For a third time in a row, my big brother Kevin easily used a throwing technique and threw me onto the ground. Luckily I landed on the soft snow. We were in our backyard practicing our taekwondo. Kevin was a teacher at the local taekwondo dojang where he took a job in teaching young kids how to defend themselves. Before leaving for work, Kevin liked to teach me a few new moves. So far I'd been able to do the Roundhouse Kick, mastered the Front Kick, but I was still trying to learn the Drop Kick move. And now Kevin was trying to show me grappling techniques which were proving to be hard.
"You're not putting all your strength into it," Kevin scolded me good-naturedly. "It requires body strength to take your opponent off-guard. Now let's try it again."
"Ugh. I'm so achy," I whined while getting back on my feet and brushing the snow off my orange parka. Again I faced my brother, got into sparring stance and waited for my Kevin's signal. "Ready…," I said.
Kevin got into position and gave me the signal. I sprang forward at once with a flying punch which Kevin easily blocked. It was amazing how skilled Kevin was in being able to dodge each of my punch and kicks with such ease. I definitely aspired to be as strong as my big brother. Kevin allowed me to get a few licks in but then managed to shoulder-throw me into the snow. As I laid there in the snow, I heard laughter. We both looked over to spot Karen watching us in the window before she playfully ducked out of sight. This put a smile on my face.
As Kevin helped me to my feet, he was looking thoughtfully over at the window where Karen had been spying on us. "I've been thinking…," Kevin said. "When Karen gets a little older, I want to teach her self-defense too."
"Do you really think she'll need it?" I asked. We were both protective of Karen. It hasn't been easy growing up poor and destitute. Our parents loved us but they never put much effort into their parenting. So we brought it upon ourselves to look out for Karen. "How Karen managed to grow up to be so sweet and gentle in this awful environment, I'll never know," I admitted.
Kevin agreed. "I know. But I still want her to be able to fend for herself. Let's face it, Ken. Karen is growing up and we'll not always be around for her." It was a pretty gloomy thought but it was the truth. As much as I didn't like to think about it, I knew there would soon come a time for Karen to start learning independence. But for now, she was still underage.
Kevin looked at his wristwatch. "Well it's almost 3 o'clock. I'd better start heading over there. We're teaching the students throwing techniques today." But Kevin couldn't resist throwing me a wry grin. "At least I got to practice on you, Kenny. I'll see you at 7'o'clock and I'll try to bring dinner if I can."
I waved good-bye as Kevin started to walk to town to head to his job. Mom was still at her job as a dish-washer at Benny's Restaurant. Dad was probably still drinking with the guys as usual at Skeeter's Wine Bar on the other side of town. Guess it was just me and Karen for the rest of the evening. I went inside our dingy house and found Karen sitting in front of the TV which was turned on. Karen was appeared to be writing something from a literature book for her English Class. She's already finished her Math homework and History Essay. She was well on her way on finishing 8th grade.
"What's that you're reading there?" I asked her while sitting down on our old beaten-down couch.
"Oh it's just The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger," Karen said. "I heard this book is really controversial and shocking for its contents but honestly it just seems to be about some whiney kid. Not quite as exciting as people make it out to be."
I snickered when I remembered me and my friends' reaction to reading that book for the first time. "Yeah… You're not missing much. The ending is a disappointment too," I told her while lying back on the couch.
At that very moment, the news came on and the latest story caught my attention. I picked up the remote and raised the volume to hear it better. "This just in… Today the police have arrested local pediatrician Robert Pollack for child molestation," the newsman reported. "Upon further investigation, child pornography has been discovered on the suspect's laptop. On top of that, four kids have also come forward to accuse Mr. Pollack of molesting them. The suspect is currently being held without bail."
Karen let out a squeal of happiness before hurrying over to throw her arms around me into a hug. "I'm so glad we were able to stop him!" she said happily. "I feel like a real hero. I can see why you enjoy crime-fighting so much, Kenny."
"Yeah, but don't get too used to it," I said sternly. "Crime-fighting is still risky business. But I'm just happy that your friend Eddie and many other kids will be safe from that perverted bastard." I was feeling really proud of myself. But then the next news on TV quickly turned grim.
"In other news, two police officers were killed last night after investigating a mysterious church around the woods of South Park." My smile faded and I was listening carefully to everything being said. "The two officers, Tony Milford and Larry Fleming were killed by an unknown assailant that took place around a strange church of unknown origins. Sergeant Yates didn't comment much on the incident but did stress that this church was dangerous and warns that citizens of South Park stay far away."
The news was so shocking and unexpected. I could hardly believe it. I've been inside that church only two nights ago. Was there really something dangerous inside it? Something that killed those two police officers? Karen also found the news disconcerting but she became even more worried when she saw the troubled frown I was wearing. It looks like my first instincts were right. That church was trouble… I had to know exactly what went down last night.
"Kenny? Where are you going?" Karen called after me as I got off the couch and was already hurrying to the door to head out.
"I'm going to the police station," I replied. "Stay here and wait for me, Karen. I'll try not to be too long." With that, I made sure the front-door was locked before exiting my house. I knew Karen would be okay on her own. But I couldn't just sit around. I had to know what happened at that church.
…
When I arrived at the Park County Police Station, I could see that they had a real crisis on their hands. All the police-officers were greatly disturbed by the deaths of their two fellow officers. They were all scrambling to get the situation under control. Nobody had the time to stop and talk to me. So I decided to head straight for Sergeant Yates office. Standing outside the sergeant's office, I looked in to see that Yates was on the phone at the moment. By the sounds of it, Yates seemed to be talking with the mayor, Mayor McDaniels. I stood there quietly listening in to the conversation.
"Yes, I'm fully aware of the situation, mayor, but I've got enough on my plate as it is!" Sergeant Yates was saying over the phone. "Milford's and Fleming's families have been contacted and they're already asking questions. The press is all over this like flies on shit. I haven't made a statement yet but I will first chance I get."
The mayor said something over the phone and Sergeant Yates seemed to become even more agitated. "Let's get one thing straight here, mayor. The church is dangerous. Until we figure out what exactly we're dealing with here, no one is to go anywhere near that church. I'll call in SWAT if I have to. Let it be known for the record. No one is to go anywhere near that damn church!"
After a few more minutes of arguing with the mayor, Sergeant Yates finally hung up the phone while looking really stressed out. I couldn't blame him. Yates had a cigarette in his mouth and was lighting it when he happened to look up and noticed me standing by his office doorway. "Yes, what is it?" he addressed me.
I entered his office and decided not to take up too much of the sergeant's time. "I'm the one who you called you about the church," I told him. I decided to cut through the chase. "I want to know what happened last night. Did you investigate that church?"
"Yeah, we investigated it all right," Yates said, rubbing his temple while taking puffs from his cigarette. "It was absolute bedlam. We sent in two officers to check inside the church." Yates's expression turned grim. "I don't know how it happened. But the next thing we know, "something" attacked our officers and I don't think it was human. Whatever the fuck it was, it drove those men insane. My god, what a shitstorm this has created."
It was exactly as I feared. There was something evil inside that church. Something not human. "You didn't see what it was?" I asked. "Didn't the two officers who went inside the church see anything?"
But Yates shook his head and still looked disturbed by the mere memory of it. "It happened so fast," he said uneasily. "Officer Milford had already been killed. And Officer Fleming…well… whatever he saw in there he couldn't handle. He put a bullet in his head right before our eyes."
Sergeant Yates couldn't tell me anything more than that. I left his office and decided to leave Yates to it. The sergeant had enough to worry about as it was. But I was concerned. The police were now too afraid to go near that place. I knew there was only one thing to do. I had to go back there. I had to go back and find out once and for all, what the hell has invaded South Park. It probably wasn't a smart idea but I wasn't afraid. Should the worse happen, my power would end up protecting me…
