Tokoloshe: When you hear the drums, it's already too late!

by Botha, Johan

  Peter and Beth joined in once again to be part of the first response team and Rob Vine came along simply because Peens didn’t have the energy to stop him. He also took great crime scene photos and Peens asked him to fill in since his officer-photographer was still at the last crime scene.

  The view that greeted them was exactly as Danny and Lucky described it and the grisly way that David and Tubby died had a sickening effect on even the hardened Station Commander. Rob earned his keep by taking photos for the Department, promising not to publish the gory shots- not that he would have even considered it. Nobody should have to see this, Rob thought, I wish I could un-see a lot of this he continued to take snap after snap.

  The search party tried to find a trace of the killer but not even a footprint or murder weapon was found. Peens quietly asked them to backtrack over the area where Pierre was last seen as well. The whole damn town was becoming a crime scene, Peens thought.

  “What do you think Rob?” Peens asked, “No evidence here of one-person or a gang… I wish you wouldn’t keep talking about a Guardian Mountain Slayer…”

  “Well, what do you think it is Commander?” Rob turned and asked, a bit perturbed. “Who dunnit? Chief?” Rob slung the camera over his shoulder and yanked his notebook out of his pocket. He held his pen poised over his paper insolently, waiting for an answer.

  Peens could only look at Rob and sigh heavily. “Alright ‘Hollywood,’” he stressed the nickname, “I gotcha,” he said, turning back to the crime scene.

  “These cuts are too clean to be an animal,” Peen announced, looking at David’s severed head, “This is a knife wound here, see?” he said, looking over his shoulder at Rob and Peter, who had turned away to retch in the bush.

  It wasn’t just the obscene gore that made Peter uneasy while they stood at the campsite. His ears were popping, his head seemed as if it were in a cloud. It seemed as if the mountain was talking to him. Trying to tell him something. He had a strange feeling that he was walking over someone’s grave. Beth touched his back and asked if he were alright. He looked into her eyes and his head began to clear.

  Beth stayed close to Peter as they walked around the area trying to figure out what happened. She saw him shudder a few times but kept quiet. She knew her friend well and waited for him to talk to her.

  The bodies were removed and Danny stood next to Peter and Beth as they surveyed the area where David was killed. Peter looked down and saw something on the ground. As he walked over to it Danny saw the joint as well. Peter looked around if anyone was looking and picked it up quickly. He put the joint in his pocket and looked straight at Danny while shaking his head sideways.

  Danny could feel the relief go through his muscles as he tried to relax. He knew that if one of the cops found the joint they would blame him or Lucky for the killing, calling it some kind of drug-crazed thing, as there is no trace of anyone else on the scene. He didn’t want to be a scapegoat.

  “Fuck,” Danny whispered to himself in relief as he turned around to leave the scene, and walked straight into Peens.

  “Are you kids sure that what you told us is true?” Rob peeked out from behind Peens in a comical way. Rob shook his finger at Danny, mock-scolding him, then winked with empathy, trying to make Danny feel at ease.

  “Yes, Commander Peens.” Danny could feel himself tense up again while he looked straight back at the man talking to him in spite of Rob’s mockery.

  “There are no signs of a fifth person and not even a sign of a struggle at any of the two scenes.”

  “We never saw it!” Lucky shouted.

  Commander Peens looked at him and shrugged his shoulders.

  “I think you boys should come with us to town so that we can talk this whole thing over again while the others carry on with the search. Beth, Peter, why don’t you come too, I have some questions about your house fire as well.”

  “Me too, me too!” Rob yawned, trotting along behind Peens as he walked toward his 4x4.

  “Must you?” Peen could be heard asking Rob from the near distance; Rob muttered a smart –sarcastic response as he got in his own car.

  Chapter 14

  As if the night knew what had happened on The Guardian, it gave way to an eerie silence. There was not a single cricket to be heard or a distant bellow of a Springbok as the police van pulled up next to the red brick building. Peter had spent a night or two in the cells of this station in his younger years. He had been caught a couple of times driving his father’s truck around town, chasing the boys working in the kraal. It was common in those days. But tonight, the red bricks brought new memories, and Peter did not like it one bit.

  “You ok?” Beth gave Peter’s hand a squeeze.

  “Yeah, sure. Just thinking of everything that those two kids were going through tonight. This is just… too much” he shook his head.

  Lucky and Danny were standing next to the police vehicle, talking to Rob. Big John had his arm around his son. Danny was trying his best to look composed, but the shock and mix of the joint he had earlier was taking its toll on him. He look younger than he was, Beth fought the urge to ‘mother’ him.

  As they all gather inside the building, Peter couldn’t help but wonder how many stories the walls inside of Station Commander Peens office have heard through the years…had they ever heard something like this before?

  “Alright Rob, you are here in an unofficial capacity, is that clear? All my men are out looking for some maniac, and I need you to help document this shit… NO publishing this crap until I am ready, okay?”

  “Yes, yes, I understand… but the people have got to know what is going on Chief. I gotta print something…” Rob trailed off. He had worked the Police Blotter here for the last 15 years, they had an agreement and Rob was usually happy to work with the local coppers when he could. When it made sense.

  “So, why don’t you tell us all what exactly happened up on The Guardian? Start right at the beginning and don’t leave any details out.” Peens was looking right at Danny.

  Knowing that Peens was not a man to mess with, Danny cleared his throat and started to explain that they were just going to have a good night camping, before things started to go horribly wrong. When he started telling the group about what he saw up on the mountain, he burst into tears. It was all too much for him, seeing his friends being slaughtered by whatever was lurking around on The Guardian.

  “Lucky?” Big John looked at his son. “Did you see anything up there?” He was not sure if he wanted to know the answer to the question he had just asked.

  “I saw nothing. Nothing at all. Something is up there though, and whatever it is, it is not gonna stop before it gets what it wants, whatever that is.” Lucky was looking at his father while saying this, as if Big John is supposed to know what it is that had just killed his friends.

  The room fell silent. No one knew what to say. Mr. Peens was standing near the door, staring at Lucky, trying to process what he had heard from the two kids. Without a word, he turned to open the door and shut it behind him. Did I really just hear all this?

  “Lucky, give us a minute and we will be right back.” Big John beckoned Rob, Beth and Peter to exit the office. They left Lucky to comfort his friend.

  In the hallway, Big John turned to face Peter. “You know, you have to tell Peens what happened the other night with you. Maybe it will help to catch whatever is at work here.”

  “What happened the other night?” Rob asked causally, leaning against the concrete wall, hoping to go unnoticed.

  Peter looked at Big John. He had always trusted him, confided in him when times were tough and he was the only person who truly understood the pain he went through when he had lost his beautiful Juanita.

  “What makes you think it will help? He’s going to think I’m crazy! I’ve got no proof John!” he beseeched, trying to avoid this inevitability. “You want me to show Peens the ashes I picked up? Seriously, he will think I’m NUTS!” Peter was getting frustrated. Why the fuck will it help an
yone?

  “What ashes?” Rob asked, eyes getting a bit wider with curiosity, pulling his notebook out of his pocket.

  “I am just saying that maybe there is something more to this. Lettie said so; she said that more will come of this.” As the words left Big John’s mouth, it seemed as if he regretted saying it. “Just do it, Peter, tell him what you saw.”

  As Big John finished his sentence, Peens came around the corner. “Tell me what?” He seemed uneasy, as if not really wanting to know. He sighed heavily.

  “Let’s go back to your office and talk there,” Beth said noticing other officers starting to mill around. “There is something else you need to know.”

  “Well GOOD!” Rob said exasperated with his uncanny ability to be ignored. He spotted a young female officer behind the Incoming desk and winked at her with a smile. She smiled back and blushed. He felt much better.

  They walked back to Peens’s office where Lucky and Danny were still sitting. Lucky was staring into oblivion and Danny was huddled in the corner, his tear stained face speaking of the sorrow the child felt.

  Peter stood near Peens’s table, running his fingers around the jagged edge of the corner. “There is something else you all need to know. Something that might help lift this godforsaken curse or whatever is upon us. Ah, at least John thinks so…”

  “Listen, a few days ago I went up to the Guardian with Juani...my rifle, I was just hiking around, heading to the Mango grove, and I saw a Baboon. I was piss-drunk and I shot it.” he said, warily, looking for the reaction from the lawman. “I know. I know…I regret it, I can’t tell you how much…” he trailed off.

  “You shot a monkey?” Rob asked, on the edge of his seat.

  “So what Peter,” Peens interrupted… “You’re an asshole, what else is new…”

  “No, there’s more,” Peter continued with a grimace, “it wasn’t a baboon…it was, something else…”

  “What?” Peens interrupted again…angry now, “Did you shoot a kid Peter? Is that what this is all about? Revenge?”

  “NO! My GOD, NO! I would Never, I would NEVER!” Peter defended, “It was small, yes, but not human – it was like, part animal, part... I don’t know…”

  Rob was transfixed by the unfolding developments. His notepad remained blank.

  “Did you get a picture? Why didn’t you call me in?” Peens continued his questioning.

  “That’s just it!” Peter implored, “There was no time! The thing disappeared! Here!” he said, pulling the pouch from his pocket… “Here is all that’s left.”

  The pouch made a ‘plopping’ sound on the desk as it landed and Lucky and Danny moved closer to see what he had brought forth. The boys were mesmerized by this new information and Lucky kept glancing towards his father for reassurance that this was all real.

  Peens looked at Peter as he slowly picked up the leather pouch, weighing it in his hands before he unleashed the top knots and pulled the gathering at the top open. Emptying a file folder on his desktop, he placed it in the middle of his desk and shook the contents of the small bag out onto it.

  Peens quickly covered his mouth and nose with his shirt as a cloud of ash kicked up from the pocket as it landed on the Manila paper, along with a few boney fragments, teeth and some hair. A small baboon spider crept out tentatively from the ash and began to scurry across Peens desk. He wheeled back in his chair and grabbed his coffee cup, smashing the dusty tarantula underneath it.

  “Yuck!” Beth grimaced and looked away as Peens glared up at Peter with a frown. He grabbed a tissue and wiped the smear off the bottom of his mug.

  “I hate spiders, Jordan, I hate ‘em!” he directed at Peter.

  “Um, sorry about that! That’s not what I wanted to show you… there…” he pointed to the forgotten debris on the desk.

  Peens attention returned to the pile and he pushed the bits around with a pencil, glancing at the circle of curious faces that also looked down at the display as he did so.

  “What did you say this thing looked like again?”

  ****

  “I need a smoke…” Peens said, rising from his chair. “Boys… stay.” He commanded, as he made eye contact with the adults in the room, “Join me outside people…”

  John, Rob, Peter and Beth followed Peens obediently through the station and out the front doors while Peens felt around all his pockets, searching for his lighter. He muttered to himself about the shortcomings of fire-starting equipment as they made a small circle at the base of the station stairs.

  He took a long draw of his cigarette and looked back at Peter. “Is that it now Peter?” Peens sighed heavily, feeling the wear of the day.

  “Well, then there’s the fire…” he said haltingly, and he began retelling the strange happenings after the shooting during his ride home and throughout his house.

  “Holy Shit,” Rob exclaimed. “Are you saying that it… the Guardian Mountain Slayer is a Tokoloshe? Holy shit.”

  “Yeah well, that’s just fine as Fuck, Peter…” Peens said after Peter finished his story.

  “I’m not happy about it either…”Peter contributed miserably.

  “Well, maybe it’s time to stop drinking,” Peens added with irritation.

  “Come on Peens…” Beth warned.

  “Are you sure that is what happened? It was not the booze talking because as far as I understand from what the doctors at the hospital told me, you were way over the limit there, Peter.”

  Peens looked at Peter. Since he was a small boy, he was superstitious. He hated it when someone spilt salt on the floor or when a black cat crossed the road in front of him. Hearing Peter speak of the Tokoloshe as if it was real and walking around here in this very town, gave him shivers. It can’t be true!

  “Everything he said is true Peens. I know it is. My wife, she sees things and she said that a lot of bad things will happen here in Hill Valley. A lot of horrible and cruel things; worse than what happened these last couple of days.” Big John added.

  “Worse than this?” Rob said, stomach lurching.

  Beth moved closer to Peter. “We all know Peter and although he’s had some problems lately, he would never confuse something like that, right?”

  “No, Beth, I wouldn’t.” Peter gave her a small smile, silently thanking her for also being on his side.

  “I think it’s a Tokoloshe Peens,” Big John said, “I know it sounds crazy to you, but, that is what it is, and we cannot deny it to be true.”

  “Oh my God, no, John, you don’t mean it! A DEMON?” Rob said, throwing his hands up in the air and pacing in a frantic circle.

  “Listen, ‘Hollywood’” Big John directed toward Rob, using the well-known nickname the girls in the kraal gave him, “You may not understand the Tokoloshe… but here, he is real. Listen and learn.” John continued.

  “The Tokoloshe is used by Sangoma’s to make the world as we see it a hell’s nest. I think that Peter shooting that creature on the mountain has something to do with what is going on here. He made the spirits mad. The ancestors are angry that Man has taken a Supernatural Being from this earth. They will come and take vengeance on us all.”

  “So, you are telling me that Peter triggered all this?” Peens was staring at Big John, wide eyed.

  “No, I mean to say that it might have something to do with all this fucking crap that has been happening lately.” Big John was getting angry.

  “You don’t say…” Peens was starting to understand what Big John was getting at.

  “So how do you locals get rid of this thing then?” Rob asked miserably.

  “We can get the help of the Sangoma. She will know what to do. She will speak to the ancestors and they will tell us what to do. I will talk to her tonight if I can. Let’s meet again tomorrow.”

  “Oh, good grief, a Sangoma? Really? There is a murderer, OR TWO, out there, and you guys are gonna wait to talk to a Witchdoctor?” Rob seemed incredulous, but deeply disturbed.

  Peens gave Rob a dirty look over
his shoulder as he walked away.

  Beth put her hand on Peter’s arm. “We’ll fix this, all of us; together, we will fix this.”

  ****

  Demons? Again? How far do I have to go to get away from this shit, Rob thought as he drove away from the station. How far do I have to go to get away from these memories…

  The note had said that Rob had been judged. That Rob had not learned and that he had to pay the price. Make the sacrifice like Abraham… only instead of Isaac – the sacrifice was to be SPENCER.

  Crups and Mallory immediately dispatched units to Rob and Beandre’s condo, to the park where she took him for walks, to the neighborhood...to find them.