CHAPTER 9: A MATTER OF FAITH, PART 2
The Green-Eyed People are a mystic race full of untold secrets; many not even revealed to Arnold Shortman himself. Their past is very barely known, and those who know barely comprehend what they do. Surviving self-sufficiently in a city located in the harsh jungles of San Lorenzo for possibly centuries, if not much is known about the Green-Eyes, there at least can be no doubt that they are a strong and adaptable people.
One of the few Green-Eyes with a known name is Luz, a member of an even greater secret of the Green-Eyed People: The Spirit Masters. The translation of the name of these people may be difficult to interpret, but their actions speak louder than any words to describe them. With a history of these powerful beings spanning back millennia, the history of the Spirit Masters is kept within the mind of Luz; keeping this history safe from those who would not be ready for this knowledge.
Luz is an enigma in himself; his age unknown, his past known less, and what other capabilities he possesses as a Spirit Master even less known than that of Arnold, not to mention harboring slews of wisdom during his long life. On this evening, with the sun beginning its course to set, Arnold seeks to pry and invoke some of this wisdom from his mentor.
Meditating on the rooftop of the Sunset Arms Boarding Home, Arnold's body might remain in Hillwood, his spirit arrives in the city of the Green-Eyed people, deep in the jungles of San Lorenzo. Entering the temple of the Spirit Master, Arnold bid his master with a simple greeting of...
"Luz." Arnold said.
While not seeing the arrival of Arnold's spirit, Luz knew within an instant of his arrival, giving a smile by being graced by his student's presence.
"Welcome home, child. Or, should I say... 'Hey Arnold'." Luz said.
"Yeah, it's been a while." Arnold said.
"Indeed. Your absence has not gone unnoticed by us, especially not me. However, knowing of your deeds and exploits within Hillwood, I can see that my work on you has paid itself off quite well."
"It certainly looks that way."
"Indeed, but looks can be deceiving. I sense an uncertainty in your heart, child. Or... perhaps I should specify, there is doubt in yourself about your own mission."
"I mean... a little bit. It's been a year now, but we haven't actually finished the job yet. I feel like we should have a long time ago."
"So, you doubt that your efforts truly have any bearing on the city?"
"No, it's just..."
Giving a sigh out of his spiritual form, Arnold took a seat on the ground, folding his legs to sit cross-legged. Joining his student in the changed format of the conversation, Luz followed his lead, sitting on the ground in the same manner.
"Look, you've seen some of what's been going on in Hillwood. I assume you know about the Freak imitators?" Arnold asked.
"I'm afraid not, child. Even my mind has its limits as to what it can reach." Luz said.
"People have been starting to worship and even imitate the Freak. We all stopped a group of them last night, and without any sort of violence, but it could have been a lot worse. I just... How could anybody look towards what Curly did and think he's some kind of hero? How can anyone just worship evil?"
"I see your concern, child. Sadly, what troubles you is part of human nature itself. Man and woman will always look towards a higher power to seek a guide to their lives; to have an authoritative figure to provide an understanding of what is right and what is wrong."
"But people can still tell these things on their own, can't they?"
"Sometimes... but more often not."
"Why not?"
"We all begin our lives as children, Arnold. We are given no clear sense of morality when we are but children, or even an understanding of the self. It is the duty of the child's parents to teach their young one an understanding of the world, and how they belong in it. In the minds of children, Mother and Father are the names for God, and God is the name of teacher. This sense of a search for a teacher never truly leaves the mind of man nor woman; only the teacher."
"Then you're saying that people have no real inherent sense of right and wrong?"
"No, child. Most humans do possess a sense of right and wrong, but they do not yet understand what is 'right' and what is 'wrong'. These viewpoints are given by one's parents, but they are also shaped by all manners of outside influence from others; religion, spirituality, race, culture, politics, sexuality, and all facets of humankind. The beliefs of man are quite subjective."
"Beliefs don't change so easily. With people like Wolfgang, where I've been trying to change him for the better, he's still stuck in his own beliefs."
"True, but one can easily be stuck in a certain set of beliefs after they are led to it by fear or by another dark time in one's life. After all, I believe you yourself are no stranger to that concept, child."
Being given a reminder of the fateful day that had sent him to San Lorenzo again many years ago, Arnold held his tongue for a brief moment, feeling the slew of emotions that clouded him during those days.
"Yes, child. Those emotions had nearly driven you to your own death, and it was I who helped show you a better path. Had I done nothing, and had you not taken your own life, then surely you would have suffered some other sort of pain in your life. But I had helped you, and it has brought you this far, and many others further in how you have reached their hearts. Your efforts do help, but it is only your own self-doubts which harbor your progress." Luz said.
"I know, but I just still can't help but feel that I'm not doing all I should. Why is it that there's still so many people hurting? What can I do to help them?" Arnold asked.
"The goodwill of a golden heart can touch many spirits, Arnold, but, sadly, the troubles humankind faces are not simply in spiritual form, but also in physical form. Tell me, child, what is often called the greatest evil of man?"
"What?"
"Money. Our people have no such need for a utility, but, in your world, it has become as essential as food and water, for food and water can only be acquired with money in your world."
"So, what? You're telling me that we need to stop having money?"
"No, child. As I said, wealth can be a utility; used for the benefit of all. However, the element of greed within the human heart has led it to hoard it for one's self. Just as damming a river or cutting down trees of fruit can be harmful to those in an ecosystem, taking and controlling all the money can be just as detrimental to those in a community. In a system involving capitalism, money must constantly be moved from one source to another, lest all comes to a halt. As such, that is why your town has the realm known as the 'Danger Zone'. Those impoverished and poor are forced into lesser homes, and without any hope in their lives."
"But Buckley's been doing some outreach, you remember that."
"Yes, child, but it has not proved enough. As wealthy as Buckley Lloyd is, his efforts will not solve the ultimate issue. The issue you wish to fix is institutional, involving political and social reform."
"So, now what? I need to run for office?"
"Ha, no, child. You are needed most on the streets of Hillwood. The citizens of Hillwood are the ones who must make a shift in this direction, and it is up to you to sway them to want to do good. Many can grow numb or apathetic to politics, leaving many behind by their own government and leaving it no longer in their representation. The change in many must begin with the change of one. You must show people the way towards betterment, just as you have been doing for this past year."
Getting up from the ground, Luz placed his hand over Arnold's astral form, bringing with the gesture a motion of warmth and comfort to the being of pure spirit.
"You need never doubt yourself on your journey, Arnold. Change in the world does not come overnight or quickly, but slowly, just as change in yourself has come. You have touched many lives with your kindness during the days of your youth, and it had ultimately paid in having your parents returned to you at last, defeating La Sombra and saving our people from the Sleeping Sickness. That's a long ways from getting lost downtown in dressed as a banana, don't you think?" Luz asked.
"Yeah. I guess you're right." Arnold said.
"Of course, child. Should you ever lose faith in yourself, remember that it is I who retains my faith in you. I recall the day on which you were born, silencing the very nature around you, and stopping the eruption of a volcano itself. When I was left to tend to my people's children when they were but babies, I told them all how you would come to save us from the disease, and that you had. I knew from the moment I saw you that you would be destined for great things. Now, do not leave room for doubts in your heart. You have come far on your own mission, and it shall never complete lest you continue."
No longer wanting to keep himself away from his mission, Arnold concluded his talk with a simple bow, rising from the floor to soon return to his body.
"Thanks, Luz. I don't know, I guess... I've just been given a lot lately. I guess I just needed to see a friendly face." Arnold said.
"Of course, Arnold. Our city is your home just as it is ours, and always are you welcome. You are family just as-" Luz began to say.
Sensing the deeper emotions in the heart of Arnold Shortman, Luz took notice of a different sort of uncertainty in his heart; one concerned with feelings more personal than even his mission. Within this set of emotions, Luz felt another sense of insecurity, as if there was something undecided within.
"What is it?" Arnold asked.
"I sense there are mixed feelings regarding your love life, Arnold. Has someone else caught your eye?" Luz asked.
"Wh-What?! No, Luz, I only love Helga, you know that."
"I do, child, but our hearts can often be fickle things. Love may take a long time to change its focus, but, sometimes, it can change all too quickly."
"Luz, I'm telling you, I love Helga and only Helga."
"Then who is Lila Sawyer?"
"I... Look, I thought I liked her a long time ago, but there wasn't anything there between us. That's all over. I just got... a little flustered when I saw her again. It's been a long while, and... I'm not even sure I really 'like her' like her again. She seems a little too religious now, like... Luz, tell me, do you know if there's any such thing as a god?"
"The answer to that is more complex than you think, child, but, to keep it simple, let's say 'yes', but not quite the god she worships."
"Well... It's not that I was confused about, but it was me. See, I was raised Catholic, but I never put much thought into it. Ever since this whole thing started, I still never thought about it, even though I should've."
"Do you doubt your faith?"
"A little bit, yeah."
"Religious faith is a double-edged sword, child. On one hand, it might provide support to one's state of mind and perhaps give them a better understanding of the world. On the other, it might become dogmatic and drive them to extreme lengths that would do more harm to themselves and others than the good it was intended for. The Christian faith, while quite problematic, has its qualities. Their prophet, Jesus Christ, was heralded for spreading messages of unconditional love, sharing with those in need, and always remain humble. These are traits I find clear in you, and, so, I do believe that this faith has led to your betterment. While its history might not be true, some of its messages can indeed be a boon."
"And someone like Lila?"
"That, child, I leave to your judgement. Again, my mind can only reach so far, where your life in the city gives you the chance to see these people for yourself. If you believe that Lila leads a life that does not give her a sense of peace or lead to some betterment, than I trust you to help her just as you are helping Wolfgang. Be warned, however, I urge you not to let your past feelings cloud your judgement on your views of her... or on your relationship with Helga."
"I know, Luz. Thank you again. For everything."
"Yes, Arnold. Anytime you seek help, I am here. I will see you again."
Giving one last nod of respect to his master, Arnold's spirit began to dissipate to the air, leaving the soul to return to its body. Watching his student depart one last time, Luz gave a bow in return, bidding his student farewell until the next time they meet. As that time awaits to come, he just hopes for now that his words carry through his student's mind for the better.
As the soul of Arnold Shortman returns to his body on the rooftop of the Sunset Arms Boarding Home, he holds tight with him the lessons and wisdom taught by Luz to carry on his mission. For now, the hour grows very late, and the last light of day begins to give way to night; the sun setting down to end its presence on this day. This means only one thing to Arnold.
The time to be Arnold Shortman is gone, and the time for the Green Eye to come is here.
As the hour grows late for the people of Hillwood, it does the same for the First Baptist Church of Hillwood, putting a halt to the efforts put to opening its doors to the public. The hours of the day were spent by its congregation putting effort into finishing construction of the church; each member putting many unpaid hours of work in to see their house of worship completed.
While the adults continued at their tireless work, the many young children of the workers were left in the care of Lila Sawyer; keeping the restless youth entertained with stories from scripture. Beginning her tales at the book of Genesis, Lila told the children tales of how their faith portrayed the beginning of the world.
"And, so, after eating the apple, Eve led Adam to eat the apple, too. Once they did, they were both given the knowledge of good and evil. They tried to hide themselves from God and keep him from knowing what they did, but God knew that he had broken the one rule of the garden of Eden. As punishment, Eve was forced to bear her children in pain, and all of man was born into sin. That means all of us; you, me, and everyone, are sinners." Lila said.
"But, Miss Lila, why did God put the tree there if he knew they were going to eat the fruit?" One child asked.
"And why does God have to punish all of us for what Adam and Eve did? I never knew Adam or Eve." Another child asked.
"Now, children, remember what we taught you when you start to feel doubt about God's word. Remember?" Lila asked.
"'Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not depend on your own understanding'." The children repeated.
"Very good. Thinking too freely is Satan's way. We don't want to follow Satan, do we?"
"No!"
"That's right, boys and girls. Remember, always listen to God and Jesus, and they will lead you to the way to Heaven. We all do want to Heaven and be with everyone we love, don't we?"
"Yeah!"
"I can't wait to go to Heaven!" One child shouted.
"Very good, children. That's it for tonight, why don't you all go play?" Lila asked.
Dismissing her flock of students, Lila let the children go play with an assortment of toys and playthings set aside for them; allowing them some time to release some of their own youthful energy and give herself a period to relax herself. As Lila set herself aside to relax from keeping the children occupied, one parent of one of the children, a woman named Billie, paused in her work to greet her.
"Hey, Lila, our kids been making you crazy?" Billie asked.
"Oh, hi, Billie. No, I'm just fine. All the kids have been great to work with. I always love working with kids." Lila said.
"Yeah, just messin' with you. You know, you really do have a lot of patience for kids, you might do good with some of your own. Ever think about settling down a little?"
"I'd like to do that, believe me, but I just haven't found the right guy yet. I'm sure god's got a good match for me out there somewhere."
"Oh, I bet he does, but I doubt you're going to find him by sticking around here all the time. You're in a new city with new men, girl. You've got to get out there and find a good guy to settle down with, or he might not find you."
"I know, I know, it's just..."
"Just what? You found someone already?"
"Not exactly. I used to live in Hillwood when I was a kid, and I had... something with a guy here. I ran into him just today."
"Ooh, sounds like a good start. Did you ask him out?"
"Kind of, but I heard he's already engaged."
"Ouch. Well, there's plenty of other fish in the sea. Or, maybe yet, you could always keep him as an option."
"What do you mean, 'an option'?"
"Nothing, I'm just saying that anything can happen. My husband got out of a relationship just before he met me, and we're more than happy together. I'm just saying, if he's someone you like, keep an eye on him. You just never know what the Lord might have in store for you."
"I guess you're right. Still, I guess I'm just not that focused on a man right now. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to settle down in the future, but I just want to focus on my work now. I've always wanted to spread the good news, and I want to make sure I'm doing the best I can right now."
"Mmm. I understand. I noticed all the work you've been putting into the church on helping us get started. You must really want this to happen, huh?"
"I really do. I remember how much good I did during my days in Pleasantville as a pastor, and I want to do that same good here."
Just as Lila had finished her sentence, Billie's child, a boy named Joey, came to give his mother a hug, wanting some attention from her. While the call for attention was unexpected, it certainly was far from unwelcome, leading Billie to kneel down and hug her son.
"Mommy!" Joey said.
"Oh, Joey, what are you up to now?" Billie asked.
"Nothing, mom. I just wanted a hug."
"You just wanted a hug?"
"Yeah."
"Oh, silly you."
Playfully engaging in the hug with her child, Billie nuzzled her child tightly, getting some laughs out of the young Joey. With both parent and child sharing a brief but warm moment together, there are none that can deny that a moment like this is precious; one that should be valued as a symbol of love that anyone can relate to.
But Lila Sawyer does not find the spectacle giving her the same emotions as others would feel from watching. Rather, the sight makes her feel a slight uneasiness. The view of the mother and son embracing makes her feel a mixture of negative emotions; all making her sick to her stomach, but none taking a full dominance.
One conflicting emotion is a sense of jealously. The prospect of a family of her own was always made a priority on her mind, and not yet having one of her own ate at her own mind since the desire first manifested itself in herself. Of course, being raised in a highly conservative church was no help to this jealousy; only nurturing the feeling.
Another was a sense of disgust originating from a memory past. It is the same memory that had occurred to her at the doorstep of Willie the Jolly Olly man, and it brings forth the same feelings of self-hate and disgust. Just as the sight of a lewd act made in front of her gave her a grim reminder of this time, so did the embrace of the child and parent embracing.
To escape from these thoughts and feelings, Lila indulges in silent prayer, detracting from reality to seek out her own for a sense of sanity where there was none. The memory haunts her mind, but she dares not think them over and feed them more power than they deserved.
"Kids are just so precious, right?" Billie asked.
Lila's strenuous display of concealed willpower, while well-done in the efforts in hiding her internal struggle, did not go invisible to the others observing her. As such, Billie and Joey looked to the idle Lila in confusion; neither understanding why she acted so strangely.
"Uh, Lila? You okay?" Billie asked.
"What? Oh, yes, children are God's precious little sheep. It's our duty to lead them to righteousness." Lila said.
"Yes, of course, but we should also give them plenty of love, too. Isn't that right, Joey?"
Billie playfully nuzzled against Joey's nose, getting more giggles out of the young boy.
"Well, we're just about getting wrapped up here. I think I'll take little Joey off your hands and head on home. See you tomorrow?" Billie asked.
"Yes, of course. I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks again for the advice." Lila said.
"The advice?"
"You know, about keeping my options open."
"Oh, right. Like I said, just keep an eye on him, but don't stop looking. The Lord does work in mysterious ways, you know."
"I know that for sure. Thanks again, I'll see you tomorrow."
With Billie departing with her young little Joey, the mother and son made their way back home, with Billie putting behind herself a long day of work and Joey putting behind himself a long day of play. The memories of the day these two carry prove to be bright and warm, sure to gain the two a good night's sleep.
Lila, however, is not so fortunate with her memories. Being given grim thoughts that she thought long gone, buried under her undying faith, Lila retreated once again into her mind and her faith to try to rid herself of the horrid memory she thought she had finally escaped from.
Unlike the mother and son, Lila will get no sleep, instead spending her hours praying for peace; her prayers unheard.
Elsewhere, as a woman of faith seeks inwards within her own mind for answers to her questions, a man of medicine seeks outwards within the birthplace of a monster for answers to his own. His questions regard how such an evil child could come to be, and how he could hope to cure this person of his sickness and make him a productive member of society once again.
Thanks to the good grace of a real estate agent, this man, a passionate therapist named Dr. Peyton Harvey Scott, searches around the house on the address of 523 Wylie Avenue, the home once belonging to the Gammelthorpe family, for an understanding on how the boy named Thaddeus 'Curly' Gammelthorpe came to be America's first supervillain, The Freak.
His inspections are as fruitless as they are thorough, however: Ever since the man known as the Freak had committed his first crime, the murder of each of his parents, the ownership of the home was defaulted to the bank, leaving it to be sold to another homeowner. With the house's reputation, no one would dare buy the house, and the efforts put towards clearing the home for new owners proved to be worthless.
"So, absolutely everything is gone?" Dr. Scott asked.
"Yes. Most of the furniture was sold off and the clothes were just donated. Supposed to clear it all up to make it available for a new homeowner, but nobody came to buy the place. I guess no one at the bank stopped to think if a house that belonged to a mass murderer would be sellable or not." The agent said.
"Any personal possessions left behind?"
"What wasn't taken by the cops for evidence belongs to the bank. Probably just sitting in a vault or a storage unit somewhere collecting dust."
"I thought so. Tell me, did you notice anything strange or unusual about this house?"
"You mean, aside from it being the home of an infamous killer? No, not really. Hell, if you didn't tell me this place was the Freak's house, I wouldn't have guessed at all. I was expecting something more like the Spahn Ranch. A lot of sickos like that come from weird places."
"Sir, if you please, that 'sicko' has a name, and he's my patient. I would appreciate if you would be a little more respectful."
"Yeah, well, I don't. I have no respect for crazies like him. I say we outta just lock 'em up and throw away the key."
"Well, a lot of these 'crazies' I've worked with are still human beings; just like you and just like me."
"Speak for yourself. I never went out and killed some innocent people like that."
"You ever had a bad place in your life?"
"What?"
"Have you ever had a time in your life where you felt hopeless, depressed, or like you couldn't go on?"
"Eh, I've had some bad days here and there, but I don't think I've ever had it that bad."
"Well, some people out there have had some very bad points in their lives, and it led them to somewhere worse more often than not. I've seen people been there plenty of times, and I always did my best to help them. My parents thought I would make a good teacher, but I decided to be a doctor instead. They thought I would be better at helping kids learn, but, after knowing one too many that killed themselves, I thought I would be better off helping them not do that. I might not be able to tell you any particular names, but I can tell you that I've helped plenty of kids, teenagers, and adults stop making huge mistakes."
"But why bother with this guy? I doubt he wants help at all."
"Nobody wants to admit they want help, but, they'll almost always need it, whether they tell you or not. And most importantly, I believe that if I had made an impact sooner in his life, none of his victims would be dead."
"And how do you figure that?"
"I've had at least a few patients that harbored some very violent thoughts and ideas, wanting to kill a bully or maybe an abusive family member. He claims that it was his parents that gave him a very violent childhood, so I thought a little investigation on them might start things off right."
"So, then, why don't you just talk to him about his parents rather than come around here?"
"I've had some conflicting information. He claims that after he killed his parents, he burned down the house. As you and I can see, that's obviously not true. Therefore, that leads me to investigate if his other claims are right or wrong."
"So what if he's lying about his past or some shit? What difference does that make?"
"All of it."
"What?"
"I've dealt with plenty of different patients in my time, and studied everything from some of the most common conditions up to the most hardest-to-define cases. I've spent a good part of a year trying to figure out what he is. He's been so reclusive to me, I've only just barely managed to write out some possibilities. I am this close to finally understanding the problem, and, in turn, getting close to fixing that problem. If he didn't burn the house down, then that means one of two things: He's lying, or his very perception of reality is flawed."
"Oh, yeah?"
Upon reaching the living room, the agent pulled a small table away from the wall, revealing a pair of dark blood stains on the floor; soaked and forever stuck within the carpet. The question to inquire what caused these blood stains to be here instantly popped into the mind of Dr. Scott, but his prior knowledge and common sense told him immediately what these stains were.
"How's that for your 'perception of reality'? He offed both of them right in the middle of the room. I don't give a damn how crazy this guy is, the real-life fact is that he killed them right here." The agent said.
"So... this is where his parents died?"
"Yep. We tried to get the stains out, but we couldn't get 'em outta the carpet. We just left one of the tables here and hoped nobody would notice."
The showing of the blood stains made all skepticism of the Freak's crime dissipate, but it only added to the confusion of Dr. Scott; his understanding of his patient being thrown even further off its course. Taking a moment of silence to collect his thoughts, the doctor once again tried to put his perspective in place once again.
"But... this is so strange." Dr. Scott said.
"What is? You don't believe these are really their blood stains?" The agent asked.
"No, I believe that for sure, but it doesn't make sense. He told me he killed them by the doorway, right as they were entering the house. If that's the case, then the blood stains should be at the front door."
"Yeah, well, he also said that he burned down the house when he didn't, so, you can chalk that up to being a lie."
"But, then, why would he tell the truth about killing his parents, but lie about where the bodies were and burning down the house? That makes no sense."
"Then you can chalk that up to just being crazy."
"No, no, it's not that simple. Even with some of the most prolific serial killers, they all had some sort of pattern; a method to their madness. This doesn't make any sense."
"So, then, tell me, doctor, what's your diagnosis?"
"I can't make any diagnosis at this time, but there's definitely a lot more to look into here. Sir, I know I've already taken up a good amount of your time here already, but, if I could just come back another time to-"
"Let me stop you right there and say 'no'. I've already put my ass on the line letting you take a look around; I can't have doctors or other kinds of guys snooping around here trying to do some kind of investigation on the Freak. For god's sakes, all we wanna do is sell this damn house and get it off our hands, we don't want to make a damn tourist attraction of the place. Let 'em go to Reptarland if they want a vacation."
"Please, I'll make it worth your while. This is from me personally, not the Home. I can give you $500 right now-"
"No. Not for any amount of money. You already see people make these damn tours out of guys like Jeffery Dahmer or the Zodiac Killer, or even the Columbine kids; attracting all kinds of serial killer worshipers and other sickos. Shit, man, we've already got our crime problem on our hands. You think we need this, especially now?"
"I need this to help my patient. Now, I know you couldn't care less about what happens to him, but, I'm a doctor, and I can't abandon my patient. Have you ever worked at the Home for the Emotionally Troubled? It's a free-for-all. Because of the people that get dumped there, nobody actually cares about what happens to the patients. To them, they're no different than the criminals behind bars, when these are sick people who need help. I transferred out here because I wanted to make a difference; to actually be a productive member of society and help others get there, too. If I fail him, then I'd be failing myself and everyone else."
Realizing how desperate the doctor was to gain more information about his patient, the agent gave a heavy sigh, placing his hands on Dr. Scott's shoulders.
"Look, man. I can tell your heart's in the right place. I respect that, I really do; I couldn't even look at that man in the eye without wanting to punch his face in. The fact that you just wanna help people is fine, but the city doesn't need anymore of the Freak. He threw riots in the streets by taking a whole school hostage. And now, we've got all these imitators and copycats coming around, just imagine what those guys could do when we start giving him more attention again. I got a wife at home. You think I want to subject her to that?" The agent asked.
Understanding that the agent could not be moved towards his position, Dr. Scott gave out a long sigh of his own, letting out with it a mixture of emotions. While he was desperate to seek the answer to curing his patient, he also understood the concerns of the real estate agent quite well, leaving him at an emotional impasse.
Unable to argue any further, the doctor simply said...
"Okay. I won't bother you anymore. I'm sorry." Dr. Scott said.
Bidding his goodbyes to the agent, Dr. Scott began to make his departure from the house, making his way for the exit. Upon reaching the front door, however, there was one last detail that halted his departure. Looking in the reflection of the window of the front door, there was one strange detail that did not seem to belong.
The reflection showed an image of the adjacent wall, not too far away from where the two Gammelthorpe parents were slain. The wall seemed to have a slight crack in it, as if there were some opening within. Turning to face the wall, the crack seemed to go unnoticed once again, if his carefully-searching eyes did not catch it upon this closer inspection.
"Hey, uh, what's that?" Dr. Scott asked.
"What's what?" The agent asked.
"This right here. This opening."
Dr. Scott ran his finger along the crack, inserting the digit within, fully showing the opening to the wall. Never having noticed this opening before, the real estate agent had a look of surprise and confusion come over his face.
"Uh... I don't know. I've never seen that before." The agent asked.
Reaching his fingers inside the opening, Dr. Scott began pulling at it, hoping to reveal more to the spot. Upon pulling on the opening, a section of the wall began sliding out to the side, revealing a hidden closet that slid open. Even with this secret part of the house revealed, the fact that this very hidden closet existed was not the most surprising find.
The contents of the closet were not too impressive items, only seeming to be hidden Christmas presents and some tools and hardware, but what truly proved to be interesting was the appearance of a single camcorder sitting in the middle of the shelf. Reaching out for the camcorder, Dr. Scott picked it up, inspecting it carefully.
"A camera?" The agent asked.
"Hmm, this might be interesting. It looks like it was set up to record the living room." Dr. Scott said.
"But why would they do that? Did they know they were going to be killed or something?"
"I don't know. The battery's dead, so I can't take a look at it just yet. I mean... I know you don't want anything more to do with this, but, please, if this camera holds any information that could help-"
"Hey, man, as far as the bank and the cops know, that doesn't exist. I'd have to report this new spot to the bank and list the belongings, and the cops won't care after closing their case, but... If anyone asks about a camera in the closet... I didn't see it."
"Are you sure?"
"Look, I just want this whole thing to be over. I don't know what's on that camera, and I don't want to know. The way I see it, it's better off in your hands than anyone else's. Just take it and get out of here."
"Thank you, sir, for all your help. I guarantee you won't regret this."
"Believe me, I already do. Just go."
Respecting the wishes of the real estate agent, Dr. Scott finally began his departure from the house, heading back to the Hillwood Home for the Emotionally Troubled to begin his viewing of the camera and get more insight on the life of Thaddeus 'Curly' Gammelthorpe. With this particular camera having a completely dead battery for being forgotten for a year, there was a long period of waiting to be done before anything could be viewed off it, leaving the doctor with a time of waiting serving only to make him grow more anxious towards what he might see.
However, that anxiety of waiting would only prove to be serving towards that inevitable fear that laid deep within his heart: The fear of what could possible be within the contents of that camera. For nearly a year of work on understanding the Freak, the promise of finally gaining some understanding of his patient would give him the answers he had sought out. Still, he faces one last and ultimate question regarding the affair:
What is the answer he will find within that camera?