Chapter 4
In the afternoon, Sam heard a knock at the door. A very heavy and urgent knock. He cautiously walked towards the door. Instead of wearing his Bogey Man outfit, he wore a button down red plaid shirt with blue jeans. Which was a pity. Had he worn the outfit, he might startle whoever it was behind the door and it might have given him the advantage.
However, a series of knocks happened. Almost as if in code. Sam recognized it and answered back, with his own knock. The knock answered back, with a complicated sound, but Sam knew this was a safe visit. He opened the door and Gannon and Garret were standing there.
"You boys scared me just now," said Sam.
"We're so sorry Sam. For a second, we forgot the code." said Gannon, almost loudly.
"Keep your voice down. You know who could be hearing us. Or worse. Much worse." said Garret.
"God! You are so paranoid. The Mothman said that Tyrone and Matt's house was protected by much more powerful salt, plus Sam and Natalie's got powers, so they are totally safe." said Gannon.
"Get to the point boys. Why are you here?" asked Sam.
He knew the boys didn't come for a social visit. If they did, they would have come in street clothes, meaning they meant to visit Tyrone and Matt and play video games with them or watch TV. But in this case, they were wearing their armor. They had a blue jumpsuit on, and they had a large metal chest plate on the front. Their legs and feet were covered in metal knee caps and metallic shoes. And their swords were by their side. In addition, their beloved hermit crab, Bubbles, was waiting for them. It grew into a massive crustacean, serving as transport for the boys.
"There is a whole lot to explain." said Gannon.
"First off, a kid was saved a few hours ago." said Garret.
"Where?" asked Sam.
"Here in Garibaldi. A lady saved him." said Gannon.
"We didn't get to ask the lady questions. The police arrived and there was nothing we could do. Plus, the kid has no memory of what happened to him." said Garret.
"This means we truly are dealing with something supernatural." said Sam.
"There's more. The Mothman requests your presence again, back in the main village." said Gannon.
Sam rolled his eyes. "Again? What for? I already gave my testimony to the Queen."
"This isn't about testimonies, no more bro. It's about what's going on back in the village. The disease is getting much worse and the young herbalist still hasn't come back from his journey. We need to stall for time, and the Queen was hoping you could help with that." said Gannon.
"What for? You guys know my powers are supposed to be… what was it you guys called it? Dark pulse or something?" said Sam.
"The Dark Impulse. Yes, we know your powers are dark. But so is the disease in the village. They hope your Dark Impulse might slow down the disease." said Gannon.
"It's like playing fire with fire. I'm not sure it's a good idea." said Sam.
"You don't know it unless you try it." said Garret.
"This sounds like a huge gamble boys. Why is your Queen making this shot?" asked Sam.
"It wasn't her who suggested the idea. It was the Mothman." said Gannon.
Sam didn't say a word. The Mothman was a very respected member of the Rood Bridge Park community. When he went with him to gave his testimonies, almost every creature and person he met bowed their heads at the Mothman, almost as if he were some king. But no. He was a member of a very respected society of creatures that were able to see visions and events happening before they even occur. And the fact that he's asking him for help was very important.
"I can't do this alone. I'm going to need backup. I'm going to have Natalie and the boys come with us." said Sam.
"Sounds great! I love that plan!" exclaimed Gannon, giving Sam two thumbs up. Garret on the other hand shook his head violently.
"No! They can't come!" cried Garret quickly.
"Why not?" asked Sam, with a stern look on his face and with a bellowed voice.
"Tyrone and Matt can't come. They are humans." said Garret.
"So? I'm human. So are you two kids." said Sam.
"True! There's no harm in them coming." said Gannon, supporting Sam. Garret shot him a look and spoke up.
"Look, I know we all are humans. But there's a huge difference between us and our friends. You are the Bogey Man. Natalie is some sort of spring goddess and Gannon and I are Sword Warriors. We do acrobatic sword play and stuff like that. Tyrone and Matt are defenseless. They are humans with no power and if humans were to set foot in Rood Bridge Park, laws would be broken and there would be a ton of paperwork to file." said Garret.
Sam rolled his eyes in frustration. "So in other words, Rood Bridge Park is racist against humans."
"No! I didn't mean it like that!" cried Garret in a panic. The poor boy was such a wimp when it came to talking to taller and stronger looking people like Sam. He began to sweat bullets and he didn't know what else to say. Gannon however knew what to do. He then spoke quickly.
"What my brother meant to say is that Tyrone and Matt could get hurt in Rood Bridge Park. The disease that is in the village is strong and it could affect them. Garret and I are risking a lot as is. You and Natalie however are immune since your powers protect you from icky germs." said Gannon.
"Be that as it may, we can't just leave Tyrone and Matt alone. Natalie is a better candidate for aiding your village. I don't see why my powers would do good." said Sam.
"What if we stayed here and protected them ourselves," said Gannon.
Sam burst out a laugh. "You? And your wimpy brother?! No offense, but you guys hardly fit the babysitting bill." said Sam.
Just then, Tyrone came out and patted Sam on the shoulder.
"Dad, I heard everything. Don't worry about me and Matt. I'll take care of him." said Tyrone.
"Son, no." said Sam.
"Dad, I'll be fine. Matt and I survived so much before you and Mom came to live with us." said Tyrone.
"True." said Sam.
"And you stalked us. So technically, the only danger out there was you." said Tyrone.
"That's not fair." said Sam folding his arms.
"I know there's a lot going on in the hidden world. And I know that you and Mom are going to be busy at this moment. But we'll be fine. Remember, the salt is much more powerful now." said Tyrone.
Sam shook his head. "It's too risky. I wish I could take you with me." said Sam.
"Dad, trust me on this. Matt and I got this." said Tyrone.
Gannon and Garret bowed their heads down and Sam and Natalie stepped out of the house a few minutes later. They did not wear their costumes at all. They went as themselves. Sam in his plaid shirt while Natalie wore a pink blouse with a key necklace hanging on her neck. She wore small pearl earrings and her hair was so shiny and curly in the tips. She looked like a princess from a modern day fairy tale. Gannon and Garret blushed when she sat on Bubbles's shell with them. Sam sat next to her and they turned to see Tyrone and Matt waving at them goodbye.
"Please come home safely," said Tyrone.
"We'll miss you!" cried Matt.
"We'll come back soon! Don't worry!" cried Sam.
"Boys, remember! No midnight snacking, no answering the door by yourselves and doing your homework!" said Natalie.
Tyrone and Matt both said in unison. "We will Mom."
Sam and Natalie both smiled at them and waved as Bubbles made way into the forest. Gannon and Garret also waved goodbye and they vanished into the green forest.
Tyrone and Matt both stood on the front porch and realized they had nothing left to do.
"So now what?" asked Tyrone.
"Well, what do you say we have some fun?" asked Matt.
"What kind of fun?" said Tyrone.
Matt smiled mischievously and Tyrone awkwardly returned the smile. "What?" he asked.
