Page 81 of Swamp Kings 2

“Well, brother, I didn’t bring it,” he sighed. “Didn’t think we needed it.”

“Do you still think that?” Bishop kept him in his peripheral, watching his expressions for clues. Lots of fucking sighing going on.

“I think we did everything we were supposed to do and just didn’t understand the vision entirely.”

That didn’t feel right. “Tellme what was on the other drawing.”

“Fuck, I just remembered,” Seer said, digging his phone from his coat pocket hanging on his seat. “I took pictures just in case.”

Bishop eyed the mirrors, checking the roads were still empty as he slowly came to a stop. Seer handed him the phone and he took it, sliding his fingers over it to enlarge it. “What am I looking at?” he wondered.

Seer leaned and pointed. “That’s you covered in blood in a shattered mirror.”

Bishop angled his head, then rotated the phone. “Is this the right picture?"

Seer looked. “Yes,” he assured.

Bishop glanced at him then back at the phone. “This is a city with a bunch of faceless people…fighting against what looks like soldiers. That’s what I see. Holy fuck.”

Seer took the phone, staring, shaking his head as Bishop pulled his phone out and called his wife. “It’s like that other fucking picture she drew,” Bishop said as the phone rang.

“Hi,” she answered, her tone full of hidden things again.

“Can you come up here, I need you to look at something.” He hung up andlooked at Seer’s phone again. He handed it to him, and he turned the image every which way. “It doesn’t change for me.”

The door opened and Bishop stood, showing her the phone. “What do you see?”

She leaned in. “Uhhh, looks like… a giant man standing over a city with… lots of little people… worshipping him?”

Bishop looked at Seer.

“Where did you get that?” Beth asked.

“Remember I told you there was a second drawing that Maggie drew?”

“Yes,” she nodded, worry filling her gaze.

“Remember the picture with the ravens and crows and how we all saw something different?”

“Yes,” she nodded, glancing at the phone then back at him. “You see something different?”

“We all three do. Get Maggie in here,” he urged. “We need to know what she sees.”

Bishop hurried and kissed her before she left,turning every which way in the small space before collapsing in his seat and checking the mirrors again.

“If the image has a different picture for everybody that looks at it,” Seer said. “Then that means it’s likely relevant in a spiritual way.”

Bishop eyed him. “Please tell me we didn’t drive across the US to not rescue the woman we were supposed to because we mistook a spiritual message for a literal one.”

Seer sat too, looking perplexed. “It felt right,” he said, staring into space then raising his gaze. “It still does.”

The door opened and they all stood, showing Maggie the phone. “What do you see?” Bishop demanded.

“That’s the picture I drew,” she said lightly. “Of the empty cradle and that… doll in the shadows.”

“Holy shit,” Bishop marveled.

“What’s wrong?” Maggie hurried as he sat heavily again.

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