Chapter 3
The following days passed and Tyrone's life was on track. At least in his mind. Everyday was the same thing. School, work, and finally home at night. Tyrone did everything in his power to keep it that way. Although he owned the home where he lived, he still had to pay for the utilities. And that was no easy feat. But working was the least of Tyrone's problems. His boss never asked questions about his age nor did he care. At seventeen, Tyrone did look a little older. In fact, he was mature for his age.
However, he did keep his private life a secret from his teachers at school. If anyone knew of Tyrone's current living conditions, social services would have been all over him, sending him off to foster care.
Tyrone thought that was stupid. He would be 21 in about five more years. And a lot can change in that small amount of time. But Tyrone didn't think much about the future. He didn't even want to touch the subject, even in private. But now, he was back to thinking again. This man he met at the bus stop, the one who claimed to be the Bogey Man; was he sane? No, a better question would be if Tyrone really met the man. Was that in his imagination? Was Tyrone finally losing it for overworking? No. That was impossible. Tyrone shook his head and got his head back into work.
He dispatched people to the cash register and wiped tables and such. It wasn't a glamorous job, but the pay was enough to keep the utilities running and put some food on the table.
As Tyrone was mopping the floor just two hours before he was off, he noticed a complete family sitting close by enjoying their dinner. The father was making jokes, the mother looked worn out, but seemed to enjoy her life. They had three kids. Two older boys and one little girl. The boys were making crude jokes, but their father calmed down while the little sister joined in, making a sweet yet annoying joke. Everyone at the table burst into laughter. Tyrone watched for a few seconds and kept on working. However, he worked with a heavy heart. And his chest was swelling. Once again, this was another slap on the face for Tyrone. Oh joy he thought.
Tyrone arrived home and got himself comfortable for the night. He had enough of people for one day. He wanted to forget about all that. All he needed was a break. No school, no responsibilities. Just life. That was it for now. He then turned on Netflix, to see what was on. As Tyrone pulled out a twinkie and began to munch on it with delicious whip cream, he heard a knock at the door. Tyrone never received company, especially at night. Tyrone grabbed a small knife from the table and hid it in his pants, just in case.
"Who's there?" he asked from the other side of the door.
There was no answer. Tyrone opened the door slightly and saw no one there. No one at all. But he did manage to see two glowing red eyes in the distance.
"Tyrone." whispered a deep voice.
Tyrone jumped up and called again. "Who goes there?" he asked firmly.
"Tyrone. Save him." said the voice.
"What?" asked Tyrone.
"Save the boy."
Tyrone looked at the red glowing dots in the distance and for a brief second, they blinked! Tyrone quickly closed the door and locked it. He began to pant and cuss under his breath. He dared not to back away from the door. Whatever was hiding behind the dark trees didn't look friendly at all.
But was it really there? Did Tryone really see it? Were the pills Tyrone was taking for his epilepsy gave him hallucinations? Tyrone slowly backed away, hoping to find a reason until he heard another voice. This time, he heard it loud and clear from behind him, and he turned around alarmed. He gasped to see who it was sitting comfortably on his couch, massaging his hands.
"Anything good on TV?"
Tyrone scowled at the same man from the bus stop. And yes, he was wearing that stupid 1800s getup from before.
"GET OUT!" cried Tyrone. He was very scared, yet he found the courage to speak loudly and firmly to the man.
The man however raised his hand and all of a sudden, Tyrone's mouth was sealed shut. He couldn't speak! Tyrone began to panic, until the Bogeyman got up and placed his cold hands on Tyrone's shoulders.
"Did you think about what I told you?" he asked.
Tyrone couldn't speak, but he was making angry noises and grunts. The Bogeyman simply grinned and walked around the living room.
"Such a nice and cozy little home. You live here with no one else. Not a soul. You are very lonely. And that makes you easy prey." said the Bogeyman.
Tyrone began to moan loudly. But his moans were making noises as if he were speaking. (What do you want?) he was trying to say.
"What do I want? I'll tell you all about it later. But first, you need to pass a simple test." said the Bogeyman. He waved his hand and Tyrone managed to speak again.
"I'll call the cops and have your ass out of here!" he cried.
"Quiet kid. You need to hear this." said the Bogeyman.
"I'm not interested," said Tyrone.
"I have a little boy under my mercy. And I will kill him if you don't help me." said the Bogeyman.
Tyrone's eyes widened in surprise. For a brief moment, he didn't say a word. Until he pulled his phone out, hoping he didn't drop it. He was shaking like a leaf. "I'm calling the F-ing cops."
The Bogeyman smiled. "Go ahead. Call them. I'll just vanish into thin air, and when they arrive, what will they say when they find you all alone?"
Tyrone didn't care. He dialed one number and The Bogeyman quickly froze him in place with his "magic."
"You'd call the police?" he asked in surprise.
Tyrone nodded.
"Why?" asked the Bogeyman.
"It's the right thing to do and you got a kidnapped kid. That's awful." said Tyrone. His eyes looked as if they were burning and the Bogeyman smiled once again.
"You'd sacrifice your life here for the sake of a child?" asked the Bogeyman.
Tyrone nodded. "If I go down, I'll know I did the right thing." he said harshly.
The Bogeyman didn't say a word. He made a small clicking sound in his tongue and looked at Tyrone.
"I know you are the right one for the job. And I'm going to put you to the test. I have the boy under lock and key at the OHSU Doernbecher Hospital in Portland. No one knows I have him there, not even the staff who work there know about it! Go. If you truly care for the well being of a boy, and an Hispanic boy no less; go and save him." The Bogeyman sneered and vanished, releasing Tyrone from his grasp.
Tyrone fell on the ground in shock and confusion. He stood up and heard the voice again. Not the Bogeyman, but another one. A much mature yet calming voice was speaking to him.
"Save him. Save the boy."
Tyrone opened his front door and saw the two large red dots in the far distance, hiding behind bushes.
"Who are you?" asked Tyrone.
"Save the boy. Save him." the voice was saying.
"I don't know what you mean, but you seem to care for the boy too huh?" said Tyrone. He felt like he could trust the voice. If the voice was urging him to save a child, this meant that whoever it was speaking to Tyrone was probably a friend. Not a foe.
Just then, a large black shadow appeared on Tyrone's feet and it rose up to an incredible height. Tyrone tried not to scream, but he gasped in fear. Standing in front of Tyrone was a large Moth-like person.
"Who are you?!" cried Tyrone.
"Do not fear Tyrone. I am the Mothman, one of the guardians of Oregon." said the Moth.
"What? Guardian of what now?" asked Tyrone, trying not to freak out and reach for his phone to call the cops.
"This land is called Oregon today, but it has another name. One that has been forgotten through the ages. Rood Bridge Park." said the Mothman.
"What?" asked Tyrone.
"I'll explain the history of the Pacific Northwest someday, but now you must go and save the boy!" cried the Mothman.
"The one the Bogeyman caught!" said Tyrone.
"The boy is innocent. He was captured by the Bogeyman to do something very evil. You, young Tyrone, are the only one able to stop the man." said the Mothman.
