Chapter 5

Landon is still unconscious. Dr. Patel is doing everything he can to help him, but no one really knows when he will wake up, or if he will ever wake up. Larry comes by everyday to spend some time with his son, and the dark circles around his eyes are worsening. He barely sleeps three hours a day.

"Mr. Higgins, you look pale. How many hours of sleep have you had since your son got admitted?" A concerned nurse asked.

"I'm fine. I need to be here for my son." He responded.

"But, your son will not be happy if you will get sick. You have to take care of yourself too." The nurse replied.

"I'm okay, I promise," Larry insisted.

Even though he gets dizzy from time to time, Larry can't show weakness. His son needs him, and he wanted to be there once he wakes up. Landon will wake up, he knows that. His son is a strong kid. There is no way that this will be the end of his journey. But, no matter how hard he convinces himself, the fear of losing his only son haunts him constantly.

When the visiting hour is up, Larry came home with a bottle of cheap rum. He drunk everything even though he doesn't really know how to drink alcoholic beverages. Even when he was young, he never really learned how to be a cool kid.

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"Hello, Mr. Swanson. Good evening!"

One of the high school student greeted Robert when he entered the Sunnyville Milkshake shop. He was about to grab some dinner when he saw the bullies drinking milkshakes together. They are all having fun after classes, all while one of the schoolmates is in the hospital.

The parents of the cool kids entered the Milkshake shop one by one with their children. Sunnyville Milkshake shop has been opened for eighty years, and it has witnessed many children grow up. It became a part of the townspeople's everyday life.

"Oh! I'm sorry. Did I hurt you? Did I soiled your clothes?"

A drunk Larry entered the milkshake shop with the rum bottle still in his right hand. People looked at him like he's some nut job. Some of the teenagers watching were even laughing. They are enjoying the scene of a father drowning in sadness and worry for the life of his son.

"Hey, Larry. You're drunk. Go home." Mr. Bolton said in a disinterest ended tone.

"Right, I should go home. Why? Because, Barry Bolton told me so. My only choice is to oblige, yeah? Why is that? Because you belong to the wealthiest family in town? I don't think so! One of your kids pushed my son from the stairs! Now, there's a big possibility that I might lose him! And, here you all are. Enjoying your end of day like nothing happened!" Larry muttered in a drunken tone.

"Hey, shoeshiner! Get out of here! You're polluting the air!" Xavier said in front of his mother.

"Oh, yeah? You are all insecure because you may have the money, but you don't have the brain. You bully kids that are better that are better than you, because you envy them! You want to destroy them so no one will be better than you are!"

Xavier obviously got offended by Larry's words. It was true, Xavier may be the son of a lawyer, but he doesn't have the brains. He can barely keep his grade on a D-negative. Landon on the other hand, he doesn't even need to exert so much effort. He was born smart.

Robert watched as Larry Higgins stumble in front of the people of Sunnyville. He is the town's shoeshiner. Even he calls for Larry's service from time to time. Sometimes, Larry would fix their sinks, and pipes, or other parts of people's house just to get by.

"How dare you!" Robert saw the anger in Xavier's face. He was not able to handle truth behind Larry's words. His friends grabbed him, and dragged him away from the drunken Larry, while Robert helped the man to stand up.

"Thirty years ago, a student of Sunnyville High School committed suicide inside the boy's locker room! Story says that he was bullied, and he couldn't take it anymore! I grew up in Hatkinson, but even us remembered that story. It looks to me that this town never learned their lesson! I pray that the Sunnyville Reaper comes back to make this town pay again, just like what happened back then! When students started missing!"

"Larry, come on. I'll take you home." Sheriff Clinton arrived at the milkshake shop. He calmly took Larry out of the establishment.

Larry Higgins may be gone, but the customers left inside were troubled by what he said. Every citizen of Sunnyville who were presents thirty years ago did everything they could to forget that awful suicide incident, and the events that happened. But, all of them remembered.

The teenagers of today does not anyone about it, but they can see in their parents' eyes that they know something. Even their fathers looked terrified. Which made them more interested with the story.

"Dad, what is Mr. Higgins talking about? What happened thirty years ago?" Nancy asked her father. They were also having dinner.

"Nothing, sweetheart. It's okay." Her dad responded.

"What the hell is that freak talking about?" Xavier asked his mother.

"Don't mind him. Just keep eating.

"Mom, do you know anything about what Mr. Higgins said?" Sara asked her mother. "I've read that story when we did some papers before graduation. You were in high school that time, right?"

"Yes, I was in high school when it happened, but I really don't have any idea. Don't mind it, okay? Come on, let's eat." Her mother replied.

Robert smirked when he heard the answers of the parents to their children's question. He knows about that story, and he also that those parents knew something. Until now, they are still afraid of telling the truth. Or, maybe they are ashamed.