Black & White Croakies

by Sam Cheever

  I flashed forward so quickly I didn’t even have time to think about moving, the blade like a silver blur through the space.

  The worm writhed and struck and writhed again, trying to fight the deadly battle we’d brought to it. Grym shoved to his feet and ran along the slimy, slippery form, rearing back with a massive fist and slamming it into the creature’s body just beneath its mouth.

  Something ripped inside the beast and more greenish blood ran from its maw.

  The enormous body shuddered, crashing sideways and nearly taking me off my feet. But I was under the spell of the sword and I leaped above the slashing form, landing several feet away in a fighting crouch.

  SB’s wings throbbed on the air. He dropped to plunge knife-like talons into the worm’s belly, drawing more blood from his attack. “Ye scurvy dog believe ye see. But you’ll not track the blade. Not thee.”

  The blade slashed again, opening up a long, shallow cut that spilled more blood the length of the beast’s torso.

  “Not thee,” SB intoned.

  It flashed again. And again. And a final time, dealing the death blow as the nasty critter squirmed sideways in an attempt to escape.

  In a slow-motion but inevitable glide, the worm’s lower half slid into the huge crevice and fell silently out of view.

  Grym leaped from the beast as it started to fall.

  I lowered the sword to my side, panting with exhaustion. Staggering away from the edge of the crevice, I dropped the blade with a clatter.

  Grym crouched beside me, his massive chest heaving from his efforts.

  “Miss?” Hobs suddenly appeared next to us, Slimy still clutched carefully in his long fingers and a strange expression on his face. He wasn’t looking at Grym and me.

  Instead, his attention was fixed on the small figure on the other side of the crevice.

  Opie stood with his hands clasped before him, his tiny face pleasant under the adorable sprinkling of freckles. He cocked his head at us as SB settled down on my shoulder. “Is that your bird?”

  I reached up and touched SB’s foot, willing him not to color the air blue in his usual fashion. “A friend. Not a pet,” I told the small boy.

  Opie nodded, his gaze sliding toward the sword. He frowned. “Did you kill the worm?”

  I wasn’t wild about the idea of admitting to him that I’d killed something, so I evaded. I could be good at evading if I needed to be. Yes I could.

  “He was trying to hurt us.”

  Opie seemed to think about that for a minute. Then he said. “Pa don’t want me to hurt the animals.”

  I nodded. “That’s a good rule of thumb.” If Opie had been an adult, he’d have seen the giant gap in my response. Since he wasn’t, he seemed much more interested in the bird. “He’s pretty.”

  I glanced at SB and noted the return of his vibrant plumage. “He is, isn’t he?”

  Beware the child, sayeth Confucius the Frog.

  I waved a hand at him to acknowledge that I’d heard. But I was finding it really hard to be afraid of someone with freckles sprinkled across his nose.

  Then I remembered Sebille. Okay, addendum…unless they’re Sebille.

  Opie walked forward, heading right for the deadly crevice. I opened my mouth to tell him to stay back, but the ground healed itself before him, becoming solid just as he settled a tiny, bare foot onto the dirt. “I ain’t never had a bird that big. I had a bird once. His name was Dickie. But he wasn’t big like this one. Can I have him?”

  I shook my head. “He’s not mine to give,” I said.

  The fixtures in the cavern flickered, painting the boy’s petulant face with a sickly hue. “But I want him. If’n I want him, I should get him.”

  Naida, beware the child, Slimy repeated.

  I bit back a flare of irritation. Did the frog think I was an idiot?

  Scratch that question. Of course he did.

  “Now, I think your pa the Sheriff taught you better than that,” I said. “But maybe you can help us since you’re here. I need to know what makes this place work. Can you show me?” I figured since the kid seemed to spend so much time down there, he’d probably seen something.

  He kept glaring at SB as he shook his head, his expression mulish. “I’ll trade ya for the bird.”

  Sighing, I looked at SB. I supposed I could pretend to give him to Opie. He’d come back with me and the sword in the end. I widened my eyes at SB, and he lifted his wings, squawking loudly as he fluttered across the ten feet between the kid and me, landing on Opie’s shoulder.

  Opie grinned widely, showing slightly crooked teeth, and fed SB a piece of cracker he pulled from his pocket. “Such a pretty bird.”

  I moved closer, smiling. “Now, can you show me what makes this place run?”

  Opie lifted his smile from SB and stared at me. He laughed, a happy sound. “You know, ain’t nobody else got this close.”

  I blinked, unsure what he was telling me. “I’m sorry?”

  “Ain’t nobody got down here. Ain’t nobody kilt the worm. You was the first.” He frowned. “I reckon I’ll need ta tighten the protections after this.”

  Alarm spiked through me. I’d hoped I could keep the boy calm until he told me. But apparently the creature who ran the artifact only looked like a child. He clearly didn’t have a child’s ability to be distracted and bribed.

  SB gave another squawk and tried to lift from the boy’s shoulder, but Opie grabbed his legs and held him, laughing meanly as he struggled.

  “Hobs?” I murmured.

  The hobgoblin flashed forward and away, leaving a confused looking Opie with empty hands in his wake. Hobs and the parrot reappeared near the opposite wall.

  Opie’s expression turned mulish. “You shouldn’t oughta done that,” he said, his voice turning breathy and deepening on the words.

  Something’s happening, Slimy warned in my mind.

  Grym moved closer. “I think we need to get out of here, Naida keeper.”

  Before my gaze, the boy’s face elongated, widening at the top, and grew exponentially, along with his body. His form spread out thirty feet behind him, rounding as it lengthened. His eyes were slanted silver slits above a square snout. And when the snout opened, massive fangs dripped venom that sizzled on the ground.

  And it was only five feet away.

  “Run!” Grym screamed, grabbing my wrist and tugging me along with him.

  The snake hissed, its tongue snapping out to taste the air inches from my face. I dove for Blackbeard’s sword, but the snake was too fast. The reptile punched the blade with its snout, sending it flying away from me. I threw up my hand and called it back, but the snake was there when it hit my palm, its enormous head slamming into me and sending me flying back across the room.

  Grym disappeared on a shout of pain and the snake slithered after me so quickly I’d barely slammed into the floor before it was on me again.

  I squealed as the terrifying silver gaze appeared above me, the snake’s musky odor filling the air I was frantically sucking into my lungs.

  Panic turned my muscles to mush and made my heart pound painfully in my chest. I went very still as the snake’s snout opened and the testing tongue slipped toward me, stopping just above my face and throbbing there.

  Itsssssss time for you to die, keeper. You’ve interfered long enough in my plansssssss.

  The sibilant tone skimmed silkily across my nerves, making gooseflesh rise along my skin. I was a heartbeat away from death. I knew it with every pound of my heart…with every thought skittering wildly through my mind.

  I would die.

  My friends would die.

  And the magical creatures who’d been trapped within the poisonous artifact would either die or continue on as prisoners.

  The purse! a voice said in my brain. It took me a moment to connect the voice to Slimy. Then I realized what he’d said.

  “What plans did I interfere with?” I asked the snake as I slowly slid my hand into my waistband and removed the
purse, dropping it alongside my body where the snake wouldn’t see it. The problem with being very close to something is that it’s harder to see the thing you’re close to.

  The snake’s tongue slipped out again, as if testing the genuineness of my question. The world isssssssss mine. I must always grow it, leech it of color, make it my own, personal heaven. You tried to sssssssstop me. That’ssssssss not nicccccccce.

  The snout dipped closer, the nasty forked tongue slipped over my face and I grimaced, my fingers desperately digging inside the purse. In desperation, I jerked the first item my fingers touched out of the purse.

  The snake reared back, head tilting in question as I yanked the tissue forward and flapped it on the air.

  Oops!

  Without missing a beat, I ran the tissue across my face, wiping off the snake spit. “Um, I don’t like to be wet.”

  The silver eyes narrowed, the huge body tensed.

  “Naida,” Grym shouted from somewhere out of view. “Quit screwing around!”

  I huffed. Gobbling Gargoyle goobers! I’d like to see him deal with about a thousand pounds of snake perched in his lap.

  The snake suddenly reared up with an enraged roar. Snake spittle sprayed the area as the monster whipped its head around.

  Grym was dancing alongside the huge reptile with Blackbeard’s sword in his hand, slashing and slicing along the thick scaly form.

  I used the distraction to scramble backward and away. I needed the flashlight. I needed to get to that purse!

  Unfortunately, there was a thousand pounds of reptile dancing around on top of it as the snake fought the gargoyle.

  “Sizzling snake spit, Grym! There’s not going to be anything left of the bag after you get done!”

  He slashed at the snake and danced away, a glare on his rocky face. “I’m doing the best I can, Naida.”

  The snake struck, faster than words, and Grym was suddenly clutched between its jaws.

  He yelled as the nasty thing lifted its enormous head, clearly intending to swallow him whole.

  “Grym!”

  The flash! A tiny voice in my head said. And I scurried out of my hidey-hole to find it. The snake had moved a little, and I could just see the edge of the sparkly silver purse in the dust. I reached for it and the snake rolled backward as Grym slashed at its face with the sword.

  I retreated quickly to avoid being crushed beneath the massive body.

  SB joined the fray, slashing at the snake’s silver eyes with his talons.

  The snake flung its head up on a hissing roar and Grym went flying, knocking SB out of the air on the way.

  I didn’t watch to see if they landed okay, the snake lifted off the bag and I dove in and grabbed it, scrabbling for the latch.

  I caught movement out of the corner of my eye, but I didn’t have enough time to get out of the way. The enormous head slammed into me, shoving me into a glowing rock formation so hard it knocked all the air out of my lungs.

  The snake slithered closer, blood painting its charcoal gray head in glossy strips. That’ssssss it! I’m done being patient, Keeper. Now you die!

  I couldn’t breathe. I made screeching noises as I tried to draw air into my screaming chest. My eyesight dimmed and my legs gave out from the lack of air. All I wanted to do was roll up into the fetal position and fight to breathe. But I couldn’t do it.

  I had one more job to do.

  My fingers digging frantically inside the purse, I prayed the flash hadn’t been shattered into tiny little pieces.

  The snake slammed into me again, pressing me into the rock with its snout, a triumphant gleam in the slanted gaze.

  Agony speared through me. Bones cracked under the impact. Stars burst and my vision turned charcoal gray around the edges.

  My fingers touched the flashlight.

  I released my grip on the purse, opening my mouth to wheeze against the pressure in my chest. And, lifting my terrified gaze to the snake’s triumphant one, I clicked the flashlight on.

  Ssssssssso long, Keeper, the snake hissed out.

  I sucked a noisy breath and said. “Later!”

  I slid my finger over the lever on the side and pointed it at the snake.

  The reptile reared up and back, eyes widening in fear. Fangs snapped the air as it tried to close its maw over the small, metal canister. But the pink illumination somehow held it back. The enormous reptile shimmered violently inside the perfect arc of pale-rose light.

  I coughed forcefully, fighting to hold the light on the beast as it lifted off the ground, spiraling into the air, and faded away on the heels of an enraged hiss.

  Silence filled the cavern for a long moment, then someone groaned, long and low.

  I shoved to my knees, finally managing to pull air into my lungs. Another groan drew my gaze to Grym.

  My eyes widened and, unbelievably, I laughed. Dragging myself to my feet, I stumbled toward the gargoyle, my chest screaming. “I’d give anything for Sebille’s phone right now so I could get a picture.”

  Grym blinked and looked down at himself.

  He was clutching the parrot in his arms like a newborn babe.

  With a sough of air, the sword lying on the ground beside him rose into the air and found me, smacking into my uplifted hand with a familiar heft.

  Hobs was suddenly beside me. “Miss, you did it!”

  I looked where the snake had been, all too cognizant of the last time I’d banished it with the light. “It probably won’t last,” I told him. “We need to get everybody down here, fast.” I squeezed his shoulder. “Do you think you can do that?”

  He nodded and was gone in a blur of motion.

  I sank to the ground, leaning heavily against the rock and holding my agony-filled middle.

  “You all right?” Grym asked, not looking any better than I felt.

  “I will be as soon as we get out of this goddess-forsaken place.”

  Grym nodded and closed his eyes. “I couldn’t agree more.”

  I closed my eyes too. I’d just rest for a few minutes. Just a few min…

  23

  Where’s my Purse?

  I awoke to the sound of giggling. Somebody was poking me on the shoulder.

  Poke. Giggle. Poke. Giggle.

  A heavy warmth pressed against my stomach and something rumbled through my insides.

  I swiped at the poking finger and grumbled. “Leave me alone.”

  Poke, poke, poke, giggle.

  “Argh!” Slapping the hand away, I jolted upright, my eyes snapping open. Then my mouth.

  “Meow!” Wicked walked up my chest and rubbed his soft head against my chin, purring loudly enough to vibrate my lungs.

  The cavern was filled with people. It looked as if Hobs had managed to get everyone from the artifact into the cavern.

  There were people dressed as cowboys and Indians. People dressed as aliens from outer space. And people dressed as country folks from 1960s television. “Holy goddess’s last pair of clean undies,” I muttered.

  I looked up into the hobgoblin’s smiling face. “How did you…?”

  He shrugged. “We all worked together, Miss.”

  I recognized a few of the people from Lea’s neighborhood who’d been like zombies before. They seemed aware and slightly confused and excited all at once.

  I glanced at Lea. My friend smiled. “As soon as they came in here, they remembered their real lives.” She shook her head, looking sad. “Some of them have been here a lifetime. Everything they once knew could be gone when they get home.”

  I reached up and clasped her hand, giving it a squeeze. “We don’t know how time works in this thing,” I told her. “Maybe it will be like they were only gone a few minutes.”

  Then another thought occurred. I looked at Sebille and Rustin. “Will they all go back where they were taken from?” I asked.

  Rustin shrugged. “There was nothing about returning people in the texts I read. Nobody’s ever come back from one of these things before.”

/>   I sighed. “Well, I guess we’ll find out. If they all end up at Croakies, we’ll just have to help them find their way home.”

  Sebille frowned but nodded.

  Grym offered me his hand. I noticed he’d returned to his human form and somebody had given him a pair of ill-fitting slacks. The good news was that they didn’t fit any worse than the pants he’d arrived in. They were too tight across his muscular thighs and three inches too short. He’d shoved Blackbeard’s sword into the belt and had SB perched on his shoulder, resembling a handsome, well-groomed pirate.

  I squinted at Grym’s slacks. “Are those from a Sheriff’s uniform?”

  Grym flushed. “Yeah. Sheriff Andrew was kind enough to share them.”

  I felt my eyes go wide. “You told Sheriff Andrew? Do you think that was a good idea?”

  “Bwawk!” SB squawked. “Never invite yer enemies ta taste yer rum, or ye’ll find yourself without grog and thrown to yer bum.”

  “Exactly,” I agreed. “I think.”

  Barney Fiff waved at me from the center of the crowd. Standing next to him, Polly winked at Grym and glared at me.

  “Keeper!” A familiar voice called. I turned as a man and a women walked out of the crowd. My pulse spiked as I saw it was the Sheriff and Aunt Bee.

  Both were smiling widely. Aunt Bee bustled up to me and held out a plate with a slice of pie on it. “Here. I’ve been sharing it around.”

  I lifted my hands and took a step back. “Um. No. Thank you. I’m not risking it.”

  She laughed good-naturedly. “It’s safe as can be.” She pointed to the plate, which I noticed had a fine crack down the center which had been repaired. “This isn’t from the artifact.” She beamed up at the Sheriff. “Dear Andy found it and glued it together for me. I believe it might belong to you…Keeper.”

  The Sheriff nodded. “We owe you a giant debt, Keeper. If you and your friends hadn’t come along…” He shook his head, sighing. “Well, we might have been here a very long time. Maybe forever.”

  I took his offered hand. “We didn’t do it alone,” I told him. “There were people here who helped.”

  He nodded. “I’m really glad they managed to evade me.” He looked ashamed.