Hours later, Ethan wakes up in Brian’s arms and he sees that Brian is awake too and appears to be lost in his own thoughts.
“So” Ethan says tracing a line around Brian’s belly-button “Does this mean you’re ready to be open about our relationship?”
“I don’t know what it means.” Brian answered “It all happened so fast, I really wasn’t thinking.”
“Maybe it wasn’t that you weren’t thinking….” says Ethan angrily pulling away from Brian “…but what you were thinking with….”
“Come on, Eth, don’t be that way.”
“I’ve told you…” Ethan explains “…as your friend I can respect your decision to remain in the closet, but as your lover I can’t be with someone who is ashamed to acknowledge our relationship.”
“I’m not ashamed of anything.”
“Oh?”
“Look, I was in my patrol car when this wave of heat came over me and I had this irresistible urge to come see you. I can’t explain it, it was almost like it was….”
“magic?”
“Yeah, how did you know I was going to say that?
“Put your clothes on Brian.”
“Ah, come on baby, don’t be like that. Hey, how bout one more time for the road?”
“We don’t have time, Brian, we have a murder to prevent!”
Brian and Ethan race to the Powers Family estate in Brian’s patrol car. Once there, they find that the front gates have been torn apart and a path of destruction has been left behind in Ricky’s wake.
“Stay in the car.” Brian tells Ethan as he takes out his revolver.
“No, Brian” Ethan replies “I’m not letting you go in there alone and I can help
“Ethan, I don’t have time to argue with you….”
“Then don’t!”
“Fine” Brian says defeated. “But stay behind me.”
The two men enter the foyer and slowly make their way through the house.
“Mr. Powers! Brian announces “This is Detective Brian Lewis with the Shadow Falls Police Department.”
Receiving no response the two men continue exploring the house.
“Look at this place” Ethan says surveying the damage.
“Looks like a tornado came through here.” Brian replies
“Yeah, a really pissed off Tornado.”
A loud crash booms in another room and the two men move to investigate.
“Police! Freeze!” Brian announces kicking in the door to an office and brandishing his weapon.
To their surprise, Brian and Ethan are met by the body of Derek Powers floating in mid air and writing in pain as if being torn apart from the inside. Ricky stands there bold and defiant, his arm raised in the air and clenching his fist.
“What are you doing here, Ethan?”
“Ricky, you have to stop this now!”
“Not until this scumbag admits the truth!”
“What truth?” asks Ethan
“Enough of this!” Brian interrupts “Stop what you’re doing and put him down!”
Ricky easily disarms Brian with a wave of his hand and Brian’s gun flies through a window breaking the glass. With another wave of his hand Brian is thrown into a wall where he falls to the floor unconscious.
“I said” Ricky explains “NOT until he admits the truth!”
Ethan moves between an Ricky and Brian, who lay unconscious on the floor.
“Ricky, you have to let this go” Ethan explains “You’re only making things worse for yourself.”
“This asshole…” Ricky growls deserves to die!”
“Ricky, Its only natural for you to blame Derek, but you have to take responsibility for your own actions….”
“Take responsibility?” Ricky questions “Don’t believe everything you read.”
“Now…” Ricky commands turning his attention to Derek “tell them what really happened the night your son was killed.”
“I….don’t….know” Derek replies in broken breaths “what …you’re talking…about.”
“TELL THEM!” Ricky commands increasing the pressure on Derek.
“Ok, Ok” Derek relents “I’ll tell them, just let me go. I can’t breath…”
Ricky releases his hold on Derek who falls to the floor on his hands and knees.
“The day my son died” Derek begins “I walked in on him and Ricky having sex in Matthew’s room.”
“What” Ethan whispers surprised
“I…I was appalled….disgusted…that my son MY SON…was a homosexual. I walked away angry and found myself in my office. Matthew followed me trying to explain, but I wouldn’t listen. I accused Ricky of seducing my son…my beautiful son…and turning him into a degenerate; but Matthew said it was he that seduced Ricky. “
“Finish!” Ricky orders
“Matthew and I, we argued. I hit him. Ricky got between us to protect Matthew and I drew a revolver from my desk. I didn’t mean to do it.”
“Didn’t mean to do what” Ethan asks
“You see, I was only trying to protect me and my son. It was Ricky I meant to shoot, but Matthew jumped in front of him……”
“What else?” Ricky urges Derek to continue
“I dropped the gun and went to go to Matthew, but Ricky beat me to it. Then we heard sirens in the distance. Ricky ran away and I hid the gun telling the police that it was he that shot and killed my son…….”
As Derek looks to the past, an unconscious Brian is given a glimpse of his own future. He sees himself as an old man, now retired from duty and living a lonely existence. As the scenes of his future life pass before him Brian thinks to himself that his life could have turned out so differently had he been able to release his own fear.
“…and now that you have confessed to your crime…” Ricky announces “I sentence you to death!”
Ethan moves to stop Ricky from carrying out his threat and Ricky waves his arm to telekinetically repel him. Ethan deflects the energy with his own power resulting in a backlash that knocks down all three men.
“Ricky” Ethan says more aggressively as he staggers to his feet “the truth is out now. He can’t hid from his crime anymore, but its not your place to judge him. Let the authorities take him in where he will pay for what he’s done.”
“You’re right” Ricky relents
Ethan moves to help Ricky to his feet and is caught off guard when Ricky telekinetically hurls him against a wall.
“But I just can’t seem to do anything right!”
Ethan feels the invisible hand of a giant pressing into his body, leaving an impression in the wall in the shape of his body. As he begins to lose consciousness, Ethan recalls his tarot reading from the day before and the image of the Strength card, which depicts a feminine individual closing the mouth of a lion by sheer force of will, flashes across his mind. Summoning all his strength Ethan cast a spell to bring an end to this madness.
“From beyond the western gate,
return one felled by a father’s hate”
“What are you doing?” Ricky demands
“bring an end to a lover’s ire,
& rid him of bitter desire!”
“Stop it! Stop it now!
The room grows silent and begins to glows with a light so bright that it temporarily blinds both Ricky and Ethan.
Distracted by the light, Ricky releases Ethan, who drops to the floor. When the light fades away the ethereal body of Matthew Powers hovers above the destroyed room.
“Matthew?” Ricky asks “Is that really you?”
Ethan watches and Matthew and Ricky seem to make a silent exchange, which he does not fully understand.
“I love you.” Ricky whispers just before he falls to the floor and has what appears to be a seizure. The familiar red glow leaves his eyes and is replaced by its natural brown.
Ethan witnesses Ricky’s spirit rise into the air where he and Matthew embrace and are reunited in the afterlife. Before disappearing into eternity they point to a place behind a bookshelf that seems to be important to them.
As the spirits of Ricky and Matthew disappear forever, Ethan hears Brian moan and runs over to him.
“Is it over?” Brian asks
“Its over.” Ethan replies.
“Are you alright Ethan?”
“Yes” Ethan replies “Don’t worry about me, you had a nasty bump on the head. We should get you to the hospital.”
“Forget about that for a minute.” Brian says placing his hands on Ethan’s shoulders, and looking him in the eyes, “I know I’ve been an ass but if you will still have me, I promise that things will be different now.”
Ethan pauses, and searching Brian’s eyes notices that Brian has somehow changed. Ethan answers Brian with a kiss and they both embrace as the sound of siren fill the air. An inspection of the bookshelf reveals a wall behind the bookshelf with a bank of security monitors which recorded Derek’s confession that it was he that killed his son and not Ricky.
The Chief of Detectives arrives on the scene along with the paramedics. Derek is determined to have several broken bones and internal bleeding, but he will live.
“Detective Lewis’ The chief explains “you’re going to have a hard time explaining just what happened here.’
“Excuse me chief” Ethan interject “But Brian’s had a nasty bump on the head and I think he should see one of the paramedics before he answers any questions’
“And just who are you?” The Chief asks Ethan.
“He’s my boyfriend” Brian interjects
“Oh” the chief replies “well then, you ah go see the paramedics and I’ll read your report later.”
As the paramedic cleans Brian’s wounds and checks him for a concussion, Ethan takes the opportunity to gauge how serious Brian is about their relationship.
“Are you sure” Ethan asks “that this is what you want. I mean, we’ve just been through a lot and I don’t want you to wake up tomorrow thinking you made a mistake.”
“Yes” Brian answers “this is what I want. Don’t you?”
“Of course, it’s all I’ve ever wanted Brian.”
“Ok, you’re fine’ The paramedic interjects “just keep those bandages clean and no sleep for at least four hours.”
“I love you, Ethan.”
“I love you more”
The two men take each others hands and walk towards the car. Ethan climbs into Brian’s car and they share a kiss as Ethan’s eyes now glow red. They pull away knowing that whatever the future holds, they will face it together.
The End of
EXTREME PREJUDICE
Ethan Knox
will return in
THE FOOL’S JOURNEY
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