In Memoriam - An Unus Annus Fanfiction

02.04 - 04/02 - Mark builds a pillow fort for the first time

Lixian sat down on the couch beneath the window. »Look kiddo, I know this is a lot for ya. But lemme tell ya, yer pops loved ya. He really did.« The Detective had an apologetic look on his face. Luís felt like crying. Now that things were beginning to make sense, he wondered if it was worth the cost. »The worst thing about this is that it takes a some kind of crazy supernatural conspiracy for me to be told the truth.« He looked over to his mother. »Why didn't you tell me I was not his son?«
   »Luís, meu amor,« she choked back tears. »I wish I would have.« Luís eyes wandered back to the letter. It was the same his father held so many years ago, on that fateful day. The letters blurred before his eyes. »What was he like?« He managed to ask.

»The Colonel? He was a real happy go lucky guy. But when it came to his pals, he could be tough as nails. Lemme tell ya, he was a great fella.« Not enough of a great fella to leave his hands off his friends wife, Luís thought bitterly.
»And what happened at the mansion?«
The detective shrugged. »Hell, I can't make sense of it either. That Fishbach guy bumped himself off, but some mumbo jumbo witchcraft brought 'im back. Or maybe he was never gone to begin with, hard to say. Anyway, the Colonel was played. He saw what happened, and it messed him up big time. He's got a head fulla bees now. Poor guy is not himself anymore. Damien and his sister, the dame was a seer, both vanished. Nobody knows where. Gone like a goon without cuffs.  All I can say for sure is that Fishbach's as dangerous as a rabid dog. He'll mess with your head until you can't tell the big cheese from the devil.«

»What do you mean, he messes with your head?«
   »Ya see things. First in yer sleep, then in real life. Real nasty stuff.«
The image of the monster in his dreams flashed before Luís inner eye. He thought these dreams would come at random but did they really? The first time was after the letter, and now that he thought about it, they got worse whenever he investigated Mark. »And what do you do when you see these things?«
  The Detective snorted. »I tell ya what kid, you just gotta stay the boss man of yer own head. It's really stupid, but I used to build a pillow fort I my head whenever I saw something like that. Made me feel safe, ya know?«
The mental image of a hard boiled guy like the Detective sitting in a pillow fort made Luís chuckle. »So pick out something that makes you feel safe, and mentally retreat there?«
   »Exactly.«

Luís took a deep breath. The detective was right, this was a lot. But it got him closer to uncovering the mystery of Mark Fishbach. He couldn't help but wonder what things he'll dream tonight.