Heya there my dear readers and fans and welcome to the sequel I promised you as soon as 'Oh Sister Where Art Thou?' was completed!
Previously in 'Oh Sister Where Art Thou?', Monalisa got the shock of her life when her two younger brothers Jake and Callum Freeman had journeyed to New York for closure after never fully knowing what happened to their sister and by chance they happened to find each other if not through many terrifying and shocking events! Yet through an encounter with the Foot, Callum was seriously injured by the Shredder, and was on the brink of death until Mona and Jake agreed that the only thing to save him was the Magical Well in Mutopia yet it would cost him his human form!
Now a Mutant Raven in Mutopia, will Callum accept his new form? Or will he reject it and fall into a deeper darkness than before? And what will it mean for his siblings and those around them?
Well, grab a chair, pour a drink and gather some snacks and start reading! And those new to this fic, if you haven't read 'Oh Sister Where Art Thou?' do so first before starting here!
Let us begin...
Falling Inside the Black
Chapter One
Point of No Return
Over a week ago
Wisconsin
Milwaukee Airport in Wisconsin was not one would call quiet, every hour that went by, people bustled about trying to catch planes or trying to find somewhere to relax before their gate number was called.
Amongst the passengers, two young men sat on some chairs in the terminal awaiting for their flight to New York to be called.
One of them wore a grey hoodie that covered the top of his head and he was leaning back on his chair dozing off every few seconds. The other wore wore glasses and his dark brown bangs hung over his forehead as he read a book on famous poetry, yet he glanced over to his companion every so often.
"Callum?" he asked prompting his companion to look over at him sleepily.
"Yeah Jake?" he asked in a tired voice.
"You feeling alright?" Jake asked.
"Sure." Callum replied "Just tired..."
"As well as hungover." Jake sighed under his breath, he could see slightly that Callum's eyes were bloodshot and his face was slightly puffy as well as a little red.
He knew Callum had been drinking until the late hours of the night, despite the fact they had a plane to catch the following morning, no wonder he felt rough.
Jake had been saving for over a year for this trip to New York hoping that it would mean some closure for him and his brother.
Just over eleven years earlier they had been at this very airport seeing their older sister Monalisa leave them to start an adventure with her friends before she was to start college.
They had found out after three weeks that she had gone missing in New York and despite a major search, the police had found no trace of her and was presumed dead.
After Monalisa was gone, almost the whole family fell apart and Jake could only watch as everything he once knew was gone.
His parents, especially his mother had deteriorated into deep depression over the loss of Monalisa, which had lead to the breakdown of their marriage. His father had moved to Madison and after a while met another woman and re-married.
His mother on the other hand, had deteriorated further, she couldn't cope any more and Jake and Callum had found themselves living in between being with their grandparents, and their aunt and uncles.
But the most hardened blow came when their mother was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and she hardly did anything to fight it.
Jake felt tears come to his eyes as he remembered that horrible day that he had to say goodbye to his mother as she lay dying, it felt like a curse had befallen the Freeman's the day Mona had vanished and not only did he loose his older sister, he lost his mother too.
But the people he loved weren't the only people he seemed to have lost by death or disapperance, in a way he felt that his brother was slipping away from him.
Not long after Mona had disappeared, it seemed that Callum was changing. He was never the same since the day they were told Mona had vanished.
Callum had always been close to Mona, maybe more so than Jake, maybe because he was the youngest, he wasn't sure, but he always turned to Mona if he had any problems, whether it was school worries, bullies or other general concerns.
But no she wasn't there, Callum had become so angry, and he had taken it out in different ways, including snapping at teachers, fighting other students and being disruptive which resulted in him being excluded from school many times.
But then things got worse when Callum turned to drinking and smoking, which was hard enough, but then it escalated into more serious stuff like weed and the odd heroin!
Jake couldn't count how many times he tried to cover for Callum, trying to hide the fact that his brother had gone off the rails and was doing so many bad things in private. He knew Callum was grieving, but so was everyone else.
Even though he had tried many times to get Callum away from the booze, smokes and drugs, Callum seemed to stay clean for a bit, but then he would fall off the wagon and Jake had to continue picking up the pieces.
Just then, an announcement boomed around the terminal bringing jake back to earth.
"Your attention please! May passengers for American Airlines to New York please proceed to Gate 13 for boarding!"
Jake turned to Callum to shake him awake and ready to go to the terminal, Callum stood up and adjusted his hoodie, picked up his rucksack and the two boys hurried to their gate.
As they walked to the gate, Jake felt his phone ring and he quickly pulled it out of his pocket, showing it be his father.
"Perfect timing." he muttered as he pressed the receive button and placed the phone to his ear.
"Hey dad." he said "We're just about to board the plane."
"How's your brother?"
"Seen better days dad." Jake sighed "I've been doing my best to keep an eye on him."
He looked at Callum who scowled as he knew who his brother was talking to and he turned his back to look for his passport and plane ticket.
Jake heard his father sigh on the other side.
"Jake, I have to commend you for standing by Callum, despite everything, and do you think this trip will help him?"
"I have to try dad," Jake replied "And it's not just him, it's for me too, I need closure, I know that Mona's gone, but I can't help but feel I need to go to the city and see if...if...you know?"
"I know..." Caledon was heard on the other side "But you can't spend the rest of your life chasing Ghosts, Mona wouldn't want that, and neither would your mum."
Jake nodded.
"I miss them dad, I miss them both so much."
"So do I." Caledon said on the other side "But no matter what, they're always with us in spirit."
"Yeah." Jake said "I know."
"Yet I can't help but wonder what both of them would think if they knew what Callum's doing to himself, and your mother passed away knowing Callum's hit rock bottom."
Jake winced.
"I know dad," he said quietly "I tell him everyday, but..." he stopped as he looked over his shoulder to see Callum sitting on a chair waiting to be called to board the plane. "He always gets so angry and refuses to speak about mum."
"He has to wise up one of these days." Caledon sighed "God knows I've tried, but you know he won't talk to me, especially since Pam and I married."
"I know," Jake said "And I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault Jake." Caledon replied "But despite everything, I still love him and will always leave the door open for him, no matter what."
"Thanks dad." Jake replied.
"I know the rest of the family have given up, but I won't give up on my son, nor you at all." Caledon continued.
"Thanks dad." Jake said then he heard the announcement that the plane was ready for boarding "I gotta go now, we've been called for boarding, I'll message when we land okay?"
"Okay son." Caledon said "And Jake?"
"Yes dad?"
"Look after your brother okay?"
"I will, promise!" Jake said "Cross my heart."
"I know I can trust you." Caledon said "Safe trip okay?"
"Thanks." said Jake "And tell Pam I said hi won't you?"
"Will do." Caledon said "Speak soon."
Jake hung up then went to join Callum who scowled.
"That was dad huh?" he asked.
"Yeah." Jake replied.
"And Pam too?" Callum snarled.
"Yes!" Jake said "He was ringing just to wish us a safe trip is all."
"Oh, didn't know he cared so much!" Callum shot back "Especially since he decided to hook up with some floozy!"
"She's not a floozy Cal!" Jake argued "You never gave her a chance!"
"Why should I?" asked Callum "She's not my mum! Not even my stepmom! And dad marrying her broke mum's heart! No wonder she died!"
"It wasn't Pam's fault!" Jake spat, he shook his head at his brother, he didn't want to make this a big deal especially since they were about to board the plane.
"She didn't give mum the cancer! You know how devastated mum was what Mona vanished!"
Callum was about to argue back when an attendant appeared and asked for their tickets and passports and the two boys quickly showed them before letting them through to board.
As soon as they were on the plane and found their seats, Callum no sooner had he sat down and put his seatbelt on, he stared out of the window at the tarmac.
Jake frowned at his brother, no matter how hard he tried, he hadn't been able to get him to see eye to eye with his father's new wife, and his relationship with their father had fallen apart.
Jake had worried that if Callum didn't sort himself out and face his demons, then he would regret it in later life, as he knew his dad wouldn't be around forever, and was pretty much the only family member who wanted to keep a relationship with him.
Since Callum had gone off the rails, the rest of the family had given up on him due to his behaviour and drug and alcohol abuse.
Looking at his younger brother, he didn't seem bothered to speak any-more, so Jake decided to relax and prepare for the flight.
Putting on his seatbelt, he opened his bag and at the same time, he dropped his book.
"Damn!" he bent down to pick it up but before he did, a stewardess who was walking past making sure everyone had put their seatbelts on picked it up.
"Oops a daisy!" she laughed then looked at it. Jake saw the stewardess was a pretty blonde woman with red lips and large blue eyes.
"Wow!" she smiled looking at the open pages "You seem to like poetry!"
Jake blushed slightly.
"Yeah." he said "My form of escapism, sometimes."
"Edgar Allen Poe." the stewardess said "Good choice!" she then handed him the book with a smile then walked on to continue inspection.
"Thanks!" Jake said then frowned as he saw the open page of the book.
Looking more closely at the page he realised it was a pencil drawn picture of Edgar Allen Poe's most famous Poem 'The Raven'
It showed the narrator of the poem laying on the floor in the shadow of the Raven along with the last few lines of the poem.
'And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor'
Shall be lifted—nevermore!
Jake read the passage over again, then looked across to Callum who still sat glaring out of the aircraft window.
Even though it couldn't be seen with the human eyes, Jake could in a way see a similar shadow hanging over his brother, very much like he had one, yet he wondered which was darker and heavier.
Both of them had a shadow hanging over them, and he wasn't sure if like it in the poem it could be lifted, he hoped one day it would, or would it still remain.
Jake wasn't sure, but if he didn't try he wouldn't know. Placing the book in his lap he rested back in his seat as the plane's engines powered up and one of the stewardess began to speak into the loudspeaker.
"Good morning ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard this American Airlines Aircraft, non-stop to New York! May you please make sure your seat is up, your armrest is down and your in-tray is up and your seatbelt is securely fastened as we prepare for take-off!"
Jake looked over to Callum again.
"Please Callum." he thought "You can't keep shutting people out and abusing yourself and others in your grief, you'll destroy yourself one of these days...and maybe it'll be too late to turn back..."
And there we have the first chapter! Showing the demons and darkness within the brothers as they travel to New York, especially Callum!
I'm sure I lot of you saw the foreshadowing and clues to Callum's mutation! Pretty obvious really!
Stay tuned for more coming soon!