Chapter 2 Birthmark

The burning symbol in his hand scared Sam to the point where reality itself appeared to be spiraling out of control .

"Sammy!" Shirley called out to him.

"Yeah, Boss?"

"Stay with us. I know this is all horrifying, but we need to keep our calm until the police get here." Shirley said.

"What are we going to tell the cops?" Stevie said.

"I don't know," Sam said.

"We'll take care of the cops. You two just keep calm till they show up." House said.

The board of police's siren in the air pretreated the over-boring silence of the ruined Chow Pow. The authorities moved in to find the workers' studio in the middle of the carnage.

"Everyone move in." Sheriff McKnight ordered as the police officers moved inside the crime scene, escorting the surviving staff members to safety.

"All over, I need a full sweep of the Chow Pow. Every inch of this restaurant is to be covered in yellow tape. No one gets in until I give the okay." Sheriff commanded.

While the officers covered Sam and the others with blankets, he saw the same voodoo mark he saw earlier getting brighter in his hand.

"I know you scared, Son!" Sheriff McKnight said, placing his hand on Sam's shoulder. "But we're gonna stop the person who caused this."

"Thanks, Uncle Chris," Sam said.

"Something wrong? You've been staring at your hand since we got you out of the restaurant." Sheriff McKnight asked Sam.

"I think... It's back.

The sheriff pulled Sam aside after hearing what he had said.

" The mark of vodon? " Chris whispered to his nephew.

" Yeah. I haven't seen it since the night my dad was..."

" Everything okay, Sheriff? " Shirley asked.

"I was just telling my nephew that this may take all night. I'd hate to leave him alone after what happened tonight. "

" I have a comfy couch at my place if Sammy would like to sleepover. Not too far from your place, Sheriff. "

" That would be great, Shirley. Thank you. "

"Of course. I'll be in my car. "

As Shirley left, Sam kept staring at his arm.

" We will discuss this in the morning. Right now, you all need some rest. " Chris said. " I'll have a police escort accompany you and Shirley to her house. "

" Okay. Thanks, Uncle Chris. "

The two hugged as Sam walked off to join Shirley.

Chris looked t the crime scene with a great pit of dread in his chest.

" Please don't let this be your doing, Latoya. " The sheriff said to himself. " That boy has suffered enough. "

Later that night, Sam and Shirley settle into her apartment.

" Feel free to move those pillows, Sammy. " Shirley said as she watered the multiple plants that hung around her living room.

" Thanks, Boss. I'm going to need all of them to sleep after what happened tonight. "

" No problem. " Shirley said as she put down her spray bottle. " I'll get you some ice tea from the kitchen. Sit tight. "

Shirley left the room as Sam fiddled with the sheets that she left for him.

Embrace the vodon

Those words echoed in Sam's mind as he struggled to put his mind at ease.

" Can't be real. Can't be real. " Sam uttered.

" What can't be real? " Shirley asked as she returned with a cup of ice tea.

" Huh? Nothing. It's nothing. "

" Well, maybe a drink can calm your mind. " Shirley said.

" Any chance that drink has any vodka? " Sam smirked.

" Nice try. But your still sixteen. "

" Worth a shot. "

Sam reaches for his drink, safely covering its sides and taking a sip.

"Samuel!" A masculine voice called out to him before he could find his drink.

Sam heard that, he placed the cup on the coffee table and turned sharply to the window side.

" What's wrong?" Shirley asked.

"Um...nothing."

"Come on, Sammie I know when you're lying." Shirley persisted but Sam denied it.

"No, you don't."

"You look towards the left every time you bend the truth just like when I asked you last week, you ate all the lemon squares I made for the break room," Shirley said.

"What can I say? I love the frosting." Sam joked, trying to get out of the situation.

"Seriously, Sam. I know what we saw was horrible; the chiefs and servers all killed at once. Plus the Chow Pow being destroyed makes it worse." Shirley began but was cut short by Sam.

"Yeah, I just don't get how it happened. Stevie said a swarm of misquotes were there."

"It's hard to explain. Especially for the cops. One minute we were trying to keep Stevie's old man away from him. The next thing I know was the room being splattered with the guests' blood." Shirley explained.

"Wait, the mayor was still there?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, we tried to keep Stevie away from him but he was persistent."

"I should call him." Sam reached for his cell phone but was stopped by Shirley.

"I don't think now is a good time to speak with Stevie," Shirley said reluctantly.

"Why not?"

"He just saw his old man, and like the rest of us saw, the bloodshed that took place at the restaurant."

"Sounds like a perfect reason to call him." Sam persisted.

"Maybe you should wait till the morning. He's with his mom now and who knows what they are going to do with everything." Shirley told him.

"Okay." Sam agreed.

"You can pull out the bed on the couch. I'll get you some sheets and a pillow."

"Thanks, Boss."

Shirley left the room as Sam pulled out the mattress from the couch when an eerie wind brushed the back of his neck.

"What the hell? I thought I closed the window." Sam walked to the window to see it shot closed. He scratched his head and proceeded to make his bed.

Unknown to him, a carnet haggard figure with a partly shaped body and long dreadlocks tied behind sat back and watched Sam within the window.

"Samuel!" the strange figure said as its eyes glowed green.