Insidious Prophecy

by JH Terry

XXI: Thurgood the Thunderbird and the Portals

  As Tom was crawling quickly through the tunnel, Kate and Peter were still in the corridor with two minutes until they were to leave.

  “He is not coming,” said Kate. “We should go to the hostel now before Norbis comes.”

  “No,” said Peter. “He is coming, I know he is.”

  “My intuitions are better than yours due to my being a female, Peter. That is why I know he is not coming.”

  “Your intuitions are not always right. We would not have disturbed those Funits if it was not for you.”

  “I may not have been perfect in that matter, but I am sure about this one, Peter. Anyway, we only have two minutes left. There is no sign of him at all. We might as well leave now.”

  “At least wait two more minutes,” said Peter. “It is what Tom would want us to do.”

  “All right,” said Kate. “I am telling you he is not coming, and we are just wasting our time.”

  Suddenly they heard a noise in the tunnel.

  “Do you think it is Tom?” asked Kate.

  “I think so,” said Peter, “but I am not sure. It sounds like a rumbling sound though.”

  At that moment Tom peeped his head out of the tunnel and fell onto the ground.

  “Told you so,” said Peter to Kate. Kate seemed to ignore what Peter said. “Tom, are you all right?”

  Tom quickly got off of the floor by himself and pushed the circular black door back in its place. He then pushed the portrait back into its place, holding it down against the corridor wall.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Peter of Tom.

  “A slight problem,” said Tom.

  “What problem?” asked Kate.

  “Blackish liquid that seems to drawn to one’s body,” said Tom.

  “What is the problem with that?” asked Kate.

  “The problem is,” said Peter, “that if it clings to our skin and lungs it will suffocate us, thus causing us to die.”

  “We breathe through our skin?” asked Kate.

  “Yes,” said Tom.

  “That is strange,” said Kate. “Like an earthworm.”

  “Precisely,” said Peter as he pushed against the portrait next to Tom, “without all of the mucous.”

  “Where’s Akemi?” asked Tom of Peter and Kate.

  “She has not come back yet,” said Kate. “Did you get the ruby?”

  “Yes,” said Tom as he showed it to Kate and Peter, “here it is.”

  “Thank you for finding it,” said a voice to the left of the portrait, in the darkness. Looking, they saw that as it approached it was Mr. Baldeye with a silver gun in his right hand. “Too bad you went through all of that trouble for me to steal it from you in the end.”

  “Who are you?” asked Kate with a puzzled face.

  “Our principal,” said Peter.

  “What is NORMAL about this school?” yelled Kate.

  “Its deviousness,” angrily said Tom toward Mr. Baldeye.

  “Mad?” asked Baldeye. “It wasn’t my fault you chose the wrong side Reed. Perhaps next time you will use your brain rather than your integrity. I mean really, what is that going to pay, your way to an afterlife of happiness? I prefer real money, not some hopeless dream.”

  “That is why Martin died last year. He heard those noises in this corridor and saw you and Norbis figuring out how to get into this vault. That is why you were here, to find that Ruby of Quarduiz, the ruby that allows the others to be found.”

  “I am impressed Mr. Reed,” said Mr. Baldeye. “You are extremely intelligent for a Reed. I was just wondering, how did you know that this ruby was the one to let the others be found?”

  “I did not, you just told me.”

  With a laugh, Mr. Baldeye said, “I am impressed, but then again you have not learned every reason why I am here. Perhaps you will at a later time. You are just too smart for an old fool like me, but then again too stupid to not use your animal instincts.”

  “Animal instincts?” asked Tom curiously.

  “Yes, Reed, like envy, greed, gluttony, pride, the seven deadly sins. You are like me Reed, smart, very smart, but your integrity makes you my opposite. You see, whereas I want everything, you depend upon nothing. That makes you strong and me ultimately weak. However, in the end I shall be rich and you shall be poor…”

  “I will be rich in a far greater way with the knowledge that I will always be better than you.”

  A flash of anger came from Baldeye’s eyes. “Yes, you will. Every night I wanted to be something greater and never got it. I do not care anymore. If I am going to reincarnation or even hell I do not care. At least I got to have as much fun as I did in this life to let the next one be a suffering I can endure happily. Now, what else is in there?” Tom looked puzzled. “I know that there is something else in there that Norbis has not told me about, but that is what friends are for, right?”

  “Stealing it for yourself?” asked Kate.

  “Of course,” said Baldeye. “I am not going to let him kill me off just yet. What else is there?”

  “Nothing else worth mentioning,” said Tom, acting as if he were hiding something behind the portrait.

  Sensing this, Baldeye said, “Move away from the portrait, all of you.”

  “Fine then,” said Tom. “We will show you the other treasures you want so much to have.”

  First Peter and Kate moved to the side far from the portrait. Tom quickly moved over to them.

  “Good bye Reed,” said Baldeye as he cocked his gun. Yet just as he was about to shoot the portrait and circular black door burst open. The blackish fluid within the tunnel and spherical area gushed onto Baldeye. Peter, Kate and Tom ran from the fluid up the stairs.

  “What is that?” screamed Kate.

  Tom and Peter looked to see a black blob-like monster with white razor sharp teeth emerge from the fluid. It let out a terrible screech, which caused Tom, Peter and Kate to place their hands over their ears. Seeing Baldeye first, the blackish creature went towards him, its teeth moving at a very high speed in a circular motion. Baldeye lifted his gun at the creature and released several rounds of his weapon into its insides. However, the bullets did not deter the creature as it continued towards Baldeye. Frantically, Baldeye kept on shooting till his bullets ran out. In desperation Baldeye threw his gun at the creature but it only made the creature angry. Baldeye began to tremble in fear. Instantly the creature’s teeth stopped moving. It stood above Baldeye, towering over him. Drops of black ooze fell onto Baldeye’s face. Looking at the creature Baldeye let out a cry that sounded like a howl. In an instance the creature engulfed around Baldeye, causing him to disappear into its blackish abyss.

  “I guess he is not your principal anymore,” whispered Kate.

  Suddenly the creature turned its sights onto Tom, Peter and Kate. Seeing them, it howled, and its teeth began to move in a circular motion again. However, just as it was about to lunge after them, a swift stroke of a sword caused it to be cut into half from its top to its bottom. The two halves fell onto the floor and the creature lay dead on the ground. However, they could see that it was too late to help Mr. Baldeye as he was no longer there, dissolved into the creature’s body. Looking past where the body lay, Tom, Peter and Kate could see only darkness. In a moment Akemi came into view with her sword in her right hand.

  “Thank goodness you came,” said Peter, “we almost became that thing’s late night snack because of Kate’s intuitions.”

  “Then you wouldn’t be of any use to anyone who needed it,” said Akemi.

  “It just came out of my mouth,” said Kate. “Well, it was the truth, right?”

  “Yes,” said Tom. “Where’s Norbis?”

  “He ran off,” said Akemi.

  “He tends to do that a lot,” said Tom.

  “Well, when one is a coward running is a normal thing to do,” said Akemi.

  “I found the ruby,” said Tom showing it t
o Akemi as they walked out of the corridor to the rose garden opposite the portrait of Reilly A. Pete.

  “Good, let’s ride,” said Akemi as she placed her sword in its scabbard. She then lifted from around her neck a long, golden whistle and seemed to be blowing into it. However they could hear no sound.

  “Is that a dog whistle?” asked Kate.

  “It is a whistle,” said Akemi, “but it is not for a dog.”

  Suddenly, a loud croak was heard. Then, a great flapping was discerned in the air. “Get ready,” said Akemi. Then, a giant blue and grey colored bird that looked like an eagle appeared from out of the night’s sky. It was six yards long with a massive wingspan to match.

  “What is that?” asked Peter.

  Smiling, Akemi said, “It’s Thurgood, a thunderbird, also known as my trusty steed.”

  Thurgood landed lightly upon the ground with his feet. He made sure not to land on any of the thorny rose bushes. He bent his legs and lay down his head upon the pavement in the rose garden.

  Akemi went over to Thurgood and said, “You look well my best friend.”

  “I thought Sherog was her best friend,” whispered Peter.

  “Look at what happened to him,” whispered Tom.

  “How do we get on?” asked Kate of Akemi.

  “This way,” said Akemi as she jumped onto Thurgood’s neck. “Don’t worry, it is quite simple.”

  First Peter tried to get on, but he couldn’t propel himself up. “I think a little help is needed,” said Peter as he breathed in large quantities of air at his failed tries. With the help of Tom and Kate, Peter was able to get on.

  “Hurry,” said Akemi to Kate and Tom.

  Quickly Kate, and then Tom, leapt onto Thurgood’s neck with ease. On Thurgood from the front sat Akemi, Kate, Peter, and Tom.

  “I hope nobody’s got air sickness, for here we go!” exclaimed Akemi.

  Up flew Thurgood into the night sky, way above the houses. His feet were pressed against his body in the warm night wind.

  “It is so beautiful,” said Kate.

  “It is so high!” exclaimed Peter.

  As they were flying they passed by a house where there was a little boy scared in his bed. His parents had told him several times that there was no such thing as monsters, ghouls, witches, or even the boogieman, but he would not believe them. He lay in bed scared out of his wits to come out of it, when he heard a swooshing sound in the wind. He took off the covers from his head that had ‘protected’ him before and walked out of his bed to see what was happening outside. As he looked he saw Tom, Peter, Kate, and Akemi flying on Thurgood. Tom saw the boy as they were flying and waved to him. The boy stood in awe of what he saw – if there was such a thing as a large flying bird, then perhaps the boogieman was true too!

  Suddenly, the boy’s mother rushed into the room with her hair mismanaged and her eyes in amazement.

  “I think you should sleep with us tonight,” said the woman still amazed by what she had also seen out of the window. “Or until we see a psychiatrist about this.”

  “Where are we going?” asked Tom of Akemi.

  “Do you see in the distance, there is a place when the sun’s rays hit the moon, which hits the clouds, causing a pattern to be etched into the night’s sky?” Tom looked, but he could not see anything. “That is a portal opening from Earth to Altium, due to the A-shape it forms. It is from this portal that I came here two nights ago. Tonight it shall close, and we must hurry before the sun shines.”

  “Why?” asked Kate.

  “For when it shines, the portal closes and we must wait sixty days for it to open again. During those sixty days, Norbis shall be able to kill us.”

  “Are there any alternative routes?” asked Peter.

  “None that I know of,” said Akemi, “but there is one supposedly in that school of yours.”

  They flew on in silence until Thurgood suddenly began to open his mouth, even though sound could not be heard from his lips. However, Akemi seemed able to listen to him.

  “What is it?” asked Kate.

  “Norbis is right behind us,” said Akemi.

  Looking behind they could see it was Norbis on a black night butterfly with red eyes. His eyes seemed to shine in the darkness. Looking at him, Tom suddenly noticed that the darkness was slowly receding. Looking to the east Tom saw that the sun was beginning to shine. Looking to the portal in the sky, which he could now see by the sun’s light, he saw that it was slowly going away, deteriorating with each second that the sun’s light shone upon the cold earth.

  “The sun!” said Tom. “It is rising.”

  “And the portal is deteriorating,” said Akemi sadly.

  “Ironically the one day I would have wished for fog!” exclaimed Peter.

  “There is no need to be negative,” said Kate.

  “Actually,” said Akemi with a downcast face, “we cannot make it. The portal is deteriorating at such a rate that we will not be able to make it in time. Tom, you must give in to Norbis’ demands if we are to survive. Go to his side, for if you do not he will surely kill you. What is the point of you dying, when you can live a long life. At least you know that you tried, and no one will judge you harshly for such a choice.”

  “No,” said Tom. “Maybe others will not judge me so harshly, but that does not matter. It matters how I would feel about myself. How could I go on living knowing that I had the chance to save everyone and everything I found to be the greatest parts of my life and just to give in? What would have been the point of fighting in the first place? Where would my integrity be? How could I live with the knowledge of such a thing? I could not, and I will not give in to Norbis. I do not care if I die doing so, I will not give up my integrity for any price. Besides, Norbis will not stop with Altium, but with all of the worlds that exist. If I give up, then he wins, and I will try my hardest for that not to happen.”

  “Then what are we going to do?” asked Peter as the others all had a look of utter hopelessness.

  Suddenly, Thurgood turned sharply right, causing Tom, Peter, Kate, and Akemi to turn towards the left, clutching onto Thurgood’s feathers so that they did not fall off onto the ground below. He was going away from the portal, but remained in Sudbury, and was able to out-fly Norbis, who remained behind them.

  “Thurgood!” screamed Akemi. “Stop, Thurgood, stop!”

  However, Thurgood continued on his path and seemed not to hear what Akemi was saying to him.

  “Where is he taking us?” asked Tom of Akemi.

  “I don’t know,” said Akemi. “Thurgood!”

  Looking behind them, Tom saw that the portal was now closed and Norbis was a greater distance away behind them. As they continued to fly further to the right, Tom noticed that they were near Sudbury High.

  “Do you think he is going back to the school?” asked Peter of Tom.

  “I know he is,” said Tom. “It makes perfect sense. That was why Reilly A. Pete built the school here. This is why Sudbury, New York is so important – it is a portal hub, which Pete found out about by some source. I wonder how he was able to find out.”

  “Perhaps by Unop,” said Peter.

  “I do not think so,” said Tom. “I think it was someone else, someone who either helped or knew about Unop, someone who could be inconspicuous in New York at that time.”

  Thurgood swished into a hallway through a pair of opened doors from the front entrance of the school. He bent his wings as he flew so that he could fit into the hallway, though it was difficult for him.

  Thurgood flew through the halls and down a flight of stairs to the basement. In there, they saw Mr. Lutid making a round. He seemed to be acting very cautious and suspicious as he was sneaking in this area. Turning around he saw Tom, Peter, Kate, and Akemi flying on Thurgood. Seeing Tom and Peter he had a look of anger on his face and was about to yell at them when Akemi threw a yellowish powder from her belt at him. Instantaneously the powder sedat
ed Lutid as he slumped down asleep onto the basement floor.

  “What was that?” asked Kate.

  “Sleeping powder,” said Akemi. “When he wakes up he will believe that he has been dreaming the entire time and forget the incident.”

  “At least he will not remember us,” said Peter to Tom who acknowledged with a gesture in agreement.

  “Who was that?” asked Akemi.

  “Lutid, the school’s hall monitor,” said Peter.

  “Another seemingly kind person!” exclaimed Kate.

  Soon they came to a large room with four pillars near its four corners with various cornices and painted in gold. Along the walls there were about one hundred metal discs two and a half yards in diameter also painted in gold. On each disc there were letter written in uppercase.

  “Thurgood found it!” exclaimed Akemi.

  “Found what?” asked Peter.

  “The portal to Altium,” said Akemi.

  Suddenly, they felt a cool breeze upon the air.

  “Norbis,” said Akemi.

  Looking behind them, Tom saw that Norbis was outstretching his right palm and throwing ice crystals from a bag in his left onto the walls of the room. These crystals caused the air to cool and the walls to freeze slightly. The ice crystals began to move along the walls, ceiling, and floor, freezing the portals shut. They continued to fly.

  “Akemi,” said Tom. “Norbis is trying to freeze the portal shut. We have to hurry before he freezes the one to Altium.”

  “We should be there soon,” said Akemi. “Over there!” exclaimed Akemi as she pointed ahead. “There it is.”

  In front of them there was a large portal larger than the others that showed in large letters AM. Next to it there was a small panel with a red round button.

  Akemi then took her sword out of its scabbard and threw it when they were about a yard in front of the portal. It flew towards the button and caused it to be compressed. However, the sword’s blade was stuck in the panel.

  The portal opened, causing a strong suction force. Ahead, they could see darkness, lightning, and clouds. Akemi quickly moved away from Thurgood’s neck and moved onto his back tail feathers. As she held onto them and as they were passing through the door, she swiftly grabbed, pulled, and brought her sword near her before the ice crystals froze the panel. Suddenly, the portal door closed leaving Norbis behind, angered.