Chapter Two: The First Born Son
I got up the next morning and got ready. Why'd I have to leave so freaking early? I got into my car and drove to the location that this strange man had told me to go. It wasn't too far from where I lived, being that I had just recently moved into some new apartments. Winchester Park was only about 10 or 15 miles away, but the house itself was relatively close to the Park. As I got to the house, I noticed it was a peaceful one- story building with many flowers and very pastel-ish. I stepped out of my car, but got shivers. There was obviously something here watching me. I looked and noticed there was bow and arrow set on the floor next to me. I of course didn't touch it, but as I pasted it, I got a jolting sensation.
Two children had been playing Cowboys and Indians. They found a real bow and arrow set. They began to play a game and one child shot it at the other. It went straight though the back of his head. Blood trickled down his face, and the child fell. Screams were heard as his mother came to his aid…
"Jesus!" I yelled as I was back in the present. What the hell was that?" I needed to leave. Whatever just happened, I did not like it one bit. It was as if I could actually read the ghost's minds. I turned and headed towards my car.
"Dennis?"
I turn back around and a man is in my view. He is an older looking man, in his fifties, with a graying beard and sagging eyes. I figure he is Cyrus. "What!" I'm nervous.
"Ah yes. Glad you could make it. I'm Cyrus Kriticos." Un-easiness was in my eyes. "Is something the matter?"
"It's nothing. Just a bit jittery."
"Hrm. Yes, well we can't have any of that can we?
"I suppose not." I just stand there, glancing at the arrow set.
"Are you coming in?"
"Yea, I'm going," I say, deciding to follow him.
"Oh yes. I must give you something." He hands me a pair of glasses. They are somewhat odd. Most likely something you'd probably see in a fashion magazine or something. "Anytime you get a sensation that someone, or should I say something is near, put these on."
"What are they?" Why'd he give me these funky looking things anyway?
"I'm sure when the time comes, you'll find out." He walks into the building.
"Hey! Are you going to pay me?"
Turning around he says, "Dennis. Don't worry, you'll get paid soon enough. We just have to get the job done. And I'm sure you want it as quickly finished as me."
We walk into the house and I notice complete silence. The children's parents still must be grieving over the loss of their son. Just when did he die? I wonder. Going into the living room, I notice a few more people, all sitting down at the table. Three to be exact. Two of them, I know, have to be the ghost's parents, but who's the third one?
"I'd like you to meet Dan Michaels, Lory Michaels, and this young lady is Erin Reynolds." Cyrus introduces me.
Erin Reynolds? I've heard that name before. Who was this familiar woman that I thought I'd known?
"Dennis Rafkin," she says to me. I give her a questionable look. "You might know who I am, but I definitely know who you are."
"I'm sorry. I don't think I know you."
"But I think you do. Remember high school? Do you recall the time your parents sent you to that school for the gifted? You met a girl about your age there. She had similar abilities as you."
"Your getting somewhere." I said, thinking of that time. I tried to forget my years when I was young. There was a lot of humiliation and pain in it, but I put that all in the past, and now this woman had brought it all back.
"You developed a crush on her, never telling her that, and then one day she moves. You dreaded that day when she left you because there was no one else that shared those same powers with you, and she was the only one you loved."
"How'd you know that? I told no one."
"I'm her. I'm that girl you had a crush on for so long."
Of course. I knew her name sounded familiar to me. It's just while trying to avoid my past; I also avoided my high-school crush. "It's been a long time Erin. How have you been?"
"I've been good. Had many troubles in life, but I'd say it all worked out fine in the end."
"How so?"
"Well, you see, I could not deal with my life anymore, me being psychic, and decided that I might as well end it. But this man here, Cyrus Kriticos, saved me from wasting my life," Erin says, smiling.
"With the help of Erin, we were able to contact you. Since you two had a strong bond from such a young age, Erin could sense where you were," Cyrus explains.
I still had my doubts. Amazing as this day had seemed, I still didn't know what to think of it. "Why did you need me? You already have a psychic, so why call me up?"
"It's always better to have more people who are good in the profession," Cyrus says.
"You call psychic a profession?" I say.
"Of course. I mean what do you call those psychic hotlines for?" Cyrus jokes.
"They are fakes. People willing to sell their powers are bluffing it," I blurt out.
"I see. Well then, shall we begin our search?" Cyrus says.
"Lets," I say, hoping to get the job done as soon as possible.
The whole time, the victim's parents had said not a single word, but only listened in on the conversation. It made me feel a bit odd, having them hear what we were discussing. I had forgotten how pretty Erin was, and seeing her older, made her even more extravagant. Her red hair and her blue eyes made me want to stare at her more, for she seemed to hold me in a state of hypnosis. It was rather sad, because I knew I couldn't have her. I couldn't have anyone, because of this damn curse that I was born with. I wonder if she had the same problem that I had.
We ended up walking across the street to the park, to find our ghost. "If you the least bit questionable about this ghost, let me explain it to you," Cyrus said. It was funny; it felt like he had been reading my mind.
"The First Born Son, or Billy Michaels is our target to catch today. I'm sure you already know his fate, but I wanted to inform you as what to call him."
"Gotcha," I said.
I noticed men in these weird getups, jackets made of plastic, wearing black, and of course there were the glasses. Was this some kind of future model show? "Oh yes, I forgot to tell you, I have helpers," Cyrus laughs.
"I guess you were right when you can't have enough people in the business." I say, overwhelmed.
"Oh no, there not psychics like us," Erin says, "they came to Cyrus because they were interested in the unexplained as well."
I get painful jolt in my body. I see the boy, Billy. I see him behind the trees watching us. He is not happy. I see bodies sprawled across the grass. I don't know if these are previous murders, or future murders, but I think I see some of both. Blood, and body parts everywhere. I stop getting the flashes. I grab my head in pain. God do I wish I brought my medication. I look over at Erin. She got some of the visions, but it doesn't look like she is in a lot of pain. I am envious of her.
I see Erin put on her glasses and I figure I might as well do the same thing. I mean, what can these things do? Putting them on, I look around me. Nothing seems out of the ordinary, but I didn't look straight ahead of me. Oh shit! I think, as I see the boy in the trees. There he is, my first ghost. I see some men role in a glass box and on that our incantations of some language. I think I see it as Latin, but I am not sure.
"Turn on the chant." I hear Cyrus say.
"Chant?" I question him.
"No worries," he says, "just a little thing to get our ghost."
The sound is turned on and I can hear the voices of many people talking in a strange, yet disturbing sound. A man holds up a bow-and-arrow set, the same one in which I came across earlier. Billy sees this and is pissed. Quickly he disappears, suddenly appearing in front of that same man. The man sees this and tries to make a mad dash to the glass box, but is too slow, for the little boy chops off his arm, with the hatchet, in which the ghost holds.
The victims arm falls to the floor, still holding the bow-and-arrow and Billy wants it. The set floats up to him, but before he can take a hold of it, another man dashes in front of the ghost and grabs it. Billy is outraged and seems to scream in pure madness, but is distracted by the sweet sound of a woman.
I stare in complete shock, with which I just saw a man get his arm chopped off. When I hear this woman's voice, I turn and look in the direction of the glass box. The ghost's parents are standing in the way of the trap, trying to get his attention. His father has the bow-and-arrow in his hands now, as the brave man hands it too him. Once again, Billy disappears, only to appear face to face with his father. His father seems to have no fear, as he stands up to the boy. Billy smiles, disappears, and in a flash, a hatchet slices into the father's face.
I turn my face in disgust as I clearly see the hatchet dig deep in the middle of Mr. Michael's forehead. The mother screams in terror and pain as she watches her own son kill his father. Billy disappears. Mrs. Michael's can't stand being in the glass box, so she makes a run for it, but Billy appears behind her. As she exits the box, Billy slices at her legs, chopping them both off. "Close the doors," I hear Cyrus yell.
Before the ghost can get out, the doors close in on him. Billy yells once more, pounding at the walls, but it's no use, he's trapped. The music stops. "Not bad for the first day," I hear Cyrus chuckle.
"You sick bastard. People have been killed." I yell at him. Poor Erin is on her knees, covering her head. I think she can hear their thoughts.
"You mean to tell me you didn't realize people would have been killed? Tsk, tsk Dennis. When dealing with these kind of things, you must always expect that."
"I've had enough," I say, and storm out of the park, leaving behind the tragedy that has been placed before me.
I got up the next morning and got ready. Why'd I have to leave so freaking early? I got into my car and drove to the location that this strange man had told me to go. It wasn't too far from where I lived, being that I had just recently moved into some new apartments. Winchester Park was only about 10 or 15 miles away, but the house itself was relatively close to the Park. As I got to the house, I noticed it was a peaceful one- story building with many flowers and very pastel-ish. I stepped out of my car, but got shivers. There was obviously something here watching me. I looked and noticed there was bow and arrow set on the floor next to me. I of course didn't touch it, but as I pasted it, I got a jolting sensation.
Two children had been playing Cowboys and Indians. They found a real bow and arrow set. They began to play a game and one child shot it at the other. It went straight though the back of his head. Blood trickled down his face, and the child fell. Screams were heard as his mother came to his aid…
"Jesus!" I yelled as I was back in the present. What the hell was that?" I needed to leave. Whatever just happened, I did not like it one bit. It was as if I could actually read the ghost's minds. I turned and headed towards my car.
"Dennis?"
I turn back around and a man is in my view. He is an older looking man, in his fifties, with a graying beard and sagging eyes. I figure he is Cyrus. "What!" I'm nervous.
"Ah yes. Glad you could make it. I'm Cyrus Kriticos." Un-easiness was in my eyes. "Is something the matter?"
"It's nothing. Just a bit jittery."
"Hrm. Yes, well we can't have any of that can we?
"I suppose not." I just stand there, glancing at the arrow set.
"Are you coming in?"
"Yea, I'm going," I say, deciding to follow him.
"Oh yes. I must give you something." He hands me a pair of glasses. They are somewhat odd. Most likely something you'd probably see in a fashion magazine or something. "Anytime you get a sensation that someone, or should I say something is near, put these on."
"What are they?" Why'd he give me these funky looking things anyway?
"I'm sure when the time comes, you'll find out." He walks into the building.
"Hey! Are you going to pay me?"
Turning around he says, "Dennis. Don't worry, you'll get paid soon enough. We just have to get the job done. And I'm sure you want it as quickly finished as me."
We walk into the house and I notice complete silence. The children's parents still must be grieving over the loss of their son. Just when did he die? I wonder. Going into the living room, I notice a few more people, all sitting down at the table. Three to be exact. Two of them, I know, have to be the ghost's parents, but who's the third one?
"I'd like you to meet Dan Michaels, Lory Michaels, and this young lady is Erin Reynolds." Cyrus introduces me.
Erin Reynolds? I've heard that name before. Who was this familiar woman that I thought I'd known?
"Dennis Rafkin," she says to me. I give her a questionable look. "You might know who I am, but I definitely know who you are."
"I'm sorry. I don't think I know you."
"But I think you do. Remember high school? Do you recall the time your parents sent you to that school for the gifted? You met a girl about your age there. She had similar abilities as you."
"Your getting somewhere." I said, thinking of that time. I tried to forget my years when I was young. There was a lot of humiliation and pain in it, but I put that all in the past, and now this woman had brought it all back.
"You developed a crush on her, never telling her that, and then one day she moves. You dreaded that day when she left you because there was no one else that shared those same powers with you, and she was the only one you loved."
"How'd you know that? I told no one."
"I'm her. I'm that girl you had a crush on for so long."
Of course. I knew her name sounded familiar to me. It's just while trying to avoid my past; I also avoided my high-school crush. "It's been a long time Erin. How have you been?"
"I've been good. Had many troubles in life, but I'd say it all worked out fine in the end."
"How so?"
"Well, you see, I could not deal with my life anymore, me being psychic, and decided that I might as well end it. But this man here, Cyrus Kriticos, saved me from wasting my life," Erin says, smiling.
"With the help of Erin, we were able to contact you. Since you two had a strong bond from such a young age, Erin could sense where you were," Cyrus explains.
I still had my doubts. Amazing as this day had seemed, I still didn't know what to think of it. "Why did you need me? You already have a psychic, so why call me up?"
"It's always better to have more people who are good in the profession," Cyrus says.
"You call psychic a profession?" I say.
"Of course. I mean what do you call those psychic hotlines for?" Cyrus jokes.
"They are fakes. People willing to sell their powers are bluffing it," I blurt out.
"I see. Well then, shall we begin our search?" Cyrus says.
"Lets," I say, hoping to get the job done as soon as possible.
The whole time, the victim's parents had said not a single word, but only listened in on the conversation. It made me feel a bit odd, having them hear what we were discussing. I had forgotten how pretty Erin was, and seeing her older, made her even more extravagant. Her red hair and her blue eyes made me want to stare at her more, for she seemed to hold me in a state of hypnosis. It was rather sad, because I knew I couldn't have her. I couldn't have anyone, because of this damn curse that I was born with. I wonder if she had the same problem that I had.
We ended up walking across the street to the park, to find our ghost. "If you the least bit questionable about this ghost, let me explain it to you," Cyrus said. It was funny; it felt like he had been reading my mind.
"The First Born Son, or Billy Michaels is our target to catch today. I'm sure you already know his fate, but I wanted to inform you as what to call him."
"Gotcha," I said.
I noticed men in these weird getups, jackets made of plastic, wearing black, and of course there were the glasses. Was this some kind of future model show? "Oh yes, I forgot to tell you, I have helpers," Cyrus laughs.
"I guess you were right when you can't have enough people in the business." I say, overwhelmed.
"Oh no, there not psychics like us," Erin says, "they came to Cyrus because they were interested in the unexplained as well."
I get painful jolt in my body. I see the boy, Billy. I see him behind the trees watching us. He is not happy. I see bodies sprawled across the grass. I don't know if these are previous murders, or future murders, but I think I see some of both. Blood, and body parts everywhere. I stop getting the flashes. I grab my head in pain. God do I wish I brought my medication. I look over at Erin. She got some of the visions, but it doesn't look like she is in a lot of pain. I am envious of her.
I see Erin put on her glasses and I figure I might as well do the same thing. I mean, what can these things do? Putting them on, I look around me. Nothing seems out of the ordinary, but I didn't look straight ahead of me. Oh shit! I think, as I see the boy in the trees. There he is, my first ghost. I see some men role in a glass box and on that our incantations of some language. I think I see it as Latin, but I am not sure.
"Turn on the chant." I hear Cyrus say.
"Chant?" I question him.
"No worries," he says, "just a little thing to get our ghost."
The sound is turned on and I can hear the voices of many people talking in a strange, yet disturbing sound. A man holds up a bow-and-arrow set, the same one in which I came across earlier. Billy sees this and is pissed. Quickly he disappears, suddenly appearing in front of that same man. The man sees this and tries to make a mad dash to the glass box, but is too slow, for the little boy chops off his arm, with the hatchet, in which the ghost holds.
The victims arm falls to the floor, still holding the bow-and-arrow and Billy wants it. The set floats up to him, but before he can take a hold of it, another man dashes in front of the ghost and grabs it. Billy is outraged and seems to scream in pure madness, but is distracted by the sweet sound of a woman.
I stare in complete shock, with which I just saw a man get his arm chopped off. When I hear this woman's voice, I turn and look in the direction of the glass box. The ghost's parents are standing in the way of the trap, trying to get his attention. His father has the bow-and-arrow in his hands now, as the brave man hands it too him. Once again, Billy disappears, only to appear face to face with his father. His father seems to have no fear, as he stands up to the boy. Billy smiles, disappears, and in a flash, a hatchet slices into the father's face.
I turn my face in disgust as I clearly see the hatchet dig deep in the middle of Mr. Michael's forehead. The mother screams in terror and pain as she watches her own son kill his father. Billy disappears. Mrs. Michael's can't stand being in the glass box, so she makes a run for it, but Billy appears behind her. As she exits the box, Billy slices at her legs, chopping them both off. "Close the doors," I hear Cyrus yell.
Before the ghost can get out, the doors close in on him. Billy yells once more, pounding at the walls, but it's no use, he's trapped. The music stops. "Not bad for the first day," I hear Cyrus chuckle.
"You sick bastard. People have been killed." I yell at him. Poor Erin is on her knees, covering her head. I think she can hear their thoughts.
"You mean to tell me you didn't realize people would have been killed? Tsk, tsk Dennis. When dealing with these kind of things, you must always expect that."
"I've had enough," I say, and storm out of the park, leaving behind the tragedy that has been placed before me.