The Curse of 1977 (Book 2)

Like a frightened kitten Lynnette crept into the semi-busy police station where a light stream of disorderly traffic swept through the floor; from officers escorting pimps and prostitutes, to drug addicts and homeless people being processed at various points throughout the area.

In Lynnette's mind everyone that surrounded her were shadows that were caving in on her. She held her boney arms as though she were freezing cold while trying not to make physical contact with any of the other undesirables that resided in the station's front lobby.

Ahead of her was a long podium that stretched at least fifty feet wide. At the very center of the podium was an older black lady who was dressed in full police regalia and steadily writing away on a piece of paper while successfully ignoring the rest of the world around her.

"Excuse me." Lynnette meekly gawked at the woman.

The lady, who was still scribbling away on her piece of paper, didn't remove her eyes from her duty.

"Can I help you?" She mumbled.

"My...my son has been kidnapped." Lynnette stammered.

At the snap of a finger the lady stopped writing and looked straight at Lynnette asking with a suddenly concerned look, "How long ago was your son taken?"

"I...I don't know for sure. Maybe about an hour ago or something."

"Okay, just hold on, I'll be right back," the woman said while getting up from out of her seat and walking away.

Lynnette stood by and watched as the unnamed shadows passed by her in a simultaneous chorus of blundering chaos. She didn't know whether to remain at the podium or simply walk away altogether. She couldn't stop shaking, and the more she thought of Isaiah the more she just wanted to break down and bawl all over the floor. It had been months since she had control over her own being.

"Can I help you?" A middle-aged, black police officer approached Lynnette.

Lynnette looked at the man and tried to speak. "I...my son has been taken away."

"Okay, follow me and we'll see what we can do."

The man led Lynnette away from the open floor and to a series of desks that were located in an adjacent area. Within the area were other officers who were either heading home for the evening or just beginning their shifts.

The officer pulled out a chair for Lynnette to sit in. Seated just three feet beside her was another desk where a white man who was disguised as a mime was arguing with an officer.

"Okay, my name is Officer Barron." The man said as he sat down behind his desk. "And what is your name, ma'am?"

"Uh, Lynnette Glover," she timidly replied. Barron paused for a bit looking as if he were trapped inside a thought.

"Glover, Glover. Why does that name sound so familiar?" He tapped his fingers on his desk. "It doesn't matter. Miss Glover, can you describe your son for me, please?"

"He's two years old. He has...he has." Lynnette tried and tried so diligently but could not seem to conjure a mere picture of her son in her head. "I'm sorry, I'm not thinking very clearly right now.."

"That's okay, but we need some kind of description in order to get this search underway. Now, what was he wearing when you last saw him?"

"I...I don't know for sure."

Barron placed his pen down onto the desk before sitting and studying Lynnette very meticulously.

"Miss Glover, are you sure that your son is even missing?"

"Yes, yes he is!" Lynnette hurried to say. "You see, I haven't been home in a few days. I've been...working a lot."

Barron continued to hand the young woman the 'square eye' before he picked up his pen and began writing all over again.

"Can you possibly give me anything to go on? Something about your son that we could latch on to in order to make this easier," Barron persisted.

Lynnette bore down as hard as she could before blurting out the first thing that came to mind. "He has curly hair and a scar on his left hand that his...father gave him."

"Curly hair and a scar on his left hand," Barron recited to himself while writing. "Is it possible that his father—

Barron right there stopped himself before taking his pen and nibbling on the very tip while staring on at Lynnette. "Now I remember that name." He said in a low voice.

Lynnette only turned her head and blushed the longer Barron looked at her. "Miss Glover, where was your son when he was abducted?"

"He was with my parents at their house."

"Okay, and what's your parents' address?"

"2167 Anders Road."

"Would your parents be able to give an accurate description of your son? It would help."

Shaking her head in a futile manner, Lynnette said, "No, they were both attacked this evening, too."

"I'm taking that this was a burglary?"

"Yes."

"Did your parents happen to get a description of the intruder or intruders?"

"My mother said that there was—

Lynnette's brain came to a complete and abrupt stop at that very instant. All she could think of was what her mother had mentioned.

"Miss Glover, are you okay?" Barron waved his hand in front of her blank, pale face.

to tremble all over again. "My...my mama said that there were three?" She turned her

"Who were the other two?" She then began

Reaching his hand out, Barron said, "Okay, Miss Glover, I'm going to

three of them!"

Glover,

don't know

"But in order for us to find your child, I need for you

know one of them." She whimpered. "She had these brown eyes and afro puffs. She was dark skinned. The last time I saw her was

pad, Barron asked,

just it, I don't know of any other two." Lynnette tried to catch her breath. "My mother said that there were three of them, but I only

could be part of a gang?" Barron inquired. "We have been seeing a spike in gang activity in the city

needed

going to tell you something that you won't believe at first, but it needs to be

personal to the young woman while not batting a single eyelash as he stared

to tell you won't sound...real, but it's all I have.

side of the area. It was two men wrestling with several police officers on their

At once, everyone within the vicinity, from officers to victims and perps, stopped what they were doing and directed their attention at the melee which began sprawling

as he shot up from out of his chair and raced towards

the two unruly men in order to subdue the turmoil, while Lynnette sat by

her hands trembled on her lap as her teeth chattered. Lynnette was wrapped up in all sorts of misery, from the spurts of profanity-laced mayhem clear on the other side of the room, to her own son; no matter

he was gone. The same child that she hadn't seen in days was nowhere to be found, and just knowing that something beyond darkness had

"Tea," a man's voice

looked all around until her eyes connected with the man seated only three

"What?" She cleared her

mime disguise casually remarked from his chair. "Drinking a warm cup of tea

to gather herself, Lynnette sat up in her seat and wiped her misty eyes. "Thanks." She

until a good friend told me

at the man and

All it took was for the man to stare at Lynnette's scarred up arms for her to turn away from him in total

but the last thing you need is to be in here of all places shaking like a leaf. These cops see it every day. The cop that was attending to

man, who with his makeup only appeared as

"Look at that mess over there." He nodded his

Lynnette slightly turned her head to view the carnage that was

explained. "That's why I'm here now. No, I take that back," he sniggered. "I'm actually here because I was harassing this elderly couple. They said they would give me five dollars for my routine, but once I was through, the old geezers just up and

good thing that you're sitting in here and not out there."

"Maybe you're right." The man

shakes would end, Lynnette watched in silent comfort

out there, and there's nothing any of us can do to kill

actually seen this animal

what the devil looks like. He either has fur, or he

sound like

not, I just see people for who they

rub off the white paint from his face. "I've been cooped up inside this station for the past three hours, and in those three hours I've had the opportunity to see all sorts of characters besides myself." He indignantly stated. "You see that old, black lady over there?" He pointed. "She has a complaint about her neighbors' dogs that keep barking all night. Then you have that guy right there, the bald, white fellow. He's in here complaining that a hooker didn't give him the blowjob he paid for. Then there's that guy right over there in the cuffs. The black kid. This joker actually walked in here on his own volition a while ago. Apparently he's been running around town for the past few days harassing people. The cops have been searching for him ever since Henderson's speech the other day. Then suddenly he stumbles up in here looking for someone himself. What luck? Yep, the police station seems to bring out

Lynnette studied each person carefully until she came eye to eye with the aforementioned

manner possible, as if he wanted to reach out for her in the

but the more she twisted and squirmed in her seat, that was all

"God, I wish they would hurry and at least put me in a cell already." The mime grumbled. "I can't take this sitting

time passed that was the antsier and more uncomfortable Lynnette became, until after so long she couldn't

your missing kid, lady?" The mime tossed up his hands in

But Lynnette blew him off as she carried on past one busy officer after another. At that point, and after so much anarchy her brain had been reduced to mush. Isaiah was still fresh in her heart, but Lynnette desired to be away from prowling

As she came closer to the handcuffed man Lynnette couldn't help but to

to stop. When she gazed down all she

"Who...who are you?" She fumbled over

Scooting his chair closer to her, Cloyse

as though he had a disease. "Who are you?"

to cry. His face and clothes were saturated in sweat, while his bloodshot eyes gave the impression that he hadn't rested

see a fraught, pathetic man before her who could have been high on the same kinds of drugs she had been indulging in for

"Please...let me out of

know you." Lynnette turned up her nose before pulling away

"I can see in your face dat you have seen them!"

Lynnette once more stopped before turning back around and frowning, "Nigga, what are you

before looking back up and saying, "You have seen Arthur and his

"Who," Lynnette clinched

"The two

tapped so hard on the floor from fear that she could hardly even stand

"Who are you and what

"I too have seen dem. I have seen dem all of my life. Dey are here, in dis city. Dey

Lynnette's eyes couldn't have gotten any wider than they were at that painstaking instant. She heard the words

"I don't know you!" She yelled. "Who's

fella, that'll do it for you." A male, white officer came up

"No, no, I need to speak with him!"

a cell, pronto." The officer began