I,Am (2) was to be regarded as the most sensational attraction in Chicago since the King Tut exhibit. On the way to the museum five out of six men flying with the pieces was mysteriously killed in their lassitude. Their eyes were blackened, their skin was like stone, and their hair color was completely white. When the pilot landed in Chicago, he went into shock from what he had seen. The federal authorities investigated the deaths and found no evidence on how the deaths occurred. Everything else on the plane appeared to be in place and the pieces of I,AM were also in tack. With the attraction advertised all over the world it was too late to turn back. The incident on the plane had to be hidden. Matter of fact, it was sweep under the rug and never verbalized about again. Even the aviator that survived never worked again and was said to had murdered himself in his home two weeks after the landing. During this time, Michael, Kumhuma's brother had achieved his thirty-fifth birthday. He had been married for seven years and was a homicide Detective for the Chicago Police Department in the downtown area. Michael had been wearing the amulet since he was nineteen, with premonitions of heaven and the war coming to him in his dreams for the last twelve years. Michael, a decorated cop was admired by other officers as a loyal and fearless person. Michael always talked about his brother, Kumhuma. He possessed a gold painted statuette of an Islamic priest, sent to him when he was two years old by Kumhuma. It sat on his night table next to his bed. Also, on Michael's night table next to his bed was a picture of his brother, that was taken before he left to become a monk. Michael's destiny was virtually at hand, but unknowing to him, it would take more than a badge and a gun to challenge this. On some nights as he sat in his police car, he thought he saw his brother off in the distant darkness safeguarding him. Nevertheless, days before the exhibit the City of Chicago was in a condition of pandemonium, signs were being put up to publicize this event and news coverage existed as if the President of the United States was arriving in town. The Crim de la crim of societies elite were preparing for the grand opening of the exhibit, which would be on Friday at eight o'clock p.m.. Michael was called in to head-up security on Wednesday, obviously with the collaboration of the Mayor's office and the museum. The security cameras were in position and the exit doors were on time locks. However, the three pieces were displayed in a separate room on the North wing of the museum, guarded with a laser light detection system. But the ignorance of the government and museum would momentarily be seen. Know one knew that if the stones stayed together the power of I,AM would begin to make its way back from its sleeping death. The three fragments were placed in a glass case, each elevated on a metal motionless mantle. The glass cabinet was covered with a white cloth with ropes attached to them for the unveiling. Set up around the glass case were one hundred chairs for the spectators and a balcony for the news crews to set up. The gala was being broadcasted all over the world in over sixty different languages. The day was set, the hours till the occasion were counting down to the moment the world was waiting for. The symposium outside of the museum was building, people were bustling up in droves. Chicago's Mayor was the first to arrive, with his wife and a following of security personnel. Detective Michael Zeiss was set-up inside and everything was ready. People tactfully moved to their prospective seats and under the cloth the three pieces of I,AM were, negotiating their miraculous resurrection on the unsuspecting humans. Michael stood at the front entrance while other guards cornered off each section of the room. Mr. Veans, the museum CEO stood up as the noise level in the room started to subside. He walked toward the podium that was fixated in front of the disabled entity. "Good evening and welcome to the Archeology Museum of Chicago," spoke Mr. Veans. The crowd of distinguished men and women all applauded in perfect harmony. Mr.Veans proceeded to acknowledge the presence of the head archeologist on the find, Mr. Howard Thomas Spaulding III who was known by scientist all over the world for his great discoveries. Mr. Spaulding talked for a few minutes on the examination of the pieces and the Golden Scroll from which the entire search derived from. As he spoke no one noticed, except Detective Zeiss, the small amount of gas that was emanating from under the cloth. It must have been the amulet sensing the entity, so Michael's optical vision was strengthened. Michael proceeded to move closer, secretively so the audiences stability would not unnerve. Nevertheless, as Michael made it to the front row of the seats, miraculously the gas faded away, making him very suspicious and nervous at the same time. However, he did not let the audience or the other guards know what was transpiring. Michael waited for a moment and then receded back to his original position. As the unveiling began, the audience became quiet. The Mayor was called up to pull the rope to raise the cloth on the I,AM exhibit. Michael's eyes were focused on the rope, the cover and then the three stones sealed in the glass cases. The crowd stared for a moment at the pieces and then a line began to form from the rear like a church offering, everyone walking around to get a closer look at the exhibit. The stones lay dormant and showed no reflection on the mirrored glass case. Michael was the only one that noticed this, the other people were to busy gazing at the stones, and as the precession ended Michael was the last person to gaze upon the pieces. Strangely, enough a feeling unknown to Michael, came over him making it very hard to focus on the stones and blurred visions of the battle in Heaven filled his head. "You all right sir," asked a newly recruited officer in the room? "Yes, I am okay I just lost my breath for a moment," replied Michael. During Michael's little episode the high class spectators were walking out of the exhibit room to congregate in the foyer for drinks and socializing. The officers removed all of the chairs ,secured the room, and activated the security system before leaving. The upper balcony where the news cameras were set-up, a lonely camera stood. It was operating unmanned because the camera person had to run and make an important telephone call. As the officers exited the room and closed the doors, the camera started to pick up the manifestation of the entity, frame by frame. The glass case began to crack slowly, the fumes became thicker and thicker that emanated from the case, and the stones began to irradiate green as if they were talking with each other. Suddenly, the stones dimmed in color, the smoke subsided, and the glass case returned to its past form. Mysteriously, the camera began to misplace its height for function. First, it was forehead level to an adult, then down to shoulder height, then it proceeds to the knee height of a newborn, and then collided with the floor with silence. The party was still going on, outside of the modern day mausoleum. With the action on the outside of the museum viewed beautifully through the masterpiece windows that set three inches from each other around the perimeter of the museum. It showed the ambience of Chicago enhanced by the night's sky with reflections from news cameras and their flash bulbs, cascading the ground level of the city. The Mayor had departed around nine o'clock p.m. from the North side of the museum, ducking cameras. Meanwhile, Detective Zeiss was on his way upstairs while I,AM was, conducting its transformation process. The security room for the entire museum was on the second floor. The cameras and the alarm systems were monitored by two qualified security officers. Now, inside the room the cameras were not picking up the activity originating from the exhibit room, until Detective Zeiss arrived at the door twisting the knob to enter, coincidence maybe. Then, miraculously the cameras began to function properly and the fuzzy screen refocused to a perfect picture of the exhibit room. The security officers looked at each other as if the cameras were waiting for Detective Zeiss to walk through the door before they would function properly. "Where are the cameras for the exhibit room", asked Michael? Officer Stewart was seating on the left side of the trigger boxes which armed the laser floor, sprinkling system and the alarm sensor. Now, Stewart, a two-month employee with conventional morals melting away in his heart, started to run his mouth off, but decided not say anything. He didn't want anybody in the security room for to long of a time. Steward never watched the cameras, he always watched t.v., signing the time sheets as if he were actually making his rounds around the museum. Officer Stewart knew that if he told the Detective what really was happening, police would be overseeing the security room all evening. Michael proceeded to view the cameras closely, but there was nothing, no movement- no smoke- no nothing. "This is my card, if anything happens weird tonight give me a call at this number," asked Michael. Handing cards to both of them while taking another look at the cameras before he left for the evening. Michael walked to the door, closing it slowly trying to hear if the two officers were saying something of importance. As he made his way out of the front museum doors to a lonely and quiet parking lot. The news people had departed the scene and the museum exhibit programs were all over the ground. As Michael walked across the lifeless parking lot, he unearthed an imperceptible noise that sounded like it was saying I,AM. He turned around quickly and there was nothing behind him. Michael shook his head and proceeded to his car and got in. Michael pulled his seat belt around him and grabbed a CD out of his CD bag. He removed his fire arm that was in the small of his back, sitting it on the passenger seat. As he started his car he took another glimpse at the museum. Suddenly, the sky above the museum began to turn chartreuse. Michael wiped his eyes to refocus and then it was gone. However, on the front steps of the museum there stood a man just staring at him. Michael threw his car in drive, tires skidding as he made a rigorous turn to make his way up to the steps. He was about one hundred yards from the steps, reaching down taking his eyes off the man for a brief second to retrieve his gun. When he looked up, the man was gone. Slowing to a halt right before he hit the steps of the museum. Michael swooped out of his car, his back against the car door, sliding around the car searching for the mysterious man. After realizing that the man was no where in sight, he lifted his head up, placing both hands on his face with the gun in his right hand. "Oh God what is happening to me," mumbled Michael? Michael turned, reached out for the door handle and got in. He drove off with his headlights off, never realizing this until he got home. Chapter 3 Unsuspecting Mary Now, back at the museum the guards were not knowledgeable of what was about to transpire. The museum staff consisted of more than just two guards who sat in the security room all night. There were foot patrols also, four in total that canvasses the museums North, South, East, West entrances and surrounding areas. They always switched up, rotating counterclockwise every couple of hours. Out of the four, two were male and the other two were female. Mary, a Caucasian woman was nine months pregnant, about to drop any day. Dorothy, an undergraduate at Loop University was working to pay her tuition and was half Asian and half African. ����� However, Mary was the one who's two hour spans situated her right precisely in to the lions jaws. Darwin, another guard had just ended his term at the north section of the building. Paul would never get his chance at that section, because he was the last on the rotation. Now, Mary had checked the last doors before the door to the exhibit room, and all was well. Cameras in the security room had started acting like they did earlier that evening. I,AM was finally awakening from his worldly slumber, that was cast on it at the beginning of time. Mary walked fairly hindered, due to the fact of the weight she had to carry around. She was huge, her belt barely went around her, her breasts were just about to jump out of her shirt, and her derriere could eclipse the sun. Mary arrived at the exhibit room, swiping her security card through the sensor key. This notified the system that a security person was entering the room. The first time she swiped her card the light showed red, meaning no entrance. Looking confused for a minute, she repositioned the key card for a second swipe. The card went through and the green light showed up on the swipe panel and the doors clicked telling her that the door was open. Switching on her flash light, Mary proceeded into the room touching all the four walls and floors with the beam from the flashlight. There was a security switch on the wall next to the doors that deactivated the security beams. She flicked the switch, the beams went off, and the whole room was hers and I,AM. The stones had just started to awake and smoke started to cultivate on to the floor covering the room in seconds. Mary, being just like other spectators could not see this either. Suddenly, there was a noise that came from the glass cases, so she walked up to the glass cases to inspect. To her amazement, the glass was cracking right in front of her eyes. She stepped back, suddenly the glass shattered without noise and hit the floor in silence. The stones began to illuminate the room with a greenish shine. As the stones shined green, Mary could see into the stones and inside the stones there were Angels, a very large throne, and an object that she could not make out. The stones began to elevate above the floor spinning in a circular motion, slow at first and then faster. Mary almost got herself dizzy by looking at this phenomenon. Suddenly, the stones slammed in to each other creating a field of perfect energy. The voice of I,AM rung out and this is all Mary had to hear. She turned and high tailed it to the doors of the exhibit room, but the doors had a mind of there own. They closed right in front of her and she was trapped. I,AM, vibrated again and Mary was in a state of shock, and couldn't do anything. The entity I,AM begun to falter over to her and pain started to attack her stomach. Mary's baby began to kick at an abnormal rate. Mary fell to the floor grasping her stomach and the entity was upon her. The cameras in the security room were suddenly able to operate properly. Officer Stewart stood up, grabbed the walkie-talkie. "Officer down, officer down," yelled Officer Stewart ordering the whole museum guard force to the exhibit room on the double. The security cameras were picking up the entity in its discombobulated form. All the officers had arrived at the same time, banging on the door. The swipe card system was not working properly for some reason. However, the green light was flashing, but entrance was denied. While they were all trying to get in the room the entity, I,AM had transported his force of true evil into the womb of Mary. The whole ordeal was like Mary was going through some kind of shock treatment, her body propelling off the floor at an alarming rate. Suddenly, just as quickly as it started, it subsided, the entity I,AM was reborn. As Officer Stewart stood outside the door, he gave Paul the card that Detective Zeiss gave him. "Go call the police and then call this guy right now," spoke Officer Stewart. "Yes sir," replied Paul. Now, Detective Zeiss was in his bed tossing and turning having flashes of the war in heaven like he had for many years. "Ring, ring," it was the phone. Michael's wife woke up first nudging Michael, trying to wake him up to get the phone that was on his side of the bed. "What, what," Michael mumbled as he was waking up out of his sleep. "Get the phone Michael, get the phone," asked Sarah. Michael pulled the receiver off the hook bumping the end on the night stand knocking a few pictures' off. "Hello," he spoke in a sluggish tone. "Detective Zeiss," asked Paul. "Yes it is, who is this," replied Michael. "My name is Paul Peterson and I'm a security officer for the museum," stated Paul. A mental light went off in Michael's head. "I'll be right there," answered Michael. On the other end of the receiver, Paul repeatedly said hello not realizing that Michael had hung up the phone. "What is it sweet heart," asked Sarah? "It's that thing I told you about down there at the museum," explained Michael. "Something has happened," muttered Michael. Michael kissed Sarah on the forehead and told her to go back to bed. Michael pulled himself from under the covers and out of the bed like a bat out of hell. When Michael arrived at the museum, it was surrounded by plain clothes, patrol officers, the S.W.A.T. team, and the news of course. As Detective Zeiss entered the museum the crowd of law enforcement officers and security were standing by the door. The door to the exhibit room was pulsating in and out in a breathing motion as if it was alive. After a few minutes it stopped and the door that was unable to open from swiping or banging, opened. The officers took their standard procedure, standing on both sides of the door. Michael being in charge gave the word to proceed, screaming out loud for the other officers to open the door. There in front of them lay Mary in a fetal position on the floor, unconscious. "What's her name,"asked Michael? "Mary," replied Officer Steward. "Mary, Mary are you all right checking her pulse and touching her face," spoke Michael. A slight cough came from the bowels of her stomach, then again with a louder and more forceful cough, then Mary awoke. "Detective Zeiss," yelled one of the officers. "What is it officer," replied Michael? "The stones, look the stones are gone," yelled the officer. Michael stared at the glass case which was back in tact, but the stones were just missing. The paramedics were trying to get Mary situated to be rushed to the hospital. As they began to lift her up, she really felt refreshed and okay. "Put me down please," she asked. Detective Zeiss ran over to the lady to see if she were all right. "Mary are you all right," asked Michael. "Yes I feel fine," replied Mary. "They must take you to the hospital to check you out completely," stated Michael. "But I'm fine, I said," replied Mary. "But what about your baby?" asked Michael. "My baby is fine he was kicking very hard earlier but he seems to be okay now," replied Mary. "Mary do you remember what happened in here and where are the stones?" asked Michael. "No, I only remember coming in here to check out the room," replied Mary. Suddenly, I heard a small noise coming from the glass cases. I remember walking up to the cases and then it shattered right in front of me on to the floor," explained Mary. Michael thought to himself, the glass cases are intact, she must be hallucinating. "Mary I will see you at the hospital later on," stated Michael. "But I told you, I'm all right," yelled Mary. As the paramedics moved out of the room, the forensic team came into dust for fingerprints. Detective Zeiss ran up to the security room where the cameras were to see if they picked up anything. In the security room Michael rewound the exhibit room tape. The video cameras picked up Mary moving closer to the glass case and that was it, there was nothing but a fuzzy tape after that. However, close to the end of the tape it did pick up Mary laying in the middle of the exhibit floor and us entering the room. Unsuspecting, to Michael his brother, Kumhuma was now aware that I,AM was free and earth as we knew it would never be the same. But it wasn't the right time for his brother to appear to help him. Nevertheless, he would be around to watch his brother's progress. The proper authorities were notified of the incident. The federal government sent a team of scientist and CIA agents to take over the investigation. This was their case and their mistake to allow I,AM to escape. Meanwhile, as Detective Zeiss visited the hospital the entity I,AM was maturing, inside of the unsuspecting Mary. Feeding off of her spirit and soul eating away her life force. Detective Zeiss arrived at the hospital around midnight. Mary was sitting up in her bed reading with the lights off. As Michael entered her room it seemed from a distance that her eyes were glowing green. Michael flicked the lights on and her eyes seemed to be normal. "Why are you reading in the dark," asked Michael? "What do you mean," replied Mary? "I was not reading in the dark." Michael proceeded to walk up to the side of her bed, gently taking the book from her. Her hands were like ice cubes, frozen to the book. Michael stared at her for a moment and then curiosity made Michael decide to take her pulse and she had one. Michael felt her arms and they were cold as ice. As a matter of fact her whole body was ice cold. "Nurse, nurse," Michael called out. The nurse on call for Mary came running into the room. "What's the matter Detective," asked Sharon? "She is cold as ice," shouted Michael. Nurse Sharon quickly took Mary's pulse and everything seemed to be okay. "What do you mean her pulse is find with her being so cold," asked Michael? Michael reached down to touch her skin again and it was warm. "What the hell is going on," shouted Michael? Instantly the head doctor came in. "Mary your test came back and everything seems to be fine," stated the doctor. You can go home now. "Thank you, I think I will go now," replied Mary. "I will give you a ride home Ms. Reynolds," offered Michael. "Thank you for your kindness Detective Zeiss," stated Mary. Michael drove Mary home about three that morning and left to go home to his wife. His mind wondered as he drove home that morning. Thinking about everything that had happened earlier that evening. As Michael arrived at home, pulling into the drive way, he glanced down the street. The same figure from the museum's step was standing at the end of the block. Michael stared, as he walked up the path to his front door. The figure walked away into the darkness, and Michael put the key in the door and walked inside. CHAPTER FOUR EVIL MAN WALKING Meanwhile that night, Mary laid in her bed and after awhile dosed off. Suddenly, she was awakened by movement in her stomach. She rose, pulled the covers from around her, and stared at her stomach. I,AM was making her body change. She screamed out because of her fear and the pain that was engulfing her body. Her eyeballs started to roll into the back of her head like an exorcism and her eye lids closed. A glow outlined her entire body and her stomach pulsated up and down. The screams of her unborn child echoed through her ears. Then, as her eyes were opened by this supernatural force, she ceased to exist, Mary was dead. The entity rose out of her body like a spirit moving into the after life. It floated out of the bed in a mist, landing on to the soft beige rug that lay perfectly on the floor and began to change into human form. The legs and feet formed, then the torso and arms, and then the head. It was I,AM in the flesh in a
Copyright © 2001 Deon C Sanders Deno Sandz |