The Curse of 1977 (Book 2)

Seated next to Gloria, Jeremiah had no clue as to where they were headed, and truth be told, he really couldn't have cared less. Just feeling the warm breeze blast into his face from the open window was soothing enough for the man.

'Baracuda' from Heart was playing loud on the radio as Gloria kept a steady pace down the lonesome highway. Every now and then Jeremiah would glance over at her and wonder just what was on her mind. For the duration of their journey they spoke off and on about Isaac, her time at Ashlandview and the animal slayings in Cypress.

Jeremiah made sure to tread lightly when it came to their discussions. Just in the short time since he knew her face to face he automatically felt a connection to the woman, but she was still fragile. Within certain sentences he could hear Gloria's voice shake or hesitate. As a psychologist he knew when to go only so far, but as a human being, as Jeremiah Levin, he had his own breaking point.

Every so often, however, in the midst of their conversation Jeremiah would drift away. His eyes would find themselves sinking downwards towards Gloria's bare legs. Immediately his thoughts would race back to Julie who just so happened to have a doctor's appointment that particular morning. If it wasn't Julie or a pair of smooth legs then it was Isaac.

"Did they teach you that in your psychology class, too?" Gloria asked.

Instantly, Jeremiah shook himself back into the car and the conversation. "I'm sorry, what did you say again?"

Giggling, Gloria replied, "I said, did they teach you about modern childcare in your psychology class?"

Cracking a subtle grin, Jeremiah said, "Uh...I honestly don't recall."

"They did for me, before I dropped out that is. Maybe you should've listened more to your professor before assuming that your wife was just having sympathy pains."

Jeremiah only began to laugh out loud, "My wife knows exactly how to draw sympathy from me! She doesn't have to feign abdominal pain!"

Gloria sat quiet for a moment before she opened her mouth and said, "I wish I had the courage to go back to Cypress State again."

Looking over at her, Jeremiah asked, "What's stopping you?"

"I guess I don't want a whole bunch of people staring at me like I just escaped an asylum. I just don't feel like explaining myself to everyone."

"But people know what happened to you."

sister, no one knows that I went to Ashlandview. I told my parents that I had

once told me that keeping ourselves locked away from society is like keeping the

"That's really beautiful." Gloria sighed. "I've heard Paul speak about him from time to time. Does he

heaving chest, Jeremiah said, "Doctor Sanyupta was killed in a train derailment back in

face, Gloria only glanced at Jeremiah before she pulled her car into a long driveway and

"Where are we?" Jeremiah sat

ahead at the house, looking as if she

"Gloria...are you okay?"

a quivering

while, but soon, he got it. He watched as the woman got out of the car and

watched as the house in front of them studied them right back. The driveway in which they were standing had weeds protruding up from the cracked cement while the grass all around them stood almost as tall as they

sprouted up and all around the home while the shingles on the roof were gradually falling to the ground. The destroyed wall had been repaired, but by then, even its very foundation was beginning to see weakness as pieces of brick were shedding from one side to the other. Some of the windows, from the front to the back had been shattered. The only thing that looked remotely shameless was the front door that still possessed its noble oak

Jeremiah marveled at the property in a hushed, subdued awe. He never lingered on the ugliness of where he was, rather, he examined Gloria who was just standing beside her vehicle staring off at the house. Rationality was tossed out the window. Jeremiah knew full well that Gloria had seen something absolutely jarring

and slowly began to walk towards the house. Jeremiah stood back and held his breath while a large semi-truck roared past behind him on the highway. Gloria kept advancing until her bare feet left the cement and touched the grass. She continued on around to the side of the house until she

do you think it was?"

towards Gloria. The moment he found himself standing beside her he asked, "Are you

we try and question everything. I'm sure your parents, just like mine, always tell you to look

Taking off his glasses, Jeremiah

dream of trucks. I honestly have no idea where they

you saw was real." Jeremiah stated. "And I also believe

Gloria turned her head to Jeremiah and asked,

his hands into his pockets, Jeremiah replied, "Coming all the way out here. Believe it or not, I needed it, too. This is where Isaac was taken, and this is where he escaped from." Jeremiah soon began to wander about the grass. "Neither of you were crazy. And there's nothing strange in the water supply. Something happened to you both. I definitely believe that

behind Jeremiah, Gloria hastily queried, "So you believe in the existence of evil? Because that's the very first and last thing

turned around to face Gloria. "Everything we learned in our respective classes was bullshit as far as I'm concerned. The human psyche is far more complex than anything we could ever comprehend. How dare anyone try and reconfigure what our eyes take in. I mean, I've never seen a ghost, but countless people throughout the ages have experienced paranormal happenings. How wrong can they all be? You saw something