Disclaimer:  In first chapter.

Chapter 4

It had been a long two weeks for Jarod.  He just got done with his latest pretend in Green Bay, Wisconsin and all he wanted to do now was to get home and go straight to bed.  This latest pretend took its toll on him, both mentally and physically. 

Glancing at the dashboard clock it read 7:33am.  He smiled.  He was making pretty good time.  Seeing his exit coming up, he pulled off the interstate, looking for a gas station to fill up his SUV.  While his vehicle was filling up with gas, Jarod went inside the small store to pay and to also get some food.

As the bell rang above him, signaling someone had entered, Jarod smiled pleasantly at the cashiers as he made his way down the aisles, looking for something to satisfy his hunger.  He grabbed doughnuts and Twinkies before going to his favorite aisle of any store—the candy aisle.

His eyes roamed the colorful shelves as he looked for his favorite candy known as Pez.  When his eyes caught sight of it, he smiled as he bent down to reach for it.  He was just about to get up when another type of candy caught his eyes.

“Pop…Rocks,” he mumbled to himself.  He never had these before, he thought, I wonder what they taste like.  Grabbing all the remaining packets, he went over to the refrigerators to grab himself a bottle of Coke.  Once he had all of his items, he headed up front to the counter.

When he dumped his contents on the counter, both cashiers gave him questionable looks before the older, overweight woman began ringing his order up.  “My lord child, how can you stay so fit and eat all this sugar and empty calories?” asked the older cashier with astonishment.

Jarod smiled warmly at her.  “I do a lot of extra running in my spare time,” he answered back with a slight chuckle as he thought of all the times that Miss Parker chased him around the world.  He made himself a mental note to call her when he got home, since he hadn’t kept in touch with her over the past two weeks.  He smiled mischievously at the thought of waking her up on a weekend morning.

As he paid the cashier, he grabbed a packet of Pop Rocks.  “Have you ever tried these before?” he asked the woman curiously.

The older woman placed her hands on her hips, raising her eyebrows at him.  “Son, does it look like I need to try those,” she joked.  “Besides, I can’t because of my diabetes.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Jarod apologized.

“Child please, it’s not like I’m going to die anytime soon,” she grinned.  Turning to the other cashier, the woman said, “Marcy, I’m going to the back to call my husband.  If you need me just holler.”

“Okay, Patty.”  Glancing back at the strange, yet handsome man before her Marcy commented, “I’ve tried those before.”

Jarod glanced back up.  “I’ve read the directions, so I’m just supposed to let the candy sit on my tongue?”

Marcy let out a soft chuckle.  “Yeah, that’s what makes them so different from other candy.  See, as they come into contact with your tongue they’ll start to crackle and fizz inside your mouth, creating this weird sensation.  You should try it.”

Opening up the packet, Jarod peeked inside.  He could see little, pink nuggets inside.  Deciding to go for it, he brought the packet up to his mouth, dumping the contents in.  “Wow, that does feel strange,” he said after swallowing the candy down.  “Plus, they taste very good.”

Marcy gave him a knowing smile.  “Well, what did I tell you?”  Seeing another customer coming up to the counter, Marcy excused herself.

Waving goodbye to her, Jarod went outside to his vehicle.  Placing his bag of goodies on the hood, he reached inside to grab another packet of Pop Rocks, plus his Coke.  After dumping another mouthful into his mouth, Jarod unscrewed the lid of his bottle of Coke, chugging down the sugary liquid.  Grabbing his bag, he was about to get inside of his SUV when something caught his eyes.  Turning around he saw three boys standing behind him, probably no older than twelve, looking at him funny.

“Sir, what are you doing?  Don’t you know you’re not supposed to mix Coke with Pop Rocks, your stomach could explode, killing you instantly,” the taller boy said in all seriousness.

Jarod gave him a questionable look.  “I think that’s very unlikely,” he replied back, feeling slightly uneasy about the boy’s words.

“It’s true, sir,” another boy replied back.  “That’s what happened to that Life cereal kid.  One minute he was okay and then, POW, the next minute he’s dead.”

Without a second thought, Jarod ran past the boys and back inside the store.  Going over to the counter he asked Marcy with a slightly panicked tone, “Is it true about what they say when mixing Pop Rocks with Coke?”

“Excuse me?”

“I was just outside, and these three boys told me that mixing these two items could kill me,” Jarod answered back, while pointing outside to the boys in front.

Marcy smiled at him.  “Oh, I see my little brother and his friends are playing a joke on you.”

“Sorry, but I don’t see what’s so funny about this,” Jarod said seriously.

“See, the story they told is an old urban legend that’s been around for awhile.  I’m surprised you’ve never heard it before,” she commented.

“Well, I’ve lived a very sheltered life until these last few years, so everything is somewhat new to me.  Can you tell me more about this urban legend?”

XXXXXXXX

Jarod smiled to himself as he pulled back onto the road.  It amazed him how gullible he could be sometimes?  Shaking his head, he reached over into the passenger seat, grabbing his cell phone.  Pressing speed dial, he called Miss Parker’s house.  After ringing ten times, he hung up.  He next tried her cell phone number, but once again he got no answer.  Starting to become worried he dialed Sydney’s number.

“This is Sydney,” his mentor’s soft, accented voice came across the line.

“Sydney, where’s Miss Parker at?  I’ve been trying to reach her, but she’s not answering.  Has something happened to her?” Jarod asked worriedly.

Sydney let out a long sigh.  “Jarod, a lot has happened since you last contacted me.”

XXXXXXX

Pulling up to his house that sat by the lake, Jarod remained seated in the car as his mind kept going over what Sydney told him.  Miss Parker was a mother, and that her son was none other than Matthew.  He still couldn’t believe it.

Sydney told him about the DNA tests they did, and he was surprised they tested his also.  For some reason, he felt a twinge of disappointment that he wasn’t Matthew’s father.  Why did that bother him for?  Shaking his head he got out of the car and slowly ambled over to the house.

He was happy for Miss Parker for finally taking her turning point, but he was still worried about her.  Now she was all alone out there with no one to help her or her son.  He knew she could take care of herself, there was no doubt there, but now she had a child to worry about, and, if God forbid, something bad should happen to her then who would take care of Matthew?

He hoped that maybe she would contact Ethan and ask for his help, but it would be a cold day in hell before she asked for any of his help.  Sighing, he pulled out his keys and unlocked the front door.

The cool air that greeted him was a welcomed blessing compared to the muggy, steamy air outside.  It was going to be another scorching, July summer day.  Throwing his bags and DSA case on a nearby chair, Jarod headed straight up the stairs, ready to go to sleep.

The house was a small two story cabin nestled against a lake in the woods.  When he first saw it five years ago, he instantly fell in love with it.  Buying it on the spot, this place became his refuge from the tired life he led.  The only people who knew about it were Ethan, Emily, his father, and the boy, Jeremy, who they rescued all those years ago at Donoterase.  With Emily, Jeremy, and his father living across the lake, Jarod and Ethan shared this place by themselves. 

Reaching the top of the steps, he headed straight for his bedroom.  When he opened his door, he was surprised at who he saw sleeping in his bed.  It was none other than Matthew and Miss Parker.

XXXXX

To Be Continued…