Sealing Death

by Basil E. Bacorn

  She knew she should stay with the group, but this bothered her. A lot. Cassie needed to know what was going on. This couldn't be normal! She came upon a local and jumped in front of them. "Hello, I'm Cassie Smith." she introduced, "I'm new here, and was wondering if it was always this-" "Colorless?" the girl popped in, "Yeah, for about fifty years now. They say a woman came through a magic door and dropped off a black diamond. From there, it began sucking the color out of us." Cassie was puzzled. "Why doesn't anyone get rid of it?" she pursued the topic.

  The girl said nothing. She just lowered her head and scurried off. "Wait!" Cassie called, "What's wrong?!"

  Mr. Braddock parked the car and Will jumped out and ran after Cassie. Charlie and Stella followed. "Aren't we supposed to be in a hurry?" Mr. Braddock hollered. He's been back for about five-ish days, and meanwhile, there was a giant monster ripping realms apart, one by one, and they keep making these pit stops everywhere, and getting in more trouble! It's like they were in some kind of book or something! Mr. Braddock had it! That beast needed to return so Braddock could too!

  He had had a nice afterlife in Death, a little condo with yard space. He even picked up a deceased golden retriever to talk with! Sure, they had to watch out for all of the bad guys who had received the death penalty, but as long as they went for a walk only during certain times, it was fine. On occasion, he'd run into an old friend and chat, or he'd bump into a foe and fight, so it was a nice life. He had met the Dragon there again and they had to be ripped apart. Just because you are dead, you're not free of pain and suffering, but Braddock still liked it.

  As long as you didn't get Scarrcedenhogg duty, Death wasn't that bad of a place. The beast smelled so bad, that the dead decided it needed to be washed every week. The dead! Whoever was assigned Scarrcedenhogg duty was dressed in a full body hazmat suit was armed with a pressure washer and hover board. Then they went all the way to the deepest part of Death, where the Scarrcedenhogg was caged. They'd fly around it, spraying water everywhere, and hoping the Scarrcedenhogg didn't catch them in one of its jaws. If it did, they got chewed up, digested, and well, you know.

  Anyways, Braddock wanted back.

  Will ran as fast as he could, with Charlie and Stella close behind. Stella had made skis for her and Charlie and they rocketed up to Will.

  "Do you know why Cassie ran off?" Stella asked. "She probably wanted to fix this place!" Charlie answered. Will was almost out of breath, so Stella gave him some ice skis too. "We just need to hurry up!" Will huffed, "We need to stop fixing things and put the Scarrcedenhogg back!"

  The Scarrcedenhogg paddled over to its next victim. A small realm by the name of Rastedagerty Beliuopretufqeta Ucleiusda. Big name, small place. Rastedagerty Beliuopretufqeta Ucleiusda was different from the previous realms the Scarrcedenhogg got a hold of, because they had modern technology. They were equipped with 6,000 tons of Qualm Bombs. Qualm Bombs were over one million times stronger than your average nuclear weapons, and were illegal in most of existence, except in dire situations. Good thing for Rastedagerty Beliuopretufqeta Ucleiusda, since the Scarrcedenhogg was considered a dire situation.

  The military commander of Rastedagerty Beliuopretufqeta Ucleiusda ordered enough bombs for fifty shots, sure that would be enough. They first shattered their realm shell so they would have a good shot. If it worked, they'd be the heroes of all reality!

  Cassie skipped around the colorless world asking everyone about the same thing. What is with the Black Diamond? Nobody would answer her. She was so frustrated! She had to fix this!

  "Cassie!" Will called as they came to a halt in front of her, "We really need to move on!" Cassie looked at her boyfriend. "Give me one hour." she plead, "If we can't bring back the color by then, I'll leave." Will nodded and gave her a kiss. "Deal." he whispered, "What's first?!"

  Cassie told them about the woman, the door, and the Black Diamond. "Wait!" Will yelped, "A woman from a magic door?" He smirked at Cassie who immediately got it. "ALICE HARPER!" they all yelled in unison.

  "But you said it was fifty years ago." Charlie acknowledged, "She was only like 37!" Stella jumped up and down excitedly. "Her closet must have also gone through time!" she squealed, "That is so cool!" Stella's feet froze the ground with every jump and Cassie held her down. "Calm." she whispered, and Stella nodded. "Let's go see if we can get any information from the town over there!" Cassie decided, "Someone should tell us!"

  Black And White

  Susan looked at her watch. Five minutes had passed and they haven't returned. "James," she whispered, "stay here with the others. I'm going to look for Cassie." Without waiting for her husband's consent, she ran off in the direction the kids went.

  "Mayor." Charlie read aloud, "Let's check in here!" Stella, Will, and Cassie followed him inside and was greeted by the receptionist. "How may I help you?" he sighed. "We need to speak with the mayor." Cassie answered, "It's for a project." The man buzzed a button and sighed once more, "End of the hall." Cassie ran in first, others following.

  The mayor was a tall man with grey hair, of course, since everything was black and white. A very jolly looking man, he was like a grandpa figure. "Yes?" he piped, obviously happy for company. "We need to know the whole story about the lack of color here." Cassie blurted, sitting in the chair across from the man, "And who better than the mayor?"

  The tall man was shocked. He played with the name plate on his desk that read, 'Mayor Templeson'. "I suppose I could." he said, slowly, "So fifty years ago, a woman came from out of nowhere, and with her, she brought a big, black jewel. She called it the Black Diamond." Mayor Templeson glanced around the room, as if checking for spies. "Her name was Alice Harper." he added, "She placed the diamond on my father's desk in the Court House, and he fell in love when he saw her. He didn't care about the mysterious jewel, and pursued her." The man sniffed. "They had a baby, and she left." he whispered, "My own mother went back in the door from which she came, and upon shutting it, the diamond shook. My father was there when it happened. The color around it faded, and soon, the whole realm was infected. We had tried to move it, but when doing so, it sucks the only color left in you; your personality."

  Cassie gasped. This man was her dead English teacher’s son! He had to be fifty at least! That was so weird. "We know Alice Harper!" she yelped, "She was my English teacher before she burned down my school and died with it!" Cassie covered her mouth when she saw the mayor's face. "That's not possible!" he yelled, "You are just children!"

  Cassie tried to explain it, but she couldn't speak. She whirled her hand and formed a Seeing Cloud. A trick she learned from her birthmother.

  They all watched in horror as Alice left her child behind, starting the colorless plague. She then returned to the Realm of the Foretold and taught Cassie and the class their lesson. "Time travel! Realm travel!" the mayor exclaimed, "Magic from children!"

  Then another scene took form. Susan was running through the black and white realm and she bumped into a woman.

  "I'm so sorry!" Susan apologized to the shawled lady, "Are you okay?!" The lady nodded and said in a familiar voice, "It's quite fine. We all get in a rush sometimes." Susan chuckled nervously. "Do I know you?" she questioned. The lady stood up from her hunched position and dropped her hood. "I would hope so!" Miss Harper hinted, "You were my boss for a bit, right?"

  "You!" Susan snarled, "You almost killed my daughter!" Alice skipped a bit and cooed, "She killed me, though, if you think about it." Susan slapped her. "HOW DO YOU SUPPOSE THAT!" she screamed.

  "Well," Alice began, rubbing her cheek, "If she hadn’t opened my closet, I wouldn't have had to destroy it for everyone's safety!" Susan fumed, "DON'T TRY PUTTING THAT ON CASSIE!"

  Alice sniggered. "It's the truth!" she insisted, "I don't even NEED to bother getting my revenge, though. Your daughter has created MANY enemies in her short life, and soon, she'll get what's coming to her!" Harper started to walk away, but turned around instead. "On the other hand," she began, leaping towards Susan, "Since Y
OU'RE here!" She grabbed Susan's wrist and twisted her arm behind her back. "Too bad this isn't in color." Alice sighed, "Color brings more viewers!"

  Cassie closed the Seeing Cloud. Alice Harper was officially, no longer her favorite teacher. "Mayor?" Cassie asked, "Would you want to meet your mother?"

  Betty walked over to James. "Where's Susan?" she wondered. James pointed off to the town. "She ran off that way to find Cassie about twenty minutes ago." he began, "She can handle herself, don't worry."

  Susan struggled as Alice Harper taped her mouth shut, and sacked her, after bonding her hands and legs together. "Us dead people are pretty strong if you didn't know." Alice mumbled as she dragged Susan over to a tree stump. She kicked it open, exposing a dark hole. "Good-bye!" she snapped as Susan tumbled in. She quickly closed up the hatch, and slid the top of the trunk aside. "Ah ha!" she twittered. Pulling out a dusty device, she hopped around joyfully. Alice aimed at a nearby tree and shot, reducing it, and everything behind it for ten miles, to ash.

  "Time to get my hero status!" she bellowed, and ran off to town.

  Cassie looked around and spotted her target entering the Court House. "Alice!" she called, running after her, "Where's my mother!" Stella ran after her and in the Court House they went.

  Braddock flew the car to the town. Mac hovered behind, scanning for Susan. "I found Susan!"

  Letting Go

  Cassie and Stella walked down a long hall and peeked in the room they thought they saw Alice go in. There she was, holding some kind of gun. "Alice!" Cassie hollered, jumping in the room, ready to attack, "Drop the gun!"

  Alice giggled as Charlie and Will brought the mayor in. "Are you Alice Harper?" Templeson interrogated. "The one and only!" she cackled, "Give me one reason why I shouldn't let you have it. Wait, don't! I'll tell you!"

  She held up the gun. "Do you see this?" Alice began to prattle, "I'm not going to kill anyone with it! I am saving you! This diamond I left behind has already sucked your colors, and you can't move it, otherwise it'll suck your personality away! Guess what? It's doing it right now! And if I don't destroy it, you'll all end up as dumb zombies like your father! I am a heroine!" Alice aimed at the prism and a strange look came on her face. "Wait a second," she said, "Do I know you?"

  The Scarrcedenhogg sent in its heads to feast on Rastedagerty Beliuopretufqeta Ucleiusda, but instead caught missiles in it mouths. Each one exploded with such force that the head disintegrated. The beast, shrieking in agony, slammed its giant tail into the realm, setting off every bomb they had.

  Everyone looked up. Explosions rang through existence. Cassie looked at Will. "That's not good!" she yelled. "I'm your son!" the mayor began. "YOU ARE JACOB!" Alice gawked, "YOU!!!!" She held up the gun and fired, her son crumbling to dust. "You killed him!" Stella shouted, "Your own son!"

  Alice scowled, "He was NOT my son!" She pointed the gun at Stella and fired.

  Mac opened up the secret compartment and pulled out Susan. He lasered her hands and legs free. Susan winced in pain and looked at her hand. It was purple and swollen to twice its size. "James," she whispered, "She broke my wrist."

  Rastedagerty Beliuopretufqeta Ucleiusda was gone, and the Scarrcedenhogg had lost 73 heads. It growled softly, and tentacles sprouted from its shoulders. At the end of each new appendage a lump formed, which quickly morphed into a new head.

  The beast curled into a ball as it continued to regenerate, unaware of the humans, and robot, on their way to send it back to Death.

  Stella opened her eyes and saw the forty-foot-thick ice wall that grew from her hands and smashed into Alice. The gun laid on the floor, and Cassie scorched it. Charlie ran over to Stella and kissed her for enough time that Cassie burned his rear. "Ow!" he yelped, rubbing his butt.

  Stella's eyes were pancakes. That was a kiss! One wow kiss! Cassie should be jealous! Stella looked at her friend. Ooh, Cassie was jealous! Dra-ma!

  Cassie ran outside and heard the massive boom, followed by squeals and screeches. "We need to go now!" Will ordered, pulling Cassie along. Cassie followed quickly and they were soon met by the flying car. "Get in!" Braddock demanded.

  "But the Black Diamond!" Cassie reminded, "It's going to turn all of these people into mindless zombies!" Susan looked at her daughter and whispered, "You can't win them all, dear." She was crying. Cassie jumped in and questioned her mother as Braddock zoomed to the crack.

  Susan simply raised her left hand. It was wrapped up in cloths and had a splint fastened around it. "She broke your HAND!" Cassie fumed as they went back in the crack. Darkness, sparks, bumps, all like the entrance, only this time, Cassie felt a warm sensation as they emerged. "COLOR!" she cheered. Then she remembered the people they left behind and dropped a small tear. "Cassie," Will explained, "You can't save everyone. You need to learn to let go of past mistakes." Cassie looked up. "Don't worry about me." she stated, "I'm letting go."

  The Biggest Challenge Yet

  Cassie looked around at the colors. She had missed them so much. Red, orange, and yellow! Green, blue, and purple! "I LOVE COLORS!" she screamed as loud as she could, causing everyone in the car to cover their ears.

  "Cassie!" Will snipped, "Calm down!" Cassie smiled brightly and planted a big smooch on her boyfriend. Color deprivation was not good, but being submerged back to her hues wasn't that good either. Cassie bounced on her seat.

  "Can I go out there for one tiny little second!" she begged, "I'll be right back!" Braddock frowned, "Scarrcedenhogg! Remember?!"

  The door slammed shut and she skipped laps around the flying bus. "One more stop because of her," Mr. Braddock whispered, "and I'm leaving her behind." Hearing the comment, Betty swiftly smacked him over the head with her knitting needle.

  Will hopped out of the bus, followed by Charlie and Stella. "Cassie!" he yelled, "Get back here!" Will sprinted after his girlfriend, who was surprisingly fast. "Cassie!" he repeated, louder than before.

  Cassie pranced here and there across the endless grassland. She ran fast, and tripped, falling flat on her face. "Ow." she moaned. The grass wrapped around her limbs as she was lowered down beneath the surface and the dirt reformed above her head.

  Cassie sunk lower and lower, and down into a brightly lit room. "Glad you could join us!" a woman chirped. Cassie craned her neck towards the voice.

  The lady was about five feet tall with light blue hair and a black pantsuit. Her nose was no more than a bump between her two ocean blue eyes. She slowly walked around the table in which Cassie was bonded to.

  "The name's Electra." she introduced, tapping her cheek with her index finger, "And you look like you'd like to strike up a little agreement."

  Will, Charlie, and Stella hurried down the hill where they last saw Cassie. They stumbled down and saw only an endless prairie. "Cassie?!" Stella called out, "Where'd you go?!" They hurried down and looked around.

  "She was just here!" Charlie yelped, looking around, "And there's nothing within miles of here!"

  "I wouldn't be so sure of that." a blue haired woman sighed. Stella hopped back and held out her hands. "Apokalpsei tin pali!" she chanted, waving her hand. A sea blue mist rose from the ground and circled the group. It rolled up and over in the air, spinning and twisting this way and that. The ground shook and large structures sprouted from the earth, showering Will, Stella, and Charlie with loose dirt.

  The mist dissipated, revealing a small town. A clock tower stood at the top of the hill with smaller buildings lined up on either side. Rows of buildings surrounded them all, and people walked to and fro, weaving in and out of the maze of mini establishments and houses. "Shocking, isn’t it?!" the lady announced, "Welcome to a little place I like to call Electra-City'!"

  Electra-City Part 1

  "I can't pay the rent again this month, Mr. Bones." thirty-five-year-old Eloise Snowberger begged, "Please give me one more extension." The tall brown-haired woman tried to make the best pouty face she could. Mr. Bones scowled. "Mr. Bones!" a woman called, "Give her the extension."

/>   Mr. Bones sighed, nodded, and left the apartment.

  The woman walked into the doorway. She had grey-brown hair and wore a light pink cardigan over a red sweater.

  "Thank you, Clarice." Eloise smiled, "But you know how I feel about using your 'persuasion' to my advantage." Clarice nodded, "I know, but Christina deserves the best chance." The women looked over at the innocent four-year-old girl tapping on a toy piano and humming the latest radio hits.

  "You know she could be famous someday." Clarice suggested, "If she had the right opportunity." Eloise lumbered toward the kitchen and began washing the dishes. "What are you saying Clarice?" she interrogated, rapping the tips of her nails on the counter.

  "There is a woman." the aunt explained, "A woman known for her sneaky deals who can help us. Her name is Electra, and she is a sprite."

  Eloise shook her head and walked away. "You know how I feel about magic." she whispered. "It's our heritage Eloise!" Clarice reminded, "You can't just ignore it." Eloise looked at her daughter and proclaimed, "I can, and I will."