CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
The winds began to pick up. They fled the bell tower. Lance grabbed Ramona’s arm. “Where’s Andrew? Is he in the cathedral?”
Ramona and JC glanced at each other. No one spoke. Then JC licked his lips. “He had some kind of heart attack in the woods. Lost Souls were surrounding us. He told us to save ourselves.”
Exhausted, they sat on the pews. The five people Ramona rescued from the café gathered around. Dianna hugged Cricket. “I thought you were dead. Why did you run off like that?”
“Did anybody care?” She answered flatly.
Lance immediately dozed off. Chris, Justin, JC, Ramona and the children followed his lead. The rest, still energized by their frightening ordeal, talked amongst themselves.
“Now what do we do?”
“Is there any real way to combat demons?”
“Flip through the yellow pages. I’m sure we can find an exorcist.”
Gabriel was pacing, which annoyed Ruby. “Will you please stop? You look like a duck in a shooting gallery.”
“First of all,” he replied to the group, “It’s going to take a heck of a lot more than an exorcist to solve our problem. Hear that thunder outside? Have you seen the sky? It’s going to start all over again.”
“What do you mean?” Kellen asked.
“300 years ago the Master possessed a town called Whispers. The citizens’ souls were stolen and they were converted into Lost Souls. Whispers served as a home base for those demons, hidden from the outside world until five young men accidentally stumbled into it. Well, it wasn’t really an accident.”
“You’re not making sense,” Trace said, “Who were these guys? Why wasn’t it an accident?”
“Joey, JC, Chris, Justin, and Lance were the unfortunate travelers. Three or four Lost Souls ran their bus off the road one night. The Master had a score to settle with Lance. You see, 300 years ago Lance’s ancestor, Kaden Bass, tried to stop him. The Master vowed revenge. Luckily Lance won the battle, but there were a few demons that escaped. They weren’t too happy.”
“So we have Lance to thank for this disaster?”
Gabriel chuckled. “Not entirely. For example, Gandor is an ancestor of JC. Ramona is a reincarnation of Emily, Sparrow’s slain daughter. Lance and Ramona are distant relatives. They are bound together by forces we can’t possibly understand.
Also, as part of a divine plan, the boys are each blessed with special powers that will assist Lance in destroying the demons.”
Harper cleared his throat. “Let me get this straight. What we have here are a bunch of freaks that claim to be ghost busters. That’s just peachy. Next you’re gonna tell us that these things will bring about the end of the world.”
“Yes.”
“Ah, the old end-of-the-world ploy. That’s always the story.”
“Can it, Harper. This isn’t funny.” Kellen folded his hands. “We must save the other citizens. Most are probably dead, but I’m sure the Lost Souls are still holding some of them captive.”
“And how do you propose we do that?” Harper retorted, “We have no clue where they are. I say we save ourselves.”
Dianna ran her fingers through her tangled hair. “Save ourselves? That’s disgusting! We can’t leave everybody to die. Besides, those things are too smart to let anyone escape so easily. Our chances of survival are next to none, but at least we can die without guilty consciences.”
Lance sat up, yawning. “Hey, I’m thirsty. Where’s the water fountain?”
“Down the hall between the bathrooms.”
Lance disappeared down the hall. Crash! The church windows lit. A branch hit the glass, startling them. Candle flames blew out. “Everybody up! Get moving!” Gabriel’s tone left no room for argument. Justin tripped over Trace’s foot. “Why? What’s the matter?”
“We have to get out of this church at once!”
The front doors flew open and closed. Ruby struggled with the knobs. “It’s locked!”
“Where’s Lance?” JC cried frantically. Lance ran into the room. “Right here.”
Justin shook Chris’s shoulders. “Chris! Wake up! Wake up!”
Chris mumbled, “No mommy…I don’t wanna go to school…I wanna ride the pony…”
(Everybody) “CHRIS!!!”
Chris’s head jerked forward. “Wha-what?” The building creaked. They shoved against the doors, falling outside. A lightening bolt struck a nearby tree. The tree split in half, collapsing onto telephone wires. Sparks showered on the grass. “Oh my gosh! Look at the sky!” The clouds were swirling in a greenish haze. Another bolt struck an old warehouse. The brick burst into flames. Light fog rose off the ground.
Lance stepped in front of the group. “It’s too late. More and more of your precious people are being converted at Cat’s Eye University. Emerald and Gandor are 2 hours away from reviving the Master.” Lance’s features dissolved. WICK!
Their jaws dropped. Justin’s fists curled. “What have you done with Lance?!”
Wick sneered. Lightening zapped an antique store. The glass exploded. “Emerald and I were waiting for Lance when he went to the water fountain. For the time being he is safe. I appeared merely to warn you that the Master’s revival is rapidly approaching. You’ve been warned.” Gabriel and Wick locked eyes for a second. Then with the next rumble of thunder, Wick was gone.
Trace through his hands up. “Great! This is just great! We’re toast!” A grim smile crept over Gabriel’s face. “Not yet. I’ve got a plan. Dianna and Trace, can you two find a way to sneak into the university and locate the survivors?”
They nodded. “What if the entrances are guarded?”
“When I say sneak in, I mean through any means possible. Meanwhile, JC, I want you to metamorph into some kind of bird, particularly one who could stand against this weather. You are to fly around, looking for the sight where they’re beginning the ceremony.”
“Got it.”
Gabriel turned to the others. “Chris, do you feel okay?”
“Yeah…why?”
“Everybody is going back to Brenner’s.”
“Brenner’s? Are you nuts?”
“Because that is the last place they will look for us.”
“Wait!” Trace protested. “What about me and Dianna?”
“When you find the captives, notify Justin telepathically. When you do, Chris will transport the team to the school.” He turned to face Chris. “Take Ramona and Justin, turn them invisible, and locate Dianna and Harper. Once you find the civilians, transport them to Brenner’s Café.”
Gabriel spoke to Justin. “Once the survivors are safe, tell JC and he can hightail it to Brenner’s. They’ll be looking for the survivors, so it would be best if we laid low for awhile.”
“What if I find the ceremony site?”
“Our plans are flexible.”
“What does…”
“Hold on,” Chris interrupted, “You said to make Ramona and Justin invisible. What are you gonna be doing?”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ve got some unfinished business to take care of.”
Chris started to open his mouth, but Gabriel already knew what he was coming. “Look, this is my business. Let me handle it. I’ve gotten you this far. If JC finds the ceremony, you’ll know where to go from there.”
Gabriel’s brown eyes bore into Chris’s. They stared at each other, the tension mounting between them. Finally, Gabriel said softly, “Look, it’s you guys who are going to save the world. Not me, not anyone else. Are you ready to face up to destiny?”
Chris sighed, “Okay. Let’s go.”
CHAPTER FORTY
Cat’s Eye Park sat silently amidst the brewing storm, about 500 yards south the high school.
Lance lay sprawled on dirt ground, surrounded by black rubber. Lightening flashed through the holes. He moaned, reaching to lift himself up inside the tiny prison. Rubber tires. He was trapped in a jungle gym.
Outside, Gandor and Emerald sat on the swings, patiently awaiting midnight. “Oh Lance,” Emerald called in a syrupy sweet voice, “Don’t try to climb out of the gym. There’s a force field attached.”
Lance banged his fists against the tires. No! Please God, get me out of this! Lance attempted to call out to Justin mentally. A white-hot flash pierced his brain. Lance groaned, falling to his knees.
“Don’t even think about alerting your little friends,” Gandor snickered, “We’ve blocked your mind.”
Lance wrung his hands. Wind blew through the tire cracks, chilling him to the bone. Lightening rippled across the sky. Lance suddenly noticed the fog swirling around his feet. Emerald and Gandor laughed.
“Ha ha, the Master will be so happy to finish you off. Still, we ought to disable you somewhat.”
The white-hot flash moved from his brain, stabbing his eyes. The skin of Lance’s face burned. Lance grabbed his eyes, screaming. Then the pain ceased. Lance’s shaking fingers quit rubbing his eyes. He blinked several times. Finally he howled in fear.
He was blind.
*~*~*~*~*~*~
Trace and Dianna crouched beside the steps of college’s doors. The building appeared to be dark. “Are you sure we can pull this off?”
“Does it look like we have a choice?” Dianna muttered irritably. They slowly climbed the steps. Trace tugged the door handle. It swung open. Danger was hidden in the corners. He could sense it. But together, he and Dianna stepped onto the colored tile.
The hall light flickered on. The familiar smell entered their nostrils. Chipped blue lockers lined the white walls. Classroom doors, decorated by various posters, were locked tight. Dianna and Trace came to the intersection. Down the left was the cafeteria. To the right was stairs to the second floor. Straight ahead led to more classrooms, the offices, and the gym.
Trace headed to the cafeteria. Dianna took the stairs.
Dianna’s sweaty palms clutched the metal railing. After some climbing she paused at the landing, standing at the beginning of a dingier hallway.
Click…click…click…tap…tap…tap…
Her shoulders tensed. The door to the geometry classroom rattled. Whispering killed the silence. Dianna resisted the sudden urge to run down the stairs and exit the building.
If you don’t, you’ll die. You’ll die like the others. Just like your mother. “Mom.” The word escaped her lips. Dianna gasped. Her cover was blown! One by one, the locker doors opened. People, people she had known her entire life, stepped out.
Terrified, Dianna stumbled backwards. They were no longer alive. That was easy to see. Their eyes gleamed blood red. Their skin, white and chalky, was dry on their bony frames. Their clothes hung tattered. Claws grew from their fingers. The geometry door opened. Dianna suppressed a scream. Her mother stood in front of her.
“Dianna…” She rasped, touching her daughter’s cheek, “Sweetheart…come join us…”
Dianna choked on her tears. “Momma.” The converts began chanting, “Need…want…must have…die…need…want life…”
Her mother pushed with all her strength. Dianna pitched backwards. Her hand missed the railing as her body tumbled down the metal stairs.
*~*~*~*~*~*~
Trace had come across a few problems of his own. As he drew closer to the cafeteria doors, he became aware of several pairs of red eyes glaring at him from the shadows. Fear rising to pure terror, Trace bolted through the doors.
Four Lost Souls dashed after him. Trace ran around the side, jumping onto a table. One Lost Soul blocked him at the end. Trace leaped to the next table, running down its length and jumping to the next row. Another demon skirted past the coke machines.
Claws scratched his back. Trace thrust his elbows backwards, jabbing the monster in the ribs. It snarled, swiping again. He jumped to the floor, crawling between the chairs. He watched the feet scamper in his direction. His fingers nervously scratched at the cold tile. Perspiration matted his hair.
*~*~*~*~*~*~
JC’s wings flapped furiously against the wind gusts. He’d decided to transform into a pigeon (Wouldn’t Chris get a kick out of this, he thought wryly). The storm was picking up steam. Occasionally dodging lightening bolts, he soared over the buildings and trees. Had this not been an emergency, he might have relished the experience.
He dove down towards the university, flying low past the entrance and around the corner. He stopped by one larger window, which happened to be looking into the cafeteria. When he saw Trace’s attack, his first impulse was to fly to his rescue.
Unfortunately, JC forgot that birds aren’t able to fly through glass. BONK!
JC lost his balance, and being such a small bird, the winds carried him sideways. The Lost Souls jerked their heads up.
JC: “Justin! Help! I gave away my position!”
Justin: “What?”
Chris: “Did you see Trace or Dianna?”
JC (crackling and fading): “Yeah! Hurry and make like a madman to the school. Trace is under attack. I didn’t see Dianna.”
JC flapped against the gale force. His little body slammed into a tree. Dazed, JC slumped to the ground.
*~*~*~*~*~*~
Justin: “JC? JC?! Where are you? Come back! I lost the signal!”
Justin shook his head. “I lost all communication.”
“Maybe he’s taking a nap,” Chris suggested.
“Shut up!”
Ramona bit her bottom lip. “It’s probably time to teleport, don’t you think?”
“You know, we haven’t really messed with my teleportation powers yet,” Chris gulped, “Actually, I’ve got a great idea. Why don’t we try Hawaii?”
(Everybody) “SHUT UP!”
Gabriel sighed impatiently. “Do you wanna save your friends or not?”
“We aren’t helping them by getting ourselves killed!”
“That’s a chance we’ll have to take.”
Chris, Ramona, Justin, and Gabriel joined hands. Chris closed his eyes, concentrating on reaching the university. He paused. “How exactly do I get us…” Gabriel slapped his forehead. “Of course! I forgot you can’t teleport us to anyplace you haven’t seen. Justin, this is your job. When you and JC were talking, did you get a glimpse of the college?”
“Yes.”
“Send those images to Chris.” Within three minutes, Justin successfully completed his mission.
They shut their eyes. With every limb and muscle being jerked at tremendous speed, the team landed below the cafeteria windows. “Ugh,” Ramona held her stomach, “I feel woozy.” Justin’s legs were still shaking. Gabriel laughed. “It’s not easy getting used to the jolts.”
Chris: “Yeesh, for someone as serious as he is, he’s got a nasty sense of humor there.”
Justin: “Tell me about it.”
Although the university appeared abandoned, faint chants of “Need…want…need…want…” permeated the air. Thunder boomed loudly. Soft raindrops pelted their skin. “Here, give me a boost.”
Chris interlaced his fingers. Gabriel stuck his foot in Chris’s hands, pushed off his leg, and grabbed the windowsill. He tried to lift the window. “It’s locked!” Justin moved closer. “Let me take care of that for you.” “No thanks, I’ve got it.”
Gabriel carefully stretched his arm, reaching through the window and unlocking it from the inside. When he looked down he noticed everybody staring at him in amazement. “What? You pick up a few things when you’re a demon.” Gabriel climbed through.
Meanwhile, Chris took Ramona’s hand and Justin took her’s. Chris made them promise not to let go, less they be discovered.
*~*~*~*~*~*~
Joey felt totally alone, trapped inside his own body. He gained temporary control in the bell tower, but it seemed impossible to stand up to Gandor again. He chided himself for being such a coward. On second thought, perhaps it was better to feel anger than guilt. Guilt over what he was putting Lance and the guys through.
Biting cold seeped into Joey’s veins. He curled into a ball, but nothing could keep him warm. He heard Gandor’s sinister voice and the words coming out of his mouth. At last, empty hopelessness enveloped Joey’s spirit. Scalding tears dripped down his cheeks. A single thought repeated mercilessly: in spite of all that had happened, the nightmare was not yet over.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Wick and Feather signaled for their fellow Lost Souls to stop pestering Trace. There was a bigger fish to catch. And he just took the bait.
Gabriel burst through the doors, his eyes resting on Wick. “Leave him alone. Your fight’s with me.”
“Traitor,” Feather growled. “Hush!” Wick ordered. He slowly moved away from the table. Gabriel braced himself. He wasn’t sure why. Maybe because Feather and Wick never ceased to remind him of their superiority.
“I know you commanded me to meet you,” he said calmly, “But I too have a few questions.” His face darkened. “And I want them answered.”
“We don’t owe you explanations,” Feather replied, “Nor do we expect any in return. I warned the Master when he brought you into the clan that as you’d grow older, you wouldn’t have the guts…”
“What are you talking about?!”
Wick jabbed Feather in the ribs. “Be quiet.”
“”You’re hiding something from me,” Gabriel accused, “And you have been for years. Tell me!”
Wick snickered at his plea. “I enjoy watching you beg. It’s important to keep you in line, half-breed.”
Gabriel’s nostrils flared. Half-breed was a wretched nickname they used to taunt him with. Trace cautiously poked his head out from under the table, listening to their conversation.
“This is kind of peculiar,” Wick admitted, “What sort of questions?”
“Colors.”
“Excuse me?”
“Scents.”
“You aren’t making sense!”
“I’ve been having ‘The Dream’ again.”
“You haven’t had ‘The Dream’ in years.”
“I know, but it’s come back.”
“So?”
“What does it mean?!”
“Spare yourself the pain. Some things are best left alone.”
They were interrupted by a blood-curdling scream as the cafeteria doors exploded.