The Curse of 1977 (Book 2)

Lynnette sat up against the corroded steel barrier of the rail bridge while listening and feeling the 6:15 roar by above both her and a snoring Cloyse. The young man was sleeping away on a cardboard slat that he had carved out for himself the night before. Lynnette could tell that his so called rest was anything but. He tossed, turned and threw a couple of fists in the air ever since falling asleep.

But as for Lynnette herself, even if she wanted to, she couldn't shut her eyes. No matter where she turned there was something there in front of her chocking the life out of her. Isaiah was still somewhere in the city, she couldn't quite explain how she knew that, it was just one of those gut feelings. She couldn't explain to herself why she was sitting underneath a bridge with a switchblade in her hand and not out searching for her child with the zeal of a nationwide manhunt. Perhaps it was fear of what she may end up finding. But after hearing what Cloyse said the night before about her and the baby being targeted, something told her that her hunters wanted her to suffer.

Killing Isaiah would be too easy. But then there was the man. The man that she once thought she knew. With him all she could see was a monster, a monster from beginning to his grisly end. She couldn't tell if she wanted to ignore him or see him burn in hell for eternity. Every so often, even though she couldn't really confirm it, she could see Isaac turning from her and running to Karyn.

All the arguments they had, to last Thanksgiving, even his trip to Cuyahoga Falls, everything was coming full circle as far as Lynnette was concerned. And as hard as she may have tried to divert her attention elsewhere, that monster would not go away. Then again, Lynnette thought, perhaps she was to be inescapably linked to Isaac forevermore.

The louder the train above roared by, the nails and screws that held the rickety rails together buckled and jostled. Lynnette observed as Cloyse began to squirm and twist before he sat up in such a violent sweat that he actually screamed out loud. Lynnette raised her switchblade only momentarily before realizing that he was just having a nightmare.

Cloyse's crazed eyes gawked all around before they connected with Lynnette. The longer he looked upon her the more he began to calm down.

"You okay?" She asked with relative ease.

Wiping sweat from his face, Cloyse coughed before saying, "I am. I saw someting in my dreams."

Getting up from off the warm ground, Lynnette asked, "What was that?"

"I saw three towers." He huffed. "I saw three buildings dat were once beautiful. I cannot imagine where I have seen dem before."

"It's hard to tell." Lynnette stretched the life out of her body before slipping her switchblade into her back pocket. "C'mon, let's get outta here before someone finds us. We look and smell like we climbed out of the lake."

Cloyse got up and followed Lynnette out from under the bridge. It was a warm morning, no more than seventy degrees with the unwanted expectation that it would become hotter as the day wore on.

The two walked alongside the train tracks next to the lake where some trains were slowly meandering along while a few others sat idle, waiting to be operated.

"I wonder how my parents are doing." Lynnette sighed.

"What condition were dey in when you saw them last?"

"They were pretty messed up." Lynnette said. "My mother has been really off in the head since...it doesn't matter anymore." She relented.

"I can hardly remember my mother and father, dey both died when I was very young."

"What do you remember about your sister?"

Cloyse hesitated before answering. "She was kind to me. She became a mother to me once our mother died."

Lynnette then stopped beside a boxcar and turned around to face Cloyse. "What do you remember when you first saw one of them?"

Cloyse turned his head for a second before replying, "For years, dey were only folklore and myth on our island. We noticed people missing or turning up dead, but we always thought it was wild animals killing everyone. Den I saw my sister change for de first time." His voice dropped. "After dat, I was forever terrified of her. I wanted to save her, but I knew dat it wasn't possible."

Lynnette stood and studied the man for a few moments as though she were viewing life's cruelest joke.

"I just remember him turning back into a man after that detective killed him." She mournfully muttered. "I remember him changing into that thing, but what sticks with me the most is him turning back. I always wonder what it could have felt like for him to make that change. I had known that nigga since the sixth grade, and to see him turn into that...thing, just doesn't seem real to me."

"How did dis detective manage to kill him?"

Lynnette said, "He used a shotgun."

Nodding his head, Cloyse stated, "Strong guns like dose work well, but on my island, firearms as scarce. Our best weapon was fire."

them on fire, and poof, they

so if it is strong

Lynnette said as she turned and began to walk away

dat to your finger?"

Lynnette froze in place. She couldn't explain why the question just sliced right through her like

that for the rest of my days simply because it's all I have to offer as far as explanations are concerned. What else am I supposed to tell people?"

on its own wretched frown at that instant.

"How do you

am not as naïve as you may believe me to be, Lynnette. I am

wasn't naïve either. "I thought the same thing, too. But now that you mention it, the last sexual encounter Isaac and I had was through...sucking and eating. He and I

Both Lynnette and Cloyse stared each other down as hard as they both possibly could for what seemed like forever

car with...someone I knew, one of them blasted through the windshield and killed him." Lynnette sorrowfully explained with folded arms. "All I saw was fur. I didn't see or hear anything else. All I ever saw was

bodies of de people on my island." Cloyse said. "After a while...you get used to seeing dead

saw the pier just a few yards up ahead. The more the

"I mean, how did this Akoni and Arthur become these things to

Lynnette had to actually look behind

of another train being pulled down the tracks. He had

perform sacrifices on animals and burn down houses. Dey was soon kicked out of de village, but dey were never very far from us. Soon, dis family happened upon the shipwrecked invader. Dey all joined together to form dis union. Not too

and turned around to look at Cloyse. The man was standing right there behind her. She could sense the tension in his voice that sounded like nail-biting

when dey mark someone, dey hunt until dat someone is destroyed. Dey came back for our village for kicking dem out. I watched as our parents were driven mad by de devils. If you are not slaughtered, den you are broken in spirit. One way or another,

stand in place and drop her head in shuddering defeat. With her right toe she aimlessly scraped

"I hate him."

"What

said that I hate him." Lynnette lifted her head. "I never imagined that I would say that out loud. But I truly

As Cloyse began to advance towards Lynnette the man was abruptly seized to the point

aid

Trying to catch his breath, Cloyse said,

buildings could

Cloyse started to cry before he slowly rose back to his feet and pointed

first all her eyes could see was the hazy Downtown skyline. But just as soon

Lynnette shut her eyes for a second before saying in a dreadful tone, "Oh God, the

"What

at Cloyse, she replied, "It's a collection of buildings that were shut down way

your son. We must

together as tight as she could. Her entire body began to quiver at that moment to where her

"What is de matter?" Cloyse began to walk towards

down from her eye, Lynnette whispered, "Is

Frowning in confusion, Cloyse

that this is all just

take Lynnette by the arm but instead

But my visions are never wrong, Lynnette. Your

those things!" She stomped

"Maybe...maybe we should

Cloyse stood and placed his hands on his hips while gazing

"What was your life like before you found