Captain Silva and his men later reported feeling a force never felt by any of them before. Outside the camera crew was filming the top of the steeple when a bolt of electricity exited the cross and like a shot of lighting ran directly towards the source of the energy field which circled the town.
At the same time the sky erupted in a torrent of thunderstorms including lightning. Even the old timers had never seen or heard this kind of thunderstorm especially in the dead of winter. It only lasted for a few minutes and then it began to snow heavily. Sam ran to his car and drove around town looking for any damage. Seeing none he went back to the church and told the mayor what he didn’t see and that was any damage from lightning strikes.
Peter meanwhile was talking to Captain Silva and had asked him to do a fly over Ralph’s place and send back a report. The captain said, “Peter, why don’t you go with me.” Peter rode with the captain and his men back to the school and even though it was snowing hard, it wasn’t a white out type of snow coming down. Captain Silva and Peter took off and flew low over the ground towards Ralph’s farm.
At first there was nothing but a blanket of snow on the ground and the snowflakes were kind of hypnotizing, but visibility was not so bad. As they approached Ralph’s place expecting to see some smoke rising, instead, at first Peter thought he couldn’t see very well, due to the fact there was nothing there where Ralph’s place should have been: there was nothing but a smoldering pile of debris slowly being covered in snow. Peter sat shocked and had no idea what had really happened as Captain Silva turned the helicopter around and made a complete circle and then headed back to the football field.
Back on the ground James T waited under the awning of the entrance to the gym. He waited until Peter was ready to report and he could tell by the look on his face something drastic had happened. They walked side by side to the colonel’s office where both the colonel and the captain sat talking. The colonel motioned them to come in and after sitting down an aid came with two cups of steaming coffee and sat both on the desk. The colonel took out a small bottle of brandy and nodded to Peter and James T if a small drop was in order. Both nodded yes and soon Peter seemed to have regained some energy.
Peter said, “I suppose the captain has filled you in colonel?”
“Yes, he has,” said the colonel. “However, I would love to hear what you have to say from beginning to end starting at the church if you would please.” So Peter explained in detail what he did and the results he felt and saw regarding the ritual and the aftermath of Ralph’s place. By then a report had come in from the ground team that nothing was left of Ralph’s place and not a sign of any living thing. They found two skeletons of adults and that was all.
Peter by then was bushed and needed some rest. He and James T left and walked back to their room at City Hall. Dozens of reporters and townspeople were gathered around City Hall but they just walked past with a no comment for now.
Once inside and lying on the bed, Peter suddenly sat up and asked James T, “I almost forgot. What about the kids can they see now?”
James T with a big grin said, “Yes, they can and tonight is a party at the gym and it’s co-sponsored by the seniors and the City of Remorse.”
Afterwards
That spring Sam and Mabel were married and Sam moved into her house. Ed the Nose rose to fame with subsequent articles sold to various smut outlets. Tommy’s father still had not taken a drink in almost three months. Their weekends were filled with togetherness for all three of them. Veronica decided she had had enough of politics and vowed to not run again for mayor, but her husband Stan felt otherwise. Brian and Ann was a couple envied by all. Paul and his grandfather were closer than ever. Ann brother Dean smiled a lot after all the dust had settled. Sara blossomed into a lovely young lady, but she had her father’s vocation in mind.
Peter and James T went back to where they could shed their overcoats and when last seen, were busy writing a new book about witchcraft. They were heroes and Candice true to her word wrote the facts and she was promoted to second on Jim’s staff as his right hand girl.
As for the dreams and what happened when they met an entity remains unknown. The kids when they meet still talk about it and what isn’t talked about much is the action concerning the weather at the same time the energy force of the ritual happened, is also unknown.
At a government office a meeting was held and it was decoded a new branch was needed to investigate unknown phenomenon. Colonel Saynower was put in charge and after a meeting with Peter and James T, they were part of the team held on retainer.
Some say at night in the old oak tree one can hear a cat howling; especially when a full moon is out.
Curse of Remorse Page 21
