"Huh. This would have been nice to know before I latched onto your hoodie."
"Would it have changed things for you?"
Margaret paused. "Not in the least."
"I rest my case."
"So how are you keeping track?"
Alex slipped his phone out from the back pocket of his jeans. Swiping it, he held it up for Margaret to see the screen.
Numbers scrolled in a countdown.
"When this is done, so are we."
"Jeez. We only have thirty-six hours to get this done?"
"Yup."
“What happens if your battery runs out of juice? We won't have a clue about how much time is left.” Margaret questioned.
“Weird thing is, since we've gotten here, my battery has stayed fully charged. I think the electrical current is affecting the phone’s battery. Check yours.”
Margaret slipped her phone from her pocket and nodded.
“Mines at full charge too. But we should get back out there. Why are wasting time sleeping?”
“Because if we don’t get some rest, we’ll be too drained to do anything. Have you noticed your body feels weighted?”
“I did. I thought it was just because I’ve been on petrified alert since our journey to the gym.”
“No. It’s the energy here. You can smell the sulfur in the air. They’re pulling at our life force. We need to slow down our metabolism and sleep a while. Besides, Mr. Johnson won’t be here until tomorrow. I really need to see what he’s found out, if anything at all. I sure hope he has.”
Margaret lay her head down and scooted closer to Alex. He gently brushed back her bangs with his fingertips and kissed her forehead. Snuggling close, they let sleep guide them into their dreams.
10
The Underworld
"Haven! Watch out!"
"Wake up." Margaret shook Alex.
"What happened?"
"You were having a nightmare. You shouted out Haven's name a few times."
Alex sat up and drew his knees to his chest.
"She's running out of time. I understand now. It's the same for her as it is us. Too long in an in-between realm, and you never leave."
"But what about the Soul Gatherer? And Zachary? He was in the underworld for over five hundred years. And you heard Ophelia, this soul guy has been around for a very long time. They both managed to leave the in-between realms."
"You're forgetting one thing."
"What?"
"They're both sorcerers."
"You think the Soul Gatherer is a sorcerer, too?"
"I do."
"What proof do you have?"
"None. But this is what my know is telling me. I felt it in the dream."
"All righty then."
"I'm gonna get in the shower. Care to join me?" Alex curled his bottom lip.
"Hmm. Tempting. But since we're currently in the land of, walls don't mean a thing, I'll go after you."
"I'll miss you."
"I'm sure you can weather through without me."
"Yes. But I won't like it." He smiled broadly.
Shutting the bathroom door, Alex brushed his hand across the frame. He wondered how many souls had passed through this very spot before him. Closing his eyes, he let his body free itself from the confines of the living. Letting go of the tether that protected him from the spirit world. Opening the door and pushing out the clutter, he let them in—all of them. Teens from everywhere flooded his mind. Flashes of conversation, moments forever captured in the walls of the room. Centuries of souls, happy, sad, eager, hesitant, hopeful, hopeless, they all resided here at one time or another. A wave of nausea rumbled through his stomach.
Slowly pulling away, the connection broke. He hadn't noticed when they started, but tears stained his cheeks, stinging their way into his pores. Alex turned the knob in the shower and a stream of tepid water sprayed the stall floor. He stepped in and lowered his head under the cleansing liquid cascading down his back. Too many. He let too many souls in at once. Their essence drained him, like drops of blood dripping into in an unseen pipeline to feed the energy of the Academy.
Standing with both hands on the shower wall, he took three deep breaths and exhaled. He couldn't tell Margaret. She'd be pissed at him for doing something so foolish. He knew what could happen if he lowered his defenses, but he wanted to make a connection. He wouldn't have this chance again. Once they returned to the living, the Academy of Souls would become a memory. He yearned to absorb as much as he could.
Too much anesthetizing and he might not be able to understand those who need him. Keeping emotions in check was one thing, turning them off was not a luxury he could abide by.
"Hey, you almost done it there. It's my turn." Margaret called.
"Yeah. Come on in. I'm just finishing up."
Margaret brushed against him. Peeling off her jeans and hoodie, she stepped into the now steaming, hot liquid.
"Thanks for leaving the shower on for me. It's toasty."
"For you, anything."
"Yeah, yeah. I see the bullshit is knee deep this morning."
"Not one bit. I would do anything for you."
"Alex? Margaret?" Ophelia sang out.
"We're in here. I'll be out in a sec."
Alex gingerly pulled on his boxers and slipped the dreaded binder over his head, shimmying and tugging it in place. Jeans and a hoodie, and he was ready.
"I hate that we have to put on the same clothes."
Margaret pulled back the curtain.
"Me too. But at least we're clean."
"I know. I'm going out there to talk to Ophelia."
"Okay. I'll be ready in a few minutes."
Alex puckered his lips and blew a kiss across the molecules. Grabbing his socks, he partially opened the door, trying not to let the cold air in, he quickly exited.
"Mr. Johnson is here. Amry is bringing him up."
"Good. I had another dream last night."
"About Haven? Was she all right?"
"Right now, yes. But I don't think for long. We need to get to her."
"Alex, I've been trying for 108 years. Every time I think I am getting close, it turns out to be nothing. I do think she's in an in-between realm, I believe that with all my heart. But there are twenty-eight that we know of. What about the ones we don't know about? And if he keeps moving her, how are we ever going to find her?"
"Slow down. Let's see what Johnson has to say. He might have found the solution already."
"I hope so."
The bathroom door flung open, and Margaret stepped out, towel drying her hair.
"There's something I was thinking about in the shower. If the two souls must be of magick descent, then does that mean Roger and Leon are sorcerers?" asked Margaret.
"No. But somewhere in their bloodlines, there had to be at least one in each. I guess they figured it out." Alex glanced out the window.
"Whew. The thought of those two idiots having any kind of powers really riled me."
"Not to worry. I'm pretty sure they're just average dead teens."
"Comforting." Margaret smirked.
Rap, Rap. The door shook slightly.
"Lia, let us in." Amry requested.
Ophelia turned the knob and pulled the door slightly ajar. There were multiple souls floating through the hallway. Amry stood in front of the open crack shielding the view to the room. She slipped through, followed by Mr. Johnson, and the rest of the crew.
"Mr. Johnson, this is Alex..."
"McKenna." Johnson extended his hand.
"You know who I am?" Alex shook his hand.
"You're the only male breather in the room. Who else would you be?"
"Good point."
"If everyone doesn't mind the floor, there's more space." Amry waved her arm.
Bethany and Kyle clustered together, Zachary and Amry sat next to Ophelia, Alex scooted closer to Margaret, and Mr. Johnson found his place in the center of all of them.
"I know you're all wa
iting for news, and I do have some information. But not as much as I thought I would. Ophelia, I did find out where the Soul Gatherer has been slipping off to. I'm not sure if that's where he has Haven, though. There were reports of a little girl resembling the description Amry gave me, but nothing solid. My sources from the in-between realms tell me he is in a very dangerous in-between—the Underworld. I do know a little about this place, but only enough to tell you to be very careful. If you plan on going through the gateway, be prepared. This is an extremely dark place."
Zachary stood up.
"I know all too well how treacherous the Underworld realm is."
"What do you mean?" Johnson asked.
"Zachary spent five hundred years there." Alex replied.
"Son, how did you make it out with your faculties? Five hundred years is a long time for any in-between realm, but the Underworld is treacherous."
Zachary ignored the question.
"Maybe we discuss this at another time. Right now, our focus is on Haven,” said Alex.
Mr. Johnson went on with his news.
"In addition, they've told me that Haven can't stay in the realms much longer. She's dangerously close to becoming a permanent being. A soul that forgets who they are, and where they came from. They're destined to never take the light, and inhabit the in-between world for eternity. Which is why young man, you will give me an explanation when this is all over."
Zachary narrowed his eyes and then looked away.
"I guess the answer is, I have to go to the Underworld in-between." Alex stated.
"No!" Zachary shouted.
"Zachary, I can't even imagine what it was like for you. But if we're gonna save Haven, then I have to go."
"Wait. What's this I bullshit?" Margaret snapped.
"You're not going on this one. I can't help Haven and worry about you at the same time."
"Have you forgotten our talk last night so quickly? When the hell has it been up to you to say what I can and cannot do? Listen Alex, you don't get to make decisions for me. I'm going with you."
“No, but…”
"Me too. She is my sister," Ophelia chimed.
"I'm not letting Lia go without me. I'm going too." Amry stood up.
"You guys came to save me when Roger was going to throw me into The Nowhere. I can't let you do this on your own. I'm in," Bethany said firmly.
"Well, I guess the gangs all here. Can't let your screw-ups go without a little muscle." Kyle smirked.
All of them stood up and joined Amry.
"We're going. End of story, McKenna," Amry said.
Alex lowered his head; he knew they were right. It wasn’t his place telling any of them what they can and can’t do. Raising his head, he caught Margaret’s gaze and smirked. "Okay. We all go. Zachary, you too?”
"Yes," Zachary mumbled.
"What? Why?" Ophelia asked.
"Because I am the only one who has been there before. I know that place better than anyone. If I am with you, you have an ample chance of finding Haven, and finding her quicker."
"Mr. Johnson, will you open the portal to the Underworld for us? The book states it must be a sorcerer." Amry asked.
"Oh child, I think you misunderstand. I'm not a sorcerer. Just an old soul who won't give up on my mission."
"What mission is that?"
"To help as many of the lost as I can."
"Why?" Amry leaned in.
Mr. Johnson cleared his throat and then glanced out the window. Looking down at his shoes, he spoke softly.
"My daughter, Elizabeth Grace. She was taken many years ago by a demonic celestial. I tried to get to her before it whisked her away, but I was too late. For years I hunted for her, but when I found my precious daughter, she was lost. Elizabeth had been in the Purgatory in-between for too long. She had no idea who I was. Worse, she had become a permanent being. No thoughts of life, her mother, where she came from. Delirium replaced the sweet girl I once knew. I vowed that day to never stop. I will not take the light as long as there are lost souls like your sister, and my Elizabeth Grace."
"We don't need anyone else; we have Zachary." Alex's eyes narrowed.
Mr. Johnson stood.
"You are a sorcerer young man?"
"He's half sorcerer. Dark magick," Alex replied.
"That's why you survived all those years. This is good." Johnson grinned.
"Good? How?" Ophelia's eyes widened.
"He will be immune to the darkness that consumes the Underworld. Not only can he guide you, but he can protect you."
"I do not know how to use the darkness inside me. And I do not know how to open the portal." Zachary gulped.
"We have the book. Margaret, can you look for the incantation?" Alex asked.
"Sure."
Margaret leafed through the pages, perusing through the words quickly.
"Got it!"
"I told you I will go, but I do not have the skill to perform the task." Zachary stated.
"I'll say the words with you.” Alex smiled. “I'm not a sorcerer but I do have some abilities of my own. Maybe they'll help. Zachary, believe in yourself. Know that you can do this, reach deep into yourself and let it free. It's your own pessimism that binds you. You can do this, I know you can." Alex turned to the old man. "Mr. Johnson, you're our witness. If we don't return in a few days, please tell Headmaster Abernathy. I think it's also a good time for you to leave. You wouldn't want to be an unwilling ticket holder of a trip to the Underworld." Alex furrowed his brow.
Johnson nodded and hastily exited the room.
"Everybody ready for this?" Alex requested.
"Trust me. None of you are ready for this." Zachary warned.
"Unlike the Nowhere, a doorway to an in-between can be opened from virtually anywhere. We should all get to one side and use the other end of the room for the gateway. Can I have the spell, Tesoro?"
Margaret handed Alex the book.
"Okay Zachary, we read together."
Alex closed the gap between them. Holding the book up for both to see, he nodded.
"Everyone stay close. Hold on to each other, and when I say jump, you go. Zachary—believe."
Amry and Ophelia tightly interlocked their fingers, Bethany had Kyle's arm in a death grip, and Margaret hooked her finger around one of Alex's belt loops.
The boys recited the spell in unison.
"I summon the passage to the world like no other. Not the top, not the middle, but deep down under. Open the gate, seal my fate. Show me the Underworld, guide my way. With my light I shall pay."
"Again!" Alex shouted.
The boys repeated the spell until the ground beneath their feet rumbled, forcing the wood slats to shake from the seismic vibrations. Wobbling back and forth, they struggled to keep their balance. A thunderous clap struck its way into Alex's head. He shrieked with pain and released the book. Scrambling he dropped to the floor and scooped it up. Pressing it tightly to his chest he winced when the crackle came again. Like the sound of a leather whip, crack, crack, it rang through the room with venomous intensity.
Ophelia screamed as the far wall ripped apart, catapulting pieces of stone across the room.
A shard of rock nicked Alex's cheek and a small river of blood trickled down to his lips, coating them with the acid taste of metal. He skipped a breath as the center of the wall collapsed inward, revealing a spinning shaft of blue and purple light.
"This is it!” Alex yelled, "Margaret, don't let go."
"Never!"
Leaping into the spinning prisms of violet and sapphire, Alex struggled. His shallow breath robbed his brain of oxygen, and his head drooped to his chest. With each exaggerated blink, his eyelids grew heavier until he lost consciousness.
11
Watch Out For The Hairy Kappa
“Hey. Wake up. We’re here,” said Margaret.
The rapid tapping on his cheek stung. "What happened?"
"You passed out. Well, we passed out. I just woke up quicker thanks to
, Ophelia."
"I tried to get you too, but I couldn't. I saw you both collapsing as we were going through. Sorry, Alex. You were just out of my reach."
"No. I'm glad you were able to get to Margaret first, thank you."
"This is freaking me out, would you look at this place!" Kyle exclaimed.
The Underworld lived up to its reputation. Grey, murky water flowed through a river that separated the realm into two different, but equally dismal patches of land. Canopied by a sky of dense, ominous clouds, their gaseous bodies plump with one could assume, some sort of fiendish showers. To think the rainwater to be clear and fresh, would be naive.
The left plain was everything you'd imagine hell to be. Fire burned throughout the terrain, while bolts of lightning repeatedly lit up the welkin and sliced its way through blackened trees. Cloudy puddles of water were plopped down, randomly covering the surface like tiny pools of poison.
The right plain held its own glory of a Satan like kingdom. Where fire prevailed on the left plain, the right embraced a thick oil like substance. Dripping from the branches of dead and shriveled trees, it blanketed the ground with gooey tar pits. Pockets of solid earth were sparse and placed amid the black goop in a diamond shaped pattern. Scattered like pieces to a puzzle, it made hiking through the right plain nearly impossible. Screams of agonized pain howled in the distance.
Zachary tightened his fists.
"Where did you stay for all those years?" Alex inquired.
"I kept mostly to the land on the left. There are caves, and makeshift stone shelters that other creatures constructed. It shields from the lightning and fires. I did venture across the right plain, but the hot tar makes navigating the land extremely treacherous. And there is not much shelter, only a source of unending torture, if your unlucky enough to get trapped by a hairy Kappa."
"What the hell is a hairy kappa?" Alex raised a brow.
"It is reminiscent of an ogre who is eternally hungry—for the pleasures of pain. Once they trap you, your chances of escape are not very good. They are cunning and strong. I did meet a spirit once who was fortunate enough to get away, but he was half mad by the time we crossed paths."
Alex McKenna & the Academy of Souls Page 13
