t know for sure." Linus reflected as he got in and slid the key into the ignition. "The guy looked


    like he was going to gun us down."


    "So tell me," Fitzpatrick smirked, "what gives with the little lie back there?"


    Linus put the car in drive and pulled out onto the road before replying, "Call me a cynic, but something


    tells me that Isaac may have been up to a little risqu¨¦ business, if you know what I mean. Did you see


    that man''s face? He was about as clueless to his son''s whereabouts as we are. Isaac has a fianc¨¦e


    and a young son, and yet, he drove all the way out to Cuyahoga Falls, of all ces, just to meet up with


    and argue with some mystery woman? That man inside that house is going through enough right now."


    "I say that if''s he''s not at his fianc¨¦e''s house, then we go back to Scats and get some info on this so


    called mystery woman he was with." Fitzpatrick said. "Who knows, maybe she has an idea where he


    is?"


    "This oughta be fun." Linus sighed. "What time you got?"


    "Uh...ten after five," Fitzpatrick looked hard at his wristwatch.


    "I wonder if this day will ever end." Linusmented.

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22


    The 5th Dimension''s, ''Up, Up and Away'', rang out triumphantly throughout the glorious, blue sky as


    Isaac sat calmly in the Indian style upon a huge rock.


    Surrounding the rock were ten children of varying races, all seated Indian style as well. The little girls


    were wearing pink dresses while the boys were adorned in ck and white tuxedos.Isaac was wearing


    a ck and white tuxedo himself, the same one that Lynn noticed in the window at ncy''s.


    Upon his face, in the warm mountaintop, Isaac wore a peaceful smile, one that perhaps he wore long


    before he and Lyte ever had a falling out. A serene smile that he took with him everywhere before


    ever meeting Karyn.


    All ten children that sat below Isaac were all holding hands while rocking back and forth to the


    melodious tune that just would not stop ying.


    For Isaac, it was a song that he hadn''t heard since his youth, and yet adored with all his heart.The


    young man sat with his hands folded as his normal looking eyes took in all the spacious and wondrous


    surroundings that were the mountains; mountains that he had never once visited in his entire life.The


    man pondered on and on until he heard the soft pattering''s of what resembled feet creep up behind him


    on the rock he was sitting on. Isaac subtly turned around to see a ragged looking German Shepherd


    trot up beside him.


    The animal stood for a moment before turning to Isaac and saying in a male''s human voice, "I see you


    made it this far."


    Unfazed by the uncanny creature, Isaac, with his head still pointed at the beauteous mountains ahead


    of him simply replied, "I guess so."


    "I can''t say that I''m surprised, you were always a trooper. Your mother even knew that."


    Smiling ever greater, Isaac said, "Yeah...I remember her saying that, too."


    The dog looked down at the children below before turning back to Isaac. "How long do you think it''ll be


    before you fucking die?"


    Still smiling, Isaac dropped his head and exhaled, "Oh, I don''t know. I figure I have at least another


    week or so. How long do you think I have?"


    The dog began to pant before saying, "It is unknown, my friend."


    Isaac wrapped his left arm around the dog''s body and patted it on the side while humming the song


    that he loved ever so much.


    The two enjoyed each other''spany for as long as the intruder that was creeping up behind them


    both would allow. It was the naked phantom, and unbeknownst to both Isaac and his canine


    companion, its ghastly presence was lurking closer than expected.


    "Don''t look at him, Isaac." The dog warned.


    But all the animal''s warning seem to do was incite curiosity inside the young man. Without thinking,


    Isaac gradually turned to see the phantom''s face, a face that he had never managed to see in times


    past.The man had red eyes and fangs that were drooling blood all over the rock that it had ascended.


    Isaac looked over to see the dog gone. He then nced back to see the phantom''s hands.


    With the same hands, the phantom grabbed Isaac by the throat and proceeded to strangle the life out


    of him.Isaac tried with all his might to pull away from the thering demon, but no matter how hard he


    tried, the phantom was entirely too strong to withstand.


    Suddenly, and without warning, both the music and children all vanished. With every passing second,


    Isaac was finding it more difficult to grasp even a single breath.


    "I don''t know where Isaac is!" Isaac unexpectedly heard Lyte''s hysterical voice scream out loud.In


    fact, the sound of her voice was so clear and audible that it sounded as if she were right behind him, or


    at least very near.


    Isaac shut his eyes and re-opened them to see nothing but total darkness all around him. Gasping and


    spitting for air, the man looked up to see the phantom pull away and sink into the wall behind it until it


    vanished awaypletely.


    Isaac couldn''t tell if he was asleep or even alive at that point, all he wanted was to breathe again.


    Hearing Lyte and Isaiah scream and cry caused Isaac to fight even harder to regain his breath.


    Unexpectedly, he decided to hurl himself off of the soft foundation that he found himself lying on. Once


    his body connected with something hard, Lynn''s screaming ceased, and a series of footsteps slowly


    began to creep towards his direction.


    Isaac wallowed about on the ground like a wounded animal, unable to even let out a simple grunt, let


    alone a word. He coughed and panted while listening to his helpless son cry out for his mother to


    return.


    Isaac heard what sounded like something twisting. He held his fleeting breath and waited until the


    sound ended. Like an explosion, stinging light from an opened door sted into his eyes. Isaac


    covered his face for a second or two before removing his hand to see Lynn standing at a doorway with


    a baseball bat in hand.


    "Who the fuck is in here," she shouted out.


    Without hesitation, Isaac opened his mouth and muttered, "It''s me, Lynn. It''s me."


    Lyte cut on a light. Isaac covered his face all over again and only removed two fingers to see that


    he was inside the warm confines of Lynn''s bedroom. He himself waspletely naked.


    "Isaac!" Lynn hollered wildly as she dropped her bat to the floor and ran to Isaac''s aid.


    Feeling as though his arms weighed fifty pounds each, Isaac lifted his right hand to touch not only


    Lynn''s hair that was wrapped in pink curlers, but also his own sore jaw.


    Weeping uncontrobly, Lynn screamed, "Isaac, did you just get here?"


    Too stunned and disoriented to reply, Isaac rubbed his mouth and nose and listened as his stomach


    rumbled and churned. "I...don''t know." He pitifully wept, sounding as if his mouth was full of cotton.


    Coddling the man in her shaking arms, Lynn wiped her face and asked, "Isaac, where were youst


    night? The news said that you were kidnapped by that guy!"


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    "I don''t...remember." He mumbled, holding his throbbing jaw. "I don''t remember anything."


    "How did you get here?" She tossed up her hands. "I was just in here ten minutes ago! How did you


    escape?"


    Without answering another question, Isaac slowly got up from off the floor and staggered his way out of


    the bedroom and towards the bathroom.


    Lyte followed and watched as he bounced spaghetti-legged from one end of the hallway to the


    other like a pinball, until he found himself face to face with the toilet. Isaac lifted the lid, knelt down and


    vomited.


    "Do we still got any of that Ben-Gay?" Isaac sobbed, wiping excess waste away from his mouth and


    chin.


    Lyte opened the medicine cab next to her and took out a half empty container of Ben-Gay


    before handing it to Isaac.


    Isaac immediately snatched the cream away from her hand and squeezed out the remainder. He


    lathered his entire sore face with what was left inside.


    "This is it?" Isaac raged before tossing the empty container to the floor.


    Shaking, Lyte wept, "You used the rest of it back in November after...after thest time."


    "Then fuckin'' get me some more!" Isaac yelled into her face.


    Terrified, Lyte stumbled backwards into the sink, holding her hands up in defense. Just seeing the


    fear in her eyes, Isaac quickly reimed what was left of his senses and lurched towards her.


    "I''m sorry...I''m just in so much pain right now." He shivered while crying. "I don''t know what happened.


    It''s like every bone in my body is...broken. I need help!"


    As though she had a choice in the matter, Lyte took Isaac into her bosom and cradled his frail


    body.


    "I don''t know how to help you, Isaac. You have to tell me what happened so I can help you." She


    nervously muttered into his ear.


    "I can''t remember a damn thing." Isaac held on tight to Lyte''s arms. "One moment I was driving,


    and then...everything went ck. I need more Ben-Gay, and some Anacin, too."


    "Well c''mon and lie down for awhile." Lyte said as she aided Isaac out of the bathroom and back to


    the bedroom where she gentlyid him down onto the bed. The very moment Isaac''s head hit the


    pillow, four knocks at the front door erupted throughout the small house.


    "Who''s that?" Isaac looked up.


    "I don''t know." Lyte answered. "Just lie down and I''ll go see."


    Isaacy helplessly and watched as Lyte left the room to go and attend to the door. He listened as


    what sounded like two men entered and conversed back and forth.In Isaac''s ears, the discussion from


    Lynn''s point of view sounded tense and jittery. He could tell that she was searching for words to say to


    the men, words that she had no business trying to conjure on her own.


    With about as much energy as he could assemble, Isaac climbed out of the bed before taking the bed


    sheet and wrapping it around his naked body. From there, he hobbled his way out of the bedroom and


    into the living room to find Bruin and Fitzpatrick and Lyte, with Isaiah in her arms, all standing by


    the door.


    "Here I am, officers." Isaac miserably mumbled as he leaned his sore body up against the wall.


    With their jaws practically hanging to the floor, both Linus and n stared at Isaac as though they were


    viewing a miracle right before their stunned eyes.


    "Isaac...Isaac Mercer?" Linus'' tongue fumbled.


    "That''s me, sir." Isaac replied with his head shamefully hung low.


    "Uh...Mr. Mercer, first off, are you alright?"


    "Yeah, I just feel real tired." Isaac exhaled.


    "We received a report early this morning that you were seen at Scats diner in Cuyahoga Falls."


    Isaac looked up to see Lyte''s eyes connect with his in a manner that suggested she was as lost as


    the detectives.


    "Yes, um, the waitress there said that you seemed to be having car trouble and that you hitched a ride


    with one, Leroy Cummins." Linus exined. "Mr. Mercer, Leroy Cummins was the B.O.D. kidnapper.


    He was found murdered this morning inside his home."


    At once, Lyte crumbled to the floor in tears, nearly dropping the baby along the way. Fitzpatrick


    attempted to help her back up, but Lyte only shoved his hand away while remaining on the floor.


    "We went over to your father''s house. He told us toe here and see if you had shown up."


    Fitzpatrick rified.


    "What about my dad''s car?"


    "Our people are having it towed back to Cypress as we speak." Linus stated. "Mr. Mercer, we''d love to


    know just how you were able to escape Cummins'' house. And how were you able to get back home?"


    Wanting to break down and cry himself, Isaac said, "I don''t remember. When I woke up a few minutes


    ago, I was in the bed. Everything else is a blur."


    Isaac observed as the detectives handed each other skeptical nces. The young man held on to the


    wall that he was seemingly attached to with all his might.Isaac then noticed Detective Bruin gawking at


    him from top to bottom as if he were studying a clue.


    "Mr. Mercer, how tall are you?"


    Rolling his eyes, Isaac responded, "Man, I don''t know, six one or two I guess. Why?"


    "Just procedure, sir," Linus inly replied.


    "Are you sure you''re okay?" Fitzpatrick pressed on. "Do you require medical assistance of any kind?"


    "No...I''m fine." Isaac sighed. "I just need to rest."


    The detectives gave each other one more quick stare before heading out the door. "If it''s not too much


    to ask, Mr. Mercer, we would like for you toe down to the station and provide us with a full


    statement. Whenever you''re up to it, that is." Linus said. "Good evening."


    Once the door was pulled shut, Lyte gathered herself and gingerly got up from off the floor. From


    there, sheid Isaiah down onto the couch before boldly approaching Isaac.


    "Lynn, I really need some more Ben-Gay for my mouth and¡ª


    "Stop, Isaac!" She powerfullymanded, cing her right hand in the air and nearly pressing it


    against his face. "Something isn''t adding up. Both the news and those cops said that kidnapper was


    found in Cuyahoga Falls. Isaac, Cuyahoga Falls is an hour from here. What, you couldn''t find a job


    here in Cypress? What were you doing all the way out there?"


    Inside his brain, Isaac searched and plotted, but he couldn''t find the words he needed to exin all that


    was taking ce fast enough. Most of what had urred the day before, much like in past instances


    was a dark haze. He was aware that the small fragments of what he could recall would only get him


    into even more trouble. He stood there, slumped against the cold wall, waiting for Lyte to abandon


    her attack and walk away.


    With a shaking body and red eyes, Lyte hollered, "I''m waiting, Isaac!"


    "I ...gotta go throw up again." Isaac slurred before dragging his heavy body back into the bathroom and


    heaving into the toilet.


    From the bathroom, Isaac could hear Lyte mming cab doors and dishes from the kitchen as


    though she were rearranging the room.


    Once he was through vomiting, Isaac flushed the toilet and stumbled his way over to the medicine


    cab mirror.He had seen his face in the deformed manner in which it was at that moment once


    before.


    He knew that it had happened all over again, just like Karyn said that it would, except, it hurt a lot more


    at that instant than it did back in November. It was hard for him to make a simple fist, let alone lift his


    arms that felt as if they were on fire. It felt as if his bones wanted to explode into dust at any moment.


    In his ears, the blood curdling shrieks and screams of children yed over and over again loud enough


    to where he thought they were inside the bathroom along with him.Isaac shut his eyes and listened to


    his rumbling stomach gurgle like a boiling cauldron. He truly didn''t remember what had taken ce


    after epting the ride from the so called kind stranger, but unlike the urrence three months earlier,


    the physical pain that he was swimming in had taken a backseat.


    Inside of him was growing an unrelenting sense of sorrow the likes he had never experienced before in


    his life. It overwhelmed him to the point where tears just suddenly began to fall from his bloodshot


    eyes. He was no longer weeping for himself.


    Isaac slowly opened his eyes and turned around only to see the entire bathroom floor flooded from one


    corner to the other in nothing but blood.Like a cat, the man jumped backwards into the mirror, nearly


    cracking it in half. His startled face grew a tone lighter. He had hoped that what he was seeing was a


    mere illusion, something that his inner self craved.


    "Here''s the Anacin." Lyte sharply announced as she entered the bathroom with a half full bottle of


    aspirin in hand.


    Isaac watched her face that didn''t appear startled. He looked back down at the floor to see the blood all


    but gone. At once, he breathed a sigh of relief, a relief thatsted only seconds.


    Gazing strangely at him, Lyte asked, "What are you doing?"


    Isaac uncoiled himself and said, "Nothing...I just thought I saw something on the floor."


    Lyte mmed the bottle down onto the sink before moving closer to Isaac. There was a vignt


    appearance festering on her face. Isaac could tell that she was still scared, but curious all at once.


    "Isaac," she gritted her teeth, "what were you doing in Cuyahoga Falls?"


    With his private parts dangling beneath him, Isaac stepped forward and answered, "Lynn... I had to go


    out there and see something with my own eyes."


    "What?" She tossed up her arms.


    "It''s hard to exin, but¡ª


    "Don''t talk to me like I''m some damn child that can''t understand anything, Isaac!" She screamed out


    loud. "I wanna know now!"


    Isaac deeply exhaled before saying, "I got lost. I just got lost, and then the car broke down."


    "You got lost between Cypress and Cuyahoga Falls?" Lyte suspiciously shrugged.


    "Some of the roads were still covered over." Isaac quivered. "I missed one exit and ended up at


    another. Before I knew it, I was at some diner. I had no idea I was even in another city."


    Isaac watched as Lyte zed over his face with a mysterious frown before she turned her head to


    the sink and asked, "Okay, so how did you get away from that guy? Isaac, he could have killed you.


    How did you get home? Before I found you in there, I was in the bedroom just ten minutes earlier, and I


    never once heard youe in. What, did you just magically appear out of thin air?"


    Being bombarded with one blistering question after another only caused Isaac''s heart to race even


    faster than before. He hated to lie to Lyte, but lies were the only thing that he could dole out


    without hurting her even further.


    "Lynn, you gotta understand, these past few days have been real crazy for me." He stuttered.


    "Crazy for you," Lyte yelled into his face. "Isaac, I''ve been here crying my eyes out all night and


    day wondering where you were! I had to miss my writing ss this morning because of you! Isaac, if I


    miss another ss then I''ll get expelled! On top of all that, your son has a cold, and you just show up


    out of the fucking blue, butt ass naked, and can''t remember anything! Look at your face, your legs! I


    hardly even recognize you! Are you gonna go through that same shit that you put everyone through


    back in November, Isaac?"


    Out of fear, Isaac cringed in the corner behind him, too afraid to even look the young woman in the eye.


    "I don''t know what you want from me, Isaac." She sobbed. "I''m almost out of tears, and I can''t take this


    anymore. I can''t even stand to look at you anymore. That''s how much all of this hurts."


    Isaac stood and reluctantly listened to each and every word. It was all he could do. Lyte''s words of


    pain were all he had left to hang on to.


    "I know you''re hiding something from me. Do you have a disease? Is that why your face looks the way


    it does? Is that why you''re in so much pain? Did you catch something from someone? Are you on some


    of Larry and Marvell''s drugs? I need you to talk to me, Isaac!"


    Feeling the dire need to escape, Isaac pulled himself away from his safe corner before barging his way


    past Lyte and out of the bathroom altogether.


    "Where are you going?" she questioned, following Isaac to the bedroom.


    "I''m going out to the shed for the night." Isaac nonchntly replied while searching for clothes inside


    the cabs.


    "The shed," she turned up her face. "What the fuck for?"


    As though he were in a rush, Isaac anxiously slipped on an undershirt, a blue sweater and a pair of


    blue jeans before saying, "I gotta be to myself for the night. I''lle back inside in the morning." He


    then put on a pair of socks and tennis shoes.


    "What good is sleeping in the shed gonna do? It''s five degrees out there!"


    "I know," Isaac huffed, standing up from off the bed, "but I need to be out there, just for the night. I can''t


    be in here...not tonight."


    Isaac looked on as Lyte feebly dropped herself down onto the bed and allowed her bottom lip to


    hang downwards. Suddenly, much like himself, she had lost her original appearance.


    "Don''te out there tonight, Lynn. I mean it." Isaac firmly warned before kissing her on the forehead


    and walking out of the bedroom.


    He ventured into the living room to gather his coat. As he was slipping his coat on, he happened to look


    back at Isaiah who was steadily snoring away on the couch. There was absolutely nothing in the world


    at that moment that could keep him inside the house a second more.


    He unlocked the front door, and like a rushing wind, he raced out and around to the dark backyard


    where the tiny toolshed was located, just ten yards away from the house. He opened the shed''s door


    and stepped in only to trip upon an empty gasoline canister and awnmower.


    He closed the door and sat himself down on the hard, ice cold cement floor. Even with the door shut,


    the brutal wind still managed to seep its way through just about every crack and crevice that it could


    find. Isaac reached into his right pocket and snatched out a cigarette and his lighter.


    Concealing the me from the wind, he lit the tip and quickly inhaled the intoxicating smoke that he so


    richly savored. The nicotine provided an almost orgasmic, if not temporary,fort from both the cold


    and his aching body.


    The young man sat in the small space that he had carved out for himself shivering and watching


    through a tiny crack in the door the kitchen light that Lyte had left on. He hoped that she wouldn''t


    turn it off.


    His bright eyes shined away in the absolute ckness that he found himself in. Isaac knew what was


    inside of him, even though he would never be able to sessfully exin it to anyone else. For the


    time being, the shed was the safest ce on earth for him to be...away from people.

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23


    Fleetwood Mac''s , ''You making loving fun'', yed on low volume in the deck as Linus pulled his brand


    new, dirty orange Chevrolet Chevette into the parking lot of his four floor apartmentplex.


    The keys were taken out of the ignition. The eight track was ced on the passenger''s seat and a load


    of papers and folders were gathered into his aching arms.


    Like a battle weary soldier, the detective slumped out of his car and carried on to the front door, holding


    tightly to the contents that were securely tucked underneath his right arm as to not allow the wind to


    take them away.He hated to fiddle with his keys in such cold conditions, but it was the only way to enter


    the building since the night guard had left for the evening. Linus feverishly cycled through his ring of


    keys until he spotted the gold key that he was searching for.


    Before he could even slide the key into the lock, the door abruptly swung open, revealing behind it an


    elderly white woman and her ck Labrador retriever.


    "Edna?" Linus lost his breath. "Edna, it''s ten past one in the morning, honey. What are you still doing


    up?"


    Coming down from being so rmed, Edna replied, "Oh well, I was just waiting for Stanley toe


    home, that''s all. I figured you were him."


    dly stepping in from out of the cold, Linus looked upon the sweet, frail thing before saying, "Edna,


    Stanley is twenty-four years old. He''s not a little boy anymore."


    "I know," Edna bashfully smiled, "but you never know how folks can be these days." Edna then stood


    back and examined Linus as if she were studying a work of art. "I saw you on TV yesterday morning. I


    heard you found that kidnapper fe. Good for you." She grinned while proudly pinching Linus'' left


    cheek.


    Linus only blushed before reaching down to pet Edna''s dog. "Something got to him before I could. But


    at least he''s gone."


    "That''s right, good riddance to bad rubbish, I always say." Edna said, giving Linus a spunky punch in


    the arm. "Go get ''em!"


    As Linus raised back up, unbeknownst to him, strands of fur fell from out of his pocket and onto the


    linoleum floor. Both he and Edna continued to converse as the dog sniffed the fur.


    Suddenly, like a loud bang, the dog began to bark and snarl at the strange fur that it was sniffing. Linus


    and Edna gawked down at the animal, wondering just what had it so spooked all of the sudden. From


    one end of the hallway to the other, not a single soul could be seen or heard, and yet, the dog, which


    was usually the gentlest beast in theplex, became incredibly angered at a few shards of fur.


    "Oh my, Edna bemoaned, trying to keep the dog from breaking its chain, "I wonder what''s gotten into


    Earl all of the sudden!"


    "I think you''d better get both you and him back to your apartment before he wakes the entire building!"


    Linus had to say out loud, taking three steps back just to avoid the agitated animal.


    "I think so, too." Edna relented. "Goodnight, Linus."


    Linus watched as the woman and her vicious dog carried on to the elevator and out of sight. He then


    looked down at the floor and noticed the fur lying about. Linus reached down to pick it up and study the


    fments carefully.


    He never bothered to stay behind that evening at the station to find out the results from the analysis


    that Brice took, and quite frankly, he was in no mood to investigate any further. He, much like the dog,


    sniffed at the fur before slipping it back into his coat pocket and carrying on down the quiet hallway to


    his apartment.


    Linus unlocked the door, turned on the light switch that was on the wall and stepped inside. Warm,


    quiet and alone at longst. To his right sat a bureau with pictures of his wife and two young daughters.


    Without taking another look at the files and folders that he had brought home with him, Linus dropped


    them all onto the dresser, along with the other fur samples, before taking off his coat.


    The man felt like two hundred and twenty-one pounds of stale meat. Every joint in his body screamed


    out in agony for their master to take a long, hard stretch. But before even doing so, Linus went straight


    for the bathroom where he lifted the toilet seat, unzipped his pants and let out an exhaustingly endless


    stream of urine into themode.


    Once he was through, he flushed, cut on the light and washed his hands. In the midst of washing, he


    looked up into the mirror. The exhausted man that was staring back at him caused Linus to shudder in


    subtle disbelief. Wrinkles that were not present the morning before arose in striking, living color. He


    actually had to remind himself just how old he was just to make sure that he was looking at the right


    person.


    Linus cut off the light and carried on into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator door, loosened his tie


    and rooted around for anything to eat. The instant he came across a Swanson''s TV dinner located


    beside a can of Genesee beer he right away grabbed both items.


    He turned on the stove behind him before looking down at the cardboard box that contained beef and


    vegetable inside.


    Just then, every muscle in his body decided to tense up. He wasn''t even hungry. Sluggishly, he turned


    off the stove before carrying both himself and his can of beer into the small living room.


    Late nights were customary for the man; it was all part of the job. In the past five months alone Linus


    couldn''t recall one time getting home from work before ten p.m. Being that he had to report back to theThis is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    station in about five and a half hours again only caused his stomach to bubble with dreaded


    anticipation.


    He wasn''t sleepy; rest was thest thing on his mind. Every image of the long day before kept his eyes


    jolted wide open. The sinking feeling that he got every time he dared recollect upon the body bags in


    the basement only made him want to freebase coffee for the rest of the evening. There should have


    been the long awaited calm after then storm moment. The unwinding relief, but the enthusiasm was


    nowhere to be found.


    Linus dropped himself down in his recliner, picked up the remote control that was sitting on the coffee


    table beside him and cut on the set ahead. One station after another was flipped through. From Benny


    Hill''s outrageous and lewd womanizing, to Ralph Kramden''s ever constant threats of violence to his


    long suffering wife. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre just happened to be ying on thete show. The


    scene where the killer cracked a young man over the head with a hammer and watched as his legs


    shook and twisted was enough to make Linus turn off the television inplete disgust. It was all he


    could digest.


    He wanted to toss the remote clear to the other side of the room, but instead of being angry, he chose


    apletely different approach, one that he figured would settle his frayed nerves.


    Linus reached up under his chair and pulled out the March issue of yboy with Susan Kiger on the


    front cover dressed in a red and ck wet suit.


    Her nearly exposed chest and long, wet, blonde hair only made Linus rip open the book with the gusto


    of a child opening a birthday present.The very moment he viewed the first set of breasts inside the


    magazine he quickly unzipped his pants, took out his part and started to slowly massage it up and


    down. The harder he pulled at his own member, the stiffer it grew, until it was a rock hard tip in the air.


    The longer he gazed into the young woman''s brown eyes, the more his left hand that he was holding


    the book in began to tremble. Her precious eyes and face staring back at him in a sultry, sensual stare


    caused his stomach to turn. Her legs spread wide open for the world to see made Linus drop the book,


    turn and vomit all over the carpet beneath him.


    When he was through convulsing, the man rose back up and wiped his mouth with his own shirt sleeve.


    He closed his eyes and gently stuffed his gradually shrinking penis back into his pants.


    The warm silence inside his apartment began to cave in on Linus, making him feel as if he were losing


    his breath. The staggering image of a young woman stuffed in a bag like dirtyundry punched at him


    like a boxer in the twelfth round.


    Linus sat back in his seat, ced his frazzled hands on his two knees and stared up at the ceiling


    above as though there were something there to see.


    Behind him on the dresser sat the pieces of fur, gently moving from side to side as if a stiff breeze were


    blowing in the apartment. A wisp of thin, fine smoke began to billow from the fur. At first, it was a cid,


    smoldering sensation, like incense, that is until the smoke grew thicker and the sound of sparks


    whistled into the air.


    Linus spun around not only to hear the popping racket but to also smell the raw odor of what resembled


    burning flesh. At the drop of a hat, the man jumped up from out of his seat and ran over to put the lone


    me out.


    He knocked the burning fur off the dresser and began to stomp out the me, but no matter what, the


    fire would only grow even more intense.


    Before it could be more of a hazard, Linus scooped up the zing hair, raced directly to the


    kitchen and drowned it under the cold water in the sink.


    "Shit!" He irately yelled, washing his hands under the scolding cold water faucet. Once the smoke had


    cleared, he cut off the valve and watched as the remains of the burnt fur whisked away down into the


    drain. Nothing was left but smoldering ash, which too was slowly dissolving.


    At that point in the night, there wasn''t much more that could possibly take ce. In one day, Detective


    Linus Bruin had witnessed evil on a supreme level, and to think that it had followed him all the way


    home only made the very thought of sleeping all the more contemptible.


    With his hands buried in his pockets, Linus dragged back into the solemn confines of the living room


    and sat back down in his chair. He wanted to ponder on just why the fur had burst into mes in the


    first ce, or just how in the world Mercer had managed to escape his captor without incident, but it


    was all mere afterthought as one-thirty rapidly approached on the clock that sat on the coffee table.


    The lonely,bat burdenedw officer hung his heavy head to the floor and listened to the beating of


    his heart that seemed to drum a bit slower with every passing minute.

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24


    Captain Kangaroo was conversing back and forth with both Mr. Green Jeans and Mr. Moose on the


    television while Isaac spoke in a low, overcast tone to his father over the phone.


    Dressed in the same clothes from the night before, Isaac watched Isaiah crawl and romp about on the


    floor with his Fisher Price toy phone while he sipped away on his fourth cup of coffee for the morning.


    Isaac''s mind was from the TV and drifting even further away from his son.


    Every so often he would stare down at his scarred fingernails that felt as if someone had pierced each


    of them with sharp needles.


    "Isaac, are you still there?" Mr. Mercer worriedly asked.


    Shaking himself awake, Isaac replied, "I''m fine, dad. I just got a bad headache. Did the fuzz bring your


    car back yesterday?"


    "Yeah, they brought it backst night. I think the carburetor needs reced."


    Just then, a long pause prevailed. The pause was soon followed by a moan from Isaac''s father.


    "Son...is everything alright with you? You sure don''t sound fine."


    Just judging by his father''s stretched out gap in speech Isaac could sense that he was stressed over


    his grueling ordeal. All the young man could do was sit and shut his eyes in angst.


    "Yeah, dad, I just need some time to...to work things out."


    "Where''s Lynn at?"


    "She went out to get some more medicine for Isaiah. She said she''ll be back before nine."


    "Isaac, just rx and let the good Lord take care of everything. You''ve got a friend in him."


    Out of helpless frustration, Isaac threw himself backwards into the couch where he was sitting and


    began to silently weep.


    "Dad...I got something to tell youter on." He flinched, trying with all his might not to sound like he was


    crying.


    "I get off from work at five,e down to the church and we can talk then. I''d stop by, but the car won''t


    start."


    "Okay, I''ll be there." Isaac hesitantly said, sitting back and wiping the wetness away from his face.


    "I gotta go to work now. Be careful, son."


    "I will, dad," Isaac sniffed before hanging up the phone.


    Isaac noticed a frightened shakiness in his father''s tenor that he hadn''t heard before; it startled Isaac


    enough to where he even lost track of where Isaiah was and what he was doing.


    "Dah," the child squealed out as he handed his father his toy phone to y with.


    A forced smile came across Isaac''s battered face before taking the stic receiver, holding it to his ear


    and saying, "Hello?"


    The mock conversations were customary; Isaiah would just sit and p his tiny hands as though a


    parade were trolling right through the living room. The boy was happy to see someone enjoying his


    toys as much as he did.


    Back and forth father and son yed until the newsbreak on the television re-ran reports of the murder


    of the kidnapper, the dead bodies in his basement and the muttion of the entire Sanders family.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    There were the usual spections from the usual talking heads on just what kind of animal could have


    possibly killed all seven people in one night, and just what authorities were nning on doing to


    capture the thing.


    With Isaiah frolicking in his arms Isaac''s eyes were locked firmly on the TV as the screen scrolled


    through every little Sanders girl. Their angelic faces were alive with euphoric vitality as their smiling


    parents held all four of their children in their arms.


    A steady stream of drool dripped down and out of Isaac''s bottom lip the longer he concentrated on the


    screen. He waspletely void of any emotion at that instant, as though someone had shut off a light


    and left the room.


    "Here!" Isaiah blurted out, handing his father his red View-Master to y with next.


    Isaac''s hands and knees all shook in perfect unison as Leroy Cummins'' sharply dressed photo


    appeared on the television. He remembered the generous man offering him a ride two days earlier, but


    what seemed to cause Isaac''s head to ache even more was the shock of knowing that he ended his


    life.


    "C''mon, man," Isaac struggled as he lifted his aching body from off the couch, "your mom wants you to


    take a bath before she gets back."


    Once he managed to limp his way into the warm bathroom Isaac promptly removed every item of


    clothing from off the child''s body, cut on the warm water and then ced his boy inside the tub. With


    only a bar of soap Isaac scrubbed Isaiah from head to toe.


    Unlike most children, it was never a strenuous chore to bath Isaiah. The child actually enjoyed being


    wet; just sshing about in the water was all ytime for him. He knew that he should have been


    paying close attention to the baby at every second, but Isaac''s brain just couldn''t remain focused.


    He stared straight ahead at the grimy tile while listening to the little girl''s scream in his head in a high


    pitched tone. Much like the proverbial ''fingernails across the chalkboard'', Isaac couldn''t help but to


    drown in the hecious notion that everything that happened two nights earlier was nowhere to be


    found in his mind. Even the remembrances of the grueling strain of his physical transformation had


    ostensibly been erased, which was hard to fathom considering the pain that he had been in since


    waking the night before in Lyte''s bed.


    He recalled screaming of all sorts, from that of adults to children, and yet, had it not been for the TV,


    not one person''s face could materialize inside the man''s head.


    All of the sudden, sprinkles of soapy water sshed into Isaac''s dead face, alerting him to find his son


    fiddling with his own private part.


    "Quit ying with that thing, boy, it''ll turn into a habit." Isaac scolded, shoving the child''s right hand


    away from his submerged midsection.


    As soap suds drizzled into the baby''s face, Isaiah sneezed. What came out of his nose was an


    amalgam of mucus and blood; he had been sneezing that way for days. Instead of cleaning away the


    mess, Isaac paused.


    Behind him was a clean rag, but rather than turn and grab the cloth, he remained on his knees and


    inhaled. Isaiah looked up at his dad with an odd re on his tiny face.


    Isaac closed his eyes at that moment and allowed his ring nostrils to take in the aroma of fresh blood


    that was drooling from his son''s upper lip. Right then, from seemingly out of nowhere, Isaac heard


    yellinge from the living room. Startled, he quickly opened his eyes and looked up to see the baby


    licking his own mucus.


    Immediately, he turned and snatched the rag from behind and wiped the child''s nosepletely clean.


    He then grabbed the boy out of the tub before rushing both himself and his wet and naked son into the


    living room to find something very unusual...the room was gone.


    Isaac stood and watched with downright stunned eyes at crashing waves, a bright sun beaming down


    and a young, ck girl running away from a shirtless ck man down a sandy beach. He never


    questioned where or why the scene was inside Lyte''s living room, all Isaac could do was stand in


    complete silence and watch as the two individuals gave chase until the girl came upon a small, wooden


    shack that was located directly in the middle of the beach.


    Screaming for all that she was worth, the girl ran through the door, only to have the ravenous ck


    man trap her inside. To Isaac, the girl appeared somewhat familiar, but the man was as recognizable as


    his own face in the mirror. It just happened to be the same man that had been invading his life ever


    since his first transformation way back in November.The girl''s clothes were already torn and tattered to


    where all she had left was her ragged skirt.


    With a pair of white eyes and blood stained fangs, the man slowly stalked the petrified girl until he was


    able to grab her by the arms and restrain her. The man then opened wide his jaws and tore right into


    the girl''s neck. All the youngdy could do was holler until her pleas went dead silent. Her skinny body


    seemingly went limp. Isaac could see her eyes, her lifeless eyes, stare up at him as if she knew he


    were right there along with her as the beastly man snarled and tore away at her flesh like a wild and


    famished animal.


    And just like that, as mysteriously as it appeared from out of nowhere, was as inexplicably as the scene


    vanished right before Isaac''s frazzled eyes.


    Gathering what little breath he had left inside his lungs, Isaac inhaled, "That''s how it happened." He


    held Isaiah up in his arms. "That''s how she became that...thing. That man did it." He endlessly droned


    on. "You see, she has to know how to stop it. If I could only find her, then it would all be over, son. It


    would all be over...we could be happy all over again."


    "Isaac...what are you doing?" Lyte''s voice spoke out behind Isaac.


    With a confounded expression on his face, Isaac''s head twisted ever so slightly till his eyes connected


    with hers. The bones in his neck could be heard cracking and straining.


    Lyte stood at the front door, holding a brown paper bag in her hand and wincing at not only the vile


    sounds that she hearding from Isaac''s body, but also at the creepy re in her man''s eyes.


    Without saying another word, she dropped the bag to the floor, stepped over and immediately snatched


    Isaiah from Isaac''s grip.


    Isaac remained still for a minute more before he eventually limped past her on his way over to the coat


    rack where he grabbed his coat and steadily walked out of the house.

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25


    Without looking back, Linus shut the door to the empty, grey bricked interrogation room before sitting


    himself down behind the small desk that was ced directly in the middle of the cement floor. Besides


    the bathrooms, it was the only ce in the entire police station where an officer could grab a piece of


    momentary privacy.


    On the desk sat a tan telephone that wasyered from top to bottom with multicolored transfer buttons.


    The man loosened his blue spotted tie for more neck room.Linus sat and stared nkly at the phone


    on the table in the interrogation room as though it were a bomb ready to go off at any second. His stiff


    right hand wanted more than anything to pick up the receiver, but the circuitry in his brain wasn''t


    exactly prepared to register such a strenuous task yet.


    He looked up at the blurry window ahead of him in the door to seerge silhouettes pass by in the


    hallway. Back and forth his eyes zoomed, from the door to the phone, until atst his hand managed to


    disobey the ongoing orders that his brain had been receiving.


    Slowly, he punched the number nine and seven more numbers after that one. As if he could sense a


    ping right at his face, Linus clinched his body in anticipation for an answer.


    "Hello?" A young, female''s voice eagerly spoke.


    "Hey there, kiddo, how are you?" Linus cleared his dry throat, just grateful to hear the girl''s yful


    voice.


    "I''m find, dad." The girl giddily replied. "How are you doing?"


    "Not bad, I just called to see how everything was going with youdies."


    "It''s going pretty good, I guess." She sighed.


    "You guess?"


    "Well...I guess I''d better get it out in the open before mom tells you. I got a D in algebra."


    Linus dly exhaled before asking, "What are you doing getting a D, Tabitha? You''re a smart girl. And


    just what are you doing home from school today anyways?"


    "I know, dad, it''s just...algebra is so damn hard, and our teacher is such a witch. The teachers are


    having their conferences, by the way."


    "Does your mother know that you''re using that king ofnguage, youngdy?"


    "Sorry. So darn hard," Tabitha groaned.


    Smiling, Linus said, "You just have to keep working at it. You may not realize it now, but that witch of a


    teacher could be the best thing to ever happen to you."


    "I suppose so. So, uh...we all heard about what happened up there in Cuyahoga. How you caught that


    kidnapper and all."


    "I didn''t catch anyone; something else beat us to the punch."


    "Yeah, well at least it''s all over now."


    "For now, or until the next perves crawling out of the sewer." Linus sighed before taking a long


    breath. "How''s your sister doing?"


    Tabitha hesitated at first before replying, "She''s okay. She still won''t eat much. Mom says she eats like


    grandma used to when she was still alive."


    "Like a bird?" Linus'' smile shrank.


    "Something like that."


    "Listen, uh, is your mom around by any chance?"


    "Yeah, she''s in the kitchen. Do you want me to go and get her?"


    "Would you please, honey?" Linus held his breath and tightened his fists. In the background he could


    hear Tabitha''s mother speaking. He could tell just by her distant tenor that he was thest person she


    wanted to talk to.


    "Hello?" The woman answered in a mncholy nature as though she were being inconvenienced.


    "Hi there," Linus perked up. "How are you?"


    "I''m fine, Linus. How are you?" She defensively replied.


    "Not bad, not bad. I just called to see how everything was."


    "Everything is going just fine." The woman sarcastically said.


    "Tabi tells me that Liz is still...still not eating."


    The woman sighed, "Well, after what she went through, eating is probably thest thing on her mind.


    I''m d that you were able to catch your kidnapper, though. Were you able to find whatever it was that


    killed him?"


    "No, not yet," Linus rolled his eyes. "But I didn''t call to talk about that."


    "What did you call about then, Linus?"


    "Actually, I was wondering if it...if I coulde down this weekend and see you guys."


    There was an inted pause over the phone at that instant. Linus held his breath and shut his eyes.


    "Linus...I don''t think that would be a very good idea; at least not yet."


    Sitting back in his seat, Linus asked, "And why not, Alice? I haven''t seen the girls since Thanksgiving,


    for Christ''s sake."


    "Linus, you just got off of a case that you''ve been working on sincest September."


    "What does that have to do with anything?"


    "You know full well how you get too involved in your cases. You bring them home with you. I don''t think


    it would be wise to bring this particr one all the way down to Xenia."


    Linus dropped his head to the table and rubbed his blushing face in anguish. "I only wish you could


    have seen the girl we found in that madman''s basement, Alice. The look on that child''s face," Linus


    gulped. "She looked just like¡ª


    "Stoppit, Linus! Just stoppit!" Alice furiously screamed into the phone. "Do you see what I mean? I don''t


    want to know what happened down in some murderer''s basement, and I surely don''t want our


    daughters to know! Elizabeth is a vegetable, and you want toe all the way here with that hanging


    over your head?"


    "I need to see them!" Linus suddenly roared into the phone.


    There sat another stretch of silence before Alice calmly uttered in a condescending tone, "And you


    wonder why we left."


    Linus pulled the phone away from his ear and began to massage his pulsating temples as though they


    were ready to explode.


    "Linus, just give yourself some time. Give us all some time; perhaps around spring, when all of this has


    finally died down. When Liz is better, then...then maybe you cane."


    Without replying, Linus mmed the receiver down before shoving the phone away. He held his aching


    head in his hands while sitting at the desk and brooding over his daughters'' faces, as well as the smug


    manner in which his wife carried on during their conversation. He wanted to tear right through the


    phone. Not once did the thought of saying goodbye even enter his brain.


    Right then, the phone rang. The red button on the bottom repeatedly shed. Linus reluctantly picked


    up the line and soberly answered, "This is Bruin."


    "Hey, buddy, the old man wants to see us." Fitzpatrick adamantly announced.


    "Okay," Linus sighed, "I''m on my way." The detective hung up the phone, straitened his tie and


    marched towards the door.


    The second he stepped out into the busy hallway, he found himself instantaneously bombarded by the


    vibrant sights and sounds of ringing telephones, arguing hookers and every day, garden variety thugs


    being carried in from off the cold streets for whatever crimes that hadmitted. He secured his gun


    belt around his shoulder and began down a long, grubby hallway that led to an equally dingy stairwell.


    "Hey!" Fitzpatrick called out while rounding the corner with a man folder in hand.


    Slightly rmed, Linus looked back with a morose ze on his face and asked, "How did you know I


    was in interrogation?"


    "It''s not hard to put two and two together." n said before both he and Linus started up the stairs.


    "How is everyone?"


    "Same as usual," Linus shrugged.


    "You sure," n nced at the man.


    "Yeah," Linus kept his eyes to the passing wall.


    As they reached the third floor, both men just happened to stop right in the middle of the hallway beside


    a water fountain.


    "Same as usual," n asked with a hard stare into Linus'' eyes.


    Linus dropped his head as to not allow his partner to see his misty eyes; he then looked back up and


    asked, "You and Peggy got any ns this weekend"


    n red at Linus with a glum appearance on his chunky face, looking as if the words that he wanted


    to say were still trapped inside his head. With a straight face, n bellyached, "I missed ''The Battle of


    the Network Stars''st night, dammit."


    Linus chuckled before sarcastically asking, "Oh darn, you mean to tell me that you missed ''Rerun''


    leaping his big self over a hurdle?"


    "Make fun if you want, but it''s the only thing on TV that Peggy and I actually enjoy together, if you can


    believe that."


    "Hey, you guys, the captain is waiting." Officer Donaldson feverishly motioned from her desk.


    Linus and n carried on to the captain''s office. The second Linus opened the door, the powerful


    aroma of cigarette smoke almost immediately struck him across the face.


    "C''mon in, you two," the gruff, country speaking captain ordered as he put out his cigarette in the ss


    ashtray that sat on the edge of his cluttered desk.


    He was an older white man in his early sixties. His nearly bald head was littered with liver spots while


    his thin build suggested that life on the force had taken its toll on his body. His rugged facial feathers


    were straight out of a Marlboro magazine ad,plete with a thick mustache and ice cold blue eyes.


    "Well, if it isn''t Starsky and Hutch, in the flesh." The captain coughed while gesturing for the detectives


    to take a seat in the two chairs in front of his desk.


    "Damn TV show." n griped, taking his seat."


    "Thought you''d quit that, especially since you''re carrying a cold." Linus said as he sat down next to


    n.


    "The cigarette has nothing to do with this cold I have." The captain hacked again. "When you have a


    wife that teaches second graders, she''s bound to bring home some of their germs sooner orter.


    Congrattions, by the way."


    "Everyone keeps congratting me, but I wasn''t the one who ended it all." Linus modestly turned away.


    "Perhaps not, but quite frankly, it''s all over now. But, speaking of the one who ended it all, I was just


    listening to this tape right before you two stepped in." The captain said before pressing the y button


    on Cummins'' tape recorder.


    Everyone gathered listened to the beast''s roars and snarls all over again. Linus sulked in his seat like a


    five year old, still not believing that it was only a day removed from first hearing it.


    "Poor schmuck," the captain offhandedly mumbled while pushing the off button. "He barely got a word


    out before getting the ax."


    "Yeah, poor baby," n arrogantly sucked his teeth.


    "Now, so far I''ve been getting a lot of feedback about this thing being a wolf, or something of that


    nature. But what everyone around this ce seems to forget is that I was born and raised out in the


    hills of Montana, and in all my years I''ve never heard a wolf sound anything like that. And believe me, I


    know exactly what a wolf sounds like. Hearing a wolf out there is asmon as hearing a car horn


    here in the city. This damn thing sounds like it''s from the mouth of hell itself." The captain exined.


    "Well, sir," n shrugged, "we have reason to believe that we may be dealing with something else,


    perhaps a bear, maybe."


    "Knock, knock." Brice gaily chimed as he opened the captain''s door ever so slightly.


    "Come on in, Patrick." The captain said.


    "Sorry to barge in like this." The young man humbly panted as if he had been running while holding two


    green folders underneath his right armpit. "I was told that you three would be here, so I just thought I''d


    go ahead and bring my data as well."


    "Whaddya got?" The captain asked while leaning back in his creaky wooden chair.


    Nervously rummaging through one of the folders, the young forensic examiner said, "Well, three things.


    First off, I ran the animal''s recording through the voice analyzer. Believe it or not, this is not a wolf, or


    even a bear for that matter. The machine keeps telling me that the sound is unrecognizable." Brice


    gasped.


    "Calm down, son." The captain motioned. "Just slow down and breathe for a second."


    "Wait a minute." Linus stepped in. "You mean to stand there and say that our so called state-of-the art


    equipment couldn''t tell you what this thing is?"


    "Hold on, Linus, there''s more." Brice continued to grab air.


    "There always is." n sighed.


    "I also ran an analysis on the fur follicles we found. It''s all wolf hair, every single strand. But on top of


    that, and you''re not gonna believe this. The saliva I found in the church...it''s human saliva."


    The entire room at that moment grew eerily quiet. The captain, Linus and n all looked up at Brice


    with sour expressions on their warm faces; not a single hint of emotion could be seen. They possessed


    the appearance of someone who could sense that the world as they knew it would end the very next


    day.


    Brice stood by the door, waiting to see or hear what was going to take ce next.


    "Close the door, son." The captain calmly ordered.


    With apletely pale face, Brice did asmanded before standing straight and still in front of his


    superior.


    The captain then eyeballed the nervous young man while slipping his frail fingers into the other before


    asking in aposed and dignified demeanor, "Son...just what do you suppose we do with that bit of


    information? Do you think it''s wise that we just allow you, or anyone else for that matter, to leak that out


    to the public? This is a police station, not The National Enquirer."


    All Linus could do was sit and watch Brice, who was still stuck in statue mode, stare at the captain as if


    he were a medieval warlord of sorts.


    "Now, here''s what I want you to do. I want you to strike everything you just mentioned about that saliva


    off the te, right now. Do you understand me?"


    "Captain," Brice uneasily smiled as though a searing hot spotlight were ring down upon him, "you''re


    not just gonna ignore this, are you?"


    The captain looked dead into the man''s eyes and simply asked, "What do you think?"


    Linus, n and Brice all looked back at the captain with the most innocent and confused poses on their


    faces as though they were locked in a moment of absolute rity.


    "Let''s just say that you got the animal''s saliva mixed up with some of the victims."


    Seemingly too wound up to be contained, Brice opened his mouth and said, "But, captain, that''s


    impossible. You see¡ª


    "Shh." The captain nodded. "We''re gonna say just that. Okay?"


    "Yes, sir," Brice hesitantly recoiled. "We''ll say that."


    "As a matter of fact, let''s all say that. Let''s pretend this is ''Sesame Street'' and we''ll say it together.


    There was no saliva sample to speak of. n?" He pointed with his head.


    As if he had a choice in the matter, Fitzpatrick simply uttered, "There was no saliva sample."


    "Linus," the captain dead-eyed the man. "No saliva sample, sir."


    "Brice?"


    "No sample, Captain." The young man blushed while grudgingly stuffing his all-important data back into


    its folder.


    "Good. Now, what about this wolf hair?"


    "Well, it''s one hundred percent wolf fur alright. No doubt about it."


    "But your analyzer, or whatever it is, said that it wasn''t a wolf. How do you exin that?"


    "Captain, I didn''t make the thing, I just operate it." Brice haplessly shrugged.


    "Not unless we''re talking about the quote, unquote, Jaws of all wolves. Something that''s super big and


    running free and loose out there somewhere." Linus elucidated.


    "Yeah, you didn''t see the size of those holes that it left behind, Captain." n added. "It seemed pretty


    damn big to us. God help anyone if something like that is out there on the loose."


    "Captain, I measured this thing''s strides in the snow. It has a...foot size of at least sixteen. Just on all


    fours, it measured up to six and a half feet long. Assuming this thing is capable of standing, like a


    bipedal, I''d say it was possibly close to seven feet tall." Brice said.


    The captain once again leaned back in his seat and nced over at the gloomy sky outside his frosted


    window.


    "Summit County police aren''t equipped to handle such a thing." The captain sulked while spinning back


    around. "And quite frankly, neither are we. We''ve got entirely too much to handle here in the big city to


    be chasing after some overgrown...whatever. But I was thinking, right before you fes came in here.


    All of this sounds damn familiar. Do you guys remember that incident back in November, with those


    Haitians or Jamaican''s, or whatever the hell they were?"


    "Yeah," Linus spoke up, "Brice mentioned that yesterday. Something just broke into that house and tore


    those guys apart. Who covered that one?"


    "Wilson." The captain answered. "Both he and his wife finally took that vacation to Hawaii. I guess they


    watched that Brady Bunch episode with Vincent Price one too many times."


    Linus, n and Brice all sniggered while shaking their heads.


    "I do remember Wilson saying something about some hair being left behind." Brice pondered. "I sure


    wish I were there to pick some up."


    "So that means either we have two of these things running around, or the same animal is hitting


    different cities." n examined.


    "Here''s how it''s gonna go." The captain said, cing his hands on his desk and leaning forward with a


    serious presence behind his mustache. "Cummins is dead. That now leaves us with something that is


    possibly even more dangerous. So, it killed three drug dealers and a sicko car salesman. Big fucking


    deal. As far as I''m concerned, we''re all better off. But two nights ago, it managed to break into a house


    and kill four little girls and their parents. Inside their own damn home," the captain strongly rified.


    "We here at the Cypress P.D. don''t hunt animals. We''re police officers, not animal control. But, if this


    one thing can take out fourrge men on its own, then we''ve got one helluva problem on our hands,


    gentlemen. Personally, I don''t wanna wait another three months for it to strike again."


    "Well, what do we do, hire an old time search posse?" n snickered to himself.


    "That''s exactly what we do, Fitz, for now at least." The captain remarked. "I want you to put a task force


    together by the end of the day. No more than four men. Hook up with Cuyahoga Falls and the highway


    patrol. We all seemed to work pretty well with each other these past few months; I don''t see why the


    love affair should end now. Let''s see if we can put some of those country boys to work; I''m sure they''ll


    enjoy the change of pace."


    "Yes, sir," n said, promptly wiping the cheesy grin from off his face and exiting the office.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    "Brice, I want you to retrieve Wilson''s file and see if you can dig up something more on this thing. As I


    was telling Bruin and Fitz before you dropped by, I''ve never heard a wolf sound like this thing before."


    "I''m on it, Captain." Brice, with a dower expression on his face, replied as he too bolted out the door.


    The moment the door mmed shut, Linus sat back and rxed into the wooden chair that he was


    attached to. For a few brief moments there melted a quaint silence between he and the captain that


    actually feltfortable.


    "So, it took you six months, but you finally did it." The captain smirked at Linus.


    A forced grin graced Linus'' face at that second. He was visibly weary of all the attention that was being


    tossed at him from every direction.


    "Finally," he apprehensively muttered. "I''m just d that it''s over."


    The captain sat and stared unceasingly at Linus in humble adoration before saying, "I know how bad


    you wanted to kill him, Linus."


    Linus slumped his limp body into his seat as though his bones were melting into jelly. The anger that


    had been foaming up inside of him for the past few months was all but wasted energy, by then, there


    wasn''t an outlet of any kind to expunge it all.


    "How''s Elizabeth doing?"


    Linus pressed his lips together before saying, "The same."


    "Are you going to go see her?"


    Linus ducked his head and said, "Alice doesn''t think it would be a good idea just yet."


    "For crying out loud, your twelve year old daughter was raped, and she thinks that it wouldn''t be a good


    idea for her own father toe and see her?" The captain grumbled.


    "I know, Roy." Linus breathed as he lifted his head back up. "I still can''t get that Cohen girl out of my


    damn head. I still haven''t finished all my paperwork. I feel like I''m trapped inside a Karen Carpenter


    song, for God''s sake."


    "Take the rest of the day off then, you''ve earned that much."


    "And do what, go back home and be alone? Do you know what daytime TV can do to a person?" Linus


    grimaced. "I need to stay active."


    The captain shoved aside a collection of papers before pulling out a paper clipped bundle from


    underneath the stack.


    "I didn''t bring this up when the others were in here but, what about this Mercer fe? What''s his story?"


    "Not quite sure yet," Linus sat up. "When n and I went over to his fianc¨¦''s house yesterday evening,


    the guy was wrapped in a nket like a mummy. Judging by his face, it looked as if Cummins had


    worked him over pretty badly."


    "Just how in the hell did he end up escaping not only Cummins, but the animal also?"


    "He can''t seem to remember."


    "Bullshit." The captain obstinately pointed. "He remembers something. You don''t go through all of that


    ande out with a nk memory. You''re not gonna sit there and tell me that he just up and walked all


    the way home. Cuyahoga Falls is forty-five minutes away. Did you ever find out who he was talking to


    at that diner?"


    "Judging by the shifty way he was behaving in front of his fianc¨¦e, I''d say our man was meeting up with


    someone. I didn''t want to bring up the subject; I figured that he''d been through enough as it was. But,


    there was one thing, among many, that seemed out of ce."


    "What''s that?"


    "Either my eyes are going bad, or he looked taller than he was described to us by the waitress. That


    woman said that Mercer stood about six foot or so. I looked this guy up and down. Either he was


    standing on something, or else he just suddenly got one helluva growth spurt overnight."


    "When does he n on showing up for a statement?"


    "He never gave an approximate time. I''ll give ''em till this evening."


    "And I wanna be here when he does show up. He can''t y the Manchurian Candidate role forever."


    The captain adamantly responded while studying Isaac''s record that was lying on his desk in front of


    him. "Born January 12th, 1957. Father''s name, Charles. Mother, Lucy Mae...deceased."


    "His father was an interesting trip to say the least."


    "How''s that," the captain asked, still reading over his paper.


    "Before n and I left his house yesterday, he practically ordered us not to forget the fact that his son


    wasn''t crazy."


    "Hello?" The captain suddenly buzzed to life.


    "What''s up?" Linus shot up from out of his chair.


    "I don''t flipping believe it. This joker was the sole survivor of that muttion back in November."


    Linus'' eyes perked up also. "Is that right?"


    "You bet."


    "Judging by the shifty way he was behaving yesterday, I''d bet bottom dor he was dealing along with


    the other fes. Perhaps he was meeting up with a contact over in Cuyahoga."


    "Says here he''s got a clean record," the captain mentioned. "Never been arrested or any of the sort."


    "So what the hell was he doing at that house that night? And better yet, how did he manage not to be


    swallowed up by our animal friend? Talk about the luck of the Irish."


    "We''ve got to bring this joker in, Linus, before the sun sets on this city." The captain smirked. "Either


    he''s the luckiest son of a bitch alive, or we may have another suspect that we''ve overlooked all this


    time."


    "I''m on it." Linus intently replied as he leaned forward, far enough to where he could smell the captain''s


    smoke riddle breath. "I was thinking about going over to Saint Tituster...to see the Cohen girl."


    "Do you think that''s wise?" The captain doubtfully queried with worry in his eyes.


    With a in face, Linus said, "No."


    From there, the man turned and walked out of the captain''s office. As soon as he closed the door


    behind him, he caught sight of Brice standing over an attractive female officer''s desk in the rear of the


    busy room.


    Linus criss-crossed desk after desk until he reached the man who appeared more upset than flirtatious


    towards the young woman who was steadily typing away.


    "Pat, can I get your ear for a second?"


    Brice, with his folders gripped tightly in his hands, stepped away from the officer''s desk and followed


    Linus who was heading into the hallway.


    "What now?" Brice asked in a frustrated manner.


    "Listen, before you throw a bitch-fit at the whole station, just understand what you''reing at the


    captain with. You may think that you''ve stumbled upon the Loch-Ness Monster, but in the captain''s


    eyes, it''s all smoke and mirrors."


    "Smoke and mirrors," Brice strongly contended. "Linus, the data is never wrong! It''s all right here!"


    "Put that away." Linus tried to calm the man down. "Not yet, okay? Not yet. You may think that


    everyone here is out to get rid of you, but it''s just not that way. You still got a lot to learn."


    Brice looked away as though he were about two seconds from jumping out the nearest window and


    away from the whole situation altogether.


    "I need for you to answer me something."


    "What''s that?" Brice looked back.


    "The fur samples," Linus carefully said. "Did you notice anything...peculiar about them when you


    performed your analysis?"


    Brice red at the detective with a weird contort on his pudgy face and asked, "Peculiar in what other


    way than what I discovered already?"


    Linus bobbed his head from side to side as though he were trying to convince the man that what he


    was searching for was right in front of his face already.


    "I don''t know...perhaps some fire?" Linus gulped.


    "Fire," Brice squirmed. "Detective, what is this all about?"


    "Look, all I need to know is...did anything happen when you analyzed the fur?"


    "Nothing that shouldn''t have happened, I suppose." Brice simply shrugged.


    Linus cut his eyes away from the man''s cynical face as fast as he could; too bashful to admit what he


    experienced just a few short hours earlier inside his apartment.


    "Forget it, I need sleep, lots and lots of sleep." Linus exhaled, patting Brice on the back before heading


    down the stairs that led to the second floor and into the melee that was the police station.

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26


    Nearly two hourster Linus found himself face to face with Leroy Cummins'' house once again. He sat


    inside his cruiser moping over the gut-wrenching fact that there were dead human beings gathered


    inside just a day earlier.


    Upon finishing all of the paperwork that he had set aside the day before, Linus needed to escape the


    disorderly confines of the station. As luck would have it, he chose a murderer''s homestead to find


    sce.


    In his head, it was all like putting together a thousand piece puzzle in the dark; no matter how hard he


    tried to gather everything mentally, nothing seemed to connect, the emotions and memories kept


    slipping through his fingers like water.


    Linus pulled the keys out of the ignition, got out of the car and sheepishly stepped forward to the front


    door. The sharp wind seared straight through his heavy coat, leaving his chest nearly frostbitten. In


    vivid color he recalled the sights and sounds of men carrying body bags out of the home one by one.


    There the man stood at the front door of one of Cuyahoga Falls'' wealthiest former residents. He


    remained face to face with the door as if it were supposed to open at the very sight of him before he


    suddenly remembered that just about every door to the home was locked, which meant that only an


    exterior tour would have to ease his inquisitive cravings for the time being.


    He stepped down from off the doorstep and made his way around to the back of the house where the


    wind just happened to be even more spiteful than it was up front.


    Upon reaching the spacious backyard the pping of stic could be heard loud and clear. The hole in


    the wall was covered with tworgeyers of stic that were nearlying apart at the seams,


    thanks to the severe wind that was pushing against it.


    "Hey there, buddy!" A young, white highway patrolman hollered from the other side of a chain-link


    fence.


    Linus spun around to see the man hop over the fence with his right hand clutching his sidearm that was


    still lodged in its holster.


    "You can''t be here, mister!"


    Linus ever so carefully pulled out his badge from his pants pocket and held it up for the patrolman to


    see in in sight.


    "Detective Linus Bruin," he called out in a stutter. "Cypress Police!"


    The officer stared closer at the detective before removing his trigger happy hand away from the butt of


    this gun.


    "I''m sorry, sir." The officer humbly blushed, scratching his thin, blonde mustache. "I thought you were


    another reporter or another kid trying to get in there again."


    Slipping his shield back into his pocket, Linus said, "Don''t mention it. I didn''t mean to intrude."


    "You''re not intruding." The officer waved. "It''s just thatst night, after all the others left from here, we


    got some reports of some kids running around, trying to get in. The little bastards even tried to tear


    down the stic you guys put up."


    "Is that right?"


    "Yeah," the officer panted heavily. "Hey." He gazed on at Linus. "You''re that guy that¡ª


    "I''m gonna stop you right there, Officer¡ª


    "Oh, Officer Stamp, sir," the young man smiled.


    "Officer Stamp. I''m gonna tell you the same thing I''ve told just about everyone else that wants to give


    me kudos. I got here toote."


    "Yeah, maybe, but at least the guy is gone."


    Linus turned around to face the mildewed stic. "Just how many times have you guys been out here


    sincest night?"


    "Um, I think about maybe seven times or so."


    "Seven times," Linus gasped. "Yeah, this ce is real famous, or infamous. We kept getting calls from


    folks that live near here saying that they keep seeing kids peeking in there."


    Linus turned, cracked a cynical smirk and asked, "Folks that live near here?"


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    "That''s right."


    "I suppose those same folks that saw those kids just happened to miss all those bodies that Cummins


    brought up in here these past few months, huh?"


    Officer Stamp ufortably lowered his head and mumbled, "I guess so, Detective."


    "I''m not beating up on you, son, it just...amazes me."


    Officer Stamp nced at the house before saying, "I still can''t believe that it was Leroy Cummins of all


    people. My dad bought hisst two cars from that guy. He seemed like a real nice fellow."


    "That''s what people are saying...but." Linus shrugged.


    "Um, did you want to go in there? I mean, we can tear a hole in the stic if there''s something you


    need."


    Linus paused, trying to remember why he even bothered to drivepletely out of his way in the first


    ce.


    "Uh...that''s okay." He took a nervous nce of the house. "I just saw everything that I needed to see."


    "Yep, I guessing back to the scene of a crime always haunts a person." Stamp remarked while


    taking a peek over Linus'' shoulder. "I''m still having a hard time figuring out just what in the world could


    have that big of a foot."


    Linus turned around to see the paw prints, along with traces of blood still lined in the snow on the


    ground. Every other second the spark of arge animal''s face would appear before his eyes. He had


    been trying in vain since the day before to imagine what it could possibly look like.


    Teetering back and forth with his hands in his coat pockets, Stamp said, "God help us all if that thing


    attacks again."


    "If you saw what it did to Cummins, then I guarantee that not even God himself can help anyone." Linus


    stated.


    "I still can''t believe what it did to the Sanders down the road there."


    "Were you familiar with the family?"


    "Sure was." Stamp replied with a pessimistic grin on his face. "The mother and girls were really nice,


    but the dad, Gary, that guy was a character."


    "How do you mean?"


    "Well, he would always beat on his wife, Sarah. Every so often, she would call the police on the


    asshole, but Gary had a few connections down at the station, if you catch my drift."


    Linus twisted his lips and said, "I''m afraid I do, officer."


    "Well, all I know is that those girls didn''t deserve any of what they got the other night. You think you''re


    safe, and then...then something like this happens."


    Linus exhaled before looking back at the house and then turning back to Stamp. "Tell me something,


    besides snooping kids, have you or yourrades noticed anything out of the ordinary here sincest


    night?"


    Stamp stood in ce at that very moment. He took his hands out of his pockets and folded his arms.


    He then peered deeply into Linus'' eyes as though the question had offended him.


    "I don''t know." Stamp seemed nervous to utter. "I''m not supposed to say anything about it. I''m sorta


    sworn to secrecy on the whole subject. But since you''re the one that cracked the case, I guess it''s


    okay."


    Linus braced himself, and that''s all he did. He didn''t budge or even blink. All he could do was stand and


    wait for the man to speak; and the sooner Stamp exined the situation, the sooner Linus himself


    could breathe again.


    "Last night, two of our guys were patrolling out here, just like they do every night, nothing out of the


    ordinary. Well, when they got down to the Sanders'' house, they see the downstairs lightsing off


    and on. So, they go into the house, and in the living room they said they saw a naked, colored guy


    sitting in a corner, talking to himself. When they asked the guy what he was doing there, the guy gets


    up, runs down to the basement, and...just vanishes. They couldn''t find him anywhere. Mind you, we


    don''t see too many cks around these parts, but this guy waspletely butt naked." Stamp


    eximed.


    All Linus could do at that point was continue to stand. To say that he was frozen in ce would have


    been clich¨¦. He was drowning within himself, trying desperately toe up for air.


    Clearing his throat, Linus asked, "You say they never found him?"


    "That''s right."


    "Maybe he escaped through the opening where the animal came in."


    "That''s what they figured, too, but they remembered that the officers before them had boarded that


    opening shut before leaving yesterday afternoon. The guy just vanished into thin air, detective."


    Linus stood back and watched Stamp''s mustache bristle in the blowing wind before asking, "Would it


    be okay if I went there, just to check things out?"


    Grinning, Stamp answered, "You can go anywhere you need to, detective."


    "I''m d you said that." Linus grinned back while heading for his squad car.


    "Would you mind a littlepany?" Stamp followed. "It''s not that I don''t trust you or anything, it''s just


    that I don''t want you to be spooked all by yourself."


    Smiling from ear to ear, Linus said out loud, "Company? Hell, I''d rather you bring the entire Clevnd


    Browns'' squad with us!"


    Both men got into their respective vehicles and took off down the road. For Linus, what seemed to keep


    his foot so light on the gas pedal was the harrowing fact that he actually believed Stamp''s tale; every


    last bit of it.


    ***


    Just a few minutester, bothwmen arrived at the Sanders'' residence. Unlike Cummins'' home, the


    Sanders'' house appeared even more sinister in Linus'' eyes. He threw it all up to the fact that young


    lives were taken inside the ce.


    Both men dragged their snow burdened feet towards the home as if they were too afraid to walk any


    faster. Every so often Linus would turn around to see if anyone else was near or around the property.


    Right before reaching the front door, Linus could see the backyard where a pink swing set was located.


    All of the sudden the man couldn''t seem to move anymore.


    "Let''s get inside before the mother-in-w sees us." Stamp urged, pushing against the front door to get


    it open. "She lives right across the street."


    Linus had to snatch his brooding eyes away from the empty swings just to look at the young man in


    front of him barge his way inside.


    The moment the door opened, the stench of fresh blood stung his nose. Linus shut the door behind him


    and covered his mouth.


    "There''s nothing worse than that ''day after a death smell,''" Linus said in a muffled voice.


    "Really," Stamp asked. "Someone said that the animal took a dump somewhere in here before it took


    off."


    "I wouldn''t be surprised." Linus replied while listening to the furnace suddenly kick on. "Do you know if


    the officers came across any of the animal''s fur in here?"


    "Uh, I can''t say for sure." Stamp answered, trekking towards the stairwell. "Neither of them stuck


    around for long after what went down. Do you need to go upstairs?"


    Linus gawked strangely at the man as though his question were the most oundish thing he had


    heard in his life. "Uh, no thanks," he gulped. "That''s thest ce on earth I want to go. I''d rather see


    the basement."


    Stamp led Linus through the living room where the brown carpet was stained with blood, and into the


    kitchen where arge crack in the linoleum could be seen. Linus knelt down and inspected.


    "I wonder if Lou saw this." He murmured to himself.


    "Jesus H Christ." Stamp eximed, gazing on in amazement at the deep indenture. "Was the thing that


    damn big?"


    "For it to leave such a print, I''m guessing so, officer." Linus said without taking his eyes off of the dent


    in the floor.


    He then looked up at the brightened kitchen and the refrigerator that was littered with ''Holly Hobby''


    mas and school papers with the letter A written in red on the top left hand corner of each.


    "There''s the basement." Stamp announced, pointing directly at the door. "I bet you could find some


    more fur down there, considering that''s where it came through."


    Linus stood back up and neared towards the door while trying not to appear skittish in front of the


    young officer. He then cut on the light and immediately caught sight of more blood trails that were lined


    up and down the steps.


    "I honestly wouldn''t me you if you didn''t want to go down." Stamp stammered.


    Linus nced back for a moment to not only see the officer, but also an old, grey-haired white woman


    standing behind the man with a broom in hand and a hateful look on her face.


    "What in the hell are you two doing here?" She angrily screamed while waving her broom at the men in


    a defensive fashion.


    Out of shock, Linus slid down two of the steps while Stamp spun around and hollered, "Ma''am, we''re


    police officers! We''re just doing some investigating!"


    Holding on for dear life to the slick wall, Linus looked back down into the pitch ckness of the


    basement, hoping not to descend any further into its gaping mouth.


    "Ma''am, we are terribly sorry about this!" Linus panted, struggling to regain his footing. "I''m here on


    official business. This officer was escorting me."


    "I don''t care what kind of business you''re doing; I don''t want anyone else around my daughter''s house!"


    The woman irately yelled.


    "Ma''am, put the broom down or else I''ll have to take you in!" Stamp warned with shaking hands.


    "I don''t care anymore! You can go on and take me anywhere you want to! I don''t have anything more to


    live for!"


    Approaching the woman with extreme caution, Linus exined, "Ma''am, my name is Detective Linus


    Bruin. I''m from the Cypress Police Department. I''ve seen all I need to see. We''ll be on our way now."


    "Good, and don''te back here, ever again!" The old woman ranted while following both men out.


    "Don''t you people have any respect for the dead? First, some niggeres hiding out around here,


    and now this!"


    "We apologize, ma''am." Linus sheepishly remarked while both he and Stamp made their way outside to


    their vehicles.


    From a distance, Linus and Stamp watched as the woman mmed the front door shut, stood and


    waited for them to leave.


    "I could''ve arrested her for that." Stamp scornfully stated. "We''re police officers; we have every right to


    be here."


    "It''s all the better that you didn''t. She has every right to protect that house." Linus modestly responded.


    "To tell you the truth, I had no businessing out here anyways. This was supposed to be my day


    off."


    Stamp stood and stared on and on at the house before asking in a far off whisper, "Who''d want to live


    here anymore after what happened? Kind of reminds you of that incident that happened three years


    ago in New York with that family and the kid that went crazy with the shotgun."


    "You mean with the DeFeo''s?"


    "Yeah, that''s it."


    Linus looked over at Stamp with a glint of fatherly admiration in his eye. "Officer Stamp, how long have


    you been awman?"


    Stamp looked back at Linus and proudly replied, "About three years now, sir."


    Linus put his hand on Stamp''s shoulder and said, "My friend, as aw officer, you''re going to have


    remarkable days. Days that are going to be remarkably boring, remarkably great and remarkably


    ungodly. What happened inside that house two nights ago was remarkably ungodly. But as long as we


    get to go home at the end of the day and see our families, then everything just falls into ce."


    Linus and Stamp stood in front of their respective cruisers and stared on at the dreadful, empty home


    ahead of them, without another word being spoken.

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27


    "I need to speak with Doctor Sanyupta, please! Doctor Benjamin Sanyupta!" Jeremiah intently shouted


    over the phone to the operator.


    With a clutter of papers in both hands and his eyes firmly locked on the clock above the door, Jeremiah


    anxiously awaited the doctor''s speedy response.


    "Uh, yes, good morning," he jittered, dropping his papers t on the floor beneath his feet. "Or should I


    say, good evening, Doctor? Sorry to disturb you. I was just calling to fill you in on a couple of patients


    that require some much needed attention."


    "I see. What can I assist you with, Doctor?" Sanyupta replied, sounding as if he had just awoke from


    sleeping.


    "Well, first I wanted to discuss Isaac Mercer. You won''t believe this, but, Isaac was kidnapped two days


    ago."


    First, there was a long gasp, then Sanyupta appallingly uttered, "Oh my."


    "Don''t worry, I believe he is fine. ording to reports, somehow he managed to elude his captor.


    Apparently he was abducted by the B.O.D. kidnapper."


    "I''m sorry, the who?"


    "The Broad Open Daylight kidnapper," Levin sighed while rolling his eyes. "I apologize for the acronym


    usage."


    "Ahh, I understand. Tell me, how was Isaac able to gain his freedom from this individual?"


    "It''s still unknown at this time. But, the kidnapper was found murdered inside the same home where he


    took and murdered his own victims."


    "Murdered? By whom," Sanyupta inhaled.


    "More like a what," Jeremiah said. "The police say than an animal, a veryrge animal, killed this man,


    along with six others up along the Cuyahoga Valley."


    "And Isaac was able to escape unharmed?"


    "That''s correct. I would love to know just how he was able to do so."


    "Wait a minute, just what was Isaac doing up in Cuyahoga Falls?"


    "I''m not quite sure, sir."


    "Are you seeing him again this month?"


    "As a matter of fact, he has an appointment on the 28th. But I wanted to bring that incident to your


    attention, as well as a curiosity. I saw Isaacst week, and I was not aware that he was bilingual."


    "Ahh," Sanyupta chuckled, "I see you havee across that phenomenon as well. I am afraid that


    Isaac does not speak anothernguage, rather, he is speaking backwards."


    Jeremiah''s mouth grew dry at that second, trying to find the words to exin his sudden confusion.


    "Backwards, you say?"


    "Precisely," Sanyutpta sounded confident. "I too was taken aback at first. He and I were having a


    conversation one day back in December, and out of nowhere, he begins to speak what I assumed at


    first to be apletely different vernacr. I reyed the tape recorder over again during our


    discussion when it suddenly urred to me to y it backwards."


    "And just what exactly was he saying? If you don''t mind me asking."


    "Mostly obscene words of the four letter variety," Sanyupta sighed. "Some random sayings about blood.


    I believe his final words that particr day were something to the effect of structures copsing and a


    fateful train ride. Once again, random gibberish. Just the rants of a person who has endured a


    traumatic experience. Even his very tone seemingly changed. One would possibly believe that he was,


    dare I say, possessed, if you subscribe to such a preposterous notion that is."


    "I see." Jeremiah slowly spoke as he scribbled down words on a sheet of paper that was lying on his


    desk in front of him. "Well, as I mentioned, I will be seeing Isaac againter this month."


    Jeremiah kept on speaking with Sanyupta. His lips were moving, but his mind was far from the


    conversation. Even when the subject switched from Isaac and to another issue, the man''s thoughts


    remained solely upon Isaac.


    Somehow, even with the knowledge that Isaac was free from his captor, Jeremiah could still see the


    young man in some sort of distress; an agony that he himself would fear in a nightmare.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ***


    Rubbing his aching neck, Isaac stood in the back corner of the elevator and watched with hungry,


    scurvy eyes as the overweight, young white woman in front of him squirmed from side to side as


    though her elevatorpanion were readying himself for an all-out assault upon her.


    Isaac scratched his unshaven face up and down as if his own skin were on fire. In his eyes there was


    really nothing attractive about the woman. He wasn''t interested in looks, just smells. He inhaled her


    strong perfume with just about everyst ounce of lung power he could muster until his nostrils began


    to twinge.


    The woman nervously nced back at the young man while gripping her purse that was wrapped


    around her shoulder.


    When his nose could no longer breathe in any more fumes, his body unclenched itself. Isaac leaned up


    against the wall and stuffed his cold hands into his coat pockets.


    Just then, the elevator stopped. The very instant the door slid open, like a passing wind, the woman


    sailed out and into the hallway as though she were being chased down.


    Isaac remained up against the wall while a crass grin blessed his swollen face. Realizing that he had


    arrived at his floor, the young man nonchntly limped out into the quiet warmness of the soft-colored


    hallway.


    ''Moonlight in Vermont'' was ying in the speakers above his head as he walked on. Cream colored,


    block-like arrows pointing people in the right direction lined the walls that young Mercer passed by as


    his head hung low to the carpeted floor beneath his sore feet.


    Without even looking up to see if he had arrived at the correct locale, Isaac pushed open the door and


    noticed right away Doctor Levin talking on the phone.


    "Isaac?" Jeremiah choked, hanging up the phone.


    "How you doin'', man," Isaac cracked azy smile while dropping himself onto the leather couch as if he


    owned the ce.


    Levin, with a face ofplete disorientation, sat himself down beside Isaac, took off his sses, and


    with outstretched hands asked, "Isaac...are you okay?"


    Without looking in Levin''s direction, Isaac said, "Yeah, man. I''ve just been through some stufftely."


    "Some stuff is a helluva of an understatement, my friend." Jeremiah eximed while examining Isaac''s


    face. "Isaac...I honestly don''t know what to say. I...I can''t believe you''re here. How did you even get


    here?"


    "I took the bus all the way out here, man. I just needed someone to talk to." Isaac lethargically replied,


    sounding as though he were ready to fall right asleep. "I''ve been freebasing coffee ever since this


    morning. I don''t wanna go to sleep ever again."


    "Well," Levin briefly sighed while ncing at the clock above his head, "I have an appointment with a


    patient in about twenty minutes or so, but I guess you and I can talk until then. I just have to ask, how


    were you able to escape that kidnapper? It''s all over the news."


    Isaac let out a hearty, hapless bellyugh before saying, "Man, everyone has been asking me that


    same question since yesterday. Truth is, I can hardly remember anything that happened the other day."


    "Well, what was thest thing you remember? The news keeps saying that you were seen over in


    Cuyahoga Falls. What were you doing out there?"


    Isaac immediately shot up from off the couch and began to pace the floor in front of the doctor. There


    was so much rambling chaos cluttering his brain that pulling out one thought seemed to drain his


    already depleted energy.


    "I had to see someone up there. Someone very important," Isaac carried on. "I had to see the woman


    that made me."


    "Made you?" Jeremiah shrugged with strange eyes.


    "Yeah...made me into this," Isaac pointed to himself. "Just this morning, I saw how she was made, and


    I needed to find her so she could tell me how to reverse everything."


    "I take it you''re referring to your so called Lycanthropy?"


    Isaac stopped his incessant pacing to give the doctor a strange scowl, as if the word werepletely


    foreign to his nature.


    "Isaac, you''ve got to understand, there''s no such thing as that. It''s nothing more than guilt." Levin


    urged.


    Isaac faced the window and nted his hands back into his coat pockets. He then closed his eyes,


    inhaled the fresh new carpet smell of the office and said, "I think I''m ready to tell you what happened


    back at that house."


    "You mean back at Leroy Cummins'' house?"


    "No...back in November."


    "Oh...I see." Jeremiah softly reacted.


    All Isaac could hear was Jeremiah''s body settling into the leather couch. The very moment the man


    stopped moving, Isaac opened his eyes.


    "Me and Lynn were arguing Thanksgiving afternoon. So I got pissed and went over to Karyn''s ce."


    "Who''s Karyn?"


    "Some broad I met back at the garage where I was working. She and I had been messing around since


    October." Isaac steadily exined. "So anyways, I went over to her ce, we did it, and then she


    suggests that we go over to some guys'' pad to y poker."


    "Isaac, you don''t have to tell me all of this." Jeremiah sat up on the couch."


    Isaac then turned around and stared at Levin while saying, "No, I need this, for me. You see, me and


    Karyn get over there, and these Jamaican cats are there smokin'' and drinkin''. There''s drugs and guns


    everywhere. For the first hour or so, everything is going alright. Then one of the Jamaican guys starts


    yelling at Karyn. He thinks that she''s cheating him out of some money. Next thing you know, they all


    jump up and start beating her like she was a dude. I hate to admit it, but I got scared. I ran into the


    closet and hid. There these cats are just kicking and beating this woman half to death, and I''m in the


    closet like a little bitch."


    "Isaac, were you ever able to find Karyn in Cuyahoga?"


    "Yes, but that''s not important now." Isaac''s eyes began to water. "You see, when they got through with


    her, they starting after me. And that''s when I heard this sound. At first, I''m thinking they got a dog


    up in there, but it doesn''t sound like a regr dog. Those men turned around. I could see everything


    that was going on through the keyhole. "


    "Tell me more about the sound."


    "The sound gets louder and louder. I can see Karyn shaking and saying all these crazy things." Isaac


    himself began to tremble. "I saw her."


    "You saw her do what?" Jeremiah shuddered.


    "I...I saw her change." Isaac''s voice faltered.


    "Isaac, what exactly did Karyn change into?" Jeremiah appeared confounded. "I''m trying my hardest to


    understand you, but you have to quit being so vague with me."


    "I saw her change into something." Isaac balled up his fists. "All those guys could do was stand there


    and watch. We all watched that woman turn. She turned until she wasn''t a woman anymore. People


    aren''t supposed to do that, man! People aren''t supposed to change into other things!" Isaac yelled.


    "That thing got up and tore those guys apart! She ate them all! One by one! Hell, they even tried to


    shoot her, but the bullets didn''t work!"


    Looking both confused and frustrated all at once, Jeremiah began to stand up while saying, "Isaac, you


    have to understand, it was¡ª


    "I ain''t done yet." Isaac interrupted while slowly turning around. "You see, the more I watched her kill


    those men, that''s all the more scared I became. There was blood everywhere; all over the floor, the


    walls and the furniture. I could feel something inside of me. I could feel it moving around like it was


    caged and wanted to get out. Do you know what it feels like to have your own bones crack and twist?


    My whole body felt like it was on fire. I could feel my face just...explode! That''s when I cked out."


    With utmost urgency, Jeremiah rushed over and grabbed Isaac by the shoulders. He stared the


    desperate man into the eyes and screamed, "Listen to me, Isaac! You didn''t kill anyone! The police


    ruled that it was an animal! Possibly an escapee from the zoo!"


    "A zoo," Isaac yelled back, snatching himself away from the doctor. "Man, I know what I saw that night!


    I know what I turned into! You don''t forget how that shit feels! Look at my face! Look at how tall I am all


    of the sudden! It took a few days for me to heal the first time around, and then even after you''ve


    healed, you still have to limp around like a fuckin'' cripple!"


    "Isaac, listen to yourself!" Jeremiah pleaded. "It''s like you''ve made no progress whatsoever!"


    "I keep on hearing these kids in my head! I can''t sleep because I keep hearing people screaming! All


    day long, I''ve been hurling my guts out! I think I even shit out somebody''s eyeball before I got here! So


    don''t stand there and tell me that this is all in my mind! You don''t know what this is!"


    Levin humbly stepped back and rubbed his eyes. He then held out his hands to ease Isaac while


    calmly exining, "Okay, you''re right. I don''t know what it is. But, Isaac, I can''t allow you to think for


    one moment that you had anything to do with those murders the other night. It''s utterly impossible. This


    isn''t the twelfth century. There are rational exnations for all of this. I believe that perhaps you were


    sleepwalking. It is conceivable that you walked all the way back from Cuyahoga Falls, that would


    exin the pain your body is in. It''s usible that you were somehow incapacitated and beaten by


    Leroy Cummins, that right there is a possible exnation for your face."


    Isaac wandered around the office in an aimless blunder, trying his hardest not to listen to what Levin


    was saying. Trying to drive out the words that in his mind were just in gibberish.


    "Believing that you''re some mythical demon doesn''t exactly constitute you as being a murderer. I may


    be sounding like my father, but I personally me Hollywood. It just seems that in the past few years


    they''re releasing more and more films that have caused irrational behavior in a lot of people."


    Isaac paced before he eventually found himself leaning up against one of the bookshelves. Exhausted,


    he sobbed into his hands, "I never meant for my life to end up like this. I had so many dreams. I was


    gonna open up my own garage. Me and Lynn were gonna get married. We were gonna get out of


    Cypress once and for all. Now...now it''s all gone because I fucked up. All I see is darkness in front of


    me. It''s like you''re awake, but you can''t open your eyes...no matter how hard you try."


    "It''s not all over, Isaac." Levin steadily persisted. "You just have toe to terms with the fact that this


    overwhelming sense of regret inside of you is what''s causing all these delusions."


    Exasperated, Isaac turned his head away as to not look at the doctor in front of him. He was telling him


    things that he neither wanted nor needed to hear at that moment.


    "Your affair with this Karyn person is the burden that you''ve been carrying all these months. The guilt


    manifests itself as something unrealistic. Do you rememberst week when I told you about my other


    patients?"


    Right then and there, Isaac''s entire body, from head to toe, ignited with zing fury. Without warning,


    the man lunged forward, seized Levin by the neck and squeezed as hard as he could while angrily


    hollering, "I ain''t no fuckin'' vampire!"


    Isaac squeezed as tight as he could before Jeremiah''s eyes began to bulge forward, and a stunned


    expression came upon his bluish face.


    Then, just as abruptly as the assault began, was just as sudden as it ended. Isaac released the


    helpless man before bolting out the door.

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28


    Like a lone drifter, Isaac stumbled across the old, filthy train yard that dated back to the eighteen


    hundreds. He wasn''t lost, the man was well aware of his current location; it was the simple matter of


    biding his time to meet up with hisst hope in the world.


    As he trekked along the live rails, Isaac couldn''t help but to recollect upon the times when his father


    would take him down to Cypress Underground to watch the trains go by when he was only a child. He


    recalled with fond quietness how much he wanted to hop onto one of the giant steam engines and take


    off down the track that seemingly led to anywhere on earth.


    It was his undying desire to rid himself of not only his demonic affliction, but also the burden of his illicit


    affair, but deep down, there was always that one ''something'' inside of him that constantly reminded


    Isaac that it would be virtually impossible.


    Watching Karyn speed away in her green Monte Carlo two days earlier left him with the emptiest


    feeling. He knew that he would possibly nevery eyes on her again.


    Isaac was nearing Lake Logan. The icy chill in the air was bing increasingly harsher as snow


    flurries blew past his face at wild speeds. He carefully stepped over a track where a huge ck Conrail


    engine was slowly towing itself down towards his direction until he met face to face with the mighty


    body of water ahead. Isaac stood at the pier. Every so often he would catch a sudden glimpse of d¨¦j¨¤


    vu the longer he remained still, as if it hadn''t been so long since he had visited the same sight.


    He watched with bleary eyes as the choppy, foam riddled waves jostled up and down. Isaac stepped


    aside to allow the seagulls to gather the remains of a partially eaten fish that was lying frozen on the


    pier next to him.


    The very first and only time in his life Isaac ever contemted the notion of suicide was when his father


    took him to Asndview. But at that moment, he was all alone. There were no orderlies or


    compassionate speaking doctors to monitor his every movement.


    He recalled the look ofplete shock in Lyte''s eyes as she stood and watched him hold Isaiah in


    his arms earlier in the day. What she thought he was doing would be just as hard to exin as what


    was dwelling inside of him.


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    He closed his eyes and allowed the fierce February wind to push his body back and forth. Isaac was


    only five steps away from the edge of the rickety pier. The closer he inched forward, the more he could


    feel the animal inside of him w about. It was such a nauseating sensation, much like a rat scraping


    its way out of a burning building.


    "Hey...hey, you," a heavy male voice hollered from behind. "Hey, get away from there! That area is


    closed!"


    Isaac abruptly opened his dreary eyes and turned around to see a ck figure running towards him


    from out of the snowy distance, waving his arms as if he werending an airne. The young man


    stepped back from the edge and began to walk away.


    "Didn''t you see that sign there, man?" A heavyset ck man with a full beard panted as he caught up


    to Isaac.


    Isaac stopped walking long enough to notice an orange sign to his immediate right that read


    BOARDWALK CLOSED FOR REPAIRS.


    Nonchntly shaking his head, Isaac wearily uttered, "No...I didn''t see that."


    "Had you stayed out there any longer, the damn thing would''ve copsed, with you on it!" The man said


    out loud.


    Isaac never bothered to reply to the gentleman; he instead stuffed his frozen hands into his coat


    pockets and walked away, not looking back once.

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29


    THE CYPRESS GUARDIAN


    Wednesday, February 23rd 1977


    In what resembled a grisly scene from thetest horror flick, the owner of Larry''s Garage & Auto Parts,


    twenty year old Larry Tate, and his twenty-six year old cousin, Marvell Tate, were found bludgeoned to


    death inside their ce of businessst night.As of now, police do not have a suspect, but nearly seven


    thousand dors'' worth of cocaine was discovered within the establishment, which leads authorities to


    believe that perhaps a drug deal had possibly gone awry.The manager of the Tri-State Savings & Loan


    Bank, located right next door to the garage, told police that the garage was rarely ever open, and an


    assortment of "shady" characters would be seening in and out of the business on a daily basis.


    The murder weapon, which was found lying next to the owner, was a blood soaked Phillips head


    wrench. Both victims were repeatedly beaten over the head with the tool. Forensics officers are


    specting that the victims had been dead for at least over a week, judging by their extreme


    dposition. Tri-State bank manager, David Khan, noticed something was wrong when he heard the


    owner''s Doberman pincher barking non-stop over the past few days. That was when he decided to call


    police. Larry Tate leaves behind four toddler boys. Marvell Tate was the father of two young daughters.


    With his issue of the Cypress Guardian in hand, Mr. Mercer sat in his pew and tried to regain his


    fleeting breath while pondering on the dreadful news he had just read. He gripped the paper in his hand


    as tight as he could as he kept his dreary eyes locked on the crucifix down behind the pulpit ahead of


    him.


    As vexed as he was at the headline, Mr. Mercer was more strained on how he was going to break the


    news to a son that was barely hanging on to life as it was. The man stretched his arms forward until


    they rested on the back of the pew in front of him. There was a distressed manifestation lying heavy on


    his face. Every so often shes of histe wife would appear before his eyes. Mr. Mercer required her


    patient, maternal wisdom when it came to such situations. For the very first time in years, the man triedN?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    and tried tomunicate with God, but no matter how hard he wanted to shut his eyes, he just couldn''t


    seem to bring himself to do so.


    He wanted to see Isaac, but not in the scathing condition he could be in when he spoke with him over


    the phone in the morning.


    Right before Mercer could even take another gulp, desperate knocks at the front door interrupted the


    quiet that he was lurking in. Immediately, Mr. Mercer dropped the newspaper onto the pew before


    getting up and racing towards the door. He flung open the door to find Isaac shivering and wild-eyed.


    "Isaac,e on in, son." Right away, he pulled his boy into his arms and squeezed tight. The moment


    he released him, he looked into his son''s eyes and asked, "Son...did you know that Larry and Marvell


    were murdered a few days ago?"


    Completely sidestepping his father''s harrowing news, Isaac barged his way into the church and


    gawked around the dimmed sanctuary as though he had never set foot in the ce before in his life.


    "Dad, I gotta talk to you." Isaac huffed and puffed.


    "C''mon, we''ll go in the back." Mr. Mercer shook his head before leading Isaac towards the rear of the


    church and to his office.


    As Mr. Mercer walked on, he suddenly realized that he was void another presence beside him. The


    man stopped and turned to see Isaac standing and staring at the cross behind the pulpit as if the


    symbol had possessed him to the point of absolute, solid shock.


    "Isaac...c''mon, son," he said, holding out his right hand.


    Instantly, Isaac snapped back and resumed his trek behind his father until they both made it to the


    study.


    "Go on and have a seat." Mr. Mercer said before leaning against the wall with his burly arms folded


    against his brown jacket.


    Isaac sat himself down on the stool beside his father''s desk while his hands remained securely tucked


    inside his coat pockets.


    Mr. Mercer stared strangely upon his son''s facial features before worriedly questioning, "Son, what did


    that man do to you?"


    Isaac looked up at his father with an odd contort on his face and replied, "Dad, this isn''t about that man.


    I got problems."


    "Is it that bad, son? Did you go to the hospital?"


    "No hospital can help me." Isaac depressingly stuttered as if he were still freezing cold. "I need you,


    dad."


    "I''m right here, boy." Mr. Mercer reached out with his right arm. "Just tell me what you need and I''ll see


    to it that you get it."


    Isaac''s head twisted and turned from one corner of the tiny office to the other before he looked down at


    the floor and said in a muffled tone, "It...it happened again the other night."


    "What happened again?" Mr. Mercer held his breath.


    "The same thing that happened back in November," Isaac bashfully looked up.


    Mr. Mercer,pletely spent, rolled his eyes and sighed, "Isaac, I thought this was something serious."


    "It is serious, dad!"


    "We''ve been over this once before." Mr. Mercer began to pace the floor. "I don''t know what happened


    to you the other night, but whatever you think happened, didn''t. Look at you, you look like death itself.


    When was thest time you slept?"


    "Dad, you weren''t there!" Isaac desperately said.


    "And since we''re on the subject, just what were you doing all the way up in Cuyahoga Falls to begin


    with? I thought you were going to look for work back on Monday." Mr. Mercer adamantly remarked.


    "I did look for work, and after I got done with that...I went to go see someone."


    Mr. Mercer stopped pacing and squared his eyes down at Isaac in an usatory fashion before asking,


    "Who was this someone, son?"


    "It was this woman¡ª


    Mr. Mercer once again rolled his eyes in agony. "A woman," he questioned. "Boy, what woman do you


    know in Cuyahoga Falls?"


    "Dad, she knows what I am! She knows how to cure me!" Isaac frantically answered.


    "Damn!" Mr. Mercer indignantly growled while storming out of the office and back out into the sanctuary


    with his son close in on his heels.


    "Dad, you don''t understand!" Isaac breathlessly urged, chasing after his father. "Me and Lynn was


    having problems, and...I''m not trying to make excuses, but, it just happened!"


    Mr. Mercer stopped walking right in the middle of the floor and asked, "What, just happened? Is that


    who you went to see in Cuyahoga, this woman? You went to go see some woman, and then you''re ass


    goes and gets kidnapped? It''s by the grace and mercy of God that you got away from that man!"


    Tears began to drip from Isaac''s eyes as he wailed out loud, "I didn''t mean it! We had sex! Next thing I


    know, I wake up with these eyes! I started having ckouts! And then...then that thing on


    Thanksgiving! Dad, she was lonely! She needed someone to talk to!"


    "Then you should have told her to go and buy a damn dog!" Mr. Mercer roared at the top of his lungs


    while iling his arms in the air. "It''s not your job to keeppany with another woman! You keep your


    own womanpany!"


    Isaac dropped to his knees and wept incessantly into the carpet. All Mr. Mercer could do was stand


    above his son and shake with fury.


    "Nigga, you could lose your family! What were you thinking? This is your life we''re talking about here!"


    "I didn''t mean to do it!" Isaac screamed to the ceiling above.


    "I know exactly what''s wrong with you!" Mr. Mercer continued to yell while making his way over to his


    son and yanking him up from off the floor by the hood of his coat. "You''ve done gone and caught some


    nasty disease from this gal! That''s what''s got you acting like a heathen!"


    Mr. Mercer couldn''t seem to stop his rampage. He shook Isaac nearly out of his own jacket while


    pointing his finger directly into his face.


    "I can''t imagine what''s wrong with you young people today! You all get out there and fool around with


    any and every one that you see! And when something like this happens, youe crying to your


    parents for help! Well, I know exactly how to help you! C''mon, you and me are going down to the free


    clinic before it closes so we can get you checked out!"


    "I ain''t got no disease!" Isaac shot back, snatching himself away from his father''s powerful hold. "I need


    you to take this thing outta me! I need you to do one of those exorcise things for me! Do me like they


    did that white girl in the movie! The power of Christpels you!"


    Isaac insanely spat as he ran over to the half full baptismal font next to the pulpit and scooped out a


    few ounces of water into his hands.


    "C''mon, dad...the power of Christpels you! Say it! The power of Christpels you!"


    Mr. Mercer stood and watched in utter astonishment and woe as his one and only child recklessly


    sshed water into his own face. Right there, his heart shattered into pieces. He no longer recognized


    his own son.


    "You''re a pastor!" Isaac furiously hollered, racing over and grabbing his father by the hand. "Do the


    exorcism thing on me! I need it! Do you need the crucifix up there?"


    With painful tears in his eyes, Mr. Mercer held out his quivering hands and said, "Son...it hurts my soul


    to see you this way. Proverbs 27: 8 says that As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that


    wandereth from his ce."


    "I don''t wanna hear all that bible shit! If God really did love me then he''d help me!"


    "You have to allow him to help you!"


    "Dog denmad em," (God damned me) Isaac slurred in a coarse tone. "Dog eta hem," (God hate me)


    Out of gut fear, Mr. Mercer stumbled backwards into one of the pews. He watched with stunned eyes


    as Isaac began to draw closer to him.


    "Oh, God, son," the man choked, clutching his chest.


    "I''m so fuckin'' afraid. I didn''t mean to do any of it." The young man continued to cry. "Tell mama I''m


    sorry. Tell her that I won''t do it again, daddy!"


    Mr. Mercer held his breath while ncing past Isaac and down towards the pulpit, hoping that God


    woulde down and settle the situation first hand.


    "She told me to stay away from people." Isaac began to froth from the mouth. "I gotta go, dad. I gotta


    go away."


    Isaac said as he started to storm past his father on his way out the front door, only to have the man


    grab a hold of him.


    For therge Mr. Mercer, it was akin to wrestling a man of equal or greater size. Never before had it


    been such a task to try and overpower his son as it was at that moment. But somehow, Isaac managed


    to outmaneuver his father to where he was able to slip out of his grip and race straight for the door.


    Mr. Mercer watched the opened door sway back and forth for only a few seconds before running back


    to the janitor''s closet. Inside the closet were two brooms, a vacuum, a red bucket, a mop and a ck


    telephone. He snatched up the phone and feverishly dialed Lyte''s house.


    The line was busy.

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30


    It was well past six that evening, close to half past the hour. A surly and numb Detective Bruin, along


    with three other persons, exited the elevator and stepped onto the seventh floor of Saint Titus hospital.


    His crimson red face was still frigid, along with his hands that were lodged inside his coat pockets as he


    casually strolled down the semi-busy hallway. The hustle of emergencies had all but seemingly died


    down, at least for the time being. With the exception of a couple of chatting doctors in a nearby corner


    and four female nurses going on about what they were nning on doing once their shifts ended, it


    was a rtively peaceful evening.


    With every other step Linus found himself slowing down, either to listen to the female voice over the


    loud speaker paging a doctor or just biding his time to reach Gloria Cohen''s room.


    The closer he drew, the more his feet wanted to turn and walk away. For the sake of nagging, curious


    ambition, Linus wanted to see the young kidnap victim face to face one final time. For him, it was peace


    of mind to find out if she was alright; he wanted more than anything to be assured that the ungodly


    expression on her face that she was wearing two mornings earlier had forever vanished.


    As he approached the room, a sudden wave of searing heat slithered down his spine. His right hand


    shook as it neared the door''s handle. He knocked first.


    "Come in!" A female''s voice called out.


    Gently, Linus pushed open the door and noticed a plump, blonde-haired white woman, who looked as


    though she were in her early to mid-thirties, seated in a chair next to the bed where Gloria was lying


    comatose.


    Gloria''s brte hairid t across her shoulders while her eyes were totally fixated on the television


    that was mounted up on the wall in front of her. For a second or two, Linus lost control of his own body


    to where he couldn''t even move a single muscle.


    "If you''re another reporter or yet another police officer, "I''ve told you people everything. There''s nothing


    more to talk about." The woman impatiently sighed while rising up out of her seat.


    Linus blushed and exined, "Well, I am an officer, but I''m not here for questioning. Detective Linus


    Bruin, Cypress Police."


    Instantly, the woman''s eyes grewrge right before she extended her right hand. "Oh...I''m so sorry, I


    thought you were someone else." She suddenly caught herself off guard.


    "Don''t be sorry, I understand." Linus smiled while shaking the woman''s hand right back. "My name is


    Deborah Cohen. I''m Gloria''s older sister."


    "Good to meet you, Deborah." Linus humbly beamed as his eyes shifted from Deborah to Gloria''s


    motionless body on the bed. "I, uh...I just stopped by to see how the youngdy was doing." Linus


    nearly forgot how to breath.


    Looking down at her sister, Deborah feebly snickered, "Well, as you can see, she''s taking it the only


    way she knows how right now."


    "I can see that."


    "Yep, she hasn''t eaten anything or said a single word to anyone since being brought here. She won''t


    even speak to me. All she does isy there and watch TV." Deborah rified. "Every so often she''ll


    start to cry, then she''ll stop for a few hours, and it''ll start right back up all over again."


    Trying not to appear rude, Linus redirected his pitiful eyes away from Gloria and pointed them up at the


    television.


    Linus sniggered before saying, "Nothing like a game of basketball to liven things up."


    "That''s the funny thing about it, she doesn''t even like sports. I just got tired of changing channels, so I


    just left it there. I honestly don''t think she even knows it''s on. I figure whatever she went through in that


    man''s house must''ve been pretty damn scary. I''d like to thank you, Detective, for saving her life."


    Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    "Don''t thank me, something else got to the fe first."


    "Yeah, it''s all over the news. Do you think anyone can catch it?"


    "We''re prepping a task force as we speak. Hopefully we can find it before it strikes again."


    "I still can''t believe that it killed that family. Four little girls...all dead," Deborah gasped. "How do you


    cope with all of that, Mr. Bruin?"


    Linus breathed in and modestly answered, "You try not to carry it home with you. Believe me, it only


    makes matters even worse."


    "I''ll admit that you''re the first officer that''s stopped by here just to pay a social visit. All of the other guys


    that show up just want to ask questions."


    "Let''s just say that...I just happen to know someone else in a simr situation."


    "Someone close to you," Deborah questioned with deep concern.


    "You could say that." Linus meekly responded as if he were too ashamed to answer.


    "It''s just hard to believe that there are people out there that are that sick. A car dealer of all things,"


    Deborah cringed. "I remember watching thosemercials with him and his son. His son was kind of


    cute, too."


    Amused, Linus quaintly chuckled and switched his attention back to Gloria whose facial features hadn''t


    changed in the slightest bit. Her entire body was as immobile as cement.


    "Funny thing is, as many days as he missed at his own dealership, not even his co-workers noticed


    anything suspicious. You get rid of one monster and out pops another." Deborah flinched.


    "That seems to be the running theme down at the station." Linus smirked.


    Linus watched as Deborah began shaking her head in dismay before he nced down at Gloria who


    had managed to move her bed covers enough to where a bible could be seen securely gripped in her


    right hand.


    "Isn''t that cute?" Deborah unusually smiled.


    Linus looked over at Deborah and then down again at Gloria with a baffled re on his face, as if to


    say he was lost on her question.


    "My sister holding a bible, of all things," Deborah discreetly motioned to Gloria''s hand.


    It took a few seconds, but the detective eventually gathered the gist of just what Deborah was referring


    to.


    "Usually, she would be a chatterbox; our parents had to tell her to shut up at least a million times when


    she was little. Now...now it''s just haunting to see her so...quiet." Deborah frowned. "I honestly don''t


    think she''ll ever live this ordeal down."


    Linus gazed upon Gloria''s pathetic body; it was like studying an old woman who was waiting to die. He


    tried ever so gantly to read her thoughts. He wanted to take her by the hand and hold her in his


    arms.


    Feeling as if she could sense him staring at her, Linus turned his head away from Gloria and focused


    upon the television to see Mr. Whipple advertise Charmin toilet paper. Once themercial vanished,


    the nightly newsbreak brusquely shed across the screen. The young male anchor reported on the


    weather forecast which called for more snow flurries for the evening. The current score between The


    New York Knicks and The Phdelphia Seventy-Sixers game, and the day''s news updates, which of


    course consisted of the ongoing investigation involving the murders from two nights earlier.


    Gloriaid in her bed, stroking her bible''s leather bound cover up and down as her energetic photo


    shined on the screen. Leroy Cummins'' image appeared next, dressed to the nines in an all-ck suit


    and smiling while standing beside a brand new white 1977 Chevrolet Chevette.


    After Cummins'' picture disappeared from sight, Isaac''s happy, normal image came across the screen in


    a year old photo. Without any warning whatsoever, Gloria''s eyes began to water up. Pitiful whimpers


    started to escape from behind her quivering lips.


    "I can''t tell you how tired I am already of them showing those little girls bodies being carried out of that


    house." Deborah griped before spinning around to see Gloria writhing about in bed crying. "Gloria,


    honey, what''s the matter?" She frantically asked while trying to console her sister.


    Linus stared down at the horrified youngdy and then back up at the TV to see just what had spooked


    her from out of nowhere.


    As Isaac''s face exited the screen, he nced back at Gloria, and then again at the television. The man


    had to take at least five more twists and turns of the neck just to gather all of his thoughts at once.


    "Can somebody help us in here?" Deborah said out loud, trying with all her might to restrain Gloria who


    was fighting to escape the safe confines of her bed.


    Linus, on the other hand, just slowly began to back away before three nurses rushed into the room and


    aided Deborah in her mission to soothe Gloria.


    The very instant the man found himself outside in the hallway he turned to his left and began down the


    floor until he came face to face with a phone booth. The man stepped inside the booth and shut the


    ss door.


    Gloria could still be heard wailing clear out into the hallway. Linus reached into his pocket to secure a


    quarter before inserting it into the proper slot. His shifty contemtions were beginning to weigh him


    down to the point where his own hands couldn''t even hold on to the phone. Seven numbers were


    dialed. A four second ring sounded before a voice spoke up.


    "This is Detective Fitzpatrick."


    "This is Linus. Pop quiz."


    "Shoot."


    "Call it a hunch, but why would a person be more afraid of a so called fellow victim, than the person


    who victimized her?"


    There was a long pause which was followed by a long sigh. "You got me, partner."


    "It''s got me, too. I''m down here at Saint Titus visiting the Cohen girl. She was watching TV when the


    news came on. She sees a picture of Cummins, no response. Then, she sees a picture of the Mercer


    fellow, the kid goes insane. Whaddya make of that?"


    "You don''t think that Mercer could somehow be involved in all this, do you?"


    "It''s hard to tell." Linus exhaled. "I mean, the guy has yet toe downtown and give a statement. He


    meets up with some mystery woman at a diner, hops a ride with a kidnapper, and then somehow


    makes it home and doesn''t remember anything."


    "Nothing about this is adding up."


    "I tell you this, though, whatever is going on, it''s traumatic enough to have a Jewish woman hold on to


    a Holy Bible like an Arab to a barrel of oil."


    "Something tells me that we''d better get our boy down here, post haste." Fitzpatrick eximed,


    sounding as though he was smiling over the phone.


    "Agreed, assuming he hasn''t skipped town yet. I think I still have his fianc¨¦''s address. I''ll head over and


    see if he''s in."


    "Oh, before you go, I forgot to tell you that I left my piece inside the car."


    "n," Linus rolled his eyes while grinning, "why do you always forget to check in your weapons before


    your shift ends? The captain will skin you alive."


    "That takes forever." Fitzpatrick groaned. "Peggy would kill me first if I showed upte for dinner again."


    Linus hopelessly exhaled and said, "I''ll check it in after I''m through with Mercer. But you owe me one."


    "Alright, buddy, thanks, and good luck."


    "Yep," Linus replied before hanging up the phone.


    For a moment or two Linus sat inside the booth motionless, he then reached into his back pocket and


    pulled out a Kodak picture of his youngest daughter.


    Her happy, carefree face caused Linus to crack an appealing, yet brief smile before it eventually turned


    into a hostile frown. At the very end of his frown he saw only his child being vited by some pervert,


    and him, behind his desk, working as usual.


    With a twinge of rage inside, Linus got up, slid open the doors and began marching down the hallway


    towards the elevator.


    As he carried along, standing in front of the nurse''s station was a blind white man and his Rottweiler


    dog that was attached to the man''s hand. Linus tried his best to ignore the animal; after all, it was only


    a simple seeing-eye dog. But no matter what, the detective just couldn''t seem to go past the beast


    without handing it a salty stare.


    The dog returned the gesture, expect its gaze was more sorrowful, almost appearing as if it was sad to


    see the man leave.


    Linus wanted to stop, but he kept on right up until he came face to face with the elevator. Once he


    stepped inside, the man pressed the first floor button. The doors began to close, while both man and


    dog continued to gawk at each other until there was nothing more to look upon.

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31


    Much like a foreseen tragedy that no one had the power to prevent, evening fell hard and cruel upon


    Cypress. The severe, five degree winter windshed through just about every living soul like the steel


    tip of a ve drivers whip. With only a fewmpposts that shined their dim, orange hue down onto the


    ground, Isaac stumbled his way through the alley, making only frequent stops to vomit into any trash


    can that he could rush to first.


    He was sleepy, hungry, thirsty and angry all at once, and judging by his wide open coat, the oppressive


    cold was apparently thest thing on his haywire brain. Inside his body raged a hecious war of good


    vs. evil; one man''s divine struggle to fight off the demonic presence that dwelt within; an ongoing battle


    against the dark force that longed to inflict limitless devastation.


    Back and forth his regrets wandered: Karyn had a sad story of being lonely in a new country, while


    Lyte was always on his back for working at Larry''s Garage. Karyn hung on to his every word, while


    Lyte went on and on about how Isaiah needed new clothes. He screwed Karyn, but made love to


    Lyte.


    With each and every maddening ramble, Isaac found himself wanting to just end it all right there in the


    alley, beside all the other garbage.


    "You look like you''re lost, friend."


    A medium-sized man with a shabby looking German shepherd by his side warmly stated from behind


    Isaac.


    Surprised, Isaac spun around and tried to see into the man''s face, but not only was it dark outside, but


    the dirty looking individual was wearing a filthy hood that was concealing his facial features.


    All Isaac could make out was the smoke that would exit the man''s mouth whenever he spoke.


    "Get the fuck outta here, man." Isaac slurred, trying not to fall against the trash cans that he was


    standing in front of.


    "I apologize for troubling you, sir." The man''s kindly, raspy voice continued on. "It just seemed like you


    were ailing."


    "Man, I said get outta here!" Isaac barked back. "I ain''t feelin'' good!"


    The ragtag man only remained in ce. The chain in which he was holding his dog was rusted beyond


    recognition and looked as though it were ready to snap in half at any moment.


    "Are you sure you want me to go, sir?"


    Frustrated, Isaac began to advance towards the man, only to have the dog growl the instant the young


    man''s feet moved.


    Just then, two red eyes appeared from inside the man''s dirty hood. Startled, Isaac staggered


    backwards into the garbage cans and held his hands up in a helpless defense from the man''s sudden


    awful appearance.


    The filthy one looked up into the pinkish sky as light flurries began to rain down. "Look at you, boy." He


    said in a more malevolent, hissing voice. "Sniveling like a mere rodent. You have a job to do."


    Isaac''s body was wracked in pain, but not to the point where he couldn''t get up and run away.


    Immediately, he got to his feet and started for the opposite direction.


    "Don''t you dare move." The ragged hobo warned, pointing his trusty dog at the young man.


    Out of fear Isaac ceased every movement in his body before turning and shuddering at the sight of the


    two evil eyes that stared him down like a feast.


    "I...I gotta go." Isaac whimpered while violently shaking in ce.


    "I have waited for this moment for quite a while, and so far, you have not disappointed me. Now, I want


    that bitch and her child dead."


    "Who," Isaac asked with a whine.


    "Do not trifle with me, boy." The man impatiently remarked. "You know you want to kill her."


    "No I don''t, man." Isaac stammered.


    "Don''t you remember when you thought that Isaiah wasn''t yours? You believed it to be Larry''s at first.


    Then...then you changed your mind and epted the bastard seed as your own."


    "He is mine!" Isaac furiously stomped on the snowy pavement.


    "You killed those girls; those sweet little bitches. Now, go on and kill that ck trash and her child. You


    don''t want her to get away with that, do you? Get away with having another man''s baby? Go on, it''s not


    like anyone could pin it on you. Just like the other night."


    As if he were being dragged down, Isaac dropped to his knees in agony and moaned all over the


    ground. He beat his fists into the snow while gritting his teeth.


    "Get away from me! Who are you anyways?"


    "I am Unknown to you, but every man, woman, boy and girles to know me eventually."


    "I didn''t mean to do any of this!"


    The insidious individual chuckled and said, "Your mother cried the day she went to the hospital. She


    cried for you, boy. But you were busy running the streets. How does that make you feel?"


    Isaac looked up into the sky and held out his hands to the heavens, pleading for mercy to fall upon him.


    "Either you kill that bitch, or I will." The man lurched towards Isaac.


    "I can''t kill her! I fucking love her!"


    The dirty man reached out with a wed right hand, lifted Isaac''s face to his and asked, "Did you love


    her when you were inside another woman?"


    Enraged, Isaac snatched his face away from the man''s w before spitting at his face. The dog stared


    up at its master with the most bewildered look on its face.


    "I am not your enemy, child." The man reassured Isaac before taking his w and using it to scratch


    Isaac''s right hand. "Kill her, or I will, boy."


    Isaac grabbed his hand and held it to alleviate the pain. When he looked back up, he discovered that


    both man and dog were gone.


    "I am Unknown to you, child." Isaac heard the man''s ominous voice echo softly in the air around him.


    Blood incessantly dripped down from his hand and onto the ground as Isaac got to his feet. He then


    looked around the alley to see nothing but a stray cat passing by. Right behind him was Lyte''s


    house. Unbeknownst to him, he had already arrived there just moments before the ghastly fiend


    appeared from out of nowhere.


    He leaned up against two trash cans and took notice of the kitchen light which was shining brightly into


    the backyard; it let him know that Lyte hadn''t gone to bed yet for the evening.


    As both wrong and ugly as it felt, Isaac couldn''t shake the aching stir of how blood tasted. He realized


    that it wasn''t him that longed for the substance, which was exactly why it turned his stomach each and


    every time the raw taste belched up into his throat.


    Feeling a sense of impatient urgency, Isaac rapidly marched through the backyard and onto the steps


    that led to the house. Before his hand could reach the doorknob, he stood and watched as the


    supposed broken lock on the backdoor unloosened itself.


    ***


    Lyte searched all over the bedroom. When she was done skulking about in there, she hysterically


    scampered into the living room where the television was ying the opening theme to The Six Million


    Dor Man. But no matter how much and hard she kept looking, she couldn''t locate the source of the


    little screaming girls that was apparentlying from within the small house she and her son were


    inside of.


    The sounds surrounded Lyte to the point where all she could do was stand in the middle of the


    living room floor and spin around like a dog chasing after its own tail. It was such madness that the


    youngdy began to cry, believing that she was losing her mind.


    Just as soon as she was about to head back into the bathroom along with Isaiah, Lyte began


    hearing something rattle from within the kitchen.


    She quickly pulled out the loaded revolver from her pants pocket and skittishly headed for the kitchen


    with the weapon pointed ahead of her. However, before she could even clear the kitchen''s threshold,


    the backdoor swung open revealing Isaac on the other end.


    "Isaac!" Lyte abruptly screamed. "How did you get that door open?"


    At first, Isaac had no words to express. He just shut the door behind him and bashfully frowned.


    "Uh...I just came by to see you and Isaiah."


    "Isaac, how were you able to get that damn door open?" Lyte continued to question while gripping


    her gun as tight as she could in her right hand.


    Rather than answer her, Isaac boldly stepped past Lyte on his way into the living room. Lyte


    followed the man until she came face to face with him directly in front of the television.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    "Isaac, you need to go!"


    "Where''s Isaiah at?" He asked bug-eyed. "He''s in the tub." Lyte''s heart skipped a beat. "I''m giving


    him a bath."


    Isaac stood for a few moments before looking down the dimly lit hallway that led to the bathroom.


    "Uh...I gotta go away for a while."


    Lyte''s entire body began to quiver at that instant. All of the sudden, the only thing that she could


    see in front of her were her three sistersughing hysterically at her.


    "Go away, huh?" The young woman stammered, trying not to appear upset by the news. "And just


    where are you going to?"


    "Someone told me to stay away from people, and that person was right. I got no business being around


    anyone right now, at least not until I get myself straight."


    Lyte rubbed her throbbing forehead and closed her eyes. "Get what straight, Isaac? What the fuck


    are you talking about?"


    "I''m talking about no one will listen to what I have to say, and all that does is make things worse."


    "Isaac, I''ve been trying to listen to you for the past few months, and all you do is just push me away!"


    She screamed in frustration. "What the fuck is the matter with you? And don''t stand there and tell me


    that it''s too hard to exin!"


    "I can''t even exin it to myself." Isaac shrugged.


    Lyte stared at Isaac before saying, "I bet you got hooked onto some of Larry''s shit, didn''t you?


    You''ve done gone and got all fucked up on that heroin, and now you''re all strung out!"


    Isaac slipped his hands into his coat pockets and started to pace the floor until he eventually stopped at


    the mantle. He stood and fondly gazed upon a Proid picture of Isaiah as a newborn.


    With his head still pointed at the child''s picture, Isaac exined, "I got something inside of me, and it


    doesn''t have anything to do with drugs." His voice began to break. "I thought my father could fix it, but


    all he could do was spit bible verses at me."


    "What is this, Isaac?" Lyte wearily moaned as if she werepletely drained of energy. "What is


    going on? I mean, you''re losing your mind. I''m hearing these little girls screaming all over the house


    like the ce is haunted or something. Why now are things falling apart, dammit?" She yelled.


    Isaac turned back to Lyte with tears of his own streaming down his face. "I''m so sorry, baby girl!"


    He wailed out loud. "I never meant to hurt you!"


    Lyte dropped her gun to her side while tears fell from her tired face. "What were you doing with


    Isaiah this morning, Isaac?" Her voice faltered.


    "Nothing that you think I was doing." He wiped his eyes. "It''s not about that."


    "What is it about then?" Lyte stomped her foot on the floor. "Because when I walk into my house


    and see my man holding our son,pletely naked in the middle of the floor, then it''s about something,


    and I want answers!"


    With his arms wide open, Isaac advanced towards Lyte saying, "Lynn, you gotta listen to me!"


    Lyte raised her firearm and pointed it straight at Isaac''s mortified face. It stunned even her to think


    that she could do such a heinous thing as point a deadly weapon at the only man she ever loved, or


    that even the notion of pulling the trigger would even enter her mind to begin with, but she was terrified


    of Isaac, more so at that moment than months earlier.


    Immediately, the tears that Isaac was allowing to flow from his eyes dried up. He stood perfectly still in


    front of the ying television and calmly uttered, "You know what I told you a long time ago when I


    bought that thing for you. Never hesitate. When you get the chance, you pull the trigger...and never


    look back."


    Lyte covered her mouth with her left hand as she began to sob uncontrobly. Unable to hold the


    weapon any longer, she dropped the gun to the floor.


    "I don''t understand why you''re doing this to me, Isaac!" She caught her breath. "All I ever wanted was


    for you to love me! And now, you''re leaving us?" She relentlessly cried into her sweaty palms.


    Lyte removed her hands from her face and looked up to notice blood oozing from Isaac''s right


    hand.


    Wiping her face dry, she stepped forward and asked, "Why...why is your hand bleeding, Isaac? What


    did you do to yourself?"


    But Isaac wouldn''t respond. Instead, he dropped his head to where Lyte could not see his face.


    "Isaac, answer me!" She screamed into Isaac''s ear while cing her thumb over the open gushing


    wound. "How did you do this? Don''t tell me that you''ve been bleeding like this all the way over here!"


    Still, Isaac would not react. The man just stood with his head pointed to the carpet. Lyte was in


    such a distressful state that paying attention to one thing at a time was virtually impossible. Isaac''s


    hands, along with the rest of his body began to tremble all of the sudden.


    Out of the corner of her eye Lyte could see the bathroom light flicker off and on as the baby began


    to whine; all the while the television was ying amercial for Palmolive soap.


    "You''ve lost a lot of blood, Isaac!" Lyte anxiously pleaded while trying to remember just where she


    ced the bandages within the house. "Wait here while I go get¡ª


    But before she could finish her sentence or even take one step, Isaac abruptly raised his head and


    shined a pair of white eyes at her while hissing like a snake.


    Shocked at the sight, the young woman jumped back, nearly falling to the floor in the process. That


    was when Isaac began to gnaw away at his own right hand with the sharp fangs that were steadily


    growing from out of his growling mouth.


    Lyte was horrified, so much so that she couldn''t even budge while watching Isaac rip and tear at


    his own flesh right down to the bone.


    At the blink of an eye the woman reached down and snatched up the gun that was lying on the floor.


    "Isaac!" She desperately yelled with all her might while pointing the weapon at his head.


    But Isaac was gone; all that remained was a beastly existence within the home, a former lover.


    Lyte stood and watched in stunned horror as Isaac stopped biting away at his hand before


    copsing to his knees in a heap. His clothes began to shred right off of his body as his muscles


    expanded.


    "llik eht tnuc!" (Kill the cunt) He snarled before thick, ck fur started to sprout from out of his face.


    Without waiting a second more, Lyte pulled the trigger and fired three shots into Isaac''s head,


    exposing parts of flesh that dropped to the floor. But it was those same loud, painful shots that only


    seemed to anger the creature all the more as its growling grew more animalistic. Soon, bones started


    to stretch, snap and break, forming both ws and hind legs in the process.


    With her gun in hand, Lyte raced like a madwoman straight for the bathroom. But before she could


    even reach the door, it suddenly mmed right in her face. The lights in the hallway flickered off and on


    while the shrieks of the little girls that she had been hearing for hours reverberated throughout the


    house, louder in its intensity.


    Lyte''s crying eyes couldn''t contain or believe all that was taking ce, and as frightening as it was


    to hear a God awful brute in the living room, she was even more petrified that she waspletely


    closed off from her child.


    With every fiber of energy in her shaking body, Lyte pushed, kicked and hollered at the bathroom


    door while watching the hallway lights continue to sh on and off.


    From the bathroom door and back to the edge of the living room she ran to watch the growing beast


    stretch out a snout. That was all the motivation Lyte required to sprint back to the bathroom door


    and scream at the top of her lungs, "God, please fucking help me!"


    She could hear Isaiah on the other side of the door yell for his mommy, while behind her, what


    resembled a stampeding buffalo trampling across the floor, could be heard rounding the corner that led


    to the hallway.


    Lyte raised her gun, pointed it at the doorknob and fired. She used her right leg to kick open the


    door. She could feel the bones in her foot break, but that was perfectly meaningless at that point.


    Lyte opened the door and mmed it shut behind her before snatching a naked Isaiah from out of


    the half empty tub that he was sitting in.


    "Shh, baby!" Lyte hysterically hollered before pointing her gun directly at the door. There were no


    windows in the bathroom, which only meant that the young mother would have to make her final stand


    in the tiny room. She was determined to die before she let anything destroy her child.


    To muffle the angry crying, Lyte forced Isaiah''s head into her sweat drenched blue blouse and


    waited for the creature to make some kind of appearance if any.


    From the closed door to the flickering bulb above her head she gawked, back and forth. It was a


    maddening experience to be trapped in. Her teeth chattered while her knees knocked together. She


    tried to stop crying, but the tears would not relent as the sweat that was saturating her face was also


    causing her to go blind momentarily. All Lyte could see was Isaac''s face stretch out and listen as


    he snarled at her like a mad dog. She wanted more than anything to die right then and there.


    Then, just like that, the light stopped shing, while the growling noises apparently ceased. Lyte


    made sure to keep the baby''s head stuffed into her chest while her own head bobbed up and down.


    The bathroom door stood still. With her breathing erratic and out of sync, the young woman caught


    herself uttering a prayer, asking God to please take the beast away and allow her child to live.


    Unbeknownst to her, she had popped a blood vessel in her left eye, which in turn caused blood to well


    up inside.


    Just then, there was a bump at the door. Lyte held what was left of her breath. Thanks to the


    busted lock, the door would never again close tight; instead it would only swing back and forth. A


    sniffing racket could be heard on the other end. Lyte attached to her prayer that Isaac would be


    there, back to normal again.


    After so many gripping moments, ever so gradually, the door creaked open. The amber eyes of the


    beast appeared, along with the rest of its enormous, hairy body. Lyte screamed as she fired two


    more shots at the thing before it stood to its feet and hovered over both her and Isaiah like a towering


    giant.


    With only its right paw, the beast swiped the gun from out of the woman''s hand, along with her right


    index finger which ended upnding in the sink behind her.


    Lyte shrieked out in brutal agony before identally dropping the child to the floor. With its left


    paw, the beast tossed Lyte into the medicine cab, breaking the mirror and sending every item


    inside crashing to the floor. Like something from out of a jungle, the beast growled and roared before


    picking Lyte up and tossing her to the other end of the bathroom as though she were a doll baby.


    She wanted to scream for help, but her throat waspletely dry as she crawled about on the floor,


    trying with all her remaining might to reach Isaiah who himself was crawling towards his mother, crying


    a storm.


    The beast then knelt down on all fours and used only its right paw to send Lyte hurtling into the


    wall.


    By then, her entire body was a bloody wreck. Her right eye was swollen shut and her right arm was


    broken, and yet, rather than wallow in the anguish of her own insufferable pain, she remained obstante


    in retrieving her screaming child.


    The beast, noticing that the woman was still alive, simply snatched her up by her neck, opened wide its


    slobbering jaws and proceeded to devour her.


    Lyte used her feeble hands to grab a hold of the thing''s hairy snout long enough to where she


    could hopefully buy Isaiah some more time. The beast, however, only shook her hands loose and


    roared with all its might while using its left paw to crack a hole in the floor.


    But within the midst of the enormous hell that she was engulfed inside, Lyte could sense


    something very odd. It was a beast that in all honesty could have wiped her out within the first few


    seconds of its rampage, but instead, it was toying with her.


    She crawled backwards until her backside met up with the tub. From where she was positioned, she


    could see tiny blood droplets trickle down from out of the beast''s strange eyes and onto its snout. She


    wanted to move, but just sitting on the floor watching such an atrocity before her only caused her soul


    to stiffen.


    The beast drew close to Lyte. It appeared aggravated, possibly by the baby''s incessant crying. The


    thing grabbed Lyte''s limp body and carelessly threw it into the tub before turning around to face


    Isaiah.


    Almost immediately, the boy stopped crying as he held up his tiny hands in defense.


    ***


    Linus pulled his squad car up in front of Lyte''s house and got out. As the man nonchntly


    approached the porch, right next door he took notice of an elderly ck man and woman who were


    standing at their doorway, fearfully ogling the house that he himself was nearing.


    Linus thought nothing of it, just nosey neighbors doing what they apparently do best, that is until he


    heard the beast''s roar echo straight past the closed door. Without giving much thought or


    consideration, Linus instantly recalled the Cummins'' tape recording.


    "Call the police!" Linus breathlessly yelled at the neighbors while reaching into his holster to pull out his


    piece. "There''s a unit in the vicinity!"


    But before he could even touch the butt of his gun, Linus heard yet another unearthly growl shoot out


    into the night. The man right away ran back to the car, unlocked the trunk and snatched out


    Fitzpatrick''s twelve gage shotgun before taking off for the house.


    "Isaac...stop!" Linus heard Lyte feebly shout.


    The detective kicked in the front door, and like a bolt of lightning rounded the corner to where the


    commotion was emanating. The very second he reached the bathroom Linus saw the beast reach out


    for the Isaiah. Without a single hint of reluctance, the man pulled the trigger. The loud shot ricocheted


    off the walls of the bathroom like an explosion.


    The beast, however, only stood back up to its feet, and with one swift blow, knocked Linus to the side.


    Linus could feel his left arm snap like a twig, but it wasn''t painful enough for him to relinquish his own


    attack and pull the trigger once again while marveling at the beast''s incredible size.


    A third heavy slug ripped right through the creature''s thick stomach before sending it crashing to its


    knees. A fourth round through its chest caused the brute to wail out a pitiful howl that resembled an


    ailing wolf rather than an unstoppable killing machine. The thingid on the floor, bleeding like a


    ughtered pig and shaking violently.


    Horrified at what he was seeing, Linus managed to scoot himself from one end of the bathroom to the


    other, all the while keeping his distance from the beast and picking up Isaiah from off the floor.


    Linus then caught sight of Lyte''s badly wounded body lying motionless in the tub. Her clothes were


    torn to shreds and she was coughing up blood onto her own face. Linus lunged over and anxiously


    tried to revive her while keeping a vignt and frightened eye on the steadily dying beast behind him.


    "Honey...honey, can you hear me?" Linus hysterically wept as his hands uncontrobly trembled.


    "Isaac." Lyte faintly whispered.


    "Where''s Isaac?" Linus looked from side to side. "Is he still in the house?"


    But Lyte could no longer answer, she could barely even move at that point. Linus held her hands in


    his while keeping his eyes tuned to the beast on the floor that was suddenly taking on a brand new


    form right before his very eyes.


    "Just hold on, honey, the police are on their way." The man stammered.


    The sounds of sirens could be heard ring in the distant background, but something was beginning to


    take shape within the bathroom. Fur, ws, muscles and even wolf-like facial features were slowly


    vanishing.


    Every bone inside of Linus'' body stood perfectly immobile. The beast''s body quaked with such an


    aggressive fervor that one would believe that it was in the midst of a seizure. It''s so called growls were


    bing more and more recognizable, like a person squirming in pain. Its snout was deting back to


    a nose. Bones and joints could be heard snapping back into ce until what looked like clear liquid


    jostled from out of its mouth.


    Isaac''s face, along with his eyes, had all reverted back to normal. There was no visible sign of swelling


    to be seen; it was as though the young man had never been cursed at all.


    Soon, the shaking ceased. Isaac Mercer''s bullet riddled bodyid on the blood drenched bathroom


    floor. His eyes remained open until the right side of his face amazingly began to melt as though it were


    hot y. The entire bathroom waspletely quiet and still as Linus, Lyte and Isaiah all gazed


    upon the dead man in jolted silence. Linus and Lyte''s jaws hung wide open.


    Their words, if there were any to utter, were snatched right out of their throats. From out of the corner of


    his eye, Linus could see two young officers rush into the bathroom with guns drawn. Both men carefully


    ventured into the bathroom looking as if they had just crossed another dimension.


    "Holy Jesus," one of the officers choked at the sight of the naked man lying on the floor.


    Slowly approaching Linus, the other officer steadily asked, "Detective Bruin, is that you?"


    But Linus could say absolutely nothing. He held both Lyte and Isaiah in his strong, right arm and


    would not let go.


    "I''m...I''m gonna go call the meds." One officer stuttered before dly exiting the bathroom.


    Smoke from both Linus'' shotgun and Isaac''s mutted body billowed into the air while the other officer


    knelt down to examine the dead man closer.


    Suddenly, Mr. Mercer, from out of nowhere, stumbled into the bathroom, huffing and puffing as though


    he had been running a grueling marathon.


    "Sir, I''m gonna ask that you step outside and¡ª


    But before the officer could get another word out, his hand was shoved aside by Mercer''s sturdy


    shoulder.


    Then, with a pitiable expression upon his face, the man copsed to his knees, took his son''s


    malformed face into his hands and gently kissed him on the forehead.


    Linus watched, and that was the extent of his actions for the time being. The man saw something that


    night.


    The snow fell peacefully upon Cypress that cold, harsh evening.

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32


    "Good morning. I''m Brad Wayne for Action Seven News. I am here on this cold, gloomy morning in


    front of 909 West Seventh Blvd, where a gruesome murder took ce justst evening between eight o


    clock and eight-thirty.


    Twenty year old Isaac Mercer was gunned down in this house behind me after what one detective


    deemed a domestic violence dispute. Now, details are still sketchy at this hour. Apparently, authorities


    are keeping very tight-lipped on the situation, but I am here with a neighbor. Your name is, ma''am?"


    "My name is Mrs. Selma Godfrey."


    "Okay, Mrs. Godfrey, are you able to tell our viewing audience at home just what exactly took ce


    herest night? What was it you heard?"


    "Well, at first, me and my husband saw Lyte''s boyfriend run into the house from the alley. He was


    out there talking to some man. I think they were out there foolin'' around; up to no good. Then we heard


    them arguing. Next thing you know, we hear some kind of animal. Poor ole'' Lyte starts screaming


    like she''s being killed. That''s when some policeman ran up in there and shot the thing."


    "Okay, ma''am, when you say policeman, are you referring to Detective Linus Bruin"


    "I reckon that was his name."


    "Now, Mrs. Godfrey, you mentioned that Detective Bruin shot this animal that both you and your


    husband supposedly heard, is that right?"


    "Yes it is."


    "Did you see anyone carry the alleged animal out of the house, ma''am?"


    "Well...no, but I sure heard something terrible in there. It sounded like a mad dog or something like


    that."


    "Thank you, Mrs. Godfrey. As you can see there are various, wild stories from multiple sources. Once


    again, police are informing us that a domestic violence dispute inside is what led to Mercer''s death.


    Right now as we speak, we are receiving information about both Isaac Mercer, as well as a very


    interesting bio on Detective Linus Bruin. It seems that Mercer had spent two and a half months at the


    Asndview Psychiatric Facility just north of here. We tried to contact Mercer''s presiding physician, but


    he was unavable forments. From what we are receiving from Asndview, Mercer suffered from


    chronic ckouts which led to bouts of amnesia and paranoia. Now, if the name Isaac Mercer sounds


    familiar, that''s because just three days earlier he was abducted by thete B.O.D. kidnapper, but


    managed to elude his captor. Detective Bruin was also involved in the case. From what we are still


    gathering, Detective Bruin himself spent four months in and out of a state psychiatricmunity, due to


    numerous mental breakdowns and domestic abuse."


    "This is bull...t, man! How can a cop kill somebody for just domestic abuse? That cat just ran up in


    there and shot that man right in his own house for no reason whatsoever! Ain''t nothin'' changed a damn


    bit! Police are all pigs and they''re all out to kill us cks! Just one more dead n...a as far as they''re


    concerned! And now they''re runnin'' up in people''s homes and killing us now! None of us are safe!"


    "Okay, um, we apologize for that disturbance,dies and gentlemen. Anything can happen when you''re


    doing live TV. As you can see behind me, tensions in thismunity are at an all-time high. Now,


    investigators are probing into this case as we speak, wondering just what cause of action, if any, led to


    Detective Bruin gunning down Mercer. Besides a revolver that was owned by Ms. Glover, there was no


    other weapon in the house. As for this alleged animal that was heard inside the home, police were not


    able to ascertain such a detail, or any kind of forced entry on the part of Mercer for that matter."


    "I hate the fuzz, man! I hate all pigs!"N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    "Once more, we apologize for the disturbance,dies and gentlemen. Just to recap, twenty year old


    Isaac Mercer was shot deadst night here on West Seventh Blvd by Detective Linus Bruin. Mercer is


    survived by his fianc¨¦e, Lyte Glover, their two year old son and Mercer''s father. Stay tuned to


    Channel Seven for morete breaking news and reports as this bizarre and tragic.

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33


    Captain Brickman''s disposition was both low key and solemn as he stacked a series of papers all in a


    row while sitting quietly at his desk.


    From left to right, reports of the incident from the night before, along with a prostitution ring that was


    busted up around three a.m. were all gathered into his stiff hands and neatly ced to the side.


    Staying busy was never a challenge for the besieged man; it was a natural way of life. But that morning


    lay heavy and hard upon him, like carrying a three hundred pound man on top of his shoulders for


    hours.


    Purposely, he had managed to keep away from Linus so far that morning, even though seven o'' clock


    hadn''t even arrived yet. There was so much he wanted to say to his colleague and friend, but it wasn''t


    the right time, not with the investigation underway. Instead, he chose to keep to himself, secluded to


    the safe confines of his office.


    Every so often he would answer his phone to take angryints from those who found wrong with


    the police department, or he woulde out to ask for another cup of coffee from one of the female


    officers, but all in all, the unobtrusive man remained stationery and out of the way.


    A sudden knock at the door startled the captain to where he lostplete track of the filing detail that


    he was right in the middle of.


    Exasperated, he dropped the papers that were in his hands and looked up to see a silhouette stand on


    the other end of the stained ss door.


    "Come in." He gently grimaced.


    From behind the door appeared Fitzpatrick, who himself looked as if he hadn''t slept a wink in two


    nights.


    "Uh, sir, Mr. Mercer is here." n unenthusiastically stated.


    Without saying a word, the captain groaned, gathered his papers and raised himself up and out of his


    creaky old wooden chair. The man sailed past n on his way out of his office and through the main


    work area where phones were ringing off the hook every other second and officers were handing him


    the proverbial stare downs.


    This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    "He''s downstairs in interrogation." n said while following right in behind Brickman.


    Without stopping, Brickman replied, "I''m fully aware of where the gentleman is, Detective."


    Both men carried on down the steps that led to the interrogation room. The captain was already an


    over boiling pot of unhinged nerves, having someone biting at his heels, at that time in the morning no


    less, only infused the man with even more ire.


    Once they reached the correct floor n hurriedly and boldly stepped in front of Brickman and


    remarked, "Sir, any word on¡ª


    "Don''t start with me, Fitz." The captain cantankerously ordered.


    "Captain, he''s up there with O''Dea." n pressed on. "You know just as well as I do that guy is gonna


    grill him like a criminal."


    "What do you want me to do?" Brickman shrugged. "Run upstairs, grab Linus and jump out the window


    with the man?"


    "No...but if we could just get the D.A. on the phone, then¡ª


    "Look, I know O''Dea is a fucking prick of a guy. I also know that just a few doors down I have to exin


    to a father why his son was shot in cold bloodst night."


    n nced behind him before slipping his hands inside his pants pockets and sighing, "You should


    see this Mercer fellow. He looks like he''s about to go nuts at any moment. Officer Washington is right


    around the corner if you need any assistance."


    The captain stared strangely back at Fitzpatrick as though he had lost his mental faculties before


    saying in a grunt, "Look, I''ve been up since ninest night. I''m high on Sanka, nicotine and cold


    medicine. Now, if I were you I wouldn''t be concerned about my well-being as you are, because the


    question of why you left your piece in the trunk of that cruiser is gonnae up before the day is done,


    Detective. So what I suggest you do is head back upstairs, grab a cup of coffee and calm the fuck


    down. The day is just starting."


    And with that the captain sidestepped n on his way past the interrogation room and directly to a tall,


    ck officer who was standing against the wall like an on duty soldier.


    The captain stopped, looked up at the officer and simply said, "Washington, we need you outside on


    crowd control."


    Without blinking, the officer looked down at the captain and respectfully replied, "Yes, sir."


    The captain stood and watched as the towering officer marched down the empty hallway before turning


    around and stepping just ten feet back to the interrogation room. With an overwhelming sense of


    trepidation, the captain approached the door and paused. Through the blurry ss he could see


    Mercer''srge profile seated at the table.


    Despite the fact that the early morning was already chock full of unbridled controversy and pain


    stricken cmity, Brickman had a pre-nned statement stored away in the furthest recesses of his


    brain, ready to send out at a moment''s notice.


    His sweaty right hand twisted the cold doorknob, beyond the door sat Mr. Mercer with his hands folded


    and his eyes closed to the world. The second Brickman shut the door behind him Mercer opened his


    red, sullen eyes and pointed them directly down at the brown table before him.


    The captain could hear the protesters outside the window behind Mercer yell and chant for justice and


    an end to police brutality. They had been out there for the past two hours, and their incessant pleas


    were increasing as the morning tarried on.


    "Uh, Mr. Mercer, my name is Captain Roy Brickman. Good morning." Brickman modestly broadcasted


    before sitting himself down on the other side of the table from Mercer.


    Mercer''s brooding face never parted from the table. It almost appeared as if he were either far away in


    another world or just studying the wood grain beneath his fingers.


    "Sir, I, uh...I don''t quite know what to say at this point." Brickman discreetly stammered as though he


    were trying to cough. "At this very moment, the department is conducting an extensive investigation


    into Detective Bruin''s actions fromst night. All we know for now is that Detective Bruin made his way


    over to see your son and bring him here for more questioning. And then, ording to Bruin, everything


    after that went...ck."


    The more Brickman spoke the more he had hoped that Mercer would at least make eye to eye contact


    with him. But no matter how diligently the captain exined the situation, Mercer''s face remained


    perfectly reserved.


    "As of now, Detective Bruin is indefinitely suspended, without pay. Now, Mr. Mercer, we need to know¡ª


    At that very instant, a slight grunt cooed from out of Mercer''s throat before he slowly uttered, "Captain,


    can you imagine what it''s like to look down upon your son and see his entire body opened up with


    bullets?" The man remarked without taking his eyes off the table still.


    Brickman lunged forward a few inches in order to gain a more precise detail of the man''s face and


    speech that he wanted so much toe to life.


    "Something was wrong with my boy." Mercer continued on. "The young man I sawst night wasn''t


    mine. The devil got to him, and I couldn''t see it. The good Lord tried to warn me. He tried to open my


    eyes, but I was too blind. Rather than turning him over to Jesus, I sent my own son to a psychiatrist. A


    witch doctor," he bitterly snarled.


    "Mr. Mercer, you say that you saw Isaacst night before he went over to his fianc¨¦e''s house. What


    sort of condition was he in?"


    "He wasn''t well." Mercer sulked. "I''ve lived a bad life, Captain. I hurt a lot of people before God saved


    me. I figure this is Satan''s way of getting back at me."


    Captain Brickman leaned back in his chair while continually observing the misfortunate individual that


    sat across from him. The pre-nned words that he had stored away had all but been deleted; there


    was absolutely nothing else in the world that he could have said at that point that would have made any


    coherent sense to the father.


    There were so many more questions that he wanted to ask the man pertaining to Isaac. Inquiries into


    the young man''s personal life that only he could possibly be able to answer, but Mercer''s face told the


    grim story of a man that was standing patiently at the throne of purgatory.


    Just then, what resembled a whimper at first nce turned into somethingpletely unexpected to


    Brickman. Apassionate smile came across Mercer''s face at that second as he balled up his fists.


    "Mr. Mercer, are you okay?" Brickman squared his eyes at the man.


    It took a moment or two before Mercer eventually replied, "I remember when Isaac was little. That boy


    sure loved him someic books. His mama didn''t want for him to read them, but, every so often I


    would sneak one or two along his way. I knew I shouldn''t have, but he was just a little guy. Little boys


    like those things I guess. Well, one day, I think he was about seven or eight, that little rascal tied one of


    his mama''s red table clothes around his neck and jumped right off the back steps. He ended upnding


    on both knees. He cried and cried. I told him that if he kept on crying then his mother would find out


    that he was readingics. Sure enough, that boy quit crying right then and there."


    Brickman sat and envisioned a younger Isaac doing exactly what his father so fondly recalled him


    doing, leaping into the air and attempting to fly like a bird. For a very brief moment, Roy found himself


    smirking.


    "It always seemed as though Isaac wasn''t happy with who he was. He was always trying to be


    someone or something else. I remember, right before his mama went home to be with the Lord, she


    told him, ''Never change. Always stay the same good boy you are.''


    The grin that was on Mercer''s face suddenly vanished right before he deeply exhaled and got up from


    the table.


    From his chair he moseyed over to the window that overlooked Downtown Cypress and folded his


    hands behind his back.


    From where Brickman was seated he could see nothing but clouds outside, even though Mr. Mercer


    could see so much more beyond what his own eyes would allow him to view.

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34


    There was a small, off to the side office that was located on the fourth floor of police headquarters.


    With his left arm wrapped in a sling, Detective Linus Bruin despondently sulked in his chair behind a


    clean and orderly desk. The clothes that he was wearing just happened to be the same torn and bloody


    garments he wore from the night before. Not one detail on his entire body had been rearranged; from


    his unkempt hair, all the way down to his blood stained Thom Mcan''s His drooping face was a nk


    canvas from cheek to cheek.


    No sort of emotion whatsoever bothered to appear. Inside of him dwelt a teetering calm, like a cease


    fire in the midst of a hecious battle.


    All night long the man had endured question after probing question, cameras shing in his face and


    officers frantically rushing him to one end of the police station to the other as if he were a time bomb


    inside of a box.


    His hands rested motionless in hisp while his face stayed poised on the desk in front of him. There


    was an itch on the bridge of his nose that the man didn''t have the strength or will to scratch at.


    A knock at the door disturbed the silence in the small office. From behind the door appeared Officer


    Donaldson who came in with a steaming cup of coffee. The woman quietly ced the cup down onto


    the desk before handing Linus a sympathetic smile.


    "Thank you, officer." Inspector O''Dea delicately stated before blowing lightly on the rim of the hot mug.


    "That will be all for now."


    The average looking man that was sitting across from Linus with his thin lips pressed tightly together


    was around the same age as the detective. He wanted to appear smart in his oversized, blue stripped


    tie and white shirt.


    The man''s pepper-tinted hair was trimmed to perfection, with not one hint of an out of ce sliver. His


    dubious looking white face supported a thick, grey mustache that was groomed to where a person


    could only see his bottom lip move up and down whenever he spoke.


    O''Dea meticulously sipped on the edge of the cup before looking up at Linus and saying, "You must


    forgive me. I did not have the opportunity to savor my wife''s delectable cooking this morning. The


    woman makes the best homemade sausage this side of the Ohio River. Jimmy Dean be dammed."


    Linus sat and watched as the inspector ced his elbows on the table and folded his hands before


    ncing around the room and asking, "Are you cold?"


    Linus only slightly shook his head from side to side. For him, and at that point, words were as hard to


    grasp as air in his hands.


    "It''s funny how thin the walls are in this building. Shows you just how old the ce really is." O''Dea


    affectionately sighed. "My grandfather was an officer here back around the turn of the century.


    ording to him, this ce was falling apart back then, too."


    Linus looked on as O''Dea turned his attention to the window to his immediate left. Both men could hear


    the protestors outside on the ground chant loud and clear.


    "Boisterous, aren''t they?" O''Dea looked back at Linus. "Jesus, you look like you haven''t slept in days,


    Detective," the man pointed. "Are you feeling alright? Well, that''s a pretty stupid question." He flippantly


    grinned. "Look, I know you think I''m here to nail you to the wall, but that''s not the case. I just want to


    know what took cest night."


    All of the sudden, colors began appearing right before Linus'' eyes as he sat there in his chair. It was a


    psychological disorder that seemed to ur at the perfect moment and in the perfect ce.


    "Now, you''ve been silent about the entire ordeal for the past few hours, Detective. Don''t you think it''s


    time to open up? I mean, you''re gonna have to do a helluva lot better than domestic abuse with that


    mob out there, my friend." The inspector empathetically exined.


    Linus batted his eyshes in a rapid sequence before looking up at the man. He waited for O''Dea to


    ask even more questions.


    O''Dea looked down and studied the papers that were lying in front of him. "How''s your family?" He


    inquired with a straight face that never bothered to look Linus in the eye.


    Linus sat for a moment or two before replying in a dry tone, "They''re fine."


    "How''s Elizabeth?"


    Linus contemptuously eyeballed the inspector before sternly answering, "Fine."


    "That''s good." O''Dea casually remarked with his eyes still staring at the papers. "I''m serious, that''s very


    good." He adamantly reiterated. "Detective, in your statement, you mentioned that you went over to Ms.


    Glover''s residencest evening to secure Mr. Mercer for more questioning. But what I''m curious about


    is, what more questions did you have for Mr. Mercer?"


    Linus exhaled a long breath before muttering, "I was following up on a...hunch."


    "A hunch," O''Dea spoke up. "What sort of hunch?"


    "There were some loose ends that I had to wrap up, so to speak."


    O''Dea studied Linus'' face as if he were trying to drill into his wrinkled forehead. "Mr. Mercer, much like


    yourself, was spotted running from one end of town to the other yesterday. From Ms. Glover''s home, to


    his shrink, to his father''s church and eventually back to Ms. Glover''s residence. What I want to know is,


    what kind of a hunch could you havee across?"


    "I visited the Cohen girlst¡ª


    "The youngdy that was kidnapped and raped by Cummins?" O''Dea hastily interrupted.


    Taken off guard, Linus caught his breath and said, "Yes."


    "Why were you visiting her?"


    "I wanted to see how she was doing."


    "How she was doing?" O''Dea frowned with his arms folded in a sanctimonious fashion. "Well, I guess


    we could call you a nice detective, if nothing else. But that still doesn''t exin this so called hunch.


    What I''m curious about is why you didn''t bring Mercer in two nights ago when you and Detective


    Fitzpatrick visited there?"


    "He...he wasn''t feeling well." Linus hesitated. "I decided to¡ª


    "Oh, I see, so you decided." O''Dea strongly emphasized at Linus. "So, not only are you a nice


    detective, but you''re also the decision maker as well. That makes sense."


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Linus sat and stared daggers at the inspector. The man was far from surprised at what was taking


    ce before him; he expected every bit of O''Dea''s smug treatment from the start.


    "Sost night you decided to pay a visit to Ms. Cohen in the hospital, to which afterwards, you decided


    to make your way over to Ms. Glover''s residence to pick up Mercer. Now, when you arrived on the


    scene, what was taking ce?"


    Linus took his eyes away from the inspector and directed them down at the desk. Right then, his body


    began to tremble all over again.


    "Dammit, man!" O''Dea snapped, pounding his fists onto the table. "This is no joke, Detective!"


    "I never said it was."


    "Do you hear that out there? That is a medieval mob waiting for your blood to be shed! You shot a


    naked, weaponless, colored man with a twelve gage shotgun, a shotgun that was left in a cruiser by


    one Detective Fitzpatrick, whom we will be investigating next, and all you can do is just sit there and


    keep quiet!"


    Completely unfazed by the inspector''s tirade, Linus remained still andposed as though nothing


    were happening at all.


    "What was the guy doing when you first busted your way into the house?" O''Dea anxiously inquired.


    "These are just some of the questions that the grand jury is going to throw your way."


    Seemingly disturbed, O''Dea shot up from out of his seat and began to pace the room from front to back


    with his hands lodged inside his pants pockets.


    "You say domestic abuse." The inspector shrugged. "Okay, maybe it was a domestic affair. It''s no


    secret that those people can''t keep a rtionship together longer than a one night stand. But the guy


    didn''t have a single weapon on him, and somehow, Ms. Glover''s finger was sliced right off. Her entire


    body looked as though she were hit by a truck."


    In vivid detail, Linus recalled holding Lyte''s wrecked and bloody body in his shivering arms. He


    could still smell her blood on his hands.


    "There was a gun, but Mercer''s fingerprints weren''t found on the weapon. And yet, you decide to


    rampage into this house and blow this man away in a bathroom of all ces. Jesus, I know you''re fifty-


    three years old, Bruin, but do you mean to sit there and tell me that you can''t overpower a naked man


    without shooting him dead?"


    Crossing behind Linus every other second, O''Dea would stop to stare down into Linus'' white hair as


    though he were admonishing a school boy.


    "I wish we could work together on this one, Linus." The inspector rationally articted. "I realize that


    you and I haven''t gotten along too well over the years. I mean, we won''t be exchanging Christmas


    cards anytime in the near future, but I''ve got both the D.A. and the Mayor breathing down my neck, and


    an entire town of colored hell-raisers wanting to burn down the city, all because you had a hunch."


    O''Dea ceased his outburst momentarily while facing the caged window. It was all the better for Linus,


    he needed toe up for air before being waterlogged all over again.


    "Did you happen to see some of the signs they got out there? One says, ''if it walks like a duck, and


    onks like a pig, then it''s the fuzz.'' The inspector sniggered, sounding tickled by the phrase. "They even


    managed to spell oinks wrong. Is any of this melting into that brain of yours?"


    Linus clinched his entire body while listening to the man endlessly drill on and on. It was all melting


    inwards, just not through the proper conduits. There was no care left inside of him.


    "It''s been almost an entire year since your wife left you. The media found your file from when you went


    away. Christ, here I am trying to save not only this department''s ass, but yours as well, and you just sit


    there." O''Dea then turned to the door and pointed, "Look out there, Linus. All those kids just waiting for


    one of us old farts to fall off of our perch. Hell, I''ve got a Mexican, or Chicano, or whatever they call


    themselves these days, drooling for my job. We''re old men, Linus, too old to be chasing down


    kidnappers, rapists and murderers. For God''s sake, man, this is no way for an officer to go out, a


    broken down husk of flesh."


    Linus suddenly raised his head back up and opened his mouth. At first, no words came out, but after


    seconds of silence, with a shaky voice he murmured, "I...I don''t know what you want me to say."


    O''Dea spun around in amazement and listened attentively at what else Linus was going to hopefully


    state.


    "What I did..st night was, was all my fault."


    The inspector stepped over, mmed his hands onto the desk and said, "It doesn''t have to be all your


    fault, Linus. All you have to do is tell me what happened inside that house and we can go from there.


    What the hell makes you think I want to see an officer like yourself go down? Linus, you broke into a


    house and shot and killed an unarmed man. Something like this doesn''t just up and go away overnight.


    Hell, it''ll be on the CBS Evening News before you know it. This is all Cronkite needs to add yet another


    award to his already cluttered trophy chest. Unarmed ck man shot dead in the buff, for no apparent


    reason other than he was beating his fianc¨¦e. Oh what a tragedy," O''Dea zealously satirized before


    nearing closer to Linus'' face and yelling, "Help me help you!"


    Linus wanted to look over at the loud inspector, he wanted to hand the same kind of treatment back to


    him, only worse, especially after the mention of his wife leaving him, but his stale body chose instead to


    remain immobile. It was as if he had lost any and all audacity to stand up for himself.


    Inspector O''Dea pulled away from Linus and sipped on his warm cup of coffee. He then looked back at


    the window behind him before ncing down again at the detective."Stranger things have happened, I


    guess." O''Dea spoke under his breath as he loosened his tie and headed for the door. "Don''t go


    anywhere, we still have a lot to iron out, you and I."


    Linus heard the door m behind him, he was all alone. The man turned and gazed on at the shapes


    and sizes mill about in the busy office beyond the blurry ss in the door. Eventually, he would have to


    see all of those same shapes and sizes face to face; staying inside the room all day was improbable.


    Linus sat and took a glimpse of his own blood stained fingers that he hadn''t bothered to wash since


    before yesterday evening. The redness of his fingernails was beginning to turn a darker shade. For a


    second or two the man had to actually remind himself just where he was to begin with.


    It took just about every ounce of energy, but Linus ultimately managed to get up from out of his warm


    seat and gingerly carry himself out of the room and towards his desk.With just about every set of


    mournful eyes bearing down upon him, Linus began to empty the contents of his desk into a small,


    brown box that he had already seated underneath the desk.Numerous pens and pads, a miniature U.S.


    g and a framed picture of his daughters all found their way into the musty old box.


    The detective could feel the enormous weight of every stare beam upon him. Besides the ringing of


    telephones, the entire room was quiet. A couple of typewriters could be heard in the background, along


    with the chanting protesters outside the building, beyond those annoyances, the fourth floor was a


    hushed tomb.


    Linus could feel the tears begin to well up inside his eyes; he wanted more than anything to breakdown


    right there at his empty desk, but instead, he chose the restraint of pride to hold back the eventual


    emotion.He swallowed his saliva and grunted while getting up from his seat. He put on his winter coat,


    loaded his box underneath his right armpit and without giving his co-workers a second nce he simply


    headed for the stairwell.


    As Linus stepped down the stairs that led to the garage, his red eyes couldn''t seem to tear themselves


    away from the grimy, discolored floor beneath his feet. He could hear perps hollering vile obscenities as


    he passed one floor after another; to him, they were just blurs in his head, like the buzzing of bees.


    Linus took one more step, and before he knew it, he was at the final door. The man pushed open the


    door and right away caught sight of his own car parked just three yards ahead.


    He briskly marched across the freezing cold parking lot while noticing his breath escaping with every


    step that he made. Linus'' legs were bing rubbery; his pace was uncoordinated. The weight of the


    box he was carrying was rapidly bing heavier. His car appeared more like it was miles away


    rather than simple feet.


    Nearly dropping his box to the ground, Linus, with one hand, feverishly reached into his pants pocket


    and pulled out his car keys, only to have the box and all the contents within crash to the cement.Out of


    both frustration and fear, Linus kicked the box out of the way before kneeling to retrieve only his


    beloved frame. When he atst reached the car, he forcefully jammed the key into the lock so hard that


    it nearly broke in half. Just like that, he climbed in and mmed the door shut.


    There alongside him inside the vehicle sat an ugly hush. It had been noiseless inside his head for the


    past few hours. He hadn''t slept a single wink in two nights. In his windshield Linus could see a young


    man shuddering and twisting about in his own pool of blood on a bathroom floor. In the rearview mirror


    he saw a creature seated in the backseat.


    Instead of being numb, Linus'' body felt as though it were dipped inside a freezing cold tank of water;


    the sheer shock of it all repeatedly stabbed at every inch of his body.The man couldn''t even shake


    anymore. He was still, his hands were to the side and his eyes were adamantly pointed directly at the


    steering wheel in front of him. Linus'' mouth hung slightly ajar, as if he were trying to speak a word.


    He no longer possessed anyprehension as to what day, month or year it was, all he seemed to be


    aware of at that point was the fact that it was daytime, and that reality was seen only through the open


    gate just a few feet away to his right.


    All of the sudden, his eyes began to shift, from the steering wheel to the dashboard where his brand


    new Peter Gabriel eight track was lying. Ever so steadily his right hand reached over to the glove


    compartment. Inch by inch the tip of his fingers neared thetch until they ultimately made contact.


    Without even looking, Linus reached inside and slowly pulled out a nine millimeter handgun. Just as


    many minutes as it took for his hands to reach the glovepartment, that was nearly as long as it


    took for him to pull it right back to hisp.


    From his eight track, Linus'' eyes progressed to the weapon that sat warm before him. By then, after


    only thirteen hours removed from the incident, Detective Bruin had managed to forget even the name


    of the young man that he had unsuspectingly put out of his own misery. As a matter of fact, everything


    that had taken ce over the course of the past few days had all but been erased from his brain,


    everything that is expect the nameless young man that was lying on a bathroom floor.


    Images of him convulsing while his face reverted back to the human form caused only a migraine as


    well as an elevated temperature. Within his shattered body he felt so much sorrow for the young man,


    so much so that he wanted to scream.


    Without thinking, Linus raised his gun, pointed it at his right temple and looked down at his daughters''


    smiling faces inside the frame.


    "Linus," n knocked at the driver''s side window.


    Linus spun his head around to see his partner wearing a serious and pitiable manifestation upon his


    face. Soon, the pride that Linus wore so gantly back upstairs was beginning to dissipate.


    Without speaking a word, n opened the door, and with little or no regard towards his own safety, he


    secured the gun from out of Linus'' hand. From there he helped Linus out of the car and wrapped his


    arm around his shoulder while escorting his friend back into the building.


    As they carried on, Linus'' face grew even more anguished and deformed. The man wept; there was


    nothing else left for him to do but weep.


    It was the one and only exnation he could ever hand the world.

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35


    "They both will fall to the ground. People will wail in agony at the feet of their god...but they will not find


    mercy."


    Isaac''s grainy, wicked sounding voice droned on over Doctor Sanyupta''s tape recorder.


    "I see, Isaac. And can you tell me when these buildings will fall? Do you have a specific date? A month,


    time or even a year," Sanyupta asked with a thoughtfulposure in his tone.


    "Od ton  em, hctiw rotcod." (Do not mock me, witch doctor) Isaac hissed.


    "I assure you, Isaac, I am not mocking you. I am simply curious to know just when this harrowing event


    will ur, so I can warn others, that is."


    "Your time in this world is drawing to a close, mystic. Ruoy niart lliw eb ruoy tsal etaf. Deeh ym


    ylluferac." (Your train will be yourst fate. Heed my words carefully)


    "I will do my best to be very careful, my friend." Sanyuptapassionately assured. "On that note, let


    us conclude our session for the day. After lunch, you can go downstairs and help set up the Christmas


    decorations with the others."


    Doctor Levin pressed the off button on the tape recorder before wiping his teary eyes dry. He wished


    that he had known about the recordings earlier, but like most of his so called "safe patients", he chose


    to shove Isaac off to the side, waiting to see if he would rpse back into his schizophrenic state once


    again.


    Just one week earlier Isaac seemed perfectly well. From Jeremiah''s point of view there were no


    apparent or visible signs that would have suggested the man required more time at Asndview.


    But there was Jeremiah Levin, slumped over at his desk while the Thursday edition of the Cypress


    Guardian that was lying in front of him kept begging for the young doctor to take yet another nce


    down at Isaac Mercer''s grinning ck and white photo.


    There was an overwhelming sentiment of shame that he was sinking in. Jeremiah felt like a failure not


    being able to fully diagnose Isaac''s problem. There was that persistent pinching in the back of the


    man''s throat that wanted to believe Isaac''s despairing shape-shifting story, to a certain degree that is.


    All alone in his office, Jeremiah sat and stared endlessly from the newspaper to his multiple degrees on


    the wall that in times past he cherished and fawned over so proudly. He has listened to the chilling


    taped sessions at least five times in the past hour, and not one of his precious diplomas had prepared


    him for any of what he had listened to in Sanyupta''s meetings with Isaac.


    A series of knocks at the door interrupted Jeremiah''s penitent moment to himself. Discreetly and


    quickly, the man wiped his eyes with a Kleenex before shouting, "Come in!"


    From behind the door appeared a young, bearded, well dressed white man. With a cordial smile


    wrapped around his face, the man strolled inside and announced, "It''s almost noon, Jeri. How about


    some lunch? My treat."


    Clearing his throat, Jeremiah swiped the newspaper from off his desk before slipping it inside one of


    the drawers.


    "Sure, Paul, I need to get out of here for a while anyways." He sighed.


    "You know," Paul prudently uttered, "these cases usually turn out like this most of the time. You let it get


    to you now you''ll carry it forever."


    Jeremiah stopped his every movement at that instant to look up at his colleague with a belligerent


    frown as if a mountain of anger was building inside.


    "Paul, how many patients have you had die since you''ve been a resident here?" He pointed.


    Paul blushed and turned away as to say that the question had embarrassed him. All Jeremiah could do


    was continue to stare on at the man.


    "C''mon, how many," Jeremiah impatiently persisted.


    "Look, Jeri, if you''re worried about what you''re parents are gonna say, then don''t be. Paul shrugged.


    "You''ve got a helluva career still ahead of you. This is only a minor setback."


    Wearing a deadpan expression on his pale face, Jeremiah got up from out of his seat, grabbed his coat


    from off the coat rack and stormed right past Paul on his way out the door.


    "You forgot to close the door!" Paul shouted, following Jeremiah down the hallway.


    The instant Jeremiah reached the elevator, an unrelenting sense of being closed in suddenly seized


    him. Even though he wasn''t even remotely hungry, the very thought of remaining inside his office and


    waiting for his next appointment was about as appealing as listening to a two hour physics lecture.


    "I hear Sanyupta is heading off to Calcutta next." Paulmented before pressing the button to call


    the elevator.


    Sighing, Jeremiah replied, "Yeah, that''s one city down, ten more to go."


    "Can you imagine how long of a train ride that is from Bombay all the way to Calcutta?" Paul grinned


    before entering into the waiting elevator.


    With a slight, thoughtless pause in his step, Jeremiah followed in suit. The man stuffed his hands into


    his coat pockets, looked up at the ceiling, and at the blink of an eye, he cleared his mind.


    ***


    Karyn drove along the pot-holedyered road at speeds that barely reached 15 mph. Behind her were


    the sounds of angry cars and trucks honking their horns and yelling for her to move faster. One by one


    she watched as vehicles veered past her, cursing and giving hand vile gestures.


    As soon as she saw the bridge just a few yards up ahead, Karyn began to press harder on the gas until


    both she and her car were right under the bridge''s steel girders. To the side was arge enough


    walkway where she could park her car without obstructing traffic any further.


    The withdrawn woman sat in her cold vehicle, sulking and feeling sorry for herself. Everything she did,


    from knowingly sleeping with an attached man, to handing down her curse only gripped her body with


    the kind of sweltering fear that wouldn''t allow a person to breathe, let alone live in peace.


    "Go home." She muttered with a trembling bottom lip. "Mama...I wanna go home."


    Without allowing one more thought to enter into her head, Karyn began to slip off her clothes. From her


    hat, scarf, coat, sweater, pants and boots, all the way down to her underwear, every item went flying to


    and fro inside the car until she waspletely naked. Before long, the woman found herself crying.


    She was crying so hard that the tears were blinding her. Karyn then found herself looking up into the


    rearview mirror only to see that her eyes had turnedpletely white and fangs were gradually


    growing from out of her mouth.


    Without even cutting off the ignition, Karyn got out and stepped onto the freezing cold pavement while


    drivers honked their horns and careened their vehicles from one side of the road to the other, gawking


    amazingly at the woman that was casually stumbling along the ice coated bridge.


    Karyn could feel the fur begin to stalk out of her skin; that alone caused her pace to quicken towards


    the bridge''s double ledge that led to the tip that overlooked Lake Logan.


    It was well below ten degrees that afternoon. It was a possibility that people could see her change, but


    that jarring notion didn''t seem to weigh heavily upon the fraught woman as she stepped up onto the


    first ledge and looked out over the sprawling, mightyke.


    Her nipples, along with just about every other portion of her body were near frostbite stage at that point.


    Her toes felt as though they were going to fall right off of her feet at any moment. With every passing


    horn, Karyn found her shaking body nearing closer to the second and final ledge. Within the part of her


    brain that still held a remnant ofmon sense, she realized that it wouldn''t be too long before


    someone would eventually pull over and try to coax her from off the bridge.


    One final, fond memory crossed Karyn''s mind at that instant. She recalled the past Sunday when she


    saw Isaac at the gas station. How her heart jumped from both fear and tion from just knowing that


    he was alright after the incident from November. He was the very first and only man that she truly cared


    for, even though she knew full well that he never held the same feelings for her in return.


    And that was all she needed. Before her hands could even grow out into ws, Karyn shut her eyes


    and took onest look at winter before stepping out into the thin air and plunging herself into the


    inhumanly cold water below. The woman let go, not once holding on for one closing gasp of air. As she


    went under, Karyn could feel the beast try to escape from out of her body onest time. She made sure


    to keep her demonic eyes open for the entire journey downwards into the abyss as more and more


    space came in between both her and the surface above.


    With only her right hand extended outwards, she reached.


    ***


    Lyteid motionless in her hospital bed with her body wrapped from head to toe in nothing but


    bandages. Her entire face had swollen to twice its own size, while her left eye had ballooned to the size


    of an egg, nearly protruding out of its socket. Her right eye waspletely swollen shut.


    In order to keep the blood properly circting she had to have her right arm elevated. She was hooked


    to a respirator; with blockage in her throat, breathing at that stage was unbearable.


    Sheid, watched and helplessly listened as her parents and three sisters who were all gathered


    around inside her room yelled, screamed, ranted and raved about how much of a bastard Isaac was for


    doing what he did to their beloved Lyte.


    Their scorching words against the man were filled with all kinds of colorful cursing, some of which


    Lyte had never even heard up until that point. Every breath that the young woman could grab was


    sheer ecstasy.


    With her one eye, she could see where her finger used to be on her right hand. Writing poetry, going to


    school, even being a mother to her son were about as important as sailing around the world to her.


    The enraged human beings that surrounded her bed that afternoon were bing more and more


    transparent, like mere distortions in time. From left to right, her bulging left eye scanned the five grown


    images in front of her, hollering as though she weren''t even in the room.


    Eventually, Lyte learned to block them out of her head until all that was left were eyes. Two shining


    eyes that glowed in the dark. Nothing else but the two eyes stared back at her.


    "You people are going to have to leave if you do not keep your voices down!" A doctor impatiently


    bellowed as he stormed into the room.


    Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Lyte watched as her family turned their furious attention away from Isaac and to the hapless doctor


    that was only looking out for his patient''s best interest.


    Then, something happened that Lyte honestly hoped would not...she caught sight of Isaiah who


    was being held by one of her screaming sisters.


    The child was sucking on his thumb while ring back at his battered mother. In her one good eye,


    instead of seeing her baby, all Lyte could spot was Isaac and his glowing eyes in the dark as they


    made love. She recalled the endearing story that he told back at Jimmy''s roller rink, and the look of joy


    on his face when he arrived back from Asndview. Unlike in times past, the memories no longer left


    the fond effect upon her heart. Lyte''s soul had drowned the night before, and it would be an awfully


    long time before it ever dared to resurface again.


    Isaiah reached out with his tiny right hand and yfully pointed it at his mother. Lyte didn''t move.


    She shut her eye as tight as she possibly could...wishing she could vanish away from the entire


    world.

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36


    "You all be careful going home." Mr. Mercer warmly greeted as he hugged two women that attended his


    church before sending them on their way out the front door.


    Once he shut the door, the man turned to see Deacon Hawthorne taking a collection of pots and pans


    into the kitchen. Without even looking around at the empty living room, Charles followed the deacon


    and noticed him cing the heavy pots in the refrigerator.


    N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    "You don''t have to do that, Brother." Charles smiled while going over and dipping dirty dishes into the


    already filled sink.


    "Well, if it doesn''t get done now, then it never will." Hawthorne modestly replied before shutting the


    refrigerator door.


    Chles carried on in his washing duty as if his longtime friend was not even there beside him at all. He


    scrubbed and scoured one dirty dish after another, even the ones that were already virtually spotless to


    begin with."Boy, that sure was some good macaroni and cheese Sister Rozell brought over."


    Hawthorne gailymented from out of nowhere.Sparking back to life, Charles chuckled without


    taking his eyes off the dishes he was cleaning, "Yes, sir, it was sure was."There rested a tidal wave of


    silence in the kitchen. It was so epassing that even Charles himself could feel the weight of it


    bearing upon him. Page 287"Charles, why don''t you stop that for now?" Hawthorne implored. "You can


    do thatter."Gradually, Charles took his hands out of the warm, soapy water and began to dry them off


    with a rag that was lying on the counter to his right.With his hands sped together, the deacon keenly


    asked, "When do you think the police will ever find out what made that man kill Isaac?"Charles


    continued on drying his hands while taking unsettling nces back and forth from the deacon to the


    wet towel he was using."Brother," Charles reacted in a low tone, "there isn''t a degree of investigating


    the police can do that will bring my boy back. I got folks all over telling me to sue this person and that


    person for millions and millions of dors. Everyone wants to riot for my child, thinking that''s the right


    thing to do. Believing that will bring Isaac back. They''re only doing it for themselves because they''re


    already mad at the world. They''re searching for an outlet; something to fight for. Not one of them even


    knew my boy.""Well," Hawthorne sighed, "at least he''s in peace now. That''s all that matters."Charles


    slowly ced the wet towel back onto the counter before turning to a window and looking out at the


    dull, grey sky."What about Lyte and Isaiah, Pastor? How can anyone exin to that little boy what


    happened to his father when he grows up? It''s just a doggone shame." Hawthorne pitifully


    frowned.Charles pulled himself away from the window and simply answered, "I guess we''ll have to wait


    and see, Lord willing."Deacon Hawthorne reached out and hugged Charles, patting him on the back


    saying, "Are you gonna be alright, Brother?" Page 288"I''m just fine." Charles grimaced from the other


    side of Hawthorne. "You tell ra that her marble cake was darn good, as always.""I sure will, Pastor."


    The deacon said as he walked into the living room and put on his coat. "Now, if you need anything, just


    call us. ra and I are gonna be home for the rest of the day."With a humble grin, Charles said, "I think


    I''ll be just fine. You be careful out there." He added before opening the front door.Charles watched with


    bated breath as the deacon carried on out to his maroon Cadic before closing the door. Inside the


    house was a sudden, ustrophobic silence; not even the usual leaky faucet in the kitchen could be


    heard dripping.With a pair of heavy, sluggish legs, the man began a solemn tour of his own home.


    Above the firece sat Isaac''s picture that was ced next to his mother''s. Gently, Charles positioned


    his son''s frame to where it sat perfectly straight.From the mantle he dragged on into his bedroom,


    dropped down to his knees and folded his hands together. But instead of closing his eyes, he kept them


    open and rotated his head slightly to the right to where all he could see was his closet door that was


    slightly ajar.There was a prayer in the back of his throat waiting for the perfect opportunity to escape. It


    was just sitting and festering, like a dead animal on a searing hot day, not wanting to budge a single


    inch.The man allowed only his thoughts to do all of his speaking for him. He was angry at himself for


    not taking his own son more seriously, but rather than explode into a vicious, house-wrecking tirade like


    he desired, he caged it all inside. The rage, the tears and even the prayer to God were locked up


    securely while his hands remained tightly clutched the longer he gazed endlessly on at the closet. Page


    289After five whole minutes of kneeling, Charles got to his feet and resumed his tour. As he exited his


    bedroom, the man captured a glimpse of the living room and the couch and recliner where both he and


    Isaac would sit every Sunday afternoon during football season. How the living room woulde alive


    with the uproars of men whooping and hollering back and forth over who had the better team, The


    Browns or The Raiders.Once the celebrated image melted away, Charles just happened to turn to his


    immediate left to find himself standing right in front of Isaac''s bedroom. The man carefully shoved open


    the door to find the bed unmade, as usual. Along the walls were posters of O.J. Simpson and Bruce


    Lee. Charles made his way inside and began to make the bed from top to bottom. As he fluffed the


    pillows, Charles couldn''t help but to look over to the other side of the bed to notice Isaac''s record


    collection lying next to the wall. Out of all the albums that were disyed, the man managed to catch


    sight of Marvin Gaye''s, I Want You, and the album cover''s artwork. For a brief moment, Charles


    squinted and cracked and very subtle grin before heid the pillows down onto the bed.Before he could


    even turn away, he nced over at the nightstand to see a framed picture of Isaac, Lyte and Isaiah


    that was ced next to themp.With pouty lips, Charles picked up the frame and longingly stared at


    the three happy people. He affectionately recalled how proud he was of Isaac when he told him that he


    and Lyte were getting married. How much Isaiah resembled his father; from the smile all the way to


    the hairstyle was like watching Isaac grow up all over again.Without giving another nce, Charles


    ced the picture back down onto the nightstand and began for the doorway. As carefully as he could,


    Charles shut the door behind him before standing perfectly still inside the hallway. By the position of the


    shadows he could sense that nightfall was drawing nigh. Much to his chagrin, twilight would arrive...in


    only a few hours'' time.


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