Half-Soul

Chapter 7: Despair from the Past

8:00 PM Tuesday, August 16th, 2015

Outskirts of Rockford, Illinois

"Pick up..... Pick up....." Chazz whispered frantically, his phone's battery symbol flashing erratically. He was driving one of the many news vans from Chicago Local News, his foot pressed firmly on the gas pedal as he sped along the freeway, passing cars one after another and getting many angry honks for his efforts. The sky above was beginning to grow cloudy, the sound of thunder in the distance getting closer while he steeled himself and narrowed his eyes, cursing angrily in Korean to himself.

"God damn it Lulu..... The one fucking time I want to talk and you don't answer? Ssi-Bal....." He growled, passing another car so abruptly he heard Judith complain in the back, ignoring her comments for once.

Both Judith and Amos were sitting in the back, Judith smelling a hot story and wanting to come along, while Amos as the owner of Mamba Jamba's had insisted on coming along to see what was happening in his park. He was hunched over on his cane, his head hanging low while Judith was dolling herself up, no doubt making sure she looked absolutely perfect for the hot new story.

The story of my baby sister entering a murder park. Because you know, I'm just so great at choosing who I associate with.

In this case my boss is a heartless bitch who just wants to boost her career off my sister. Spectacular. I love when Dad is right about my life and how bad my decisions are.

"How much longer?" Judith asked from the back, a small cosmetic mirror in her hand as she made sure she looked good. Chazz took a breath quietly, tapping into all of his self-restraint and trying not to dwell.

He'd insisted on going alone, but Judith hadn't wanted to hear it and had demanded he let her come too. He didn't understand though, and trying only made him angrier as he sped up past another group of cars, seeing the silhouette of Mamba Jamba's Bayou Adventure in the far-off distance. Amos was tapping his cane impatiently now, looking up with glassed over eyes.

"This is my fault...." He said in a shaky voice, his whole-body trembling as Judith looked up to regard the man and Chazz peeked at the rearview mirror, both looking at the cartoonist and amusement park owner perplexed.

"It's my fault for sending her there.... I knew it would be dangerous. Gran always told me growing up how you need to leave shit like this alone.... How there's a whole other world we have nothing about...... I saw it for myself.... I saw it take Frank and now.......now..." Tears were running from the man's eyes now, shaking horribly as he began to make a low wailing noise, his forehead resting on his cane. Judith was staring at the man incredulously, Chazz also taking his eyes off the road as he was caught off guard by the outburst.

"What are you saying? Another world? Do you actually believe in the supernatural Mr. Miller?" Judith asked, not reaching for a mic or turning on the recording equipment for once Chazz noted, the man shaking his head.

"No..... I don't know.... I don't know what to believe anymore.... people would always tell me how Gran was old fashioned and came from an older time.... But she knew things, she knew what would happen, she'd tell me stories of things.... Beings that exist outside our world and come into ours when they feel like it.... She'd see things in mirrors.... hear voices.... tell me how cold she felt even on hot summer days....  And I....." He paused as Chazz blinked and rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a chill and the hairs sticking up as the outside noises seemed to vanish, all focus on Amos as an eternity seemed to pass before he spoke.

"I thought I saw them too.... Growing up.... Those floating shadows with the white eyes.... like twin suns of white fire.... I convinced myself that what I saw wasn't real, but maybe I just didn't want to accept it.... " Amos rasped, slowly raising his head as Judith was just watching him but Chazz was the first to speak.