by D. C. Akers
Sam stood mesmerized, lost in the creature’s transformation. Believing in magic was one thing; watching it destroy someone he knew was almost unbearable. He wasn’t prepared for this. He had never known anyone in his life that had died until today. Watching Ernie being ravaged from the inside out made his stomach turn.
Sam thought he could hear voices somewhere in the distance telling him to move away. But he couldn’t run; there was nowhere to go, nowhere to hide. He couldn’t leave Sarah and Travis there. Not alone, not with this … this thing.
A low, resonating growl brought Sam back to reality. The creature’s unrelenting gaze was bearing down on him now. His jaw hung open, revealing a row of savage-looking teeth. A long strand of saliva dripped from his mouth onto the floor. His head began to jerk and his teeth snapped. He looked deranged, like a rabid dog.
The hard exoskeleton was slowly spreading across his face now like a virus, infecting every human cell he had. The skin around his eyes began to expand and tear away, revealing swollen, reptilian orbs the color of blood.
Sam steadied himself and took in a deep breath, gripping the piece of wood as hard as he could. This is it, he told himself. You have no other choice. Sorry, Ernie, if you’re in there. Sam reared back and swung the piece of wood as hard as he could.
The wood came around like a baseball bat, moving so fast that it was no longer visible. A loud smack reverberated around the room, and the monster stumbled as its head careened into the side of the wall. The tip of the banister shattered upon impact, leaving Sam with a fraction of the weapon he once had.
Shaking, Sam took another step back as the monster turned to face him once more. Its lower jaw had become unhinged by the blow and it dangled at an odd angle, making the beast look even more menacing than before. Sam shuffled backward, his wide eyes watching the beast. Its jaw bone cracked and popped as it realigned itself beyond its human confinements. Frayed and contorted skeletal tissue began to regenerate, fusing torn gums to splintered teeth. Sam wanted to turn away; he could feel the excessive saliva building in his mouth followed by the taste of something sour, but he kept facing forward.
Sarah shuddered in fear as she watched Ernie’s grotesque transformation unfold in front of her. Quickly she scrambled across the wood floor to the corner of the room. Travis followed closely behind. The house groaned and from his bathroom Sam could hear the slow twist of pipes expanding and contracting.
He moved cautiously around the bed but he was running out of room. Sam bumped into the dresser and slid along the back wall and window.
The monster glared at Sam, then slowly turned to look at Travis and Sarah. They both stood nestled in the corner. Tears were streaming down Sarah’s face and Travis held her tight.
Sam moved away from the window toward the back corner of the room but he stopped when he saw something glimmering on the floor behind the monster. His eyes narrowed and then he realized what it was. It was the small shovel Travis had taken from the fireplace set. He must have dropped it when they ran into the room.
“Travis, by the door!” Sam hissed.
Travis’s eyes were fixed on the monster but he looked back to the doorway when he heard Sam’s voice.
The monster heard his voice and turned its attention back to Sam. Sam stared at the creature his mother had fought earlier. It didn’t make sense. How did that thing escape the blast? Unless … unless it didn’t. Sam could feel his blood turn to ice. Unless there are two!
Sam stared more intently at the creature that stood before him. Its long flowing cloak had reappeared, fanning out over the hard wood floor. Sam could hear the horrid hiss that accompanied it and he looked for the snakes but didn’t see any. Until he looked at the creature’s arm.
There, coiled around its forearm, was a long, black, slender snake. Sam swallowed hard. From the corner of his eye, he saw Travis inching his way behind the monster, heading for the shovel. Sarah remained frozen, huddled in the tight corner of the bedroom.
Sam needed to keep the Viper’s attention on himself. He needed to buy Travis some time. They would only get one shot at this; their very lives depended on it.
The Viper’s large gloved hand took the thick snake and pulled it from its wrist. The long serpentine body twisted and spun within its grasp. The Viper slowly turned its head and focused its attention on the snake, which immediately stopped moving and lay still in its palm. It was as if they were communicating. Sam watched as the snake stiffened. Fragments of gnarled bone began to surface on the snake’s overlapping scales, transforming into the staff Sam had seen earlier.
In the shadows, just beyond the Viper, Travis crept across the floor on his hands and knees until he reached the shovel. Reaching out, he grasped it in his hand. He looked up, first at the Viper, then at Sam, who was pinned in the corner with nowhere to go.
Travis wiped the sweat from his brow and carefully got to his feet. In the corner, Sarah covered her mouth with both hands to keep from screaming. Her eyes bulged as she glanced between Sam, Travis, and the Viper.
The Viper inched its way closer to Sam, turning its staff sideways as it walked. One hand was on the center of the shaft, the other on the snake-like pommel. Slowly, the Viper pulled the staff apart, revealing a long, slender, single-edged sword.
Sam’s eyes grew larger, his mouth fell open, and his body went rigid. The majestic sword had a distinctive curve that reminded Sam of a Japanese katana sword. He recognized the style from his Ninja Warrior 5 game. The blade was an eerie black that somehow seemed to shimmer.
Sam’s gaze darted between the Viper and Travis, who was slowly approaching the creature from behind. Sam hoped Travis’s distraction would work; that it would give them time to get past the Viper and make a run for it. To where, he wasn’t sure, but any place was better than here.
“Sarah, get ready to run!” Sam called out.
Sarah nervously dropped her hands from her face and, still clinging to the wall, inched her way toward the door. Sam’s eyes moved from his sister back to the menacing creature that towered before him. The Viper stopped just a few feet away from him and raised its menacing sword. The sinuous muscles contracted beneath its skin-like armor and Sam heard the Viper’s gloved grip tighten around the hilt of the sword. He braced himself, preparing for the inevitable.
Travis inched closer, planting his left foot firmly on the ground. Then he twisted his body and pulled the shovel back over his shoulder. Sam could see his forearms flex as he repositioned his hands around the slender handle. Seconds felt like minutes, until finally Travis took in a deep breath and swung the shovel at the monster’s neck.
A loud metallic pang rang out, jarring the creature, but it recovered quickly and spun around and clipped Travis’s legs from underneath him with the sheath of its sword. Travis flew into the air and landed with a thud on his back.
Sarah stopped running mid-stride. “Travis!” she yelled.
Sam saw his opportunity and took it. He ran shoulder first into the Viper. It was like hitting the side of a house. The collision pushed the Viper’s arm into Sam’s left side, causing the sheath to fall from its hand. Sam felt an agonizing pain streak across his shoulders and down his back. Losing all forward momentum, he staggered back, dumfounded, and almost lost his balance. Sam tried to reach down to help Travis, who lay sprawled out on the floor, but it was too late. The Viper had regained its footing, spun around, and grabbed Sam by the neck.
“SAM!” Sarah screamed.
The Viper held Sam over its head. Gasping, Sam instinctively grabbed the Viper’s wrist and began to jerk and twist, trying desperately to wrench himself free. But it was no use; the creature’s grip was like a vice, choking the life out of him.
Travis winced and rolled onto his side, clutching his back. Sarah moved closer but Travis held up a hand.
“Sarah, stay back!”
He got to his knees and stood, bracing himself against the wall. But just as he turned, the Viper backhanded him with the pommel of its sword. Travis
flew back against the wall again and slid onto the floor. He clutched his throbbing nose, which was bleeding now. Sarah ran to his side and together they turned to Sam.
Sam gasped for air as his feet dangled helplessly above the ground. His face was red and his lips were blue. He could feel the Viper’s grip gradually tightening, constricting the blood flow to his brain. His vision blurred and his eyes bulged like they might burst from their sockets. The Viper snarled like a savage beast, its wicked red eyes wild with hatred. Sam heard Sarah’s terrified scream as the Viper moved the tip of its blade to the front of his chest.
Chapter 12
Alisa lay as still as possible, taking slow, controlled breaths to calm her heart rate. She stared wide-eyed up at the scorched ceiling, praying that no one would find her. She could still hear the footsteps as they approached, each step bringing the intruders closer and closer. Alisa tightened her grip around Nara as she held her against her chest. Looking around, she noticed a change in the room. The moonlight that had streamed through the window a moment before had vanished and was replaced by a tall, dark, foreboding shadow. Alisa’s breath caught in her throat and her body stiffened.
“Where are they?” a voice whispered. It sounded female but Alisa could not tell for sure.
The intruders were moving just beyond the pile of debris in front of her. Her body was barely visible from where the strangers stood but her legs were still buried beneath the shattered staircase, making it impossible for her to move. Her head was the only thing not covered by some sort of wreckage, but it was still hidden in the shadows of the room.
“I don’t know. But it doesn’t look good,” the man said. He was whispering too but that didn’t hide his thick Irish accent.
That voice, Alisa thought, that accent. Her heart quickened. Was it, could it be, Xavier? Did he break the Binding spell?
“The staircase is completely destroyed. We’ll need to search upstairs for survivors,” he said.
Alisa could feel the butterflies in her stomach. It was Xavier! She was sure of it now.
She lifted her head to get a better look when Xavier quickly raised Ian and a bright emerald light burst from the darkness.
“Who’s there?” he called out.
Alisa held up her hand to shield her eyes.
For a moment no one spoke. The only sound was that of the gushing water spilling from the broken pipes in the kitchen. Finally the woman asked, “Lees, is that you?”
Her voice was soft; she had an accent but it was hard for Alisa to tell if it was familiar or not through her whisper.
Alisa nodded eagerly. “Yes,” she gasped. “Yes, it’s me!”
“Ian, be silent,” Xavier said, and the bright light went out.
“Nara,” Alisa said, and a soft luminous glow radiated from her staff, revealing two familiar faces. For the first time in thirteen years Alisa stared back into the eyes of friends, people from her home world.
“Alisa!” the girl cried, her voice full of anticipation.
“Holly? Holly Quinn?” Alisa was brimming with excitement. But she didn’t have to ask; she would always recognize those almond-shaped eyes staring back at her. A warm feeling radiated through her body and she could no longer contain her grin.
“Yes! It’s me, it’s me!” Holly said as she dug through the debris to get to Alisa. Xavier joined in lifting the large support beam she was stuck under, and rolled it to one side.
Alisa finally stood and Holly flung her arms around her so fast that the two of them almost fell over again. They both giggled and laughed like school girls. Alisa had forgotten about her wounded side until Holly mentioned it.
“Oh, Lees, you’re bleeding!” she said.
Alisa looked at her abdomen. The blood had soaked the right side of her uniform but it looked worse than it felt now that Holly was there. She smiled back at Holly. “I’m fine. I’m better than fine now.”
Xavier stood idly by, watching as the two childhood friends reconnected. It had been so long since they had seen one another, and for thirteen years they had both lived with the knowledge that they had lost each other forever.
Alisa was wild-eyed and glowing; she had not felt this happy in years. Holly, who was fighting back tears, hugged Alisa again, squeezing her tightly. Alisa winced, but she held on tightly.
“Oh, I missed you, Lees!”
Holly stepped back and Alisa stared at her dear friend, drinking in every feature. Holly looked exactly the same as she had thirteen years ago. Her eyes were still majestic, glimmering blue, purple, and pink against her flawless porcelain skin. Her pronounced cupid bow lips were spread wide in a giddy grin. Thin wavy strands of coal black hair dangled beneath her hood down the sides of her high cheek bones, like they had when she was younger. Alisa sighed heavily, placed a hand to Holly’s soft cheek, and smiled. She fought back the twinge of sadness that surfaced within her. They had missed out on so much, she thought. Their lives had turned out to be nothing like they’d planned.
It wasn’t until Xavier cleared his throat that the two women finally stopped gushing over one another.
Alisa turned, still smiling, to see the gruff old Keeper frowning like he always had. Xavier had changed over the years; he had been a strong, brawny man the last time she had seen him, but now he looked thin and a little worse for wear. His rugged, vibrant features were gone, replaced by deep-set eyes and frown lines that made him look twice his age. Short white whiskers covered his broad jaw line now, but his gray ill-kempt hair was as unruly as ever. Some things never changed.
“Xavier,” Alisa exclaimed. Her gaze had turned serious as she stared into his hazel eyes. “I knew you were out there. I knew you wouldn’t give up.”
A roguish grin etched its way across Xavier’s rough exterior and the center of his hollow cheeks turned pink. Holly snorted, “My my, Mr. Ward, either your lip has gotten caught on your teeth or that’s a smile I see.”
Xavier’s eyes cut to Holly and his grin faded into a thin line.
“What?” Holly asked. She smiled, shrugging her shoulders.
Xavier turned his attention back to Alisa. “And just how did you know it was me, dearie?”
Still smiling, Alisa said, “Why, the chocolate wrappers of course.”
“You see?” Holly interjected. “I told you, you have a serious sweet tooth. It’s a problem, Xavier; you should see someone about that.”
Xavier rolled his eyes. “There is no problem. We don’t even know if they were mine or not,” he said, looking back at Holly.
“Okay, okay, there’s no problem. They are clearly not yours,” she conceded, shaking her head.
Satisfied, Xavier turned his attention back to Alisa.
“And how did you find my—” his eyes cut to Holly, “—the wrappers, might I ask?”
“I didn’t, Sam did …” Suddenly the reality of everything that had happened came rushing back to Alisa and the color drained from her face.
“The children!” she gasped. She turned to Holly, panic stricken. “Sam, Sarah, Travis—have you seem them?”
Holly shook her head just as a distant scream rang out over the gushing water.
“SAM!”
They all turned to look upstairs.
“Sarah,” Alisa gasped. Sarah was calling Sam’s name and she sounded terrified.
Nara immediately began to glow, followed by the two other staffs. But it wasn’t because of the danger upstairs—it was because of the danger behind them.
The room ignited in a fiery green blaze as three balls of fire sped toward Xavier, Holly, and Alisa. The first two exploded into the wreckage next to them, sending shards of debris in every direction. The remaining fireball headed straight for Alisa. Acting on impulse, Xavier shoved Alisa aside as the fireball exploded in a blinding emerald blaze.
Alisa and Xavier fell on top of the debris as Holly turned to shield them with her staff. A continuing barrage of fire soared across the room, exploding against Holly’s violet translucent shield. Between the b
right flashes of light and the thrashing impact of the fireballs against her shield, Holly searched the room for the Viper. But it was too dark; there was no sign of the creature and the fireballs seemed to materialize out of nowhere.
Alisa rolled to one side behind a large section of the staircase. “Quickly, Xavier, over here!” she yelled.
She watched as Holly braced herself against the onslaught of explosions, her shield slowly disintegrating in front of her. Alisa looked back over the rubble to Xavier, but he had not moved. He was lying face down in the debris.
A fireball exploded to the left of Alisa and she ducked as wood and sheetrock rained down on her. “Xavier!” she called out again, huddling against the staircase for protection. “Quickly!” But there was still no response. Holly’s shield was close to failing now; only a glowing sliver of light remained, and then suddenly everything went dark.
The sound of rushing water and heavy breathing were the only noises in the room. Holly quickly moved back, taking shelter behind a large piece of flooring that was perched on a small pile of wreckage.
Crouched down with her back against the pile, she took in a deep breath. “Noah, be silent,” she whispered, and the violet light when out.
Alisa could feel the back of her neck tingle as she poked her head above the rubble and scanned the room for the Viper. It was dark again, except for a thin ray of moonlight that shimmered off the water-drenched floor. There was no sign of the Viper. It seemed to have vanished.
Slowly, Alisa began climbing over the debris, inching her way closer to Xavier.
“Xavier,” she called out. Her voice was filled with a mixture of fear and dread, but there was no answer.
Alisa moved to Xavier’s side, placed two hands on his shoulder, and gently turned him over. Xavier’s limp body fell across her lap and her eyes met his empty gaze.
“No,” she gasped. “No …”
Quickly, she began looking for Xavier’s staff. I need to find Ian, she thought. Ian will save him. Her eyes searched the debris around them but she didn’t see the staff. She began to panic and moved Nara closer to the wreckage.
