The Curse of 1977 (Book 2)

11:37 p.m.

Lynnette sat in the backseat of the cab, huddled in the corner like a horrified child. She wanted the cab driver to take his sweet time getting back to her parents' house. She prayed that every traffic light they came across would hold for the longest time. All the woman could see in her mind was the disappointed looks on her parents' faces; not once did she even entertain a single thought of Isaiah. She couldn't even speak the boy's name inside her own head.

With every stop the cab made Lynnette's heart dropped to the floor. She didn't even have the courage to glance out the window at the nighttime scenery just to see where she was. All that mattered to her was time and how much of that time she could possibly waste inside the span of one evening.

"Here we are." The cab driver announced as he stopped and put the vehicle in park.

Lynnette finally looked up and out the window to see her house which was completely blackened. She knew that someone was inside and that those people were usually in bed by ten p.m.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a five dollar bill which she promptly handed to the driver.

"This is only a down payment." She said. "I need to go inside and do something. Could you please wait out here for me? I won't be that long."

The young, white man took the bill and replied, "No problem; I'm at the end of my shift anyways."

Then, with as much skittish mettle as she could assemble Lynnette rolled out of the cab and began for the front porch.

"All I need is a hundred and nine dollars." She murmured to herself. "I promise I'll be back before the year's end. I'll give the money back to you when I return. I just need to go and do something for a while."

The slower she walked the more she recited her ill-fated speech. Before long, however, she found herself face to face with the front door.

Just as Lynnette was about to pull out her house key, her eyes caught sight of the door which looked somewhat odd. She noticed that the door itself appeared as if it wasn't closed all the way. Immediately, what she had to say to her parents didn't seem to matter all too much.

Lynnette lightly shoved the door open and said out loud, "Mama! Daddy!"

outside on the porch all Lynnette could see were a few shapes and outlines of furniture. She clutched her aching

"Lynn." A frail voice called

She recognized her mother's voice, but the way it

"Mama, where

Wilma replied. "Your

mother's voice was coming from. The light shined on both her mother and father who were seated on the floor in front of the couch. Her mother was cradling her dad in her

across the right side of his face. She could see his hands shaking, while in his eyes was a vacant stare that was off in another world. She saw his lips move while soft, incoherent

dad really bad." Wilma uttered while stroking the man's

knew that something had taken place, but by her mother's lackluster appearance one would believe that she was either settled or

Lynnette, with trembling hands and legs

to right. Becoming more disturbed by the second, Lynnette went over and attempted to cut on the lamp

"They cut off the power, child. The phones don't

Coming back over to her parents, Lynnette questioned,

"Those people," Wilma continued to shake her

persisted, "Mama, what happened here? What happened to you

at last connected with Lynnette's. The women stared at each other for

"They came here

"What?" Lynnette lost her

dropped her head to look upon her husband. "Those people came in here. They hurt your dad, and then

get a headache, not only from the weariness of the days that were wearing her nerves thin,

"Mama, I don't understand who you are talking about!" Lynnette raised

woman you and your sisters attacked in the park. The man she was