Part Three: Dawn Of HeroesA Chapter by Robert Donald BrooksWilliam Temple returns home to those he left behind after a dark tragedy. He, Edward Hall and drifter, Ronald Payne, must put their differences aside in order to save the town from a dangerous force. Part Three: Dawn Of Heroes A
Villain’s Plot Donovan was a very angry and vengeful
man. He was raised his whole life to hate Ellis and it’s citizens. Now in his
fifties, it was his responsibility, given to him by his grandfather, to lead
their scorned people back to the town to claim it as theirs. It had been so
long since his ancestors were forced out of Ellis, left for dead. They had
found a life outside of town. Miles from it, they had a small village made up
of cabins. This is where they plotted but it wasn’t their home; they only had
one true home. They would soon go back and have their revenge. Donovan had
chosen two young people to assist him in his quest. Chris Norton, who had been
born in Ellis, had a cold heart. He had his own reasons for helping Donovan.
The other was the young Pucker Tyson, who Donovan had made his right hand man.
He knew the young man, who was also a descendent of the accursed people of
Ellis, would do anything for their union. The families were joining together
again. The time had come. However, for their war to begin, they needed an event
to mark their declaration. Someone in Ellis had to die. Since the beginning, Pucker was supposed
to fight and destroy the hero, William Temple. But William had recently
disappeared, so it was decided that the one to die would have to be someone
close to William; someone he loved. When Chris received word that the time had
come, he felt a sharp sense of pride. He knew he was the right man for the job
and he would finally have his chance to really hurt the only person that to him
was ever worth hating. William’s true love would die by his hands. He just knew
it. Myra Wilson had been torn to pieces when
her beloved William left Ellis, never to return. Not even his mother or his
best friend, Edward, knew where he was. Everyone else went on with their lives
but the three people who loved him the most could never forget. Not even Myra’s
best friend, Amelia Dillon, could help. Over time, Amelia also felt that
Edward, who was her boyfriend, had become more and more distant. And it was
rightfully so. William and Edward had spent their whole lives together. They
both agreed that if they ever left Ellis, it would be together. But that was a
dead dream. William broke their friendship. He had left town without his best
friend. He had abandoned them all. Myra was a constant wreck. She barely left
her house, and boy did people talk. There was gossip that she might hurt
herself, just like that brokenhearted door-to-door salesman, or maybe even
leave Ellis, in hopes of finding him. But in all of this pain and sadness, none
of them ever gave up. They all hoped that they would see William Temple again.
After all, if you were born in Ellis, you die in Ellis. Ronald Payne had even
begun to worry, which he hoped no one had noticed. He didn’t know what was
happening but he knew it had something to do with William. He just hoped he had
made the right choice coming to Ellis. Chris had planned everything out, ever so cleverly. He became hungry for destroying the girl, stalking outside of her bedroom window. He waited until everyone, including her, went to sleep and then entered her room through the window. He gagged her and took her away from Ellis, back to the Exiled people’s small village. When Myra awoke, she found herself surrounded by Chris, his father, Roger Norton and a few strangers. The blue haired boy introduced himself as Pucker Tyson. She was unsure about the others, besides overhearing one being referred to as Mr. Dawson. She began to cry out loud for help but it was useless. No one could hear her screams. Everyone left her alone with the blue-headed Pucker boy. Chris was a bit reluctant at first, thinking that he would be the one who would get to kill her but gave up when the one she figured to be the leader told him that it was not his time. When the door was shut and they were all alone, Pucker told Myra all of the terrible things he was going to do to her and showed her the items he was going to use to kill her. I just can’t bear to bring myself to tell
you the things he did. He literally destroyed that poor beautiful young girl.
The worst part was that he didn’t stop with the murder or even leave her body
in Ellis. He and Chris took one of the group’s trucks and the two monsters took
her far away to Washington D.C. and hung her body at the Lincoln memorial for
all to see. The news was all over the country. This was the first time that the
rest of the world had paid any attention to Ellis but it was under the wrong
circumstances. Ellis had lost a beloved friend but it wouldn’t be long before
the right people got the unfortunate news. Donovan McNeal congratulated Chris and
Pucker on a job well done. They had hurt Ellis and all that was left was for
the families to unite together and invade Ellis. They had to take it back and
make it theirs again. “We have made the
first strike,” Donovan told his young friends. “Now we will wait for the right
time to lead our people in, and when we do…we will take Ellis as our home, just
as it should have been all of those years ago.” “What comes next, sir?” Pucker
asked. “Chris will return to Ellis,” Donovan
said. He looked to Chris, and smiled. “You have had a terrible life in Ellis.
No one has ever regarded you. You’ve lived your whole life in the great Hero’s
shadow. Everyday that you are there, you must look at them all and remind
yourself of this fact. Use it as fuel to ignite your anger. Our day of triumph
will be your day as well.”
“But what of the Hero,” Chris asked? “Do you think he’ll come back?” “Don’t worry about him,” Donovan
answered. “That whole hero thing is an old children’s tale. William Temple has
been missing for a long time. He won’t ever return to Ellis. He’s no hero.” “Why do you say that?” Pucker asked
confused with why Donovan seemed to know so much. “Because this is the real world,”
Donovan proudly declared. “This is a time for bad men. There aren’t any heroes
left in the world.” Even when he was so sure of himself and what he was saying,
Donovan McNeal could never realize how wrong he was. There was a hero; there
was a champion. He had just lost his way. All he needed was a sign, something
to point him in the right direction. It was sadly just an unfortunate sign. William Temple just might have been the
last person in the country to find out about what some monster had done to the
love of his life. He found out about the bad news when he saw it on the cover
of a Tampa newspaper. He ripped out the article and returned to his apartment
above the bar, where he read the article over and over again. His seclusion
worried his colleagues, Alec Nightmoon, Toby Bennett and Byron Mcloven but he
couldn’t let that bother him at the time being. He knew he had to do something
and in between all the crying and heartache, he realized what it was. He just
hoped he could bring himself to do it. He hoped he could get back. First he had to make a phone call; one he tried to make so many times before but failed. He had to talk to his oldest friend. He had to hear his voice. But above all, he had to prepare for his return to Ellis, where the ultimate battle between good and evil would soon be fought. This was the beginning of the end. The
Return He had been carrying the article he
ripped out of the newspaper around in his jacket pocket for a week. He knew
then that he should never have left. He had made the worst choice of his life.
Looking in the mirror, he realized he wasn’t even the same person anymore. The
beard he grew out of amusement had grown maybe too long. He looked ten years
older than he actually was. He picked up the phone in the bar and dialed a
number he could never forget, hoping to get an answer. The familiar voice
didn’t seem so familiar anymore. He had to fight out his words. “Hey…” he said,
“it’s me. I just heard… I need to see you.” “William,” the voice at the other end
cried in shock, “is that you? Where are you?” “It doesn’t matter anymore,” William
answered. “I need to see you. I need to… see it. I need to know it’s true.” The person on the other end of the line
agreed to meet William on the outskirts of Ellis, at the same place William had
slept walked to so long before. They would meet there in two days time. After
they said their goodbyes, William hung up and packed his things. The next
morning he said his goodbyes to his friends, Alec Nightmoon, Toby Bennett and
Byron Mcloven, promising to one day send word to them of how things worked out.
He then got on a bus that wouldn’t know where Ellis was. He would have to get
off somewhere and walk the rest of the way. But that was fine with him. He just
had to get there; he had to see his friend. Soon, William would have to make
his decision and the battle of good and evil would be fought in the town of
Ellis. It was nighttime. An exhausted William
Temple waited by the sign that read, “Welcome
To Ellis. Just Five Miles Ahead.” Just as he promised, Edward Hall pulled up in
his truck and got out to greet his long lost friend. “Hey,” William said. “Nice wheels.” Edward was shocked at the sight of the
man that his childhood friend had become. “William,” he said, “you look
terrible.” Both found themselves laughing over this. “When did you hear?” “Right before I called you,” William
answered. He pulled the article he ripped from the newspaper out of his jacket
pocket. “It says it was really bad. There wasn’t a picture but as soon as I saw
her name and the words ‘Town of Ellis,’ I knew something was wrong. She was
murdered, Eddie.” “Yeah I know,” Edward said. “It’s all
wrong. Somebody did this out of hate. They knew what they were doing. But
besides all of that, I find myself here trying to put together pieces of a
different puzzle. My best friend, the great hero of Ellis, who disappeared
without a sight, is here. Back to make things right.” “It’s not like that,” William pleaded.
“I know now. I should never have left. I was supposed to stay here. Myra would
still be alive.” He zoned out a bit. “I could have protected her. I could have
saved her.” “But instead, you left and she died.
Where were you?” “All over.” He breathed deep and smiled
a bit. “I found my father.” Edward became a bit shocked and curious.
“How is he? What did he say to you?” “I never saw him. He’s dead. It was
cancer that did it a long time ago. I was staying with some friends of his in
Tampa, Florida.” Edward decided to change the subject to
William’s other parent. “You know you broke your mothers heart, just like he
did.” “Yeah, I know. But I’m back.” “It’s not that simple. You were my best
friend. You vanished. Now all I have left is my family, your mom and Amelia.”
Sighs. “Ronald Payne too, for some reason.” “Ronald Payne?” “Don’t ask.” Pause. “So you want to go
see her?” “Of course I do.” “Then let’s go.” William and Edward got in the car and
Edward drove to the cemetery. As they approached Myra’s grave, they came across
the graves of Barnaby Woodcock, Scott Cruise a.k.a. Snake Willis, Billy
Partridge, Joseph McGregor, and Willard Kelley. This brought back memories for
William. He recalled the stories of the Door-to-Door salesman and the rock star
but Billy, Willard and Joseph affected him more; he had known them. This put
William’s life back a bit in perspective. When they came to Myra’s grave,
Edward kept his distance. William stood at the spot where the love of his life
had been buried, then dropped to his knees. He read the tombstone, and began to
cry. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. He cried there for a time, then rose and
turned to his friend. “All right, Edward,” he said. “Let’s go home.” Wendy Temple was most shocked to find
her son home again. They hugged and cried for a while and then she told him how
angry she was with him for leaving. They cried some more and then she set up
his room for him. It was just as he left it. He shaved, got a shower and went
to bed. The next morning, Ronald Payne was down at the Barbershop helping Mr.
Albertan. In the past months, he had become more friendly and helpful with the
towns folk. This was all thanks to Edward, who had somewhat befriended the
stranger. When Ronald saw William approaching the down town area, his first
response was, “I’ll be damned…” But then when he saw the others surrounding
William with hugs and cheers of joy, he backed off and went inside the
barbershop to cool off. That night, William had dinner with his
mom at Myrtle’s Diner. They barely said a word, other than how everyone was
happy to see William home again. He knew that it would be a while before things
were worked out between him and Edward. Hopefully his friend would see that he
was back for good. There was always that fear though of what was to come next.
The evil had not come to take Ellis while he was away, which he was thankful
for. But he knew that this rumored evil was what killed Myra. Whatever it was
that was coming, he was now ready for it. His beloved would not die in vain. He
would lead Ellis into battle against the invaders. That was his destiny; his
purpose. He just hoped that his best friend would come along for the ride. Dead Faces A week after William Temple came home,
the nightmares returned. Ronald Payne just couldn’t take it anymore. The last
time this had happened, William had left. Now Ronald found himself once again
surrounded by shadows of the dead. In his dreams, he would see Willard Kelley
who had died over a year earlier. There were others he didn’t recognize. Some
salesman would tell him that he had a purpose in Ellis. He just couldn’t
believe it though. He was no one. His life wasn’t even worth living; how could he
save anyone? One dark and stormy night, Ronald’s
hallucinations led him into the streets, where he screamed out the names of his
mother and father and then passed out unconscious. Father West discovered young
Ronald and then took him back to the church for shelter and rest. Four days
later, Ronald awoke in the church, and found Father West sitting nearby. “Good
morning, Ronald,” the priest said kindly. Ronald rose in near panic. “How did I
get here? What am I doing in this church?” “I found you in the streets,
unconscious. There was a storm, so I couldn’t just leave you. What were you
doing out there?” “None of your business, Padre. Look I’m
thankful for all your help and all but I’ve gotta’ get going?” “How long has it been, Ronald?” “How long has what been? “That you’ve been seeing things.” Ronald then became a little uneasy. “How
the hell do you know about that?” “What do you see, Ronald?” “I see them in my dreams. Its always
dead people, most who I have never even seen before in my life. They’re telling
me things; they say that I too can be a hero.” “They want to show you the way. The
faces you see are of those who have been claimed by Ellis: a salesman, a rock
star and a child-prophet among others. If you were to mention this to William
Temple, then he would be put on edge. So many of these reflections you’ve seen
have mattered so much to him.” “How do you know all of this?” “Because I have seen these things as
well.” “You have?” “Yes but were not the only ones. Carl,
get in here!” Carl, the bum, enters instantly at the Priest’s request. “I
believe you know Carl here. He is known as the town drunk, the town bum and the
town fool. But Carl here is more important to Ellis than anyone could ever
imagine. Tell him why, my friend.” “A few years ago,” Carl said, “I was
blessed with a vision. A messenger in the form of an angel came to me. It
showed me things I didn’t want to believe but had to. Doom is coming to Ellis
and it is up to the few who were meant for greatness to stop it.” “So what?” Ronald shot back, “You’re
saying that I’m one of these guys who are meant to do good? News flash boys,
I’m no hero. And in case you forgot, William Temple’s back so talk to him about
greatness.” “How long ago was it that you came here,
Ronald Payne?” Carl asked. “Why did you leave Dade City? What happened to your
parents?” “How do you know about all of that?” “Because it is all in my mind now,” Carl
answered. “The evil is gathering not too far in the distance. When the time
comes we will be all that stands in their way of destroying Ellis.” Ronald sighed and asked, “So what do I
do?” “Prepare to fight,” Father West
answered. Over the next few weeks, Edward Hall saw
less and less of Ronald. He just figured he was losing yet another potential
friendship, still not trusting his childhood friend, William Temple. Elsewhere,
Ronald had begun working hard to get in shape. His visions and nightmares had
ceased but he never stopped to worry. If there really were some dark evil
coming to Ellis, he would fight it. He would protect the town he had secretly
grown to love. It was only a matter of time before the circle of heroes was
complete. Plans Of War
Chris Norton had become a bit of a celebrity with the Exiles now that he
had proven his loyalty. He did not get to kill Myra Wilson as he had hoped; yet
he felt good about it. Pucker Tyson did the job well enough and there was still
the hope that he would be the one to kill Myra’s beloved William Temple. So
Chris sat alone in his room happy with himself, until there was a knock at the
door. “Come in,” he called.
Donovan McNeal entered seeming pleased. “Christopher,” he said. “The
time is finally upon us. William Temple has come home. Pack your things, your
going home.”
“Why? I thought everything is going as planned?” “No
my boy, not exactly as planned. Remember, I had hoped that he would never come
back. I wanted to use the girl as a warning never to return or he would end up
the same way. I never expected that her death would inspire him to come home
and vow to stop us.” “So
why do I have to go back to Ellis? I hate it there. It’s bad enough I have to
lie to them all when I go back. They think I’m staying with relatives. My
mother hasn’t even caught on yet. I want to stay here.”
“Don’t you understand, Chris? This is the beginning. It’s all up to you.
I hate when you leave and when you return from your monthly visits, the whole
camp is overjoyed. Unfortunately, that is the way it has to be. But don’t
worry; this will be the last time you have to go back. You will wait for my
signal. In a week, we will attack Ellis. I’m only sending in a small team for
our first strike. This is our warning. We will hit all of them. We will burn
the Temple home to the ground, I promise you. Many lives will be taken. After
this first strike, they will have a month. Anyone who is wise enough will leave
Ellis, never to return. And when we go back, anyone that stands in our way of
taking the town will be killed. Do you understand, Christopher?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Now get packed and say goodbye to your father. You have a long
journey ahead of you.”
“Yes sir.”
Donovan was pleased with himself. No one could manipulate others as well
as he could. Over the years, he had grown very confident and sure of himself.
He just knew that no one could stop him at that point. However, he had not yet
met William Temple. About five hours after Chris Norton left the village to
return to Ellis, Donovan held a gathering of his closest comrades. Among them
were Mr. Dawson, Roger Norton, Pucker Tyson and Three of Donovan’s closest henchmen.
The topic of discussion: their first strike. “So
as I sit here with you now my friends,” Donovan started, “Roger’s son, Chris,
who we have all grown fond of, is returning to Ellis. He is the key figure
here.”
“That’s my boy,” Roger said with much pride. “I always knew he had it in
him.” “He
still has to do his part first,” Mr. Dawson moaned.
“What exactly is his mission, Donovan?” Roger asked. “To
be there when we strike,” Donovan answered. “My three closest henchmen here
don’t know Ellis’s landscapes and secrets. When their small team attacks, Chris
will lead Number One to city Hall, where the Mayor will be trapped. Once the
commander in chief is dead, Ellis will have no leader”.
“What of the hero?” Mr. Dawson asked.
“His home is to be destroyed,” Number One replied. “We will find William
Temple and destroy him.”
“That is how we will put fear into their hearts,” Number Three added.
“We will make an example of this alleged hero.” “It
will not be so easy,” Mr. Dawson cut in. “See this hero has friends. Some he
knows about, others he doesn’t. Willard Kelley is a fine example.”
“Willard Kelley is dead,” Pucker remarked. “I killed him.”
“Yes, we al know,” Mr. Dawson continued. “But, you have to understand.
William Kelley has more than just a few friends; at least that is what the
prophet fellow told us, before the boss cut off his head. Anyway, what I’m
saying is that William Temple will never be alone. He will always have allies
and that is his strength.”
“Then we will kill his friends,” Number Two argued. “We
will do whatever is necessary,” Number One agreed.
“Please let me finish,” Mr. Dawson went on. “We have a new problem that
I have recently become aware of. The one who knows everything is in Ellis. He
was seen marching that way about three days ago. Unfortunately, no one could
see his face so identifying him will be impossible. If he gets to the hero then
Temple will learn too much. There may be no stopping him at that point.” “I
don’t care if William Temple has a hundred friends!” Donovan declared. “We will
kill them all.”
“Just thought I’d mention this is all, boss,” Mr. Dawson said.
“Then it is up to you to find out whoever this threat is. He is now your
responsibility to get rid of.”
“Yes, sir,” Mr. Dawson replied. “I
still don’t understand why you sent Christopher instead of me,” Pucker argued.
“I thought I was supposed to kill Temple.” “In
time, boy,” Donovan said. “We all have a job to do. In time, we will get what
has been coming to us finally after all this time. Soon, Ellis will be ours.”
That night, after the meeting, Roger Norton sat in his room and thought
deeply about the choices he had made. He was not surprised when one of
Donovan’s henchman, Number Three, appeared from the shadows. “So you know what
I need you to do for me, right?” Roger asked.
“Yes, I know,” Number Three answered.
“What is her name?”
“Elvira Norton.”
“Who is she?
“She is your wife and the mother of your son.”
“And what must you do?” “I
must kill her.”
“And Chris can never find out. It is important that he never knows.
Elvira is the only thing that I have ever really cared about, other than Chris
I mean. I know she loves me but she could never understand. I want to spare
her. She’d only get hurt later anyways. Do you understand, Number Three?” “I
do not love. I am a protector and a killer. That is my purpose.”
Roger just thought this over and sighed. “Leave me.”
Number Three vanished as quickly as he appeared. “I’m sorry, Elvyra. I’m
so sorry.” Roger had made a choice, rather a sacrifice. He gave up the woman he
loved for this pledge he had made. In time, Elvira Norton would die for the
sake of that pledge. This knowledge might have been the only thing that could
have stopped Chris from doing what was expected of him. Lessons From
The Past One
morning, William Temple awoke in his bed, after a long sleep full of nightmares
from his past. In these dreams he had seen Joseph McGregor, Billy Partridge,
Willard Kelley, his father and his beloved Myra Wilson. For some reason, he
could never get them out of his head. He felt as if he had failed them; that it
was his fault that they had died. When he went downstairs, his mother was
waiting for him with strange news. Apparently, someone had left a note on their
front door asking for William to meet them at the town’s library. Wendy told
her son that she had not seen whoever had left the note and that it was there
when she awoke. After examining the letter over and over again for a good five
minutes, William decided that he should head to the library and see who this
person was for himself. So he got dressed, kissed his mother goodbye and headed
out towards the library. The
thought had occurred to William that it could all be a set up. Maybe it was a
trap set up by the enemy and they were waiting to kill him. This thought
bothered him so he shrugged it off and hoped for something better. Maybe Edward
had decided to finally forgive him and he wanted to meet to talk about it. He
couldn’t really blame Edward for being angry with him. He knew he had done
wrong when he left. It couldn’t have been too big of a surprise for William to
find that he had moved on. Although, he never imagined that Edward could ever
befriend someone like Ronald Payne. Ever since he showed up in Ellis, Ronald
had not been very liked by the people of Ellis. He never showed any liking for
them either. But since William had left and Edward and Ronald became friends,
people seemed to not mind Ronald so much. In fact, he had become quite handy in
town. William felt as if he had lost Ellis’ trust to Ronald. This thought had
hurt him very much.
When he reached the library, William went inside to find Mrs. Nacelle at
the front desk talking on the phone, probably with her husband, who had lately
been very busy. Running the town paper had proven hard enough for Mr. Nacelle,
yet now with all that has happened with Myra and recent strange rumors, the
paper was packed with stories. William wandered around the library, finding no
sign of anyone wanting to talk with him. After about an hour, he had decided to
give up but the sound of whistling from the upstairs part of the building
changed all that. William climbed the stairs and found a strange man, probably
in his thirties, wearing all black, sitting at a desk with his feet up. He was
reading a book and whistling. William wondered how the stranger had even seen
him.
“Hello there,” the man called without looking away from the book. “Took
you long enough, I’ve been waiting here for hours.” “I
got your letter when I woke up, “William stated. “I expected someone I knew or
maybe even cared about. But I don’t know you, nor do I care. So just cut the
garbage and tell me who you are and what you want.”
“You know who I am, William,” the man answered as he put down the book.
“Your friend Willard spoke of me the night he died, remember?”
William then recalled the night. Willard had spoken of this man in his
last dying words. “The know it all?” William asked. That’s who you are?”
“Yes, that is I” the Know It All replied, “and I come to you now when
you need guidance the most. On your journeys you tried to put everyone and
everything you ever cared about deep in the back of your mind, so that you
could make a better future for yourself. You thought you could escape from your
destiny but then it found you. Did you really think that it was mere
coincidence that you learned of Myra’s death in the news? People have died just
the same in Ellis but it was never announced in the major news before. That is
why they took her body out of Ellis and displayed it for all to see. They knew
it would be in newspapers all over the country and that is the first time Ellis
has ever been mentioned. Few even knew it existed before this.”
William became a bit uncomfortable. “I don’t want to hear any more of
this. Leave me alone.” William turned away. “I
can’t leave you alone, it won’t let me.”
William turned back. “What won’t let you?”
“Our destinies. We are now connected forever. We fight for the same
cause, William. I know it’s hard for you to understand but you must. The bad
guys did this to Myra because they wanted you to know about it. Though they did
not want you to come back home. They meant for you to be scared into staying
away but thankfully it failed. Now here you are.”
“But why?”
“Because a war is coming, one that will decide the fate of us all. You
see, years ago, after the enemy was exiled, they met a man. I don’t know who or
what he was, I know it’s ironic since who I am and what my name is but I do
know that he was an evil man. He promised to protect them and offered them the
chance to one day return and reclaim Ellis as their own but there was a cost.
If these men take Ellis, that will only be the beginning. They will rise, and
one day they will claim the world.” “I
don’t understand. Wouldn’t this guy be dead by now?” “I
don’t know. He vanished sometime ago and no one has heard of him ever since.”
“What does all of this even mean? What do they really want?” “I
don’t know.” In
confusion, William began to get less patient. “I thought you know everything!”
“It’s just a nickname; a metaphor. I don’t really know everything, I
just know more than everyone else.”
“Like what?” “I
know that when Joseph McGregor died, it broke Sandra Becket’s heart. No one
ever loved Willard Kelley. Billy Partridge’s parents were supposed to die,
other wise he would never have come to Ellis. Myra died as a warning for you.”
“I’ve heard enough!” William turned and began to head out but what the
Know It All had to say next stopped him from leaving. “I
know why your father left, William.”
“What did you say?”
“Did you really believe that your father could just abandon you? He
loved you, William. He didn’t want to leave. He wanted to see you grow and
become a man with a family of your own. But it wouldn’t be that way. Gulliver
Temple left because he had to.” “Oh
yeah? What about the old saying then, huh? ‘If you’re born in Ellis, you die in
Ellis.’ What about that? He didn’t die in Ellis. He died in Tampa, Florida.”
“Think about it, William. It will all make since once you find out the
truth.”
“Then tell me. Tell me the truth.”
“I’ve told you enough. You’ll have to see it for yourself. Come with me
and I’ll show you the way. We have to go out into the woods. We have to find
the Warlock so he can tell you everything that you need to know. Then at last,
it will all make sense to you.” “I
don’t want to go back to those woods. I already tried talking to the Warlock.
He didn’t help me at all. If he would have, I may not have even left.”
“Don’t you understand, William? You were supposed to leave. You had to
leave and then lose so that you would realize your true calling. The time has
come for you to prepare. Come with me. You will finally get some of the answers
you deserve.”
“You know what? I think I’m going to go home.”
“Good, if that’s what it takes for you to see. And when you get home
just ask your mother why your father left.”
“She doesn’t know why. He left her too.”
“Are you so sure about that?”
“Yes, positive. I’m out of here.” William turned and took off.
“Just ask her, William,” the Know It all shouted as William vanished
down the stairs. “Just ask her!”
William returned home to find his mother sitting at the kitchen table.
He got a glass of orange juice and sat with her. He didn’t want to ask her
about his father but now he knew that he must.
“Mom,” he began, “do you know why dad left?”
“What do you mean?” she cried. “Why are you so worried about this now?”
“When I was in Tampa, I found out what happened to dad. I found the bar
he was working at and I worked there too. I lived in the same upstairs
apartment he had. He died of cancer, that’s what his friends said. The problem
is, I don’t understand why he died in Tampa. What happened to, “If you’re born
in Ellis, you die in Ellis?’ why didn’t dad die here mom?”
“Because your father wasn’t born here. He’s among a few that wasn’t,
including the Norton’s.”
“Why haven’t you spoken of this before?” “I
didn’t want to upset you. Your father was an orphan. He knew he didn’t belong
here. That is why he left. He loved you; it hurt him to leave but we both knew
it was what he had to do.”
“But why? Why couldn’t he stay?”
“Because something bad would have happened.”
“Like what?”
“Things in Ellis don’t work like they do in the rest of the world. If
he’d stayed, the coming chain of events would have changed. It was
expected…more like needed of him to leave. For all we know, you could have been
killed as a result of him staying. It’s hard to say. That was his path,
William. His destiny.”
William sighed and said, “Well, now I have to go find mine.” He then
stood.
“Where are you going?” his mother asked with worry. “To
find my destiny.” William then left his home and headed out of town, back towards
the woods. It was there that he would find all of the answers he had wanted.
William found the Know It All waiting for him at the tree line, on the edge of
the woods.
“Hello, William,” he called. I knew you’d come.”
“Well here I am,” William said.
“What made you decide to come?” “I
did what you told me. I asked my mother about my father. You were right. He
wasn’t even born here.” “I
understand your pain but now we must go into the woods. He’s waiting for us?”
“How do you know?”
“Come on, its me.” The two shared some laughter on this subject. “Now
come, my friend. We must go while there is still some light.” The
two headed into the woods, not truly knowing what to expect. They journeyed for
an hour, before they came upon the broken down old house. It was just as
William remembered it. Nothing had changed in all those years. The
Warlock casually came out of the house’s front door and approached the two
travelers. “Hello,” he said. “Good to see you two, especially you William. It’s
been a long time.”
“Yes, it has,” William responded. “Too long. I only hope that this visit
is more eventful.” “Oh
it is, William,” the Warlock said. “This time, I’m going to show you some
things that you need to know. Wait here, Know It All. We’ll be inside. Be back
soon.”
“Yes, sir,” the Know It All answered.
William followed the Warlock into the house, leaving The Know It All
alone outside. Inside, the place looked not nearly as bad as it did on the
outside.
“Welcome to my home, William,” the Warlock said. “It’s not pleasant, but
it’s all I have.”
“It’s fine,” William said. “So what do you need to tell me this time? Or
rather, what can’t you tell me?”
“It’s not like that, my boy. Things are changing; the enemy is near.
This time you’re going to find out everything you ever wanted or needed to know
concerning your father and these people.”
“Like my father? Why Joseph died?”
“Everything, William. Your father, Joseph, Billy, Willard,
Myra…everything.” “So
tell me. Tell me everything. Is it all written down in a book or do you just
have it all memorized?”
“You will not hear it from me. Two of your old friends are going to show
you.” “What do you mean? What two friends?” The
Warlock pointed down the hall to a red door and said, “See that red door?
Inside is everything you need. You must go in there, William. But you must go
in alone. I cannot come with you.”
“What’s in there?”
“Like I said; answers.”
William still found this all very hard to believe. “So I just go in
there and I’ll learn everything?”
“Tot everything,” the Warlock answered with pride. “Just what you need
for the coming battle.” “Fine,
I’ll play along. I just hope that there’s not a trap in there waiting for me.” “I
am not the enemy, William.”
“Right, of course not,” William said with a sigh and headed down the
hall, until he came upon the door. He reached for the doorknob, hesitated, then
took a deep breath, opened the door, and went in.
Once inside, William found himself in a dark room filled with what
appeared to be fog. He began hearing voices all around him and was shook up
when he realized they were calling his name.
“Who are you?” he asked. Beginning to feel afraid, he loudly asked
again, “Who are you?”
“Hello, William,” one of the voices called from right behind him. He
turned in fright to find Willard Kelley, wearing all black, with a smile on his
face.
“Willard?” William asked. “How? It can’t be you. You’re dead.”
“Yeah and so is Joseph.”
“Joseph?”
“That’s right, old friend,” Joseph called as he came out of the darkness
and joined Willard. Filled with shock and fright, William couldn’t say much.
“He seems afraid, doesn’t he, Willard?”
“Afraid indeed, Joseph,” Willard agreed. “Can’t really blame him though,
can we?”
“This is impossible,” William argued. “You two can’t be here, you’re
both dead.” “We
are dead, William,” Willard said. “But now we’ve come back to help you.”
“You’ve forgotten everything,” Joseph continued. “There’s no going back
now, what’s done is done. But we have to set you on the right track for the
future.”
“The future?” William asked. “You mean the invasion?”
“More than that, William,” Willard answered. “There’s a war coming; one
that will have more impact than anything that’s going to happen in Ellis.” “I
don’t want to have anything to do with a war,” William cried. “I just want to
live in peace.”
“Then do it for Myra,” Joseph said. “Do it for my Sandra.”
William thought it over, sighed and then decided. “Fine. All right, you
got me, okay? Set me on my way. Show me my future.”
“Were not here to show you the future, my friend,” Willard said. “We’re
here to show you the past.”
William became lost. “The past? What do you mean?”
“There are things that you missed,” Joseph said with much intensity.
“Parts of your history that you have to see. You think your father didn’t love
you? You think Myra died for nothing? We’ll show you. Just say the word and we
can show you everything.”
“Alright,” William said impatiently. “Show me, please. Show me
everything.”
“Ok, William,” Willard said. “But I have to warn you, its not all going
to be pleasant.” “It
never is,” William said. “Just show me.”
Willard took quite a big breath for someone who had been dead for a
year, then said, “Okay then.” The
fog grew thicker and a burst of light shot through the room. And then, William,
Willard and Joseph were sent to another time. A time long before, when Ellis
was an innocent place and death had not yet touched it. William first saw the
early years of Ellis. It was a time when Hector C. Gold led a large group of
settlers into the town and from there they flourished. There was only one problem
with Ellis. A seemingly evil Warlock had lived there for a very long time and
refused to leave the grounds. He was ultimately defeated and chased off into
the woods. From then on out, the woods became an evil place. No one who went
into them ever came back. It was believed that the Warlock was causing these
grisly deaths but it was in fact something else. Something that wasn’t human.
When the Warlock and the beast met, it was a bloody battle. The Warlock proved
to be stronger and so he and the Beast kept their distances. However, the beast
began killing the town’s folk and the Warlock was blamed. This would go on for
many years. One day, the Warlock realized what had to be done, so he hunted
down the beast and destroyed it once and for all.
Meanwhile, Hector had proven to be a great leader for the people of
Ellis, which he had named after his mother’s brother who died as a child. But
there was another man, by the name of Axel McNeal. He was not a good person.
Axel did not have the same beliefs as the heroic Hector. He thought that the
leader was not setting the right example and had plans of his own. He knew the
only way was to over rule Hector and take his place. This would take some time
but Axel had followers of his own. Together, he and his large committee formed
a rebellion, which questioned Hector’s leadership in the courts. Over time, a
dispute had begun, which led to the Great Split. The town had been torn into
two and a battle was fought. Ultimately, Hector’s side had one and as
punishment, Axel and his followers, including his family, were banished. They
were never heard from again. William then saw the true outcome. The rest of
this story was a bit unclear but it appeared that Axel had made a deal with a
strange man, who seemed to have a bit of power.
William then saw Axel’s descendents. There was a village in the middle
of the woods. He saw the army that was growing. He saw them planning their
attack on Ellis. William realized that this village was where Willard had been
taken to and beaten before hung out and killed in Ellis. It was the descendent
of Axel McNeal and his followers that were coming. But who was the man? Joseph
and Willard alerted William that the man’s identity was the only thing they had
not gotten. Whoever he was, he was most important. William then saw Barnaby
Woodcock. He learned of this man who had sold his father the book that he loved
as a child. He saw Barnaby’s pain, which led to his death. William saw more and
more death. He saw Scott Cruise, a.k.a. Snake Willis, Joseph’s death, the lives
of Willard Kelley and Billy Partridge, among other things. He saw his father
reading him the book. He saw his mother and father’s arguments. But in all the
fighting, William realized that his parents knew what must be done. On the night that Gulliver set out to
leave, he spent twenty minutes in William’s room. He whispered to his son, “I’m
so sorry, William. I wish that I could stay. I wish I could see you grow into
the man you’re going to be but it’s not that easy. I have to go but I want you
to know that wherever I go, I will always be thinking of you and your mother. I
love you very much, William and I always will.” This touched William very much
and brought tears to his eyes. Gulliver temple then headed downstairs, kissed
his crying wife goodbye and set out. Gulliver found it very hard to leave the
town that he loved but he knew he couldn’t stay. He wasn’t born in Ellis; it
wasn’t his right. He traveled for over a year, before ending up in Tampa, where
he befriended, Alec Nightmoon, Toby Bennett and Byron McLoven. Over time he
grew sick and was diagnosed with cancer. Gulliver Temple died with William and
Wendy on his mind.
William never imagined that Ronald Payne could possibly have been a good
person. Ever since he arrived, Ronald had been a very unfriendly stranger and
most townsfolk just kept their distance. William never really understood how
Ronald and Edward had become close but whatever it was it made William
uncomfortable. That is until he learned the truth about Ronald’s past. He saw
everything that Ronald had been through including the deaths of his parents,
leaving behind the girl he loved, Artimus Jackson teaching him to swindle
people and all of the other bad things that led him to Ellis. William witnessed
the pain Edward had gone through when he had left Ellis and how Ronald had
helped him through it. Apparently, Ronald had felt bad about what he had
witnessed the night Willard had been murdered, and decided to talk with Edward
about it. That night Edward had told Ronald everything. Odd that Ronald was
still alive. William always felt that the reason Joseph McGregor had died was
because he had told him about the Warlock. It was then that William realized
that must not have been the reason after all. After understanding why Ronald
was the way he was and seeing the formation of his and Edward’s friendship,
William became glad for Ronald being there. Sometime soon, he would show his
appreciation to the out of Towner. William next realized that there was an enemy in Ellis the whole time. The Norton’s were in league with the enemy. In fact, Roger Norton had not been born in Ellis. The Exile’s leader sent him in the first place. It was Chris who caused the death of William’s beloved Myra. He was then overwhelmed by pain. Everything became clear to him. He knew everything: the truth about his father, how Chris had a hand in Myra’s murder and more. He knew his destiny now; he knew what had to be done. He just didn’t know the right way to handle it. First, he had to fix his own problems before he could save the town. Second, he needed a plan to stop the enemy. Third, he needed to get others to believe and follow him. In time William would have to become the leader he was born to be
William, Willard and Joseph fell through the paths of time until finally
returning to the Warlock’s broken down house in the woods. When there, William
remained silent for a while.
Joseph broke the silence by saying, “So you see now, William? You see
your importance?”
“Yes I do,” William answered. “I just don’t know how to deal with this
problem.” “In
time you will,” Willard said. “But for now, you must go. Soon the enemy will
make their move. Ellis needs you.”
“Come with me,” William pleaded, “Both of you.”
“It’s too late for us, William,” Willard said. “We
were supposed to die so that we could show you all of this,” Joseph continued.
“We have done our part. We have no part to play in the future.” “So
this is goodbye then?” William asked.
“There is never a goodbye,” Willard answered. “We’ll be waiting for you.
Now you have to leave. You have to go back.”
“Ellis is waiting,” Joseph said. And
so, William said his goodbyes to his ghostly friends and returned to the
Warlock, who was sitting patiently by a fireplace in the main room. “So
you see your purpose, William?” the Warlock asked.
“Yes,” William answered. “I know what I have to do. There’s still just
one thing I don’t understand. What are you? Why are you here? What brought you
to this place? What made you what you are?”
“That is the one thing your friends did not show you,” the Warlock
began. “That is my business to explain. You know the stories about me. You know
that I’m not evil, as they have said for many years. For instance it is said
that I gained my powers by eating the heart of a wizard. There was no wizard.
You see, I was a man once; Just as you are. I had a wife, a son. But they were taken
from me. We came to this place sometime in the mid-eighteen hundreds. I planned
to build a cabin where Ellis now stands. But there was someone already here. He
was a man that had no good in him, a man without a heart. He once had a
brother. Together they found the power of this place but he did not want to
share it so he killed his brother out of jealousy. He gained the powers and
used them for darkness, though it weakened and he lost the ultimate power to
control the world. He began an obsession, searching for the missing thing he
needed to claim it all. He did not like us coming here and he acted out of
anger. He killed my family but he left me alive. He had servants that took
their turns beating me and humiliating me. Eventually, the man put all of his
darkness into me. He made me a monster. But I wouldn’t use my powers for evil.
I wouldn’t lead the army he was building to conquer the world. So he cursed me
to live forever.”
“What happened to this man?” William asked.
“Well, eventually he was beaten,” the Warlock answered. “However that is
a story for another time. This was forty-odd years before Hector C. Gold and
his followers arrived. I was glad to see the evil man gone but I was never
really sure I was truly rid of him. His curse remains to haunt me and now it
seems that Ellis is about to be attacked. I believe my tormentor is somehow
connected to the Vengeful Exiled but I’m not sure how. See like them, he also
wanted Ellis as his. Maybe he too would want to reclaim it.”
This thought sent chills up William’s spine. Could that man still be
alive? After all, the Warlock was still alive. This was an uneasy thought. And
so William said his goodbyes to the Warlock but he knew they would meet again.
In time the Warlock would prove more useful than anyone could ever imagine.
William met back up with the Know It All, who was waiting outside the house.
The two headed home and along the way they spoke of the current events. Unknown
to all that evil was already on it’s way. The
First Strike
There were twelve of them, all with guns. They had a mission; they were
going to attack the town of Ellis. What would this accomplish? Their boss was
hoping to frighten everyone into leaving the town. But there were a few that
were standing in their way. The three leaders, who each had their own group of
three men, were given a list of names. Each person on that list was to be
hunted down and killed but only those people. The list wasn’t too long. Edward Hall. Sandra Becket. Dr. Marvin Moss. Amelia Dillon. Mayor Templeton. Officer Mackey. Ronald Payne. Wendy Temple. William Temple.
Unknown to the rest of the squad, Number Three had a secret mission. He
had been ordered by Roger Norton to kill his wife, Elvira. He would not tell
the others but it would be tough keeping it secret. This made the intended
execution count from the planned nine to an even ten. Once they reached town,
they found Chris Norton waiting for them. He smiled and said, “Hey guys,
welcome to Ellis.”
“Hey, kid,” Number One said. “Everything set?”
“Yeah, everything’s ready. You all just have to head on in and start the
chaos.” “So
no one has any idea we’re coming?” Number Two asked, “not even Temple?” “I
haven’t seen him,” Chris answered. “No one knows I’m here, they all think I’m
still gone.”
“What?” Number One asked rather harshly. “You were supposed to come back
and act natural like nothing was happening.”
“I’ve been hiding out at my house,” Chris replied. “I told my mom to
keep her mouth shut. I didn’t want anyone to know I was back, especially not
William Temple.”
“Fine,” Number Three said with a sigh. “Just show us the way.”
“I’m not going with you guys,” Chris said. “I’m going to head back to
the village.”
“You have to lead us,” Number One demanded.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to leave without sending you guys on your
way, I’ll show you.”
Chris and the Three-team leaders went aside and reviewed a map of Ellis
that Chris had stolen from the school two days earlier. They chose the best
paths to follow and the three leaders reviewed and memorized the complete
layout of the town. This ability was one sign that these men were not like any
normal human being on earth. Chris then said good luck and goodbye and then
headed on his way. The three groups huddled up and mapped things out.
“Okay men, this is it,” Number One announced. “We’ve been preparing for
this for months. Now remember, you can cause as much damage to the town as
you’d like. But don’t kill anyone that’s not on the list. Kill only the nine we
were assigned to kill. You know the names; we just need to find them. I don’t
care what you have to do, just get it done. We have guns, so they’ll do
anything we want them to, got it?” All
gave a cheerful “Yes, sir!” then the three groups broke up and set out on their
mission. Ellis was hit in three different places. Number One’s group hit the
Town Hall, where Mayor Templeton was dragged out and thrown to the ground. He
tried pleading with the men, saying he could help them. He would have done
anything they wanted him to but they wouldn’t have it; they had a mission to
complete. Number One shot Mayor Templeton to death right in front of those
closest to him. Dr. Moss was also on the scene. He was beaten and bloodied.
Number One thought that it would be amusing to see the doctor put through as
much pain as possible. Dr. Moss was hung up by the neck and shot dead from
there.
William was wandering around the little patch of woods near his house
when the attacks began. All week he had been wondering how to tell the rest of
Ellis about what he had learned of Chris Norton’s secret agenda. The young hero
had no idea that his life long enemy was in Ellis, right under his nose the
whole time. After hearing gunfire, he knew that the worst was happening. He
found a spot behind his back yard, where he crouched down to hide. Two men with
guns were laughing and joking until another came out of the house, declaring
that no one was there. William was relieved that his mom was not home. She must
have gone out into town. There was however no time for joy, as the tree men
hurled small objects into the house, through he windows, causing the house to
explode. One of the men was ordered to stand guard while the others went back
to meet with their “Captain.” When the soldier was left all alone, William
picked his moment, made the attack and took the lone soldier out. Knowing he
had to do what was needed of him, William took the soldier’s gun and headed off
to help whoever needed him.
Number Two’s group held Edward Hall, his girlfriend Amelia Dillon, Mr.
Myrtle and some of the other townsfolk hostage in the Myrtle’s Diner. The men
were demanding names and it was only a matter of time before Edward and
Amelia’s identities were discovered. In time, their world would be shattered.
After sending their families away to hide, Officer Mackey and Deputy Pickles
were left with only their wits and their guns. They knew they had to make a
move, but if they weren’t careful, they could fail. They knew they couldn’t let
the people of Ellis down.
Number Three had sent his three men to investigate the Temple home. When
two of his men returned, they told him that no one was home, they had blown up
the house and the third guy had stayed behind to stand guard. The three men
searched around town, until they found a group of civilians hiding out in a
garage. The three cornered the group, which consisted of Ronald Payne, Wendy
Temple, Sandra Becket, Father West and some others. William arrived just in
time to see Sandra slapped around and tormented. Ronald showed some force but
was hit in the gut with a gun by one of the men. Number Three got tired of
games and shot Sandra. The sight of her death brought back gut wrenching
memories of Joseph’s secret relationship with the girl. Sandra Beckett and
Joseph McGregor had once planned to be married. Now they were both dead.
William would not let this go easily.
Number Three decided that he wanted to go looking for Elvira Norton, so
he lied about his plans and headed off. His two men were left alone to finish
off Wendy and Ronald. The two men grabbed a relentless Ronald, who was thrown
to his knees, and marked for death. The two cocked their guns and told him to
say his last words. He told them to go to hell, which they laughed at and told
him goodbye. Just as Ronald’s life seemed to be coming to an end, William
called out to the men, who turned only to be both shot down. The group praised
William and his mother gave him a tear-filled hug. However, there wasn’t much
time for celebration and it was decided that Father West was to lead everyone
to safety, while William and Ronald set out to take down the rest of the
invaders. Number Three found Elvira Norton hiding
out in her basement. She sat in a chair by photos of her husband and son. When
her killer arrived, he held the gun to her head and paid no attention to her
tears. “I
know he sent you,” she cried. Number
Three instantly shot Elvira dead. He stood wondering for a moment about how she
had known. At that time, he got a radio call from Number One telling him to
meet his team at the down town area. Number Three shook off what he had done,
and headed out. At
the Diner, things were getting more and more hectic, as Number Two and his men
questioned their hostages. Edward had no hope of escape; no plan. It got worse
when he and Amelia were identified. The men grabbed Amelia and Edward struggled
and screamed but was held back. Number Two laughed at the two, realizing that
they were in love. This inspired the monster to hurt them even more. He first
shot Amelia in the foot, causing her to scream in pure terror. He then shot her
in the shoulder, causing her to fall in pain. Finally, he held her up by the
hair and Edward knew it was over. He was half way through screaming her name
when Number Two shot her dead. The men began kicking the tortured and
humiliated Edward around, until there was a call on their walkie-talkies for
Number Two to head down town. Number Two ordered two of his men to stay, while
he and another headed away. The
two remaining men kicked Edward around a bit more, then got off focus, laughing
at his humiliation and sharing jokes. They didn’t expect what came next.
Edward’s rage built and he reached up, grabbed one of their guns and shot both
men dead. The others in the diner gave their thanks to Edward but he wasn’t
able to share their joy. The love of his life, Amelia Dillon, was dead. He
cried and held her body, hoping for a sign of life. He got nothing.
There were seven of them left. They were shooting out windows and
causing explosions down town, demanding the last few to come forth. Number One,
Number Two and Number Three were pleased with themselves. They had nearly
completed their mission. There were only five targets to go. Unknown to the
invaders, the last five would be the hardest to take. Officer Mackey was
trained to stop people like them at any cost and William and Ronald had a bit
of power themselves. In a matter of moments, there would be a firestorm of mass
proportions. William and Ronald came across Officer Mackey and Deputy Pickles
near the Town Hall, where Number One, Number two, Number Three and the last four
living men in their group was holding their hostages. The four were filled with
a sense of hope when they saw each other.
“Its good to see you boys are still alive,” Officer Mackey said happily.
“Any idea what these monsters want?” Ronald asked.
“No,” Deputy Pickles answered. “They just showed up and started killing
people. The mayor’s dead.” “So
is Dr. Moss,” Officer Mackey continued.
“Dr. Moss?” William asked with much grief.
“They killed a girl too,” Ronald went on and then sighed. “I didn’t know
her to well.”
“Sandra Becket,” William announced.
“Sandra…” Officer Mackey whispered with a sense of sadness. “So
what do we do, Chief?” Deputy Pickles asked his superior.
“There’s seven of them left,” Officer Mackey answered. “There are only
four of us. I see we all have a gun, I guess…well I don’t want you boys to risk
your lives but I just don’t see any other way.” “I
know, sir,” William said. “We have to do this, we’re the town’s only chance.”
“Okay then,” Officer Mackey said with a sigh. “Stick together. When we
go out, we start shooting. We don’t stop until they’re all dead.” “Or
we are,” Deputy Pickles said. “Or
we are,” Officer Mackey agreed.
“Ok,” Ronald said as he cocked his gun,
“let’s do this.”
Officer Mackey went out first, followed my Ronald, then William and then
Deputy Pickles. They ran out into the enemy’s view, first in a group and then
separated. The enemy began firing but missed. William shot and took out Number
Two. Ronald shot one of the other four and then Officer Mackey and Deputy
Pickles killed the last three. Number’s One and Three were all that was left.
They continued their struggle but they were now outnumbered. William knew that
the two of them could not be allowed to escape. He and Ronald snuck behind one
of the buildings, circling up the back of the enemy and ran up shooting. Ronald
wounded Number One, who fell to the ground and rolled away. William shot and
killed Number Three, leaving Number One all alone.
Number One rose in agony, grabbing and squeezing his wounded shoulder.
He found himself surrounded by William, Ronald, Deputy Pickles and Officer
Mackey. He knew that he had no chance of escape.
“So, this is it?” he asked. “Are you boys going to kill me now?”
“You definitely deserve to die,” William answered. “If only you could
die horribly over and over again for every life you took. That is what you
deserve.” “So
do it,” Number One said without fear. “Kill me, it won’t matter. You’re all
going to die eventually.”
“What’s your name,” Officer Mackey demanded. “Who are you?” “I
have no name,” Number One replied. “I am called Number One.” “Is
that you’re rank or something?” Ronald asked. “Were you the leader of this
squadron?” “I
was the leader, yes but I was never ranked,” Number One answered. “So
your leader put you in charge and sent you here to attack us?” Deputy Pickles
asked. “The man who is in charge of the Exiled is
not my leader,” Number One replied.
“Then who is?” William asked. “My
boss is an extraordinary man,” the enemy answered with much pride. “He is using
the Exiled to take Ellis so that one day he can claim it. You see there are
many who want this place, not just the Exiled.”
“Who is your boss?” Officer Mackey asked.
“You really think I will tell you?” Number One answered with a chuckle.
“You will, in time,” Officer Mackey declared.
“We’ll see, friend.”
“Lets just kill this guy,” Ronald said.
“What? We can’t do that,” Deputy Pickles answered.
“Why not? If he somehow gets out, then he could tell his friends all
about us.”
“They already know everything they want to about us,” William announced.
“It’s too late. They’ll be coming here soon. We have to prepare. We have to
fight.”
“What is going on here William?” Officer Mackey asked. “Do you know
what’s happening?”
“I’ll tell you all about it later, after we get this guy locked up and
we clean up this mess that he and his friends made. And we’ll have to look out
for Chris Norton; he can’t be trusted.”
“Chris Norton?” Deputy Pickles asked. “Why him?” “He’s working with these guys. He has been
all along; his father too.”
“Okay then,” Officer Mackey said. “Let’s get him locked up. William, go
check out the diner, I heard it was hit. Make sure everyone there is all right.
Find any survivors. Then we’ll all go out and see who else is alive.”
“Sure thing,” William agreed. “I’ll get going that way then, it’s not
too far. You guys get him out of here.”
Officer Mackey, Deputy Pickles and Ronald tied down Number One and
dragged him to the police station. William headed to the diner, where he found
survivors waiting outside. He looked around for any loved ones and then saw a
horrific sight. Edward walked out the diner door, carrying Amelia Dillon’s body
in his arms. He had tears in his eyes and as Edward passed him, they looked
each other in the eye. Mr. Myrtle, who had followed Edward out, then greeted
William. The two shook hands and William filled Mr. Myrtle in on what had
happened all over Ellis. After Number One was locked up, under supervision of
Deputy Pickles, Officer Mackey, William and Ronald gathered everyone in town
together near the school. There were luckily many survivors but four had lost
their lives.
Sandra Beckett, Dr. Marvin Moss, Amelia Dillon and Mayor Templeton were
dead. Over time, after a census was in taken, Elvira Norton was found dead in
her home. Chris was nowhere in sight though there was some evidence that he had
been there but was now gone. William was reunited with his mother and it was
arranged for the two of them to stay at the town Inn, until they could have a
new home built. William knew that they had bigger problems to worry about. It
was not over; soon the Exiled would come. There was need of much preparation.
After the funerals, after the cleanup and after the planning, war would come to
Ellis. A Mess
To Clean
Ellis was changed. There was no going back. There would be no laughter.
There would be no joy. The town had bled again. This time it had cost five
locals their lives. It was unclear why the men would have targeted Sandra
Beckett, Dr. Marvin Moss, Amelia Dillon and Mayor Templeton but William Temple
found the murder of Elvira Norton to be the most bothersome. Why would have
Chris sit by while his mother was murdered? This made no sense to William at
all. The five funerals were held at the same time and the whole town met to
grieve together. The dead attackers were buried near the forbidden woods and
their graves were unmarked. William wanted to say how sorry he felt to Edward,
but felt that it wasn’t the right time. Meanwhile, the leader of the Maniac Group,
Number One, was held in a jail cell and was guarded by men on shifts. He had
not spoken a word, but Officer Mackey hoped to remedy this.
After the funeral, Edward went home to grieve for Amelia, alone. He,
like William, had lost the girl he loved. It would be a long time before he got
over this. He would never love again. William and Ronald met with Officer
Mackey and Deputy Pickles back at the Police Station. They had to get something
out of their hostage, they only hoped it would be enough. After a private
meeting in a locked room at the back of the station, where our heroes discussed
possible outcomes and flaws of their situation, William and his friends sat
down, facing a caged Number One. “So
are you ready to tell us everything we want to know?” Mackey asked. “I
won’t tell you a thing,” he answered.
“Who are you, Number One? Where do you come from?” “I
have no home; I come from nowhere.”
“Really?” Deputy Pickles asked. “Then who were your parents? Obviously
you have parents.” “I
killed them,” he answered.
“What?” “I
killed them. They never loved me; they only hurt me. So I destroyed them. I was
only a teenager at the time. After wards, the law made me a prisoner. But then
a great man found me and he saved me. He turned me into the soldier that I am
now. When he finds out you have me, he will send someone to come here and get
me back.” “Is
that so?” Mackey asked with a hint of sarcasm. “So
why doesn’t he come get you himself?” William asked.
“He’s an important man,” he answered. “He can’t risk it.
“Who is he?” “I
will never tell you his name. All I can say is that he is everywhere. So be
careful about the decisions you make in the future. He might come for you; all
of you.” “So
he’s your friend, huh?” Pickles asked.
“More than that,” he answered. “He has taught me everything that is
worth knowing in this world. He is my superior.” “So
he’s like a father to you?”
“No. He’s my God.”
This brought on a deep and uneasy quiet in the room. “Well if he’s your
god,” Mackey continued, “ then how come you don’t mind selling him out so
much?”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“You’re telling us what we want to know, “ Ronald answered.
“No,” he replied, “I’m telling you what he wants you to know.”
“What?” “He
knows all about you boys.” He laughed. “He just wanted you to know who will be
responsible for your deaths.” “So
what about the Exiled?” William asked. “Where do they all play into this?”
“They’re his pawns, nothing more,” he answered.
“You’re lying.”
“Maybe.” “So
what about Chris Norton and his father, Roger?”
“Roger Norton was sent by the exiled years ago, to come here. He is,
after all, a member of the Exiled himself. The entire time he was here, he was
secretly gathering information about all of you and sending it to the head of
the Exiled, who then sent it to my boss. Chris was here recently, setting up
the arrangements for our arrival. He left when we showed up.”
“What?” Mackey asked. “No one saw him. No one knew he was here.” “He
was hiding out in his old house,” he answered. “So
the Norton’s are bad people after all.”
“Yes, just like me and my comrades, whom you murdered.” “So
why Elvira Norton?” Pickles asked.
“Excuse me?” he asked back.
“Why would Chris Norton have his own mother killed?” “I
don’t understand.”
“There were five people killed: Marvin Moss, Amelia Dillon, Mayor
Templeton, Sandra Beckett and Elvira Norton.”
“That cant be, she wasn’t on our list.”
“What list?” Mackey asked. He
answered, “A list of nine names: Marvin Moss, Amelia Dillon, Mayor Templeton,
Sandra Beckett, Edward Hall, Wendy Temple, William Temple, Officer Mackey and
Ronald Payne.”
“Us?” “I
wasn’t on the list?” Pickles asked, a bit confused.
“You didn’t make the cut, boy,” he answered. “But don’t worry, there’s
an even bigger list on the way.” “So
why was Elvira Norton killed?” William asked. “I
couldn’t tell you. We were ordered to kill only you nine. No more, no less.”
“Well she’s dead.”
“I’m a little surprised to be honest with you. One of my men must have
had a secret.”
“Right,” Mackey chuckled. “So what is the list for? Why were the nine of
us chosen?”
“William, for obvious reasons,” he answered, “and the rest of you are a
warning.” “A
warning?” Ronald asked. “What for?” “To
warn everyone in Ellis to leave forever, or he or she will be killed.”
“Right. And what are the obvious reasons for William to be killed?”
“He’s the one?”
“The what?” Mackey asked. “Do you know what he’s talking about,
William?”
“Kind of,” William answered.
“He’s the only one who can stop us,” he said. “He’s special, if you
will. He’s been chosen. It wont matter though. He’ll fail. You are all going to
die.”
“We’ll see about that, Mac,” Ronald remarked.
“Mac? What do you mean, Mac?”
“That’s your new name. I hope you like it.” “I
prefer Number One, please.”
“It’s Mac for now, pal.”
Number One then sighed, and laughed. “You’re always running, Ronald,” he
said. “You never stop. You want everyone to think you don’t care, that you’re a
bad person, but you’re not. You’re a good guy, Ronald Payne. But it’s a bad
time to be a good guy; you will die for it.”
This comment made Ronald and everyone else in the room a bit uneasy. But
he didn’t let it get to him. He just smiled and shot back, “We’ll see about
that, MAC.”
After much talk about what had happened, William decided to clear up any
confusion made with his friends. He led them to the library and there he
introduced them to the Know It All. There were many questions to be asked and
in return answered, but the Know It All ironically only knew so much. And so
William and The Know It All shared with their friends everything that they did
know and revealed memories from the past. After learning all that there was to
know about the Exiled, the coming war and the importance of William, the
friends said their thanks and goodbyes to the Know It All, and went about their
ways.
Hours later, William visited his mother at the Inn and then went
searching for Edward. At this same point in time, Officer Mackey headed home,
realizing that he must make a decision that could affect his family forever.
When he reached his house, he found his wife, Martha, and their young son,
Donnie, eating dinner. “Sorry, I missed dinner,” he said. “I had work to do.”
His wife then got up, made him a plate and they sat down together to finish
their meal.
After dinner, Mackey and his wife put their son to bed and then went out
on the front porch to talk. Mackey told her everything that the enemy, Number
One, had said. His wife began to feel worried. “What
are we going to do?” she asked. “I
don’t know,” he answered. “All that I do know is that whatever it is that’s
coming, I have to stay here and fight it. And if I’m going to fight with a
conscious mind, I need you and Donnie to be safe, which is why you both have to
leave.”
“What?” she cried.
“You cant stay here,” he replied, “its not safe. You need to leave,
tomorrow morning, after Donnie gets up. I’ll pack the car tonight while you’re
both sleeping. Then tomorrow the two of you will head up state, to a hotel
where you’ll be safe.” “I
can’t leave you.”
“You have to. I can’t fight if I have to worry about you the whole time.
I need you to go, please do this for me.”
Martha Mackey agreed and then went to bed to dream of better times.
Officer Mackey began loading the car up with necessities, and some personal
affects. After reviewing some old photographs, Mackey began to cry and wished
that it didn’t have to be this way. However, he knew it had to be done.
William found Edward, who had been grieving, alone by Amelia’s grave. He
almost walked away in fear of angering his old friend, but decided to join him
instead. Edward barely acknowledged William but the tears in his eyes said it
all. And so the two sat there, grieving together for a full night and by
sunrise, they realized the importance of their friendship and they cleared up
all the past wrongs for a chance of a brighter future. The next day was a day
that dawned the fate of Ellis. Officer Mackey watched his wife drive off with
their son, in hopes of survival and William and Edward were friends again. Now
our heroes found themselves in a situation where there was no escape. Evil was
coming and they would not let it take Ellis without a fight. Taken A
month went by and William knew that he had to bring in some help. So he sent
word for his father’s friends in Tampa to come to Ellis. He had missed Alec
Nightmoon, Toby Bennett and Byron McLoven very much, so when they sent word
that they would soon be on their way, he was overjoyed to hear it. When the
time was near, William and his friends, Ronald and Edward, headed out to the
outskirts of town where they expected to meet their soon to be comrades. They
had no way of knowing if they were on time; all they did know was that the
three men were on their way and William swore he’d be there when they arrived.
Unfortunately, things would not work out so easily. Unknown to our heroes, they
were surrounded by the enemy. The one time Edward did not have his gun on him,
they needed it the most. When they felt the time was right, the enemy closed in
and beat the three friends to the ground, bonded their hands, covered their
faces with sacks and dragged them off.
William awoke to find that he was all alone in a locked room. He tried
calling for his friends with no luck. He examined the room but did not have
much to see. He was worried for his friends. Were they nearby, maybe in the
same situation? Were they far? Were they still alive? He began to call out
their names again but received no response. He began to worry, and hope for
rescue.
Edward awoke, lying next to a corpse of a man. He immediately panicked
and kicked it away. He stood, looked around the small room and yelled for William.
All he got was a knock on the door and someone on the other side yelling to him
to shut up.
Ronald woke up, tied down to a chair, with a gag in his mouth. He tried
to holler but no one would hear him. There was something attached to his wrist
that ran into a nearby machine. This made him realize that he was in store for
much trauma. As his eyes widened and his heart sank, he yelled louder, unable
to be heard by his friends. There was a laugh from the other side of the door
and he heard a noise like a lever being pulled. He then felt waves of energy
beaming through his body, with much pain. He didn’t feel it for long as he fell
into darkness. He wasn’t dead though; he had just blacked out.
William sat in the darkness, filled with fear. When the door opened, he
had the instinct to bolt and fight his way out but felt it would do no good. So
he sat and waited to see who it was. He was shocked and horrified by the sight
of Chris Norton.
“Hello William,” Chris said. “You?” William asked in bewilderment. “What
have you done? Where are we?” “I
can’t tell you that, William. But I will say that you are far form home and
even if you escaped, you wouldn’t be able to find your way back to Ellis.”
“You killed my Myra.” “It
wasn’t me. You’ll meet her killer some time later. I only helped get rid of the
body.
“Why? I mean we always knew that you were secretly obsessed with her but
I never thought you could ever be involved with her death.” “I loved her, yes, but things change. She was
chosen to die for a reason. However, it didn’t work out the way that we hoped
it would.”
“And what reason was that?”
“Her death was meant to be a warning to keep you away from Ellis. It was
never meant to inspire you to come back.”
“No? Well, here I am.”
“Here you are…” there was silence for a moment, until Chris decided to
tell William a bit of bad news. “The cop, Mackey, I remember he had a family. A
wife and son, right?” “Yes,
but you’ll never get them. He sent them away to safety. They’re far away by
now.” “I
hate to be the one to tell you this but they didn’t make it far. Our people
caught them outside of our borders. They were executed only hours ago.”
“Why?”
“They were meant to die.”
“Why are we alive? Why didn’t you kill us too?”
“Because we need you. They were of no use to us.”
William sighed with grief before asking, “So what now? Why are you doing
this?”
“It is my destiny, William. Soon you will meet yours.”
“Destiny? What would you know of that?” It
was not Chris that answered, it was an older man, who entered and said,
“Everything you wouldn’t, Mr. Temple.”
“Who are you?” William asked.
Chris introduced William by saying, “William, meet Donovan McNeal.”
William knew instantly who this man was. “You’re the one,” he cried.
“The leader, right?”
“That is correct, yes,” Donovan answered and then motioned for Chris to
leave. “You may go now, Chris.”
“Yes sir,” Chris said and exited.
“So, you’re the one pulling the stings?” William asked Donovan.
“Here, yes,” Donovan answered. “But as you should already know, I am
under the payroll of a greater and higher source.”
“Who is he?” “I
will never tell you. Who knows, if fate rolls your way, you may still one day
meet him.”
“We’ll see. Then I’ll tell him the same thing that I told you.”
“And what’s that, Mr. Temple?”
William smiled and announced, “You’ll never get Ellis.”
This angered Donovan. “We’ll see about that, boy.”
“Does he know?”
“Does who know what?”
“Chris. Does he know that his mother was killed by one of your
mercenaries?”
“What do you mean? She wasn’t on the list?”
“Well, one of them killed her anyway. I might be wrong, he is an evil
guy but when he finds out, what do you think he’ll do? He may just lose it.”
“We’ll see. I have to go. If you want your friends to live, you wont
tell Norton.” “My
friends? Where are they?”
“Safe.”
“Where?”
“Safe!”
William then laid down, in attempt to sleep, hoping it would help him to
regain his strength. It was rough and hard but he knew this was only the
beginning. The next few days would be very tough. The
Missing Heroes Two
days had passed since the abduction of William, Edward and Ronald. A letter was
sent to Officer Mackey stating that the exiled had the heroes and that they
should prepare for the worst. Mackey tried over and over again to get Number
One to talk but he got very little. The mercenary would not tell him where the
heroes were being held, only that they were safe for the time being. When
Mackey asked about the man Number One worked for, the most that he’d answer
was, “My boss is not a man for mercy. He will give you or anyone else none.”
“Yes,” Mackey argued, “you’ve told me all of this before. I want to know
more about him and how he’s connected to the Exiled and their upcoming
invasion. What does he want out of it? Why would he help them take it?” “He
isn’t going to let them have it. It’s all part of a plan. He’s just letting
them do all of the dirty work. They are only pawns to him and nothing else.
When they take Ellis, he will claim it as his and kill them all.”
“He’s going to betray the Exiled?”
“He’s a business man. He knows how to play the game.”
Mackey found this to be very unnerving. He left Deputy Pickles in charge
of watching Number One and went to his empty home, hoping that his wife, Martha
and their son, Donny, made it to safety.
When Father West learned the news of the missing heroes, he met with
Carl to discuss it. Carl knew instantly that the worst was near. “Things are
working out for the worst for Ellis. We’re all going to die.”
“There is still hope, Carl,” Father West said.
“They have the Temple boy. It’s over; there’s no one left to stop them.” “I
don’t believe that they are dead. They cannot be.”
“Wake up, West! We’re all that’s left.”
“Well, all we can do for now is wait. Maybe in time, a hope will present
itself.”
“Yeah, or the enemy will come along and kill us all.”
“Have faith, Carl. When you came to me with your problems, did I not
trust you? Did I not help you?”
“You thought I was nuts. It took you a while before you ever believed
me.”
“Fair enough, but in the end I did trust you. So now I need you to trust
me.”
Carl sighed. “Come on Preach, you know I trust you.”
“Then please continue to do so. Soon, we will find our chance for
survival, I promise you.” Father West then patted Carl on the back and led him
back to the church where they made dinner and talked of preparations before the
attack.
Wendy Temple confronted Officer Mackey in the downtown area of Ellis, while he was on his way back to the station. She had somehow learned of the abduction of her son and his friends and she was thrown into instant panic. She begged him to tell her everything he knew, but was disappointed when he did not have much to say. He told her of the hostage, known only as Number One, and that William, Edward and Ronald were taken, but that was all. He was sorry to tell her that it was still unknown if the three were still alive or not. After much hugging and crying, Wendy said her goodbyes and then headed back to her quiet home. All of this made Mackey feel very bad. He decided to talk to a more cooperative source and headed to the library to see the Know It All. He found the stranger sitting at his regular spot in the library. Mackey still did not understand or even trust the Know It All but he had no other choice. He demanded for the Know It All to tell him everything he knew but it ironically wasn’t enough. “I
know what you want me to say, but I cannot promise you anything,” the Know It
All stated. “I’m glad you felt it was right to come to me and I wish you and
everyone else in this town the best, but I am only a prophet of sorts. I do not
know where they are.”
“But they have to be alive,” Officer Mackey cried. “They just have to
be, right?”
“Hard to say but yes, I believe the heroes are alright. The Exiled would
not just murder them so easily. Their leader would separate them and mess with
their minds individually.”
“Their leader? You mean our captive’s boss?”
“No, not that man. He would see them dead. The leader of the Exiled is
not the same as that man.”
“The man called Number One said that when the Exiled kill everyone in
Ellis, the Mystery Man will kill all of them and take the town for his own. I
don’t understand why he doesn’t take it now, alone even. Why kill the ones who
help him?”
“This man could take Ellis in a heart beat. However, he knew the leader
of the Exiled. The leader went to the man for help. This man knew that if he
took Ellis, then he would have trouble with the Exiled himself. So when he
comes to see them after their victory, it will be a lot easier for his Army to
take them out then.”
“The man has an Army?” “He
has unlimited resources. You may not believe it now but he could easily take
over the whole world. He has almost endless power. He even hopes to claim the
ultimate power, which will secure him to be totally unstoppable.” “So
if he could so easily take over the world, why doesn’t he just do it now? Why
does he need Ellis so badly?” “I
don’t fully understand it, really. This place has some kind of power. Things
seem to happen in Ellis that don’t normally occur in the outside world. I don’t
know what it is, but he wants this power. He’ll do anything he has to to get it
and when he does he will then take the rest of the world.”
“How do you know so much about him, if you don’t know who he is?” “I
only know what I was told.”
“Who told you?” “My
dreams. I wish I knew who he was. We could prepare for his wrath as well as the
Exiled.”
“What do you mean?” “If
you find the heroes, you will still be doomed. If you face the Exiled head on
and even defeat their army, Ellis will still meet it’s fate. Nothing will stop
this man from getting what he wants. I feel that if you all survive the
upcoming battle, he will only have to wait. And the longer he waits, the
angrier he will be. Yes, if you live to see the Exiled fall, you will
eventually be forced to face the true villain. Either way, you wont win.”
Mackey thought on this for a moment, and then said, “Well. You say it
yourself all of the time: you don’t really know everything.” “I
hope you’re right,” the Know It All replied.
Mackey realized it was getting late and he had to head to the station to
relieve the current guard. They said their goodbyes and the Know It All
announced that they would not meet again. This bothered Mackey, who then left
the library and headed to the station and the Know It All was left all alone.
He scanned over and flipped through the pages of the book titled, “Of Life, Love, Loss, and
Friendship: A Guide To Your Destiny.” He knew who wrote the book and hoped that
the connection between him and the true villain was the one thing that could
help the heroes save Ellis. Caged Over the recent days, Ronald Payne had been
put through much torture. The worst part was that it all seemed to be for
nothing. No one spoke to him, he had not seen anyone, not even been fed and
there were no questions asked. He began to feel that he would soon be put to
his death. He wished he had done the right thing with his life. He should have
kept his father’s Empire going, instead of letting Montgomery Dyson get it. He
should never have left Hope Crawford, the girl he had once loved so very much. Watching
Montgomery Dyson, who had been a longtime rival of his father’s, buy it out was
the worst. Dyson seemed to be a very greedy and menacing, yet manipulative and
powerful man. He could have anything he ever wanted. There was much more to him
even then, which Ronald could never imagine. He again though of Hope Crawford.
It was so long ago but he never forgot her face; a face he could only dream to
see again. Ronald had to get this all out of his head. He began to worry again
for William and Edward. He hoped they were all right, but there was not much
hope. Yet, if he was still alive, then they just might have been too.
William awoke from dreams featuring faces from his past and instantly
realized he was still being held prisoner by the Exiled. “Still here,” he
mumbled to himself, but this time he realized he was not alone. He turned to
find a man in a suit, who had recently presented himself to William as Mr.
Dawson. “Sorry to startle you, William,” Dawson said comfortably.
“What do you want?” William asked.
“Nothing, just making sure you’re…comfortable.”
“What do you think?” “I
think you want me to let you and your friends go.”
“Score one for you.”
“You’ll soon be dead, William. If not here, then back home. You cannot
stop this destiny.”
“Your leader, Donovan…did he tell you to come tell me this?” “He
is not my leader, only a pawn. My leader is a much greater and more powerful
man.” “So
I hear. Who is he?”
“You know I won’t tell you.”
“Right, because you’re a bad guy.”
“Ellis will be his, I promise you. Your people can fight, they can beat
the Exiled and they can even win but sooner or later he will come back and beat
them. He will have Ellis.”
“Back?”
“That’s right. He’s been there before. He looks forward to his return.”
“He’ll never have Ellis.”
“Maybe not. We’ll see.” Mr.
Dawson knocked on the door and someone let him out. Left alone, William sat in
the corner and waited for his chance. He could not let them win, not yet. He
had to at least fight. Mr.
Dawson met Donovan in the main cabin. It was decided that Mr. Dawson had to
make an important trip to Ellis. It was known that the One Who Knew Too Much
had come, but they had not yet acted on it and now the time had come. Mr.
Dawson had a mission. He had to go to Ellis, stake out the town and kill the
One Who Knew Too Much. It was a necessary attack, one that would put the Exiled
in the lead. Last
Breath
Most of the people in our story have their full lives, including their
pasts, recorded. However, in the case of the Know It All, known in some circles
as the “One Who Knows Too Much,” there was not much. It was never learned how
he gained his abilities or why he was ever chosen. He seemed to have no former
life before coming to Ellis. Unfortunately he would never tell his tale. He had
a path that would end in the town. The man in charge, as well as his men and
the Exiled, had been hunting for him for a while but he seemed to move fast. It
is believed that he knew what would happen and that is why he did not put up a
fight. The one chosen for the job, known as Mr. Dawson, had never met the man.
He knew nothing of him, other than that he was the enemy. He hated him for
this. So when he was sent to kill him, he was very honored. The Know It All had
been at his regular spot in the town library, when he heard the main door slam
open and a sudden gust of wind rush by. He headed downstairs to find the doors
still wide open and the night consuming the town.
“Hello there,” Mr. Dawson uttered from behind him. This startled him and
he turned instantly.
“You,” the Know It All said in fear. “So
you know me?”
“Only what I’ve heard, Mr. Dawson…and seen in my dreams.”
“We’ve been looking for you for a long time. The boss is angry with
you.”
“The hell with your boss; he’s a bad man.”
“Well, now you’re a dead man.” “I
know. You will be too. Soon.” “I
know. I know what is coming.” “So
why do you fight? And what do the Exiled think of all of this? The poor fools
don’t even realize. When all of the people of Ellis are dead and the Exiled are
victorious, your boss will come with his army and kill them all. He will take
it for his.”
“The power of this place will be his.”
“Even when he gets the town, he won’t understand the power. It won’t bid
him as well as it did his brother.”
“His brother may have been able to control it but only for a time. But
he eventually lost the control, which is why he died. When my boss makes his
triumphant return to Ellis he will find the grave and from there he will take
it from his brother.”
“Does he not realize the cost of the magic? It has cursed this land. He
wasn’t born here but those who were have since been damned. When you’re born in
Ellis, you die in Ellis. No one born here has ever died outside of Ellis thanks
to him.” Mr.
Dawson began to get annoyed. “Don’t trouble me with curses,” he argued. “What
of the ones not from here? Why are so many lured here to die?”
“They were brought to Ellis for a purpose; each of them is important.
Their spirits are used to help decide the fates.”
“Decide the fates? A traveling salesman? A rock star? Why?”
“You could never understand.” “No
I understand well, Know It All. Samuel brought them here. So much has happened
in this small town in such a little time. Ellis has gone on long enough; it
must be destroyed.”
“There are good people here. Your boss may come but he’ll never get away
with it.” “He
already has.” In
an instant, Mr. Dawson kicked the Know It All to the ground, came up behind
him, grabbed him and snapped his neck. “Die now,” Mr. Dawson whispered to the
lifeless Know It All. “You have been spared, messenger.” Mr. Dawson then
wrapped the Know It All’s body up and carried him off. There wasn’t much time
and he still had one more chore to do. He headed over to the police station
where the mercenary, Number One was being held. Deputy Pickles was in the
middle of his shift, when Mr. Dawson broke down the door in an instant. Pickles
tried to pull out his gun and warn the intruder but he was not fast enough. Mr.
Dawson lifted a nearby stool and broke it over Pickles’ back, knocking the
Deputy unconscious. Mr. Dawson left him alive; he had no order to kill the man.
Number One was excited by this chance to escape. Mr. Dawson broke the lock,
freed Number One and the two took off with the Know It All’s body out of Ellis,
towards their headquarters. Mr. Dawson was proud of his accomplishment. He and
Number One had a long walk back home but they would not rest. They had to get
back in time for what was in store for William Temple the next day. The
Good Fight
Donovan McNeal was relieved to see Mr. Dawson back along with Number
One. When the body of the Know It All was revealed, he knew that the job was
done. Now it was time to set up his arrangement with William Temple. Donovan
burst into the cell, instantly awaking William. When William asked what was
going on, Donovan said nothing as a henchman dragged the body of the Know It
All inside, then dropped him at William’s feet.
“Look familiar William?” Donovan asked.
“It’s the Know It All,” William answered.
“Correct.”
“You killed him?”
“Actually Mr. Dawson did. Of course I however ordered him to do so.”
“Why?” “He had to die, it was his time. Now you
see what is to happen to you and your friends if you don’t do what I’m about to
demand of you.”
“Why should I do anything for you.”
“It’s not for me. It’s for you. My young friend, Pucker Tyson is waiting
outdoors. You are to go out there and fight him to the death.”
“What? You expect me to buy all of this.” “If
you kill him, you and your friends will be set free to return to Ellis. There
you can wait for our arrival and your inevitable deaths. If he kills you, your
friends die too. Either way, you will all eventually die. But I’m giving you
this chance for you to spend your last days with your loved ones. Do we have a
deal?”
“I’ll do it, but not Pucker. I want Chris Norton.” “I know you do. He is your mortal enemy,
why wouldn’t you want to kill him? But you can’t. He’s needed elsewhere. But if
you beat Pucker, then maybe you will one day get your chance at Christopher.”
“Right.” “So
what do you say?” “Do I really have a choice?”
“No.”
“Then of course I will.”
“Good.”
Donovan and his men led William out side to a small courtyard that lay
about 20 yards from the cabins. Pucker, who was full of energy and just knew
that William stood no chance, was waiting. William stood across from his enemy.
In the crowd he saw Number One. He then knew that he had been freed from the
custody of Officer Mackey. William began to feel worried and hoped that his
friend had not met the same fate as his family. Had Mackey even known that they
were dead? Probably not. If he and his
friends did return to Ellis, it would be most hard to explain their deaths to
the cop.
“Remember,” Donovan stated, “live or die, William. It’s up to you.” “Let’s
see if you die as easy as your girlfriend did,” Pucker teased. This sent a
surge of rage through William. He realized that he did want to take Pucker down
after all. He had almost forgotten that it was he who had killed Myra. William
ran towards Pucker, only to be thrown to the ground. Pucker kicked William over
and over again, until William caught his foot and dropped Pucker down as well.
William and Pucker stood and exchanged punches. The cheers from the other
Exiled were nearly enough to make William forget that they were the enemy and
that they weren’t cheering for him.
Donovan had one of his men throw in two wooden poles with blades on the
tips, for the fighters to use on one another. When they picked them up, both
men used them for shielding while the other was thrashing. At one point, it
looked like William might have seen the end if he hadn’t have dodged a strike
from Pucker, who then jumped towards William ready to make his strike. He took
this time to raise the pole up and the blade went right through Pucker. This
caused much outrage from the shocked Exiled. Pucker fell dead and William was
instantly grabbed by two men and presented to Donovan. “So
you have survived,” Donovan said while trying to hide his anger. “By killing
our chosen one, Pucker Tyson, you have filled us with much rage. I would like
to kill you myself but I have made a promise. You and your friends will go free
and I will make another promise: when we come you will pay dearly for this
outrage. Take him back to his cell.”
“What about our deal? Aren’t you going to let us go?”
“Yes. When you return to your cell, you will be given a sedative that
will put you to sleep. You and your friends will wake up together, outside of
Ellis. I promise you. Now go.” William was then dragged back to his cell, where
just as promised, he was given a shot that instantly put him to sleep.
Ronald had been put through much torture over the past few days. When
Mr. Dawson visited him, he had no time for thinking before speaking. “What do
you want, you rat?” “So
harsh, Payne,” Mr. Dawson said. “I have come baring good news. Your friend,
William Temple was put in a fight to the death against our Pucker Tyson and
won. As Donovan has promised him, you will all be set free.”
“But you’re still going to attack Ellis, right?”
“Yes, there is no stopping that.”
“We’ll stop you.”
“You amaze me, Ronald. I’ve asked you before through your torture
sessions and I get the same answer. Yet, I am inspired to ask again and again:
why do you care so much for Ellis? They have shown you nothing but grief. They
don’t understand you.”
“There are good people in Ellis. They can win this war.” “I
wonder what your father would say about all of this.”
“You didn’t know my father.” “I
didn’t, but I know of him. What would he say if he were here to see the man you
have become? I mean you sold your family empire, ran away and became a
criminal. There are people out there that would love to see you dead. You must
be such a disappointment to him.” “That’s
why now it’s so important that I reclaim my honor for him. Now I have to fight
for what I believe in.”
“Maybe.” Two men entered, one holding a needle.
“What’s that for?” Ronald asked. “It
won’t kill you,” Mr. Dawson answered. “It will only put you to sleep. You’re
going to need a good long nap if you’re to go back to Ellis tomorrow. It’s
necessary.” As
the needle went into his skin, Ronald only smirked and said, “See you in
Ellis.” “I
hope so,” Mr. Dawson hissed.
Edward awoke in the middle of the woods to find that his friends, William and Ronald, were asleep nearby. All that he remembered was one of the Exiled giving him a shot, then nothing and now he was with his friends again. When William and Ronald awoke, there was much joy. However, the three friends had to get a move on it if they were to return to Ellis before sunset, not that they knew what time it was. With much blind luck, they found the road back to town and in no time they were standing at the sign that read, “Welcome To Ellis. Just Five Miles Ahead.” William was reminded of the time that he had slept walk out there and awoke by that very sign. To him, it seemed like forever ago. He had met Willard Kelley that day. As fate would happen, destiny would call for another meeting on the outskirts of Ellis. The three noticed a strange car heading their way. At first, they were worried that it was the Exiled but it couldn’t have been. Not yet, anyways. When the car pulled up, the doors opened and three men got out. It was Alec Nightmoon, Toby Bennett and Byron Mcloven.
“It’s you guys,” William cried overjoyed. “I almost never thought I’d
see you guys again!” “We
got your message, William,” Toby said. “We came as soon as we could.” “Has it started yet?” Byron asked.
“No, not yet,” William answered. “Ronald, Edward this is Alec Nightmoon,
Toby Bennett and Byron Mcloven. Alec, Toby, Byron…this is Edward and Ronald.”
“Pleased to meet you boys,” Alec greeted.
“Likewise,” Edward said. “It
was hard finding this place,” Toby said. “It seems like no one even knows it
exists.” “I
told you guys, didn’t I?” William asked. “I don’t know how even I ever found my
way back here.”
“What are you guys doing out here anyways?” Byron asked. “We
were just held hostage by the enemies until they let us go,” William stated.
“They had us for days.” “We
left Tampa just about a half a day ago,” Toby said. “We should have left
sooner, but we had to settle some things and leave the bar in good hands.” “We
have to get back to Ellis to warn everyone.”
“Well hop on in, boys,” Alec said. “Let’s get you home.”
William, Edward and Ronald all got into the car and the six men headed
to Ellis. William knew that there was much to go over. It would be hard to tell
Officer Mackey about the fate of his family but it had to be done. There was
much planning to do but not enough time to do it. The war would soon be starting. Decisions And
Announcements
William and his friends made it back to Ellis and were greeted with much
joy. Officer Mackey was relieved to see them but was in for some very bad news.
After William had told him about the fate of his family, Mackey returned to the
wrecked Police station and found a hidden bottle of liquor, which he planned to
finish. He drank it all through the night and felt alone for the first time
since his father had died. Had he been a good man? Had he led a good life? Had
he failed his dad? He knew he had failed his family. Now he would die, the last
of his line.
During the absence of Officer Mackey, Deputy Pickles, who had been
recovering from his run in with the villain, Mr. Dawson, explained everything
that had happened since the friends were taken. Alec, Byron and Toby were
introduced to everyone and were given rooms to stay in at the Inn. Edward met
with his family, who were relieved to see him. Ronald had no one. William found
his mother, who hugged and kissed him with much pride. She cried, “I knew I’d
see you again.” William got a room at the Inn with Ronald and together, they
decided what was to be done next. They would have to meet with the Council of
Ellis the next day. Time was running out.
William, Ronald and Edward met with the council, which now consisted of
Father West (who was now always accompanied by the recently cleaned up Carl),
Officer Mackey (who had still been missing), Deputy Pickles and Mr. And Mrs.
Myrtle, Mr. Albertan, Mr. And Mrs. Nacelle, Mr. Grey, Mr. Dillon, and Mr.
McGregor. William had informed them on everything he knew but there was much
confusion and debate to get through. “I
am sorry for what happened to you boys out there,” Mr. Dillon said, “and I’m
sorry for the loss of Officer Mackey’s family. But we have much happening that
we must prepare for. There will be a time for mourning but it is not now.”
“How can you say that, Dillon?” Mr. Grey asked. “You’ve lost a daughter
yourself. You mourned her when you chose.”
“Those were different times,” Mr. Dillon answered. “We are now at war.”
“The daughter you speak of was the love of my life,” Edward cut in. “I
planned to marry her and start a family. That dream died with her. I agree with
the man who would have been my father in law. Mr. Dillon, you are right. We
must prepare.” Mr.
Dillon smiled, feeling proud and said, “Thank you, Edward.” “We
must have faith and hope for the best,” Mr. Nacelle said. “My
dear friend, Ellis is weak,” Mr. Grey said. “We have no chance. We haven’t even
appointed a new mayor yet.”
“The last mayor was not to be trusted,” William argued. “He played our
town and was willing to let us all die for his survival. I trust no one with
this matter. When the war is over, then we will appoint a new mayor. For now,
we make the decisions.”
“What would you know?” Mr. Albertan asked. “You are just a kid. And what
happened to your escape. Remember everyone, young William Temple here took off
and abandoned his mother and the girl he loved. Now that girl is dead as well.
Maybe you should not have come back. Just like your father.” “I
agree,” Mr. Grey said, supporting his friend. Mr.
Nacelle interrupted by saying, “Mr. Albertan and Mr. Grey, you two are my
oldest and greatest friends, I love you as brothers, but you do not know what
you are babbling about. You have no idea what this boy has been through.” “I
found my father,” William cut in. “At least, I found out what happened to him.
He was living in Tampa, Florida. The three men I came back here with were his
friends there. They told me that he had died of cancer. I saw his grave; I know
where he’s buried. I didn’t mean to find him. It was more like he found me. If
that’s not fate, then I don’t know what is. I believe we have a chance. We can
win this war.”
“William, Edward, my boy always thought of you two as his little
brothers,” Mr. McGregor said very lovingly. “That makes you family. I’m behind
you all of the way.” “I
believe it as well,” Father West said. “My friend here, Carl, was always known
by you all as the town drunk. He was more than this. He was given a message and
it came true. There is some higher power at work here in Ellis, there must be.”
Officer Mackey entered, smelling of booze and hung over. “Then let’s get
this show on the road,” he said.
“Hey boss,” Deputy Pickles said with joy. “I’m glad to see you.”
“You too, old friend.”
“Mackey,” Mr. Dillon started, “I can’t fully understand what you’re
feeling right now but I hope you’re ready to do whatever is necessary.”
“I’m ready,” Mackey answered. “I just hope we’re all ready.” The
council decided to begin preparations and all left to return home. William had
different plans. He decided to go to the cemetery, to visit some old friends.
He passed the memorial of Hector C. Gold and examined the graves of Joseph
McGregor and Willard Kelley. He then went to the grave of his beloved Myra,
where he knelt down to cry.
“I’m sorry, Myra,” he said. “I wasn’t strong enough to save you. Am I
strong enough to save them?” He
was not a bit surprised when the Warlock appeared nearby and said, “You have
always blamed yourself for the wrongs of others. You did not know what would
happen if you left.” “Is
her death my fault?” William asked. “Did I bring this upon her?”
“This is war, William. Did you believe that there would not be
casualties?”
“But Myra? She was innocent.”
“Many innocents die in war. There is no stopping that.”
“Not this time. I have an idea.”
“Oh?”
“The woods, are they safe?”
“I’m sorry?” “I
need to make sure that all of the women and children, who will not be fighting,
are safe. Will they be safe in the woods?”
“There is no threat there. It is all an act to keep my home safe.”
“Can we send them there?” “I
suppose I could help out.”
“Good, then come. We have a lot of preparing to do.”
Early the next morning, the whole town gathered outside of City Hall,
where William would make his announcement. All listened to what the young hero
had to say. “A time of war is upon us,” he began. “All men of good age are
asked to fight. The women and children are to be sent to safety.” “To
where?” A voice asked. “They’ll find us!”
“Not in the woods,” William answered. “They will not dare go into them.”
“Neither will we,” another voce shouted. “Not with that Warlock.”
“The Warlock is not dangerous,” William said. “He is willing to help. I
present to you, the Warlock.” The
Warlock joined William on the steps of City hall. There were instant gasps of
fright. “I am the Warlock,” he said. “There is no reason to fear me, it has all
been an act. I have killed no one. Now the time has come for me to help you
all. I will lead you into the woods, where you will be safe.”
“How do we know we can trust you?” a voice called.
“Because you have to,” the Warlock answered.
“This is how it has to be,” William said. “There is no other choice. Now
we must all prepare. Everyone must do their part.”
With much debate, the town decided that they had no other choice. Two
lists were formed. One was made up of those who were to leave, the other listed
the ones to stay behind and fight. Edward was both alarmed and upset when he
found out he was on the list to leave.
“What is this, William?” Edward asked.
“I’m sorry,” William answered. “I need you to do this.”
“But why? I want to help you.” “I
need you to help the Warlock. It’s up to you to make our families safe. Please,
Edward, look over our mothers and protect them. I need you to do this.”
“Then I guess I have no other choice. You are my brother, William. I
will do whatever you say.” “I
know you will. Now come, let us prepare.” And
so, Ellis united to plan their fate. In time, there would be goodbyes and
heartbreaks. Death was inevitable. Day Of
Reckoning It
was a gray day in Ellis. The time had come for the town to be split in two.
Edward met with the Warlock and together they formed their group, which
consisted of Wendy Temple, Mrs. Hall, and Mrs. McGregor, Mrs. Dillon, Mrs.
Wilson, Mrs. Nacelle and the other women and children of Ellis. There were many
goodbyes. William met with Edward and the Warlock. “You two ready to lead
everyone?” he asked. “Of course,” the Warlock answered. “I
never thought it would come to this?”
“None of us did,” William agreed. “You still have that gun of yours,
Edward?”
“You bet I do,” Edward answered,
“Good. If they find you, you know how to use it.”
Wendy approached her son and they hugged. She was filled with tears.
William promised that they would see each other again very soon and she was off
on her way with the others. The men, who were to stay behind to fight, watched
as their loved ones headed out into the recently forbidden woods with Edward
and the Warlock in the lead. The
Army of Ellis, which consisted of William, Ronald, Officer Mackey, Deputy
Pickles, Father West, Carl, Alec Nightmoon, Toby Bennett, Byron McLoven, Mr. Hall,
Mr. McGregor, Mr. Dillon, Mr. Beckett, Mr. Myrtle, Mr. Albertan, Mr. Nacelle,
Mr. Grey and everyone else, had met in the center of town. Everyone carried
miscellaneous weapons, including baseball bats, axes, poles, and guns. They
were ready but the enemy wasn’t. The
mercenary, known only as Number One, had every intention of going back to Ellis
with the Exiled. However, his boss had other plans. Donovan McNeal, the leader
of the Exiled, informed him on the eve of battle, that the boss wanted him to
go back to New York City. He would not fight in this war. Number One was upset
by this but would do whatever his boss asked of him. He also had some
instructions. The Exiled had killed the wife of Officer Mackey but had lied
about the son. Two-year-old Donald Mackey was still alive. The Exiled kept him
in a nearby cabin. Number One was to take the infant boy with him, back to the
boss, who had no son, but wanted one. Number One did not like this one bit but
again, he would do whatever the boss said. So while Donovan and his army left
their small community and marched to Ellis. Number One took the infant, jumped
in one of the trucks and headed off to New York City.
Donovan McNeal had murder in his heart. This would be the fight of his
life. Beside him, marched Roger and Christopher Norton, as well as Mr. Dawson.
With their help, there was no doubt that they would win the battle. Christopher
was most excited. The time had come for his enemy, William Temple and the rest
of the citizens of Ellis to die. He would see them burn. Ellis would be theirs
again.
William, Ronald, Officer Mackey and Deputy pickles huddled together to
talk about the current situation, while the others sat around, waiting for the
battle. It was now dark and cloudy. A storm was coming, appropriate for war. “I
don’t want to fight in a war,” Pickles said, “but waiting for one is even
worst. Do you think we stand any chance, William?” “I
don’t know,” William answered. “I suppose it’s about pointless to hope.” “All we have is hope,” Ronald said.
“Alec, you and your friends ever see battle like this?” Mackey asked.
“Yes,” Alec answered. “When we were kids, Toby, Byron and I saw some
pretty hairy things back in Tampa. We ran with this crowd. Somehow someone
would say the wrong thing to the wrong person and we’d instantly be in the
middle of a fight. We have a lot of enemies, as you could imagine. We may have
been in a few baseball bat rumbles in our time.” “I
hope your luck lasts the night then.” In
an instant, two men who had been standing guard on the roof of the old library
came running, calling out, “They’re coming! They’re here!”
“Everyone stand together,” William called out. All of the men of Ellis
stood together, waiting for the army to come. The sound of thunder burst out
above the town. At least seventy-five men marched into the town, where the
heroes were waiting. Donovan was in the lead, followed by Chris, Roger and Mr.
Dawson. William headed to the front of the crowd, followed by Ronald, Officer
Mackey, Deputy Pickles, Father West, and Carl. “Back down,” William ordered.
“Leave now and never come back. You do not want a battle.”
Donovan and his followers laughed at this. “We will never back down,”
Donovan declared. “Leave Ellis or meet your fate, boy. This town is ours.” “It
will never be yours,” Ronald said.
“So, Ronald,” Mr. Dawson said, “you now consider this place your home?
It will never be your home.”
“New York City will always be my home,” Ronald cried. “But times have
changed. I was brought here. This is where I belong now.”
“Leave now, William,” Chris said. “You’ll be better off that way.”
“What about my Myra?” William asked. “Is she better off?”
“She was a necessary loss, boy,” Roger said. “Now please take our offer
and leave. You must have some of your father’s good sense.”
“Mr. Norton, you and my father were long time rivals, just as your son
and I have always been. In all the years the two of you fought, you wasted your
time filled with anger, while he kept it inside. He may have left but I know he
loved me. He died in Tampa. It is not fair that he’s gone, while you’re left
here to cause this trouble.”
“You lie. How would you know if he was dead?” “He
is,” Alec said. “He was my friend back in Tampa. I saw him die.”
“Never the less, William,” Roger said, “you are all about to see him
again.”
“This is your last chance, boy,” Donovan said. “Leave, or die.” “We
will never leave, Donovan,” William declared. “This is how it has to be.”
“Then so be it.” The
dark army began to approach the heroes, pulling out similar weapons. It began
to rain. It was cold and hard; perfect weather for war. Donovan yelled out a
war cry but the heroes could not make it out, due to the loudness of the storm.
The enemies ran to the heroes and began striking. The battle began. Lives were
instantly taken. William swung his baseball bat, striking enemy after enemy. He
felt alive, like this was what he was meant to do. For the fist time in a long
time, he felt like he wasn’t alone. He felt Ronald and the others, as well as
the presence of those who weren’t there. He felt Edward, who was off somewhere
in the woods with the Warlock, his mother and the others. He felt Myra, as well
as Willard Kelley, his father and Joseph McGregor. They were with him. They
were protecting him. He would survive this war. Mr.
Albertan, Mr. Grey and Mr. Nacelle stood together. The three of them, who had
been like brothers rather than friends, watched the other closely and would not
let each other down no matter what.
Officer Mackey fought bravely for the memory of his wife and son. He did
not know that Donald was still alive, being taken far away by the Mercenary,
Number One. His boy might have well been dead. The Exiled had taken their lives
from him, but he would not let them take his.
Ronald was at his greatest moment. He fought for his parents. He fought
for their dreams. He fought for their legacy. The Exiled had him all wrong.
They believed that he was a bad man, that he was evil and corruptible at heart.
The Exiled liked this. However, they did not see the real Ronald. They did not
see that behind all of his anger and pain, there was the potential to be a
hero. He would honor his parents in this war. The
battle went on for hours. Much blood was spilt and many lives were lost, but it
was far from over. Soon it would get more personal. Soon good and evil would
collide into a fiery storm. Meanwhile, Edward and the Warlock had many
obstacles of their own. The storm slowed down their pilgrimage, not that they
were really sure where they were going.
“Where are we going?” Edward asked. “Are we going to your home?”
“There is no room for everyone there,” the Warlock answered. “There are
caves just a little bit up ahead. We’re getting close.”
“How close?”
“Another twenty minutes or so.”
Edward, the Warlock and their followers continued on. It was a long road
ahead but they had to make it. If their loved ones failed, they at least had to
get far away, out of the reach of the Exiled. The
battle continued. The heroes fought with all of their might. The puddle water
at their feet, caused by the storm, was now red with the blood of their allies,
as well as their enemies. The numbers were dropping. An enemy stabbed Mr.
Beckett in the chest and he fell to the ground in instant agony. He looked
around at the faces of dead friends, some he had known his whole life. Others
were their sons or nephews. He thought of his beloved daughter, Sandra. Even
with all of the pain and terror all around him, he smiled and thought of how
great it was that he would soon be seeing her again. The enemy came up behind
Mr. Beckett and finished him off.
William looked at around at he battle that was taking place. He looked
for the one he wanted but couldn’t find him. Then in the distance, he saw Chris
Norton standing off to the side of the battle with Donovan and Mr. Dawson.
Ronald was nearby and William spoke to him. “Why aren’t they in the fight?”
William asked.
“These men we are fighting are nothing but pawns to them,” Ronald
answered. “If we want to end this, they have to die.” “I
agree,” William said. He parted ways with his friend and headed out of the
fight, towards Chris. He didn’t get far when Roger came out of nowhere and got
in his way.
“So, you hope to kill my boy, do you?” Roger asked.
“All of you must die,” William answered. “It is the only way we will
win.”
“You’ll have to go through me first.” “I
will.” William swung his baseball bat but Roger blocked it with the one he had
been carrying. The two swung them back and forth, as if fencing. This was an
eventful battle years in the making. Mr. Dillon took a blow to the head and fell
to the ground. Mr. Hall attempted to help him but was held back by an enemy.
Mr. Dillon looked up at his attacker, who stood above him laughing. The enemy
pulled out a sword he had been carrying and stuck it through Mr. Dillon’s
chest. The villain was pleased with himself, but he would not last much longer.
Mr. Hall had struck down his enemy and then ran up behind the one that had
stabbed Mr. Dillon and shot him in the back of the head. Mr. Hall fell to the
ground beside Mr. Dillon and held him in comfort.
“I’m sorry I didn’t make it in time,” Mr. Hall said to Mr. Dillon. “I
tried, but I got held up.” “I
know,” Mr. Dillon said. “It’s not your fault. I’m glad it was you who came to
help. Your son and my daughter were so in love. I saw it in her face everyday
that they had been together. They should have been married, but she was taken
from him. Now I go to join her.”
“Everything is going to be alright, pal. Don’t you worry I’m going to
save you. Just…”
“No. You can’t help me now.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s ok. I just wish that they could have been married. I wish we could
have been…family.” “Me
too.”
“Yes…that would have been nice. What a great life it would have…” And
so Mr. Dillon died in Mr. Hall’s arms. Mr. Hall stayed for a moment longer and
then rejoined the fight. His friend would not die in vain. The people of Ellis
had to win the fight.
Alec, Toby and Byron were surrounded by evil. There was no way out of
it. They looked to each other and smiled, realizing that this was their last
great adventure together. After everything that they had been through since
they were children, their story was nearly over. They nodded to one another and
attacked the enemy together. They had broken through, but Toby and Byron were
both hit hard in the process. Alec watched his two friends die together and
oddly he felt comforted by this. He said his goodbyes to them and went to
battle with two of the Exiled. Father West and Carl fought along side
one another and had made a great team. West was proud of Carl, who had come a
long way. Nothing could prepare the two for what was about to come next. An
enemy had spotted the priest and chose him for his next target. He had a rifle,
which he aimed right at Father West. Carl was the only one who saw it. He
pulled out a dagger he had been carrying and slung it at the enemy. He then
jumped in front of West to shield his friend. The dagger caught the man in the
neck, but not before the man got off one shot intended for the priest. Carl
caught the bullet in the chest and he fell to the ground. In panic, West looked
down at Carl, then at the man who had shot him, who was now dead from the
dagger. Father West held his friend, noticing that Carl had died smiling. Carl
was a hero and West would forever remember it. Father West looked around him at
the war surrounding him. It was a dark day in Ellis and if they lived, it was
one they would never forever. The
fight between William and Roger raged on and the two began to get tired out.
Chris watched this from afar. “Are we going to help him?” he asked Donovan.
“Would you like to, Chris?” Donovan asked back.
“Yes,” Chris answered.
“Then okay,” Donovan said. “Let us go, Mr. Dawson. We’ve waited long
enough.”
“Yes sir,” Mr. Dawson said with a laugh. The
three headed into battle and hunted down whom they wanted. Chris helped his
father by attacking William from behind, but missed. Donovan went after Alec,
who had been a strong ally to his enemies. Mr. Dawson attacked Ronald, who he
had wanted to take down ever since they met in the room Ronald was being held
in back in their camp. The battle had now become personal.
Edward, the Warlock and the others had made it to the caves. Everyone
was huddled up, hiding form the storm. Edward went out to the surface to join
the Warlock. “Is
there any hope?” Edward asked. “It
is foolish to hope, young Edward,” the Warlock answered. “But I have often been
thought of as a fool.”
“What do you mean? No one has ever thought of you as a fool. We’ve all
been scared by you. Ever since I was a kid, people have always talked about you
coming and taking us out of our bedrooms and into the woods where you’ll eat
us.”
“That’s just foolish,” the Warlock laughed.
“Well it scared me,” Edward said.
“Then why did you come out here with William all of those years ago?”
“Because he’s my friend and I’ll follow him anywhere.” “I
see.” “So
come on, tell me. Who could have ever thought of you as a fool?” “It
was just something my wife had said to me so many times, so many years ago.”
“Your wife?”
“Yes. I wasn’t always out here in the woods. Once I was a mortal man,
with a family.”
This baffled Edward. “What happened?” “I
once told William this story, of a man with powers that killed my family and
made me what I am. After that, his enemies chased him off. I was left here all
alone until Hector C. Gold came. They thought I was evil and so I was banished
out here forever.” “So
if you didn’t kill anyone, who did?” “A
monster. It was some creation of the evil man that cursed me. One day, I killed
that monster and the murders stopped.” “I
never realized. I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault Edward.” “Do
you know what ever happened to the bad guy?”
“No, but he’s out there somewhere, waiting to make his move.”
“You mean he’s the one that sent the Exiled?”
“The thought has reached my mind. I just hope not. If so, Ellis may not
stand much of a chance, if it even survives this day.” The two then stood in
silence and stared out into the woods and the storm. Hope felt a long way off.
All that was left to do now was pray. The
battle had grown small, but yet more intense. The people of Ellis outnumbered
the Exiled, however the enemy was still stronger. Chris and Roger Norton
surrounded William. One he could handle, but two was difficult.
Alec and Donovan fist fought and smashed each other’s faces in pretty
good. Bleeding from his mouth, Alec knew his enemy couldn’t win. He threw
himself at Donovan and the two rolled around on the wet and bloody ground. Mr.
Dawson had Ronald’s face held to the ground, rubbing it in the mud and bloody
water. Ronald began to feel that he couldn’t beat the man. Mr. Dawson was a
force to be reckoned with, for sure.
“Die a coward, boy,” Dawson whispered into Ronald’s ear. “You just don’t
have what it takes. That’s why you failed your parents and that’s why you’re
going to fail Ellis.”
Ronald began to feel different about the situation and knew he couldn’t
let the creep win. He yelled, “Ellis wont’ fail. Not while I have something to
say about it!”
Ronald rolled over and threw Mr. Dawson off of him. He pulled out a
knife and watched as Mr. Dawson stood up. “Good try,” Dawson said. “But it just
isn’t enough, boy.” Mr. Dawson leaped into the air at his prey and Ronald
raised the knife. Mr. Dawson fell on the knife and it went right through his
black heart. He died instantly. Ronald kicked the body aside, stood and said,
“I guess you were wrong. It was enough.” Ronald then ran to help Father West,
Mr. Myrtle, Mr. Hall and the others fight off some of the last bunch of Exiled.
William had done his best against the father and son, but he was tiring
down. He had only one chance. He had to get Roger out of the way, but this
would only anger Chris even further. He had no choice. He made his move, swung
his bat and cracked Roger in the skull, killing Chris’s father. Chris yelled
out in anger, but instead of attacking William, he grabbed his father and began
dragging his lifeless body away out of the fight. William wanted to go after
him, but he saw that Alec had his hands tied with Donovan McNeal. He couldn’t
just let Chris go, but his friend needed him. And so he decided to help Alec.
He ran up and punched Donovan, but it wasn’t enough. Donovan threw William to
the ground. Alec wanted to help, but was attacked by another enemy. Donovan
jumped at William with a knife, but Officer Mackey burst out of nowhere,
intercepted and cut his enemy down. Donovan McNeal, the leader of the Exiled,
was dead.
William and officer Mackey patted each other on the back. They then
helped Alec with his problem and then the three joined their friends, Ronald,
Deputy Pickles, Father West, Mr. Hall, Mr. McGregor, Mr. Myrtle, Mr. Albertan,
Mr. Nacelle, Mr. Grey and the others. The army of Ellis finished off the last
of the Exiled, then stood in a group and rejoiced. William knew it wasn’t over
yet. There was still one more thing. Chris Norton was the last of the enemy. He
had to be taken care of. He and the others found Chris on the steps of City
hall, holding his father’s lifeless body. When he saw his enemies approaching,
he panicked and yelled, “Stay back! All
of you!”
“There’s nowhere to run, Chris,” William said. “You’re all that is
left.” William approached him alone. The others stayed back to watch. William
placed the tip of his baseball bat at Chris’s chin. “You and your family have
caused me so much distress. You don’t deserve any mercy.”
“Are you going to kill me, William?”
“No. I’m not like you. You’re going to leave Ellis and never come back.
If any of us ever see you near here again, we will kill you. Revenge is out of
the question, my enemy.”
“What about my father?”
“He’ll get a burial, right next to your mother.” “So
my mother is dead.”
William could not bring himself to tell Chris that it was his father
that had given the order for her to be killed. “Yes, that’s right. Now go, and
never come back.” Chris
dashed off, heading out of Ellis and was never seen there again. William
wondered if he had done the right thing. Ronald and the others joined him.
“You sure about this, William?” Ronald asked. “You think it was a good
idea to let him go?” “Yes,” William answered.
“What if he comes back with others?” Deputy Pickles asked. “He
won’t,” Officer Mackey said.
“What now?” Mr. McGregor asked.
“Now, we bring back our loved ones and begin again,” Mr. Myrtle
declared.
Everyone stood together, staring up at the sky as the storm left. Long
time friends Mr. Albertan, Mr. Nacelle, and Mr. Grey had all three survived,
but Alec Nightmoon had lost both of his friends. I guess life is funny that
way. And so everyone cleared out and separated all of the bodies, and cleaned
up the blood. William, Ronald, Officer Mackey, Deputy Pickles, Alec and Father
West set out into the woods to find their loved ones. The dark day was over and
the night had come. They hoped that tomorrow would be brighter. The
Next Day
Edward, the Warlock, Wendy Temple and the others had spent a long
miserable night in the cave. Edward had not gotten any sleep, which worried
Wendy Temple. She went to him to talk, while everyone else was asleep.
“Didn’t you get any sleep, Edward?” Wendy asked.
“No,” Edward answered. “I’m just worried.” “Me
too.” “Do
you think they’re alright?” “I
hope so. My William is all I have. You know your mother is very proud of you.”
“She told me last night. She’s worried about my dad though; I can tell.”
“She knows there’s nothing you can do about it. She’s just glad you’re
here with her. You are her world; trust me, I know.” “I
just wish I knew why William made me come here. Why didn’t he want me in the
fight?” “To
protect you and to protect the rest of us. He knew you would keep me safe. And
he needed you here, so he wouldn’t have to fight while worrying about you.” “I
guess.”
“You’re like his brother. One day, you must remember his choice.” The
Warlock rushed into the cave and said, “They’re here.”
“Who?” Edward asked.
“The heroes.”
Everyone woke up to see William, Ronald, Alec, Officer Mackey, Deputy
Pickles and Father West approaching the cave. There was much joy in this.
“William?” Edward asked. “You guys made it.”
“That we did,” William answered.
“Where’s my dad?”
“He’s back home. We’ve come to bring you all back. We made it.”
“How did you find this place?”
The Warlock asked. “It
was easy,” William answered. “It was you.”
“Right…”
“Are they gone?” a voice called.
“Yes, they’re gone,” Officer Mackey answered. “But we’ve had some
losses. Let’s get going, everyone. There’s a lot of work ahead of us.”
Everyone got their things together and headed off. The Warlock decided
to stay. William tried to get him to come along, but the Warlock couldn’t.
However, he told William that he had a gift for him. The Warlock could grant
him one wish, anything that he wanted. When the time came, William could go out
into the woods and ask him for it. William thought this was rather strange, but
said thank you and goodbye. William led everyone back towards town, but it
would take hours to get there.
The remainder of the day had gone by slowly. Everyone else had stayed
behind to clean up. All of the bodies were put in a respectable spot and the
blood was cleaned. When William returned with everyone else, they all cheered
and met with their loved ones. Some meetings were happy. Others were sad. Many
lives were lost and it would be a long time before it was forgotten. Either
way, everyone was just happy to be home. The next day, a large memorial service
was held. The fallen were buried together. However, there was no pleasant
burial for the enemy. They were buried in one big hole the night before. The
town mourned together, in hopes of putting it behind them soon. Together, they
proved that anything was possible. The town had done the impossible. They had
beaten the enemy. Ellis would be their’s. That night, William, Edward and
Ronald met outside of Myrtle’s diner to talk about what had happened. They all
three knew that it wasn’t over. One day, the one in charge would come for
Ellis. It was just a matter of when.
“You know there’s something that I’ve been thinking about,” William
said.
“What’s that?” Edward asked.
“Just something that the Warlock said this morning.”
“What did he say?”
“That if I come out to see him again, he will grant me a wish. He said
he could give me whatever I want.”
“What are you thinking, William?” Ronald asked.
“Myra,” William answered. “I can get her back, if I wanted.” “You wont right?” Edward asked.
“No.”
“Because that would be wrong.”
“That’s right.”
“Then that’s that,” Ronald said. “I
guess so,” William uttered. The
subject was not brought up again that night. However, it had not left William’s
mind. “What if?” he thought, “What if?” They spent the rest of the night
together and celebrating. The next day, William would see the Warlock about
that wish. One
Last Dance
William decided what he wanted for his wish. All that was left was to go
into the woods to find the Warlock and ask for it. He left a note in the room
he and Ronald had been staying in and took off. He knew it was wrong. How could
he even think of it? But he wanted it. He wanted his Myra back, if only for a
moment. Ronald found the letter, showed it to Edward and they both decided the
same thing. William wanted the Warlock to resurrect his dead girlfriend, Myra
Wilson. They had to stop him. The two headed out into the woods after him. They
just hoped they wouldn’t be too late.
William had found the Warlock and told him his wish. The Warlock was not
a bit surprised. “You know that if I do this, it will not be the same,” he told
William. “Some things just aren’t possible.” “I
don’t care,” William responded. “It’s what I want. Just do this…please.”
“Fine then. I hope you know what you are doing.” And
so the Warlock worked his magic and out of the darkness came Myra. She was
wearing the very same dress she had worn years before at the Central Ellis
Celebration. This made William very happy.
Ronald and Edward had feared that they would not make it, but when they
actually saw William dancing with Myra, there was a new fear that they had lost
their friend forever. They stood by and watched the two lovers dance in the
moonlight. Both were smiling and were the happiest they had ever been. But it
did not last. In the last second, Myra vanished and was nowhere to be found.
The friends approached William, still not sure about what had just happened.
Their friend was in tears.
“What was that, William?” Edward asked.
“What did you do?” “It
was Myra,” William answered. “I got my wish.” “To
bring her back? Do you know what you’ve done?”
“Where did she go anyways?” Ronald asked. “I
know what you’re both thinking,” William said. “That I raised Myra from the
dead, but I didn’t. All I wanted was to dance with her one last time. It’s been
so long. I know it wasn’t really her, but it was wonderful.” The
Warlock came out of nowhere and said, “I hope you enjoyed your wish, William.” “I
did,” William said. “Thank you, Warlock. Thank you very much.”
“Now you must all go. Never come back here to these woods.”
“What about you?” “I
must be alone for now but don’t worry. When the time comes, I’ll find you.”
William began to head off, but stopped and asked, “One more thing?”
“And what would that be?” asked the Warlock. “I
need to know something. People have come here many times in the past, only to
die. People like Barnaby Woodcock, the Door-to-Door salesman.” “He
had a purpose you have yet to understand. He was meant to come here and give
your father that book, the one you’ve cherished all of your life. He served his
purpose and was allowed to die as he wished.”
“And the rock star?”
“Snake Willis, whose real name was Scott Cruise was sent here so that he
could die in peace. I felt his pain from afar, and I called him here so he
could move on to where his fellow band mates were waiting. “
“Why you though?” “I
just feel sorry for those who are left behind, while those they love are gone.
It happened to me; I can not bare to watch someone else suffer.” “I
see. Thank you, Warlock. For everything.’ “No, William. Thank you.” So
the Warlock vanished and the three friends returned to town. William now saw
things in a different light. He knew he would never find love again, but at
least he had his friends by his side. That’s all he would ever need. The Real
Bad Guy A
big storm had hit New York City. In one of the city’s biggest skyscrapers, on
the top floor, in the main office, sat the miserable old Montgomery Dyson, who
stared out his window into the dark abyss. He had recently received news that
his right hand man, known in many circles only as Mr. Dawson, was killed in
battle. Worst even that the pawns he had influenced, calling themselves the
Exiled, were all dead, including their leader, Donovan McNeal. His plan had
failed; he would not get his hands on Ellis, at least not yet anyway. So it was
a great surprise when his top mercenary, known only as Number One, returned.
However, he was not alone. He had an infant child with him. “I
have returned sir,” Number One declared. “So
you have,” Montgomery said with delight. “And you’re not alone. Is this the
child I was promised?”
“Yes sir. His father was the sheriff in Ellis.” “He
still is.”
“What?”
“The plan failed. Mr. Dawson is dead and so are all of the Exiled.” “I’m
sorry sir. I wanted to fight, but I was told that you needed me to come back
here.” “I
wanted to make sure you survived this and that I got the child.”
“Why this one, sir?”
“He, like William Temple, has the potential to be a great hero. He could
one day stop me.”
“Why not just kill him now?”
“Because he might prove useful. We will keep him in the dungeon but feed
him well and keep him alive. Maybe some day I can even influence him into being
a son to me; an heir. Wouldn’t that be a thought? A possible hero formed into a
villain.”
“Yes sir.”
“The father can never know. He would come after him; after me.” “He
thinks that his son and wife are both dead. He will never know that the boy is
alive.” “Good. What is his name?”
“Donald Mackey.”
“Excellent. Make sure to keep him in the smaller cell, now. Those other
freaks would tear him apart.”
“Yes sir. But what about Ellis and it’s people?” “We
will have it, one day. For now we will wait for our time to strike. I do still
need the key after all. Without it I would not be able to step foot on those
lands. In time, we will have it.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’m sorry about your fellow troops, Number One.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Now that you are the last, you can no longer be Number One. From this
day on you are Caleb.”
“Thank you, sir.” “Go
now. Take the boy out of my sight.”
“Yes sir.”
Caleb, formerly known as Number one, left the office. Dyson stood and
stared out at his view of the storm-covered city. Donald, who was left alone,
locked up in a cell, began to cry in fear. He missed his parents. Dyson knew
this but he would soon have them out of his mind, or so he thought. New Day
After the battle and all of the funerals since, time then seemed to pass
quickly in Ellis. Days became weeks, weeks became months and before they knew
it, five years had gone by. However, no matter how much time went by, the
citizens could not forget about the day the Exiled had come. The cemetery had
to be extended due to the amount of deaths. The population was smaller, with
hopes that the next generation would flourish. William Temple saw no future for
him there. The love of his life had been lost for a long time and things with
his mother had gotten rough. Wendy Temple became very sick and the new town
doctor did not give her much time. William had already lost his father, worse
now that he might lose her too. William’s friend, Edward Hall wasn’t much
better off. His parents were just fine, his father had even been made the new
town Mayor, but he too had lost the girl he loved. Edward and William felt that
they could never love again and so one day they would have to leave Ellis. They
kept this to themselves.
Alec Nightmoon had lost his two best friends in the battle of Ellis. He
had known Byron McLoven and Toby Bennett for all of his life, but now they were
gone forever. He had stayed in Ellis with his new friends, but he too had hopes
of leaving someday. He thought of maybe even doing some traveling.
Ronald Payne made quite the name for himself in Ellis. He started
helping people out with heir yard work and volunteered for school and church
events. He made cash by working at the old Myrtle’s diner. He fit in real good
there. It seemed funny how someone who had once been one of the most hated men
in Ellis became a town icon.
Officer Mackey could never forget his wife, Martha or their son, Donald.
He had lost his father at such a young age and now his family was gone as well.
Deputy Pickles gave him all of the support he could, but it just did not seem
to be enough. However, there was something in Mackey that kept going. He didn’t
know what it was, but I believe it must have been a bit of hope. He accepted
his wife’s death, but never really felt that little Donald was gone. It saddens
me now to know that he was right. His son was out there somewhere, being raised
by another man; a man who would eventually become an enemy to all of Ellis.
This was not the end of that story.
Christmas past, and the New Year came, but Wendy Temple did not make it
to the summer. She died on a Friday and was buried right next to a memorial
spot for William’s father. He had the memorial put there not long after the
battle, in honor. In a way, his mother and father were now finally together
again. After the funeral, the town held a wake for Wendy at the Myrtle’s café,
though William left early. He spent the next few hours under the stars,
thinking of everyone he had lost. It was a long list. A
month went by, and Ellis grew more and more unbearable to William. It was no
longer the same. Sure, everywhere he looked he had a fond memory of times past,
but there were also so many bad memories as well. In time, he knew what had to
be done; he had to leave Ellis. But this time, he wouldn’t go alone. He would
talk it over with his friends first. William met with Edward, Donald and Alec
outside of the Inn. They talked of how things have changed and what they were
feeling. Indeed they all had felt the same as William. Nothing was the same. It
was time for them to leave. They packed everything that they needed into the
car that Alec, Toby and Byron arrived in five years before. Officer Mackey,
Deputy Pickles, Father West and the others had already said their goodbyes, but
Edward’s parents had not been able to let go so easily. He felt in his heart
that he might never see them again, for he and his friends had no intentions of
ever coming back. After all of the hugging and crying, William, Edward, Ronald
and Alec got in the car and drove off. The Hall’s watched in tears, as their son
left with his friends, wondering if they’d ever see them again. They did hope
so. And
so the four friends drove off into the sunset with hopes of making a name for
themselves. Whatever the future held for them, they hoped for the best. William
looked foreword to testing the theory that “If you’re born in Ellis, you die in
Ellis.” Only in time would he know the answer. © 2011 Robert Donald Brooks |
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Added on November 14, 2011 Last Updated on November 14, 2011 AuthorRobert Donald BrooksNew Orleans, LAAboutYoung aspiring writer, whose influences range from Hunter S. Thompson, Jack Kerouac, Bret Easton Ellis and even most film makers. more..Writing
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