by Mark Boliek
Chapter 14
JT felt cold—and not just the cold of a typical winter's day. This icy bitterness froze the very flesh beneath the skin. He hugged himself as he shivered. For every warm puff of air he exhaled, he inhaled frigid air that froze his saliva to slush, nearly solid ice. He could not see his breath, though, for there was no light. He looked around the total blackness, but could only make out phantom movement about him. He tried to move his legs, but they were frozen stiff to whatever ground was beneath him. His feet were numb.
Time stood still. He felt emptiness within him, a void that somehow, no matter what he tried, could not be filled.
A laugh rang out in the icy darkness. He knew the laugh all too well. Billy.
“Hello, boy.” Deep and smooth, the words reverberated through JT's insides. “Hmmm. It's been a while.”
JT tried to open his mouth, but found he was too cold to speak. His teeth chattered and he made a noise like a sputtering motorboat engine. “Bluh, bluh, whur, ha, be, bluh brr.”
The dark laugh exploded. JT would have covered his ears if he could have.
“Evil is back,” the voice bellowed. “Of course, that is not really true. Evil has always been here and, unfortunately, it will be a long time before it can be defeated.” The voice paused. “What I really meant to say was that evil is back in Bruinduer after a long time.”
“What about Ch-harlie?” JT managed to squeeze out through his chattering teeth.
“Charlie was not evil, my boy. Charlie was a misguided young man who made some bad decisions. He really didn't know he was doing something bad. No, my young friend, evil has a much different character. Evil knows exactly what it is doing.” Billy's voice became softer. “I never thought it would come back to the land behind the door.”
“How are you here? The door was shut.” As JT's thought process tried to return, he found he had a lot of questions.
“It's open.” Billy chuckled.
“Why can't you just take care of it? You are all-powerful, right?” JT's voice became clearer.
“It's more fun to use you, my boy. It's just more interesting that way.”
“What if I say no? What if I decline? Is it really necessary for all of this?” JT rubbed his arms. The cold made the tips of his fingers hard and dry.
“If you say no, then I believe Kali will continue to suffer. And it is necessary to show you the meaning of evil, to show you its loneliness, to let you feel its solitary, bitter bite.”
Billy waited while JT's mind raced.
“What can get rid of it?” JT asked. His legs were almost completely numb.
“I am so glad you asked.” Billy's silky voice calmed JT's heart. Was Billy actually God? He didn't sound like a loving God; he sounded like he liked to use people to play games. He likes to play games. JT thought of Kali.
A pinhole of light opened in the distance and then, like someone raised a dimmer switch, the light grew and grew. In an instant, the entire space flashed white and JT felt its warmth. He felt a love penetrate him like he had never felt before. One moment he felt as cold as the deepest cave and emptiest hole—as cold as evil. The next moment, his body was whole, warm, and free from the bondage.
“Wake up, sleeper,” someone whispered again. He did not know where it came from, but his eyes popped open.
The sun's rays shone through the small room's window. He flipped the comforter from his now warm body.
In front of the diner, JT met Michael and Jenny by the big old blue car with Arthur tucked away in the backseat.
The snow that had fallen the day before was melting and the drip of water echoed throughout the streets, almost like rain. The air, a bit heavier than the day before, once again carried the thick aroma of salt.
“Jenny's not coming,”' JT said as he put his grandfather's journal beside Arthur. “I'm not so sure that Arthur should be going, either. Who knows how he will be in Bruinduer; he could seriously slow us down. If you bleed in that place, you bleed, remember?”
JT spoke bluntly. He did not care how the group reacted. He did not know what to expect of himself when he would step through the door. The more he thought about that, the more he felt Michael shouldn’t even go with him.
“I told you, JT, I'm going and there's nothing you can do about it,” Jenny stated.
“I don't want to argue.”
“There's nothing to argue about. I'm going.” Jenny crossed her arms and huffed. She stood with one hip cocked and one leg to the side; JT thought there was something familiar about that.
Finally, JT relented. He knew he would not win the argument. “Fine. Just so you know, I cannot guarantee your safety.” He climbed back into the backseat with Arthur.
“Fine,” Jenny answered sharply.
“I still don't think Arthur should go. I mean, he hasn't said anything the whole trip. He just stares out the window.”
Arthur's hand slammed on top of JT's. Startled, JT stared back at the old man.
“You, too?” JT asked. He retrieved his hand from Arthur and sulked. “I can't make any decisions around here. I thought I was some kind of general in that expedition commission or something?”
Arthur chuckled.
“We need to go. Kali is suffering.” JT said it in a rush. “We should have gone last night.”
Arthur took a deep, pained breath and sighed.
“How do you know Kali is suffering?” Jenny asked.
“Billy,” JT answered, his voice sharp.
“You talked to Billy?” Michael asked as he and Jenny climbed into the car. “When?”
“Never mind. I talked to him.” JT rubbed his arms, remembering the cold of his dream.
“Well, what did he say?” Michael's voice was high.
“I told you. Can we go?”
Fright filled JT's veins. He gripped his grandfather's journal. If they faced anything like the Munch, this would be much more dangerous than going against Charlie. Billy said explicitly that the Munch was evil. JT knew he needed to get Kali out of Bruinduer, but three more people added variables to an already volatile and enormously dangerous quest. He just didn't want anyone else to die in his grandfather's house.
Imagining what the people in town would think if he came back and even more people had died, including the man they had run out of town, made JT’s head hurt. If that happened, he almost hoped he'd be one who didn't return.
The thought of the Munch running amok in the real world crossed his mind, too. The monster already could make it snow in the human world and, according to the journal, had the ability to decimate entire villages. JT lucky that the Munch wanted to go back to Bruinduer this time, rather than unleash his terrors in Athens Eden.
Michael cranked the big old blue car and with a deafening bang, the four adventurers headed toward the coast and Warhead Dale.
Linda passed them on their way out as she pulled into the diner to open for breakfast. Her tires kicked a mixture of snow and rock behind the car. She waved and shook her head as they turned out of the parking lot and rumbled down the road.
JT's mind wandered. There was never any way to know what might happen to them as they went back through the mahogany door into Bruinduer. He searched his mind for the rules, even just rule number one.
Michael said, “We're here.” The car slid to a stop at the gate and backfired.
JT wrenched his grandfather's journal. The once green and vibrant vines that covered the gate were brown and shriveled in winter. He could see very faintly through the iron bars. The sun poked its rays over the large house, reflecting off of the white snow, now starting to melt and reveal plumes of wilted grass.
JT launched himself out of the car, opened the gate, and let Michael pull into the drive.
Back in the car, JT glanced at Arthur, who had his nose plastered to the side window. The inside of the car had the quiet intensity of a team getting ready to play the big game.
As they pulled up to the large hole where the big oak doors once stood, JT felt a
lightheaded flash of excitement.
The daylight makes everything look different and every task seem possible. JT would get Kali back. In the back of his mind, he also thought of destroying the mahogany when he returned with Kali. He recalled meeting his grandfather on the Mary Maid in his dreams. The old sailor said that he should have demolished the wooden slab himself, when he had the chance so many years ago.
“Man, this house is so cool!” Jenny shouted.
JT had no idea what she saw in it; he could only see the secrets and the tragedies in its past. And who knew what might show up next if they survived this trip?
JT wasted no time, but headed straight down the long hallway to the small elevator. Arthur grunted and smacked his lips, making some weird clicking noise. Michael did not say a word, except to herd Jenny along. She kept pointing up at the walls and commenting on the woodwork and faded pictures.
JT's breath pounded as he pushed the green button. The little door flung open and the four of them piled into the cramped little room, scuffling around to get comfortable. Jenny could not believe the house had an elevator and Arthur continued clicking.
JT shifted, reaching around to push the red button. The small wooden door slapped shut and the entire elevator went dark and silent. A moment later, the elevator dropped.
Perhaps it was the weight of the four people, but the elevator did not grind and squeak its way down the shaft; it fell. JT felt his feet start to lift the ground. They all gasp in unison; Arthur clicked.
Right before the elevator slammed into the floor of the basement, some sort of emergency brake activated and the little room decelerated. They all piled onto each other as the elevator halted with a thud.
Arthur said, “Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow.”
The heap of bodies on the floor squirmed around until they were able to get to their feet. The daylight gave way to the darkness of the basement of Warhead Dale. They heard the distinct drip of water and their feet splashed across the floor.
The map wall that JT remembered was open, revealing the inner room and the mahogany door. He did not know what it was, but the room looked different than he remembered it. Maybe he had changed, but the room looked dirty. It had no stars across the walls and ceilings. The symbols he did see on the wall made no sense to him. Papers and books were stren across the floor; much how it looked when he entered with Michael now only a month or so ago.
“What's up with this?” JT started. “This is not what I remember.”
“Don't know, but, by the looks of it, they may not have even returned to Bruinduer.” Michael walked across the threshold and toward the mahogany door.
It did not have the same magnetism it had before, but when he looked more closely, Michael realized his mistake. “Sorry.” He reached for the handle, because JT's cane rested snugly in the lock. “They are back there.” Michael stepped back to look at the door again. “Well, I think they are back there, but there is no image carved in the circle on the door.”
“It just was more, more…” JT paused, thinking of the word.
Jenny and Arthur joined them, stepping around small puddles on the floor. Still mesmerized by the house, Jenny placed her hand on the smooth wooden circle in the middle of the door, then jerked it back. “Wow!” she squealed, her voice climbing a few octaves. She shook her hand.
“What's wrong?” Michael asked, grabbing her hand.
“Not sure.” Jenny looked at her hand. “It burns.”
Michael turned Jenny's palm toward him. He took in a large breath. “Oh man, are you okay?” He kissed her palm. “JT, come here and look at this.”
“What was that? Are you okay?”
“Look.” Michael showed JT Jenny's hand.
Burned into her hand was an image of a medieval castle with a thick, high wall around it and a tall tower with one window. A flag flew over the tower and a pair of large, dark eyes could be seen in the far background.
“Magical,” JT whispered.
A large laugh boomed from a distance. They could not tell where it was, but they knew who it was.
“Billy's here.” JT looked around the room, at the ceiling, then at the large orange chair in the corner.
He opened the journal, flipping to the neat stack of the loose pages in the back. He flipped through them and, when he found what he was looking for, he dropped the journal nonchalantly on top of his duffel bag on the floor. “Everybody come over here.” JT motioned for everyone to gather round.
In a small circle in the middle of the inner room, in front of the mahogany door, JT began his poem.
Slip the soul between space and time
Where up is down and five is nine
The floor rattled. Floorboards pried up their nails and then slapped back down.
Place the palm upon the door
Enter the universe upon its shore
The scattered books and papers vibrated on the floor and shelves. Some books tore loose, flew across the room, then fell to the shaking wood planks, only to be catapulted back into the air by the popping wood.
Arthur mumbled the poem the best he could, keeping time with JT. Jenny, unable to read the bouncing, shaking page spouted out words in no particular cadence, guessing at some and repeating the rest half a second after JT. JT pulled the paper close to him and did not try to share. For some reason he knew the others would catch up with him soon enough and say the poem without effort.
In a village or on a beach
Nothing there is out of reach
Arthur grew more coherent as each line was spoken. His face came alive. The sadness that weighted down the wrinkles of his face broke; his cheeks filled with color and his eyes became bright.
Michael kept pace with JT as he spoke. He knew the poem like the back of his hand.
After a few seconds, confirming what JT thought, Jenny glanced at Michael in alarm; her words were not her own. Concerned, eyes wide, she grabbed Michael's hand.
Take me where I cannot go
Make me a king or let it snow
The entire house felt like it was going to fall down. JT glanced at the mahogany door. None could hear their voices, but they continued to recite the poem nonetheless. Blue, white, and yellow light danced behind the wooden slab, its rays slipping through out from time to time, like light through a glass of water, filling the room with beams of wavy radiance. The eyes on the cane blazed hot red, like glowing coals.
Billy, please hear our beckoning
For in Bruinduer, you are the Reckoning.
The shaking stopped in an instant. The cane’s eyes blew out like candles. The four travelers huddled in their little circle, peeking out and then slowly gazing around the inner room.
Every nerve Michael, JT, Jenny, and Arthur had fired with tension. Fear engulfed them. No one knew what might happen next. Was it over?
White light appeared, outlining the massive mahogany door, beaming onto the travelers' faces. Arthur's eyes grew large and a smile crept across his face. Tears filled his eyes.
Without warning, the wall of the inner room slammed shut. The light around the door vanished. Silence echoed in the blackness of the inner room.
“What now?”
“I don't—”
An intense light flashed violently, making JT sick to his stomach. He had to shut his eyes. Then he heard screaming—not screams of pain, but screams of joy. He did not recognize the voice, but he felt a strong grip on his shoulder.
“This is amazing, JT.”
He fell to the floor, his knee exploding in pain. He fainted.
It was hard to say how much time passed before JT heard a deep voice in his ear. “Wake up, sleeper.”
Billy. JT's eyes popped open. But it was a young man, around thirty-five, with thick, brown hair and the brightest smile JT had ever seen.
“Billy?” JT muttered. He did not recognize his voice, but he had heard it before the last time the lights went out in the inner room of Warhead Dale. “Aww, man—not again!”
“What? What's
wrong, JT?” the young man asked in a very clear, coherent masculine voice.
“I don't believe this. Who are you?” JT asked. “Are you Billy?”
“No! No, JT.” The man thumped his chest. “Why, it's me, my young friend. I don't know how this happened, but it's me, Arthur Logan.”
JT's head cocked to one side as he looked at the young man's beaming eyes and broad smile.
“Stop looking at me that way,” Arthur said. “How did this happen, JT? I have not felt like this is some time. This is amazing.”
JT tried to clear his head. He knew Billy was with them somehow; Kali was in Bruinduer and he had to get to her.
"So rad!” Jenny said behind him. “I know you said this was cool, Michael, but I had no idea it was this awesome.”
He turned around. Jenny was examining her now fifteen-year-old hands and body. Michael could not take his eyes off of her; he looked more in love than ever.
JT stood up and walked to the mirror that hung on the wall. It was quite different than he remembered. There were fewer cracks and they were not as prominent. He could see his young face staring back at him clearly. He could remember what a rush it was to be so young again for the first time. There were probably millions of people who wished they could be fifteen again and, in just a few short months, it had happened to him twice.
Arthur paced about the room. Without the wrinkles on his face and the blank eyes, he was young and dashing—a youthful, confident man.
JT knew what Arthur was thinking. The first time, he had asked himself over and over, How did this happen? Even with the benefits of being thirty-five, the rational attorney surely wanted to know what had transformed him and how.
“Arthur,” JT said quietly. The man did not turn. “Arthur!” JT managed to project.
The young man's hair flew around his shoulders as he twisted his head, startled. He, too, was not used to JT's unbroken voice.
JT walked over and patted the man's shoulder. “I really don't know how this actually happens,” JT said, a smile growing across his cheeks. “But I can tell you that Kali is beyond that door.” JT turned Arthur's shoulders toward the massive mahogany door.
“Let's go.” Arthur's eyes bugged. Breathlessly, he rushed toward the door.
It took all of JT and Michael's strength, but they tackled the energetic young man before he reached the door.
“I'm sorry.” Arthur apologized as JT and Michael lay on top of him. “I'm trying to get used to this.” He took a few more deep breaths. “It's been so long since I have been able to do what I've thought of or actually wanted to do. It's been some time since I've been able to just run.”
Arthur, JT, and Michael climbed to their feet and brushed themselves off. “Well, what do we need to do now?”
JT paused to think. He gazed around the inner room; the magic that it first had seemed dimmed this time. He did not know why. Was it too familiar to him?
He walked over to the big orange chair that Bill had once sat in and plopped into it. He put his head into his hands and stared at the floor. They needed to go back through the door, but he didn't want them to be separated, like the previous time. He had to think about what he needed to do and what kind of consequences might come out of whatever he decided. He was split as to whether or not he wanted to pay the price.
The silence grew thick. Michael stopped fawning over Jenny. Arthur actually stood still and Jenny stared at JT.
Suddenly, the Mahogany Door shook. It did not open, but the light from the cracks and from the red ruby eyes of the cane twinkled and danced across the walls of the inner room. Though they did not see the Essence, the way the light moved indicated that someone or something had stepped through the wooden slab. The light on the other side of the door morphed into a being and now, appearing before them in the flesh, was the Essence known as Kwaida-ume-fahamu or Billy.
The massive figure towered over them, its insides rumbling. Their eyes widened and their jaws dropped. JT felt electricity shoot through his body, but, unlike before, it did not turn to anger. Instead, it was a comfort, the same comfort he felt deep within the dungeon of the Triton Pyramid as he called the Essence's name.
“Helloooooo!” the mammoth creature howled. “How are my favorite peoples in the world?”
JT jumped up. He could not help himself. He ran into Billy’s arms.
Billy swallowed him in his giant limbs. The ugly, grimy creature JT, Michael, and Kali had seen crawl from the bowels of Bruinduer was not hideous any longer. His face, still painted blue, white, and orange, was clean and tight. His teeth were white; his toga and shoes were soft, though his red hair was still matted and his feather headdress ratty.
JT fell limp in Billy's arms, feeling the massive heart beat through his own chest. If he did not know better, he could hear the Essence purr as he stroked JT’s back. JT felt totally safe.
“I missed you,”' JT whispered.
“I never left you,” Billy answered. “But this time a test like no other awaits you, my friend.”
Michael, Arthur, and Jenny looked on, but the audience did not faze Billy. He clearly cared for JT. When he finally let go of the boy, he immediately walked over to Arthur.
Billy had terrified Michael, Kali, and JT when he blew the doors off of Warhead Dale and they all still felt that terror in different degrees. Arthur, however, felt no terror, though anxiety washed over him. He had no idea what Billy's intentions were, but, since the Essence just hugged JT, he figured the creature would not harm him.
“Arthur.” Billy put his hands on the man's shoulders. Arthur felt a warmth shiver down his spine. “I am so glad to see you, my friend. It is important for you to be here.”
Arthur stared into Billy's black eyes. There was somberness about them, but he did not feel frightened in the least.
“What is it—“ He paused. “Billy?” He looked to JT and JT nodded. “What do you want me to do? I still have no idea what has happened to me.”
Billy chuckled, then whispered in Arthur's ear. The young man's eyes grew large, then the Essence pulled Arthur close. “I am sure that your daughter would say something about how I am being as manipulative as possible. Her faith is great, but she questions everything. That is good, because I do need to prove to her that I do care and I am not manipulative. I use those I care for; I show them that they are stronger than they realize.”
Billy let Arthur go and turned to Michael. “Watch after JT. He needs you.”
He turned to Jenny. “Watch after Michael. He needs you.”
He walked to the door and spoke without turning around. “You know the rules of Bruinduer, but hold these two in your minds, for they are the most important.
“First, the people of Bruinduer are people. Even if they are the dastardliest of individuals, they are people. And second, everyone who enters Bruinduer must leave Bruinduer. As you found out with Charlie, there are multiple ways to exit. Be mindful of which one you take.”
The Essence stepped toward the door and began to pass through it. He stated one last thing before he vanished. “The journal. Keep it close. It contains information that will help you in your journey.”
“The door is shut!” JT called after Billy. “How do we get back?”
“The door is not completely shut.” Billy sounded amused. “Kali is a very resourceful young woman, though she needs you more than ever where she is right now. Her situation is not been a very good one. Her path, as well as that of another, depends on what you do next. Bruinduer, though full of my rules, is a very independent world. Its habitants certainly affect it. When you pass the threshold, you, too, become one of them.”
The Essence disappeared through the door and into Bruinduer.
“Why can't anyone give me a direct answer?” JT mumbled.
“This may not be the best time, but Billy wanted me to ask you about a couple of things,” Arthur said.
“Great. More questions. What is it?” JT was frustrated, without a doubt.
“JT, I'm no
t trying to be rude, but you have to remember, I still have no idea what is going on. I am just trying to go with the flow.”
JT remembered feeling the same way when Michael entered his life not too long before. He told Kali that he didn't have a lot of time to think about what might happen; he just had to live in the moment. His mood changed just a little, because he knew exactly how Arthur was feeling—pretty much lost.
“Sorry, Arthur. I know this is hard on you. I apologize for being insensitive. The last thing I thought I'd be is young again.”
“Yes, JT, I can imagine. It's hard for me, though I feel so alive right now. Remember, Kali is my daughter. I will do anything to make sure she is okay.” Arthur's sincerity shone in his eyes.
“Sure, Arthur. What did Billy want you to ask me? Though I'm sure he could have asked me himself—but I guess that would be too easy.”
“I really don't understand it. Maybe you do. The first question is, What is it that all creatures need to survive?”
“That's an odd question.”
“And the last question…” Arthur paused for a second. “Please forgive me if I am way off here, but I heard this as a child. I think Billy wanted me to ask you, Why is a raven like a writing desk?”
“What in the world?”
JT couldn't think straight. The questions bounced around his head. He only knew it was time to go back to Bruinduer.
“Okay…” JT's voice was speculative. He figured there would be some kind of catch. There was always a catch. He sauntered easily to the door, back to his younger body with no pain in his knee. He peered at the cane, then looked back at Michael, Jenny, and Arthur.
“I want to know right now: are we in this together? There will be no turning back once we enter.” JT's voice was tense but excited.
All three nodded slowly.
“Are you sure?” JT stared at Michael. He feared that, if there was a weak link in their chain, it would be Michael.
“Yes, JT. I swear. I am with you.” Michael glanced at Jenny, who nodded. “All the way.”
JT continued. “Okay. We had this thing called the Bruinduer Expedition Commission, the BEC. We gave each other ranks to keep things in order. I'm beyond that right now—it seems kind of pointless at this juncture.” JT waited for a reaction, but his audience had none.
“But I have to make sure of a couple of things.” JT thought really fast. “First, do we have a timepiece? And second, we all need to hold hands as a group when we go through the door. I can't go through what we did last time and lose two of us just as we get in.”
Michael reached into his pocket, pulled out Charlie's old, blood-encrusted watch, and fastened it to his wrist. “Got the timepiece.”
“Right,” JT acknowledged him. “We go in together. We come out together. I have no idea how many others went in with Kali and the Munch, so be careful. Take notes in your mind or try to write it down. No telling what kind of land we are going into.”
JT took a deep breath. “Let's go.”
The four travelers huddled up close to the mahogany door. They looked upon the massive piece of wood with white light burning around its edges as the red light from the cane's eyes blasted bright again, their beams piercing through the room and dancing across the ceiling.
Billy saidd the ancient door wasn't shut all of the way.
JT thought. He wondered how the land activated without being shut, but the lock was broken on their first trip through to get Charlie. The door looked shut, but then JT saw pink stuck to the door's lock.
He stooped down, shielding his eyes from the red light, and peeked at the latch. A soft piece of pink substance stuck out between the door and the jamb. Kali’s gum! He remembered her asking if he wanted gum that night outside of Warhead Dale in the dark; he remembered all of the gum wrappers on her desk. JT smiled. Kali had known that somehow JT would come back for her, just like he had in the desert. Adrenaline spiked in his veins. That a girl! he thought.
“Everyone take hands and do not let go. If we get in there and any of you are gone, well…” JT paused for a second. He didn't want to seem too angry. “I just don't know what I'll do. We have to stick together on this. Anyone have any second thoughts or delusions of grandeur? Speak now or shut up.”
From the silence in the room, JT figured that the team was ready to go. He lifted his duffel bag with his grandfather's journal and flung it over his shoulder.
"Everyone take hands,” JT commanded again, with more force. He would keep them together in the transition to Bruinduer. A loud, deep, rumbling laugh rang out in the room.
Michael held Jenny's hand, Jenny took Arthur's hand, and Arthur clasped JT's.
JT reached for the door. No magic blue lightning carved the outline of the sculpture in the wooden plate, but JT could feel power rush through him like a swift, sustained breeze, down his back and to his feet.
He felt the door heave as though Bruinduer itself was actually breathing. He lightly nudged the door, but it would not move. He leaned into it and the door gave way. Wind and a bright light exploded through the opening. The four travelers disappeared as they were sucked into Bruinder. The piece of gum, so gently keeping the door from closing all of the way, dropped from its place. The massive mahogany door slammed shut.
JT flew in the light, his body free. For a moment he felt as happy as he ever had. He kept a tight grip with his hand, but he could not tell whether he still had Arthur's hand in his or not. He raced across the portal with reckless abandon, whatever his fate might be. He went faster and faster, his heart pounding and his breath leaving him. The illumination grew brighter and brighter as his speed grew. Suddenly, like he had rushed into a wall, all went black. He slammed into the ground.