Carl Prescott and the Demon Queen

by Karl Morgan

Barbara started to cry. “Why don’t I remember any of that? Am I losing my mind?”

  “No, you’re not losing your mind. Your body was at breakfast, but your soul is here.”

  “My body? How do you mean?”

  “Barbie, the demon queen ripped the soul out of your body and put it here. Then she took over your body and joined us at breakfast.”

  She started to cry again. “But I can feel my body and hear my heartbeat. How can this not be my body?”

  “Barbie, look up at me.” She complied. “Can you really feel your body or hear your heart? Listen carefully now.”

  “I don’t know anything anymore, Carl. Help me.”

  Carl put his hand just inches from her eyes. “If you ever trusted me, now is the time, Barbie. Recognize your reality and come to me.”

  She looked at his hand and then up at his eyes. She smiled. “I love you, Carl.”

  “I love you too, Barbie.”

  The ropes hung loose, and the small orb of light was just an inch from his hand. Carl gently scooped it into his hand and pulled his arm up. He pressed his hand against his chest. He gasped as her spirit joined with his. “Oh God.”

  “It’s amazing, Carl. Where am I? I’ve never felt more at peace.”

  “Your soul is intertwined with mine, Barbie. We are one.” He pulled himself back to his feet and turned around. He took five steps back toward the mountaintop. The fog lifted as he walked back onto the flagstone path.

  Death applauded. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone come back, Carl. What happened?”

  Aida grabbed Carl’s hands. “I can tell by the look on your face. She’s with you, isn’t she?”

  He smiled and nodded. “This does create a problem though.”

  “Yeah, you’re the first place Sylvia will look,” Aida replied.

  Carl pulled his girlfriend into his arms. “I hope you don’t mind then.” He kissed her passionately.

  When she pushed back, Aida said, “Wow! That’s amazing. Welcome home, Barbie. I’ll keep you safe.”

  Death announced, “It looks like your doorway is back.”

  The others turned to see the hallway on the other side of the opening. Carl and Aida stepped through, and Death closed the door.

  Aida went to her next class while Carl returned to the formerly hidden storage room on the top floor of the Gratia Dei residence hall. He put his hand on the knob and waited. The doorknob did not respond. He leaned into the door and listened. His nose perceived the faint smell of smoke. He grabbed the doorknob, wrenched the door off of its frame, and tossed it aside. Smoke billowed out around him and filled the corridor. He stepped inside. Ten students were tied to posts that had been affixed to the floor and ceiling. Piles of priceless books sat at the bottom of each stake. Several courtesans were busily setting fire to the piles. Carl waved his arms which caused the courtesans, books, and fires to fly out through the windows and down to the ground below. Water rained down from the ceiling and extinguished any remaining flames. It also caused the ropes binding the hostages to dissolve. “Get out of here now!” He jumped out through a shattered window frame and landed on the grass.

  Most of the courtesans had died in the fall, and many of their bodies were afire. A few struggled to escape. A pulse of energy emerged from Carl’s body and knocked them to the ground, where they lay groaning in pain. He hurried over to a familiar looking courtesan and stood over him. “You are their king.”

  The king hissed at him. “You stupid, stupid child. You cannot win against us.”

  Carl knelt next to him. “You realize when the queen forms the new universe that all of you will die, right?”

  As professors Donnelly and Thorndike approached, Death materialized next to Carl. “Good job, Carl. Why didn’t you kill all of them?”

  Donnelly shouted, “Don’t do it, Carl! You cannot sink to their level.”

  Carl turned to Death. “That’s pretty much it, Mort.”

  The professors now stood opposite them. “Thank you for listening to me, Carl.”

  Carl noticed the sour look on Death’s face, but nodded to Donnelly.

  Death raised his scythe over his head, and then drove the blade through the king’s chest. “You humans are too weak. Do you realize this man almost immolated ten students and was ready to sacrifice this universe?” He shook his head. “Perhaps Sylvia is right, and this reality is already dead.” He walked toward the other surviving courtesans and slaughtered them.

  Donnelly put his arm around Carl’s shoulders and led him away while Death busily collected his souls. When Carl and the professors had moved twenty feet, the air became bitterly cold, and a snow flurry blew through the area. “What the heck?” Donnelly asked.

  A sudden pulse of energy knocked the professors away from Carl, who immediately projected a cocoon around himself. Sylvia shot into the area and slammed her fists into his chest. Carl was launched a hundred feet into the air and half a mile away. His heel struck the walls surrounding the school. He tumbled through the air, crashed through several trees, and landed on his back in the forest. Nearby animals scurried out of the way. He sat up, brushed the leaf litter from his cocoon, and then stood.

  The demon queen floated to the ground and stood twenty feet away. She pointed angrily at the teen and growled. “Give me her soul, Carl. I know you have it.”

  “Whose soul would that be?”

  Sylvia screamed and fired two lightning bolts at him. The bolts were absorbed by his cocoon, which then ejected them as a pulse of energy that knocked Sylvia a hundred feet away and into the walls surrounding the school. She sat against the wall and groaned in pain. “You’re only hurting her body, you know.”

  Carl pointed at himself. “Me? I think you’re mistaken there, Sylvia. You are the one attacking. I’m only defending myself.” He chuckled. “It’s funny, you know. You’re beating yourself up.” She only growled. Carl walked over to the demon queen and sat next to her. “First of all, Barbie would only consider joining with you if her only other option was death. So, I don’t think she’d qualify as a willing participant in the destruction of the universe.”

  Her head slumped forward, and she groaned. “Just leave me alone.”

  “You’re hurt, aren’t you?”

  “What do you care?”

  “Barbie is my friend, so I don’t want her to be injured. And even though you’re trying to destroy everything, I still don’t want to see you in pain.”

  She turned her head slightly toward him and winced. “I can return to my body if this one dies.”

  Carl nodded. “Yeah, maybe if I allow it.”

  “How could you stop. . .” she stopped midsentence as pain surged through her body.

  “Sylvia, try to be a good demon for a moment, okay?” She did not move or respond. “I’m going to let one finger out of my cocoon so I can help you.” There was no response other than tears and shudders of agony. The cocoon around his right index fingertip moved back. He reached over and touched her knee. Still no response. “Oh no. This is worse than I thought.” He stood and faced her as the cocoon around his body evaporated. Dozens of deer and birds moved into the area to watch.

  Carl put his arms out to his sides, closed his eyes, and looked up. His body filled with light and began to float up into the air. Sylvia’s body rose from the forest floor and lifted into the air as well. Soon, both were suspended two feet above the ground with their arms out to their sides. The nearby animals bowed their heads.

  The immediate area was suddenly bathed in warm white light and orchestral music filled the air. The deer sat down with their heads against the ground. White winged silhouettes shot out of Carl’s body and danced around the area. Pulses of electricity shot from Carl’s chest into Sylvia’s body. Her eyes opened wide and a warm smile filled her face. Beams of sunlight shone down on both of them as their bodies moved closer together. They touched and both wrapped their arms around the other. Their lips met. The music, light, and silhouettes faded away as the two fl
oated down to the ground. They broke the embrace and stood looking at each other. Sylvia put her hand against Carl’s cheek. “Thank you, Carl.” She shoved him back and to the ground. “But this changes nothing.” She shot into the sky and disappeared.

  Headmaster Dorchester paced back and forth in front of his desk. Brian Conway sat on a couch with his wife, Celeste, and Dean Whitehall. Professors Thorndike and Donnelly sat on the other couch. Carl stood between the two couches with his head down. Finally, Dorchester stopped and faced the teen. “Before I forget, happy birthday, Carl.”

  “Thank you, Headmaster.”

  “The professors told me that Barbara Conway attacked you earlier today. Is that true?”

  “In a way, yes, sir.”

  “What does that mean?” Brian Conway asked.

  “Please explain yourself, Prescott,” Whitehall ordered.

  Carl smiled at the Conways. “I mentioned before that the demon queen wanted to possess Barbie’s body. Well, now she has it.” The Conways began to cry. “However, she does not have her soul.”

  “Where is it?” Dorchester asked.

  “I’m sorry, Headmaster, but I cannot tell you.”

  Whitehall pointed at Carl. “Don’t be insolent, boy. Answer the headmaster’s question.”

  Carl took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. “It is in the possession of an Invisible Hand. If anyone who does not have that talent learns its location, the demon queen will be able to extract that information. I am not willing to take that risk.” He sighed. “Frankly, that’s the only thing we have to bargain with now.” He groaned. “The demon queen will likely use Barbie’s body as a bargaining chip against me though.”

  “How so?” Celeste Conway asked.

  Carl wiped his eyes. “After she attacked me earlier, the demon queen tried to kill me. I deflected her attack, which reflected back on her body, Barbie’s body. I’m afraid she was very badly wounded. I did repair the injuries, but now the demon queen knows she can use my affection for Barbie to keep me from stopping her.” Tears poured out of his eyes. He turned around and hurried out of the room.

  Carl finally calmed himself. He sat on his bed with knees crossed and held his head in his hands. The situation had gone terribly wrong. Any attempt to stop Sylvia now would only harm his friend’s body. There was a knock on his door. “What?”

  “Carl, it’s Burt. Do you want to come to dinner? I’m meeting the others there in a couple minutes.”

  He looked up. “No, I think I’ll pass. I’m not really hungry right now, but thanks for asking.” He heard the front door open and close. “What the heck am I supposed to do now?” He glanced to his left and noticed the book sitting on top of his nightstand. He picked it up, caressed the cover, and opened it to two blank pages.

  The image of a birthday cake appeared on the page. The fifteen candles were lit, and the flames ended in smiley faces. He chuckled. Now, words began to appear under the cake. “Not much of a birthday celebration so far, eh Carl?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, not so much.”

  More words appeared on the page. “Well, I suppose how much fun you have is your choice. Your friends are waiting in the dining hall for you now. I’m sure you’d prefer that to moping about in your bedroom.”

  “Book, but what about Barbie and the demon queen? How am I supposed to protect her and stop this craziness? I just don’t know what to do?”

  Several pages flipped over. Standing alone on the page were the words, “Enjoy your birthday today and save the universe tomorrow. After all, your birthday comes but once each year, while the duties of the Invisible Hand last forever.”

  Carl jumped to his feet and rushed out of the room.

  When he entered the dining hall, Carl noticed a crowd of students had formed on the far side of the room. Most were clapping and laughing. Burt was at the center of the group and seemed to be standing on a table, as most of his body was visible above the audience. Carl walked over to see what has happening. He pushed his way through the group so he could see. Burt was standing on Aida’s shoulders. Grace was tossing up plates, glasses, and flatware to Burt who juggled them all. Carl began to applaud along with the others. Grace noted his arrival and walked over to Carl. She bent over and put her hands together. “Come on. It’ll be fun, birthday boy.” She winked.

  “He can’t possibly juggle me, Grace?”

  Carl noticed that Burt was smiling down at him. He took two steps back, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. He opened his eyes, stepped forward, put his left foot into Grace’s joined hands. Grace lifted him up into the air where Carl did a somersault and landed on Burt’s hand. Suddenly, he had joined the spinning wheel of dishes and utensils. The crowd cheered and began to laugh uproariously. After several trips around the swirl of objects, Burt pushed Carl up and away.

  Carl grabbed one of the chandeliers, did a somersault in midair, and landed on the floor, two feet in front of Headmaster Dorchester. “Uh-oh,” Carl squeaked and then looked down.

  Noticing the headmaster, Burt pushed the items he had been juggling away. They landed in neat piles on one of the service trolleys. He then hopped down to the floor, where he and the two girls returned to their seats. The other students headed back to their seats as well.

  “Everyone stay where you are,” Dorchester exclaimed. “Burt, Aida, and Grace, come over here now.” When they arrived, Dorchester started to laugh. Soon, the entire room erupted in laughter. “Oh my goodness, Burt, I know your ancestor would be jealous of your Jokester talents. That exhibition was truly amazing. I don’t think I’ve seen anything so funny since you all flew on the deer.”

  “You saw that, Headmaster?” Aida asked.

  “Of course, and your mother witnessed it too. Truth be told, I am the one who made the suggestion to the animals.” Dorchester put his hand on Burt’s shoulder. “Do you think you could do that again?”

  “Yes, Headmaster.”

  “Come with me then. I’d like you to juggle the dean, professors Donnelly and Thorndike, and me. That will liven up dinner.” He led the boy away.

  The students returned to their tables, and Carl went to the service line to get his dinner.

  By the time Carl arrived at the table with the girls, all could hear more laughter coming from the faculty dining room. “I’m really glad I came for dinner. Burt’s juggling was so much fun.”

  Aida smiled. “Well, it’s your birthday, so you should be enjoying yourself.”

  “Thanks. By the way, how is she?”

  “She’s fine, Carl,” Grace replied. “I have her now.”

  “Aida, are you sure that’s safe?”

  Grace said, “Carl, I can see the symbols now.”

  Carl sat back, put his hands behind his head, and smiled. “It’s a great birthday after all.”

  Before going to bed, Carl put shields around all three of his friends and himself. No one would be stealing Barbie’s soul tonight. He lay back and thought about his parents. He knew they were both safe in Washington tonight after having been transferred back to CIA Headquarters. He rolled onto his side and yawned. He smiled and said, “Everything is going to be just fine.” He fell asleep.

  Chapter 11

  When Carl woke, he knew nothing would ever be all right again. He could not move, and his body seemed to have been molded into one of the walls in the castle throne room. Several hundred courtesans stood near the dais where the thrones had been situated. Sylvia, Gabriel, and Constance stood on the dais facing each other. Carl managed to glance to his left and right. Aida, Burt, and Grace has also been embedded into the stone walls. Sylvia noticed that Carl was awake, so she left the dais and headed toward him. The courtesans turned, sneered, and jeered at him.

  She stepped up to him and ran her fingers over his stone body. “You failed, rock-boy. You thought you were strong, but you are nothing but a weak human being, for now.” She smiled and ran her tongue over his face. “Yummy, tastes like granite. Don’t worry. In a minute, the atoms that make u
p your body and this entire universe will come to me and submit. Manny, Mort, and my dad will be gone forever, and I will be God.”

  Gabriel raised a finger. “We need to talk about that point, Sylvia.”

  Sylvia hissed at him and pointed a crooked finger. Gabriel doubled over in pain and screamed. Sylvia kept up the pain for two full minutes before she relented. “Do I make my point?” Still bent over, Gabriel raised his hands in contrition.

  “Good,” she said and turned back to Carl. She pressed her lips to his and pushed her tongue into his mouth. When she stepped back, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Thanks for not letting this body die. See you on the other side, Hand of God.” She turned and walked back to the dais.

  The three extended their arms. The courtesans fell to their knees and began to chant. The three each took one step forward and then another. They were inches from one another when the rock around Carl fell away, and he collapsed onto the floor. The three stepped into their embrace.

  Carl created a cocoon around himself and then pushed it to enclose the three. They wrapped their arms around one another. Carl pushed on the shield with all of his strength. The three inside the shield detonated, filling the shield with the brilliance of a trillion suns. The shield began to expand, and Carl fought to hold it together. The brilliance doubled, and the courtesans screamed in agony as their bodies were torn into atoms and sucked inside the shield.

  The shield expanded again, and the room around them began to disintegrate. Carl pushed with all of his might. It expanded again and moved toward him. Carl fought to keep up the pressure as more and more matter shot inside the shield. The shield was only inches away from Carl’s hands. He grunted and pushed with all of his remaining strength. The shield touched his fingers, and Carl gasped in a combination of ecstasy and agony. He felt the searing pain of near infinite heat as his body came apart, atom by atom, and fell into the abyss.

  Carl sat up in bed panting and sweating. His pulse raced, and his body still felt the burning sensation. He managed to open his eyes to see Manny, Luce, and Mort standing at the end of his bed. Mort pointed a bony finger at Carl. “Do not let that happen.”