12:35pm
PHILADELPHIA
J.C.PENNY PARKING LOT
Jack Wong and his men were sitting in their car, parked far from the other cars. Jack watched Lynn Sear get into her car and drive off. "That's it, ma. Go to your son..that's *exactly* what we wanted." He turned to the henchman on the passenger side. "Our plan worked. Mrs. Sear is out of the store, leaving the owner alone. I believe it's time we made ourselves known, boys. This is OUR territory now. It's time these settlements paid for protection. Later, I'll make a phone call to Acme Supermarket. But first, let's
start here. Come on."
They got out of their car and walked towards the entrance.
*********
Cathy was counting the money in the register, when Jack and his boys came back into the store. She said, "You. Mr. Wong?"
Jack replied, "Yes. We're here to take care of business."
Cathy was confused. "What business? What do you want.."
Jack said, "We're moving in on this city. There could be problems. We're here to fix them...you pay us for protection, we take care of any..unwanted attacks on your lives. Mr. Tan will see to it."
"You won't get away with this. The police-"
"The police will do nothing. You will step aside now. MOVE away from the register." He slid his hand into his coat and smiled.
She caught the meaning. Afraid, she moved out of the way.
Jack snapped his finger, motioning his nearest man to take care of it.
The henchman walked to the register and emptied the cash into his pockets. Then, he went back towards the door.
Jack said to Cathy, "Now, was that so hard? We'll be back next week for our next transaction. DON'T disappoint us." And with that, they walked out, leaving Cathy a very terrified woman.
***********
1:05pm
ST. ANTHONY'S ACADEMY
The children of Mr. Cuningham's class sat quietly in their seats. They didn't know what to make of their teacher.
He looked the same. He had the same voice. But it was his clothes. He was dressed like some business tycoon. Not only that, but he was also wearing
sunglasses. They couldn't understand why anyone would wear sunglasses indoors.
Also, there was something in his eyes...Cole noticed it first, but he kept quiet about it. Suddenly, they heard the beeping of a cell-phone.
Stanley took the portable phone from his coat pocket. "Yes? Oh, good. Very impressive, Mr. Wong. And Acme? Yes, do it today. Remember, first we gain control..then we can go to Plan B. Yes, Xia's records were programmed into the system, but it won't go through until tomorrow morning....Yes, see to it. Bye." He put it back into his coat.
One of the kids, Bobby O'Donnel, said, "I didn't know you had a phone, Mr. Cunningham."
Stanley asked, "What? Of course I do! A wise warrior is prepared..hey! Don't you raise your hand to talk?!"
Bobby was shaken by the sudden outburst. "But..b-but..I thought-"
Mr. Cunningham shouted, "Silence! I did not give you permission to speak, child."
They all looked up. Now he had their attention. Even Tommy was a bit surprised. He thought Stanley was weird when Cole provoked him with the 'Stuttering Stanley' accusation, but this..this was NOTHING like their teacher.
Stanley got up and walked over to Tommy's desk. "What are you staring at, boy? What do you fear?! That you won't get your big part in a movie set? HA!! You will not, you lack the skill. You are *nothing*, child."
At that, Cole sat up immediately. He remembered those words. ["You are nothing."] Someone had said that to him before, in a church. Recognition came over his face. Of course! The enemy ghost in black, Tan.
Stanley asked Cole, "Oh, you remember. What? You want to say something to the class? Something about the man you saw?"
Cole nervously shook his head.
Stanley laughed. "Why not? Is it not the truth? Or do you hide in darkness as well? Well, let's see what your friends think..." He walked to the middle of the room and pointed at Cole. "He has a secret, boys and girls. He can see ghosts..or at least, he thinks he does. He fears that harm will come to him. And it will! Harm will come to all. No one is safe from the shadows, they beckon to your inner souls..give in to them, join them. For in darkness, true enlightenment is achieved."
Cole felt something he had never felt before. It was like anger, except it felt..right. Mr. Cunningham was different. Now, he was spreading lies that he knew were false. He slowly stood up.
"Oh? You wish to speak, child? Did I give you permission to speak?!! NO!!"
Cole whispered, "Then I'll ask...may I speak?"
The teacher smiled. He removed his sunglasses and glared amusingly at the boy. He decided to humor the child, for now. "Yes...sure, you may speak."
"I think you're wrong. Darkness will only get you more darkness. There's no light. It's lies. But we can all be harmed, that doesn't mean we have to be afraid of it. Fear can help us."
Stanley asked, "Really? How's that, Cole?"
He turned to the other students. "What is a ghost? It's a person, right? Someone who lived?"
A couple of them nodded.
Cole continuued, "Fear, being scared can be like a puzzle. If it's all small, tiny pieces, they can't hurt you. But once they get put together--to one giant piece--then it can control you. It'll control your destiny, your...um, Path. If you look at everything that scares you when it's little, you can know it, then let it go. If you can do that, you won't be afraid of those same things.
You..what's the phrase? You become..one with it."
Stanley stepped back. Something was very familiar here.
Bobby asked, "But, Cole. What about what you were sayin' about ghosts? They're not real, are they? Just stories."
Cole answered, "We're ghosts, except we live. A ghost is a person who died and left their body, right? Does that make sense?"
Bobby thought about that. "Uhh...yeah, I guess."
Cole smiled. He turned to Stanley. "See, Mr. Cunningham? That's what truth is. Facing your fears. Light is better than being in the dark."
The teacher said, "Alright, boy..be silent. SIT."
Cole sat down in his chair. "Look, sir, I know you're not yourself. Can any of you notice that?"
They agreed by nodding.
Cole said, "I know you're in there, Stanley. You don't have to be afraid to come out-"
Stanley slammed his fist on Cole's desk. "Shut up!! Go to your corner! Until you're ready to *humble* yourself before me..GO!"
Dis-heartened, Cole got back up and walked to the corner of the room. "Sir, just listen to your true voice-"
"Arrgghhh!!!" Cunningham threw a pair of scissors in Cole's direction. It was embedded into the wall, a few inches away from the boy's head.
Cole sat down immediately, deciding that it was best to keep quiet. When no one was looking, he smiled.
Mr. Cunningham then bent over and whispered to Tommy, "And you. Tell your father to expect a visit from Mr. Jack Wong. I'm sure he'll remember. Tell Derek that they're coming on urgent business for Mr. Tan."
Tommy asked, "Huh? Tan...Jack Wong..wait! I think..was he that guy with the tail? The guy I saw when I was seven?"
Stanley said, "Yes, good memory. Tell him I said, 'Discard kindness and righteousness, so the love for family can be restored'."
Tommy looked at him questioningly. This guy was stranger than Cole. "Uhh..ok. Sure."
Stanley smiled, "GOOD. Remember, if you can't have something, it's better to destroy it." Instead of waiting for a response, he walked up to his desk and sat down, putting his dark glasses back on.
Then, Xia walked in. She was wearing her white business suit, with her hair pulled up. She also wore glasses. She placed her briefcase on the desk. "Hello? Mr. Cunningham?"
Ahh, his daughter was here. Stanley whispered, "You should be able to be here tomorrow..then, you can take my place. I need you to do something, Ms. Tan."
She bent closer to him, so the students couldn't overhear. "Yes? What is it?"
"I need you to put the scales over the Dean's eyes. Have him enlist me as his replacement as Head Instructor." He smirked, "I assume you can manage it?"
Xia smiled. "Oh, yes. Not a problem, it should be easily taken care of with one of my minor spells. Not too difficult for one with my level of skill."
"Good. I have faith in you, daughter...make sure he is completely under your power."
"Yes, it will be done." She then left the room.
PHILADELPHIA
J.C.PENNY PARKING LOT
Jack Wong and his men were sitting in their car, parked far from the other cars. Jack watched Lynn Sear get into her car and drive off. "That's it, ma. Go to your son..that's *exactly* what we wanted." He turned to the henchman on the passenger side. "Our plan worked. Mrs. Sear is out of the store, leaving the owner alone. I believe it's time we made ourselves known, boys. This is OUR territory now. It's time these settlements paid for protection. Later, I'll make a phone call to Acme Supermarket. But first, let's
start here. Come on."
They got out of their car and walked towards the entrance.
*********
Cathy was counting the money in the register, when Jack and his boys came back into the store. She said, "You. Mr. Wong?"
Jack replied, "Yes. We're here to take care of business."
Cathy was confused. "What business? What do you want.."
Jack said, "We're moving in on this city. There could be problems. We're here to fix them...you pay us for protection, we take care of any..unwanted attacks on your lives. Mr. Tan will see to it."
"You won't get away with this. The police-"
"The police will do nothing. You will step aside now. MOVE away from the register." He slid his hand into his coat and smiled.
She caught the meaning. Afraid, she moved out of the way.
Jack snapped his finger, motioning his nearest man to take care of it.
The henchman walked to the register and emptied the cash into his pockets. Then, he went back towards the door.
Jack said to Cathy, "Now, was that so hard? We'll be back next week for our next transaction. DON'T disappoint us." And with that, they walked out, leaving Cathy a very terrified woman.
***********
1:05pm
ST. ANTHONY'S ACADEMY
The children of Mr. Cuningham's class sat quietly in their seats. They didn't know what to make of their teacher.
He looked the same. He had the same voice. But it was his clothes. He was dressed like some business tycoon. Not only that, but he was also wearing
sunglasses. They couldn't understand why anyone would wear sunglasses indoors.
Also, there was something in his eyes...Cole noticed it first, but he kept quiet about it. Suddenly, they heard the beeping of a cell-phone.
Stanley took the portable phone from his coat pocket. "Yes? Oh, good. Very impressive, Mr. Wong. And Acme? Yes, do it today. Remember, first we gain control..then we can go to Plan B. Yes, Xia's records were programmed into the system, but it won't go through until tomorrow morning....Yes, see to it. Bye." He put it back into his coat.
One of the kids, Bobby O'Donnel, said, "I didn't know you had a phone, Mr. Cunningham."
Stanley asked, "What? Of course I do! A wise warrior is prepared..hey! Don't you raise your hand to talk?!"
Bobby was shaken by the sudden outburst. "But..b-but..I thought-"
Mr. Cunningham shouted, "Silence! I did not give you permission to speak, child."
They all looked up. Now he had their attention. Even Tommy was a bit surprised. He thought Stanley was weird when Cole provoked him with the 'Stuttering Stanley' accusation, but this..this was NOTHING like their teacher.
Stanley got up and walked over to Tommy's desk. "What are you staring at, boy? What do you fear?! That you won't get your big part in a movie set? HA!! You will not, you lack the skill. You are *nothing*, child."
At that, Cole sat up immediately. He remembered those words. ["You are nothing."] Someone had said that to him before, in a church. Recognition came over his face. Of course! The enemy ghost in black, Tan.
Stanley asked Cole, "Oh, you remember. What? You want to say something to the class? Something about the man you saw?"
Cole nervously shook his head.
Stanley laughed. "Why not? Is it not the truth? Or do you hide in darkness as well? Well, let's see what your friends think..." He walked to the middle of the room and pointed at Cole. "He has a secret, boys and girls. He can see ghosts..or at least, he thinks he does. He fears that harm will come to him. And it will! Harm will come to all. No one is safe from the shadows, they beckon to your inner souls..give in to them, join them. For in darkness, true enlightenment is achieved."
Cole felt something he had never felt before. It was like anger, except it felt..right. Mr. Cunningham was different. Now, he was spreading lies that he knew were false. He slowly stood up.
"Oh? You wish to speak, child? Did I give you permission to speak?!! NO!!"
Cole whispered, "Then I'll ask...may I speak?"
The teacher smiled. He removed his sunglasses and glared amusingly at the boy. He decided to humor the child, for now. "Yes...sure, you may speak."
"I think you're wrong. Darkness will only get you more darkness. There's no light. It's lies. But we can all be harmed, that doesn't mean we have to be afraid of it. Fear can help us."
Stanley asked, "Really? How's that, Cole?"
He turned to the other students. "What is a ghost? It's a person, right? Someone who lived?"
A couple of them nodded.
Cole continuued, "Fear, being scared can be like a puzzle. If it's all small, tiny pieces, they can't hurt you. But once they get put together--to one giant piece--then it can control you. It'll control your destiny, your...um, Path. If you look at everything that scares you when it's little, you can know it, then let it go. If you can do that, you won't be afraid of those same things.
You..what's the phrase? You become..one with it."
Stanley stepped back. Something was very familiar here.
Bobby asked, "But, Cole. What about what you were sayin' about ghosts? They're not real, are they? Just stories."
Cole answered, "We're ghosts, except we live. A ghost is a person who died and left their body, right? Does that make sense?"
Bobby thought about that. "Uhh...yeah, I guess."
Cole smiled. He turned to Stanley. "See, Mr. Cunningham? That's what truth is. Facing your fears. Light is better than being in the dark."
The teacher said, "Alright, boy..be silent. SIT."
Cole sat down in his chair. "Look, sir, I know you're not yourself. Can any of you notice that?"
They agreed by nodding.
Cole said, "I know you're in there, Stanley. You don't have to be afraid to come out-"
Stanley slammed his fist on Cole's desk. "Shut up!! Go to your corner! Until you're ready to *humble* yourself before me..GO!"
Dis-heartened, Cole got back up and walked to the corner of the room. "Sir, just listen to your true voice-"
"Arrgghhh!!!" Cunningham threw a pair of scissors in Cole's direction. It was embedded into the wall, a few inches away from the boy's head.
Cole sat down immediately, deciding that it was best to keep quiet. When no one was looking, he smiled.
Mr. Cunningham then bent over and whispered to Tommy, "And you. Tell your father to expect a visit from Mr. Jack Wong. I'm sure he'll remember. Tell Derek that they're coming on urgent business for Mr. Tan."
Tommy asked, "Huh? Tan...Jack Wong..wait! I think..was he that guy with the tail? The guy I saw when I was seven?"
Stanley said, "Yes, good memory. Tell him I said, 'Discard kindness and righteousness, so the love for family can be restored'."
Tommy looked at him questioningly. This guy was stranger than Cole. "Uhh..ok. Sure."
Stanley smiled, "GOOD. Remember, if you can't have something, it's better to destroy it." Instead of waiting for a response, he walked up to his desk and sat down, putting his dark glasses back on.
Then, Xia walked in. She was wearing her white business suit, with her hair pulled up. She also wore glasses. She placed her briefcase on the desk. "Hello? Mr. Cunningham?"
Ahh, his daughter was here. Stanley whispered, "You should be able to be here tomorrow..then, you can take my place. I need you to do something, Ms. Tan."
She bent closer to him, so the students couldn't overhear. "Yes? What is it?"
"I need you to put the scales over the Dean's eyes. Have him enlist me as his replacement as Head Instructor." He smirked, "I assume you can manage it?"
Xia smiled. "Oh, yes. Not a problem, it should be easily taken care of with one of my minor spells. Not too difficult for one with my level of skill."
"Good. I have faith in you, daughter...make sure he is completely under your power."
"Yes, it will be done." She then left the room.