Badlands

The Shadow Before: Chapter Seventeen

Badlands:

Part Two: THE SHADOW BEFORE

Chapter Seventeen: The Articles

Interior was well known for their teenagers acting up. This was the early nineties now. A new decade of children to take place for the preteens now. If someone walked down the block they would see these teenagers on their bikes. Going to the library, going to the arcade, or just going somewhere they all know they could get into trouble. It didn't bother any of them because they knew when they get home on time, their mothers wouldn't care less what they have been up to.

As long as 'they' came home on time and in one piece that is all what mattered. Then the visions and happenings started. All with the single lad at the age of fifteen.

He was one of those teens that would come home on time for dinner after a long day out with friends. No matter what Brett Van Dillion came home. Whether if he told someone on the street that knew him, to tell his ma he will be home late. No matter what his mother knew he would be home and be home in one piece.

Brett was trying to tell his mother something all along. All along there was something in those trees. Something evil, something mysterious. Then one night he must have found it and to that day on he didn't come back home.

Instead he vanished. Vanished in thin air like a dove vanishes magically from a majicians robe. It didn't take long for the word to ge around Brett was missing. He had perfect grades so the school was missing him. He had a small job at the bar sweeping floors and cleaning the bathroom, (basically the only reassonable job you could have at age fifteen), so his boss would miss him.

He wasn't the only one that went missing but yet Brett was the sole purpose there was a curfew (after everything what happened this two years the curfew was gone like nothing had happened.) But to make matters worse there was no sign. No sign from anything like he could be alive. He was safe.

Nothing.

Greg knew Brett. Knew of him because his was in the grade above Lucas and Greg. But Greg knew of him because he would see him down his own block for every Saturday basketball neighborhood playing. Greg rarely played but he watch and Brett knew how to play. He wasn't like any other jock. He was the start of high school, still on the JV team. He still had those grades because the rebeliious years never hit him.

And what Greg would later on learn is Brett would never have those years. Never be able to have them anyway.

"So tell me," Lucas says as they get in the doorway of the house. Greg's parents weren't there and so he took advantage of that. "tell me now, please. " He watches Greg pulse everywhere and he blinks, "relax no one is here jeez."

Greg looks at him and shrugs as he sits down on the couch, 'you can't ever be so sure."

Lucas squints his eeyes as if what his best friend just said was way to dramatic, "do we need to call up the other guys? I am sure Bobby and Frank got nothing else better to do."

"Yes we all have homework."

Lucas rolls his yes and then sits down on the couch next to Greg, "I will call them up on the landline," he grabs the phone from the spot by the lamp and dials their number. There is a big chance they are together anyway. Frank always is with Bobbie.

After the first ring:

"Hello?" a sound of a person eating is heard from the other end.

"Bobby!' Lucas exclaims in the phone which makes the boy hold the phone away.

"Lucas what the fuck bro?!" the other exclaims back. He waves his friend to the phone and they both hear Greg on the phone, "I have Frank here, what up?! You just interupt us from a bad ass game of Rat-A-Tat."