by Todd Loyd
Jack tries to will his mind to free himself from the trance, telling himself, Wake up! But this has no effect. The piper's music is controlling his actions, and he also realizes that it's having an effect on his emotions, too, for when he looks at Mason, he has no more feelings of enmity for his friend. Strange remorse for his actions fill Jack's thoughts: Why did I sneak out in the first place? Why did I force Clyde to let us on? Why did I get out of the ride? Why did I steal that goose? Why was I such a jerk tonight to Mason? Soon, though, all feelings of regret also begin to wash away. Jack is having a hard time thinking. The music is soothing him.
The beat of the music quickens, and his feet begin to march faster. Jack tries to speak again, but his lips and tongue do not move. In another attempt to fight the music-induced haze, he blinks. This makes his eyelids grow heavy, but Jack is comforted a bit in knowing that he retains some control over his body.
The group passes the ladder they climbed down. Jack thinks, Now we're really going the wrong way. Up ahead, he can hear the sounds of pouring water. He wonders is this is a drainage system. He hopes it is and that it has lots of pipes, one of which he may be able grab on to.
Before his eyes shut, he sees the rats at the front of the procession begin to dive into the water ahead to their left. Jack remembers that rats are able to swim, but these are sinking because they remain stiff in a trance.
Suddenly, Jack realizes, He intends to drown us!
The gravity hits Jack, knowing he won't be able to swim in this state. He watches in despair, on the brink of unconsciousness as the rats continue to file into the trough of water. His last thoughts before blacking out are of Amy.
Chapter 94
The march continues, and all of them are caught in the midst of the bizarre parade of rats. The stark realization that the piper is intending to drown them all has hit Mason as well. However, like Jack, he cannot fight the march to his doom. A feeling of genuine regret passes over him as well, and he wonders why he had been so argumentative with Jack. He asks himself, Did Jack have a point about the narrator and the map? But if he was and if only three of them get a happy-ever-after, what if I'm not one of the three? He also thinks about Scotty, and when he considers the way he has treated him, his feelings soften. Finally, he acknowledges the way he had always tormented Amy by picking on her. Now he wishes everything had been different.
Weary and dazed, Mason fights to stay coherent. While he lumbers forward, he feels an odd sensation near his right ankle and realizes that something is tugging at his shoe. This gentle tugging breaks the daze just long enough for Mason to slightly tilt his head to the right and down. Is that a squirrel? he thinks. The creature has now hopped onto Mason's foot, and his first reaction is to shoot his leg out and send the rodent flying; however, the trance prevents this from happening. His mind clouds again, and Mason simply chooses to ignore the foul thing. After a few more steps, though, more odd sensations break the fog. This time odd pricks scratch up his leg, and Mason thinks, “Oh, just great, that thing is climbing up my leg. This is not getting any better.”
With blurry eyes, Mason notices that the rodent has climbed out to where Lucky rests in his grip. Then he sees a curious thing: the squirrel is chewing at the scorched plot on Lucky's stomach. It looks up at Mason and displays a large clump of fluff in its mouth. Mason tries to communicate, Get off me, you varmint!
The destination of the parade looms closer, and more rats are flinging themselves into the water. No, no, no, thinks Mason. Meanwhile, the squirrel climbs up Mason's neck. In order to shake off the rodent, Mason tries to lurch his head forward, but he cannot. The squirrel then latches onto his hair and drags himself to the top of his head. At this point, while it looks like Mason is wearing the rodent like a hat, the most curious thing happens. He feels the squirrel shoving fluff into his right ear.
Chapter 95
Could this be? wonders Mason, Is the squirrel helping me? The sudden realization startles him but also encourages him. He feels the tiny feet tickling him as they scamper around the base of his neck in order to place fluff into his left ear. Then, just like that, the music dulls to Mason and then dissipates. He can no longer hear the piper, and the dreamlike trance wears off quickly. Meanwhile, the squirrel has scampered down Mason's leg and retreated out of sight.
Mason is able to stop marching now under his own power, and he does so, pausing to think quickly. He realizes his best plan to save his friends is to catch the piper off guard. Resuming the march, he fakes a stupefied expression. Just ahead, he sees the others approaching the water. Think, Mason, think, he tells himself. Should I charge the piper? he wonders. He decides there is not enough time since the piper is about 20 yards away and by the time he would get there, the others would be in the pool. Mason turns to get a gauge on the piper and risks blowing his cover. Fortunately, though, the green-clad little man continues to skip while playing and doesn't appear to notice anything unusual. Currently, the piper is approximately six feet from the edge of the pool, and an idea springs into Mason's head. Of the group, he knows that only he would be capable of pulling this off. Readying his body for the motion to come, he tenses his legs, envisions his actions, and thinks, It's now or never.
With reckless abandon, Mason runs in a short arc, looping around a section of the pool, and then heads straight toward the piper. Mason then launches himself in the air toward the pool with the piper exactly opposite him. The adrenaline rushing through his limbs sends him higher than he ever dreamed. In midair, he tucks his legs under his arms in preparation for what will perhaps be the greatest cannonball splash of his life. At the apex of his jump, he watches as the piper catches a glimpse of the famous “Chick cannonball.” There is nothing the odd little imp can do now but await the coming splash.
Chapter 96
The impact of the cannonball sends a titanic wave up, part of it is headed toward the piper. The oncoming wall of water forces the enchanter into a defensive position. He ducks but loses his balance as he tries to avoid the avalanche of water. With arms flailing, the flute flies from his grasp and the Piper is knocked to his back. The wall of water then crashes down on the sprawling man.
The music has stopped, and rats scamper in every direction.
Jack shakes off the trance. From the corner of his right eye, Jack sees Amy and Scotty shaking off the effects, as well, near the edge of the pool. Mason's jump into the pool happened just in time. Breaking away from the daze, he turns to see the piper, disheveled and drenched, lying on the ground and fighting his own soaked robes in search of the flute. Jack spots the instrument on the ground a few feet from the piper. Time to act, Jack thinks and bolts forward, free from any trace of a trance. By this point, the piper, too, has spotted the instrument and starts crawling on the ground toward it. As he runs, Jack spots Mason crawling up the side of the trench, and to Jack's adulation, Mason grabs the man's foot, preventing him from a final lunge to retrieve the instrument.
Jack runs past the man to the flute and slams his right foot down on the wooden instrument, splintering it into a dozen scattering pieces.
A scream of rage erupts from the iper.
“Time for a new flute!” Jack hollers victoriously at the man.
The hideous yellow oval eyes of the piper turn away from Jack and scan down to where Mason is clinging to his legs. Raising a knee, the man unleashes a furious kick toward Mason. Jack watches in alarm as a black boot thunders across Mason's jaw. Mason's eyes roll up into the back of his head, and his limp body crashes into the water.
Chapter 97
While shaking off her own effects from the music, Amy is slow to react to the whirlwind of activity. However, the crack of the piper's boot against Mason's defenseless jaw is a visual jolt of caffeine. Upon the subsequent fall of Mason's limp body into the water, she throws caution to the wind and knows what she has to do. Ignoring the now obvious fowl stench of the sewer water, she lunges into the water herself.
A splash of cold seizes her muscles. Amy has
never been a strong swimmer; the three summers of swim lessons had been in vain. But now, with Mason's life on the line, her legs kick and arms carve a swath against the flowing current. Several dozen rats, who have returned to consciousness themselves, begin to paddle all around her. Her arms clip a rat, then another. One rat attempts to cling to her like a human life preserver. No time to worry about them now, thinks Amy. She sees Mason's back floating to the middle of the pool just ahead. The current aids her efforts by bringing him closer to her. As she continues to swim in his direction, Amy swats away several rats, no longer able to ignore the vermin whose sharp claws dig into her clothes and flesh. Suddenly, she experiences a shot of pain on her tender head from a rat that has crawled on top. While swatting at the rat, she tries not to lose track of Mason. Finally, she succeeds in yanking the rat off and flinging him away, and then she reaches Mason and turns him upright so he can get a breath.
Dozens of rats begin to swim toward Mason and her.
Amy cries, “Help me, Scotty!” but there is no reply. She looks to the path and sees that Scotty is just standing there looking at the enraged piper.
She yells, “Scotty!” hoping to draw his attention to her.
Scotty, however, continues to stand motionless.
In the midst of fighting away the rats while holding Mason's head above water, Amy checks for a vital sign from Mason.
She calls out, “Jack! He's not breathing!”
Chapter 98
Amy slaps Mason's cheek, trying desperately to snap him back to life.
She yells, “Mason, wake up!”
She is fighting to stay afloat, and her legs are beginning to tire from the constant kicking. Soon, her head dips below the water.
Underneath the surface of the nasty black liquid, Amy sees the rats and realizes that Mason is not the only one fighting for his life in that pool. Also, even while submerged, Amy still isn't able to touch the bottom. Summoning a burst of energy, she lunges with both legs and accelerates upward again, projecting Mason and her above the surface. Then a large charcoal colored rat scampers up her outstretched arm, and a black rat climbs on top of Mason, who remains unresponsive.
“Mason!” Amy yells again and makes a brisk downward swipe with her hand over the boy's chin.
She continues making clumsy swipes, hitting his check, his forehead, his nose, and his ears. However, these do not seem to be having any effect, and Amy thinks, I have to get to the side of the trench, or we'll both drown.
Although it's less than five yards away, she's not strong enough to reach the side. Instead she steadies Mason and checks for vital signs again. She thinks he has a pulse but can't be sure. He's still not breathing, so Amy wonders, Should I give him mouth to mouth? I don't know mouth to mouth. Just do something. Mason's gonna die, if it's not too late already.
Having no clue what to do, she decides to blow in his mouth. Even with the desperation of the moment, though, she still hesitates a little before she does and thinks, I should have taken a class on this. Nonetheless, she manages to place Mason's floating form upward with his face inches below hers. She takes her hand and pinches Mason's nose, recalling that she had seen this done somewhere. Then, lowering her mouth to Mason's, she prepares for the attempt and tells herself, Mason is dead if I don't do this.
Amy places her mouth on Mason's, and as soon as she does so, water gushes into her open mouth. This surprises Amy, and she doesn't notice a gurgling “What” sound coming from Mason's throat. Then, in her arms, she feels Mason stir. He begins coughing, fluttering his eyelashes, and shaking his head.
Mason gasps, “What…. Where?” with his arms flailing and legs kicking.
Amy says, “Stop, Mason—stop! You have to help me.”
He gives another cough before calm breaks over his face at recognition of the familiar voice.
“Can you stay above the water on your own?”
“Did I get her good?”
“Her?”
“The lifeguard.”
Great, thinks Amy. He's out of his mind. However, instead of trying to explain everything, Amy simply plays along and says, “You sure did, but we have to get to the side.”
“Cool.”
It is obvious to Amy that she will still have to guide him to the bank. So, with one arm under his, Amy kicks, along with Mason, to the side of the pool. Although Mason's kicks are quite weak, the extra push is just what Amy needs to succeed in getting them to the side of the trough. And, while Amy is relieved, she isn't able to let go of the idea that Mason had spit in her mouth.
Finally, they reach the side of the pool, and Amy takes one of Mason's arms and drapes it onto the concrete. He is now safe, and Amy asks, “You gonna be okay there?”
“I think so, but I am like so dizzy.”
“Just stay put.”
Amy lifts herself onto the bank and then pauses to see what is going on ashore.
Chapter 99
The enraged piper is on his feet now, and with lightning-fast reflexes, he charges at Jack. Overwhelmed by the sudden attack, Jack steps back. The piper is on him in an instant. A searing pain jerks his entire head forward. The piper grips a handful of Jack's hair, and shoves him to the ground face first.
Scotty watches in bewilderment. Even though he is no longer under the music's curse, he is now frozen in terror. He sees the yellow eyes of the piper turn toward him, and he responds by raising his hands in fear and ducking his head. As the piper advances toward him, Scotty wants to run, but, instead, he cowers and shakes as the man approaches.
“Sorry…. I'm sorry,” Scotty stutters.
Then Scotty sees Jack behind the piper. He's back on his feet and makes a haphazard rush into the back of the piper, crashing into the small of the man's back. Scotty ducks in fear as the piper jolts forward. The mad musician, though, recovers quickly from the blow and turns and lifts Jack off the ground by his throat. Then, with an epic motion of his arm, he launches Jack into the wall of stone to the left. With Jack out of the way, the piper resumes his deliberate march toward Scotty.
“No, we didn't mean to,” Scotty spits out in fear.
The instant the piper is upon him, Scotty tries to duck, but it's too late. The piper has him in a painful headlock. In this fashion, the piper drags Scotty back to the spot of the shattered flute and reaches down with his one free hand and picks up a piece of his prized instrument. He slams it down in disgust and emits another blood-curdling cry from his hidden mouth. Then, while continuing to hold Scotty under one arm, the piper reaches underneath his wet cloak to his belt and draws out a pistol. It is the kind of pistol that Scotty had only seen in pirate movies. The frightened boy tries to turn his head around, looking for any possibility of rescue, but the only other person he sees is Jack, who's lying on the ground motionless.
The piper throws Scotty to the ground and places one of his large black boots on Scotty's chest. Then he lowers the gun to Scotty's face.
“No, don't!” Scotty cries and waits for the explosion.
Chapter 100
Fresh from the water, Amy sees her brother in trouble, and, without hesitation, sprints toward him and launches her entire body into the right side of the mysterious foe just above his hip. The piper is not ready for the new assault, and the blow to his defenseless side sends the piper reeling. At the same time, he relinquishes his hold on the pistol, and it flies through the air and splashes into the pool. The piper tries to recover by wheeling around, but his right foot steps too close to the edge, and with his balance lost, he tumbles toward the water. As he does so, the piper manages to grab Amy by the hoodie. His attempt to drag her into the water with him is stymied, however, by Scotty, who grabs her waist and secures her. The piper then loses his grip and splashes into the black water.
Amy hopes the man is a worse swimmer than she. She anxiously watches as he flails about within his soaked garment. Then she sees an army of rats paddling toward him and witnesses no less than 20 large rodents climb onto the piper's body. He lashes ou
t at them, but the piper is unable to fend off the oncoming rush while ensnared amongst his soaked cloak. It is poetic justice. The very rats that he had tried to drown are now the executors of one horrendous punishment.
Confident that she and her friends are now safe from the rat-covered maniac, Amy turns to aid her fallen brother.
She asks, “You okay, Scotty?”
“I'm fine. What about Mason?”
“He's okay…a little delusional—but what's new?”
The good-natured rib triggers a mutual grin.
“What about Jack, he took some nasty blows?”
Jack! What about Jack? Amy thinks and then says, “Scotty, get Mason out of the pool.”
Amy rushes away from her brother toward the wall where Jack is leaning and holding the back of his head. Amy thinks he looks so fragile, so broken, and her heart flutters. She bends down beside him and hopes he is cognizant. To her relief, his bright blue eyes are open.
“Is it bad?” he asks.
“Looks fine to me. ‘Course we are about a thousand feet underground in the dark on the banks of a sewer with black, nasty water, so it's easy to beat that.”
The two share a smile. Then, half-joking, Jack asks, “Wanna kiss it and make it better?”
Amy gives him a serious look and asks, “You want me to?”
“No, I, uh…. I mean…. What I meant to say….”
She leans over and kisses his head and then leans back and smiles.
“Better?”
“Yeah. But my lips hurt, too—you think you could—”
“Don't press your luck, Braddock,” Amy teases.