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.

were the other two?" She then

hand out, Barron said, "Okay, Miss Glover, I'm going to need you

"She said there were three of them!" Lynnette sobbed loud enough for everyone within earshot to

Glover, please

"But I don't know who the other two

have two sons of my own." Barron said. "But in order

clean before clasping her hands together as tight as possible. "I know one of them." She whimpered. "She had these brown eyes and afro puffs. She was dark skinned. The

Barron asked, "Okay, what about the other

any other two." Lynnette tried to catch her breath. "My mother said that there were three of them, but I only know

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

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 her dry tongue, all she had to do was open

"I'm going to tell you something that you

Officer Barron sat up close and personal to the young woman while not batting a single eyelash as he stared

"What I am about to tell you won't sound...real, but it's

a loud commotion erupted from clear on the other side of the area. It was two men wrestling with several police officers on their

and directed their attention at the melee which began sprawling all onto the floor, making

me!" Barron breathlessly stated as he shot up from

At once, numerous officers all descended upon the two unruly men in order to subdue the turmoil, while Lynnette sat by in her chair

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 months ignoring Isaiah to the point where at times she forgot that the boy

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

a man's

until her eyes connected with the man seated only three

"What?" She cleared her

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

sat up in her

"Believe me, sister, I used to shoot up, too. That is until a good friend told me about

at the man and arrogantly said, "For

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

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 isn't

look at the man, who with his makeup only appeared as a scary clown in

that mess over there." He nodded his

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

he sniggered. "I'm actually here because I was harassing this elderly couple. They said they would give

good thing that you're sitting in here and not out there." Lynnette found the courage to

"Maybe you're right." The man

in the hopes that her shakes would end, Lynnette watched in silent comfort as the officers

and there's nothing any of us can do to kill it." Her voice

minute, you've actually seen this animal before?"

"Ever since then...I know what the devil looks like.

"You sound like a poet."

just see

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

studied each person carefully until she came eye to eye with

man sat cuffed to his chair staring right back at Lynnette in the most distressed manner possible, as if he wanted to reach out for her in the worst way, even though he was fifty or so

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 to

hurry and at least put me in a cell already." The mime grumbled. "I can't take this

The more time passed that was the antsier and more uncomfortable Lynnette became, until after so long she

lady?"

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 eyes,

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

"Lynn!"

Lynnette nearly fell to the floor trying to stop. When she gazed down all she could see was Cloyse looking back up at her like a

are you?"

Scooting his chair closer

though he had a disease. "Who

as if he were about to cry. His face and clothes were saturated in

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

"Please...let me out of

Lynnette turned up

your face dat you have seen them!"

stopped before turning

Cloyse dropped his head for a moment before looking back up and saying, "You have

"Who,"

"The two

foot tapped so hard on the floor from

you

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

they were at that painstaking instant. She heard the words coming out of Cloyse's mouth, but she honestly couldn't believe what she was listening

know you!"

for you." A male, white officer came up behind Cloyse and began to uncuff him from the chair that he was attached

to

get this guy to a cell, pronto." The officer began dragging Cloyse away.