The Curse of 1977 (Book 2)

And behold, it stood upon the sand of the sea, and I saw a beast rise up out of the sea:

She wore an all blue one-piece bathing suit as she treaded in the three foot high, crystal blue ocean water. Lynnette's hair was wrapped in a halo of lilies, and the tranquil smile that she wore upon her face was reminiscent of that to someone who had just happened across the threshold of life and eternity above the clouds. She allowed her hands to skim across the soft, warm water as she carried on deeper.

For as far as her eyes would allow all she could see before her was wide, open and blue water. There were no clouds to speak of in the sky, nor was there a boat or person anywhere to be found. She was absolutely alone in the expanse; even her breath felt effervescent, like she had just tasted the greatest sip of refreshing water that lingered inside her mouth unceasingly.

There were the events of the past weeks and days that somehow, someway were nowhere present inside her being. The woman was a picture of isolation and rest. Even when her smile vanished there was still a relaxed warmness melting inside her belly that caused it to tickle with every movement. She looked down at the shimmering water to see goldfish swimming back and forth around her feet and ankles.

The further out she ventured that was all the more clearer the air became. She breathed it all inside her lungs until she couldn't inhale any more. Behind her was a sound. She could feel the waves nudge her bottom half forward. She turned only her head around to see none other than a naked Arthur Bushard coming towards her with a gentile grin gracing his handsome face.

Lynnette didn't cringe or even budge for that matter, she just turned her head back aroundwhile the man came up behind her and fondled her chest and neck with his soft, strong hands.

The young lady closed her eyes and allowed the man's actions to carry her further away into the blissful abyss. Soon enough, his lips met with her neck. She moaned in ecstasy as Arthur's luscious mouth kissed all over her warm, goose-pimpled skin.

Lynnette took Arthur's hands off of her before turning around and clasping his face. Her eyes were still shut as she pressed her lips against his in one passionate, tongue-induced kiss while the burning sun's rays caressed their beautiful, black bodies.

Lynnette's eyes then opened. Lying beside her was Isaiah. She gawked all around to find herself lying in her own bed inside her room. The woman, somewhat confused, continued to scan around before catching her mother sitting in her rocking chair against the wall.

Her mother was wearing the most idyllic look on her face as she sat in her bathrobe staring at her. It unsettled Lynnette more than she already was.

"I haven't watched you sleep since you were a little girl." Her mother quietly stated.

Lynnette ignored the comment before listening to water outside the window tap in a chorus. "Is it still raining?" Lynnette rubbed her aching forehead.

"A little bit." Her mother sat up. "I think the flash flood warnings are all over with. I got tired of all those beeping alarms on the TV, so I ended up turning the darn thing off after a while."

Lynnette managed to catch a glimpse of her blue pajamas that she was wearing underneath the covers. She then glanced back over at the baby who was steadily snoring right beside her.

"I don't even remember getting cleaned up last night." Lynnette attempted to sit up on the bed, only to realize that her entire body was nearly immobilized from head to toe.

"I found you outside last night on the front lawn." Her mother began rocking back and forth. "You were just kneeling there. I don't think you were even hardly awake when I brought you inside. And, child, your breath sure was stinking, too." She giggled.

Lynnette cracked a grin while still struggling to get up. But when she came to the realization that her body just wasn't in any condition to act, she instead resigned to her fate and lied back down on the bed underneath the old blanket that her grandmother made for her when she was still a little girl.

sore to the very bone. Both her and her mother stared at one another for endless minutes. For Lynnette, just being inside the same room with her mom seemed normal for the first time in years, and that thought alone caused

are." Her mother said. "At first I thought you were going to hurt

I was

grinned before saying, "That eclipse yesterday was something to see; if you could see, that is. We all thought the world was about

while wondering in her head why she didn't happen upon any

"God is funny." Her mother

head and looked dead at

"It's funny how he seems to bring things back around full circle. I can't remember a single thing that's been going on these past few days, and yet, here you and I are, right where we started back in February

than sitting in the chair, her mother was seated at the foot

"Mama, why didn't we go

turned her eyes away for a moment and kept them locked on the closet door to

and I got married, had you and your sisters, and then we both got complacent in our lives to where going to church was such a burden. It didn't mean that we didn't believe in or love God, we just felt that we worked so hard

an evil, mama. It's not that I never wanted to talk to you about it, it's just that...I didn't know how to." Her voice cracked. "I didn't know how and where to begin. It all started with Isaac, and then...then it just

and looked so fondly at her child as though it were

haven't been easy to live with these past few months. I know that I've caused so much damage, but you and daddy have to

continued to look on at Lynnette before asking, "Why

onto her pillow and

told me years ago that writing poetry gave you the opportunity to express yourself in ways that you couldn't say out loud. I never once said that you had to tell me every minor detail in your life, but I never wanted to be cut out

Lynnette looked back at her mother with a baffled

but also in your soul. I have a

it's not even about Isaac anymore." Lynnette sniffed. "This whole matter goes so far beyond that man. When I say evil, I don't just mean something bad, this was something from hell. It got Isaac, and it almost got me

sometimes, little girl, it's up to us to make

to blink in and out. At first she thought she was going blind, but once her sight remained intact she realized

"You're not like your sisters." Her mother stated. "There's a motivation about you that they don't have. And that same

before sitting on the edge. Her mother's words didn't have to sink inside, they hit with such ferocity and suddenness that thinking about it was only a

"Where's daddy at?"

replied, "He's in the room. I guess something happened to him, too.

further, got up from off the bed

heard the baby last night; he was singing 'Jesus loves me' in his sleep."

parents' room. The door was wide open. She looked inside to see her father lying down in the bed, rolled