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.

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

The questions that Cusha was handing her just happened to be the same inquiries she

"I can't go home." Lynnette's body started to

endlessly while the rain outside the

"What do you know

saw him many months ago. He came inside the house, took the child away. I remember the man's

took your child, too?" Lynnette awkwardly replied. "The bastard

She took her hand off of her throat as

the man's eyes. His eyes, his sister's. The other one, too." Cusha kept on. "They just

to. Her bottom lip hung open while her heart skipped

then, you're mind isn't in the right place, girl. You've come all the way down here to kill,

Lynnette's

actually see traces of her grandmother inside

did terrible things to him. That's why this is happening!"

not

"But I didn't even go to

This is about getting out and away from this here

seen him; you know what he's like! I can't even believe I'm sitting here and talking to you! For all I know, you could be just another demon or something! You could be holding me here while

case, then you'd be dead by now." Cusha said in a firm

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

a small figure trotted their way inside. The individual was wearing a black parka over their body. In the person's right hand was a bag that they

"Who...who,"

the wall in front of the butcher knife. It was an older woman who was clothed in 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 for Lynnette

"I see de girl is finally awake." The woman spoke up as she went over and attended to the soaking bag

"God be praised,

opened the sack and began taking out one sweet potato after

it your walk was

giggled before turning around and lifting her soaking hair to reveal a pair of white eyes.

"No, no, child, look deeper."

had a milky film covering them.

be startled, girl, everyone do dat when dey see

released herself from Cusha's hold before scooting

tell her about yourself?"

Cusha nodded her head

it no good keep tings

before looking back up at the old lady who

little Senada." Cusha said.

the boiling cauldron before moving about the hut. If she hadn't known

eat some, den

her head, Lynnette sighed, "Everyone wants me to go 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

Senada remained in place and studied the young

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 time I close my eyes I see those things. One moment I'm in school, the next thing I know, I'm sitting here with

"How do you

these past few months, how can I deny anything anymore?" She then wiped the sweat from off of her face and exhaled, "The things you said about what went down back at mom and dad's house. The

pot. "Ya tink tings are okay one moment, den de next, ya wake up and find out dat dere's

the old woman as she shuffled busily

want this all to

will be right again, little girl."

back up. "According to Cloyse, this

now," Senada turned

He was a guy I once knew. He said that he was from Jamaica, and that he knew these things.

Senada put her right hand out as she began to wander

Lynnette and Cusha sat and watched the woman carry on before she came to a complete stop

why ya brought her here." Senada uttered

Cusha only lowered her head and grinned a bit before

Senada sniggered and replied, "God? God left us

back down. Her body was in too much pain to maintain a proper balance, but that didn't

"Did

connect with Lynnette's. "Ya need to

me that!" Lynnette

tell ya!" Senada fired back before taking her parka, slipping it back onto her feeble body and

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 a long stick, poked and prodded at the three adult pigs that were either feeding on filth or wallowing about in the

ya follow me, girl," Senada asked as she put down her stick and

want to know how to