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.

At once, Lynnette started to tremble all over again. "My...my mama said that there were three?" She turned

were the other

Barron said, "Okay, Miss Glover, I'm going

"She said there were three of them!" Lynnette sobbed loud

"Miss Glover, please try and

"But I don't know

"Look, I know exactly how you feel. I have two sons of my own." Barron said. "But in order for us to find your child, I need for you to settle down and tell me

Lynnette wiped her face clean before clasping her hands together as tight as possible. "I know one of them." She whimpered. "She had these brown eyes and afro

Writing on his pad, Barron

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 know of

of a gang?" Barron

shut her eyes for a few seconds before opening them and exhaling the warm air around her. The words she wanted and needed to say were right there on the very tip of

calm voice, Lynnette explained, "I'm going to tell you something that you won't believe at first, but it needs to

Barron sat up close and personal to the young woman while not

you won't sound...real, but it's

the other side of

victims and perps, stopped what they were doing and directed their attention at the melee which began sprawling all onto the floor, making

stated as he shot up

in order

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 what, the woman could not catch a simple breath. She had spent

make her body shudder from head to toe. She couldn't believe that he was gone. The same child that she hadn't seen in days was nowhere to be found, and just knowing that something beyond darkness had taken him to God knows where only made her want to throw up right on the

"Tea," a man's voice suddenly

around until her eyes connected with the man seated only three feet to her right

"What?" She cleared her

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

up in her seat and

I used to shoot up, too. That is until a good friend told me about the wonderful effects of tea calming the

Appearing flabbergasted, Lynnette looked at the man and arrogantly said, "For you information,

for the man to stare at Lynnette's scarred up arms for her to turn away from him in

I'm sorry your kid is missing, 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 you

the man, who with his makeup only appeared as a

that mess over there."

turned her head to view the carnage that was still taking place in the middle of the

walking the beat after this wild animal that's running loose." The man 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

sitting in here and not out there." Lynnette found the courage to

you're right."

that her shakes would end, Lynnette watched in silent comfort as the officers eventually brought the two men to their knees. In her drowsy eyes it was like watching a

to kill

you've actually seen this animal before?"

replied. "Ever since then...I know what the devil looks like. He either has fur, or he tells me how fine I

"You sound like

not, I just see

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

eye to eye with the aforementioned bearded, 'black kid' that the mime

the most distressed manner possible, as if he wanted to reach out for her in the worst way, even

to divert both her eyes and attention away from the man, but the more she twisted and squirmed in her seat, that was all the more she couldn't seem

in a cell already." The mime grumbled. "I can't take this sitting a

after so long she couldn't bear it any longer. She

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

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

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

gazed down all she could see was Cloyse looking back up at her like a lost, desperate puppy panting for

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

Scooting his chair closer to her, Cloyse gasped,

as though he had a disease. "Who

and clothes were saturated in sweat, while

high on the same kinds of drugs she had been

me

Lynnette turned up her

your face dat you

Lynnette once more stopped before turning back around and frowning,

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

"Who," Lynnette

"The two with

Lynnette's left foot tapped so hard on the floor from fear that she could hardly even

"Who are you and what are

of my life. Dey are here, in dis city. Dey

they were at that painstaking instant. She heard the

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

male, white officer came up behind Cloyse and

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

cell, pronto." The officer began dragging