Only the Curious Have Something to Find

Chapter 17

Note: Ahaha, I thought this was chapter 14…AHEM. Anyway, OK! So, again, guys, I really want to apologize for all the waits I've been making you sit through, but work and school's summer work has been catching up with me, I'm sorry :( But I'm here now.
Oh, and, heh heh…the reason I'm trying to butter you up is, guess what! I'm going out of town on Sunday! –ducks flying objects– I'M SORRY! I know, Jesus, am I ever home?? But my family is going camping and we won't be back until the 23rd so I'm updating now. I hope you all can still love me…

Enjoy! And enjoy the new episode tonight!!!

--

It had been two days. Two long days and no luck on anything. They'd checked all of Clarence's properties, his work place, spoken with all his coworkers and friends, even Elyse, who was currently being held at the station, had no idea where her husband was.

Gus, Lassiter and Juliet hadn't gone to school the past two days and when they did happen to sleep it was on the floor of Shawn's bedroom, because no one dared touch his bed. They hadn't left the house since all this started, but all their parents had made more than one appearance, for both support and to bring their children clean clothes. Karen had even visited a few times and offered her support.

The three hadn't said too much to the others that had been going in and out of the house, too afraid the officers might try to give them another pep-talk or 'Shawn could be dead' talk. They refused to have any of it. So for the most part they stayed in Shawn's room.

But at three in the morning the previous night they'd all heard the TV going in Henry's room and got up to investigate. They found the father sitting on his bed, tears in his eyes, as he watched home movies of Shawn. He's motioned for them to join him and the four watched movies of Shawn's first steps, first words, several of the tapes included Shawn covered in some kind of food.

Despite their worry every time the little Shawn looked at the camera and giggled they themselves couldn't help but smile. It was one of the cutest scenes. Lassiter found himself tearing up as he laughed a little at the tapes. He felt a hand in his and looked up to see Juliet smiling weakly at him, tears in her eyes as well.

The next morning the four had woken up in the father's room, the TV running static as the tape rewound. They'd all changed and went downstairs to see the officers and techs that were stationed there still working hard. Henry had gone and joined them, while the kids just went to make some coffee before returning to their fortress of solitude. They'd even attempted the homework Karen had brought with her as well, but they couldn't focus on that when all they could picture was Shawn.

It seemed like Henry, Gus, Lassiter and Juliet had all been running on autopilot. All four were just focusing on functioning and that seemed to be enough. It was all they could hold onto. That maybe if they just had enough strength to get up in the morning, then Shawn would have enough strength to make it through this.

He had to. They could lose him.

They all silently sent their strength to Shawn. They prayed, they begged, they tried to come up with something to help the cops. They were trying everything they could think of that might help Shawn. But every time all they came up with was some distant memory and nothing substantial.

Lawrence was still there as well, though his way of coping seemed to be playing butler. He would go around and ask everyone specifically if they wanted something to eat or drink. He got the kids all their meals and brought it to them, despite their protests. He usually ate with the three of them as well, joking 'I'd rather be with people my own age!'

The grandfather had done his best to cheer the kids up, and for the most part it worked, with stories of Shawn and plans for the future. He teased Lassiter about their relationship and acted as if Shawn had just gone on vacation and would be back anytime now. It was actually very refreshing for the three teens to have someone act like Shawn was alive and coming back, and not dead in a ditch somewhere.

Henry was obviously putting up a front for the three, and they could tell, but they said nothing because they were secretly grateful for it. But Henry's shell was cracking and it was obvious. If he wasn't having angry outbursts at the officers, he was hiding in his room or the bathroom for hours at a time (crying, they were sure). The three were trying to be strong for him as well, and it seemed to work a little bit, but he was a broken man and they knew he couldn't be fixed until his son came home.

So with a sigh, the three stood and made their way downstairs to offer their support once more.

--

Shawn's whole body shook, he wasn't sure he had enough energy to lean over and vomit once again. He had never experienced pain like this before. He had never even thought such agony existed. He glanced down at his shirtless, shaking body but had to look away, knowing he would be unable to suppress the gag-reflex if he looked any longer.

Shawn's body was like a battlefield. Patches of skin were gone, cut off as part of some ritual he didn't understand. The areas around the patches of lost skin were almost black with bruising. All the patches were about seven inches long and four inches wide, there were three missing from different spots on his chest and one from his upper thigh on his left leg. He'd only been awake for half of the removal of the first patch on his chest, but when he woke up there were three missing from his chest that stung and burned and bled. Later he was awake for about two thirds of the patch from his thigh. He had never experienced such agony as to have his own skin torn away from his slowly.

Besides the missing patches of skin, his head still ached both from when he was knocked out and from the lack of sleep. He was also freezing, his whole body shaking from the cold (which, in turn, was aggravating the wounds). Shawn sat only in his boxers. 'You'd like me to strip you naked, wouldn't you, you sick child?' His grandfather had teased. But that wasn't even the main reason he was cold, it was also that he was soaking wet, having been drenched in holy water several times.

Shawn closed his eyes, trying to ignore the pain and cold, and tried to sleep. Trying to comfort himself he thought of his friends and his father. He pretended he was off somewhere playing a prank with Gus, or that he was out shopping with Juliet, or fishing with his father, or kissing Lassiter. He thought back to the night on the porch, however long ago it was, Shawn had lost count of the hours, of the days. He had no idea what time it was, if it were day or night.

He tried to calm himself a little and fall asleep but his eyes shot open as the sound of the front door opening filled the air. He had no idea where he was in the cabin, but he was pretty sure he was only a few rooms away from the front door.

He squeezed his eyes shut as the door to the room opened and some light filled the air. As his tormentor spoke he had to resist the urge to cry.

"Hello there, boy. You've been so good that I decided to reward you." Shawn stopped dead.

"W-what?"

--

The phone rang.

Everyone stopped dead, terrified by what might be on the other end. They all held their breath as the techs quickly positioned themselves. They put on their headphones, typed in something on their computers and then pointed at Henry. With a nod he picked up the phone with a shaking hand.

"Hello?"

There was a pause, then a voice that sent chills down Henry's spine. "Henry, how are you, my boy?"

"I'd be better if I had my son at home with me." Henry said calmly, he glanced at the children, who were all listening, to see their terrified, yet determined, faces.

"Well, Henry, that's not an option at the moment." Henry bit his lip, suppressing the vulgarities that wanted to escape from his mouth. "We're in the middle of cleansing him Henry, you don't want him now, not when he's still riddled with all that evil."

"Evil?" Henry snarled into the phone, about to let all the vulgarities rip, when a tech hit a button and his phone was muted.

"Stay calm, Henry!" Hastings whispered beside him, "You know you can't anger him. That's one of the first rules!" Henry bit his lip but nodded and the tech turned him back on.

There was a chuckle on the other end, "You've never been good at controlling your anger, Henry. I see that's where Shawn gets it from. But don't worry, it'll all be over soon."

The kids all seemed to gasp at once, like they were one being. Henry managed to keep his voice calm, but he couldn't stop it when his voice cracked, "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that soon he will be completely cleansed! Soon he will be rid of the demon possessing him and he will just be a boy! No longer riddled with these visions and these evil urges! He shall be normal, clean!"

The room was staring at Henry, sympathetic looks on their faces as they realized how driven Clarence was. "Clarence, you can't. You know he can't help who he loves-"

"That's bull, Henry! Lies driven into your mind by the media! The demons run the media, don't you know that!? They rule you all! They've distorted your minds! But not me, no! I've remained cleansed for the Lord has deemed me so!"

"The Lord?" Henry whispered.

"Yes, the Lord has come to me! He has told me that I must cleanse your son of his wrongs."

"There's nothing wrong with my son!"

"Nothing wrong with your son?? He's in love with a man! It's wrong, it's disgusting! He's disgusting!" Clarence seemed to spit out the last word, as if he were speaking to Shawn. "And those visions, lies sent to his mind by the devil!"

Everyone glanced at Henry with 'What?' looks on their faces. "Clarence, I don't know what you're talking about-"

"DON'T LIE TO ME!" Henry pulled the phone from his ear and the techs jumped as Clarence screamed into the phone. "I know what he his! He is a hand of the devil! Well, I am a hand of the LORD! And I can clean him! I can make him who he is supposed to be! What the Lord wants him to be!"

Henry squeezed his eyes shut as he felt himself beginning to crack, and suddenly he didn't care who was around him or who was listening, he just wanted to talk to him boy. So he begged. "Please…please, Clarence, let me talk to him."

"Talk to him? Why would you want to talk to him? He's not clean yet!"

"Please…please…just…just let me talk to him, please."

There was a sigh on the other end, "I see it is cruel to deny a father his son, no matter how evil his son is. I am not a cruel man, Henry." Henry had to suppress a snort at that, but none of the techs did. "I am a righteous man. I will allow you to talk to your son."

"Thank you." Henry breathed out, his whole body shaking. There were some shifting sounds and a low threat that Henry couldn't make out, and then the sound Henry had thought he might never hear again.

"Dad?"

--

I know, I know, not the best chapter, but still I hope you all enjoyed it, and I hope you can forgive me for the breaks in-between chapters.

Am I still evil? Heheheh…

I'll see you all when I get back!! Thanks for reading! Now go watch the new episode!

-claire