by Jay Bower
“What, you mean killing innocent boys suddenly seems odd to you?”
“I know how it sounds. There is some truth to the curse. There is evil here, Patrick. You know it, don’t you? You’ve seen it, haven’t you?”
Patrick wanted to lash out at Virgil, but he was right. Patrick didn’t reply.
“This evil, whatever it is, is not from God. I’m starting to think Nathaniel didn’t kill his son to lift a curse from himself and his people and this place. I think he killed his son as a sacrifice in place of himself. I don’t know why, but that’s what I think. At least, after I went back through all the old journals and books, that’s what pops out at me. I could be reading things wrong, but I’m pretty sure this has all been done under false pretenses.”
Patrick glowered at him. “Don’t you think you’d want to make sure before you convince innocent boys to voluntarily lay down their lives?” he said through gritted teeth.
“Patrick, let me help. Let me go to my death knowing I did something right for once.”
“The moment I feel like you’ve betrayed me, it’s over, old man. You will meet your maker a lot sooner than you thought you would. Understand me?”
“Yeah, I do. Let’s go before it’s too late. You drive, I’ll show you the way.”
Patrick hesitated for a moment and decided he had no other options. They got in the car and Patrick laid his gun on his lap. Virgil took notice and gave a slight nod. Patrick peeled out of the driveway, almost hitting Virgil’s car as he sped away.
“Where to, Virg?” he growled.
“The Decision place is out at Chief Wayne’s old family property. It’s the farm just on the edge of town. I believe you met with an unfortunate deer near there.” Patrick shot a glare his way. He jammed his foot down on the accelerator.
As they approached the spot where he’d seen the headless deer, Virgil pointed out fresh tracks in the grass. “They are here already, Patrick. You have to be careful. They believe in this with all they have. They will try and stop you. The evil here is real, and they feel it’s their duty to continue with Browne’s sacrifice. I know because I’ve been one of them. It’s powerful, Patrick. You have to be ready for anything.” Patrick swung the car into the path.
“Whatever they want to bring, they better believe in it stronger than my love for my son. He will not be harmed for any of you.” He sped along the bumpy field. Faint fires burned in the distance. He felt deep anxiety and gave the car more gas. He couldn’t get there soon enough.
A few cars were parked in a group, one of them being the car he and Benny shared on patrol. “This is it, Virg. You’re coming with me.” They jumped out of the car and ran toward the fires.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
AL WALKED ACROSS the clearing toward Noah and his daughter. “My dear, he has been chosen,” said her father. “He’s been personally attended to by the Evil One. He must be ready. Meah, you know what must be done. Take the boy and have him ready for tomorrow night.”
“Tomorrow night? I thought there’d be more time!” she cried. She wanted to snatch up her son and hold him but held back. “Dad, isn’t there more time? Please!”
“I’m sorry, dear. It has been decreed. To go against it would bring immense danger upon us. You know this. Do you forget the tornado that killed so many? That was a lesson to our people. We cannot deny the calling. I wish I could say yes, but it would only lead to disaster.” Meagan held her tongue. She had so much to say, so many feelings to express. She was taught to consider it a great honor for her son to be chosen. She tried to hold to her teachings, but it hurt so bad. Within twenty-four hours, her son would no longer be with her, and most likely, she’d also lose Patrick. He wouldn’t understand. She knew he’d try to stop it, but if he did, he’d bring a worse calamity on all of them. He’d never realize the necessity of what Noah needed to do.
Sara came to her, comforting her. “Meagan, you must be so proud to have your son lay down his life for us. He’s going to receive such an honored place in paradise! Do not think of what you’ll lose. Think of what he will gain. He’ll never again feel pain or loss or anything like that. You must be strong for him, Meagan. He’s doing the right thing. You are honored to be the mother of a chosen one.” She hugged Meagan. Though she wanted to believe Sara, her words sounded fake and empty as she contemplated the coming events. Somehow, those comforting words which she’d also heard spoken by her mother rang hollow. She had to cling to the truths she’d been taught while letting go of her son.
“I think we have a problem brewing,” Chief Wayne said, pointing toward headlights. Two people approached. Everyone turned to the light.
By the way one of them walked, Meagan knew trouble was coming. “Patrick,” she whispered.
“What the hell is going on here?” Patrick called out. “Meagan, what are you doing here? Noah! Are you all right?” He ran to his son, but Chief Wayne and his father-in-law stepped in front of him.
“I’m sorry, Patrick, but you are going to have to leave this alone,” Chief Wayne said.
“Dad!” Noah exclaimed. “Dad, I’m fine.”
In the dim firelight, Patrick saw Noah’s smiling face.
“Dad, I’ve been chosen! Dad, I get to go to a paradise!” Excitement flashed across Noah’s face.
“What?” Patrick said. “No! None of you touch my boy! I swear to God, I’ll kill you all!” His stomach knotted. He felt like he’d been punched in the gut several times.
“Patrick,” Meagan said as she put her hand on his arm. “Dear, I know this seems…odd, but it’s the right thing. This place, this curse…it is more than one person. It is something so much deeper and more sinister than what you think is going on here. Trust me. I know the pain of the loss, but it’s needed.”
“How can you say that?” he pleaded. “That’s our son! How can you, as his mother, agree to this?” He shrugged off her hand and held her arms tightly, shaking her.
“Patrick, you’re hurting me,” she said as his fingers dug into her arms.
“Son, you better get your hands off my daughter. I don’t play around when it comes to my family,” Al said. HIs fierce expression was one Patrick had never seen in him before. He usually preferred to spend his days occupying the couch or the recliner and hardly ever speaking.
“Al, you can stay out of this,” Patrick growled. “This is my family, and I will not let it be torn apart by your ignorant superstition.”
Virgil approached and tried to calm Patrick. “Come on, son, this is not going to help. Just calm down, Patrick.”
“Dad, please stop! It’s not Mom’s fault. It’s not anyone’s fault. I get to be the next in line for paradise. I’m not afraid, Dad, seriously I’m not. Look, I’m not even shaking,” he said as he held out a hand.
Each word from his son felt like a body blow threatening to weaken him. “Oh, son, you don’t know what you’re doing. They have you brainwashed. We need to get out of here. You need to leave with me now. And you, too, Meagan. The three of us need to get out of here,” Patrick said.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you do that,” Chief Wayne said. He moved a little closer. “Don’t think about it. He belongs to us now. He has all along. You don’t realize what he represents to us. It is what’s been called for since Nathaniel Browne.”
“I don’t care about your stupid curse! I don’t care about what you think is real! It’s not! None of it is. You’re all a bunch of killers!” Patrick fumed as he let go of Meagan’s arms. He pointed his finger at Chief Wayne and Al. The rest of the gathered families stood around, unsure if they should run or stand their ground. He looked past the Chief and saw Eric and another boy he didn’t recognize.
He spoke to them. “Are you hurt? Are you boys all right?” They nodded.
“Don’t try to be a hero here, Patrick,” Virgil said. “They have you outnumbered by far. It’s best if we can get your family and leave. You can’t do anything about the rest of them. They have to make their own decisions.”
“And who are you now, Virg?” Al asked. “Have you suddenly lost your nerve? Have you forgotten your role in all this? You more than any of us know what’s at stake. Don’t tell us you’ve suddenly changed your mind and want to stop?” Al glared at Virgil, who stood next to Patrick. He sighed heavily.
“I know what I’ve done, Al; you don’t need to remind me. I believed for a long time in the logic of what we did. I’ve seen firsthand the evil unleashed on us when we disobey. Trust me, I’m as guilty as the rest of you, but this is where I take my stand. I see the love this man has for his son…for his wife…and I don’t want any part in destroying it. He needs the chance to do what he feels is right. That’s what we did all those times. We did what we felt was right.” He patted Patrick’s shoulder, but the touch felt like death to Patrick. It disgusted him. “I know, Patrick,” he said, “I have no right. I want to atone for what I’ve done. Let me help you.”
Patrick smelled mint. He turned in time to see a baton crashing down at his face. He tried to block it with his hands, but the blow smashed through. He felt a solid thud as it found its mark. His vision blurred, and another blow quickly followed after the first, buckling his knees. He dropped to the ground. Immediately, he felt the weight of a body on top of him. It wasn’t that heavy, but he moved quickly. He slammed Patrick with the baton in the ribs and again on his head. He heard screaming but couldn’t tell if it was Meagan, Noah, or one of the other bystanders. “Noah,” he started but was silenced by his assailant’s fist. The pungent mint aroma told him Benny must be the one on top of him. He tried to fight back, but his arms were pinned to the ground by bony knees. He heard more screams and felt another blow to his head before he blacked out.
After some time, Patrick stirred. He thought he’d opened his eyes, but darkness still enveloped him. Soon, he saw twinkling specks of light. He felt cold and wet. Slowly his body came around. Pain shot through his head. His arms felt battered. Every small movement created a new sensation of pain. He raised himself with great effort until he sat upright in the tall grass. The fires had burned out, the only light coming from the few stars in the sky. He rubbed his head and felt a thick, sticky liquid. A lightning bolt of pain shot through his soul as he rubbed an open wound and yelled. Looking around, he realized his family was gone. He was alone. He tried to remember where he was, but the thoughts came slow and incoherent. The events were mixed images in his mind.
He remembered seeing his son. He remembered seeing Meagan. Virgil and Benny were there. Then, his mind returned to the pain coursing through his body, halting the memories. It took him a great effort, but he managed to stand. His weakened body fell to the ground when he tried to take a step, causing another round of excruciating jolts shoot through him. He writhed on the ground, each bone in his body aching. The pain subsided, and he tried to stand again. It hurt terribly, but he needed to push through and find his family. He knew they were in danger. He steadied himself and took a step, bumping into something, and falling.
He landed on something soft yet firm. He groaned from the pain. Blindly feeling around, he realized it was a body. “Noah?” he croaked through his bloodied lips, but the body was too large to be his son. Instinctively reaching for his flashlight, he was disappointed when he didn’t find it, since he wasn’t in uniform. He tried to make out the face. The eyes were swollen, making it hard for Patrick to recognize. He leaned close to the face and realized it was Virgil. There was a bullet wound in his head. Where his ear should have been was nothing more than a gaping wound with bits of hair and brain.
“Damn…no, Virg. You were here to help.” It hurt Patrick to speak those words. His mouth felt tight, as though he’d been smacked in the jaw. He started to cry as he stared down at the lifeless body. “No, no, no, no!” Patrick yelled to the darkness. “You will not win!” His entire body hurt with the yell. Nothing would stop him now. His son’s life depended on him.
He braced his arms on either side of Virgil. As he pushed himself up, he saw a faint glimmer. He reached down behind Virgil and felt a handle. He grabbed it and pulled it up close to his face. It was Nathaniel’s dagger. Patrick’s face screwed up as he wondered why the old man would bring it out there. He tucked it in the waistband of his pants and stood.
He stumbled toward his car to discover the tires were flat. He kicked a front tire and howled in pain.
“Noah!” he screamed with all the energy he had left. Shaky legs gave out and he fell to the ground and passed out again.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
NOAH SCREAMED AS THE baton crashed his father’s face. “Why are they hitting Dad? They were supposed to get him to see the truth, not hurt him!” He cried out for Patrick. Someone grabbed him and took him away, kicking and screaming. Meagan yelled out for them to stop, but she soon fell silent as her dad covered her mouth and took her to the car with Noah. They both cried and called for Patrick as they watched Benny hit him over and over with the baton. Meagan tried to open the back door of the police car, but her efforts failed.
She beat on the window and yelled, “Let me out! You have no right to hurt him! He didn’t know any better! Please, let us out now!” She pounded and pounded on the window and then tried to kick it out.
Chief Wayne opened the door and got in her face. “You best stop what you’re doing, Meah, now. This won’t help your son at all.” He gave her a moment to collect herself. “Now, that’s better. Stay here.” He closed the door and walked away, leaving the two of them in the backseat crying and holding each other.
Meagan jumped as she heard a gunshot. She pressed her face to the window. “No!” she yelled, beating her fists against the glass. She knew it wasn’t Patrick, because Benny still stood above him. Chief Wayne and her dad stood near the body, but she didn’t know which of them pulled the trigger.
“Mom, was that Dad?” Noah asked, his shaky voice betraying his mask of confidence.
“No, son, it wasn’t your dad. It was…it was someone else.” She held him close, feeling his calm breathing mix with her frantic thoughts.
“Good. I’m not okay with that. Dad just doesn’t know, Mom. He will understand one day, won’t he? I mean, it’s okay, Mom. I know what I must do. It’s for the greater good.” He hugged her tightly. She sobbed, marveling at his mature, stoic response in the face of the Decision and what it meant. Pride welled inside her, knowing she’d instilled this foundation in him. She’d miss that part of him. She’d miss all of him. Even knowing the consequences, she wanted to run away with Noah so he could live and thrive.
The car doors suddenly opened and Chief Wayne and Al jumped in the front. Despite the chilly night air, Al wiped sweat off his forehead. He folded up the knife in his hand and slid it back into its case on his belt. He turned to his daughter and grandson and smiled. “Everything’s all right, you two. Let’s get you out of here.” The Chief started the engine and shifted into gear. Meagan stared out toward Patrick, her eyes filling with tears.
“I love you,” she whispered, “I always have. I wish I could have told you. You’d understand why.” She closed her eyes as the car pulled away, bounding along the old dirt trail.
Before long, they pulled into the driveway of her parents’ home. As the darkness of night gave way to early dawn, there was a faint hint of sunlight on the horizon. Noah awoke to the gentle nudging of his mother.
“Noah,” she said quietly, “it’s time to get up. We’re here.”
His bleary eyes opened, Meagan smiling warmly at him. He stretched and looked out the window. “Are we at Grandma and Grandpa’s? I can’t wait to get warm again,” he said in a sleepy voice.
Chief Wayne stayed in the car. Al walked Meagan and Noah to the front door.
“Go on in. Your mom should be waiting for you. You two need rest today. Tonight is the ceremony,” Al said. He gave Noah a slight nod. “You will do just fine, Noah. I know you’re brave and courageous. I’ll be right back,” he said to Meagan and headed toward the car. Chief Wayne rolled down the windo
w.
“Hey, I’m going to take them to the old cabin,” Al said. “They should be safe there. I don’t want anyone getting in the way. I think Patrick was still alive when we left.”
“That sounds good. Does he know where it is?” Chief Wayne asked. “I admire Patrick’s sense of duty to his family, but the needs of the many outweigh Patrick’s desire to stop the sacrifice. It must be done. There is no other way. Why do they always make it more…complicated?”
“I wish I knew. I don’t think he knows about the cabin. I’ve never told him about the place, and as long as Meagan hasn’t, then we’re fine.” Chief Wayne nodded, and Al smacked the top of the car in a goodbye and the Chief drove off. Al went inside with Meagan and Noah.
It didn’t take long for Noah to pass out in the spare bedroom. After the long, cold night he’d had, Meagan didn’t blame him. The pride she felt to see her son step out of the ring of mist as the Chosen one changed to fear that engulfed her when Patrick showed up. She still didn’t know if he’d made it through the night alive. She hoped so, though she had no idea how their relationship would be affected. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, if only he would see reason and not freak out like he had the previous night. If he could see things for what they were, then he’d understand. She consoled herself as she drifted off to a fitful sleep on the couch.
***
AL AND JUNE SAT AT the dining room table sipping coffee. “We’re going to have another one in the family,” Al said. June nodded. “You know, there aren’t many families that can claim such an honor.” She nodded again. They drank their coffee in silence as the sun started to break open the day.
