by Karl Morgan
“Yes,” the snake replied with a long hiss. “We actually learned of the danger from another, who has asked to meet you personally. Is that acceptable?”
“Sure. That’s fine with me.”
The snake slithered around Carl’s neck and back to the floor of the cave. All the creatures there moved aside to create a clear path. Slim moved down the path, and Carl followed.
The path ahead narrowed and for some sections, Carl had to crawl on his hands and knees. A ruddy light began to glow in the distance, and Carl imagined he was about to reenter Hell. Slim moved to the left side of the tunnel and motioned Carl forward with his tail. When they were face-to-face, the snake said, “I will leave you here. Ahead is a small opening through which you may stick your head. The other is there and has suggested that you create a cocoon around your body. After your discussion ends, you should return to the school.” The snake licked his face, turned, and slithered away.
Carl extended a cocoon at the edge of his skin and moved forward. This section was so narrow that he had to pull himself while lying flat on the floor of the cave. As he progressed, it became warmer. He finally pushed his head through the opening. There was a stone ceiling a dozen feet over his head. The cylindrical chamber ended two hundred feet below him in a bubbling caldera of magma.
The popping of the lava bubbles began to sound like words. “Welcome, Hand of God. Thank you for coming.”
“Wow! This is totally amazing. Thank you for inviting me. What is your name?”
“I thought that would be obvious to you. I am Earth.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.”
“No problem. I’m sure most think I am inert. But, as with you, my warmth proves I am alive.”
Carl smiled. “How may I serve you, Earth?”
“Just do your best, Carl. I swear to God that I will not allow the others to succeed. If you fail, I will destroy them utterly in Holy fire. I have your back.”
“Thank you, Earth. I swear I’ll do my best to save you.”
“And I you, Carl. Take care.”
Carl rolled over in bed. The early morning sun was in his eyes, so he shielded his face and sat up. Somehow, his bed was now on a hill overlooking the Danube River. The demon queen’s castle sat about a mile away on the opposite bank. “This has got to be the weirdest night ever.” Near the other side of the Danube, a group of about twenty courtesans followed a priest toward the water.
Death sat down on Carl’s bed and put his arm around the teen’s shoulders. “What a beautiful day, isn’t it?”
“Why am I here, Mort?”
Death removed his arm and moved a few inches away. “You tell me. I’m here for my own job.”
“What job?”
“Just watch the fun.” At the riverbank, the priest and courtesans removed their outer clothes to reveal floor-length white tunics emblazoned with an inverted five-point red star. Death leaned next to Carl and whispered, “The sign of the Beast.” He giggled.
“I don’t get it, Mort.”
“This is a cleansing. Their rebirth has sullied their evil souls with humanity. Awful, right? The Satanic priest will remove that stain by baptizing them, so to speak, in river water.”
Carl furrowed his brow and frowned. “What has that got to do with you?”
Death put his index finger to his mouth for quiet. Then he pointed to the middle of the river and far side. In the middle, several large sharks were circling and waiting. On the far side of the river and twenty yards downstream from the congregants, several crocodiles were waiting.
“You’re not going to allow this slaughter to happen. You can’t.”
Death glowered at the teen. “You keep your damned mouth shut. We have a deal, and why do you care about them? Each one would gleefully slit your throat. Didn’t they try to hang you yesterday? If they succeed, the universe, you, and they are dead.”
“But it’s savage.”
“It’s life, Carl. Either they die, or you will when they succeed.”
When the group entered the water, the animals moved toward them. The priest raised his hands and began to chant. The congregants started to pray and sing.
Carl stood and was about to shout when Death pulled him down and covered his mouth with his boney hand.
The attack began. The congregants were screaming and rushing toward the shore as more and more were attacked by the sharks. The priest and several others headed up the shore just as the crocodiles grabbed them and pulled them back into the water. A large stain of bloody water floated downstream.
Death released Carl and stood. He wagged his finger angrily at the teen. “You are not responsible for what happened here. Those monsters are. Those sharks and crocs risked their lives to swim in fresh water to help you. I don’t know why you chose to be here. That is your own fault. You asked the planet for help, and this is the result.” He patted Carl on the cheek. “Better them than us. I’ve got work to do.” Carl fell backwards onto the mattress and passed out.
Carl woke again sometime later. His bed was back at the Thorndike Institution. He pressed his hands against his temples and moaned. “I hope that was a dream.” He rose and went to prepare for his day.
By the time he arrived in the dining hall for breakfast, his opinion had changed completely. Death was right. He did not see any of his friends in the room, so he sat at a table in the corner by himself. While he was pouring syrup on his pancakes, two other students walked by. One said, “Did you hear about those shark attacks on the Danube?”
The other replied, “I thought it was crocodiles?”
Carl shrugged his shoulders, cut a bite of pancake, and pushed it into his mouth. As he chewed, he could see Aida and Barbie enter the room and head for the service line. He picked up a piece of crisp bacon and took a bite. As the girls headed his way, Burt and Grace entered the room and went to get their own food. Carl stood as Aida and Barbie arrived. “Good morning.”
Aida kissed his cheek. “Did you sleep well?” She set down her plates and placed the tray on a nearby stand.
“Sleep well, not so much. It was pretty amazing, though.”
All three sat. Barbie pursed her lips. “What was amazing?”
Carl wiped his fingers with his napkin. “I woke up in a cave where I was surrounded by bats, snakes, spiders, and scorpions.”
“That sounds terrifying to me,” Barbie replied.
“Yeah, at first I thought it might be a trap by the demon queen, but then they told me they got my message about helping to save the planet. Then Slim led me to a magma tube where I talked to Earth itself.”
“Earth is alive?” Aida asked.
Carl nodded. “She told me that the warmth inside her was a sign of life, just like the warmth within us.”
“That’s awesome,” Aida replied.
“Who is Slim? Was he one of the bats?”
Carl shook his head. “Actually, he was a python.”
Burt and Grace joined them. Soon, the conversation has changed. The others were talking about their classes and the recent rainy weather. Carl sat back and smiled. He greatly enjoyed the diversion from recent events. For a moment, he wondered what Sylvia could be planning next. He smiled to himself and focused on his friends.
Minutes later, Burt started cracking jokes, and soon everyone at the table was laughing and clapping. Burt’s Jokester talents were definitely not limited to animals. Carl was wiping his eyes after the last joke when he noticed a black shadow moving along the walls. It first appeared slipping between the doors from the hallway. Then, it moved along the wall to the left of those doors. When the darkness reached the external windows, it turned and moved slowly in their direction. Carl stood and turned to watch it.
“What’s wrong?” Aida asked.
Carl only pointed toward the moving shadow. Soon, the others had all stood as well and were watching the thing progress ever closer. While still watching the shadow, Carl said, “You guys need to stand all around Barbie now.”
; “What’s making that shadow?” Burt asked.
Carl shook his head. The shadow stopped in the corner nearest their table. It slowly descended and began to move across the floor toward them. It passed under Carl’s feet, but he could not sense anything. Out of options, he focused on the nearest wall clock, which then stopped moving. Everyone in the room and the shadow appeared to be frozen in place. “That’s interesting.” His friends were on the other side of the table and surrounding Barbie. Carl moved their table. The shadow was there, with one hand outstretched to just beneath Aida’s left foot. Baffled and confused, Carl sat down on his chair and stared at the shadow.
“Let me think about this rationally.” He stood and then knelt next to the shadow. He extended his hand about an inch over the silhouette. “If it was a shadow, it should be on my hand right now, but it’s still on the floor. So, it’s not a shadow.” He sat back on the chair. “It didn’t affect the walls or windows, so it must not be corporeal.” He scratched his chin and thought. “I wonder.” He stood and disappeared.
Now, he stood in the throne room of the demon queen’s castle. Most of the remaining courtesans were standing frozen. It appeared they had been arguing with the man on the king’s throne. The demon queen was not in the room. He walked through the doorway on the side of the dais and into the hallway. He turned the corner and opened the door to the room for the queen and her handmaidens. Four young women were on their knees praying to the queen, who stood at their center. She was floating in the air with her eyes closed. “I should have known.” He put his arms around Sylvia’s waist, and both disappeared.
The two appeared outside Death’s cabin. Carl carried Sylvia over to the edge of the precipice. The cabin door opened, and Death stepped out. “Welcome back, Carl.” His mouth fell open. “Why did you bring her here?”
Carl laid the demon on the flagstones. “Sylvia is trying to steal Barbara Conway’s body again.”
“Well, if her spirit is there, you may not be able to stop that. What did you have in mind?”
“I’m not sure. Right now time is stopped, which is why Sylvia and her soul are frozen in place. If I drop that body over the edge, what will that do?”
Death thought for a few moments. “Honestly, I don’t know. I suppose we need to talk to Manny.”
Emmanuel stepped out of Death’s cabin and joined them. “Hello, Carl. I applaud you on your ingenuity.”
Carl nodded. “Thanks, but what happens if I toss her body into the mist?”
“I think you know the answer, or you wouldn’t be here. What do you think?”
“First of all, I don’t want to drop her body over. You told me before that all souls are immortal, so I’m guessing that the body is what defines mortality. Therefore, she can take over Barbie’s body, but she’ll no longer be an immortal.”
Death replied, “If that solves the bigger problem, why not do it now?”
“Mort, as I demonstrated earlier this morning, I really don’t want anyone to die because of me. Manny also told me that he lets the immortals do what they want as long as it’s not too bad. They’re kids like me, and sometimes need to act out.”
“That has always been true,” Manny said with a smile. “What do you suggest?”
“I want to bargain with her. If she’ll leave Barbie alone, she can keep her body. If not, Mort or I will push her body over the side.”
Death laughed. “Please let me do it. I never get to have any fun.”
Manny frowned at Mort. “Well, since you’re trying to save the universe, I suppose it’s worth a try.”
“Mort, how will you know if she rejects me?”
Manny put his hand on Death’s shoulder. “We’ll know.” Death nodded, and Carl disappeared.
Carl returned to the dining hall. He walked over to Barbie and held her hand. “How did you get over here so fast?”
“Come over here with me.” He led her a few feet away. “Just stay here. I’m going to put a cocoon over you just to be sure.”
She leaned in and kissed his cheek. “I trust you, Carl.”
He released her hand and she froze again. He formed a cocoon around his body and then pushed it away and over her. Then he walked over to exactly where Barbie had been. Time started.
Carl gasped as Sylvia’s spirit surged into his body. The others turned to help Barbie and were shocked that Carl was there. “What kind of trick is this?” Sylvia said.
“Welcome home, sweetheart,” Carl told her. He turned to his friends. “Barbie’s right over there, and Sylvia is inside me now. I’ll be right back.” Carl vanished once again.
Later that day, Carl had been summoned to the dean’s office. The Conway family sat on the opposite side of the conference table with the dean at one end. Whitehall drummed her fingertips on the tabletop. “Go ahead, Mrs. Conway.”
“When Barbie came to tell us what happened, I couldn’t quite touch her. I felt like there’s something in the way. What is it?”
“Mrs. Conway, the demon queen tried to take over Barbie’s body at breakfast. I intervened and put a cocoon around her for protection. I would have mentioned it, but was in kind of a hurry at that moment.”
“Why were you in a hurry, Carl?” Whitehall asked.
“I needed to make a deal with the demon.” He sighed and looked down. “It’s actually kind of complicated. Ultimately, I think the demon must succeed, but that needs to be when I decide, not her.”
“Carl, I appreciate what you did, but why do you think the demon must succeed?”
“To stop this madness, Mrs. Conway, we have to let Sylvia think she’s going to win. At that moment, when she is confident that she has already won, we will act. All of existence depends on what happens in those minutes after the demon invades her body, and much of our success depends on Barbie’s abilities.”
Barbie sighed. “I’m terrified that I’ll let you down.”
“That’s why we need to pick the time. When you’re ready, we act. Trust me, Barbie, I want more than anything for this to be over. If Sylvia wins, we’re all dead.”
Whitehall drummed her fingers frantically. “Prescott, your generalities are killing us all. What exactly will you do and when?”
Carl opened his mouth to speak and vanished.
He reappeared in Hell. Without the chair beneath him, he fell onto his back. “Daddy, I demand that you kill him now!” Sylvia exclaimed.
Satan sat on his throne at the pinnacle of the stone pillar and rolled his eyes. “I think you started it, honey.”
She hissed at her father and turned to the teen, who was now sitting cross-legged on the floor. “Daddy, you saw what he almost did to me! Kill him now, or I will!”
Satan covered his face with his hands. “I wouldn’t have said that if I were you.”
Carl now stood with his arms across his chest and smirked at the demon. “Give it your best shot, Sylvia.”
She screamed and pushed out with both hands. Carl flew backward toward a lake of lava. A geyser of magma shot up to incinerate the teen.
Carl flicked his wrist and the geyser solidified into a column and throne. Carl landed on the seat of the throne. “Hey, Luce, I’m like you now!”
Sylvia flew into the air and approached Carl at high speed. Fire shot toward him from her fingertips. Carl yawned and made a broad sweeping motion with his right arm. Sylvia’s course changed, and she was thrown around the chamber. She smashed into one stalactite after another. Finally, she landed in a heap on the floor.
The column on which Carl sat began to lean over until he stepped off and onto solid ground. He walked slowly toward Sylvia, who was just sitting up and stretching her sore back. “This stupid game is beginning to bore me, Sylvia.” She frowned angrily but did not move. Now he stood over her. “Let me explain a few things, sweetheart.”
Luce shook his head. “You’re just pissing her off, Carl.”
“I think that’s the point, Luce.” He turned his attention to the demon at his feet. “You’re upset becau
se I threatened to take your immortality. Don’t you understand that if you do what you plan, only the three of you can remain immortal? And the other two are angels?” Carl looked around at the horrified faces of the other demons. “Ask your dad if you think I’m joking. Sylvia would rather have them than any of you.” Carl turned and began to walk away.
Sylvia stood. “I will take their souls and make them immortal again.”
Carl turned to face her. “Yeah, maybe you will.” He looked at the other demons. “But then again, maybe you won’t. Take dear old dad, for example. Will you bring him back or let him be a weak, little mortal like me?” She only hissed. “Which one of the three of you knows how to perform a Big Bang?” She did not respond. “Maybe you’ll convince Mort to help you.” She nodded. “That would work, but who else will be destroyed? Will it be Gabe, Connie, or maybe they’ll decide it should be you? I think it’s worth considering at least.” He turned again and began to walk away.
Sylvia hurried toward him. “Don’t you dare threaten me? I’m a god! You were right about one thing. You are a weak, little mortal.” Carl turned to face her. She reached out and tried to strangle him. “Just die already!”
Carl pushed her arms away, wrapped his around her, and pressed his lips to hers. She tried desperately to push back, but could not escape his grasp. Her eyes closed, and she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back. Satan and most of the demons began to applaud. Finally, she pushed him away. Carl panted for air.
“I didn’t give you permission to do that!”
Carl looked down. “I apologize for being so aggressive, but I had to do something to prove that I don’t hate you, Sylvia. I only hate what you’re planning to do. Can you understand why I feel that way?”
She turned away and stared unblinkingly at her father. “Well, you sure have an odd way of showing affection, Carl Prescott. You stole my body and just slammed me into rocks. Is that what you do to your friends?”
Satan and Carl lowered their heads and sighed.
Carl put his hands on Sylvia’s upper arms. She wriggled, and he removed them. “I honestly just wanted to calm things down. I know your dad doesn’t give you enough attention. I totally get that. My dad is with the CIA, and I almost never get to see him. Trust me, that’s worse.”