THE SECOND SIGHT
Chapter 34
CAPO DI TUTTI CAPI
Location: GOLGOTHA HEIGHTS INT. CHURCH HEADQUARTERS
Hideous is still curled around his ankles, and the Shadow-Thing is still resting on the side of the Hummer, motionless, silent, and watching.
BOAT
(tearfully, exhausted)
A little help here, God, please!
And then, thankfully, it happens!
From the other direction a motor-bike appears, approaching tentatively, its tiny horn blaring disconsolately. It is a pathetic cheap machine… but it is shrouded with the glorious for-ce-field!
Saved again… but this time Yaw Boat knows that it is no coincidence!
Somehow, somewhere, a secret sympathizer is cutting him a few edges, pushing a few freebies down his way, helping him, answering some little prayers until – when?
Suddenly Boat’s feet are free as Hideous scampers for cover with a terrible screech of fear, shooting straight into the air in a frantic straight line!
Boat smiles nastily and looks at the side of the Hummer.
Shadow-Thing is long gone!
Suddenly Boat feels like jumping up and dancing or screaming out his joy! He is that elated!
The two cops are slightly crouched now, li-ps ba-red in that goofy way Boat has come to know, their eyes caged and full of fear as the motor rider approaches.
Yaw Boat propels himself to his feet and swings a right fist from the hip. It is a perfect upper-cut that sends the cop with the gun crashing down, unconscious even before he hits the ground.
The other cop drops his handcuffs and tries to reach for his gun. Boat’s shoulder crashes into him, and he flew backwards, his head going throu-ghthe space left by the exploded window of the car in front of Boat’s burning car.
Boat staggers blindly forward, pushing and elbowing people out of his way.
The motor-rider is quite young. His face looks distraught, concerned and bewildered. He swallows with fear as Boat stumbles towards him.
He is obviously scared of this big, bloodied and dizzy man coming towards him.
Boat holds the handlebars of the bike and looks desperately at the young boy.
BOAT
(desperately)
Listen, pal. I know you’re a good Christian. At this very particular moment in my life I nee-d to see my father desperately. He is also a very good Christian. Do you think you can give me a ride to Golgotha Heights International Chapel?
He stares ha-rd into Boat’s eyes, trying to allay his fears and to convince himself that Boat is being sincere and not speaking ru-bbish out of a crazed mind.
Never in his life has he been so sincere, and after a moment of inward debate the boy reluctantly nods slowly.
RIDER
(scared, uneasy)
Okay, sir. Get on!
Thankfully Boat climbs unto the bike.
The young man turns it round and moves off.
Boat revels in the glow of the for-ce-field, and allows it to wash over him. His head drops now and then to the rider’s shoulder, but the man doesn’t give any sign to indicate that he is offended.
Pain is a limb now, a constant companion that refuses to part from Boat. Fatigue weighs down heavily on him, and all he nee-ds is a cold shower and a long sleep.
How he wishes for those days when he is king of the town, living without a care in the world, living life to the full each day.
But how ancient those days seem to him now; it is ha-rd to believe that only twenty-four hours ago he has been free of all the mess he now finds himself in.
But he has defeated them, yes. It had been ha-rd, real ha-rd, but in the end he is headed where he wants to be. Evil has tried its best to stop him, but here is, riding to his father, protected by this young man and his for-ce-field.
That makes sense, in a way.
Finally, they arrive at the church premises.
Golgotha Heights International, Headquarters.
It isn’t a building; it is a city.
Boat’s father had acquired the land when it was still virtually a forest on the outer fringes of Beach County, and he had only goal in his mind: to build a spectacular house for God.
With a long-term project in mind he had bided his time and developed it in stages. The end result is amazing. Golgotha slowly took shape, became a giant, and soon turned out to be an imposing edifice that decorates the whole region.
It has several well-structured flat-roofed buildings – administration blocks, sports complex, multi-lingual service blocks, baptismal pool areas, conference sections, recreational facility complexes, restaurants and play pens – that stretches as far as the eye can see.
The main entrance is decorated by a hu-ge sculpture of Jesus hanging on the cross at Golgotha; it is encased in a circular glas-s structure that is erected on a spectacular octagonal fountain.
All these are separated by stretches of lush green gras-s, exotic plants and flowers, nicely-kept gardens, parks with benches and shades, beautifully-hedged walkways and smooth driveways, and given a supernatural aura by artistically-designed street lamps.
Small buses, luxurious trams and sleek sedans are neatly-parked on an ‘Official Vehicles Only’ car park where crowds of people headed for specific destinations on the premises can receive a free ride.
There is also a gigantic ‘Public Parking Lot’ and this is where the rider drops off Boat.
When Boat gets down he sees that the young man is looking at him with something close to pity on his face.
Fatigued, face-swollen, and incredibly dirty, he might have looked a sight as he fumbles out his wallet out of his back pocket.
RIDER
(gently)
I hope you find peace, mister.
Boat smiles wanly and pulls out clean bills.
BOAT
I will, brother, hopefully I will find peace now.
Boat proffers the bills to the rider.
He looks at the money, bewildered.
BOAT
(encouragingly)
Go on, take the money, my brother. Top up your gas and use the rest to chill. You’ve been a great help.
He eyes the money, and then looked at Boat sheepishly, but he makes no attempt to accept the money.
Boat sighs and pushes the bills into the boy’s top pocket and turns away.
RIDER
(excitedly)
Thank you, my boss. May God bless you!
The whole area is crowded as usual.
The evening services are obviously over and people are making their way to the car parks and to the roadside, chattering excitedly.
Evidently it has been a tremendous performance from Boat’s father, who has been the speaker that evening. From what Boat hears, it has been one of his ‘inspired’ fire-and-brimstone deliveries.
Although there is a General Overseer who is in charge of the Church, Joe Boat is really the power here. He owns the Church, and sometimes delivers the sermons.
He is a gifted preacher, and Boat has sometimes marvelled and been awed at how eloquent and really inspiring his father can be.
Mr. Joe Boat, multimillionaire, is one of the most powerful men in the world, and could have led a life full of fleshly enjoyment; he could have lived like a king, but instead he has devoted his life to serving God.
Boat walks throu-ghthe crowd, pushing some people not so gently from his path. Several recognize hiim, and Boat can read the shocked disapproval on their faces, looks that condemns him for appearing in church looking the way he is, an obvious humiliation to his ‘divine’ father.
He pays no heed to them as he makes his way towards the row of church vehicles.
And then a voice explodes to his right, high-pitched, alarmed, and disapproving.
MISS BONDZIE
Yaw Boat! What happened to you? You look a sight! How could you-
She is approaching a side-entrance of the Executive car park, holding a pile of files in her arms.
Boat cuts in harshly, bitterly. He has just about had enough of everybody and everything jumping on him… plus, he has never really liked her anyway.
BOAT
(harshly)
Where’s my father?
MISS BONDZIE
He’s at his private park, in here. He’s waiting for me. Yaw, he’s been quite concerned about you all evening. Says you’re in some sort of trouble and he nee-ds to see you. Come, let’s go.
She moves toward a small lighted gate that has a red neon inscription at the top that reads ‘Out of Bounds’.
A uniformed security guard opened the door for them and they go down a flight of stairs and then walks up a short lighted corridor that has a bigger door at the end.
This door opens unto a wide, un-derground parking lot.
Cars are revving up whilst others pull out.
Boat’s eyes scan the place quickly, and he sighs inwardly with great relief when he sees his father’s handsome profile across the row of cars.
He is standing with three men near his hu-ge white Hummer.
One of the men with him is Chris Burns, the General Overseer of Golgotha Heights. The other two look vaguely familiar; Boat pays them no further heed.
Even from that distance he can see that his father is worried and in a hurry. He keeps glancing at his watch whist his right hand rests on the doors of his car, and his handsome face looks tense with worry for his son.
An overwhelming sense of peace floods Yaw Boat, and at that particular moment his love for his father soars, and he feels tears pricking his eyes.
Finally, he is here, and help is available.
Yaw Boat begins to trot towards his father, moving throu-ghrows of cars, ignoring the perplexed honks of reversing drivers who suddenly finds him in the way.
The distance between them closes until, thankfully, Boat is within touching distance of his father, who is still slightly turned from him, and one of the men with him touches him on the shoulder and points at Boat.
Mr. Joe Boat turns toward his, his face clearing of worry and filling up with relief when he sees his son.
BOAT
(choked with pas-sion)
Dad! Oh, Dad!
Boat’s arms are outstretching involuntarily, reaching out for help and solace… for peace.
For love!
JOE BOAT
Yaw… my dearest son!
Joe Boat’s li-ps forms the words, and his arms come up, ready to receive his son and hu-g him.
The three men are moving away, paving way for father and son, and just at the last moment before their bodies meet, Boat’s gaze wavers momentarily and settles on his father’s shadow which is thrown against the white body of the hu-ge Hummer.
Jesus, dear Lord,.. that shadow!
The shadow of the outstretched arms of his father, thrown out sharply against the Hummer, have only three fat fingers on them!
Boat’s horror-stricken eyes traced that shadow downward, from the body of the Hummer, to the floor, to where it joins his father’s feet.
Three hu-ge legs …spiky protruding objects on its body…
Jesus Lord!
Boat’s eyes go back to the shadow thrown across the body of the Hummer… no head, because it is too hu-ge, and the head disappeared on the black background of the windows.
But, dear sweet Lord, it is it!
It is the damn Shadow-Thing…
And it is living inside his father!
Yaw Boat comes to a halt, too stunned to move, and at that particular moment he dies!
Yaw Boat’s heart dies!
His world dies!
He dies!
His heart stops beating for a spell, and his eyes almost shoot clear out of their sockets.
Boat’s father grabs his arm in a vice-like grip.
He is a big man, and he is strong.
Boat’s mind is just about to explode; there they are, face to face at last, father and son, blood lines, next of kin… lovers from a pure strain.
Boat simply can’t breathe.
His legs buckle, and if it hadn’t been for his father’s firm grip on his arm, Boat would’ve crashed to the floor in his horror.
The terror he feels, the fear, the agony, is not like any he has ever known …so completely paralysing!
From now on, son, you can’t trust anybody. Evil is all around you, and once you’ve been chosen, believe me that these terrible for-ces will not let you go that easily!
Anderson!
How right he has been.
Oh, how right!
And then, suddenly, without warning, the second horror hits Yaw Boat as he looks at his father’s face!
Joe Boat’s eyes are a boiling, violent rainbow!
Conflicting, dirty colours roll in his eyes, from one shade to the next, a crippling, maddening spectrum of different colours!
Yaw Boat begins to weep bitterly as he watches his father’s face.
He just wants to die!
His father is also a vessel!
Judging by the changing colours of his horrible rainbow eyes, it seems his father is occu-pied not only by one demon… but a host of demons!
A Legion of Demons!
Because, blazing on his father’s forehead – thick, bloody, dripping, ominous, terrifying – dirtier than any he has seen so far, is the mark of the beast!
666!
TBc…