The Curse of 1977 (Book 2)

Rising and climbing over mounds of rocks, trash and debris, Lynnette and Cloyse arrived at Hollis Estates just shy of noontime. They could have taken a bus or a cab like Cloyse had urgently insisted, but Lynnette chose to take the hard, long way, past gang territory and even the police station to reach the buildings.It was reaching noon.

The sun was full and blazing in the cloudy sky. Lynnette and Cloyse were sweaty, soaking messes to where even their clothes were drooping off of their bodies. Lynnette, with Cloyse bringing up the far rear, climbed over piles of rubble and a few old couches on her way to the very top of a brick heap to see the three shelled out hulks standing crippled and broken down before her.

Within the lonely vicinity was a dead quiet. All around all Lynnette could see was ruin, much like a war-torn section of some combat riddled neighborhood from decades earlier in a foreign country.She stood there with her arms folded and her misty eyes locked ahead of her as though she were caught up in a deadly daze.

Breathing hard, Cloyse came up behind Lynnette and said, "In my vision, I saw three buildings, but I never envisioned dey would look like dis."

"My aunt and uncle on my mother's side used to live here way back in the sixties." Lynnette continued to stare at the buildings. "I used to hate coming here because people would always be selling drugs."

"Well, we're certainly not going to accomplish anything by standing here." Cloyse remarked as he stood next to Lynnette. "We've wasted enough time just walking all de way here."

Lynnette noticed that Cloyse was moving ahead of her down the rock pile and towards the buildings, but she couldn't even take one step forward.

Cloyse stopped plodding down the mound long enough to turn around. He then sighed in agitation before ascending the pile and facing Lynnette.

"I know you are scared, but—

"But, what," Lynnette interjected. "What are you gonna tell me? To have courage? To face my fears? You've seen those things. For the past six months I've been doing everything imaginable to erase my memory of it."

"But your son," he pressed.

"You don't have to tell me about my son!" Lynnette fired back. "Do you know what it's like to look at your own son and see nothing but his father in his face? Every time I look into my child's eyes I see Isaac!"

"So what, you're just going to stand here and let dem kill your child?" Cloyse just shrugged. "Do you think me to be simple? Hell yes I am scared! I get scared every time I look one of dem in de eye! And yes...I may die in dere, but I can assure you dat I am not leaving dis world until dey come along with me! They wiped out my entire village! You cannot erase any of dat!"

Lynnette braced herself as tight as she could while trying in earnest to shove Cloyse's speech out of her head. The main road was only sixty or so yards behind her, and it appeared so luxurious in all its stained glory.

"Dat's exactly why you took so long in getting here, because of your fear!" Cloyse screwed up his already disappointed face at her. "If you will not go inside and get your son, then I shall!"

Lynnette stood and watched in dread as the man defiantly walked right by her on his way down the rubble and towards the buildings.Her legs were completely stiff to the point where just moving one of them felt as though they would break apart.

The closer Cloyse approached the buildings the more Lynnette realized that he wasn't going to stop; the man didn't even bother to look back at her on his way, he just simply trekked on along like the reluctant warrior that he had seemingly grown up to become.

With sweat drizzling down her face and her fists balled up Lynnette treaded down the mound until her feet met with solid pavement. Between both her and Cloyse was about a hundred yards, give or take. She wasn't all too concerned with catching up to him as she was about the welfare of her child.

Yes, Lynnette pondered and worried much about Isaiah; as hard as she may have wanted, the boy would not vacate her soul. All the drugs in the world couldn't erase her love for him. All the distance that she kept between her and him for the past few months was never far enough to escape Isaiah. Not once did her baby leave her thoughts, but her stuttering feet had a mind all their own.

With every step they kept on moving slower and slower, tripping over themselves every other minute before Lynnette had to actually stop.Cloyse as well stopped just short of the left building's entrance. Lynnette stood behind only a mere thirty feet and watched the man gaze all the way up the shabby structure's exterior. She then ultimately met him side by side.

"Are you sure that's he's here?" She asked with vibrating jaws.

At first the young man didn't reply, he stood with his head pointed to the sky in a trance-like state. Lynnette looked at him before slowly backing away from his side.

"What...what if he's not down here?" She whispered.

"When I was but six, for a whole week straight I had a dream of a fire dat killed seventeen people inside a slaughter house at my village." He gently uttered. "My mother and father kept telling me dat it was only a dream. Dat I liked to make up stories and fables. Den, after the week was over, dere was a fire at de slaughter house. But de fire was only a cover-up for de Bushards. All five of dem went into dat place and killed every man inside."

"And after all of dat, not one of dose old fools in dat village ever questioned de odd, little boy again." Akoni suddenly appeared from out of the middle building's entrance.

Lynnette and Cloyse both jumped at the sight of the woman. Cloyse made sure to stand right in front of Lynnette, while Lynnette began backing away from not only him, but from Akoni and her auburn eyes.

Akoni, with a smirk on her completely healed face, steadily strolled towards them both with her hands inside her pants pockets. "Do I appear different to you, my love?" Akoni asked Lynnette.

"Stay back, sorceress!" Cloyse hollered.

Akoni stopped and kept her eyes solely on Lynnette. "You fear for your own life." She peered at the woman. "I have seen dat look on people's faces more times than I can recall. Did ya tink me a dream, love, especially after what your sisters did to me?"

Lynnette held up her hands. The urge to turn and race away caused her entire body to shake. She couldn't believe that she was actually in the woman's presence, just feet away from her. In her mind was Isaac standing right beside Akoni with the same devilish, auburn eyes.

Pulling out a patch from his back pocket, Cloyse pointed at Akoni saying, "Come no closer, witch. You know what dis is."

It was as though someone were pointing a gun at her face, because Akoni steadily began backing away with her eyes opened wide.

"You know what dis is." Cloyse dared.

"I am aware of its power, just as you are aware dat her child is inside dis

my baby!" Lynnette tapped Cloyse on

Cloyse glanced behind him before lowering his pouch. "Den you will take us to her child!" He

and held out her right hand. After about an entire minute, Cloyse grudgingly handed the

the pouch into her back pocket, Akoni asked, "You came all de way here for

his head and balled up his fists. "You know

Akoni studied both pathetic individuals before turning and heading straight for the middle

"You will follow me!" She

Like she was attached to him, Lynnette unwillingly followed Cloyse, who in turn followed in behind Akoni through a carved out section of a wooden

Once inside Lynnette viewed her filthy surroundings which included soiled furniture littered throughout what was once the lobby area. The floor was soaking wet with smelly, rust colored water while some of the mailboxes that were attached to the walls

motion. Not one detail did she overlook. The smell of the building

through the lobby like she owned the place before coming to the stairwell. So badly she wanted to turn and run away, but knowing that Isaiah could be within

Every so often Akoni would glance back at both Cloyse and Lynnette with her strange eyes and a stale frown on her face. Lynnette's hands slid across the chipped paint of

"Where are we going?"

will reveal much." Akoni replied without looking back. "If you try to attack me, my brother hears

my son alright?" Lynnette's

not answer; she kept on ascending the stairs as if the numerous flights were mere

within the hallways. She bobbed her head up and down and from side

caught sight of a glowing, female figure walking down the hallway and

jolted. "I hear people

whispered with an index finger against his lips. "De dead do not

beings in front of her.The voices, however, became louder the higher they climbed before Akoni finally stopped at the eighth floor and ventured down the ominously dim hallway. It was ominous for the fact that while the rest of the building just happened to be bathed in afternoon sunlight,

a door labeled 207. The woman then simply twisted the rickety knob and pushed

the floor, side by side, were three blood soaked sheets that were covering three large lumps. Lynnette's body was shaking so much that she couldn't even hold herself in place. Her eyes were witnessing a malevolence that only made her wish that the drugs she had been abusing

hand motioning to the floor where the sheets were lying, Akoni said, "You will forgive brother and I, we were quite famished dis

"Where is her child?" Cloyse

boisterous tone knows no boundary, does it?" Arthur, with Isaiah coddled in his arms, casually came out of one of

out and cried for his mother, but Lynnette remained in place,

"Look at her, she is terrified beyond words." Akoni mentioned with

to restrain Isaiah. "Do you not want to come and see your boy,

still. Her child's cries were shrill and deafening, but taking at least one step forward only seemed to

mama, come see your

her child go!" Cloyse stepped in. "Let dis

watched as Arthur restrained Isaiah underneath his armpit. "Please, don't hurt my baby!" She

Arthur took the baby and slammed him down onto a couch. The very second the boy tried to

said, "Now dat we have you all here, let us

of his village idiots have hunted us down for years. Now, he

"Ahh, my Isaac," Arthur proudly rubbed his hands. "But

was only my

"But you two were to be betrothed?

"No, no, that was never

not capitulate to dem, Lynnette, dey know all." Cloyse held her

he regale

told her enough. Now, free her and

at each other for a moment or two before Arthur reached into his pants pocket and slipped

small and odd shaped, but to the keener observer it was something a whole lot

to emphasize that startling fact.Clutching his chest,

Cloyse began to rush at Arthur only to have Akoni grab him from

tussled while being restrained by the woman whose body looked as if it hadn't been nourished in

"You all will go to hell!" Cloyse

smirk on his face, Arthur remarked, "Hell? You are

resting his body on the floor with his eyes

Lynnette. "Isaac tried dat night to resist our master, but he failed, hence, why you and your bastard are still here." He then looked down at Cloyse.

spat on the floor. "Your father, mother and brother are all dining with de Devil! Soon, you both will be under his

and knelt down saying, "You came

"Call Jesus now, shit grinder." Akoni snarled before taking her clawed right hand and

to her knees. All she could see was the man writhing in