No Way To Escape | Novel

CHAPTER 48: THE TRUE IDENTITY

The only man who can help me now is Father Richard - the thought crossed my mind as I grabbed the car keys from the closet and ran down the stairs to the lobby.

Whoever this Mr. Frank was; Father Richard could potentially be the only connecting link between him and me. He could be the only man, Mr. Frank I mean - the man who exiled the evil, who knew how to stop this force, how to destroy this afflicting disaster who killed my friend Larry.

As I went down to the lot where my car was and started driving, a thought came to my mind.

What if he doesn't know who Mr. Frank is? Or what if Mr. Frank could never find out how to get Edward? But how could that be! He was the one who used the spell. He must know its consequences.

I started driving faster as I got my car out of the alleyway.

Men from the past, all so important. Had I ever even paid much attention to my history lessons? No, man.

Now I was dealing with the history of Reynburg - a city to which I was still a rookie. I could recall my father enlightening me about the life of cities while we were on our way to the airport to board the plane seeking Reynburg almost a year back.

'A city life can be pretty hard, my boy', he had said. 'It's like a fucking bitch. You think you're playing with her, fondling and caressing her, while it's actually her who is playing the tricks behind your back'. I could feel it well now - though not in the sense he was trying to describe me.

He must be at the Cathedral. I thought as I crossed the boulevard and got to a two-way. I steered to left which would lead me to the Cathedral.

Is it a dream? A fairy-tale? Am I dreaming within a dream? Inception?!

Not a single paranormal experience all through my life and then there I was, all helpless as a ghost was trying to hunt me down after taking down that friend of mine with whom I had spent my entire childhood. How many dreams we had! What a life we had thought of! And now I was all alone in the voyage of life without my co-pilot. Thanks to Fucking Warwick!

I slowed down as I got closer to the edifice. There was an enormous crowd up there. Morning prayer time. I couldn't take my car much into the crowd and decided to park it some yards away. As I got out of the car and started at the edifice, I could feel my heart beating fast because of excitement and, to some extent, an unknown fear and anticipation. I was rushing through the crowd, making way for myself, pushing people aside in the process, subject to their annoyed faces.

As I went in to the big hall, the morning chore was going on. I stopped by the huge doorway and started running my eyes across the hall. Father Richard was up there - on the dais, by the podium, providing annotations and discussing the doctrines apart from reading the scriptures. I couldn't interfere in between right then. So I walked down the aisle and got myself seated somewhere among the rows.

I was extremely nervous. Sweat was dripping down my temples and I was constantly juddering my feet. The old woman sitting by my side gave me a proper glance of irritation and was trying her best to ignore me. But I couldn't help. I was lost in my world of horror fantasy. Edward had invaded my brain. I could feel it. He needed help. Not that he himself wanted that. But I was so close. I had to do it. At any cost. For Edward, for me, for Larry.

As the preaching ended, all got up to their feet and started leaving the nave. I got up and started at Father. There were approximately ten long rows to my front and all of its temporary inhabitants were crowding down the aisle in my opposite direction. It took me some time to make my way through them as I finally crossed the transept and got to the dais.