Backstreet's Back
[Note: I really love fantasy and I think that I've been watching the Everybody-video to many times... this is the result...]
Characters:
Belladonna Full name: Belladonna Brick. Facts: Black hair, green eyes, 170 cm, 19 years old.
And then *drum roll* The Backstreet Boys. ; )
- This isn't really to great, muttered Kevin as he opened the gate.
- No kidding, mumbled Nick and tried to see where they possibly could stay for the night.
- Where did Arthur go? Said A.J. as he looked around.
- He's not here? Howie started to get scared.
- He's working on the bus, said Brian, we are going to see if anyone lives here, okay?
- Okay, Howie followed Kevin through the gate, but I don't like this.
The rain kept on poring down and the cloud hidden most of the light from the full moon. As they kept on walking along the path they could see a building further along. The vegetation beside the path seemed to be dead for a long time and still they could hear animals walking in there somewhere.
- Okay, said Howie after a while, we've been walking for an eternity now! I swear that some creature is following us!
- Maybe it's Arthur, said Kevin and looked back.
- No, it's not Arthur, he would have yelled to us to stop, Brian looked back, I'm not so sure that I want to stay out here, it's probably a five minutes walk and we can go in to that... castle?
- What? Nick looked up at the building.
It was a castle, big and black from what they could see.
- I got a strange feeling about this, said A.J.
- Let's go back to the bus! I don't want to be eaten by some wolves!
- Howie, stop whining! There's no wolves around here.
- How would you know!
- Okay, maybe there are wolves here, but wolves aren't exactly known to attack human, so let's go.
- I still don't like this.
- Then stay out here in the rain or go back to the buss that wont start and got a whole in the roof, or you could just come with us and get in to that castle.
- Is it only me who got a problem with this? Howie went after the others.
Nobody answered him.
- What if that person who lives there don't approve with having us in. And how do we know that somebody lives there anyway?
- Howie, shut up!
- I'm just saying...
- ... that you are scared as hell, let's go.
Howie muttered a few curses under his breath but kept on walking.
A half-hour later they were standing outside the castle's door.
- Five minutes my ass!
- I thought it would take that long, said Brian and knocked on the gigantic black door.
- For what it seems a giant could live in here, muttered Howie and putted down his bag.
- I think Howie's right, muttered Nick, I'm cold, wet, tired, it's dark, nobody seems to live here and I think that there IS something following us.
- Then it would have caught us by now, said Kevin and banged at the door.
- Okay, muttered Howie, there's no one here... what are we supposed to do now?
- Is this locked? Said Nick and tried to open the door.
Even though the door was so big it opened very easily.
- We can't just go in there, said Kevin, trespassing...
- Well, said Nick, I don't care, I'm cold and tired. Maybe there's a bed somewhere here.
He stepped in along with Brian and A.J.
- It's nice, said A.J. and looked around him, and somebody does live here... there's a fire burning somewhere...
- Nice, muttered Howie and stepped in, the place is probably burning down to the ground.
- Howie, shut up, muttered Kevin and stepped inside.
As the wind started blowing even harder the door closed behind them.
- What was that! Howie turned around.
- The wind, said A.J., it closed the door, nothing to be scared for...
- This place doesn't leak at least, said Brian and took his bag and walked a bit further in.
- Somebody lives here and I don't think that this is a good idea.
- There's a pattern on the floor, smiled A.J., can you say "Backstreet's Back"?
- It sure looks like the video, at least partly, Brian looked around him.
- I'm tired, said Nick, there must be a bedroom somewhere.
- Nobody leaves the rest, said Kevin determent to keep them together.
- Okay, but can we check it out?
- Which way?
Brian went first to one of the many reddish-brown doors and opened it. A big room with a fireplace, three sofas, a table and two chairs met them. Big oil paintings was hanging on the walls and the room had a really nice atmosphere.
- This is somebody's living room, said Kevin, and we just can't...
- So what Kev? This somebody isn't here right now.
- Well, the fire is going, said A.J., and this person or persons are probably here somewhere. How would you like having some stranger walking in to your house.
- We knocked.
- So does the fans... never mind, we can just write a note, right? Brian looked at Kevin to see if he approved.
- Sure, do we have a pen and a paper?
- I got it, said Nick and started looking in his bag.
When they had putted the note saying "We are five guys whose bus broke down outside the gate, we are hoping that you don't disagree that we spend the night here. /Nick, Kevin, Brian, A.J. and Howie".
- A.J.?
- What?
- You could have written Alexander instead.
- And Nick could have written Nickolas.
- Whatever.
- Where are we supposed to sleep? Said Howie, God knows what kind of animals lives here...
- About the same that lives in your room, said Kevin and left the room with the others following him.
- Okay, Nick you can stay here, but I really think this is looking more and more like "Backstreet's Back".
- I'm kind of hoping that does girls would come, smiled Nick, or maybe just a few of them...
- Thanks for that attempt to spare my feelings, Howie muttered.
- Okay, there's a room next here, who's going to take it?
- I will, said A.J. and took his bags and went in to the room.
It was almost empty, but it had a bed, a table and a chair, a couple of books and a candle by the bed. The window didn't have any glass though, which made the wind blow right through.
- That's odd, he mumbled and put his bag down on the bed.
He went over to the window and looked out. There was nothing to save his fall if he would have leaned out too much, it was a ravine of some kind right beneath the window and nobody had even thought about safety.
- That's great, he mumbled and went back to the bed.
Kevin stepped in to his room, a room filled with guns and traps on the green walls.
- That's kind of creepy, he mumbled.
He stepped over the bed.
"Normal, thank god" he thought as he took of his wet jersey.
There was a window without any glass and the wind was blowing right in. He went over to it and looked down. There was a building down there, and from what he could see there were a couple of pastures.
- Horses, he mumbled as he stepped back.
It was freezing cold so he went back and took of the rest of the we clothes and took on some dry ones. As he looked for someplace to put the wet ones in the room he started to wonder who in their right mind would decorate a room like this.
Brian looked around in his room, it remembered him about the room he had had in the "Backstreet's Back" video. The bed didn't look exactly the same and it was clean but otherwise it was pretty much the same. He quickly changes clothes and went over to the window.
"No glass" he thought "how strange..." Outside he saw a forest, more dead than alive in this light, he could see the path they had walked on and now he could see it. It was a white, no more gray, animal of some kind. It wasn't too big but he could see it from the height anyway. He stepped away form the window, it was really a long way down to the ground...
Nick shivered and started putting on some dry clothes. Even though he didn't have a window in his room it was very cold and that fireplace didn't do so much when he didn't know how to start it, or if it would be so clever to even try.
He looked around in his room, it was beige and not really the nicest he'd seen.
Howie looked around in his mostly black room, the only light was from the window that was covered by black blankets. He pulled them aside, the storm outside wasn't going to be kind to poor Arthur... Something... something was flying out there... something big...
- Probably an eagle, or some big bird, he mumbled and reached out his hand through the window.
The raindrops were cold and his own clothes was already wet. Down there somewhere was that something that had followed them, he knew it.
While changing into dry clothes he kept on looking down at the path, nothing moved but he knew that something had been following them.
Brian opened his eyes. Someone was looking at him... He turned around and looked in to two yellow eyes. The dog, or no it was a wolf, looked at him as if it wondered what he was doing there. Brian slowly backed away and sat up in the bed.
- And who are you, he said to the wolf.
It didn't answer him, not that he'd expect it to do that. It looked at him and sat down.
- How did you get in here, Brian got up and opened the door, go on...
The wolf left the room but sat down outside the door. Brian slowly closed the door. A wolf in his room... what kind of people lived here anyway?
Nick stared up at the roof, it was some spider-web hanging there... He was thinking of getting up and talk to A.J. but then A.J. would get angry for waking him up. Nick got up anyway.
"I'll just chek this place out" he thought and left the room.
A.J. opened the first book. There was something about a couple of vampires... Probably fantasy books he thought and started reading it. It was about three guys and one girl who had entered a castle when a storm had forced them to leave the road. The girl had fallen out the window... A.J. looked at the letters, they were handwritten.
- Somebody got a wild imagination, he smiled and put the book away.
The other book was about a couple, the man had turned in to a wolf and killed his wife...
- A lot of girls dying, he mumbled and opened the next book.
After looking through the first eight books he sat down. Every single girl had died while the men had turned in to monsters... He opened the last book, it was empty exept for the date and...
- Five guys being forced in to a castle to seek shelter from the storm, followed by the white wolf one of them falls asleep...
That's where it stopped.
- Followed by..., he sat up, this was written today, he could see that and...
He putted it down next to the other books. In the same second he felt that somebody was watching him.
Kevin opened his eyes again... he could swear that he heard somebody screaming... a girl... He got up and hurried out of the room. There was nobody there but he knew it had come from... he went over to the window... maybe she'd fallen out the window... If she wouldn't be alive now anyway, it was about 20 meters down...
As he turned around he saw a ghostlike couple. Two girls, the blond one backed away from the one with black hair. He noticed that he was standing in the way but didn't move. As the blond stepped through him the one with the black hair went closer and the only thing he could tell was that he was falling out the window.
Howie opened his eyes, he wasn't alone... he looked at his right, a girl was laying there... she had brown beautiful eyes and long black hair. He got up and stared at her, in the same second nail's fell down at her. He stared at her as she screamed and died, then her body slowly faded away... He stared at the bed, it was completely pierced.
- What is happening, he mumbled as he backed away from the bed.
As Brian turned around he saw something in the window, something pretty big... like a big eagle or something. He went closer but stopped as soon as he saw its face. It had a human face and a bird's body. It looked at him with a grin and flew out again.
A.J. looked at her, she was really beautiful. She had long black hair and green eyes. She smiled and looked at him.
- Did you like the books? She said with the sweetest voice he'd ever heard.
- They are... different, he said.
- Do you like different?
- Yeah, but... why did all the girls die?
- Because they had to, she smiled and stepped closer to him.
- And why did all the guys turned in to monsters?
- I wouldn't call them monsters, she said and stopped a few feet away from him.
- Griffins and wolves?
- Only fantasy creatures, but not monsters...
- Harpies and gargoyles? It sounds like monsters to me.
- I wouldn't call them that, they could hear you...
- What? He starred at her.
- You shouldn't be the one asking the questions, you were the one reading my diaries.
- Your diaries?
- What do you think about this castle's history?
- It's something in it's own kind, he started to get scared of this girl.
Nick walked through some other rooms until he was standing in a cave. It was warm and really enormous and he could hear that he wasn't alone, something big was breathing in here. He froze when he saw it.
"A big lizard, nothing else" he thought "but it got wings, no lizard got wings..."
Howie turned around and opened the door, he couldn't stay there. When he looked up in another girl's face... She was a brunette with blue eyes, really pretty too, she looked confused at him and stepped through him. He turned around, that was not real, nothing that had happened in here was... She looked around in the room and out of nowhere another girl with black hair and green eyes stepped forward. She held a big knife and stabbed the brunette until she was clearly dead. He starred at her, so beautiful and so deadly... He suddenly noticed that he had blood on himself...
Kevin tumbled and tried to grab something but didn't succeed and he could feel how the wind blew around him. He yelled and tried to find some way out of a certain death when he landed on something soft and worm...
Nick looked at that... thing. It was alive, and it was huge. It just couldn't be a lizard, not a lizard with wings and... in that size...
"A dragon, it just has to be a dragon" he thought "a big dragon that will eat me if he wakes up. I gotta get out of here..." He slowly stepped back and tripped over something. He caught the end of the wall but started slipping. It was dark below him and he couldn't hear the tiny rocks landing...
Brian just starred as the monster flew of. That was something... okay, he was dreaming, that had to be it... right? But dreams weren't that real and he couldn't feel different materials in his dreams... and everything used to be a bit blurry... okay it wasn't a dream. Maybe he was hallucinating, yeah, that was it, he was tired and cold, and still wet... he looked at his clothes, great, the rain was blowing in through the glass-less window and right at him.
- What do you want to be, she asked him, you are an earth sign...
- What are you going to do? He stared at her.
- Maybe a centaur, she said and went over to him, or an elf.
- Centaur, elf? What are you talking about, A.J. stared at her.
- Your future, she smiled and looked at him, I could enjoy a pegasus or a unicorn but... you are too good-looking to wast it like that... something that's mainly human...
- How about human? He felt his voice getting weaker.
- A harpy wouldn't be good, since you are an earth sign...
- What are you talking about!
- You are a Capricorn, an earth sign.
- How did you know?
- I know many things, but that you can tell from your aura. Elf probably would be the best, or centaur, what do you think? I think centaur.
- I think human.
- You are stubborn, why do you want to stay human when you can become something better?
- Cause I am born human?
- Not a good answer, I think centaur.
- But I...
She smiled as she disappeared.
Kevin slowly turned around and noticed that he was flying, on a beast of some sort. It had big brown-white wings and mostly a big eagle but way too big. He could see that it had a lion's tail, it's behind belonged to a lion. It slowly started to head down to the path where he hade came from together with the rest of the Boys. The rain made him wet in to the skin and he started to become really cold. He had his underwear on, nothing else, and he was flying in a storm...
"If I get out of this with a cold I'm lucky" he thought.
Howie turned around and ran out from the room, he couldn't stay there. It wasn't real, that room, or maybe the whole castle was haunted. The blood, he could feel how it smelled, a strange, almost sweet smell. Still it made him feel sick...
He stopped and looked around himself, there was a door... he opened it and went up through the stairs.
Brian looked around him, he had to find the others. One last look at the window and he saw something flying past it. He hurried out of the room, he didn't want to meet that monster that he probably just had hallucinated about but still it had seemed very real. He opened the door and saw the wolf, still sitting outside.
- What are you doing here, he asked it and closed the door behind him.
Of couse it didn't answer him, Brian would probably freaked out if it had.
As he started going down the stairs he stopped, the wolf ran past him and stopped in the middle of the floor. Then he saw it, a pentacle on the floor, that was the pattern in purple that A.J. had said reminded him about the "Backstreet's Back" video pattern.
Howie hurried up the stairs, he didn't know why, but he felt that he had to go up to the top. He stopped after a couple of minutes, it seemed like it kept on for an eternity. The windows at the side had no glass but was covered with bars. He went closer to the wall, the stairs was just holding on to the wall, in the middle there was a whole that seemed to go on down for at least 30 meters. He shook his head and went on.
A.J. took a step after har but she was gone.
"Clap, clap" He stopped. What had that been? It had sounded so strange. He took another step and one more. "Clap, clap" He looked down. All he could see was hooves and dark brown horse legs.
- What's this? he muttered and looked at them.
He lifted what would have been his right leg. The horse's right leg lifted. He looked back, he could see a horse body but not a horse head... a centaur.
In panic he raised up on his back legs. When he got down he couldn't help dancing a few steps over the floor. "Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap" He stopped, that was him now, everything below his waist was gone... in that moment he got really worried. Everything below his waist was replaced with a horse-body. He did a try to walk slowly without stepping on his own feet, or hooves as he had to see them as from now on. He got over to the door and opened it and walked out from his room. Nick was in the room next door, maybe he could help him, or something...
Nick tried to get up but he couldn't get a grip on the wall and suddenly felt how something above him was moving. He struggled to stay where he was. As the creature above him came closer. A huge head and red eyes that reminded him mostly of cat-eyes looked down at him.
- Aaaahhhh! He lost the grip of the edge and fell down...
The creature landed close to the castle and let Kevin get off. He saw it clearly now, it was a griffin. A big eagle like head but teeth in its beak, and a lion's body, but the back was covered with feathers. The claws looked like they could rip him in tiny little pieces in any second. He took a step back as the griffin took of again. Suddenly he was cold again. He was outside in nothing but his underwear and the storm was still going on.
- This isn't real, he muttered and headed back to the castle.
He probably could have left the whole circus by leaving the grounds but he had to find the rest of the Boys. He couldn't leave his "brothers" there alone.
He was ready to collapse in any minute, he couldn't go any further, he was so tired. Howie looked up, the door, it was three meters ahead of him. Slowly he struggled to make it up there, he didn't even know why he wanted to get up there, he just had to.
When he finally got up, he leaned against the door and felt how it's black surfave had become smooth through the years by wind and probably rain too. He slowly opened it.
A.J. saw the wolf sitting in the middle of the room, looking up at someone or something in the stairs. He wasn't sure if he should go closer, it was a wolf. It might just would want to eat him, he was partly horse now and...
"Never mind that" he thought and stepped out of his corner and opened the door to Nick's room.
All that he could see was an empty room with some of Nick's stuff in it. He turned around, he started to get annoyed by the sound of his feet, hooves he reminded himself, hooves against the floor.
Nick landed softly in a stack of hay. He looked up, he had fallen about two meters or so, nothing serious thanks to the hay. The dragon was gone but there was no way that he'd be able to get up there again. He felt that it was actually pretty comfortable here, nice temperature and a nice soft light came from the fire on the other side of the room. He got ut and looked around him. The room were filled with brown and dark brown dogs.
"As long as they don't attack me and I'll find my way out of here I'll be fine" he thought. When he carefully looked at one dog he noticed that it had three heads.
- Aaahh! He screamed.
When he looked at them they all had three heads. Most of them looked at him and just let him be where he was.
Kevin tried to open the door, it was locked.
- Shit, he muttered and took a step back, hello? Can somebody hear me?
In the same second a lightning lighted the sky.
- Of course they can't, he muttered, and I'm so going to get a cold, at least.
He started to look at another path that went beside the castle, maybe it would lead to the stable that he had seen so he at least could have a roof over his head.
Brian went down the stairs.
- Wow!
He looked at the creature that were standing beside Nick's door. Partly a bay horse but it didn't have the neck of a horse. It had heard him and turned around.
Nick went closer to the wall and tried to find a way out of there. There was no door that he could see. He looked at a whole, it seemed to lead outside. What if he saw more monsters while he went in there, or what if the three headed dogs attacked him... He just knew he had to get out of there no matter how nice the warmth was. He got down and started crawl through the tunnel hoping that he wasn't going to meet something in there.
A.J. turned around.
- Brian, he said and tried to run over to him.
He couldn't help almost tripping over his own hooves again when he started trotting. He had never been so happy to see Brian, or anyone, as he was now. The wolf looked at him with his yellow eyes without moving when A.J. did his best to not fall, it really would have been a nasty fall if he would have tripped.
Howie stepped in to the room. She was sitting there, the black haired girl with the green eyes that had stabbed that girl to death.
- I thought it was here you were going, she said and turned around and looked at him.
- Who are you?
- My name is Belladonna, she smiled, and what do you want to become?
- What?
- I think that you, who is a fire sign, really should fit as a dragon, or maybe an imp. No not an imp, they are so ugly. You are really good looking, so the face have to stay, and that chest I'd like to stay too... But you can't be a centaur you too...
- I'm really happy with how I look thank you, no changes needed.
- What do you want to be, if you could be something else than a human?
- I don't know, a vampire? No, I'm really happy as a human thanks...
- Well you do have something vampire-attic around you but no, you are a fire sign not a wind sign. You know I'd like a phoenix, but then you wouldn't have your face or your chest left.
- You are kind of scaring me now, he said and sat down.
- You are tired, she said and looked at him, well, that's because of the stairs... well a phoenix you can't be and not a fire-breathing dragon... okay, I know!
- What?
She just smiled and disappeared again, as ghost-like that she'd done before.
Brian just starred at him. That was A.J., at least his face and his voice. Brian went down the stairs and looked at him.
- What happen to you, he said after looking at him.
- It was a girl, he said, a very pretty girl, some kind of magic I guess. She turned me in to a centaur!
- I can see that, but why?
- Come, there's something you have to see.
- You aren't going to kick me are you?
- I really don't know how I'm supposed to handle this body, so if you don't want me to kick your as then keep your distance.
Brian nodded and walked after his friend while the wolf sat in the middle of the floor.
Kevin walked slowly along the path. He was soaking wet and he was all alone with practically no clothes at all on him. It was freezing cold, when he opened the stable it seemed to be empty but he didn't care.
He went in and closed the door behind him, when he looked in through the stable again he was meet by something big and white.
A.J. handed Brian one of the books.
- These are written by her, every single girl dies and the men are turned in to different beasts... like me...
- You, man? Smiled Brian.
- Cut it out, it's not a good time to joke about that, I feel enough ridiculous as it is.
- She just turned you in to that?
- No, she was thinking about turning me in to an elf too, because I'm an earth sign. She's really frightening, she got this tone in her voice...
He looked in the ninth book.
- Great, he muttered, she's written more in it hear this:
Brian looked at his friend and concentrated on what he started saying.
- He later sees a harpy in the window while the white wolf waits outside his room for it's mission. One of the others hears a girl scream, as he hurries out from his room to save her, a ghost pushes him out the window, he becomes rescued by a griffin, one of the men who's never going to leave his new body. When he tries to come back in to the castle it's locked. While walking around in the castle the youngest one...
- Why did that in the beginning sound so familiar?
- Because it's about us! This is about Nick okay... walks in to the dragon cave, falling down a whole to the hell hounds, he tries to escape through a tunnel. The second youngest are given his new body, a bay centaur because of his dark hair and brown eyes. One of them escapes his death without knowing it, seeing a girl's ghost getting killed and getting her blood on him he run up the stairs to the tower...
- Yes?
- That's were it ends. I'm probably trapped in this body, I can't live like this!
- It's okay Bone, this is just hallucinations, I think.
- Then is it hallucinations when you hear your hooves clap against the floor? Is it hallucinations when Nick is missing when it says so in this book? God knows what have happen to Kevin and Howie.
- I'd say one of them have taken a ride on a griffin and the other one is heading for a tower right now.
- Who's sleeping close to a tower?
- Well, Howie... He is staying in the end and there was a door longer down the hallway that only had a long stair upwards...
- Okay, then it's Kevin who is outside right now... Are we going to split up?
- I don't know. Can you handle that body?
- Not very well... it's a bit hard with two arms and four legs...
- Okay, but horses can't walk in stairs, so do you think you can look for Kevin outside?
- Okay, but that wolf, be careful...
- Promise, it hasn't done anything else than following and staring at me...
- Yet, A.J. gave Brian the book and pulled on a jersey, I'm going to freeze to death outside.
- Good luck.
- And you should get on some clothes when you've found Howie, A.J. left Brian with the book in his hand and walked over to the front door.
Kevin starred at it, a unicorn.
- Hi there, he said without moving.
It just looked at him with its sad blue eyes, then it pushed him outside again.
- Hey!
Kevin was standing outside in the rain again and the door in to the stables was... locked?
- That's great, he muttered, now where am I supposed to go?
- An air sign, she smiled.
He looked at her, the rain didn't touch her at all and she had a certain glow around her.
- Who are you?
- Belladonna, she smiled, and this is interesting. What do you want to be?
- A singer, I'm happy with it.
- No, not like that, what kind of creature do you want to be? I don't think that an angel would be you...
- What are you talking about?
- But I do want the body to stay, all of it... But I can't let you be human...
- I like being human, he said.
- Maybe just simply an air... no! You are going to become a fairy!
- What!
She just smiled and disappeared.
Nick smiled when he felt the rain dripping down at him. Finally out again. He got up and looked around him. He was at a beach... the waves were big but smoothed out as soon as they came close to the beach. He walked along the beach for a while.
- I wonder...
Nick looked up against the cliffs, there it was, the castle. "It must bee cursed ground or something, all those monsters... or well I have seen one dragon and about ten, maybe twelve three-headed dogs, but still monsters. Wonder if the guys knows" he thought "I have to get in again, this rain isn't exactly the softest I've been in" He started walk along the beach trying to find a way back to the castle.
Howie opened his eyes again, the room was empty. He just had to get down again, down that long stair back to his room and to the other guys... He tried to get up again, he couldn't.
- What is happening, he muttered and looked at himself through a mirror.
He almost lost it when he saw it.
He was... he was some kind of beast... a lion body and a human face... He hurried down the stairs as fast as his four legs could carry him.
Brian looked at A.J., he really felt sorry for him. What if they weren't hallucinating? What if it wasn't a dream? What if this was reality and poor A.J. would be trapped in a centaur-body for the rest of his life? Then he'd probably kill himself. Brian looked one last time at his friend that was trotting over the floor. If that was how it was supposed to be he knew he was going to go insane because of that sound A.J.'s hooves made against the floor.
He went against Howie's room followed by the white wolf.
Kevin stood in the rain without knowing what to do, he suddenly felt that he wasn't the same as before.
- And what does fairies have that humans don't, he asked himself.
He did his best to look at himself, he didn't see any different until he tried to look behind him. He had wings!
- What the hell! Wings! I don't want to be a fairy! I don't want a pair of fucking wings! Belladonna, where are you? Turn me back to myself again, he yelled.
The only thing he could hear was the rain.
- And how am I supposed to use them then, he muttered and tried to think of a way.
Finally when he gave up and was about to walk away from the stable he started flying instead of walking.
- So that's how simple it was, he muttered and flew on in the storm.
Nick walked beside the beach, he had nothing else to do. He didn't know how to get back to the castle and his friends, he didn't know what he should do about his wet clothes, he didn't know how he would tell the guys about the monsters in the castle, or if he really should tell them. He knew it wasn't his imagination, not this time... he had felt the heat in the cave where the dragon had been, he had felt the hay that he had landed on in that home for the three-headed dogs, he had felt the dirt when he had crawled through that tunnel, he had felt the rain drop on him when he had got out, just like now...
A.J. opened the door and trotted out in the rain.
- Really nice, he muttered and tried to think of where the others could be.
He took a path that seemed to head around the castle's right side. Galloping down the path he noticed that there was others that lived there, strange creatures that looked at him with sad eyes. He knew that they were others, trapped in strange unnatural body's. Sure, now the speed of a horse came handy but he didn't want to say like this for the rest of his life. And how long would that be then? As long as he as a human would live? Forever? As long as a horse? As long as a centaur? How long lived a centaur anyway?
"Such a silly question" he thought "Centaurs doesn't exist, exept for me then..."
Brian slowly walked through the castle's tunnels, he was really worried about the rest of the guys, especially A.J. who'd turned in to a centaur... He felt sorry for him too, A.J. had always thought that he was completely okay when it came to looks, or well, he had a complex about his nose but that was nothing. Now he had lost half his body, and somebody had kind of glued on a horse's body instead.
He looked around, the wolf had stopped a few meters away.
- What's the matter? Brian asked it as if it would answer him.
- He doesn't like me, said a soft voice behind him.
Brian turned around and saw her, that beautiful girl... it must be the same that A.J. had told him about, she who turned him in to a centaur.
- Why did you turn my friend in to a centaur? He said and tried not to let his voice die away.
- Because I liked his face and well actually his whole body but a centaur... I don't have any other centaurs so I just thought why not. He looks good now, you know.
- I thought he was fine the way he was before.
- Well, you water sign, she smiled, what do you think about becoming a merman?
- I prefer staying human. How would you feel if somebody turned you into some monster?
- They aren't monsters, she said calmly, they are mythological creatures, and they are beautiful.
- I didn't exactly think that when I saw that harpy...
- Oh, what was his name, she thought about it for a second, Thomas! He had a nice face but that body... no, no, no... you on the other hand...
- Prefer to be human.
- Sorry, no can't do... Maybe a merman, or a water spirit... maybe a... no a merman.
- I don't want to become a merman...
She just smiled and disappeared without a single word to explain why she turned them in to beasts.
Howie ran down the stairs he had to get down, as fast as possible. It was somebody who needed his help down there...
"Faster, faster" he thought "I have to run faster"
Nick stopped as soon as he saw her, she was standing a few meters away watching him. He hurried over.
- What are you doing her, he asked.
- I live here, she smiled, and I got a question for you.
- Me and my friends are staying in your castle, just until the storm is over, I hope you aren't mad.
- No, she smiled, it was a long time ago I had somebody visiting me.
- How can that be?
- I guess that I'm odd, she smiled, my question for you is, what would you like to be if you weren't human?
- If I weren't human? Well, um... I don't know... An elf?
- Maybe..., she looked at him, but you are an air sign, elf's are more earth signs...
- Okay, then a superhero.
- That I think is impossible, I like you're arms and your face though...
- Well that's nice, I guess...
- But I don't think that you would fit as an angel... and not one more fairy...
Nick looked at her. Maybe she was insane, or just had a strange humor.
- You know, I think I'll just let you become an elf, or... maybe a giant, you are really tall... Maybe a titan! No...
- Do you mind?
- What?
- That I rather be human?
- Yeah, okay, I'll settle for elf.
She smiled and disappeared. Nick stood there really confused without really understanding what was happening.
Brian had almost no time at all to save himself from falling against the floor.
- What the hell, he muttered.
When he saw that he had no legs anymore, just a big fishtail he started screaming.
The wolf left, running away from him with the book in his mouth.
Kevin flied down the cliffs, he saw Nick, or somebody who looked a lot like Nick, down there. With a single thought in mind he jumped of the cliffs and hoped for the best.
"I have to get to him before she does" he landed right beside Nick and realized that he was too late.
A.J. ran as fast as his four legs could carry him, he could see the ocean, he should stop but his body didn't want to, there was something behind him that his new legs didn't want to be close to. They kept running without his agreement. When he got out from the practically dead forest he saw someone, or maybe something, throwing itself from the cliffs down heading to the beach.
"Who's that insane" he thought as his hooves touched sand. It kind of tickled and made him gallop even faster.
Howie jumped down the last step and ran through the hallway until he saw where the screaming came from.
- Brian!
- What? Brian turned around and saw Howie in his new body, AAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
- Yeah, she turned me in to a sphinx, you're a merman!
- I know, I don't have any legs, he said and slowly tried to get up on his hands, how am I supposed to get away from this place now?
- Maybe you aren't...
- Great, I'm going to die here now? I'd like to change body with you.
- Sorry, no can't do. This one got a lot of energy and I like it, though I'd like my old body back.
- Can you help me out of here?
- I can do my best.
- Nick! Kevin starred at him, What did she do to you?
- What? I'm just shorter than usual, that's all, right?
- No, you got cat-eyes and strange pointy ears, you look like Spock.
- Well you aren't that perfect either, you got dark blue wings, and wearing nothing but your underwear...
- And you got dark green pupils.
- I got what?
- Your eyes are it's normal blue exept the pupils, they are dark green. And you are so much shorter than usual.
- She turned me into an elf...
- And me into a fairy.
- Hope that won't change to much with you...
- Don't be silly, but it's nice to be able to fly like this.
- Not fair! I want to fly!
- You so don't want to fly and you know it, you hate planes so why would you like wings?
- At least you got something better than this! I can see and hear better but that's it!
- Oh, I kind of hoped that you would have something in your head for once, Kevin smiled, we have to find the...
He got interrupted by a wave of sand.
- I'm sorry, said A.J., I haven't learned how to control the legs yet... what happen to you Spock?
- Hey! Nick turned around, I'm not the one with a horse body or the one with wings!
- No, you're the one who's shrinked... and got cat-eyes and pointy ears...
- Well that's nice, do you think that you could give me a ride Bone?
- Sure, I guess...
Nick got up and felt really silly sitting there on a centaur... that also was A.J.
Kevin smirked and started flying ahead.
- Coming? We have to find Brian and Howie, not to mention Arthur...
- I doubt that Arthur came in here, he don't like to walk when it rains...
- Brian is searching for Howie, said A.J., come on Kev, don't be so slow now...
- Hey, these wings are new!
- And these legs are too, besides I got Nick on my back, or my second back.
He started to gallop again with Nick sitting on his back as if he never had done anything else in his whole life and Kevin flying behind them.
- Brian, complained Howie, you are heavy...
- But I don't have any legs and you got four, this is the only way I can get away from this hell...
- Can I carry you to the ocean and let you drown?
- I'll probably be able to breath under water too..., Brian did his best not to fall of Howie's back.
- You are smelling very good...
- Don't you dare taking a bite from my tale, warned Brian, I still got arms to hit you with.
- Like you would be able to hit me hard when I got claws...
- We can see how that works out.
They stopped outside the door.
- When I tried to get in it was locked, said Kevin and sat down, I'm so tired.
- I know what you mean, said A.J. and let Nick get of him, but when I went out it was open.
- I came through a tunnel, said Nick, but A.J. wouldn't be able to get in there, and there were these three-headed dogs and this dragon...
- Tell us later Nick, said A.J. and did his best to lay down, I'm so fucking tired.
- We still have to get Howie and Brian out of there.
In the same second the door opened with a sphinx carrying a merman over his back coming out to the rain.
- Brian! Nick starred at his best friend, Howie!
- That bitch turned me in to a merman, muttered Brian, I got no legs!
- I got four, smiled A.J., plus two arms.
- You look like Spock, said Howie to Nick, and there's something really wrong with your eyes...
- I know, she turned me in to an elf...
- I want to get out of here, said Kevin, but I would like some clothes.
- You can get that later, muttered A.J., I'm so tired that I think that I could fall asleep right here.
- I think that we should just leave right now, said Howie.
- In this shape! Brian starred at him, I can't even walk!
- A.J. could carry you, or Kevin and Nick, they still got arms and A.J. got a horseback, I'm a poor sphinx, I got a lion's body, the back isn't made to be carrying mermen.
- A.J. get up, said Kevin and got up himself, we are leaving now!
- And if somebody sees us they'll shoot us right on the spot.
- Very possible, but we can't stay, said Nick.
- That's coming from the one who looks most normal of course, muttered A.J. and got up, a little surgery and those ears would be history, a pair of sunglasses and those eyes wouldn't show, then nobody care if you are short. How do you think you could make this normal again?
- Maybe so, said Brian, but I don't want to stay here and I demand that somebody carry me to the bus!
- Fine, muttered A.J., but I'm not carrying Nick again, he might have got shorter but he sure as hell hasn't got any easier.
They started walking - or in Kevin's case flying - down the path.
When they saw the gate they could only hope that things would work out.
- Get of me! Said A.J. and putted Brian back on the ground, Your legs are back.
- I'm normal! He smiled and looked at the others, I'm me again!
- Well you are the only one, muttered Nick.
- My wings! Kevin said sadly when they fell to the ground, my wings are falling off! I liked them!
It took a while but suddenly they were standing out there, in not too much clothing but with their normal body's, while the storm still went on.
- The bus, said Kevin as he started walking in that direction.
- Coming, said A.J. and noticed how nice it was to feel his feet against the dead grass.
When they got back to the bus Arthur was waiting for them.
- Where's your bags?
- Never mind that, said Kevin, let's just get out of here now!
- Can't do that, the bus won't start, I think we got water in the engine, we have to wait until the storm is over.
- I don't want to stay here, said Nick with a hint of fright in his voice.
- Sorry, you have to stay, and get some clothes on, check your other bags okay? You are going to get a cold in those wet clothes...
- Right, said A.J. and went in to the bus, it isn't leaking anymore.
- I fixed the roof.
The next morning the sun was shining and the Boys stepped out form the bus one last time. By the gate she was standing, smiling.
- Who are you? Said A.J. irritated, And what are you?
- Belladonna Brick, she smiled, don't say that you didn't like your body's...
- I HATED IT! Yelled Brian, I COULDN'T WALK!
- Mermen usually don't walk, you should have been close to the beach, I'll remember that next time. But I think you were cute...
- I HAD A FISHTAIL! IT WAS AWFUL!
- Well, the others doesn't complain.
- I couldn't control my legs, muttered A.J., they had a life of their own.
- Now the didn't, they followed your sub-concions, she smiled.
- I kind of liked my wings, smiled Kevin, not like I'd want them back but... it was nice to be able to fly.
- Sombody had fun anyway, she smiled and opened the gate.
They all stepped back, as if she was going to attack them. The white wolf came out and walked over to Brian.
- Why is this wolf following me? He asked.
- He likes you, she said a bit sad as the wolf left her side, but that's not why...
The wolf gave Brian a book and disappeared like a ghost.
- What was that?
- He's moved on, he's free... you were his ticket there...
- Okay now this is freaking me out, said Kevin and got on the bus together with Howie and Nick.
- Come on Bri, said A.J. and pulled him on the bus.
- Bye, she smiled and disappeared again like the ghost she was.
As the bus rolled away from the cursed land Brian couldn't help wondering if it only had been hallucinations or if reality that was more than he or anyone could expect.
THE END!!!!!!
A.J. as a centaur... I just had to make a
picture... ; )