The Death of 1977 (Book 3)

Cameras flashed and blew up all around her. Men and women were screaming like the world was coming to a frightening end. It was freezing cold outside that dark night, but with all the blood, chaos and sweat flowing like a raging river, her body felt as if it were boiling hot. Red and blue lights glowed from left to right as her body was being carried out of the house on a gurney. She could see multiple police officers swarming about in and out of her small home.

"My baby," she desperately uttered while trying not to choke on her own blood.

Out of the corner of her good eye she could spot Linus Bruin being escorted out of the house by two officers like he was a helpless invalid. His disturbed face was pointed to the snowy ground while both of his hands shook so violently.

"What happened?" She heard some woman scream out.

"Make sure you have the I.V. unit prepped!" One of the medics frantically ordered as he opened the doors to the back of the waiting ambulance.

Right before they could lift her gurney into the ambulance, what looked to be a covered gurney being carted out of the front door of her house came into eyeshot, as well as the despondent father of the dead individual who was steadily marching behind it. The battered and bloody young woman watched in her limited eyesight the late one's gurney being hoisted up and into another ambulance that was parked just a few feet down the sidewalk from where she was. She wanted to close her eyes, but she couldn't help but to keep them open. She wanted to see if anything further would happen. Would the corpse suddenly rise and explode out of the ambulance to wreak even more destruction? After all, it was a supernatural beast; nearly anything was possible at that point.

She watched and watched as the ambulance pulled away, without blaring its sirens. The woman then shut her eyes and allowed all the noise and anarchy from outside to die off inside her head.

"I'm so sorry...Isaac." Her mouth tried to mutter.

"Try not to speak." One of the medics whispered into her ear.

She could hear the doors behind her head slam shut as the sirens began to shriek out in the night and the vehicle stuttered into motion. She couldn't see just how many medics were attending to her; all her conscience mind could register was a bunch of men milling about working feverishly to keep her as comfortable as possible.

"She's chocking on her blood!" One medic hollered. "Give me the tube!"

"It's not cold anymore." She said inside her head. "I can't feel the cold anymore."

"Get your eyes open, child." A woman's voice suddenly and delicately spoke from out of nowhere.

At once, Lynnette's wavering attention perked right up. "Mama, am I awake?" She slurred.

"Just open your eyes." The woman's voice continued.

As though she were struggling to lift a ton, Lynnette fought to crack open one eyelid. She tried with all her might to raise her right arm, but her energy was exhausted.

"I don't wanna dream anymore, mom."

Once again, Lynnette attempted to open her eyes. Gradually, her swollen eyes opened to see a soft, dim light to her immediate left. Right away Lynnette could sense that it was fire. The crackling and popping of the embers felt as if they could singe her skin at any moment. Immediately she tried to roll over, only to have her own body hold her in place. She was sore from head to toe.

"Just lie still, child." The same soothing voice from before uttered.

But Lynnette was no longer in a consoling frame of mind. The more she couldn't move only reminded her of her stint at Hollis Estates and the paralysis she endured. She fought all the more until her body came only inches from the fire.

"Be careful!" The voice shrieked out.

Holding her heaving chest, Lynnette gawked all around her softly lit surroundings before catching sight of Cusha who was in the Indian-style position on the floor in front of her.

Lynnette continued to curiously eye her environment which consisted of four bamboo walls, a boiling pot underneath a fire, a table with two chairs attached and a large butcher knife perched on a wall behind her. In another corner of the hut sat a lonely little black rag doll that was perched up against the wall like it was a permanent fixture there. Cusha just sat and studied the overwrought girl as if Lynnette had just landed on the planet all of the sudden.

Holding the back of her severely aching head, Lynnette settled for a moment before taking a hard look at Cusha and asking, "What...what is this?"

"You are fine for now." She replied in a more simplified English.

Just then, out of sheer fatigue, Lynnette's body collapsed to the floor. She then backed up as far away from the woman as possible before she bumped into the wall behind her. All she could do was sit and ponder on the woman with stunned oddness, as to say she couldn't even believe that she was there before her at all.

"I apologize for hitting you so hard back there." Cusha said. "But it was the only way to bring you down, girl."

Rubbing against her bandaged throat, Lynnette would not take her eyes off of the woman. "Where...what is this," she bitterly muttered.

Cusha stared right back at Lynnette and replied, "You're in a safe place for now."

Lynnette looked all over the small enclosure. "But...Arthur." She anxiously remarked.

Cusha pressed her lips together before saying, "I saw that man for the very first time some months ago."

"So you know him?"

Cusha dropped her head. "You should go back home, child."

"I can't go home knowing that fucker is still out there!" Lynnette began to weep. "He'll just come to Cypress and kill me and my entire family!"

"Is that why you came all the way down here, to kill him?"

"Why else," Lynnette shrugged.

you do kill him? You think all your problems will just vanish away

The questions that Cusha was handing her just happened to be the same inquiries she would ask herself from

"I can't go home." Lynnette's

The two women looked at each other endlessly while the rain outside the

"What do you know about

ceiling. "I saw him many months ago. He came inside the house, took the child away.

Lynnette awkwardly replied. "The bastard

to a complete standstill just then. She took her hand off of her throat as her eyes bulged forward at the

Cusha kept on. "They just came and took the boy. But thank God, you got him back." She

to.

in the right place, girl. You've come all the way down here to kill, but your heart isn't in to it. Go home and

"Gran...grandma," Lynnette's

tiny glimpse, could actually see traces of her grandmother inside the woman's face. But

only broke down and cried even more. "I...I did terrible things to

"No, child, you're not

didn't

did. This is about getting

I'm sitting here and talking to you! For all I know, you could be just another

that were the case, then you'd be dead by now." Cusha said in

Lynnette remained frozen on the floor while continuing to examine the woman in front of her. "This...this can't be my life." She whimpered. "I never imagined this would be my life. If I go home, what will happen to Arthur? Won't he just come up to Ohio and start this shit all

herself in place and watched in stunned awe as a small figure trotted their way inside. The individual was wearing a black parka over their

"Who...who," Lynnette

a raggedy, wet, orange dress and black sandals. Her ropey, grey hair was wet as well; it dropped down into her face making it difficult

The woman spoke up as she

"God be praised, she is." Cusha

Lynnette watched carefully as the woman opened the sack and began taking

it your walk was fruitful?" Cusha

The old lady giggled before turning around and lifting her soaking hair to reveal a pair of white eyes. Lynnette immediately jumped backwards in fear

no, child, look

at the woman to notice that her eyes had a

startled, girl, everyone do dat when dey see me for de

soon released herself from Cusha's hold before scooting across the floor towards

"I take it you tell her about yourself?" The old lady

nodded her head and said, "Yes...she knows me

"Good, it no good keep tings from

for a second before looking back up at the old lady who began chopping up the potatoes

"This is little Senada." Cusha said. "Born way back

boiling cauldron before moving about the hut. If she

eat some, den ya go home." Senada began

home. I've had people try to stab me. I've been beaten up and drowned. How can I possibly go home knowing that he's still out

Both Cusha and Senada remained in place and studied the young woman before them with a thoughtful gloom

depravity that felt so cold even sitting beside the crackling fire. "I missed my baby's birthday back in August." Lynnette lamented. "I can't write anymore. For the first few months, the nightmares were few and far between, now...now, every

"How do you know

saying, "After all that I've been through these past few months, how can I deny anything anymore?" She then wiped the sweat from off of her face

she sprinkled salt into the boiling pot. "Ya tink tings are okay one moment, den de next, ya wake up and find out dat dere's no such

the old woman as she shuffled busily around the pot like she was steadily preparing a family

this all to end." Lynnette tossed her head

will be right again, little

up. "According to Cloyse,

now," Senada

Lynnette repeated, "Cloyse. He was a guy I once knew. He said that he was from Jamaica,

"Be ya quiet now, child." Senada put her right hand out as she began to wander

Both Lynnette and Cusha sat and watched the woman carry on before she

ya brought her here." Senada uttered in a subtle

lowered her head and grinned a bit before looking back up at Senada

replied, "God? God left

she stood up she nearly fell right back down. Her body was in too much pain to maintain a proper balance, but that didn't stop her from attempting to stumble over to the old

"Did you

managed to connect with Lynnette's.

me that!" Lynnette stomped her

"I tell ya what I won tell ya!" Senada fired back before taking her parka, slipping

to chase after the old woman. Lynnette rushed out the door and into the pouring afternoon rain into the bamboo forest. She followed Senada down a trail that eventually led to a small pig pen. There, Senada, with

"Why ya follow me, girl," Senada asked as she put down her stick and began hand feeding the

to know how to