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."

you just set them on fire, and

blood, so if it is strong enough, any weapon could

"Good, I'll keep that in mind." Lynnette said as she turned and

do dat to your finger?"

Lynnette froze in place. She couldn't explain why the question just sliced right through her like a sharp sword. She slowly turned back around and looked Cloyse right

scars as mementos." Lynnette stated with grinding teeth. "Everyone thought that Isaac had just beaten me up, and I plan on allowing them to believe that for the rest

at that instant. "I am just thankful that you and your son were spared

"How do

me to be, Lynnette. I am aware of how dis curse is passed on. Either through a

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

could for what seemed like forever before Lynnette eventually turned and began

nights ago, while I was sitting inside a car with...someone I knew, one of them blasted through the windshield and killed him." Lynnette sorrowfully

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

up ahead. The more the morning wore on the warmer it became until a soothing lake

"You never did tell me how this all began." She uttered. "I mean, how did

actually look behind her just to make sure that the man

turned in the direction of another train being pulled down the tracks. He had the blank look

mon washed ashore on our island. Till dis day, no one knows what he even looked like. Dey say dat dis mon brought wit him his own witchcraft and sorcery. But on our island, dere was already a family of witches. De father, mother and deir three children were very wicked people. Dey would 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 long after deir union was forged, what we all thought at first to be animal attacks began taking place. But dese so called animals had a different form. They looked like animals, but walked like people. Dis evil went on for years until...until dey completed what dey set out

The man was standing right there behind her. She could sense

I said last night, 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, you will be

place and drop her head in shuddering defeat. With her right toe she aimlessly scraped against the gravel

"I hate him." She faintly muttered to

"What

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

began to advance towards Lynnette the man was abruptly seized to the point where he clutched his

his aid

Trying to catch his breath, Cloyse said, "I see...I

buildings could you be

he slowly rose back to

finger. At first all her eyes could see was the hazy Downtown skyline. But just as soon as she was about to return her

shut her eyes for a second before saying in a dreadful

"What is

shut down way back in '71.

keeping your son. We must go!" Cloyse

arms together as tight as she could. Her entire body began

"What is de matter?" Cloyse began to walk

dropping down from her eye, Lynnette whispered, "Is this just

Frowning in confusion, Cloyse asked, "What are

all just

Cloyse attempted to take Lynnette by the arm but instead she backed away crying even

"I'm fucking

"So am I. But my visions are never wrong, Lynnette. Your son is over

those things!" She stomped her foot on

should just let them

and placed his hands on his hips while gazing up at the sun that was gradually

"What was your life like before you found out