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 that man 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 family. 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.
Tyrone arrived home and got himself comfortable for the night. He had enough with customers who were needy and somewhat demanding. 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?" The Bogey Man was right there, sitting on the couch like he owned the place!
"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 Bogey Man got up and placed his cold hands on Tyrone's shoulders.
"Did you think about what I told you?" he asked softly.
Tyrone couldn't speak, but he was making angry noises and grunts. The Bogey Man 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 an easy target for creepers." said the Bogey Man.
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 Bogey Man. 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 Bogey Man.
"I'm not interested," said Tyrone.
"I have a little boy under a sleeping curse at OHSU Hospital. He's hurt, afraid and I have reason to believe he lost his family recently. You must rescue him. Otherwise, I'll …." the Bogey Man was saying, until he hesitated. Somehow, he didn't look like he was enjoying his little monologue.
Tyrone's eyes widened in surprise. He didn't care for the Bogey Man's brief hesitation. All he heard was that he had a little boy in the hospital and that was enough to get him to pull his phone out. Tyrone however was shaking nervously, almost as if he was going to drop his phone.
"I'm calling the fucking cops!" he cried.
The Bogey Man blinked a few times, almost as if he was out of some trance and smiled.
"Go ahead. By all means, call them. I'll just vanish into thin air, and when they arrive, what will they say when they find you all alone?" he sneered.
Tyrone didn't care. He dialed one number and The Bogey Man quickly froze him in place with his "magic."
"You'd call the police?" he asked in surprise.
Tyrone nodded.
"Why?" asked the Bogey Man.
"It's the right thing to do and you got a kidnapped kid. That's awful." said Tyrone.
"You'd sacrifice your life here for the sake of a child?" asked the Bogey Man.
Tyrone nodded. "If I go down, I'll know I did the right thing." he said harshly.
The Bogey Man 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. My magic saw to that. Go! If you truly care for the well being of a boy, go and save him. Prove to me that you are indeed a grown man by doing that one simple task!" The Bogey Man said.
And then, almost theatrically, he released Tyrone from his grasp.
Tyrone fell on the ground in shock and confusion. He stood up and heard his front door knocking. And he heard the same voice from before.
"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? If you know something, please tell me! I'm scared dude!" cried Tyrone.
"Save the boy. Save him." the voice was saying yet again.
"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. A big fuzzy black moth!
"Who are you?!" cried Tyrone.
"Do not fear Tyrone. I am one of the Mothmen, one of the guardians of Rood Bridge Park." said the Moth.
"What? Guardian of what now?" asked Tyrone, trying not to freak out.
"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 Bogey Man. And you, Tyrone, are the only one who can save him." said Mothman.