Charlie the Great White Horse and the Journey to Egypt

by Kenneth Mullinix

 

 

 

  ~Chapter 17~

  The Firebird

  "The Black Fire has arisen! The Dark Stranger will rule his primordial darkness once again; for I am the Dark Haired One, I am Peter the Terrible, I am..."

  "Man he really takes himself seriously doesn't he?" stated Joey the Bull.

  "Yeah he really does, but just go try to ask Horse-Face Willy, he ain't with us no more, remember?" said Stinky Bob.

  "I can't...he's...he's...." said Flat-Nose Hank as he slashed one finger across his throat.

  As Petar Deegan Aden swirled about the prison yard in delight, relishing in his newly formed powers of pure evil, all around could only wonder aloud about his growing instability.

  Petar was awash in power.

  It poured over his thin boney frame, ran over his fractured heart, dripping down deep, into the blackness in his soul.

  "My father calls for me this day from his unforgiving grave in the Valley of the Kings. His call will be answered before the next celestial moon; the darkness-giving moon, will cross the sky again, and then there will be a rebirth, an awakening, and an evil spell cast back over the earth. The ruler of the "Neither World" will rule over all, once more. My father...calls me!" shouted out Petar above the whispers and sighs, of all at the Saint Louis prison.

  "What is the plan Petar? How do we help ya?" asked Black Jack Tilly.

  "The Great-Wrapping Machine is completed now. Cool Joe Biggs give me that key and all you...step back."

  The prison yard cleared all heading for the farthest parts of the prison, and as far away from Petar as they could get. In a slow lumbering motion, Petar limped towards the key hole on the main platform of the great machine.

  All the kids being held in their prison cells gazed out towards the center of the yard. Molly and Chug followed their leader's commands, with blank stares and nothingness in their minds; master and servant still locked together at their souls.

  Petar raised the key into the air higher as he approached the broad and far-reaching machine. The great smoke stacks rose high above the prison walls, the eminence wooden wheels, pulleys and conveyor belts rumbled to life as Petar inserted the silver key; bringing the evil machine to life. Smoke rumbled out of the smoke stacks, massive leather belts began spinning, metal sounds were heard from deep within its depths.

  Petar's voice squealed out high above the rumblings of the great machine, to the horror of all in attendance.

  Fear gripped their hearts and minds.

 

  Evil...knows no fear.

  Evil...never sleeps.

 

  The Eyes of Horus, and Wedjat spun wildly in their sockets with each hideous laugh, spewing forth deep from Petar's throat.

  "Keep your head down Cool Joe, just do as Petar says" said Big Belly Bill.

  "You hear that Sleazy? Just do everything Petar says, we will all be fine" chimed in Rags Martin, as he coward in fear at the sights and sounds of the maniac.

  "I have one more reading of the Book of Aka Manah, it's time for the evil truth to be revealed...it is time for me to be shown the way, to my destiny...time for new answers. Bring me that book out of my prison cell one last time Cool Joe."

  Cool Joe lifted his head, gazed upon the two eyes of power, then bolted for the second floor of the prison, up the cement steps in two quick leaps, down the upper stairway (where Kauket had jumped to her demise earlier), then quickly into Petar's cell. Laughing all the while, with malevolence overtaking him, Cool Joe appeared back into the light of the sun. He bounded over the upper handrail with the Book of Aka Manah outstretched in his arms; he landed on the hard ground in front of Petar's large black jackboots.

  "A good thief you are, a good thief you will always be Cool Joe, it's nice to have you as my right-hand man."

  Cool Joe smiled showing his one good tooth.

  "Now step back toothless one, and behold the new...dark truth."

  Petar rolled his evil eyes about their black sockets in a clockwise motion, cracked his knuckles twice, grabbing the book of evil from Cool Joe's thieving fingers.

  He placed the leather-bound book on the platform of the Great-Wrapping Machine as it thundered about, in motion.

  The evil Pen of Jupiter Angel Satquiel arose from deep within its pages. Bright blue strobe lights shot from the pen as it glowed anew, the eerie lights danced about and out into the bright sunlight.

  Petar rubbed his hand together like a doctor washing his hands before an operation, slow and methodically, with single-mindedness.

  The wickedness within the pen once again showed its purpose in life.