ReBorn

Prologue-1

And in the Beginning……

Prologue

Although the boy was only six years old; he carried himself with the bearing of a small man. Mature beyond his years, he had never allowed anyone to coddle him, much to his mother Carrie’s chagrin. At this moment, he was angry with both of his older sisters for teasing him by calling him a baby. It was all because his mother insisted on putting him to bed before the moon was even full in the sky. The three children were lounging peacefully in their playroom, each engrossed in their own activities until Carrie interrupted them. Now the mood had drastically changed causing Eddie to become the center of unwanted attention and teasing.

“You’re just a baby, Eddie, and babies need plenty of sleep.” “You don’t know anything Sofia!“

“I’m eight, and I’m old enough to know that at least!” Sofia whispered behind her hand, as she pretended to rock her Thumbelina doll to sleep.

“I’m not anybody’s baby an’ I don’t need no sleep. Anyway—who you calling baby, Sofia? You’re just barely older’n me!”

“You, Eddie... B-A-B-Y!” she spelled out. “And I am two whole years older than you, which makes me way older! If you weren’t such a baby you would be able to count!” Sofia chanted gleefully, enjoying torturing her little brother; he was too big for his britches as far as she was concerned.

“Mama. . . Sofia’s calling me the ‘B’ word.”

“Oh why don’t you stop being such a brat and go on to bed, so we can all have a little peace and quiet!” Odele chimed in with her typical haughty attitude. She was trying to read her Movie Stars fan magazine and all the noise was getting on her nerves. On top of that, the last thing she wanted was for her mother to come running to Eddie’s defense, as she always did. In Odele’s opinion, their mother had never displayed love to anyone other than her sons.

If she’s not careful God will take this one too, Odele thought and just as quickly tried to banish the thought from her mind. She loved Eddie and never wanted anything bad to happen to him. She didn’t understand why her mother’s face never lit up for her, the way it did for Eddie. . . the same way it had for her older brother Edward; before his death. No matter what she or her sister Sofia did, it was never worthy of more than a nod of approval from their mother.

Consequently, her sister Sofia chose their father, Logan, as the parent she sought approval from. Whenever he was present, he could be relied on to freely give all his children approval and affection. The only problem was that as a prominent minister, he was a very busy man and frequently not at home. Even with Logan’s many absences, Odele gave him credit for never showing favor for one child over the other.

Hearing the sound of her mother’s approaching footsteps on the hardwood floor; Odele buried her face in the magazine, pretending to be too engrossed to be disturbed. Surreptitiously she watched her mother quickly assessing the situation.

“Sofia, stop irritating your younger brother—not baby, younger.” Smiling at Sofia, Carrie winked conspiratorially while Eddie studied the exchange closely and in his childlike way realized he was being placated and didn’t care for it one bit. Without being consciously aware of the impact of his actions, he instinctively responded to regain a position of strength. Emulating their father, the boy stood with his shoulders erect, as he had seen his father do so often in the pulpit, until he knew he had everyone’s undivided attention. As it was with his father, so it was with Eddie; within moments every eye turned toward him. Purposefully ignoring both of his sisters, he stepped forward, grabbed his mother’s hand in his, and slightly tugged to indicate she should follow him as he led her from the room. As they crossed the threshold, Sofia quickly put her doll in its crib and ran to Eddie, hugging him close. Standing still, he allowed himself to be hugged, contemplating whether to return her affection. Hesitating momentarily before yielding, he brushed her hair gently with his small fingers, his anger forgotten. Glancing past Sofia, Eddie and Odele’s gazes locked and fastened; black eyes met hazel with an air of expectancy, and for a moment, the air was charged while the siblings gauged whether to war or acquiesce. Just as suddenly, the charge left the air. Odele stood up, magazine in hand, feigning a yawn. “I’m tired, too . . . think I’ll go lie in bed and read a little more.”

Walking directly to her brother, she leaned over and whispered, “If I get scared I’ll come and get you. You know. . . for protection.”

“G’night Mother.” Odele walked past Carrie without making eye contact. She was always careful to walk the thin line of respectfulness, although she was never affectionate.

“Goodnight, sweetheart,” Carrie watched the exchange between her children, always amazed at her son’s ability to turn a situation to his advantage. He had a special language with his sisters, always insisting that they respect him. Like many households that had one son among several girls, he was referred to as the little man and was accustomed to being catered to. Carrie hadn’t overheard the whispered remark from Odele, but she’d observed her son’s response and knew that it had been just what he needed to hear. Looking from Eddie to Odele, she attempted to catch her eyes to nod her approval—but, as customary, her daughter passed her with an air of indifference, uttering a perfunctory goodnight.

At eleven years old, Odele was the most difficult of her children. Carrie realized that in large part Odele held her directly account able for her unhappiness. Acknowledging that her daughter was justified, Carrie took full responsibility. Even now, she could recall how she had distanced herself from them after the death of her first child, Edward. Emotionally numb, she had been devoid of the ability to display maternal affection; that was, until she gave birth to Eddie. But by then, too many years had passed. Understanding the dynamics that plagued her family, she reasoned that it would take years to repair the damage. Even so, Odele and Sofia’s desire for motherly affection and admiration had been negatively affected, each handling the void differently. Odele had created a universe where she was the axis surrounded by a wheel of admirers. By the time she was ten years old, she was emotionally estranged from her family, with Eddie being the sole exception. Sofia attempted to emulate Odele to win her sister’s acceptance as a feminine replacement for their mother. At best, Odele seemed to tolerate her sister’s efforts, preferring always the company of her elite and snobbish circle of friends. It was a rarity, one that made Carrie’s spirits lift, to see her eldest daughter respond kindly to one of her siblings. After the brief exchange with Odele, Eddie stuck his chest out confidently, turning back to his mother he whispered, “I’m ready for bed now.”

Mystified by her son, she took his hand and walked the few feet from the playroom to his bedroom. In his own way he reprimanded his sisters through manipulation not unlike a man, she thought.

The Daniels home, located in the prosperous Third Ward section of Houston, Texas, had been designed with a wing of the house just for the children. They each had their own bedroom and private adjoining bathroom. The playroom was located at the entrance to the wing and served as a common area for all the children. Eddie’s room was located between Odele’s and Sofia’s. As Carrie passed by her eldest daughter’s room, she heard the familiar noise coming from behind the closed door: Odele always dreamed of being an actress, and would often perform in school plays. Each evening it was her habit after reading her Fan magazines to sit in her bedroom and listen to her favorite radio broadcast, The Shadow. Carrie smiled to herself; she could almost set her watch by Odele’s habits.

Once Eddie was tucked under the quilt made for him by his grandmother Megan, Carrie left the room still thinking of the conversation she’d had with him about his sisters’ teasing. “Eddie, your sisters tease you because they love you and that’s what older sisters do.”

“They should never tease the man of the house; I have to keep them safe,” he stated, completely serious, his expression fixed with a firmness uncommon to a child. Carrie studied Eddie for a few moments. His beautiful black eyes, surrounded by sooty lashes, were intensely compelling and uncharacteristically beautiful for a male. Running her fingers through his straight, coal black hair, she brushed it away from his brow. My son is unlike any child I’ve had before, she thought to herself; he is more a man than a child. It occurred to her that she had never used baby talk or nicknames to speak to him as she had done with her other children. As though by unspoken agreement, Carrie respectfully called him Eddie. Unwavering, Eddie’s eyes held his mother’s compelling her to reply. “Eddie, you are the man of the house when your father is not here. As for our safety, now that’s the last thing I want you to worry about. We are safe.”

Eddie continued to study his mother, intently weighing her words; she noted a shift in his eyes, signaling he had arrived at a decision. Instinctively she knew from his expression that he did not agree with her. “Goodnight, Mama. . . . I love you.”

Leaning forward, Carrie kissed her son’s brow. “I love you too, son. . . . Mama loves you too.”

Listening for the click of the door as it closed, Eddie lay staring out the window, deep in thought. She doesn’t know about the monsters, that’s why she thinks she’s safe. Pulling the radio from the nightstand, he placed it on his bed under the covers. Adjusting the dial, he repositioned the antenna so he could hear the broadcast. Eagerly waiting for the beginning of the show, he listened with bated breath; anxious for the adventures of ‘The Shadow’ to begin, he hummed to the commercial. “Brylcream... A little dab’ll do ya!” As the show began, he leaned forward, his nose almost touching the small speaker in the radio, so intently did he pay attention, using his imagination to visualize the broadcast on the screen of his mind’s eye. Chills ran down his spine as he listened to the familiar refrain, indicating the program had ended “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!” Letting out a sigh of relief, Eddie returned the radio to its place on the nightstand and stared out his window hypnotically. Fighting to stay awake, he hoped Odele would be too scared to sleep alone tonight. Finally, unable to stay awake any longer, he gave in to the lure of sleep. In his dreams, he pictured himself as the hero who rescues his sisters and mother from The Shadow…. slipping into a deep sleep, Eddie awakened a short while later by real screams that were not coming from his radio.

“No! Please stop, Logan . . . please stop. . . please!”

Not certain whether he was dreaming or awake, for a moment he thought the screaming was right outside his door. Disoriented, filled with an indescribable sense of dread. Eddie automatically wanted to do as any six-year-old awakened in unfamiliar circumstances would. Tears immediately sprang to his eyes and his mouth opened to cry out for his mother—but then he stopped short, recalling that only babies cried. Again, he heard a scream, and then muffled cries. Jumping from his bed, he ran in the direction of the sound. His knees felt weak, but his determination to be brave overcame his fear. Running down the hall toward his parents’ room, he gave a startled cry when someone grabbed his arm, pulling him unceremoniously into a room where he came face to face with Odele, her face red and swollen from crying. Stepping into the room, he saw Sofia also crying softly, sitting on the bed.