Chapter Seventy Six

Both David and I spun on our heels to see who was behind us, when we looked there was no one there. "What the fuck?"
"you heard that voice to right David?"
"fuck yeah I heard it?, what the fuck is going on Jon?"
"I wish I knew bud, I don't know bout you but I say lets get back to the house... and fast"
"Yeah and call the cops, there is some real spooky shit going on here..."
we took off in the cart back to the house, walking back into the kitchen the guys were all back...
"hey, where you and David go? we've been waiting to approve the photo's? we have lives other than Jovi you know" Rich joked.
I looked at Rich in total shock as I asked the same question "where the fuck have you guys been? we came out of the john and you'd gone, back door was open, and shit left everywhere?"
"What ya mean where we been, we checked out the new boat, I did tell you right? when we were in the studio?, Matt took us, its no biggie is it?" I felt real dumb as I answered,
"no-no-no that's fine, I forgot that's all..."
Rich asked again, "So where you both been? you look shaken bro what's up?"
David spoke, "that's cause we are shook, man there's some serious spooky shit going on out there tonight?"
Teek spoke, "spooky shit? what spooky shit?"
"If I told ya, you wouldn't believe it..."
"Try me?"
David told Teek what we had seen and sure enough, it wasn't long before rational thinking came into play.  David was leaning on the counter top, his camera still slung over his left shoulder, "no Teek, we know it wasn't a light from a flashing car, and it wasn't poachers with flashlights, or a refraction from a mirror, how do you explain Jon seeing the same thing during daylight time eh?"
Teek shrugged his shoulders and took out his cigarettes and it one and inhaled deeply, then spent the next ten minutes coughing trying to appease his poor lungs of the poison he was addicted to.
David coughed and wafted his hand in the air to rid the filtering smoke that was trying to infiltrate his own airways... "Man I cant believe your still smoking this shit?"
between coughing Teek gasped, I've cut it down to 3 packs a  day," then holding up his hand and bright red in the face he gasped, "I'm good" David laughed at Teek but moved away from the offending smoke and hoped it would not follow him "  Once teek had stopped coughing, he drew hard on the cigarette and inhaled deep before exhaling the smoke back into the room. He stood with his smoke cloud enjoying his vice.
the guys had been listening to David when he told Teek, so I had to give an explanation to the guys on what we had seen too, and just like Teek they were throwing idea's of logic into play. Same idea's as Teek had mentioned, then during a silent pause Rich was the one to out what we were all thinking, "You think its Antonia?"
"I honest to god don't know, I hope and pray not, last I knew she was in hospital knocking on hells door, but you never can tell..."
"So you not think making a phone call to the hospital would give you a simple answer?"
"How can I do that Rich? huh? think about it..."
he stood looking deep in thought before the dawn of realisation clicked in his mind...  "Got it, got it, she's your stalker right? your not hers..."
"Bingo.."
"So what about one of us then? we can check? right?" he looked at all the guy's and each shook their heads and agreed. "and the lucky guy is...." Rich made a drum roll sound waiting for my decision.
"Stop, ok, I cant make that call, its up to you guys if you want to help or not, I'm sure as hell not forcing anyone.... I'll be back ok, I'm gonna go check on Madison and the kids."
walking through the lobby, I saw a dark shadow whip across the sitting room, I stopped momentarily and put my head round the door and looked inside, nothing was there, so I carried on round to the den where I'd left the kids and Madison.
I knocked on the door and walked inside, all of them were sat on the couch, or round the desk listening to Madison, she stopped as I walked in.  My face must have showed my worry as the first thing she asked was "You ok?" I shook my head, "Yeah sure," then addressing the kids, "ok guys time to go..." sounds of protest were short lived as I gave them the stink eye, then one by one they walked past me and out to get their stuff.
Madison came up close to me, she whispered low, " So if your ok, why re you looking so worried, what's gone down? you had a show down with the guy's? " I shook my head, "no, nothing like that... I good really?" I smiled at her, "See?"
She folded her arms across her chest, "no way, I'm not buying it Jovi, what's going on?" As I moved to leave the room and follow the kids she stood blocking the doorway, stopping me leaving.  frustrated I snapped,
"not now Madison ok, I need to get the kids back to my ma..."
she still stood her ground, showing just how stubborn she could be, "eh huh, not till you tell me..."
" I will but later ok?"
"No, now."
In defeat I walked back to the desk holding my hands waist high, "ok, look its gonna sound crazy, shit it is crazy, but something is going on here that I can't explain..."
"such as.."
"flashing of white, voices heard clearly by David and me, but no one is there.... its been happening on and off all day... and then again tonight."
Madison looked at me, "So why you not tell me?"
"Cause, I thought it was me at first.. but then I saw it again, then with David too....I dunno, how do you tell someone, what you think you saw?, C'mon really?"
a worried look settled on her face, "you called the cops?"
"for what? for seeing things and hearing voices that then shows no one there, man are you serious, I'll be locked up on some psych ward and put on a thorazine drip.."
"So your gonna ignore it?"
"what else can I do? David and me went out on the grounds looking, and what we found  was Kav injured, why? cause I'd asked him to go check, on what I thought I was seeing.... man he's near lost his leg in a trap cause of me."
" how you know it's cause of you? accidents do happen..."
"Yeah? but that's just it? was it an accident...... Jesus listen to me....." I sat down at the desk and placed my head in my hands, my finger tips playing massage at my aching temples... "I'm doubting everything right now, and everyone..."
Madison came over, stood behind me she rested her arms around my shoulders and lent in close,  "look why don't you stay here and finish up with the guys and I'll drive the kids back to your mom's"
I looked up, my fingers paused on my temples for a second, "You'd do that?"
"Course, why not?"
"no reason, I'm just not used to having volunteered help that's all...its nice.."
"Good, get used to it, I'll go grab my key's, you write your ma's address down and I'll be back."
she kissed my cheek as she went to get her things... I found a pen in the desk draw and wrote my ma's address on a post it note, then sat with my head in my hands and rubbing my temples again of the ache that was increasing with every stroke.... I sat for what felt like ages waiting for Madison to come back.... I checked the clock on the wall, she had been gone ten minutes, I was just abut to go find her when she came back smiling and looking flustered,  a little breathless she spoke, " couldn't find my keys..."
she waved them proudly to show she had found them, I stood and gave her the post it as we both walked out of the den and back to the kitchen where the kids were talking with the guys.
"Ok kids, ready?"
"all shook their heads and came to stand by my side, then out to the drive as the kids got in the car with Madison, we stood waving until the tail lights were but a dot in the distance. the only one of us that was not out was Rich, as we filtered back inside the house, he hung u the phone receiver before he came over to speak to me. He face was serious. "I've rang the hospital bro,"
"yeah"
"Jon, I don't know how your gonna feel about this..."
"Yeah, for fuck sake Rich out with it... this aint no soap opera"
"Antonia... she's dead."