Town of the Red Flower 2

“Hey, Mr. Byron, why’d you lock me in here?” The kid shouted, banging the van window with Byron’s cellphone.

“Stop that!” He hurried to the van.

The red flowers curled back into the ground.

He snatched his phone, then pulled the boy by the collar. “What the hell are you doing!”

“Calm down. The banshee isn’t here, is she?”

Byron shoved the boy. “Stupid kid. Giving me nothing but trouble.” He pulled out the little book from his coat pocket and flipped through the pages. He turned to the kid. “Where is the nearest body of water?”

The boy guided Byron to the street of a suburban neighborhood lit by dim yellow street lights. That didn’t reach the houses. Or shiny on the cars by the sidewalk.

Byron got the feeling there was no one in those houses. It’s the middle of the night he thought. No ones going to be up this late unless it’s for work or parties. He was satisfied with this until another thought accord to him. Why is this kid out so late?

“Why are we going to Trident stream?” The boy asked.

“You see this ring? It kept the inside of its container hot. Monsters have cold bodies no matter what form they have.

Thanks to that they're weak against heat. That’s probably why it didn’t have the energy to scream when you released it.”

“All of them?”

Byron glanced at the boy. “All of them. Fire, intense light, and even blast guns. Except for one. The flame witch. Rumored to be the most powerful monster of them all. Just finding out her location is a small fortune.”

“Have you tried?”

At the end of the street, he made a right turn towards a field of clean-cut grass and bushes.

“Do I look like I have a death wish? All who have tried looking for that monster have never come back.” Byron stopped the van by a large stream. “Come to think of it. I’ve heard the flame witch has long red hair. Maybe you’re related?” He laughed as he got out of the van.

“It’s been a while since I freed her. She should have left by now. “The boy followed Byron to the stream.

“Think again. Monsters like the Banshee restore their energy in two ways. Moonlight and bathing in water when it’s dark out. Tonight is a new moon, so this is the only option.” Byron threw a white ball into the water.

“What are you doing?”

He put on sunglasses and pressed a switch. The stream glowed with a light that rivaled the sun.

The boy shielded his eyes. A splash ripped through the water as a woman in a gray dress flew into the sky. She stared down at Byron with dark circles around her eyes, black stripes where tears had fallen on her face.

“So that’s what it looks like?” Byron was about to draw his gun when the boy rushed into him. They stumbled. “What the hell!”

The Banshee flew away.

Byron cursed. “Get up! We’re going after it!” A red flower almost caught Byron’s boot as he ran. The boy saw this and sighed.

Their pursuit led them to the town square filled with a garden of red flowers arranged in a circle.

“Where did it go! And what the hell is with these flowers!”

“They’re like the town’s trademark. Everyone loves them.”

Byron took out his radar. The reading was low. “This is your fault!” He lifted the boy off his feet. “If you hadn’t gotten in the way-.”

Rapid beeps caught Byron’s ears. The radar went off with a high reading. He moved the radar away from the kid. It went down, then up again towards the kid.

“Put me down!” The boy struggled.

He plucked a piece of the kid’s red hair.

“Ow! What are you doing?”

Byron shoved the boy back into the van. He opened the back, took out a jar of white liquid, and put the strain of hair in it. It changed to a little purple color.

“Is he? A monster’s offspring? That skinny little brat? If this is true, then this is a bigger score than the banshee. But kidnapping means jail. If I’m caught...”

A smile rose on his face. “No, it’s the kid’s fault for freeing the banshee. He came with me on his own.”

He drove out-of-town back onto the forest road. The car’s headlight cleared away the dark. Byron kept on driving past trees and red flowers. That is until the town was in front of them in the distance.

He stopped the van, holding tight on the wheel. “What’s going on?”

“We’re looking for the banshee, right?” The boy said calmly.

Byron’s voice shook. “What did you do?”

“I did nothing.”

Byron dragged the boy out of the van. “Don’t give me that!”

But even when looming over the kid. He showed no sign of fear or hopelessness and picked himself up.

“You’re not used to this, are you? I bet you weren’t the one who caught her.”

“What kind of magic is this?” Byron stepped back.

The boy said nothing and glanced at Byron’s feet. A mini garden of red flowers.

He remembered the flowers were not just in the square, but everywhere. The movie theater and by the river. He thought about the mechanics and the vines. If he had noticed before, he would have marked the town as a monster’s dwelling. And before him stood a monster.

The cold air spiraled around him, but sweat dripped from his forehead. “No, this can’t be happening.”

“If you leave now-”

“I’m so stupid.” Byron took out his gun and pointed it at the boy. “Lift the spell! Now!”

“Sorry, but that’s impossible for me if you just-.”

“This isn’t a joke!”

“I’m not-”

A shot roared.

Smoke scorched the ground next to the boy’s feet.

Byron trembled. “Why? Why didn’t it explode?”

The boy shook his head. “I tried.”

A sweet and intoxicating scent overcame Byron. Stunning his entire body. The red flowers underfoot grew into vines curling up his legs, consuming his arm as the gun dropped. His voice cracked to let out a scream that wouldn’t come. His eyes froze on the red-haired boy.

The boy sat in the van. Pressed the numbers on his phone. The Banshee tapped his shoulders, getting his attention. She pointed to her mouth.

“I’ll get it off just wait a little longer.” He held his phone up to his ear.” Hi Mike, could you pick me up? I’m on the edge of town. Bring your tow truck.” He looked out the window. At the man covered in veins and red flowers. “Also gardening shears.”