Reign of the Buffalo: Book 1 Page 8
“How do I use it?”
Grandma Noya turned to Wilson.
“Tap your eyelid twice.”
Wilson tapped his eyelid, and the field turned dark. Grandma Noya turned to Michael.
“Now put the triangle over your eye and look at your brother.”
When Michael looked at Wilson, he took in a deep breath.
“Wow, this is so cool!”
A blue ring of fire encircled Wilson.
“What do you see?” asked Grandma Noya.
“There’s a circle of fire all around him,” responded Michael.
“As long as you keep the triangle over your eye, you give protection to your brother. Now keeping the triangle on your eye, touch each corner of the triangle with your index finger.”
Michael touched the corners of the triangle. Suddenly the triangle became warm and started vibrating violently.
“Don’t let go of it. Hold it and center the triangle on Wilson,” Grandma Noya instructed. Michael continued to look at Wilson through the triangle. The circle of fire surrounding Wilson burned brighter. Suddenly the ringlet shot three explosive bursts of energy and disappeared. Michael removed the triangle from his eye.
“It’s gone. What happened?”
“If spirits had surrounded Wilson, you would’ve killed them. The energy vaporizes every evil spirit close to Wilson.”
“Cool. It is like a video game.”
Wilson shook his head at his little brother while Grandma Noya frowned.
“Almost. The only difference being, if you don’t use it properly, Wilson could die,” Grandma Noya warned. Charlie walked over to Michael.
“It also has a bigger weapon, but we won’t activate it today,” Charlie explained. Michael’s eyes lit up.
“What is it?” he asked while inspecting the back and front of the crystal
“If you tap all three corners of the triangle in reverse, a large ball of energy will rise and then detonate. It’ll kill every evil spirit within one mile.”
Michael put the triangle in his pocket.
“How did you make this?” he asked.
“I didn’t. Your Great Grandfather gave it to Nana Ama after they were married. Your Nana Ama didn’t know its power until her husband visited her in a dream. After that, we tested it many times. But we’ve never had to use it.”
“Then how do you know it works?”
“Because your Great Grandfather’s spirit told Nana Ama how to use it.”
Grandma Noya began walking back to the house.
“The sun is setting. Let’s get you some dinner before it gets dark.”
Wilson grabbed Michael’s hand. Charlie quietly walked behind the group to the house.
Chapter 16: What She Feels
Grandma Noya sipped her tea and rocked back and forth in her rocking chair.
“I’m going to die one day. You boys need to prepare for that.”
The statement was shocking to the boys. Wilson placed his iced tea on the warm evening porch and turned to face his grandmother.
“What do you mean? Now? Later?”
Grandma Noya took another sip of tea.
“It’ll come sooner or later, I suppose. No one knows when that day will arrive, but it does. And so, death will come for me.”
Michael stood and walked over to his Grandmother.
“Why are you saying this, Grandma? Are you sick?”
She rubbed Michael on the head to comfort him.
“It’s just one of those old folks’ things. The elders see things clearer than youth. The days become a bit duller. The food doesn’t bring about the same jolt of energy it once did. Don’t fret. You’ll experience it too. But it won’t be the end of all things. It’s just another part of life.”
Wilson studied his Grandma Noya’s face before he spoke.
“This has to do with what’s behind Nana Ama’s house, doesn’t it?”
Grandma Noya chuckled a bit before responding.
“You have so much of your Great Grandmother in you, Wilson. You’re sharp. Yes. I guess it does have a little to do with what’s happening back there.”
“What’s happening? What do you feel?”
“The barrier separating this world from the realm of evil is constantly being tested. I told you it would break in your lifetime, but the truth is it could break any day now.”
“Any day?”
“Yes. That’s the reason I’ve been speeding your education.”
“My education?”
“When that barrier breaks, you and Michael will be the only weapon the world has against evil. I have to speed up your lessons. I’ve never had the sight, but I remember everything I used to help Nana Ama. We must teach you about the limitations of your powers. And Michael, we must teach you how to be invisible to the world. There’s so much to do and so little time to do it.”
“What will happen when the barrier breaks?”
“You may be here, or you may be in the city with your parents. I don’t know. But when the barrier breaks, you’ll know it. There may be a loud sound like a million trees breaking, or it may just be a feeling you have. Either way, when it happens, both you and Michael will know it.”
“What should we do?”
“If your father is in the house, run to him and lock all the doors and windows. Eventually, you’ll see strange things like weird beasts and animals you’ve never seen before. Your neighbors will be confused. None of the people will think to run before it’s too late. And then it’ll get worse.
“Worse?”
“The evil will attempt to make the world their domain. Stay put for a few days until the visions tell you how to proceed.”
“The visions?”
“Yes. Your eye is good. Remember that. It is always seeking a solution to the problem - a righteous solution. Stay calm and use your intelligence. You’ll survive.”
“And you, Grandma? Where will you be?” asked Michael.
“When the barrier breaks, I’ll be gone. This house will be destroyed and overrun by evil spirits. But don’t you fret about me. You’ll see me again in the next chapter of your life. Remember. Death isn’t the end. It’s just another gateway for us to pass through.”
Grandma Noya walked down off the porch and peered into the sunset.
“You boys have about ten minutes before the sun goes down. Get yourselves together. You’ll be staying in Nana Ama’s alone tonight.”
Michael objected.
“I don’t want to. What if the barrier breaks?”
Grandma Noya stared at the child for a few moments before she spoke.
“Like it or not, evil is coming. It doesn’t matter if you’re a baby or a man. It won’t stop.”
Grandma Noya walked past the boys into the house.
“Come on, Michael,” said Wilson. “Stop being a baby.”
Wilson took his brother by the hand and walked to the road. After making sure that no cars were coming, they crossed the street and climbed the hill to Nana Ama’s house.
Chapter 17: The Opinions of Big Brother
“Can I sleep in your bed?”
Wilson sighed and threw the blanket aside for Michael. Although all the lights were on, Wilson had to admit to himself that he was afraid too. All of Grandma Noya’s talk about what lay ahead frightened him (although he’d never let his little brother know that it did).
Michael slid into bed with his brother and wrapped his arm around his waist.
“Where do you think mom is?”
“I don’t know. Mom is either at home or traveling.”
“We’re never going to see her again, are we?”
“Yeah. I think we’ll see mom again. But I doubt it’ll be any time soon.”
“Do you think mom and dad broke up?”
Wilson hesitated. He had to give his little brother truth in small doses. Michael couldn’t handle honesty in large quantities.
“I don’t think they broke up. But maybe mom and dad are just having a difficult
time right now. I guess my eye stressed mom out. Any woman would stress about that, I guess.”
Michael thought a moment before speaking again.
“I knew mom and dad were going to break up. I had a dream about it.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I dreamed we went home from school one day and she had left. No words. She just left.”
“Good thing for us, your dream isn’t real.”
“You ever notice how Dad always seemed too normal for her? They’re complete opposites. Dad likes nature and isn’t bothered by life. But mom? She likes expensive things and having tons of friends.”
“That’s just her personality.”
“I don’t know why, but I always got the feeling we were holding her back.”
“Yeah. I know what you mean.”
“What kind of mom sends their kids down south for the summer and doesn’t call to check on them?”
“She just seems too busy for us, Wilson.”
The boys thought for a while. Finally, Michael spoke.
“I wish she were here now. I miss her.”
“Me too.”
“Hey, Wilson.”
“What?”
“Do you think I’m a pussy?”
Wilson couldn’t help himself and burst into laughter.
“Well? Do you?”
“I don’t even know what that means.”
“A coward. A punk.”
“I think everyone is afraid of something. Even me.”
“Yeah, but you never show it. You’re like Dad. You always hide what you feel.”
“Not all the time.”
“I’m the opposite. All I do is act scared. Sometimes even my fear frightens me.”
“What?”
“Like when Grandma Noya threw those knives at you? I was terrified.”
“Anyone would’ve been afraid.”
“Yeah, but why? Why didn’t I get angry? Why did I choose the most baby reaction at that moment? That was pussy as fuck!”
“Look, Michael. You must accept who you are. All the good and the bad. It makes you special.”
“Special? What am I, some idiot?”
Wilson turned to face his little brother.
“I never told anyone this, but I’m scared.”
“You are?”
“I’m terrified. But you know what?”
“What?”
“If there are a million monsters out there in that backyard, there’s only one little brother I want by my side.”
Michael cracked a smile and looked away.
“Really? Who is that?”
“You, dipshit.”
“Do you think the barrier will break as Grandma Noya says?”
“She doesn’t lie. I believe her.”
“This is scary.”
“All I know is that you and I have to find a way to get through this. If the world is ending, we must be smart and strong. We have to protect each other.”
“I won’t let anything happen to you, Wilson. I promise.”
“And I won’t let anything happen to you. Let’s try to learn all that we can from Grandma Noya. No more complaining about being scared. Let’s be strong for the family.”
“Yeah. We can do it.”
“Now, let’s get some sleep.”
“Okay. Goodnight, Wilson.”
“Goodnight, little bro.”
Chapter 18: The Fatigue of Fear
Wilson was unable to sleep. The brightness from the overhead light and his little brother’s loud snoring was beyond distracting. After removing himself from Michael’s tight grip, Wilson climbed out of bed to turn off the bedroom light. As soon as he turned it off, he paused in his tracks. A strange eerie bluish light poured into the bedroom from the window. Slowly, Wilson walked over to the window and peered out. He could see the edge of the forest and the strange lights that flickered in the night. A thick fog was slowly drifting across the lawn towards the house. Wilson turned away from the window briefly and then turned back to face it.
“I’m not afraid of this shit,” he whispered to himself. Stubbornly, he sat down in the rocking chair. His fingers twitched as he dared himself to activate his powers. Although he knew hell was just outside their window, there was a part of him that didn’t want to hide. The whole thing felt like a game that only he could see, and he wanted to move beyond the nervousness he felt inside his belly.
Slowly, Wilson lifted his index finger to his eyelid and tapped.
There was a flash of light, and then Wilson saw them - dozens of pale dead faces pressed against the bedroom window, all of them staring with big eyes and green ooze leaking from their mouths, pushing and pulling at one another to kill him. Wilson stood and walked closer to the window. His heart was pounding so heavily that he started having difficulty breathing.
“I can’t be afraid anymore,” he whispered. As he moved closer to the window, the zombielike creatures started jerking and screaming as if electricity was in them. Wilson could see that they wanted to tear him apart. Calmly, he raised his hand to the thick bedroom glass.
“The day is coming,” he whispered. Suddenly the group of zombies’ heads jerked in unison, and they started looking around. There was a burst of light from behind them, and they all turned to run. After the zombies had gone, one figure remained standing in the center of the field – a little girl.
Wilson recognized her. It was the same child he had seen earlier. Wilson didn’t know why, but the girl was scarier than all the other monsters. He quickly tapped his eyelid, and soon the field was empty. As he turned to walk back to bed, the hairs on the back of his neck rose. Wilson could feel the little girl staring at him. He jumped into bed and threw his arm around Michael. After a few minutes, Wilson climbed out of bed for the second time and went to turn on the light. He stayed awake for hours before he finally got the girl’s image out of his head. When the sun started rising, he fell asleep.
Chapter 19: It’s Coming
For the next two weeks, Michael and Wilson played war games behind Grandma Noya’s house. They started by trying to evade detection in the field behind the pigpen but became sick from the smell and decided to take things into the forest. Grandma Noya provided a watchful eye, making sure that they wouldn’t get lost in the woods. But her leash on the boys was almost nonexistent. She wanted them to rely on one another.
“You boys need to move away from the normal relationship of big brother and little brother,” she once told them. “You need to become one. You need to know each other’s thoughts. Anticipation is how you will learn to protect one another.”
At first, Michael was afraid. The forest was dark, and every shadow was an evil spirit out to get him. But after Wilson cast a dissatisfied look at him, Michael pushed past his fear. He wanted Wilson to be proud of him, and so the boys went deeper into the forest. Occasionally, the boys would have to deal with Uncle Charlie jumping out from the shadows to scare them. But after a while, the boys began to work together to evade him. One day they became so good, Charlie was unable to pinpoint their location. Afraid that he’d lost them, Charlie ran back to Grandma Noya to tell her of his blunder. Together, Charlie and Grandma Noya sprinted out of the house towards the forest, expecting the worst. As soon as they got beyond the pigpen, they ran into the boys. Wilson and Michael came walking proudly back from the forest, laughing at the scared look on their uncle’s face. Grandma Noya looked at Charlie and burst into laughter.
“Damn fool!” she said while shaking her head and walking back to the house.
“Hey! I did lose them!” exclaimed Charlie as he ran behind Grandma Noya, trying to explain.
“Pussy Boy!” whispered Michael behind his back. The chubby man turned around to face the two boys.
“Watch it! Don’t disrespect your uncle!”
After glaring at the two boys for a few moments, Charlie burst into laughter.
“You guys are getting a lot better. I guess I need to watch out for you.”
Af
ter their moment of “growth,” Wilson and Michael spent more time with their uncle. Sometimes the boys would sit with him in Grandma Noya’s house and watch television. Charlie pointed out helpful observations to his nephews that they never took the time to notice. One day, the three of them sat watching a reality program, and Charlie pointed out such a thing.
“You ever notice how mostly everyone follows the same pattern when they’re telling a lie?”
Both Michael and Wilson looked confused.
Charlie pointed towards the tv.
“Look at this dude. Anyone can see that he’s lying. He’s giving too much information.”
Wilson disagreed.
“That doesn’t mean he’s lying. Maybe he just wants to give the facts.”
“No. Humans are lazy fucks. They never give more than they need to get their point across. Let me show you. What did you eat for breakfast this morning?”
“Oatmeal.”
“You see? You didn’t say runny oatmeal in a flowered bowl with a stainless-steel spoon, did you?”
“I guess not.”
“The same thing applies to this dummy. Cops know when you’re lying.”
The boys also discovered that their uncle had a wicked sense of humor. While they watched, he took Grandma Noya’s snuff box and placed it on the front porch. Their grandmother spent all day rummaging through the house searching for the silver tin box containing her tobacco fix, becoming angrier and angrier. After seeing his grandmother on the brink of destroying the whole house, Wilson walked to the front porch and retrieved the can for her.
“Charlie!” she yelled as she threw a pillow at him. “I know it was you!” Charlie ducked out of the room and ran outside, leaving Grandma Noya fumbling with the embarrassing behavior she’d exhibited in front of her grandchildren.
The lessons the boys learned became more intense as the days went on. Wilson learned more about the tremendous power he had and how to wield it. Grandma Noya taught him how to use his ability to manipulate and destroy. Grandma Noya took him to the forest behind her house and showed him how to lift towering trees out of the ground and rip them to shreds with only a simple movement of his hand. It was an impressive thing to learn, and Wilson was grateful for the lesson, but he was also terrified of it. Possessing that much power made him feel weird and clumsy, like a giant walking amongst fleeing villagers.