BY MARINI BARIKA FACEY
PART 12 HORSES PART III
A tall man walks into a small cafe like he always does and orders his usual. He sits in the same spot he always picks, and watches the sun rise as he slowly sips his piping hot coffee. He pulls out a pocket watch, locket, compass, and key, and watches closely as the dark sky transforms into light. Ironically, he rarely uses the modern technology he helped create, because of superstition and fear he will lose where he came from.
He does the same thing every day. He sets the four objects on the little round table in front of his coffee cup and looks back at the sky. He pulls out a little journal and turns hundreds of pages and begins to write:
"What have I done? I've accomplished beyond what I thought was humanly possible, and for what? Brilliance? Arrogance? I wish I could shield them from all the shame and pain I brought on them because of my inventions and ideas." This genius' mind races! He is perplexed because he is in a land and time that doesn't think of him as insane, but the price was his family!
He is usually the only one in the cafe that early, but this particular morning, another man walks in the cafe, looks around and doesn't order anything, but just sits in front of him, facing him, as if he is waiting for someone.
A short while after the man arrived, a handsome gentleman walks in the cafe with a confused, sleepy look, and he isn't certain he is in the right place. "Peter, over here." He sits down with his back facing the man with the compass and coffee. "Dad, you know I told you I don't want to talk to you." "I know son, but there is something you must know."
His father pulls out a peculiar piece of root and sets it on the table. "Woah! Woe! Wait!" "Don't be so loud Peter." "Woah! I told you I don't believe in all that crap! I've never liked that you're mixed up with all sorts of stuff." "Son, it isn't drugs..." "You know it's really funny that you think you can just walk into my life even though I've never really known you! The couple you left me with finally told me a few years ago how you gave me to them when I was a baby.
All this time, you had me believe that you were some distant relative stopping in to see us! Now you appear out of the blue and expect me to just pick up where we left off...You can't keep popping in and out of my life when it is convenient for you! My parents told me it would be a start if I called you dad, but that is all you're getting from me! You've been messed up my whole life, drinking and God knows what, and look you're still shaking. I don't even know why I came here! You probably haven't slept yet either, 'cause your eyes are bloodshot." "Listen Peter! I have to tell you something..."
Peter stares at his father, waiting for the new excuse.The man behind them accidentally knocks over his coffee because he was intrigued and couldn't help but eavesdrop. Peter turns and helps him clean it up. "Thank you!" "No problem. That happens to me all the time. Besides, I needed an excuse to leave anyway." Peter pushes in the chair and nods at his father. The time went by quickly, because as Peter walks out the door, he bumps into the morning crowd as they rush to work.
The cafe door opens and closes and gets louder and louder as customers quickly rattle off their orders. "I could tell it was a bit tense. I'm sorry for interrupting." The man with the spilled coffee says. "You should be Charles!" "Excuse me? How do you know my name?"
"You come here every morning. You and I are a lot alike Mr. Lapierre." "How so?" "I've lost things and you've lost people that are important to you. Now listen and listen carefully! You must go back Charles--" "Hold on! What are you talking about? I don't even know you?"
Charles stammers but tries to stay composed, because no one has known about his past. "Charles, you've started something beyond your comprehension. When you decided to be curious and explore the unknown, you started a revolution. The invisible is tangibly being made visible!"
"I'm sorry, you are mistaken. I don't know what you're talking about and I don't even know you." Charles grabs his belongings and rushes out the door. When Charles looks back, the stranger gives him a knowing look. Charles is relieved he is in such a huge crowd, because he desperately wants to hide and get away. He goes down lots of steps and people push him on every side. He quickly gets onto a train, sits down, and sighs!
He looks up, only to see this same peculiar man! "How?" "That really doesn't matter. Listen very carefully! You have something that I need. There is a woman names Elizabeth, who--" "What, that's my mother in law's--"
"I know! Now! You are the only one who can help me get back." "Why should I--" "Because I will kill your wife and daughter if you don't!" "Wait! Hey, do not threaten me!" "Eliza did something long ago... The young man in the cafe is your wife's twin brother!" "How can that be?" "Why do you have Elizabeth's son? Why doesn't he age?"
"You shouldn't be so surprised. You've already proven anything is possible. Charles, this root is part of a root within Eliza." The sinister man holds up a shriveled, twisted root. "I must have it to keep her indebted to me, but she tricked me! She sent Peter to this time period to protect him and I was trapped because of it! I have been waiting decades to find you here, so you can get me back there."
Charles looks out the window and thinks of all the ways he can escape, but the train begins to speed up like a stampede of galloping night mares, faster and faster.
"It is ironic really, because you try to stay away from modern technology, not remembering that objects you carry from one dimension to another hold magic in them; I know exactly what you have in your pocket Charles, so it really doesn't matter if you help me or not, because I just needed to be near those four objects to be able to be transported back anyway!"
"What about your son Peter?" " Ha! Well, like you said, he's Elizabeth's son, so I don't need to worry." This wicked man smirks as the train is pulled into a vortex! Charles longs to see his family again, but he is extremely concerned because of the evil this sinister stranger intends to unleash!
The End or The Beginning...
*COMING SOON*
New Series: "INVISIBLE"