The Mystery of Lotus View Part One

 A Lotus Casino (Percy Jackson)/Westview (Wanda Vision) vibe with special appearances from Supernatural and The Shadowhunter Chronicles. (if you haven’t read/read any of them, then I would definitely recommend) 

This is Part One of my Mystery of Lotus View series.  

That’s the thing about this city; once you enter, you can never leave.  

Have you ever heard of the Mystery of Lotus View? (ik creative name) It is a strange midwestern city, shrouded in mystery. No one knows where or when it cropped up, but one day, it was just there.  

Many of the big-name detectives-including Sherlock-had gone, determined to earn eternal fame and glory by cracking the mystery, but none of them had come back. So, who knew two brothers from Cincinnati would be the one to solve the case? 

Simon and David Wyles (Sam and Dean Winchester, wow I’m so creative) are two of the strangest people in Cincinnati with a dead mother and an absentee father. Their father was one of the ones who went to Lotus View and never came back; their mother died of sickness when they were two. 

“Simon, come here for a second,” David said, in a low voice. He was rooting around in their father’s chest of drawers, looking for clues, something. Their father was obsessed with finding out the secret of Lotus View, and he holed himself in his room for a long time, researching who knows what. So, one day, about a week ago, he had left. It was David’s hope that he had left some of his notes behind so they could go after their father and hopefully find out about Lotus View.  

But there was no noise or movement from Simon. In fact, the named was presently sleeping in a chair, mouth hanging open. He was snoring. 

“Simon!!” David yelled. He picked up a sock and threw it at his brother. 

“I’m awake!!” Simon jerked awake and promptly fell off his chair. He landed on the floor with a thump. “Ow!!” He rubbed his head where he had hit it on the chair and glared at his brother.  

“Deal with it,” David said meanly. ‘Now, will you please get over here.” 

“Since you asked so nicely.” Simon picked himself off the floor and went to see what his brother found. If he was looking for something more profound, he was disappointed.  

It was a piece of paper bearing a single address: 10382 Cherry Way Lane, Columbus, Ohio. “A clue!!” David looked like Christmas had come early.  

“Dad doesn’t know anyone in Columbus, “Simon pointed out. 

“That’s not the point, Si!” Dean said. “It’s our first lead. I think it’s worth checking out.” 

“Day,” Simon said tentatively. “What if we don’t find Dad. Or what if we are stuck in Lotus View as well?” 

David set down the piece of paper and laid his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I would rather be stuck in Lotus View with you and Dad then never see Dad again. If I had to choose between one of those things, it would be stuck in Lotus View. We will find Dad; I promise you that.” 

Simon smiled. David drew him into a hug. “I hope you’re right.” Simon’s voice was muffled by David’s shoulder. 

Though David was trying to reassure his brother, he remained worried. If the great Sherlock himself failed, then what chance did he and Simon have. 

But they had something the others didn’t: the determination to save their father. 

Gravel crunched underneath the Chevrolet Impala as David tore out of the driveway fast, causing Simon to lurch back in his seat as he was not wearing a seat belt at the moment. 

“David!!” Simon wrenched the seatbelt across his body and buckled in. “Are you trying to kill me or something?!” 

“Sorry.” Though David didn’t sound so apologetic, he did pat his brother on the knee.  

Simon had to cover his ears as David thumbed open his iTunes, and the ear-piercing tones of heavy metal reached his ears. “DON’T YOU HAVE SOMETHING MORE...MODERN TO PLAY?!!!!” He yelled over the noise. 

“MY CAR, MY RULES!!” David shouted back gleefully. “SO, DEAL WITH IT!!” 

Simon groaned and tried to ignore the pounding melody in his ears.  

Tragedy soon struck 30 minutes later. A siren soon materialized behind them, and David had to stifle a groan as he recognized a cop. “Simon! Get in the back!” He jammed a button on his phone and the heavy bass line cut off abruptly, leaving a ringing in Simon’s ears.  

“What?” Simon looked at his older brother like he was crazy. Which he probably was. “What did you do this time?” 

“Just get in the back!” David said harshly.  

Simon, surprised at the iciness in his brother’s usually calm tone, did as he was told. A secret compartment in the back seats opened to the truck bed. But if you opened the truck bed up, the secret compartment would only look like empty space. Simon crawled into the small space and waited. Luckily for him, he wasn’t claustrophobic. 

Simon felt David pull over. The siren shut off and the sound of a window rolling down occurred. He heard voices and he had to strain his ears in order to hear.  

“It took us a while to find you, Aidan Ferrer,” a man’s voice said.  

Ferrer? Simon mouthed the name, confused. Who the hell was Ferrer? 

The police officer was still speaking. “You almost slipped through our fingers forever, but luckily we had your license plate number.” 

Simon could picture David smiling savagely. “My name is Wyles. David Wyles.” Simon smiled briefly at the James Bond reference.  

The police officer scoffed loudly. There was a moment of silence then the officer continued, “Give it up, Ferrer. I know you’re dealing drugs. Did you really think you would get away with this?” 

David continued to smile brightly at the man. Call it cockiness but this man had fallen into his trap just like he had planned. “If you don’t believe me,” he said, “Then check the trunk.” 

The officer stretched his lips into a snarl. “You know what? I think I will.”  

David leaned back against the seat cushions, though he was tense all over. He only hoped that Simon was smart enough to be quiet.  

Simon held his breath as the trunk of the truck was banged open. His air supply was already being cut off, but he knew he had to remain still. 

“Well, Ferrer, it seems like you got lucky this time.” The officer sounded disappointed. David knew he would have jumped at the chance to put him in jail. “And unfortunately, I can’t put people in jail with lack of evidence. You can go. But I’m watching your, Ferrer. You have my word on that.” 

“Of course.” David picked at his fingernails, making sure the officer knew he was bored. 

Irritated, the officer stormed back to his cruise car, making sure to slam the door. 

David only stopped tensing and released a breath when he could see that the police officer was far out of view. Then, he texted his brother, safe. 

“What the hell was that?” Simon demanded, clambering back into the passenger’s seat. “Drug dealing? Aidan Ferrer? Who the hell is that?” 

“That’s me,” David said grimly. "Back when I dropped out of school. There were some dark days where I ran into a gang.” 

Simon was twenty-one, and David twenty-five, and three years ago, when Simon was a freshman in college, and David in med school, David had dropped out of college, and Simon and his father hadn’t heard from him for a year. Until one day, David had appeared at their house, dripping wet and muddy. He had refused to tell where he had been. Their father had been angry that David had dropped out of school, but his fatherly concern had replaced it as he warmed up his son with plenty of blankets and hot chocolate. 

“Gangs?” Simon asked quietly. “What happened?” 

David’s knuckles were white against the steering wheel. “I was proud. Too proud, I think. I did some bad things, took on the name Aidan Ferrer and dealt in drugs. Then, when I tried to back out, they cast me out. Nearly killed me too, but a friend had mercy on me and helped me escape. I did some things I'm not proud of,” he said quickly. “And I’m trying to atone for my sins.” 

A long silence followed this announcement. Finally, Simon said, “It’s in the past, and you can’t do anything about it now. As far as we are concerned, Aidan Ferrer is dead. But what we should focus on right now is finding Dad.” 

David smiled gratefully. To show his gratitude, he turned the knob on the radio. Call me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen poured through the speakers. The two boys glanced at each other, then belted out the lyrics: 

“HEY, I JUST MET YOU, AND THIS IS CRAZY!! SO, HERE’S MY NUMBER, SO CALL ME MAYBE!!”  

It was dark outside when they reached Columbus, Ohio. The brothers took a break to stop at McDonalds. Then, they were back on the road. 

10382 Cherry Way Lane proved to be a mansion, lighted up with white lights and meticulously trimmed hedges.  

Simon and David glanced at each other. “Who or what do you think lives here?” Simon asked his brother. 

David shrugged. “Let’s find out,” he suggested. He put the car in park, and they got out of the car.  

The second Simon rang the doorbell, a loud barking echoed in the house. A voice inside snapped, “Barker!! Be quiet!” 

Simon and David snickered at the name. 

The door was tugged open, revealing a surprisingly young man probably around thirty. He was tall, with brown hair and brown eyes. He wore jeans and a faded gray t-shirt. When he saw Simon and David, his eyes widened. “Get inside,” he said harshly, ushering them firmly inside. 

Caught by surprise, David stumbled over the threshold and nearly fell. Simon caught him just in time. 

“Who are you?” Simon asked the man.  

The man shut the door and put a finger to his lips, beckoning for the brothers to follow him. 

Confused, they followed him through a door and into a kitchen. It was a spacious room with marble counters and blue wallpapers. Once the door had shut behind him, he spoke. “My name is Caleb Wover. I am a friend of your father.” Simon and David sat down in the chairs he offered them. 

“Our father?” It was David who spoke. “How do you know our father?” 

“A friend of a friend.” Caleb waved his hand dismissively. “I am assuming your father has mysteriously disappeared.” It wasn’t a question. 

“No,” David said. “He went to Lotus View and never came back.” 

The expression on Caleb’s face changed. He seemed to grow older before their eyes. “I feared this would happen,” he said almost to himself. “I told James not to go, and now he has. And he roped his sons into this as well.” 

“Into what?” Simon demanded, interrupting his musing.  

Caleb rose from his chair and began to pace around the room. “Have you ever heard of Armedon?” 

Simon looked at David who shrugged. “No,” they said simultaneously.  

“Then, I think that it is time for a history lesson.” Caleb went through another door, calling back, “I’ll be right back!!” 

David rested his hands on his knees. “What do you think of this Caleb guy?” 

Simon chose his words carefully. “I don’t exactly trust him. Dad trusts few after you, um, disappeared. He doesn’t look so kindly upon a lot of people. He has a small circle of trustworthy acquaintances.” 

David exhaled. “I admit, he does seem kind of sketchy. What was that barking we heard when we rang the doorbell? I don’t see any dog.” 

The first thing that Caleb noticed when he reentered the kitchen was both of the brothers staring at him. “What is it?” he asked pleasantly. He thunked a heavy book down on the table. It read The Demon Myths.  

“We want to know how exactly you know our father.” That was the elder one. David, he remembers.  

“Our fathers were friends,” Caleb said after a short pause. “Colleagues at law school.” 

“Were?” the younger one, Simon asked. 

“My father and mother died in a car crash,” Caleb said grimly. “A few years ago.” 

“I’m sorry,” David said. There was a moment of silence, then he was all business. “Where’s the dog?” 

Well, he was certainly down to business.  

“Upstairs,” Caleb said after a barely palpable pause. “He doesn’t do well with visitors.” 

“That’s sad,” Simon said. “I love dogs.” Something didn’t sit right about this Caleb dude, and Simon had always followed his hunches. 

“So, what’s the book?” David pointed to the book on the table. 

“A book with the names of all the demons in the world.” Caleb flipped the pages until he came to a page titled “ARMEDON.”  

David and Simon leaned forward to read: 

Armedon is one of the most dangerous demons in the world, almost second to Lucifer, the king of hell himself. He is the master of deception, known as the King of Traps, and he prides himself on being the Sovereign of Snares. 

“There you have it,” Caleb said, slamming the book shut. “Lotus View can only be the work of Armedon himself. Your father must have known this and went to take down Armedon. He has a personal score to settle, naturally.” 

“A score to settle?” David repeated. “What personal thing could Father possibly have against Armedon?” 

“Your mother,” Caleb said. 

Simon and David froze. “Our mother?”  

Caleb smiled sympathetically. “Your mother wasn’t just killed due to sickness. She was poisoned. By Armedon himself.” He allowed this to sink into the boys’ minds as they processed this information with growing horror. He savored their fear, could taste it in his mouth. 

“Why?” Simon asked quietly, tears starting to fill his eyes. “Why would Armedon go after our mother of all people?” 

“Because she was a sorceress, obsessed with killing demons. Her father was a demon after all.” 

“A demon?” David’s voice rose. “Now you're just sprouting fairy tales. Demons don’t have children.” He was seized with a sinking, sickening thought. “Then we are the grandchildren of a demon? Which one? Is it Armedon?”  

Caleb bowed his head. “You are indeed the grandchildren of a demon. On whom it is I cannot say.” 

“You don’t know who it is, or you are not going to tell us?” David demanded rudely.  

“Does it matter?” Caleb sat back down on his chair. “Knowledge is power.” 

“So, what use are you?” David demanded. “Why are you important?” 

Caleb was seized with anger but pushed it away. Sheesh, this kid was rude. “Your father left with me a few objects that will help you with the quest.”  

Caleb stood up and went to his chest of drawers. He drew a few objects from it, then went and laid them down in front of the boys. If they were expecting extraordinary things, then they were dismayed. One was a small acorn, an ordinary acorn like squirrels eat. The second was a packet of white powder, another a vial of what looked suspiciously like blood, and the last was a gold bracelet. It looked real. 

“What are these?” Simon asked, picking up the acorn. Nothing special happened.  

“In order to release Lotus View from Armedon's grasp, you will need to summon the demon. The powder will make the pentagram needed to trap the demon. The blood belongs to your father.” 

“How do you have blood of our dad?” David was disgusted. 

“He gave it to me in case this happened. Now shut up. The blood will be poured on the pentagram which will summon the demon. The gold bracelet is an offering to Armedon, if you give it to him, he will listen to you.” 

“What makes you think a demon will listen to us?” Simon asked. 

“You are Wyles,” Caleb said. “It’s in your blood to have power over demons.” 

“And the acorn?” David asked. 

“To make the pentagram, you will have to be in the middle of Lotus View. The town is designed to make you forget. This acorn will help ground you, so you don’t lose focus. It was given to your father by a faerie.” Seeing the question on Simon’s lips he added, “Yes, faeries are real though they rarely interact with humans. Because of your father’s Wyles blood, he could speak to them.” Caleb handed the objects to the boys. “Now, I think that it is time for you to leave. You have a long trip after all.” He handed a map to the boys. The circled area is where Lotus View is. Good luck.” 

He was certainly hasty to usher them out the door.  

“Thank you,” Simon told him. He looked at his brother and nodded. They could trust him. 

Caleb waved goodbye. “I hope you find him soon.”  

Once in the car, Simon put the objects in his bag and unfurled the map. “Kansas is our destination,” he said. 

David put the car in gear. As they drove, he said, “So, we can trust him?” Meaning Caleb. 

Simon hesitated then nodded. “Yes, I think we can.” 

They drove in silence for a long while.  

It was time to find their father. 

Back in his house, Caleb smiled. It was full of mirth and wickedness. Simon and David Wyles had fallen into his trap perfectly, just like he had hoped. 

Oh, this was going to be so fun.  

To Be Continued.......