It seemed like weeks since Toni had seen Bob and she needed desperately to feel his warm arms around her, but she also knew she had to take care of things she had missed while being away from her job. She had spoken to Bob by email while he was in Florida on business, and they had spoken about all of the happenings, but she needed his tenderness to bring her back to that calm wonderful place he always seemed to know how to do.
Early Saturday morning she got out of bed quickly, bathed and brushed her hair, and as she was accustomed to do when she was alone, she wrapped an oversized green plush towel about her slim freshly washed body. Nothing was quite as comfortable as a soft towel caressing her naked body. She went into the kitchen to make a hot steaming cup of coffee for herself when the doorbell rang. She flew to open it and there Bob stood, haggard and beaten. “Bob, when did you get in? I didn’t get my usual email last night or this morning and I’ve been worried.”
“I don’t know,” he said and continued to stand looking worn.
“Then I’ll make my own observations, you’ve had an experience of some kind, haven’t you? You look terrible.” Toni said.
He did not answer and she looked up at him and reached half timidly for his hand, and said, “Come inside Honey. Come inside.”
He allowed Toni to lead him to his easy chair and as he sat down he let out a big breath, and said, “I’ve been in a fog Toni. I didn’t know where I was or who I was. I kept seeing a white light coming toward me and for a half second I almost reached out for it, but I remembered you needed me so I turned away and called out to you.” He leaned his head back and said, “But I’m here now.”
“Just keep your head back… rest… I’ll fix you a hot cup of coffee I just prepared. Do you want a sweet roll with it?”
He shook his head as he closed his eyes and when Toni returned with his coffee she noticed he was asleep so she set the cup down on the nearby table, covered him with a small blanket, sat down in her chair next to him and waited. She observed his unshaven face and his wrinkled clothing and felt a touch of sadness for him. She wanted to move over and hug him but didn’t.
The phone sounded out and when it rang two more times, Toni realized she too had fallen asleep and didn’t hear it at first. She leaped from her chair and ran to pull it out of her handbag. “Hello.”
“Hello Toni. I called because I had the strangest dream last night. You and I were running and kept running until we were so out of breath that we fell down on a damp lawn at a big house that had the structure of one of those houses in a dark movie; you know the haunted type house? Well, we were… anyway…”
“Wait Tessie…who was chasing us? Toni asked.
“I don’t know…I never knew in the dream, but I can tell you this – we were terrified. I mean we wanted to get away from whoever was chasing us yet it was more of a fear coming from inside of ourselves. When I woke up my clothing was soaked.”
“I wonder what it means Tess. Strange things are going on because Bob just arrived an hour ago and he could barely talk. He was exhausted from something that had happened to him.”
“Where is he now? Is he still there?” Tessie asked.
“He walked right over to his easy chair and fell immediately into a deep sleep. I’m worried about him. It looked like he hadn’t slept in days, was unshaven and wearing wrinkled clothes. He was unable to tell me what happened, but I’m hoping he will when he wakes from his sleep. Where are you?
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you; I’m here in Austin. I rented a car and thought I might come by to talk about all these things going on with the three of us. I mean, only a week ago, you had that nightmare about a giant chasing you and before he caught up with you, you woke up. What does it all mean?”
When Toni clicked off from talking to Tessie, she turned to see if Bob was still asleep and noticed he wasn’t in his chair. She hurried into an empty kitchen and then rushed to the bathroom door and saw that it was closed. Because he seemed preoccupied on the other side of the door, she blurted out that Tess had just called and was on her way over because she had had a bad dream.”
Bob opened the door looking a little better than he had when he arrived, and said, “Oh, what kind of bad dream?”
“Something about someone chasing us and after we were so out of breath we couldn’t run anymore, we dropped on the lawn of a haunted-looking house and then she woke up. Strange huh?”
“Yea. She must have been in my nightmare last night because I was really there. There was a mad dog chasing me though. His teeth were sharp and he was just about to catch up with me on that lawn Tessie described so well, when he dropped to the ground dead.”
Toni screamed, “You mean it happened in real life or you dreamed it? When he nodded and said it was in real life, Toni moaned and said, “What in the hell is going on, Bob? The book, we simply must read the book as we were instructed to do so we can stop this madness. We need to do it tonight, or at least try to follow the strange instructions given to us by that tall man who invaded my privacy at the office and then at Mom’s house,” She said.
Eventually Tessie arrived but at that time Bob was nearly recovered from his bad experiences - what he termed was real, but how could that be for wasn’t it just a dream and one apparently shared by Tessie as well? If these nightmares and day mares continue unabated they will wreak havoc on the health of all concerned. Things must change and soon for it can't be that one day you are here and the next day you are gone. Not only that, but it's not knowing where you are or whether or not you can come back. The only thing left to do in order to resolve this enigma is to follow the instructions that strange tall man said…you know like reading The Wizard, and then following the instructions.”
Taking time for dinner and a time for recuperation the three sat down to work out a strategy because it was Toni who originally discovered the book and who supposedly read it so it should be her task to read the first chapter. In total agreement she soon set herself to the task; read with emphasis and enunciated the words so that there would be no misinterpretation as to what was being read. Along the way there were terms none of the three understood so Bob assigned himself the chore of taking notes of odd words, phrases or chants. Tessie was next to read so she turned to the last chapter and followed the method Toni had elected and read aloud. Again there were items unknown to the three so Bob made note of those, and he was next so chapter two was his to dig in. This time Toni took note of odd and unusual terminology, and wondered where all those words were while reading or thought she had read the first time. It was obvious mistakes were made for there was so much woven in and out of the pages and interpreted by having to 'read between the lines' so it was a miracle that anything could have been understood back then; it was obvious it wasn’t understood now. But one can't cry over spilt milk, but instead they had to progress forward and work to come to some resolution to find a solution.
“Had I known that I hadn't known what I was doing, perhaps I wouldn't have done it. I know I wouldn’t have,” confessed Toni.
“I doubt it Toni. You were always the daring one - besides you thought that The Wizard was a simple book and not the work of some 'Wizard' or Devil's Disciple or for that matter some such entity,” assured Tessie. “Maybe if I had looked before I had leaped as the saying goes, I might not have submitted my wish to go along with yours, but then what would you have done all alone on your ventures? Tessie teased with a giggle following her statement.
“Yeah, I'd rather be lost with someone than be lost alone,” returned Toni with a giggle and then became serious as she grinned.
Bob assured them that they would have changed nothing back then because they were two reckless and daring young girls looking for excitement wherever it could be found, and what better place than a mystical book and an antique dresser to conjure up thoughts of fun and adventure. Tessie and Toni agreed and made light of the situation, but quickl
y got back to the task of reading and interpreting. They worked into the night to the point where they were losing their thoughts and were too tired to take notes besides their tablet was filled with the strangest sayings.
“Time to quit for the night girls or at least it's time for me to quit considering my exercise I got running away from that mad dog” added Bob. It was somewhat in jest for it was not known whether Bob had a real-life experience or a dream. Toni and Tessie agreed that they should start over again with fresh minds and restored bodies so they retired for the evening only to fight again in the morning.
The night was filled with fretful tossing and turning, probably brought on by the unknown, and that being whether or not they would find themselves together upon awakening. They slept, woke up, looked around, and slept some more. They were relieved to find themselves in one piece and in the same place from which they started and that was a good sign. Perhaps reading and taking notes of the strange and unusual incantations and writings the spirits guiding the book allowed them some peace; probably not however for as the words were written and the spells cast so must those participating enter into the agreements made along the way according to the rules.
Following breakfast the ritual began again, each in turn going over the chapters and taking notes until the chore was done. Here were three intelligent individuals looking over a mass of notes barely understanding the writings as they were read aloud, and now having to extrapolate some common sense out of what was known which at the time was very little or they thought very little.
“Okay guys, what's next? We have read, talked, shared, shook our heads in wonderment, and we are not much further ahead than we were before we started except that we had a story read to us and I might add one that probably none of us would have chosen on purpose,” quipped Bob.
“What I don't understand,’ stated Toni, “is why the slim man directed me to read the book by jumping back and forth through the chapters. I couldn't see much difference than just going from beginning to ending.
“I have nothing to add to what has already been said,” chimed Tessie.
“All I know is that I am very confused by the complexity of the words and how they were woven and interspersed throughout the text. It's like it was written by a madman for evil purposes rather than for fun and enjoyment,” added Toni quickly.
“I guess if a person read the book and didn't pay too much attention to the terms and agreements and when finished replacing the book back on the shelf, nothing more would come of it, but in this situation, here I was, the all knowing, sticking my nose into the pot where it didn't belong and look at all the fun we are having trying to exit ourselves from this mess.”
“No one is to blame. What's done is done. The only thing left to do now is figure out what to do now,” Bob said and then paused for a moment, “Here's what has to happen next in order to resolve this mess; we need to split some of the terms and conditions we found in the book, and each do some research over the next week or two. Then let's return and compare notes; this is what I suggest,” Bob added.
Because of the need for all three to get back to their jobs they decided to leave as they were not on a long-term vacation. In truth no one else knew what was going on in the lives of Toni, Tessie and Bob, so to just arbitrarily miss work for no apparent reason was taboo. So off to work they went and in the interim each set out to discover the unusual from their readings and then meet again at their designated time and place. Time marched on with little or no excitement, much to the happiness of the three, until the time arrived for their meeting. Phone calls were made to confirm the meeting and all were ready and willing to get their show on the road once again. The meeting was held at Tessie's house because it was close to a major research center at Berkley in the event more information was needed. The three met, enjoyed a lunch, some small talk, and then prepared themselves for the task ahead. Each took a turn in explaining their findings, and although most were confusing, they did settle on some things they thought might be relevant. First off, they identified the source of the sorcery. It seems that the term that came up many times; ‘The Ju Ju Man’ denoted the center of all this black magic. It began in Nigeria, Africa by the Yoruba speaking people. This trend carried over to Santeria, Palo Mayambe and Abaqa, found mostly in Cuba, Puerto Rico and Miami. Their gods and goddesses were known as ‘orishas’. These facts became important because it afforded the group some ammunition as to where to begin to find answers to the happenings affecting their lives. They all agreed that the only practical location for them to do research on finding one of the 'orishas' was in the secretive world of Miami, Florida. This they also agreed needed to be done soon. The only way to bring about any resolution was for each to request a week off due to serious family problems, and since the reason was not totally a lie, it would satisfy their bosses' justification for granting the leave. And so it was that the three set off to Miami, but once arriving what would they do from there? None had been to Florida for any other purpose than sight-seeing and lolling around on the beaches, and that was some time ago. Does one just enter Miami and go into a store asking whether or not anyone could direct them to an 'orisha'? They thought not. Then how does one approach this most delicate subject without seeming like undercover agents trying to bust a voodoo sect? The place to start they rationalized was the office of the FBI, for surely they would have dealt with clandestine activities related to hexes and strange disappearances and deaths.
The next morning the three approached the local office and sought out an agent who might be able to assist them in their quest. To their surprise and elation there was a special office given over to that very subject, and after explaining in some detail what was happening, the agent consented to offer some information that might be helpful. The first thing he did was assign one of his undercover agents to the case but only on a short time basis to meet a 'narc' who would introduce them to a known practitioner in the arts and sciences of Black Magic, Voodoo, chants and incantations, spells and other odd and weird activity. The meeting was set up, but the three were told that they couldn't dress like they appeared now. They needed street clothes that were torn and tattered and looked dirty and unkempt for they were entering the underworld of the little understood mind controllers. They also had to meet at night so identities were difficult.
“Look my friend, we have never been to this place before and we certainly haven’t dealt with voodoo or any such people who delve in the black arts. After we meet with these people are we going to have a difficult time just walking away with the information they may or may not give to us?” Bob stated.
‘These people change from one day to the next. We at the FBI office never know how they will react for they are always in fear that we will invade their territory and give them trouble. We try not to interfere unless we are called in because of an injury, a hex placed on someone, or a death by whatever means,” retorted the Agent.
“Might we be offered a window of time so that if you don’t hear from us you might suspect that something has happened that might put us in jeopardy?” responded Bob with a slight chuckle.
“It’s not likely anything will happen to you because of the ‘narc’ we are using to introduce you to one of the practitioners” was the response given back from the Agent. “But, I’ll tell you what I will give you two days to do your dealings and if I don’t hear back from you by that time, I will dispatch my ‘narc’ to investigate; how’s that?”
Bob, Toni and Tessie were relieved that some amount of protection was being offered by the Agency and at least there would be some guarantee for their safety should they need help for whatever reason. None wanted another hex placed on them for they were in Miami for just the opposite reason; that being to find out how to remove whatever evil had been wrought upon them in the first place.
The next night coming arrangements were made to meet with Mapita Castro, a well-known lady of the
underworld who surely would be able to help, for the right price. The agent from the FBI suggested they bring some money to offer up in good faith for services rendered. Mapita was an intriguing lady who was dressed in a long flowing gown-like wrap with a vast array of colors and patterns. Her upper blouse had puffy shoulders and was also loaded with all the colors of the rainbow. The donned straw hat had frayed edges and sportedholes here and there, and there was a bandana wrapped around it that fashioned itself under her neck where it was tied in a bow. She was not the sort of lady you would want to introduce to your close friends; that is unless you wanted to scare them off. The three were barely introduced to Mapita, who only motioned for them to sit and listen. When her instructions were given she motioned for them to respond to nod up and down for a yes if they were willing to tell her what she wanted to know or no with a sideways left to right movement of their heads if they were unwilling. They didn't come all that way to say no, so each responded with a yes. Before Mapita began she made a strange motion with her head and out of the shadows of her work station appeared Phillippe. This guy looked like a homeless man from any big city. He had dark skin but was not a black man, and his clothing was dull and drab, in shades of dark brown. They were torn and tattered. Phillippe stood about 5'5" and weighed in at about 189 pounds. His face was dirty adorned by a mustache and unshaven beard. His eyes appeared to be black, but being dark as it was, and only using ambient light cast off by the fire Mapita had prepared, it was not possible to know for sure, he was otherwise a spooky, scary person. All three felt the same about Phillippe and it was obvious by the expressions on their faces when he appeared out of nowhere. When the ceremony was about to begin, Mapita signaled that she would need an object from each of them and some up-front money. Bob dug into his pocket and came up with a special pin he had always carried with him - sort of a superstitious good luck charm. Along with that came a handful of 20's. Toni and Tessie each removed a piece of jewelry they had around their necks and handed them to Mapita, which she accepted, but when Mapita saw this stash of bills she again motioned to Phillippe who knew exactly what he was supposed to do. He spoke in his Spanish accent for Bob to get up from his sitting position and follow him. Bob was reluctant as was Toni and Tessie, but they had agreed to do as they were told, and so Bob followed Phillippe down the corridor and into a dark building. When he didn't return in what seemed like hours, Toni and Tessie asked Mapita what had happened. She told them not to worry and began questioning them as to their need of her services. They obeyed and spilled out every detail of what had been happening to them. Mapita appeared to be interested and kept nodding as she listened. It was difficult to know what was going on in her mind having never dealt with anyone like this person, so they weren’t sure whether or not she was just giving them lip service or was in fact paying attention and taking in everything that was presented to her. When all was said and done, they asked for Bob to return. Mapita nodded her head, but Phillippe did not appear. Of course this was known to Mapita, for Bob was not available. In actuality he was being held by a group of men just like Phillippe. His arms and legs were bound and everything in his pockets was removed. He was told to remain silent or he would be killed, as he sat in total disbelief having no other choice but to obey so he did as he was told. He also saw no way to signal Toni or Tessie that he was in danger so they were probably going to be subjected to the same routine.
When Toni and Tessie were asked to rise they demanded to know the whereabouts of Bob. They were cautioned to not cry out or there would be repercussions against them. Soon after they were taken to the same room where Bob was being held and bound. Their possessions were removed from them leaving only their clothing they had on when entering the facility. After a while Mapita appeared and warned the three to cooperate or else. Toni asked what was wrong because what she had told Mapita was the truth and they were not there to spy or cause trouble to anyone. “All we wanted was information to rid ourselves of our hex. But instead we’re in a deeper fix than we were.” Tessie cried.
They felt helpless and had no options except to obey Mapita who had not yet established her desires. With the three securely bound they were hard pressed to do anything except plead their innocence and asked to be released. Mapita spoke to Phillippe in Spanish and only a few bits and pieces of her conversation could be understood, for none of the three captives had carried on with their language programs while in school and were now helpless to fully comprehend their fates.“Who sent you to me?” questioned Mapita. “You don’t look so innocent. You look like you are here to do something bad to me; is this the truth?” she demanded. Bob was unable to speak because he had an object stuck in his mouth and secured behind his neck so that his voice was inaudible. His head was also pulled back so that he appeared to be looking up at the ceiling; a most uncomfortable position for anyone.
“You have this all wrong. We came here for help, and we’re not connected with anyone. Certainly we’re not here to investigate your business. Help is all we need, and we were told that you were the best of the best and that you could tell us how to get us out of our wish made long ago after consulting with the book the Wizard; nothing more, nothing less,” reassured Toni. “Why would we come from California to Florida just to interfere with your business, anyway? Think on that.” She offered.
Once again Mapita broke away and spoke with her associates in Spanish. They didn’t seem too convinced as to the truth or not so true statements being presented to them were questioned. They indicated that some considerations would be made providing the price was right. When Mapita returned to the conversation in English she informed the three that her associates weren’t happy or satisfied because they were not special agents. She also told them that there might be a way to prove their innocence by coming up with more money. When Toni and Tessie heard this they were dumbfounded. How were they supposed to get money if they were bound and secluded in this Godforsaken hideout?
“Why do you demand more money from us?” questioned Tessie who had been silent throughout this entire ordeal. “We have nothing. You have taken all of our possessions. Whatever we had can be yours, so just keep it and let us leave,” she cried out.
“Ah, but you have money in the bank, don’t you?” questioned Mapita. “You can get it and give it to me, and then we can talk some more.”
“Our money is in the bank systems in California so we don’t have access to it here in Miami” replied Tessie. “We would have to find a bank that would honor our accounts from our distant banks for such transactions and they might be unwilling; what then?”
“Please release Bob’s mouthpiece and allow his head to return to normal. He is trying to speak but can’t,” begged Toni.
Mapita looked over at Bob and could plainly see that he was in pain. She motioned to Phillippe to loosen the binding around Bob’s mouth and neck. After doing so Bob gasped and gulped in large amounts of air restoring oxygen to his lungs. His blood pressure had elevated and he was not in good condition at that moment. After huffing and puffing for some time, the color in his face appeared normal once again. He shook his head from one side to the other trying to speak, but wasn’t able to.
“You people have this all wrong!” he demanded. “We came to you for help and look what you have done to us. We must be released immediately because the person who brought us here to meet with you was instructed to check up on us if we failed to return in a short time. If we remain missing, he will get help and come looking for us. You now have to decide whether or not we are telling the truth, and if you don’t believe us then you will have to accept the consequences of your actions.” Bob blared.
Upon hearing this Mapita relayed what was said in Spanish to her associates. They immediately scurried around nervously as if not to know how to react to the information just presented to them. Mapita sensed the urgency in her friends and could sense what Bob was saying was in fact the truth. She sat in silence for some tim
e as if trying to read the wave lengths emanating from Toni, Tessie and Bob’s thoughts. She appeared very nervous at that instant and after readjusting her position, she announced, “We have decided to believe you and want you to know that we were only testing you and trying to protect our interests. We are going to allow you to leave, but you must promise that you will tell no one about what had happened. You must know that I’m capable of initiating some very bad and dangerous hexes upon you - should you deny me my request for your silence. How do you say? Bob asked for a couple of minutes to talk with Toni and Tessie in private, and then they would give her their answer. Mapita walked away, but not too far so as to keep all three within her sights. Bob stated his case and it wasn’t too hard to imagine how the others would react. Assuring her that they just wanted to get out of there, out of Florida, and return as fast as possible back to California. The plan was initiated, and the three captives were asked to get into a van having no side windows, assuring them that they would be dropped off at a safe location, and that they would easily be able to find out where they were and could make their way back to their hotel. The plan was agreed upon by all and it was carried out with the art and skill of professionals; as if this act had been performed many times before. They found themselves in a downtown section of Miami, all tidy and neat so as not to arouse suspicion and led out of the van. With a simple inquiry they were told how to get to their hotel, but having no money they had to convince a taxi driver to deliver them to the hotel and wait - having Toni and Tessie remain inside the cab until Bob was able to draw out some money from the hotel management in order to pay the fare. This act was done, the cabbie was paid, Toni, Tessie and Bob were safe and sound in the hotel. They called the Agent, assured him that they were safe and back where they began, and all was well, but was it?
After getting themselves cleaned up and their minds somewhat restored, they allowed themselves to work their way down to the restaurant/bar and each ordered a well-deserved drink. After their first swig they could feel an immediate sense of relaxation.
They motioned to the waiter to bring menus and after they ordered a light dinner they recounted the events of the past couple of days. It was hard to believe how their lives were transposed from their normal existence to such trauma as they had never experienced. Bob confessed that his neck was hurting and it would probably be in the best interest to lie down and rest hoping that would relax his muscles. He had never had his head placed into such a position and he didn’t enjoy the after effects, but it was better than the alternatives; they did threaten to kill him if he didn’t cooperate and who knows whether or not they were pretending for he wasn’t going to test their evilness. Bob slept the entire night and was better the next morning, and felt that he could get himself back to Texas in preparation for his meetings.
Toni and Tessie tossed around a bit - no doubt wanting to keep one eye open; more out of subconscious fear rather than reality. They decided to get out of Miami and head back to California for they still had time left from their leave, and wanted to visit Toni’s mother’s house. They bid Bob goodbye and went their separate ways to meet up at Toni and Bob’s house later when he finished his business appointments in New York City..
Chapter Seven