by Ed Masessa
Part of what a scientist does is to draw conclusions based on evidence and facts. Geologists explored the Himalaya Mountains and found fossils of sea creatures, which meant that those rock formations were once underwater. That water was an ocean named after the Greek goddess of fresh water, Tethys. Fossils from the Tethys Ocean were also found in other areas, such as the Solnhofen Limestone Formation in Bavaria, which was where the archaeopteryx—the feathered dinosaur—was discovered.
The Tethys was rich with life. Some of it swam; some of it eventually walked. One hundred million years is a long time for an ocean to be buried. A lot can happen in that time.
A lot DID happen in that time.
One would think that evolving in a dark environment would lead to certain physical features, like nonfunctioning eyes or no skin pigment. But perhaps—just perhaps—luminescent microorganisms were also trapped below the surface. It might not be sunlight, but it is nonetheless light. Which enabled creatures to see and grow and change into some of the strangest life-forms imaginable.
And perhaps some of these creatures had highly developed senses. Senses that could tell they were no longer held in check by the dominator element.
And just for the sake of argument, perhaps a highly intelligent species emerged—a biped that walked upright with wicked spines protruding from its vertebrae, with raptorlike claws and multiple rows of sharp, serrated teeth. One with the predatory instincts of a great white shark and the intelligence of a great ape.
It might also be worth mentioning that this creature carried germs never before seen by man and for which there was no cure. This was the creature that began its ascent toward sunlight and freedom. Soon others would follow.
And they were worse … oh, so much worse.
Black clouds hung so low in the morning sky that Henry thought he might be able to touch them if he was able to jump high enough. Which wasn’t about to happen, given the weight he now carried. He tightened the left strap on his fully loaded backpack and shrugged it higher up on his shoulders.
Henry had struggled to keep up with the others in Molly’s exercise regimen. There were mornings when his leg muscles screamed at him, but he had learned how to stretch properly to relieve some of the tightness. And now all of his hard work was paying off.
Suddenly the wind shifted and the first heavy drop of rain smacked Henry in the nose. He hunched his shoulders and tilted his head skyward as three more drops hit their mark.
They began walking in single-file formation. For the first kilometer the rain held off. But any hope Henry had of a semi-dry hike dissipated when the intermittent drops increased in volume to a steady, soaking rain. And even though their coats kept their bodies dry, their legs, feet, and heads were exposed.
They continued, Coralis in the lead, Molly in the rear, until they were joined by a tall Hutsul man. His clothes were sufficiently drab as to blend into the surroundings. He wore no rain gear but the water didn’t seem to faze him. The group pulled into a tight circle. Henry could sense the tension in the air as, one by one, they noticed the rifle slung over one shoulder and a powerful crossbow fastened to his back.
“Something has happened.” The Hutsul addressed Coralis in a strained voice that spoke to the weapons he carried. “There has been strange activity where we are going.”
“Define strange,” Bryndis said sharply.
The Hutsul man narrowed his eyes, warning her silently to watch her tone. “You will soon see.” He turned and strode quickly along a narrow path in the woods.
“You have a real knack for making friends,” Molly chided.
Bryndis scowled. “Talking in riddles isn’t going to help us be prepared.”
“Dumitru is on our side,” Coralis insisted. “Let’s follow him now.”
They continued at a brisk pace for over an hour, most of it at a gradual incline. Henry was somewhat relieved that he wasn’t the only one struggling.
As the densely packed trees began to thin out, a hissing sound that had been a dull background noise increased in volume. Henry thought it had something to do with the rain and was surprised when they crested a small ridge and came face-to-face with a train. Wispy white steam rose from the top, sides, and rear, partially obscuring the black engine, which looked to Henry as if it had been transported from the Old West. A separate compartment was stacked full of wood. Two dark green passenger cars completed the short train.
The rain increased in intensity but Henry hardly noticed as he walked around the front of the engine. A plaque bolted to the steam stack read RESITA, and he wondered if that was the name for this model of train, or just a cute name the engineer had come up with. A grizzly man with a grease-smeared face stared down at him, looking very much like he did not want to be there.
Henry lowered his head and was walking back toward the others when he tripped over the tracks. They were nothing like tracks from the Southwest Chief he had ridden on his way to Monument Valley. These rails were set closer together and appeared rickety in comparison, as if they had been hastily assembled and not well maintained. Panic over riding on them must have shown on his face. The engineer laughed and pulled a cord, which blasted a high-shrieking steam whistle. Henry heard the others scream, just as startled as he was.
Dumitru ushered them onto one of the passenger cars. Plain, worn wooden benches were arranged in staggered rows, fastened in place with black metal poles that ran from floor to ceiling.
Henry was relieved to see Luis sitting next to Bryndis, and quickly took the space next to Serena. “I have a feeling this is going to be a bumpy ri—” His head snapped back as the train lurched forward. “Ow!” The train picked up speed, but compared with the Southwest Chief, it moved at a crawl. Henry soon realized how dangerous it would have been to travel any faster. The train wobbled from side to side and negotiated tight turns that threatened to derail them.
Coralis sat toward the front of the car in deep conversation with Dumitru. When he finally glanced over his shoulder, he saw seven frightened faces gripping their seats in white-knuckled horror. He quickly whispered something to Dumitru, who stood and addressed them.
“This train is many years old, but is very reliable.” None of the apprentices relaxed. “The locomotive was made by the Resita Company and it is almost indestructible.” He smiled awkwardly. No one smiled back.
Brianna leaned forward and whispered to Henry. “He shouldn’t smile. It’s scary.”
Dumitru realized his attempt to put them at ease was not going well and turned to Coralis for help. The train jolted to one side, causing Coralis to stumble forward. Katelyn and Brianna giggled, relieving some of the tension.
Coralis grasped his seat back firmly. “This train belongs to a narrow-gauge railway system that is part of the logging industry of Romania. While it might appear to be somewhat unstable, I have traveled on it many times and can assure you it is completely safe.” The passenger car tipped dangerously to one side in response, forcing Coralis to sit while he continued.
“Our journey will keep us to the western edge of the Carpathian Mountains, and to the northern edge of the Transylvanian Alps as we travel westward. At times, we will travel along main rail lines, but for the most part we will stay to the secondary lines that run through the backcountry to avoid large areas of population. There is no point in announcing our presence until we have to. As you can see, the train does not go fast, and we have about four hundred kilometers to go. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenery. In one hour we shall review our strategy.”
Coralis and Dumitru turned away and resumed their discussion. Luis was first to speak. “I spy rain,” he said sarcastically.
Bryndis laughed. “I spy more rain.”
“I spy mud.” Katelyn giggled.
“I spy nothing,” Serena said in a spooky voice as they entered a tunnel.
One by one they added to the game until Brianna frowned. “I spy a wolf … with glowing red eyes. Seriously. Check it out.”
They crowded onto
the left side of the train where the wolf sat on the outskirts of the tree line. It never flinched as the train rumbled past, and its unblinking glare clearly revealed the eyes were not only red, but glowing like warning lights on the dashboard of a car.
“Looks like a robot,” Luis remarked. Then the engineer blasted the steam whistle, and the wolf snarled viciously and bolted into the woods. “I take it back. Not a robot.”
But as the train rolled onward, they “spied” more oddities. A large black bird with teeth slammed into a window. A wild boar with claws attempted to climb a tree. The waving branches of trees seemed to reach for them. Something that looked like a cross between an armadillo and a mountain cat sprinted alongside them before curling into an armored ball and rolling out of sight.
Coralis joined them at the window. “As Dumitru said, strange happenings.”
“What does it mean?” asked Henry.
“I don’t know,” Coralis replied. “According to Dumitru, they first appeared yesterday. We can only assume they have something to do with Malachai, but what it means is anyone’s guess.”
“Reminds me of The Island of Dr. Moreau.” Katelyn shivered at the thought.
“Is that in Ireland?” Brianna asked.
“No.” Katelyn smiled. “It’s an old book about a mad scientist who created creatures that were part human and part animal.”
Luis made a gagging sound. “Gross! If I see anything like that, I’m outta here.”
Coralis rubbed his forehead in thought. “Only a few more hours to go. Let’s review the plan.”
As it turned out, “a few more hours” was a bit of an understatement. They crossed the Olt River and continued southward until the train suddenly ground to a halt. Coralis and Dumitru disembarked and entered into a lively and heated conversation with the engineer.
“What’s bugging him?” Serena murmured.
The argument continued until Dumitru reached into a pouch and handed over some coins. As the train resumed its journey, Coralis could not ignore the expectant faces of the group. “No point in beating around the bush,” he sighed. “Rumors about this area have spread rapidly, and our engineer felt he should be compensated for the risk.”
Another of the toothed birds slammed into a window. Brianna yelped as it cracked but didn’t shatter. The rain became a steady downpour. They were going over the plan for the umpteenth time when Henry felt something beneath the train—as if the wheels had slipped on the tracks. “Did you feel that?” he whispered to Serena. She shook her head no, but seconds later it happened again.
Suddenly the train began to slide sideways. “Mudslide!” Dumitru shouted. “Everyone—”
The train wrenched violently as the engine screamed with an outburst of steam. Dumitru took his rifle and smashed several windows. “Out!” he yelled. “You must jump!”
Bryndis did not need to be told twice. She saw the wide eyes of Luis backing away from the window, grabbed him by the front of his coat, and nearly heaved him out before leaping after him. Molly followed, yelling something like a battle cry before disappearing from sight. Coralis and Dumitru grabbed Serena and Brianna and pushed them through, but as they reached for Henry and Katelyn, the train swung wildly in one direction, snapping loose from the passenger cars and throwing the two men out the windows.
Henry did the only thing he could think of. He threw himself on top of Katelyn and wedged them beneath a wooden bench as the passenger cars crashed over the edge of a ravine … and disappeared from sight.
Henry raced through the forest, his feet pounding the sodden earth as underbrush whipped past him. At one point he looked down to discover he had lost his shoes. The mud soothed his feet but soon it thickened, and he found it harder and harder to lift them. Several steps later he was knee-deep in muck. The harder he pulled his feet the lower he sank.
Quicksand!
He panicked, waving his arms wildly in hopes of grabbing a branch overhead to pull himself out. A large white bird with a red streak on its head appeared and hovered over him. “Henry!” it yelled over and over.
“I’m trying!” he yelled back. The bird flew away but appeared moments later with a bucket of water in its talons—which it dumped on Henry’s head. “Gaah!” he screamed as he awoke from the nightmare.
“Are you all right?” Katelyn sat beside him, a bleeding gash on her forehead. She cradled his head with one arm and raised the water bottle to his lips.
“I … I think so.” He sat up and winced as he felt the sizable lump on his forehead. “You’re bleeding.”
She gave a short laugh. “At least we’re alive, thanks to your quick thinking.” She kissed him on the cheek. “I don’t know what possessed you to do that, but thank you.”
“Where are the others?” Henry’s vision was foggy. He thought perhaps night had fallen, then realized they were in the midst of a dense fog. A brief wind swirled and cleared it enough to show a momentary glimpse of what was left of the passenger cars several meters away.
“I only woke up a few minutes ago. Then this fog rolled in. I haven’t seen or heard anyone yet.”
“We should go find them.” He stood, and a wave of dizziness washed over him, plunking him back down.
“Stay still!” Katelyn commanded. “If they landed clear, they’ll come looking for us.”
He nodded, glad that she was taking charge. “You were a beautiful white bird.”
“What?” She laughed.
Henry blushed. “When I was unconscious, I dreamed there was a white bird trying to help me. I guess it was you.”
“Hmmm … let’s hope you don’t have a concussion.”
“If I do, at least I’m in good hands.” He thought back to when she had healed the cut on his hand. “How did we get out here?”
She shrugged. “I dragged you clear.”
He squeezed her upper arm. “You’re stronger than you look.” The fog thickened to the point that he could barely see her. “Katelyn, there’s something weird about this fog.”
“Aye. I noticed. It’s not damp like a mist should be after a rain.”
Something suddenly thrashed about in the undergrowth. “Here!” he yelled. “We’re over—”
Katelyn clamped a hand over his mouth, her eyes wide.
Dread and fear formed a knot in Henry’s stomach as the mist slowly coalesced into his worst nightmare. They stared into the face of madness.
“Welcome to my playground, children,” said Malachai.
Henry’s head throbbed to the beat of his heart. He tentatively opened one eye, then, not quite believing what he saw, closed it in an attempt to gather his wits. Why am I behind bars? The last thing he remembered was … His eyes flew open and he sat up too quickly, only to bang his head against the top of his cage. “Ow,” he grunted.
“Henry?” Katelyn whispered urgently. “Are you okay?”
“Maybe.” Henry squirmed into a semi-comfortable sitting position. “Where are we?”
“I’m not sure, but from what I can tell it’s somewhat of a cross between a prison and a zoo.”
“Technically, they’re the same thing.” A single dim bulb at the end of a row of cages flickered, threatening to cut off their only source of light. But perhaps not. Henry reached into his coat for his wand and summoned light. Nothing happened. He examined it for any signs of damage. “What happened to my power?”
Katelyn had been squatting against the front of her cage, directly across a two-meter-wide walkway. She sat back, tiny lines creasing her forehead. “Malachai said we’d have no power here, which is why he didn’t bother to take our wands. Something about a nullification spell. Henry,” she said worriedly, “I think he’s gone totally bonkers in the head.”
“Probably a side effect of being evil,” he joked in a feeble attempt to allay her fears.
“I’m not kidding!” She scooted forward. “He’s gone daft.”
“There’s a reason people are called mad scientists.” But the panicky look in her eyes was impossi
ble to ignore. He channeled his inner practical Bryndis. “Define daft.”
“This place, for starters.” She motioned to the cages. “Aside from us, this room is empty. But on the way here he took us through several rooms that were full of creatures, the likes of which I’ve never seen. Creatures like the ones we saw before the crash … and worse. Malachai is quite proud of them. He pointed out some of the work he’s done. A gorilla with the legs and tail of a kangaroo. A zebra with tusks like a wild boar. And monkeys with wings! ’Tis like we’ve landed in Oz, Henry. It’s just not right! What’s he doing here and why?”
Henry wished he had his sister’s gift of Voice to calm her down. He decided to employ a logical approach instead. “What was that book you mentioned about a Dr. Moreau? He’s just crossbreeding animals in some twisted way. Lots of scientists dabble in genetics, but it doesn’t make them insane. When you come right down to it, they’re still just animals.”
“And what do you suppose he’s going to do with them? Open a safari park?” she spat angrily. “You were unconscious. You didn’t hear the way he talked … and laughed. Like this is all a big joke! He showed me his prize—his greatest achievement.” She shuddered and winced at the memory. “He combined a cheetah with a Komodo dragon. Do you have any idea what that thing could do if he let it out?”
Henry knew exactly what it could do. “Tell me about the laugh.”
Katelyn sensed she had gotten her point across and relaxed … or at least turned down her intensity. “You’ve seen movies about people in insane asylums?” He nodded. “Like that, but it wasn’t an act. Coralis talked about him being clever and cunning in a diabolical way. But I’m telling you, Henry, he’s a certifiable loon! He thinks he’s a god and that nothing on Earth can stop him—his words, not mine.”
“Okay, but … ”
“Then there’s his skin,” she whispered, and shook her head as if trying to remove an image from her head. “He keeps scratching his face and arms, picking away scabs and opening new wounds, laughing all the while. I’m telling you he’s not the same person Coralis described to us. Something very bad is happening. Can you imagine what a madman with his power could do?”