The Death of 1977 (Book 3)

"You got a visitor, Mercer!" A large, white, male jail guard announced as he unlocked the cell door.

Charles sat up drowsy and disoriented on his little bed and watched as Audra came inside the cell. The man had been awake for the past several hours, but his energy had been left behind in the shelter. His lethargic eyes looked on as Audra, who was wearing only her long, grey wool coat, meekly came inside and stood before him. Already the man could feel the weight of her worried stare bear down upon him like heat vision. Charles wiped his messy face before taking a huge breath and placing his hands on his knees as to say he was preparing for a lesson.

Audra stood for a moment or two before sitting down beside the man. At first her face was down to the floor, appearing as if she were too shy to speak. Down the hallway could be heard other cell doors either opening or shutting, along with various men talking out loud or cursing.

Audra looked up and out the cell door before turning her head to Charles. "They mentioned that you would be out of here tomorrow." She said to Charles' despondent face.

Charles just nodded before clearing his throat and muttering, "Yep, just a few more hours."

Audra turned away for a second before looking back at the man with a tense glare on her face. "Why did you go to that place, Charles?"

Charles' stone face wouldn't turn from the bars in front of him. It was as though he were transfixed upon their cold and lifeless alloy.

"It's like I told you, something is hunting me down." His scratchy voice uttered.

"And you figured that same something was

know what I saw or felt back there, but I do

understand any of this. If someone is hunting you down then you should have

Charles' deep voice dropped. "I don't know what my son

girl. I couldn't have been no more than six or seven. Me, my mother, father and three brothers and sisters lived with my grandparents on this old farm. For the first couple of years there everything was just fine. Then, the neighbors across the valley were beaten to death by some Klansmen who didn't like them. That old house of theirs went unsold for the longest time. Well, me and my siblings, as hardheaded as we were, would go over to that old house to be nosey and play around. One day, however, we heard something walking about on the top floor. We kids were scared but curious all the same. So we all went upstairs, and in this one room, we see the lady that used to live there lying in a bed all by herself crying. Me and my siblings were terrified at first, but for the most amazing reason we just couldn't run away. All we could do was stand there at that doorway and listen to that woman cry like a baby. Needless to say, we never went back to that old house again after that day. We didn't even tell anyone about what we saw over there. Till this day I don't know if what we even saw was real or all in our minds. But that moment never left my soul after all these years. So much pain and suffering that

to form and dribble down Charles' right eye at that instant as he listened to Audra and endlessly

we live in."

in this nasty world all alone. They said that all you have to do is pay a fine and they'll drop the charges. Personally, I think they

head, Charles said, "I'll pay the fine. Then I'll come

shake as

here," he kept his eyes on

can be managed. I've known you now for four months, and in those months you have to be one

at her. For that matter, he couldn't turn or move at