The Presence

Chapter Twenty: The Return

We stand facing each other and I'm still in disbelief.  John Blackwell, the brother of my great grandfather whose grave is on top of the hill is standing in front of me, and he looks to be about fifty years old. 

"How are you even here?" I ask.

He smiles, "It's a long story Maxwell. Can we go inside and talk about it?"  I continue sizing him up.   I still have the crystal in my pocket so I should be able to take him, if it comes to it...

"If you try anything, anything at all, try to hurt anyone... you will be sorry."

Blackwell nods, "You're more powerful than I hoped. Believe me, after what you just did I won't try anything. I just want to have a chat." 

I maintain my power and step to one side, "Go ahead."  He steps forward and I grab his arm, "Remember what I said."

"I will," I let go and he straightens his shirt. "Thank you Max."  As he steps forward everyone clears a path for him.  He glances at each one as he climbs the stairs. When he sees Megan he stops, "Hello Megan, " he holds out his hand. "I've waited so long to meet you." She doesn't take it.

"Well, that makes one of us," she replies.

"I see suspicion runs in the family." He turns to see me following close behind, and continues inside.

"Megan, use your ability.  See if you can hear his thoughts."

She swallows hard, "I'll try, but I'm not sure I really want to..."

He slowly enters the house and looks into the living room, "The house looks mostly the same.  You still have my old furniture."

"Our furniture," I say.

He turns to me and nods, "I stand corrected."

We all enter the kitchen and he sits down on one end of the table and I sit down at the other.  Everyone else is standing around me...

"Megan, anything?"   

"I can't read his thoughts at all..  It's almost like he's blocking me.  It kind of feels like Rachel when I pushed her back with my thoughts."  

"So, he does have something to hide."

"Alright, we're here.  My question is, how are you here?" I ask.

"So suspicious Maxwell," he smiles evilly. "That proves you're the protector, and from what I've heard, your doing a good job.  In fact, the only reason I'm able to be here is because you defeated the witch."

"She told us you were cast into the void over a hundreds years ago.  How are you even alive?"

"She did..," he pauses and glances at all of us. "I was on the other side for over eighty years before I managed to escape, well, eighty years of normal time." 

I think about the house in Kentucky, my watch and the missing four hours. Everyone looks at each other except me.  My eyes remain fixed on him...

"When I escaped, I quickly found out that time did not pass at the same rate as what we consider normal.  I had spent about eighty years inside, and I had hardly aged a day."

"If he's telling the truth, then it explains why he is so young."  

"I made a new life for myself far from here."

"If you escaped that long ago, then who is the spirit we call the Tall Man?"

John looks confused, "I don't know who you're talking about."