The one, p.19
The One, page 19
“Oh, them? I wondered why they were all here. This isn’t their place. They don’t have any connection to you.”
“I’m afraid I brought them. Sorry about the mix up,” Peter said.
Nicole regarded him strangely.
“Don’t worry about him. Just make them go away please.”
Sy watched as Nicole stood. She looked around the room and started screaming. The sound was piercing, making him cover his ears. He watched as Patty and Peter did the same. The sound didn’t seem to bother Nikki though.
The ghosts began shuffling through the walls in a mass exodus for outside. They didn’t want any part of what was going on inside. Nicole continued to wail until they all left and the whole trailer was empty.
Sy lowered his hands and smiled at Nikki. “Good job, girl.”
Nicole stared at him. Some semblance of recognition seemed to ignite in her. “You’re Allen’s dad.”
Sy shrugged. “You got me. Yes, I’m his dad.”
She looked away from him and to Nikki. “Do you need anything else?”
“No, I think we’re good, Mom. Thank you.”
“Okay. C’mon, Ben. Time to go.”
Ben hopped out of Nikki’s arms and stumbled over to Nicole. She smiled and then faded away like she’d never been there at all.
“Wow, Nikki that was amazing,” Peter said.
“I didn’t do anything. My mom did.”
“Yes, but you called her,” Patty said.
“Right. You did this, and we’re happy you did. Maybe we’ll be able to sleep tonight,” Sy said.
Nikki yawned. “Okay, Papaw, if you say so. I’m pretty tired all of a sudden.”
“You deserve to be. Go ahead and go to bed.” Sy looked at Patty and Peter. “The adults are going to talk for a bit.”
“Okay, but don’t be too loud.”
Sy smiled. “Don’t worry, girl. We won’t be. Get some sleep, and we’ll see you in the morning.”
She walked to the hallway and into her bedroom on the other end of the trailer. Once she was gone, Sy rallied everyone to the kitchen.
“Okay, Peter. We saw an ad in the theater. The bar will be ready by Friday as advertised. That means the blood bath will start soon after. If we can pull the ghosts in and flood the parking lot, do you think it will be enough to keep the people from going in?”
“I saw the ad, too, and I can’t get it out of my head, like a piece of it is nagging at me, making me want to go there,” Patty said.
Sy nodded. “Yeah, I think there may be some magic going on with those ads, making people want to do something they wouldn’t normally do.”
Peter looked at him strangely. “What do you mean? Ads do that all the time. When you see a beer commercial or food, you automatically want some of it.”
“I agree, but this was different. All the people in that theater will be there Friday night. There’s no doubt about it. They were way too enthusiastic. This is going to be big.”
“Well, if I can place the ghosts there, I will. Maybe Nikki can use her mom to control them a little.”
“I don’t know, Peter. I don’t think they need to be controlled, just placed in the right place at the right time. What do you think, Sy?”
“She’s got a point. Maybe you can just redirect them?”
Before he could respond, they heard a knock on the door.
Sy shrugged. “You all expecting anyone?”
Peter and Patty shook their heads.
Sy walked to the door, peeking through the window first to see who was on his front porch. He smiled and opened the door.
Allen and Sage stepped in, waving to Patty and Peter. Sy put his finger to his mouth.
“Make sure you keep it down. Nikki is trying to sleep in the other room.”
They both nodded and made their way into the living room, then stood by the bar separating the kitchen.
Sage removed his top hat, placing it on one of the barstools. He smiled and then spoke. “We see where the ghosts have all come to. We were expecting this to be the case. You seem to be a conduit, Peter.”
“Yeah, tell me about it.”
“It’s okay. We can use this to our advantage,” Allen said.
Sy looked at him. “We were discussing the same thing, only we aren’t sure how Peter can control them. He brings them but can’t make them do what he wants them to. Nikki used Nicole to make the ghosts leave the house.”
Sage smiled. “Our granddaughter is a powerful girl. She doesn't even know how powerful, I suspect.”
Sy nodded. “I wonder sometimes. I figure as she gets older she’ll get better.”
“I don’t know how much more we can expect from her though. She’s only thirteen, Sy,” Patty said.
“I know. That’s the same concern I have,” Sy said.
“The last time this happened, we lost a lot of good people. I don’t want to see a repeat of that fiasco.”
“It’s okay, Patty, I think we have a plan,” Allen said.
Sage nodded. “Yes, we think Nikki and Peter together can cause the disruption we need. I know how Rebecca repelled the ghosts last week. She used an artifact of some kind. I’d seen it before, the writings on it anyway. In my first encounter with Rebecca, she gave me a glimpse into her origins. I saw a great craft crashed into the ground. There were writings on it matching the artifact she held. It’s my belief she has a part of it, something that was buried and she was able to find. We need to figure out a way of getting it from her.”
Allen shook his head. “That may be easier said than done. She has Samson and Samantha, plus other generals. There’s also the Mixed Parts who will come together once the people start flowing in. We have to stop them from going. The more she brings in, the stronger she’ll be. We need all the ghosts outside to counter the Mixed Parts. Maybe with the distraction of the ghosts and the Mixed Parts fighting, we can deter the people from going into the bar.”
Sy and Patty considered this, then nodded, but Peter looked skeptical. Sy regarded his friend.
“What’s wrong, Peter?”
“I don’t know, Sy. It all seems too easy. I’ve faced this Rebecca, and she’s pretty cunning to say the least. You think she’s going to just let us walk in with a bunch of ghosts we’re not even sure we can control? It’s like trying to herd cats. Near impossible. Why can’t you get the crazy looking demon to do it, like you did last week?”
Sy nodded, then looked to Allen. “What do you think, son? Do we have a chance? Should you maybe try and get the thing back?”
Allen and Sage looked at each other, then back to Sy. Allen sighed.
“Calypso was repelled by the artifact. It isn’t powerful enough to get through to Rebecca. What we’re planning here is our only option. I can tell you this, if we do nothing, she’ll soon be too powerful to stop, even without the artifact. She means to populate this world with the Mixed Parts. Once she plugs them in places of power, she’ll control it all. I think whatever chance we have to stop her is at least that, a chance. My little girl in there may be the key to all of it. With help, she can do things we can’t even imagine. Tomorrow is Friday. If we can get there early enough, before the people start rolling in, maybe we can get enough ghost involvement to at least put up a front. Only one thing though…we’ll need Peter to stay outside and keep the ghosts around him tonight. If they don't have their magnet, they may move on.”
Sy looked to Peter. “Well, what do you say? You up for another night on the porch?”
Peter laughed. “I’m kinda getting used to it.”
Allen nodded. “Good. Then its settled. Peter, you’re an integral part of this plan, maybe one of the most important. Without you, we’d have no chance brining in the rest of the ghosts to defeat her. Besides, Nikki will need all the help she can get.”
“Hey, Dad. I thought I heard you.”
They all turned to see Nikki rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
“I heard you all. Hard to sleep with all the noise.”
Patty crouched beside her. “Sorry, baby. We didn’t mean to wake you.”
“It’s okay. I wasn’t sleeping anyway.”
Allen smiled. “Good you’re awake. We were discussing how we were going to stop Rebecca. You’re a big part of the plan.”
Nikki looked down, the concern showing on her face. Sy lowered to a knee beside her.
“Don’t worry, girl, we’ll be there with you. I won’t let anything bad happen to you. You have my word.”
Nikki hugged her grandpa, who was worried as well. He only hoped he could keep her safe.
“I guess it’s time for me to get to the porch,” Peter said. “I’m ready to get this going so I can get another crack at those assholes. Sorry, Nikki.”
“I’ve heard worse at school. No problem.”
“Okay then,” Sy said. “Let’s get you out there.”
Patty squeezed Peter’s arm. “I’ll get you some blankets. It’s still summer, but with the fog coming in the way it does down here, you’ll need a few extra layers.”
“Thanks, Patty. You and Sy are way too good to me.”
“C’mon, Nikki, let’s get them.”
Nikki followed Patty into the bedroom.
Sy walked with Peter to the door. Allen and Sage were close behind. When they stepped onto the porch, a light breeze picked up, causing the leaves in the nearby trees to rustle gently. Ghosts milled about the lawn. When Peter stepped to the edge of the porch, they flowed toward him. In single file, they rose to his position and lightly touched him, each one wanting the reassurance of his presence. They flashed and blinked with light, black and white entities, images of some past life still needing recognition.
Sage placed a hand on Peter’s shoulder. “Looks like they’re into you.”
Allen nodded. “He’s the man. That much we can see. Hope they keep it up.”
The door opened behind them. Patty and Nikki stepped onto the porch.
“Here you go Peter.” Patty handed him two blankets and a pillow. “This should keep you warm tonight.”
Peter took the items. “Thanks Patty.”
“Well, guess we’ll all get in for the night,” Sy said. “If you need anything, Peter, just come in and get me. I’ll leave the front door unlocked.”
“I suppose we’ll get going too,” Allen said. “Sage and I have prepping of our own to do. Nikki, get some rest. The rest of you too. Tomorrow will be a big day.”
Sage nodded. “Yes it will. If we’re to defeat Rebecca, we’ll need all hands on deck.”
The pair turned and floated gingerly into the air, away from the trailer and into the night sky.
Sy watched them leave. “Now, there’s a cool power. Don’t know if I’d want to go through what they did to get it though.”
Peter laughed. “With you there.”
Nikki and Patty opened the door and went inside, leaving Peter and Sy on the porch alone. Sy watched as Peter got settled in on one of the chairs, fixing the pillow behind his head and pulling the blanket around him. A ghost came within inches of him, then faded away, reappearing close to the steps. It floated downward into the yard and joined the rest of the group.
Peter shook his head. “Strange how they do that. I can’t believe I’m a ghost magnet. My mom would be so proud.”
Sy smiled. “If she knew how many lives you could save, I’m sure she would be. I’ve been close to the fight when they come in contact with the Mixed Parts. They change from the peaceful carefree things they are now to some kind of vengeful angels. It’s good they’re on our side. I’ve also seen what Rebecca’s people can do, and it ain’t pretty.”
“Well, Sy, I suppose I’ll soon see it all for myself.”
“Yeah, but with Allen, Sage, you, and Nikki backing us up, we should be fine. Well, I’m going to get in. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Peter nodded, and Sy walked for the door. He opened it, taking one look back at Peter. The boy looked unsure of himself. Sy supposed it was to be expected.
He didn’t like placing his friend and his granddaughter in harm’s way but knew it was necessary. It didn’t make the prospect any easier though. Tomorrow would prove to be an eventful day, hopefully not as bad as thirteen years ago. He only hoped they’d be ready.
Sy knew from experience how bad things could get. He wasn’t looking forward to any of this.
The Road to Pa-Rudy’s
The bar was nearly ready. Samantha figured it would all be up and going by two o’clock that afternoon, just in time for a few finishing touches. Then, the people would start filing in.
She had to come up with a quick solution for replacement workers, since Samson saw fit to wipe out her group. Samantha supposed she could gather them back from the Mixed Parts if she’d had more time. Grandpa Pendleton had come through for her, though, sending a new group of workers. She was sure he paid them well because they showed up early after driving twelve hours to get there.
Rebecca came by at one point and smiled at the progress. She asked for Samantha to join her shortly.
Samantha let out a sigh of relief when she left. The last thing she needed was trying to find another group of workers. She was a fixer and prided herself on those abilities. There was no doubt the place would be ready on time.
After speaking to the foreman of the operation, she made her way for the back exit. Samantha stepped out the back door and into the alley. The truck was parked there—the morning dew misted on the windshield—but the Cadillac was gone, probably parked out front, or Samson had taken it somewhere. Who knows? It might have taken off somewhere by itself. She knew it could do that, with whatever weird enchantment it had.
The warehouse let out a low hum. The parts were lively this morning. She stepped through the front entrance and saw Rebecca standing in the middle of the room, naked and dancing, the parts moving with her motions. They lowered, then rose again each time she moved. Light emanated from the artifact. It brightened and dimmed in response to Rebecca’s movement. It was as if it sensed her, like it was an appendage.
The parts moaned in ecstasy, and Samantha felt the urge to lift into the fray but thought better of it. She had too much work to do. She could play later. Samson stood alone in the corner. When he saw her, he walked her way.
“Are things going well?”
Samantha nodded. “Everything’s right on schedule. The workers should be wrapping up by early this afternoon.”
“Good. Rebecca is preparing as well. We do have a slight problem though. One you and I may have to take care of.”
“What’s up? You’re not trying to kill off more of my workers, are you?”
Samson looked at her dryly. “No. The disposed general, Randy Lynch, has gone missing.”
“How’d he get away? I thought Rebecca took away his powers?”
Samson sighed. “Apparently when Calypso came by, he separated from the Mixed Parts. Now, he’s running about, probably barely able to keep his body together. Charlie is out looking for him.”
“Then what’s the problem? I’m sure Charlie is more than capable of finding him. Randy couldn’t overpower him.”
“True, but a rogue body, especially one who was a general is no good. I had one go the same way thirteen years ago, and now I’m fighting with him all the time.”
“I wouldn't worry so much, Samson. Rebecca has the artifact, and Randy is much weaker than we are. Shouldn’t be a problem at all.”
Samson shook his head. “I don't like uncertainties, and neither does Rebecca. If Charlie isn’t back in two hours, we must find the general ourselves and dispatch him before he’s an issue. Understood?”
Samantha sighed. “Sure, I’ll let the workers know I’ll be out for a bit. I hope this doesn't cause more delays with them. With all this stress, is it possible to have a couple of helpers come to the bar?” She pointed to the swirling hive of parts above.
Samson smiled. “Sure. Take your pick. Rebecca won’t miss a couple. But remember, you only have a short time. I’m going to talk to some people involved with the young girl Rebecca is interested in. They’ll be ready to help when Sy Sutton arrives. Even if a ghost is protecting her, she’s not out of the reach of the local law.”
Samantha nodded and floated to the group of body parts above. She located the pair she wanted—the heads anyway. Once she got their attention, the rest of their bodies joined. She turned to see Samson talking to Rebecca below, apparently confirming what she was doing, or at least she thought so anyway.
She lowered to the ground with a man and woman behind her, then headed back for the bar. When she stepped inside, a few heads turned at the sight of the naked man and woman beside her. They whispered but went back to work after she shot a nasty glance at them.
Samantha had told Samson she wanted these two for work but didn’t give specifics for what kind. She guided her entertainment back to the office behind the bar and gave them orders to get started. She went to find the foreman to let him know she’d be busy for the rest of the afternoon. To say this day was already starting stressful was an understatement.
She went to the office and opened the door. The couple were on her desk in a seductive sixty-nine position. Samantha stripped from her clothing. Fuck Samson and Charlie. She at least had a couple of hours before Charlie got back, and she needed this.
Samson pulled his watch from his pocket, the chain dangling like it always did in its half-circle lag. The time was one o’clock, a full three hours since Charlie went looking for Randy. It appeared he wasn’t successful in finding him. He’d taken longer than expected. Samson stepped into the alleyway and headed for the bar to pick up Samantha, when the Cadillac pulled up. He watched as Charlie put the car in park. He was alone.
“Where is he?” Samson asked.
“I found him but couldn’t get him to come with me.”
“You fool. Why didn’t you force him?”
“You don’t get it, Samson. He’s a wily one and hard to catch. He vanished in the woods next to the road when he saw me. I chased him for a while but couldn’t catch him. He vanished without a trace. I need someone to help me flush him out and wait for him on the other side.”
