Coach Runyon clapped. “Come on. Come on. Let’s go, guys. Kickoff to A team. Harlan, Boyd, Wicker—off the ground. Let’s go. Couldn’t have been that hard a hit. Good hustle out there, Wilder.”
Will smirked, strutting back to his teammates, who were still amazed by what he had done.
“Great job, Will-man. You tossed those guys out of the way like they were pillows,” Andrew said. Then he whispered, “What’s going on?”
“Training, I guess,” Will deadpanned.
Cami, You would not believe this. Will just flattened three guys—huge guys—in the second play here. It happened so fast I almost missed it. One of them—Harlan I think—is still trying to get up. We’ll see if Will survives the next down. Are you praying? LOL. More soon.
Simon finished tapping on his cell phone and set it down. He sat on the edge of the bleacher as the snap happened.
“Can you believe how amazing Will is doing?” Renny asked Simon. “I’ve seen you all at lunch and stuff. You must be friends. I’m Renny Bertolf.”
“Pleased to make your acquaintance.” Simon found it hard to stop focusing on Renny’s turned-up nostrils but smiled as best he could. “Will mentioned you the other day.”
“He did? Caleb roughed us both up last week. When Will came in, he—”
“Let’s talk later,” Simon said, trying to focus on the game. “I really need to watch this.”
“Oh sure,” Renny said apologetically, studying Simon. Simon quickly turned back toward the field just in time to see Caleb gripping the ball behind his head, looking for an open receiver. Will danced around the midfield, shadowing one of the A team members. Caleb fired the ball to Phil Nance, who was to Will’s left. Will sprinted toward the boy and dove for the ball. Before Phil knew where the ball was, Will was off and running to the opposing goal line.
Caleb smacked his hands on his helmet as Will, unbelievably, ran in his direction. Fire flashed in Caleb’s eyes. The quarterback became a Mack Truck, rolling forward, determined to stop Will Wilder at all costs.
“You might be bigger,” Will shouted as he pressed forward. “But I can do something about it.” And with that he collided with Caleb’s helmet.
Simon and Renny winced in the bleachers, sure their friend would need major medical care. But when Simon managed to open one eye to survey the damage, it was Caleb not Will backflipping across the field.
“What the…? He’s like Superman,” Simon howled. Renny was too busy beating his fists on the bleachers to say anything.
Will passed the 20-yard line, then the 10, then the 5. With no opposition in sight, he scored his second touchdown of the day.
Caleb shook his head, trying to process his current state: flat on his back in the middle of the field. How did Will Wilder manage to knock him down? How did it happen? I must have slipped and hit my head, Caleb thought. Maybe I was moving so fast I lost my balance. Wilder was coming at me and…Whatever the explanation, Caleb’s anger bubbled over. Wilder had shamed him in the classroom and now he had disgraced him on the field. His field. Before he could get to his feet, the voice of the coach startled him.
“Easy, Caleb. That was quite a tumble. Take your time getting up.” The coach gently raised Caleb off the ground. “Have you ever seen a little guy do something like that? He’s incredible. With your arm and him as a receiver, we’ll take the state championship. Go ahead and change.”
Caleb grunted without so much as a word. He jerked his arm away from the coach and sullenly headed for the lockers. He purposely walked right by Will.
“This isn’t over,” Caleb said, looking back half in defiance, half in shame. A few of the bigger guys on the team followed him.
Will tried to ignore the threat. He kept his cool and patted his chest to ensure that the Samson amulet was where it was supposed to be. No worries, he thought. And he went right on glorying in the backslaps and adulation of the B team.
The coach interrupted their celebrations. “Wilder, you’re in, son. Nineteen years as a coach, I’ve never seen a scrapper like you do anything like that. You’re fast. Strong. I’m very impressed, Wilder. Welcome to the Perilous Falls Middle School team.”
Even though a tiny part of him felt guilty for wearing the amulet to tryouts, he wasn’t guilty enough to fess up or refuse the offer. “Thanks a lot, Coach Runyon,” he said. “I’ll try to make you proud.”
Dreading being caught in the locker room with Caleb or his crowd, Will made small talk with Simon once Andrew headed to the showers.
“I have to give it to you, Will. You were like a superhero out there,” said Simon.
“When you focus hard on something, anything is possible.”
“So that was mind over matter?”
“Exactly!” Will nodded. “Mind over matter.”
“No vitamins? No tricks? Those guys went flying for yards. Don’t your arms hurt?”
“I feel great. Just doing what I had to do to make the touchdown.”
“Why don’t I entirely believe this story?”
“Stop being so suspicious.” Seeing Caleb and his gang leave the locker room, Will figured the coast was clear. “I’ll see you in a little bit, Simon.”
Will was all alone inside the fragrant, fluorescent-lit room. He hastily changed out of the team uniform and put on his khaki pants and blue shirt. As he reached for the pith helmet on the top shelf of the locker, a roar shook the room. He froze in place. This was not the bark or yowl of a dog, but the type of rumbling roar that could only come from a creature with a sizable chest cavity and an even bigger mouth. The sound cut through him. He made no sudden moves for fear of attracting the thing. It seemed to be coming from the band room. His first thought was to run outside onto the field. But then his nose began to itch.
That isn’t good. Will slowly put the pith helmet on his head, summoning his courage. He rubbed the amulet at his chest and ventured down the dimly lit hallway that led to the band room and the growls.
When the next roar sounded, the air in the hallway turned sticky. It reeked the way food does when left in the sun for too long. Breath, Will thought. It had to be the heinously stinky breath of whatever was roaring.
Will held his nostrils together to keep a developing sneeze from drawing the attention of the creature lurking in the shadows. He flattened himself against the wall, hoping for a better view of the thing. Another roar shook the hallway.
Worried that he had gotten too close, Will started creeping backward along the wall, toward the lockers. A sudden whimpering wafted in from the band room. “Will! Will? I’m hurt.”
It was Renny Bertolf.
“Are you okay?” Will whispered.
“Not really.”
“I’m coming,” Will said, stepping into the middle of the hall.
Two red eyes glowed near the end of the hall. RAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! In the faint light coming from behind him, Will could just make out what the two eyes were attached to. A gargantuan creature, like a prehistoric lion, scratched its claws into the concrete floor and defiantly roared at him. A tangle of glistening quills served as its mane, like a porcupine had exploded around the thing’s face.
Will blinked hard. This was no illusion, but a massive monster whose attention was now trained on him. Then it charged. For a split second Will considered running back into the locker room. But how far would he really get? There was nowhere to hide. He touched the amulet at his chest and felt a mighty power surge through him. Then Will did the unthinkable: he ran at the lion.
The creature leapt into the air with both claws extended, its jaws wide. Drawing back a fist, Will jumped up to meet the thing and popped the beast squarely on the chin. The evil cat flew sideways, smashing into a trophy case. Panting, the monster tried to right itself onto floppy legs and struggled to rise. It managed to steady the front two legs, but the rear haunches were wobbly. The creatu
re trembled with anger, the quills of its mane stood straight out. It unleashed a terrible growl, sticky spittle landing on Will’s arm.
“Renny. Just hold on a second,” Will shouted down the hall. “I’ll be there soon.”
“It’s okay. A friend is here with me,” Renny responded weakly.
The lion turned its great head toward Renny’s voice, echoing from the band room. Sensing a weaker target, the monster spun away from Will and headed in Renny’s direction. Its killer claws dug into the polished concrete, dragging the weakened back legs along the hall. It quickly closed in on the band room.
“Oh no you don’t,” Will said.
He ran forward and grabbed the lion thing by the tail. In response, two claws viciously slashed at his face. He yanked his head back just in time to save it. The creature reared up on its back legs and disengaged its jaws to reveal a mouthful of enameled daggers. Impulsively, Will reached for the dullest teeth up front—between the huge fangs. He clutched the lion’s upper and lower jaw and began to yank it apart.
The monster’s red eyes went vacant as it absorbed what was happening. A choked wail of fear came out of the beast. The huge body flailed on the floor, but it no longer offered much resistance. Only the quills, like a hundred angry snakes, strained to poke Will.
He continued to pry open the foul mouth as if it were a clamshell. The muscles across his chest and arms ached from the effort. He knew he couldn’t keep this up for much longer. But if he let go, he’d lose more than his hands, and a few of the pulsating quills were only inches from his arms. Will shut his eyes and with all his might, ripped the teeth apart and twisted. The lion’s jaw separated like hot taffy.
When he opened his eyes to check the carcass, the teeth dissolved in his hands along with the entire body. A sickly sweet, purple mist exploded into the air before him. Aside from the scent of honey, nothing of the lion creature remained. Will stood there, shell-shocked, his arms still fully extended. A Fomorii, it must have been a Fomorii. But before he could consider what had happened, the cries of Renny from the band room needed his attention.
Will rushed in to find Renny on the floor, in the corner of the room, broken concrete blocks all around him. A girl—a really beautiful cheerleader with jet-black hair and startling green eyes—knelt next to him. She was pressing a band T-shirt to his head.
“What happened?” Will asked, trying not to be distracted by the cheerleader, who smiled at him in a weird, but kind of neat, way.
“It was Caleb…,” Renny wheezed, his right eye swollen and bleeding. “I came in here to congratulate you and he knocked me down.”
“What the…What happened to the wall?” Something had obviously punched through the back of the band room, creating a five-foot-high gaping hole.
Renny gestured for Will to come closer. He was woozy and paler than usual. “Caleb did it. He didn’t look like himself. He was big—like a monster. He asked me if I had seen you. When I told him I hadn’t, he threw me up against the wall…slapped me hard. He was looking for you! He said he had a little surprise for you if you came back here. Then he pounded the wall and ran out.”
Will stared at the open hole into the dusky schoolyard, trying to make sense of it all.
“You were great out there,” the beautiful cheerleader said in a voice like honey.
“Thanks.” Will blushed a little.
“I mean it. I’ve never seen anyone do that and I’ve cheered at a lot of games.” She lightly touched his arm. “I’m Lilith Lorcan.”
“Lilith’s a friend of mine from Sorec Middle School. We were going to go out for ice cream, but…”
“I told Renny I’d meet him after my cheer squad. Then I didn’t see him on the bleachers. After the tryouts I went looking for him and he was in here.”
“I can’t believe that Caleb would— I’m Will,” he said suddenly, offering his hand. She had the most glittery eyes he had ever seen. “I should get help,” he said, rising to his feet and heading for the hole in the wall.
Lilith smirked and took his arm. “It’s okay. My dad’s a doctor. He’s on his way. And I know how to tend wounds pretty well.” She yanked at the bottom of her short black and red skirt as she stood.
“Will-man?” It was Andrew, followed by Simon. They stuck their heads in the room.
“Did somebody set off a bomb? What happened in here?” Simon asked.
“I’ll tell you on the walk home,” Will said. “Renny, are you sure you’ll be okay until Lilith’s dad gets here?”
“Oh he’ll be fine. The bleeding’s stopped and everything,” Lilith said. “It was great meeting you, Will.” She played with her ear in the cutest way. “Maybe we can grab an ice cream or something, after a game?”
Will could only stare at her, his mouth not quite closed. He couldn’t think of a thing to say. She smiled a crooked smile that only encouraged him to continue staring.
Lilith pulled a card from her little purse and pointed at it. “My number is right there. I wish you’d been here before that Caleb kid came through. Maybe Renny would be in better shape. He needs a strong friend to look out for him at school.”
“Oh, I’ll look out for him. We’re friends. Right, Renny?” Will’s voice went higher than he intended.
“I hoped we’d be friends. I’d like that.”
Andrew and Simon frowned at each other. “Can we go now?” Simon squawked to Will. “Or are you two going to sing a duet?”
Will walked toward the door. “Okay, I’ll check on you tomorrow, Renny. And Lilith, we’ll talk…soon….I’ll call so we can talk and…see each…well, I’ll see you and…you know.” He pinched the brim of his pith helmet and pushed Simon and Andrew back into the hall.
“Smooth, Romeo. Real smooth,” Simon said, guffawing once they were down the hall.
Will kept walking, keeping it cool. “She’s nice.”
“She’s gotta be in high school. What is she, sixteen or something?” Andrew asked.
“I don’t know. I just met her. She’s cool, though. Pretty.” Will looked to the boys for confirmation.
“I suppose,” Simon said, rolling his eyes. “Andrew’s right, though—she is a little old. Forget that, the real question is: How did you manage to knock those big players down like toy soldiers?”
“I told you. It’s focus—mind over matter.”
“I get all that,” Andrew said. “But your mind isn’t that strong. Harlan and Caleb were limping after you hit them.”
“Don’t even mention his name. He’s lucky he went home at all. Did you see what he did to Renny?”
“Caleb did that?” Simon asked.
“Yes. He was looking for me but decided to take it out on that poor little kid.”
“I saw,” Andrew said gravely. “Where’d this Renny come from?”
“He’s a transfer student from Sorec Middle—but that doesn’t matter now. What matters is taking Caleb down. He needs to be taught a lesson.”
“Oh, now you’re the enforcer of Perilous Falls? Give me a break.” Simon flipped his hand in the air, dismissing the whole idea. “You’re half Caleb’s size. It’s a miracle you survived out there today. You proved your point. Why don’t you just return to the Eagle Scouts and forget this vendetta, tough guy.”
“You all don’t understand. Somebody has to teach Caleb a lesson.” Will pulled them close to him and whispered, “And I’m starting to think he’s more than meets the eye.”
“What do you mean by that?” Simon asked.
“Did you see the wall in the band room? Kids can’t do that. Even strong kids. I think he’s a demon, or possessed by one.”
“Possessed! You think he’s POSSESSED?” Simon squealed.
“Why don’t you announce it over the loudspeaker?” Andrew nudged him.
“Something’s not right, and I haven’t even told y
ou all about the demonic lion in the hallway. Normal people don’t bust through walls and turn into monsters.”
“Normal people don’t throw guys who’ve been playing for years across the field either.” Andrew turned Will around by the shoulders. “Level with us, Will-man. What’s going on?”
As he formulated a response, Will’s eyes drifted to the floor beyond Andrew and Simon. Three hunched imps scampered out of the band room, running right past his friends. Will tracked them with worried eyes.
“Will? What is it? What do you see?” Simon asked, checking the floor all around him.
“Nothing. It’s nothing.” Will couldn’t put all the pieces together and feared telling his friends anything further—especially anything about the relic that might be attracting the demon’s attention. “I just have to figure this out. Everything’s going to be fine.”
Andrew didn’t believe him for a second.
Inside Peniel’s north tower on that late Tuesday morning, Tobias Shen and Ugo Pagani shared their discoveries at the de Plancy Cemetery. Abbot Athanasius sat behind the desk in his office, listening intently, while Aunt Lucille watched from a leather side chair.
“There were two open graves. One in the front and one in the rear section,” Ugo reported, flipping through his notes. “The dirt from the graves wasn’t piled up in mounds—which was strange. It was spread all over the place, like twelve guys had dug them up at once, throwing the dirt in all directions.”
“I thought there was only one disturbed grave,” the abbot said.
“We did as well,” Tobias said, “but this morning we found a second open grave—one that has not been reported—in the newer part of the cemetery.”
“From the condition of the busted coffin in the hole, I’d say it’s been open for two…three weeks. Rain washed a lotta dirt over the thing,” Ugo added, his thick black eyebrows rising. “And tell ’em about the can-opening technique. Haaaa.”
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