Alanah felt a bit of relief, some regret and a lot apprehension as they drove back into Boston. As of yesterday she had still been struggling with her choice to stay at the farm but the appearance of Alessia had shattered that possibility.

  Just as soon as she had a chance to get comfortable somewhere it all went to hell.

  Alanah, the human tumbleweed, where will she stop now and what will knock her about next? Pathetic…stop feeling sorry for yourself. Figure out what is going on with Amos and then call Will, maybe his parents can help you out.

  Maybe, but I doubt it.

  It had only been two nights at the farm and she hadn’t even gotten settled. She did miss Amos though and she was not sure how she felt about that.

  Randy was a good companion for a drive like this. He didn’t say much and he didn’t say much in a way that made Alanah feel relaxed and as if she did not need to say much either. The miles ticked by as they made good time driving into Boston in Randy’s old but well-maintained Toyota pickup truck.

  “Take off those goofy glasses, how could you wear those things at all?” Allanah had just entered the kitchen with Randy following close behind and after giving Amos a long hug she was taking a long look at Amos trying to see what was wrong with him.

  “Ok, I just wear them because I was pretty sensitive to light but it’s getting better now so it should be alright inside at least.”

  As Amos took the sunglasses off Alanah could not hide her surprise and dismay and did not even bother trying to do so.

  “Holy fuck Amos, what happened to your eyes? No wonder Jim’s friend thought you were on drugs. Your pupils are just freakin’ massive. Jesus…can you even see ok?”

  “I can actually, it’s getting better but everything is a bit different and the changes are becoming more noticeable.”

  “Like what.” Alanah was staring intently at Amos’ face and she was still making no attempt to disguise her fascination with his eyes.

  “Colours are really muted. They were dull yesterday but they are really muted today. I can also see details very clearly now. You see that bag of bread on it’s side the counter? I can read all of the ingredients on the back. All of them”.

  Randy swivelled his head to look at the bag, then back at Amos and then the bag again. He gave his head a shake and his dirty blond mullet spilling out of his ball cap followed suit.

  “You can read that text…from over there?”

  “Enriched wheat flour, Water, Whole wheat flour including the germ, Grain and seed blend, oat flakes, cracked brown rice, cracked wheat, rye flakes, cracked durum wheat, cracked …”

  “Jesus. ok stop already, we get it.” Alanah turned and looked at the bread on the counter. She was closer than Amos and after a moment said. “Not a chance, how the hell did you read that? My eyes are good but that is way too far away.”

  “I don’t know. Like I said. I can barely see colours now but I see so much more detail now. I can also hear real well too.”

  Jim cleared his throat, he had been standing off to the side after greeting Amos and he had been watching Amos pretty intently since Allanah and Randy had entered the kitchen.

  “I think you just still a bit rattled Amos’, you’re on edge and probably hyper sensitive to everything now so you are noticin’ every little thing now’.

  Amos waited until Jim had finished and then looked at Alanah and then Randy.

  “As you backed in the lane Allanah, I heard you tell Randy to watch for the telephone pole and Randy said not to worry, this wasn’t his first rodeo driving backwards in a tight spot.”

  No one said anything for a moment. Randy gave a low whistle.

  “Jesus, how’d ya hear that. My windows were closed and you guys were in the house and I’m pretty sure my exhaust has a leak, it’s pretty damn noisy. How the hell did you hear that?”

  Amos shrugged. “I’m not sure, it comes and goes, sometimes I hear the smallest thing like a bird on the roof or people talking outside and then my hearing goes back to normal. My eyes though, I see real well all the time now and even in the dark. Somethings changed and it’s still changing me.”

  “This is bullshit, this is just bullshit. Sorry Amos but that old woman just scared you and after what her stupid grandkid pulled you’re just freaked out so now you’re freaking us all out so stop it already.” Allanah held her arms up with her palms out and then let them fall, slapping her sides with disgust.

  “Hang on Allanah, just hang on. Somethin’s up with Amos and it’s not right. So sure, the old woman didn’t curse him but she poisoned him somehow with somethin’ only she knows about.”

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Randy sat down at the small kitchen table next to where Jim was standing. He saw that everyone was looking at him so he continued to finish his thought. “Sometimes the simplest explanation is the most accurate.”

  “Fine then, we go to her and make her tell us how to fix Amos”. Allanah stood there with her hands on her hips, trying to look determined but not convincing anyone, not even herself in the process.

  “Nope, that seems like a mighty poor idea. Just what she wants I bet, why else would she send her daughter out to tell you where to find her. Someone’s setting a trap and you’d best not walk inta’ it if you can help it.”

  “Ok Randy, then what do we do?” Allanah’s voice was rising in pitch and intensity; she had hoped to relieve her fears by coming to check on Amos but instead she was finding that the opposite was happening.”

  “Simple, ya make her come to you…. on your terms. That’s what I would do if I were you.”

  “Hey Alessia, I want to talk with you”

  Alessia recoiled slightly at the sound of Giorgio’s voice. He must have been waiting for her outside the bar somewhere on the street. They didn’t open for another hour and she was just getting to work.

  She turned and tried to hide the surprise and the frustration on her face as she looked at the big man who was walking towards her.

  “What do you want Giorgio, I’ve got to get the bar set up, Tony’s gonna be here any minute and I don’t want him thinkin’ I was late”.

  “It won’t take long. I hear your mother found that little bastard who attacked me and put a curse on him. What the hell is all that about? Are you tryin’ to embarrass me by spreading rumours about an old lady confronting that little shit?”

  “I dunno Giorgi, why don’t you go an ask my mom? She’s at home, she’d love to talk to you. Let’s see how much yellin’ you do then.” Alessia stood there, chin tilted challenging Giorgio to push back on that one.

  “Come on Alessia, I just want to know how your mom found em’ and where they are now. There are lots of serious guys that want to know. We need to settle that score we…”

  “You can’t bear the thought of some kids getting the best of you. I know, I know, it looks bad ….well what can I tell you Giorgio. Silvio and Pietro spotted them selling eggs or somethin’ like that at a market and tried to grab em but got beaten up. Nonna was so upset and demanded we come search the other markets and find em’, she wanted to confront them and curse em’ herself.”

  Giorgio just stared at the younger woman and Alessia decided to press on with the lie because under no circumstances could she let Giorgio get his hands on that boy before her mother had a chance to have him come crawling to her.

  “You know what she’s like. I have to live with her so I took her. I didn’t think those kids would be dumb enough to show at another market across town but they were and now Nonna’s scared them off for good I bet.”

  Alessia turned and unlocked the door to the bar and then stepped inside as she opened the door.

  “Sorry Giorgio but what was I gonna do. If you guys don’t like it then you go take it up with Nonna Conti, see what she says. I gotta go now”.

  Alessia stepped into the bar and breathed a sigh of relief. Giorgio was probably dumb enough to believe her story and if he didn’t then he would have no choice but to go have it out with her mom. Not even he was dumb enough or desperate enough to do that yet.

  Maybe that would be enough time for that poor kid to come looking for her mom. She just hoped that pretty girl would have enough sense to stay away but she doubted it. At that age most kids were foolish and reckless, that girl was at least one of those two, probably both.

  Alanah, Jim and Randy were sitting at his kitchen table. Amos had gone to the living room to lay down for a little while as his head had started to feel as if his former headache was returning.

  “Aren’t you guys just a little bit worried out there on the farm about these crazies paying another visit?” Jim had just asked the question that had been on Alanah’s mind since she had last asked it on the farm.

  “Nope, not so much. I’ve got two German Sheppard dogs out there and they were bred and trained by my Dad. No one is sneaking up on that farm now that they know its theirs to guard and also, Simon’s got his cameras up and all tested and workin’ fine.

  Oh…I meant to tell ya. Next time ya visit, stay in the car and honk the horn and we’ll come get ya. We don’t want the dogs deciding what to do with ya”.

  Randy smiled. “We may be country folk but that just means that City folk, especially thugs from Boston, stand out a mile away. It don’t matter if they are in town or just pokin’ around on a back road, we’ll spot em’ just fine.

  It’s you two here in the City that are in danger so make sure you step carefully now, especially if you are tryin’ to draw out that old woman.”

  Jim leaned forwards across the table. “I’ve been thinking about that. I’ve known a guy for a while since he joined the police force. He was former military and then as a cop he worked narcotics for a number of years. He and is partner made a big bust years ago, lots of drugs on a small fishing boat run by the North End mob.”

  Jim lowered his voice a little bit and went on. “Things went bad pretty fast. The guy I know his name’s Paul. Anyway, they were supposed to testify in court and then Paul’s partner gets gunned down and a month later, Paul’s wife had a bad accident in his car. His brakes just failed and she was using it because her car was in for service.”

  “So Paul never fully recovered from this. He completely fell to pieces for a spell. Drinking, anger issues and all of that and he was suspended from the force. Police psych wouldn’t let him back on the force neither so he has just been in limbo pending further tests that never come.”

  Jim looked sternly at Allanah and then Randy. “Anyway, I think you should meet em’. He hates the North Boston families and what they’ve done to him and his partner and I bet he would help you out a lot.”

  “Hmmmn umh…he sounds unhinged to me, you sure you want him around these kids?”

  “I wouldn’t suggest it if I didn’t trust the guy Randy. He’s gotten a lot better in the last few years. No drinking, no outbursts and he’s a solid guy. Knows how to take care of himself and all about weapons and tactical gear. Most of all, he just hates the families and he would love to get back at them.”

  “Last time I saw him it was a few months ago and he had given up on ever getting back on the force so I think he wouldn’t mind to get his hands dirty if he had to.”

  “Well Jim, I hope it doesn’t come to that.”

  Jim gave Randy a sad smile. “Me too Randy, Me too but I’m not sure where else to turn. I agree with the boy, I don’t think there’s anything a hospital can do.”

  Alanah looked up from the table and fixed her eyes on Jim. “I want to talk to him, he sounds like my kind of guy. When can we meet him?”