Tommy (contest entry)

                                                Tommy
                                              (1000 words)

    Walking into the room she could see his hooded head hung low with a beautiful blue glow about him, maybe in some trance or something, she didn’t know or care for that matter.  Speaking up to be sure her shrill voice was heard, “Have you found out anything yet about my Tommy?”  Slowly his head rose from its stupor as he calmly explained, “I’m sorry Mrs. Witings but it doesn’t work like that, I get information as needed, it may take some time.”

    Exasperation getting the best of her, showing the anger in her face she yelled, “My son may not have time, if we don’t find him, they may kill him.  I thought they said you are the best!”  Pacing around the room flexing her fingers, not sure what else to do.

    Trying to calm her best he could, he followed, “I’m sorry but I am the best, it’s just something seems to be halting the needed information.  I can tell you, he is alright.  We will find him and he will be ok, don’t worry about a thing.”

    Breaking down and crying she sobbed as she rubbed her feet together, “But you don’t understand he is my one and only, he is my life and if anything happens to him.”  She stops in mid sentence sniffling not even able to finish what she is saying, the thoughts just too much for her emotional state of being.  Not the once self assured woman he had first met. 

    Stymers was empathetic but he simply could not give more information then what he already had.  Trying his best to be warm he said, “Mrs. Witings I will do everything I can to be able to reach this information and I will let you know everything soon as I get it, but for now, I will have to ask you to let me continue with what I do best.” 

    Mrs. Witings looking up with tear soaked eyes squeaked, “Thank you very much Stymers, I really need you to let me know right away, before anybody, I just need to know that he’s safe.”  Her quivering lips seemed to almost mock his sensibility.

    Assuring her, "The instant I find out anything you will be first to know and again he will be just fine."  She couldn’t thank him enough as she took her leave.

    Following her departure he stamped his foot and disappeared in a vapor and reappeared instantly in a back room and grabbed a red crystal from a clouded over reservoir.  Next he took Tommy’s shirt that Mrs. Witings had brought to him.  This indeed was his toughest case yet, normally he would have seen everything clearly by now.  However something was standing in the way and it was his plan to make sure he saw the truth.  Understanding the dangers that may arise didn’t concern him much, since this was very critical in the safety of a young ten year old child.

    Nonetheless he was still a bit anxious, pressing Tommy’s shirt against his left palm and the crystal in his right and joining the two; sank deep into portions of his mind he hadn’t reached in ages.  The brilliant flashes and imagery was shocking and foggy images of buildings came forth.  Suddenly he was sucked into a torrent of beautiful red water sending him crashing through many levels of existence.  Coming to rest on a magnificent majestic bed, coughing and choking from the water ride he had just taken.  Just as normal the truth came shinning through and painted a bright picture for him to see.  He couldn’t believe what he saw and was horrified that he would have to explain all that he found.  Snapping his fingers to dry his wet clothes and reappear in his shop.

    Looking at the address Mrs. Witings had provided, he stepped outside and raised his robes and vanished only to appear seconds later at her home.  It was a very well kept contemporary home with garden which appeared to be professionally maintained.  Stymers rehearsed what he was going to say before approaching the door.  This was not normally a part of his job; he had seen many things over the years, but never anything as tangled and seedy.

    Finally getting the courage to ring the doorbell, he stepped up to the door still going over what he might say.  Time seemed to stretch into an anxious eternity as the door sqealed on it's hinges as he saw an older man who he guessed maybe her butler and said, “I’m Stymers, is Mrs. Witings here?”  The man regally said, “Yes please come in, I will fetch the misses.”

    Stymers could feel the tension, almost enough to cut through with a knife.  Eventually she came into the room and explained that the big gentleman with her was a good friend of the family.  Stymers was still rehearsing his speech and then stopped and said, “Well Mrs. Witings I guess you know why I’m here?”

    She continued on, “Yes I guess you have some information about the whereabouts of my Tommy.”
    Trying to be sure not to give any indication of what he knew Stymers began, “Well yes that’s just it, I have come to tell you about Tommy, he is safe in police custody and you will not find him.  I have learned that you are not his mother and are just trying to find out the whereabouts of this boy who witnessed a murder.  That is the reason I had such a hard time finding out his whereabouts.”

    At that moment they all heard another person at the door and Stymers explained, “Oh yes that would be the police, your gig is up Mrs.” Trying to think of what to do, the big gentleman went to reach for his gun, but Stymers already had waved his arms and they both were tied up securely.  As the police were entering to make the arrest a rainbow vortex appeared as Stymers vanished.