JackG@killerschool

by Pauline Gerber

[Funny how this type is always ready with an excuse for any person who might need one.]

  “JUMP!” says the GPS. “All of you! Jump!”

  “How must I know who is telling the truth? And I need to find my father first! I can’t help Delinquency on my own.” Jack’s eyes are wide with consternation.

  "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me, “ comes the soft, calm voice from the waterfall, and this time Jack listens more carefully. “Find your real father,” Apatheto said. “You were given to him with water.”

  He wants to listen to the sound of the waterfall, but then the voice from the tree again cuts in with its high-pitched, hysterical shouting.

  “This is the precipice of doom - of no return. If you jump, you can never come back! Think of your loved ones! Think of them too!” [Well, no wonder! Even Satan can disguise himself to look like an angel of light. His servants seem to thrive, spreading all these half truths.]

  The two crocodiles lunge forward. Jack quickly moves to the side, taunting them, so that their attention is averted from the other three boys, or at least for the moment. However, Doubt is too quick on Jack’s left hand. He snaps at Jack’s hand, but only manages to get hold of the GPS before Jack thrusts his sword at Doubt. Doubt retreats, but not before he has swallowed the GPS in one piece.

  The water team stares in consternation.

  “Don't be afraid” speaks the calm, commanding voice from the waterfall, and this time Jack is certain; it is the voice of the man from the history clips.

  The crocodiles start snapping playfully and mockingly at Jack’s ankles. He averts them by skipping sideways.

  But then Fear becomes bored. He makes a full, vicious charge at Jack, his widely opened mouth exposing his fierce, cruel teeth. Jack looks at the huge jaws that are approaching him, and then turns to face the cliff. The next moment, Jack jumps. [I hope you still remember: I may not influence Jack’s decisions.]

  Fear’s jaws snap the air where Jack was standing a second ago.

  Amoran cries out in alarm, but Jack’s shouts are much louder.

  “Jump! Amoran! Jump! JUMP! You must all JUMP!”

  Amoran turns to watch Jack going down, but now a horrible apparition with goat’s feet and with an evil-looking, animal-like face and pointed ears appears at the edge of the cliff.

  “Oh no, you are not going with Jack. YOU were not given to anybody with water and you do not have any defence. YOU are mine! YOU do not HAVE a water father!” A spine-chilling laugh fills the air. And Amoran remembers what the GPS has told them, and only now it makes sense:

  “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

  “If only I too had been given to this father of water...” Amoran shudders. He moves over to Lefty and Gugu. The three of them huddle together against the fierce thorns of the brambles, with three glaring monsters slowly approaching.

  The invisible battle

  I, Amahl, am the first to recognise that loud voice shouting against the waterfall, of course. What a sneaky, cowardly way of trying to influence Jack! From a tree growing in the Wood of Words! Typical. And how does he know Jack’s name? The brazen cheek!

  On top of it, it wants to influence the others, now that Jack has jumped and that very helpful GPS has been swallowed. It seems my moment has arrived. It’s ShowTime. I have waited long enough to put this creature in its place. I know, I know – I am assigned to Jack. But what would YOU do? That stinking creature is right. Amoran is defenceless, and Jack? Jack jumped! Still, here I am, witnessing 05 cheekily threatening Amoran. There is simply no end to the brazen insolence of these creatures. To make matters worse, those two crocodiles are closing in on Amoran. In this case, the Star Breather would agree with my actions, I’m sure.

  “Excuse me, haven’t we met before?” I politely tap him on the shoulder. He turns around. I smile my friendliest smile.

  “Aaaah! No! I have NEVER seen you. You are mistaaakeeeeeeen!” I whip him up to the end of my sword and twirl him a few times round the Milky Way.

  “Do you REALLY think I, I Amahl, the assigned to Jack Gullible, will forget about that …little incident two years ago?”

  “It wasn’t me, I sw…”

  “DON’T YOU DARE! Don’t you EVER try swearing in my presence, you wicked little war monger.” I whack him down on the sun, but the resulting eclipse is rather minute. He shouts out in pain.

  “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! It was an accident! I did not mean to have Jack Gullible spanked! Pleeaase!”

  “You did not mean to. So what DID you mean, maggot pie?”

  “It made your work easier; you can’t deny…”

  “How DARE you IMAGINE that I will EVER accept any help from the backside of a SKUNK? And what is that little girl doing in your concrete wall? ANSWER ME, you gastro-entiritic entrails of a DEAD RAT! ”

  “Oh please! I’ll go to that pig sty and I’ll never…”

  “The PIG STY! What do you take me for? A marketing agent for a five-star hotel?”

  This is the one time when it’s really hard for me not to be allowed to influence someone’s decision. These dirty demons are not restricted in the same manner, and the way they pretend that their “advice” is in one’s best interest, like Frog Face here, telling Amoran that he cannot jump. They make everything look so right; so innocent.

  Well, you scum ball, it’s time for you to learn your place in the universe. While once more bearing down on 05 like an avenging angel (That’s what you people call it, don’t you? Your words do have a nice angle at times.), I step on Fear’s head. The old rubber skull is temporarily thrown out of action.

  My sword meets with 05’s. And again. And again. Doubt tries to get to Amoran, but I sweep him off his feet with my sword, sending him reeling a few metres back.

  Amoran cannot see me, of course. I am only allowed to show myself in very special circumstances. He got the fright of his life when this unspeakable horror of a 05 dared to show himself. However, for now this low life is too busy, and too frightened to try that again.

  Amoran runs to the edge of the precipice.

  “Jack! Where are you? I cannot jump! I do not have a water father!”

  But Jack does not answer, and my relentless battle with 05 is continuing at a pace that must be measured in light years, I think. Then, from the waterfall, I hear his voice again:

  “I was not sent into the world to be its judge, but to be its Saviour. “

  And Amoran hears it too.

  “Will there be anybody to catch me? If I jump….”

  And his voice answers:

  “Before you call I will answer; while you are yet speaking I will hear.”

  05 lunges at me. I neatly step aside. When he whizzes past me, I hit his wrist with my sword. His sword clatters to the ground, but 05 himself still has plenty momentum. I assist it with a nice slap on his backside with my sword. He crashes through those brambles, roaring in anguish:

  “Oh no! No! NO! I’m doomed! No please! I do not want to be banished again to that palace! Oh noooo!”

  Then he is gone and on his way back to that dark palace where he came from. All is silent, but for the two crocodiles who have made use of my divided attention to undertake another charge at Amoran.

  “Come! Don’t be afraid,” comes the voice from the waterfall again.

  And Amoran jumps.

  Long before any of those two reptiles can reach him, Amoran is gone. Lefty and Gugu are left behind, facing the crocodiles. Shall I chase Doubt and Fear away? Will it do any good? If these two strike at your heart, you need a special shield to keep them at bay, or else they will return. Once they possess someone’s heart, how can I kill them without killing that person also? These two boys must decide to jump of their own accord. Hiding in the b
rambles won’t help them, I’m afraid.

  A Team of blood

  Wesley and his gang managed to catch up with Goody very soon. The Extractor of Blood has plans to conquer the wood of words.

  “What’s the idea little Goody-two-shoes? Did you have plans to leave without us, you little deserter?” Wesley bends over him in a threatening way. “Too meek and mild to put up a fight, I guess. Tie his hands,” he orders the other two.

  “But I thought you had left already,” protests Goody. “I just saw the gate was open, and I wanted to follow you.”

  “What? Why would the little teacher’s pet want to follow us? For spying, maybe? Tie him up properly!”

  Bitzer and Sniper use coarse shoots and monkey ropes from the wood to tie Goody’s hands behind his back.

  “You’re hurting me!”

  “Shut your trap, before I show you what hurting really means, you little gnat!” rasps Sniper.

  “Stop that! You are mean!” protests Shamare, but nobody even hears.

  The wood of words has picked up a phrase and started chanting: “You are going to get hurt, get hurt, get hurt, little quisling!”

  “Now start walking. Take us to where they have gone,” demands Wesley.

  “I do not KNOW where they have gone,” whines Goody.

  “Of course you do, you little double dealer! Now move!” Bitzer sharply prods Goody in the ribs, and he starts walking, although he does not have the foggiest idea of where he is headed, and the blood team follows suit.

  Behind the stores

  Molluscum has been sitting on an old storage box behind Pop