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.

just as you are aware dat her child is inside dis building." Akoni

"Wait...please, my baby!" Lynnette tapped Cloyse on

him before lowering his pouch. "Den you will

After about an entire minute, Cloyse grudgingly

back pocket, Akoni asked, "You came all de way here for dis cow and her

only dropped his head and balled up his fists. "You know why I am here."

both pathetic individuals before turning and heading straight

follow me!" She

she was attached to him, Lynnette unwillingly followed Cloyse, who in turn followed in behind

was once the lobby area. The floor was soaking wet with smelly, rust colored water while some

one detail did she overlook. The smell of the building was beyond putrid; the odor was an

like she owned the place before coming to the stairwell. So badly she wanted to turn

eyes and a stale frown on her face. Lynnette's

"Where are we

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

son alright?"

on ascending the stairs as if the numerous flights were

could hear voices within the hallways. She bobbed her head up and down and from side to side trying to figure out

floor Lynnette caught sight of a glowing, female figure walking down the hallway and into one of the vacant

Lynnette jolted. "I

"Be silent." Cloyse whispered with an index finger against his lips. "De dead do not know we are

on the two 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

stop at a door labeled 207. The woman then simply twisted the rickety knob and pushed open the door.Inside the apartment was a calm brightness. The blinds were shut leaving the room in only a candlelit menagerie from one corner to the

wish that the drugs she had been abusing

right hand motioning to the floor where the sheets were lying, Akoni said,

"Where is her

tone knows no boundary, does it?" Arthur, with Isaiah coddled in his arms, casually came out of one of the bedrooms. "You were just as demanding

cried for his mother, but Lynnette remained in place, seemingly not wanting to take

she is terrified beyond words." Akoni mentioned

I can see." Arthur tried to restrain Isaiah. "Do you not want

deafening, but taking at least one step forward only seemed

mama, come see your boy." Arthur motioned for Lynnette to

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

Lynnette watched as Arthur restrained Isaiah underneath his armpit. "Please,

took the baby and slammed him down onto a couch. The very second the boy tried to get up, Arthur turned and growled at him,

dat we have you

Cloyse Hoyton of Negril." Akoni presented. "He, along wit de rest of his village idiots have hunted us

Isaac," Arthur proudly rubbed his hands. "But he did

only my boyfriend!"

two were to

no, that was

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

is correct. Did he regale

Now, free her and her son...and I

or two before Arthur reached into his pants pocket and slipped out something

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

fact.Clutching his chest, Cloyse yelled at Arthur, "Slaver! You

back and watched as Cloyse began to rush at Arthur only to have Akoni grab him from behind and tackle

Cloyse wrestled and tussled while being restrained by the woman whose

"You all will go to hell!" Cloyse hollered

Holding a diamond in his left hand and a cheesy smirk on his face, Arthur remarked, "Hell? You are in hell,

fought more and more before finally relenting and resting his body on the floor with his

"It is valiant when one tries to resist." Arthur said to 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. "Even your dear sister tried to resist, but her best efforts led to her end."

dat is left," Cloyse spat on the floor. "Your father, mother and

saying, "You came all dis way to seek us, and look at what

before taking her clawed right hand and digging it right into Cloyse's

in pain while Lynnette bawled and cried to her knees. All she could see was the man writhing in agony as Akoni used her hand to dig deeper into his back,