Down the Rabbit Hole

by R L Delaney

  From somewhere far away came the howling cry of a man who was screaming something at the top of his lungs. A discordant sound it was, and it somehow irritated Harrison. This horrible world didn't even offer him the joy of listening to nothing but the sound of the falling rain so he could wallow in his own misery. There was always noise. There were always problems, and somebody was always screaming.

  He gritted his teeth and forced himself to his feet. He couldn't stay here.

  The yelling continued. Only nearby this time.

  Harrison pricked up his ears. What was that man yelling about? Some words sounded familiar. He had heard that sound before.

  Then his breath stopped for a moment. He recognized that voice. It was the voice of that weird prophet of doom with his warning sign on the broomstick. The one he had crashed into earlier.

  He could hear the man clearly now over the sound of the rain.

  "The dark One has sent out his messengers. They have settled in Dewsbury. The battle has started. Your children have fallen and you are still sleeping."

  Why, in the name of reason, would anybody go out on the streets in the middle of a rain storm and pump out such crazy messages?

  Then a thought struck Harrison. Maybe these messages were not so crazy after all. This man, weird as he was, knew something and certainly did not seem to be a friend of the Shadow Walkers.

  He needed to talk to that man. Maybe that fellow was the only help he could still get.

  Right then he saw the man crossing Garden Grove Lane. His hair was matted and dripping, and the flowing white robe was no longer flowing, but stuck like wet paper to his skinny frame. He was still carrying the sign, but the warning message had been washed away by the rain and all he was now doing was carrying an empty, meaningless sign. Harrison did not care. He had to talk to that man.

  He jumped away from the tree and rushed after the weirdo, who continued his shouts while walking down Locust Avenue.

  The children have fallen. The children have fallen.

  "Wait," Harrison yelled, trying to catch up. "Wait… I need to talk to you."

  The man had heard Harrison's desperate scream. He stopped and slowly turned around, but when he saw who it was that came running down the street, he pointed his skinny, dripping finger at the detective and yelled, "Get away from me. I know your deeds, and your evil works. I know you tolerate wicked people, and claim to be an apostle of light, but you are false and deceitful…"

  "Not me," Harrison cried out as he caught up with the man. "Not me… I need help!"

  The prophet was not convinced and stared with strange, empty eyes at Harrison. "I saw your outfit. You are one of them."

  "I am not. I escaped by stealing that stinky robe I was wearing when I bumped into you. They were going to sacrifice me and they are still after me… I've got nowhere to go!"

  The prophet narrowed his eyes and Harrison could see him swallow hard. Then, after a few more seconds, it appeared that the man wanted to walk off again. Harrison grabbed him by his arm, and almost shouted it out while his voice skipped a pitch. "Please… I need to know what's going on in our town. I need to know why you are shouting these strange warnings in the middle of a rain…"

  The prophet wrinkled his crooked nose and hissed, "They are not strange… my words are true. The children have fallen."

  Harrison blinked his eyes. "I know… I mean, I don't know… Tell me. Enlighten me. What is going on?

  The man lowered his warning sign, stared at Harrison for a few more seconds as he considered Harrison's words. Then he brought down his empty sign on the broomstick down with a thud on the wet pavement and said, "I believe you. Come with me."

  Chapter Three

  The chemistry lab was filled with young people. Most of them Amy knew, but there were a few faces she had never seen before. Sternfoot himself stood behind the lab table, a smug grin plastered on his face. For the occasion he had even put gel in his usually wild, messy hair, and for once it didn't stick out on all sides in the rebellious manner so characteristic for the man. Nevertheless to Amy, his lame attempt to look sophisticated was a flat failure as he looked possibly even worse this way. Right before him on the lab table, just above a chemical burner and in between two sturdy clamps, hung a glass vial containing a liquid so deeply red that Amy almost feared it was blood.

  Principal Rigby was present too. He sat on a stool in the corner with drooping shoulders. Somehow, he gave the impression he had seen better days. Maybe it had something to do with those crutches he was clutching in both of his hands as it appeared he had somehow hurt his legs. Every time he moved, a spasm of pain flashed over his face. Amy wondered when that had happened.

  She wanted to ask Billy if he knew anything about it, but Sternfoot had seen them and took a step forward to welcome them. He gave Billy a pleased nod and ordered him immediately to an empty spot near the back. But when he turned his attention to Amy, he was less welcoming. Did he suspect anything?

  She felt his scrutinizing gaze and the urge to turn around and run away swept over her. She pushed the compulsion aside. She was on a mission and could not let this man dictate her moves. He was evil and she had the Elixir. There was no reason to be afraid.

  Without saying a word, he pointed to an empty chair on the side, right next to Johnny Delano, one of Dewsbury High's main football stars, and without further ado Amy walked to it and sat down, hoping to not have any personal dealings with the man.

  But Sternfoot had a different idea. As soon as Amy sat down on the hard, wooden chair, he walked over and asked in a whisper, "Have you seen Justin Ames? Where is he?"

  Amy looked up and as she stared into Sternfoot's eyes a shock went through her body. It was almost as if she could see right into the man. Never before had she had such an experience. She could see straight through the mask he was wearing, and his thoughts and intentions were as clear to Amy as if he had written them on the whiteboard behind him. And what darkness she saw.

  It was as if she was peering into a wild, unkempt garden full of poisonous, confusing weeds that were all tangled up, while strange winged insects with peculiarly curled mandibles were crawling around through the dirt, carrying around hateful thoughts and deeds that were never meant to see the light. She could literally hear what the man was thinking, but it was nothing but confusion, a jumbled mess of thoughts in his weird head, like listening to a blaring radio station that was broadcasting nothing but negative and disturbing static.

  Amy veered back as the revelation startled her. She did not dare look into the man's eyes for more than a second and she lowered her own eyes. There was no light in that man's heart. His life was directed by hatred and rebellion. His sole purpose was to help open up dark gateways that led directly into the deepest pits of the netherworld. She shuddered. What a formidable enemy they were facing.

  "Miss Stenson, I asked you a question." Sternfoot demanded an answer. He was no longer whispering and his voice sounded cross and impatient. "Where is Justin Ames?"

  Amy pressed her lips together. What was she to answer?

  Did the man realize she could look right into him, and the thoughts and intents of his heart were clear? Probably not. If this man knew what she had just seen, he would attack her right on the spot, and she noticed her whole body had tensed. But she could not give in to fear. There was no need for fear. The Elixir would keep her safe.

  The power of the Elixir… it's all you need, Amy.

  Without looking up she said, "He couldn't come, Mr. Sternfoot. He wanted to come, but he couldn't make it."

  That was no lie. If it would have been up to Justin, he would have come, but Brother Perpetiël did not want him to come.

  "That's not what I asked, Miss Stenson." Sternfoot's voice had lost any appearance of friendliness. His demands were now fired at Amy in a cold, harsh manner. "I asked where he is!"

  Amy struggled.

  "I believe he's with friends, Sir."

  "What friends? All his friends are here. The police a
re looking for him."

  A shock went through Amy's body and she couldn't help but look up.

  Instantly she witnessed again the swaying mass of darkness. Dear God, help me.

  This time, as she stared into Sternfoot's eyes, she felt she was being observed by a great multitude of other eyes. They were peering and glaring at her from within the innermost parts of Sternfoot's body. Wicked, evil eyes they were, that gaped like hungry wolves ready to prey on the innocent.

  Amy swallowed hard, as she averted her gaze again. "Why are the police looking for him?"

  Sternfoot placed his hand on her shoulder and leaned forward so he could whisper into her ears. "Drugs, young lady… he's a suspect in drug related murders."

  His hand felt icy cold, and a shiver went through her body. But Sternfoot did not let go and kept his hand firmly planted on her shoulder, almost to the point of hurting her. "So… what friends is he hanging out with?" Amy felt his spit landing on her ear and as his face almost touched her ear Amy got a whiff of the scent of his gel and it was repulsive. "You should be careful who you choose as your friends, Miss Stenson. If you run with the wolves you will learn to howl yourself." As he spoke the words, a lock of his wild, gelled hair came loose and brushed over her cheek. Amy felt nausea coming up.

  Then he raised himself back up and let go of her shoulder.

  Thank God. Amy let out a soft sight of relief.

  "Anyway… " he said as he walked back to the lab table, "…I am glad you are here with us, Miss Stenson." It was now time for him to address the whole class.

  "Ladies and gentleman," he began, while forcing a wide smile on his face, "Welcome… Welcome… Welcome." He cleared his throat. "Why have we have chosen to teach an extra curriculum, outside of school hours? I will tell you why." He turned to the whiteboard behind him, grabbed a marker and wrote with flowing, red letters: 'Desastrotrax.' He stared at his own handwriting for a moment and then turned to the class again, a glorious smile covering his face.

  "My colleagues and I have been working on developing a special chemical formula for quite some time now, but recently we have reached a breakthrough. My… eh… our invention is earth shaking, mind blowing, and it will change the world as we know it." He licked his lips and brushed with his hand through his hair, effectively messing it up again. "However, since we are in the experimental stages, our beloved principal, Mr. Rigby…," he turned and pointed to Rigby, "… suggested we hold this lesson at night." Rigby gave a sour smile and nodded, which caused another spasm of pain to wash over him. Nobody reacted.

  "Now what is the invention all about?" Sternfoot went on and pointed to the vial with the red liquid. "It's called Desastrotrax and it possesses various amazing qualities. For example, it will make your life in school much, much easier."

  He turned to his whiteboard and drew a simple head with a smiley face from which emanated various rays of light, representing happiness, knowledge and power.

  "All that," he said as he smacked his lips, "will be yours. And what do you have to do to get it…?" He let his eyes slide over the faces of Amy's classmates . "… Nothing. Nothing at all. We will just give it to you. All you have to do is to use Desastrotrax. You ladies and gentlemen, are fortunate enough to be the first ones on which we can test it."

  Johnny Delano leaned over to Amy and whispered. "I am not sure I like it."

  Sternfoot raised his brows. "Quiet, Mr. Delano. There will be time later to discuss it." From under his shirt he pulled out a brown pouch, just like the ones that had been distributed by Broderick at the front door, and held it up for all to see. "I believe you all got one of these, right?"

  The class nodded in unison.

  "That pouch contains a sample of the Desastrotrax. Take it out and inhale the scent," Sternfoot demanded.

  Everyone pulled out their pouch and stuck their noses to it while sniffing long and deep.

  Amy, without sniffing it, raised her hand. "What does it do, Mr. Sternfoot?"

  Sternfoot cast her an irritated glance. "Don't interrupt me, Miss Stenson. I will get to that." He squeezed his chin and continued. "This wonderful new invention will bring you into contact with parts of the brain which are not usually accessed. It is like entering a whole new room in the house of your life, a room you never knew existed. And that room is full of new voices and ideas, and will help you get in touch with brave new worlds of happiness. Worlds of unparalleled knowledge that makes learning a breeze and will make you far superior to your peers who have no access to Desastrotrax.

  Amy raised her hand again. Without waiting for permission to speak she asked: "Is it dangerous?"

  Sternfoot clearly did not like to be challenged and Amy could see how the darkness in his mind began to rattle and fume. "Of course it's not dangerous, Miss Stenson. What a stupid question. Do you really think we would expose you to danger?"

  "Of course not, Mr. Sternfoot," Amy said obediently. "I would never think that. Sorry for asking."

  Sternfoot's face was carrying a scowl as he continued. "For those of you who doubt, I can say Desastrotrax is completely harmless. It's been tested by very trustworthy and extremely reliable sources." He cast Amy another angry glance and went on with his speech. "In order for the influence of Desastrotrax to take its lasting effect it is nevertheless necessary that you expose yourself to it on a permanent basis. At least for a few weeks. Like medication, you have to faithfully get the prescribed dose every day, so that the process will have a permanent, lasting effect. And that is why you have those little pouches." A victorious smile adorned his face. "There's just enough Desastrotrax in those pouches to last you two weeks, which is just about the time needed for your body to fully accept and get used to this wonderful new invention."

  "What happens after two weeks?" Amy queried.

  Sternfoot sighed. "Miss Stenson, for the last time…, do not interrupt."

  "But I want to know too," Jonny Delano piped up.

  "After two weeks you are healed," Sternfoot replied. He was visibly struggling to keep his calm. "It's like when you have an infectious disease. If you don't fight the infection, you will die, but with the right medication you will be forever healed."

  "Are we sick then?" Amy blurted out.

  Sternfoot cast a helpless glance at the Principal. "Mister Rigby… please?"

  The Principal forced himself with great difficulty on his legs, ignoring the pain, and shook his finger at Amy's face. "One more word, Miss Stenson, and you can leave. Then you won't get the Desastrotrax and you will be forever sorry."

  It sounded like a great idea, but Amy knew she was not supposed to leave yet and mumbled an apology. "Sorry, Mr. Rigby… I was just curious."

  Rigby nodded. "Just leave those things to us, Miss Stenson. We've been working with this formula for a long time now. You just need to trust us."

  He made a gesture to Sternfoot again. "Show them, Richard. It's show time. Seeing how it works and how powerful it is will remove any and all doubts."

  Sternfoot smiled wickedly, and opened the gas burner. He grabbed his lighter and a fraction later the fire under the vial with the red liquid was burning. Instantly the Desastrotrax began to boil and bubble, and a heavy, pungent smoke twirled up. Sternfoot began to furiously wave with both of his hands so that the smoke would spread quicker over the room. Sandra Appleby who was sitting in the first row began to cough and asked for a glass of water, but Sternfoot shook his head.

  "No need for water, Miss Appleby. All you need is in the smoke. Water is not helpful at all."

  Amy swallowed hard as she saw the red smoke approaching. She had to do something. Sternfoot was unleashing a curse. Her classmates were being drugged and she just couldn't watch and do nothing. What was more, would the Elixir even be strong enough to withstand the power of the horrible Desastrotrax?

  She glanced at Johnny Delano. That boy was as strong as a bear, and if anybody could withstand the influence of the Desastrotrax, it would be him.

  But not so. To Amy's horror and r
ight before her eyes she saw how his eyes got a glazed, faraway look as the red vapor washed over them. The expression on Johnny's face became meaningless and empty. Sandra Appleby was no longer coughing but Amy noticed she carried that same strange, deadpan expression.

  Everywhere she looked, the students were staring in the same manner, almost as if they were no longer there, and had somehow vacated their bodies but left the front door wide open. But she herself didn't notice a thing. She felt more alive and more fired up than ever before. The only thing that really bothered her physically was that horrible, strong chemical scent, and she felt a slight headache coming on. But other than that nothing happened to her.

  Oh God, something so sinister is happening… what must I do?

  She had barely finished uttering the words, when she heard a comforting, soft voice, right in her heart. Nothing, Amy. Just play along. Just watch and learn.

  It was the same voice she had heard earlier. That still, small voice that seemed to be somehow present ever since she had been anointed with the Elixir and Amy marveled. The power of the Elixir was truly overwhelming.

  She felt perfectly safe, even though evil was raging all around her. It reminded her of that warm, secure feeling she had felt when as a child she had been sitting on her father's lap and he was reading her stories. That was long ago; before her father left, in the days when things were still good between her parents. But those feelings of safety and security she treasured so much had disappeared together with her father on that terrible day when he left and slammed the door shut behind him. But this was different. Somehow she sensed that this sense of safety would never leave her. The Elixir was truly a heavenly gift and would never leave her in the cold.

  Apparently, she should not oppose Sternfoot. At least not at this moment. She just needed to play along.

  Sternfoot was still waving his hands around like a madman. The vial was now almost empty. The Desastrotrax had almost completely been used up.