Carl Prescott and the Demon Queen

by Karl Morgan

  Luce rolled his eyes. “Yea, I get it. I raised a real bitch.”

  Manny walked over to Carl and put his hand on Carl’s cheek. “Just do your best, okay?” The three faded away.

  Carl could feel his heart rate slowing. He took a deep breath. “It was just a dream.”

  The door opened, and Manny stuck his head inside. “Or was it?” After he closed the door, Carl fell back onto the bed and passed out.

  When he arrived in the dining hall for breakfast, he found his friends sitting together somberly. “Morning. What’s wrong?” He set his tray down.

  Aida looked up at him. “We all had the same dream last night.”

  Carl sat heavily. “Please don’t tell me you were buried in the wall at the castle.” The others looked grim as they nodded. “Well, it was just a dream.”

  “I don’t know how you can be so flippant about the four of us having the same dream,” Aida replied. “I saw you dissolve into nothing in front of me. It was horrifying.”

  Carl sighed. “It was a warning about what will happen if we fail. In the dream, the demon queen was merged with Barbie, but we still have her soul. Also, I think we have a chance to stop either Gabriel or Constance. After all, they’re angels. I know they’re acting out against their father, but I’m not sure they’re ready to kill Him or destroy the universe.”

  Grace took her napkin and wiped her eyes. “That’s the other thing, Carl. We don’t have her soul anymore.”

  “What happened?”

  Tears rolled down Grace’s cheeks. “I don’t know. I woke up, and she was gone. I had that dream too, but I don’t remember anything else.”

  Aida grabbed Carl’s hand. “No one came into the room last night. Grace and I were both a little scared, so we slept together. Neither of us have any recollection of anything bad happening other than the dream.”

  Dean Whitehall entered the dining hall and headed toward them. Carl shook and then dropped his head. When Whitehall arrived at their table, she said, “Mr. and Mrs. Conway were not in their rooms this morning. Do any of you know where they are?”

  Carl stood and pulled Aida to her feet. “Yeah. Come with me.” He grabbed the dean’s hand, and all three disappeared.

  The three appeared inside the castle walls. None of the soldiers guarding the area seemed to notice or care. Carl turned around and noticed that the castle wall was two feet away. Carl stepped up to a familiar door and pulled it open. He stepped inside, motioned for the others to follow, and put a finger to his lips for quiet. They walked over to the door leading into the throne room. He leaned toward the two women and said, “You two have to wait here. Aida, you’ll know if I need your help.” She nodded. “You know where we are, Dean Whitehall?”

  She nodded. “Bulgaria.”

  Carl smiled. “If you find that Aida is in danger, you need to take her out of this place. I’ll take care of myself. Now, some pretty nasty things might happen next, but let’s see how it goes. I’ll crack the door open. Do not let the door close.” He turned to the door and opened it slightly. The demon queen was addressing her courtesans. Brian and Celeste Conway were crucified on the far wall. They appeared to be breathing, but their bodies were covered in blood. Carl shook his head, gave a thumbs-up to the others, and stepped into the throne room. He left the door behind him slightly ajar.

  The queen’s eyes bugged out, and she turned to face him.

  Carl fell to his knees and prostrated himself before her.

  “What kind of mischief is this, boy?”

  He straightened up and moved forward slowly on his knees. “My queen, you have defeated me. I throw myself on your mercy.”

  She smiled with a sneer. “Yes, I have beaten you, boy. You thought yourself a god, but you are just a weak, pitiful sack of meat.”

  Carl put his hands over his heart. “Your words wound me, my darling. Please have pity on a poor, smitten man.”

  “Smitten? What kind of nonsense is this?”

  Carl stopped about two feet from her and bowed his head. “You recall our last kiss.” Several of the courtesans gasped in surprise. He looked up and smiled. “Allow me the favor of another such embrace, and I will submit myself to you utterly. I will join with Gabriel to make our dreams come true.”

  She laughed and turned away. “I’m not that stupid. You’re just here to steal her soul from me.”

  “My darling, you wound me again. You two are joined. How could a weak mortal hope to separate the two of you?”

  A priest in the front row said, “He’s right, Majesty. A mortal cannot separate you now.”

  She frowned at the priest and turned back to Carl. “Somehow, I doubt your veracity. How can I know this is not a trick?”

  Carl batted his eyes and lowered his head. “My queen, I think you enjoyed our embrace as much as I did. Do I own your heart as you own mine?”

  She slapped him across the face. “I am a god and not subject to human frailties as you are. How dare you consider such a thing?”

  Carl sighed and a few tears leaked from his eyes. “Then, there is no hope for this wreck of a man.” He stood up and put his arms out to his sides. “You might as well rip the beating heart from my chest. Without your kiss, what good is this life?” He closed his eyes.

  Sylvia moved toward him with her hand ready to do the deed. She glanced at her courtesans and noticed their teary eyes. “Don’t tell me you idiots fell for that nonsense?” Several nodded and dabbed at their eyes. “Now watch as your queen kills this stupid boy.” She hurried over to Carl and pushed her hand against his chest.

  Carl brushed her hand away and pulled Sylvia into his arms. He pressed his lips to hers as she wrapped her arms around him. She began to move her body back and forth against him. The crowd of courtesans cheered.

  Sylvia’s eyes opened to meet Carl’s. She tried to push him back, but Carl forced his tongue into her mouth. They began to wrestle, making the audience more frenzied. Aida ran out onto the dais and put her hands on Carl’s back. Sylvia tried to scream, but Carl would not relent. Sylvia’s arms fell loose to her sides, and her eyes rolled up into her head. Carl released her, and her body fell to the floor. “Take her and get out of here now!”

  Suddenly grasping the situation, the courtesans surged toward the dais. Dean Whitehall came onto the dais and shot a pulse of energy that knocked the onlookers from their feet. She and Aida grabbed Sylvia’s limp body and disappeared.

  Carl jumped into the air, grabbed Brian and Celeste from the wall, and disappeared as well.

  As soon as they arrived at the school, Brian, Celeste, and Carl were taken to the infirmary. The wounds to the two Conways were superficial, but a doctor from Santa Isabel had been summoned. Carl was in a separate room. The headmaster and dean stood over him. The teen’s body was drenched in sweat, tears ran from his eyes, and his breath was erratic and shallow. His skin was pale and felt like plastic.

  Dorchester put his hand on Carl’s forehead and quickly removed it. “He’s as cold as ice, yet he’s sweating. What exactly happened to him, Clarisse?”

  The door opened and Professors Donnelly and Thorndike stepped in. “What in the blazes happened to Prescott?” Donnelly asked.

  Clarisse replied, “I was just getting to that, Alistair. Aida told me that the Conway girl’s spirit was taken from Ms. Mulligan last night, although neither has any recollection of it. Apparently, the demon queen also kidnapped the girl’s parents. She had crucified and tortured them to coerce Barbara to allow the demon queen’s spirit to join with hers.”

  “Why would she want such a thing?” Professor Thorndike asked.

  The door opened, and Death walked in. The others moved as far away as the small confines of the room would allow. He put his hand on Carl’s forehead. “Oh dear, this is unfortunate.”

  “Are you here to take him, Death?”

  Death chuckled. “No, Clarisse, it doesn’t work that way.”

  Carl mumbled something, and they turned their attention to him.

>   “What did he say?” Dorchester asked, but no one had any idea.

  Death shook his head. “I don’t think I’ve seen this level of self-sacrifice since, well, probably since Joshua.”

  “Who’s that?”

  Death looked up at Thorndike. “I’m surprised you’d ask that, Seven.” He shook his head. “That’s not important right now. The point is that when each universe reaches the end of its life, three immortals join with three Invisible Hands. That allows the dead universe to collapse and generate a new one.”

  “But this universe is far from dead, uh, uh… I’m not sure what I should call you.”

  “Alex, you can call me Mort, and you are correct. Unfortunately, Sylvia and the others failed to recognize that most obvious flaw in their logic. The life in this reality will not allow them to succeed.”

  “If there’s no risk, why did Carl do this?” Whitehall asked.

  “My dear, I said this universe would not allow itself to die. I did not say there was no risk. If they join, it is likely the blast radius will be around four million light-years.”

  “Mother of God!” Dorchester shouted.

  Carl was very aware of those around him, but he had enough problems of his own. Sylvia had been screaming at him continually since he took her soul. Barbie’s spirit had taken refuge behind him. Even though they were non-corporeal, it seemed as though the three were standing in a small room. The floor was made of sand, and the walls and ceiling were rough-hewn stone. “I am going to kill you, boy!” She charged forward and grabbed Carl, held him over her head, and threw him against the wall.

  He fell down to the floor and groaned in pain. Barbie rushed over and tried to help him up. Sylvia grabbed Barbie by the arms and flung her across the room.

  Carl jumped to his feet and head-butted Sylvia, who bounced off the ceiling and down two feet into the sand on the floor. “Give me her soul, and we can all go our separate ways, Sylvia.”

  She hissed at Carl, grabbed a handful of sand, and threw it into his face. As Carl covered his face, Sylvia charged, smashed into his chest, and pounded him against the far wall. She stepped back and Carl fell face first into the sand. She climbed onto his back and pushed his face deeper in the sand. “Die already, you stupid twerp!”

  Barbie rushed over and kicked Sylvia in the back, which launched her into the ceiling. Sylvia collapsed to the floor. She rolled on her back and groaned.

  “Enough, the both of you!” Barbie shouted.

  Still lying on her back, Sylvia pointed upward. “Where did that come from?”

  The others looked up to see a metal eyelet embedded in the stone ceiling. “That wasn’t there before, was it, Carl?”

  “No, Barbie, not that I can recall.”

  Sylvia stood slowly and stretched her aching muscles. “If only I had a length of rope to hang you with, Carl Sandberg Prescott.”

  “Rope?” Carl asked.

  “What did he say?” Dorchester asked.

  “I think he said rope,” Death replied.

  “I didn’t hear that,” Whitehall added.

  Carl opened his eyes to see Death standing over him. He grabbed his robes and pulled him downward. “Mort, the Rope Bridge.”

  Death shook his head. “That’s a really bad idea in your condition, Carl.”

  “What rope bridge?” Donnelly asked.

  “It’s the only way, Mort. Please!”

  Death sighed and looked at the others in the room. “I’ve got to take him with me now.”

  “He’s dying?”

  “Not yet, Clarisse, but frankly, I don’t have the time to explain it.”

  “We have to go with you, Mort,” Dorchester began. “As his guardians, we have no alternative.”

  Death nodded. “Touch my robe.”

  The group appeared on the mountain peak near the place where the Rope Bridge was anchored to the ground. The professors stood facing Death, who knelt over Carl. His body was twitching and shaking.

  “We need to take him to a hospital,” Dorchester exclaimed. “He’s having convulsions.”

  Death turned back to them. “I know that’s what it looks like, but in fact, the three are vying to control his body.”

  Carl suddenly sat up. He smiled at Death when he saw the bridge nearby. “Hello Headmaster, Dean, and Professors. I’m glad you are here to witness this.”

  “Your death?” Mort asked.

  Carl’s face twitched and he groaned. “Yeah, probably, but not without taking them with me.” He stuck out his hands and Death pulled him to his feet. “I’d like to explain, but there’s no time. Once we’re on the bridge, it will get better.”

  “We’re going too?” Thorndike asked.

  Carl shook his head, and then his body shuddered. “No, I meant me and the others inside of me.” He turned to the bridge and put his left foot onto the rope.

  The door to the small cabin opened. Manny and Luce exited and headed in their direction. “Wait!”

  Carl removed his foot and turned around. “I don’t have any choice!”

  “Doctor Godson, what are you doing in this place?” Dorchester asked.

  Manny put his hand on the headmaster’s shoulder. “We’ll talk about that later, okay?” He turned to Carl. “Sylvia, stop this nonsense immediately!”

  Carl’s head moved around in circles. His skin reddened, and two short horns erupted from his forehead. His hair grew long, and his face contorted until he looked like Sylvia. “Old man, your time is up. It’s time for a new God and a new universe.”

  Luce stepped forward. “Honey, let’s go home. You cannot succeed. The quintillions of sentient beings in this universe will not allow you to destroy it.”

  Sylvia snorted. “Like a care a hoot about what they want. Go back to your cave, Daddy. It will be over soon enough. Have a happy death.”

  Carl shook his head and he looked like himself again. “You see what I mean? There’s no choice.” He turned, walked onto the Rope Bridge, and headed away.

  “Carl, wait up,” Death said as Carl stepped onto the bridge.

  Carl sighed and turned around. “Now what?”

  Death removed two long leather straps from a pocket in his robes. He wrapped and tied one around each of Carl’s wrists. “Use these to lash yourself to the bridge when things get rough. I pray for your success.” He patted Carl on the cheek, turned, and walked back onto the mountain.

  Carl nodded and waved. He turned, walked a few more steps, and disappeared into the fog.

  Manny extended his hand to Death, who shook it. “Let me know what happens, Mort.”

  “Yes, boss.”

  “Me too, old friend.”

  “Of course, Luce.” Manny and Luce faded into nothingness.

  Death headed for his cabin. He waved for the others to follow. “This may take a while. I have coffee and stew on the fire.”

  “Excuse me, Mort, but if it takes too long, perhaps some of us should return to the school,” Dorchester suggested.

  Death headed toward the two bridges. “Come over here.” When they had all arrived, he continued, “This place is outside of time, and you can return when you wish by just following the ornate bridge. After a short journey, you will find yourselves in that same examination room or anywhere else you desire. Carl’s journey could take minutes or centuries. That’s up to him. In relation to Earth, little time will have expired.”

  “I think stew and coffee sound great,” Donnelly noted.

  “All are welcome in my home.”

  Chapter 12

  To Carl, it seemed like an hour had passed already; however, that was likely due to Sylvia’s continuous jabbering about how he and Barbie would die when they fell from the Rope Bridge. He could feel Barbie’s tears running like a river across his mind. “Sylvia, would you please shut up? You’re starting to piss me off.” Even though he knew they were still in his brain, after disappearing into the fog, the three appeared to be separate, with him in the lead, Barbie next, and Sylvia at the rear.
>
  “Are you afraid of the truth? You know it’s true, don’t you? You two will die and, I will continue my plan unabated.” She cackled.

  “That’s where I think you’re wrong,” Carl replied. “Do you know what happened to Viszreaagh? After we defeated him, he went back to being mortal to pay for his misdeeds.”

  Sylvia laughed again. “Yeah, but my dad would never do that to me.”

  Now Carl laughed. “If I remember right, you just wished him a happy death. Don’t be so sure of yourself.” Suddenly, the two were back inside of him.

  “Watch your step!” Sylvia warned.

  Carl laughed and kept trudging forward.

  “Don’t be cocky, boy,” Sylvia warned.

  Hours later, it was getting quite dark on the Rope Bridge. Carl’s leg and arm muscles ached. He took the two lashes Death had given him and looped them around his waist and then tied them securely to the bridge.

  “Why did you stop, Carl?” Barbie asked.

  “I need to rest. I think we’re pretty secure. Once I lie down, I’ll tighten the straps.”

  “I think Sylvia is already sleeping. Isn’t that her snoring?”

  Carl smiled. “Who knew that demons snored?” He lay down and secured the straps as tightly as he could. “Good night, Barbie.”

  “Good night, Carl. I must say this isn’t how I envisioned my first night sleeping with you.”

  “I love you too, Barbie. Get some rest.” He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

  Carl dreamed he was dead. He stood at a distance from his family and friends who were gathered at the gravesite. Barbie stood on his left side with Sylvia on his right. Both had their heads on his shoulders as they wiped the tears from their faces. Manny, Luce, and Mort stood near Carl’s parents. The three appeared like a father and his identical twin sons. All three wore identical black suits. The only differences were the colors of their neckties. After the casket was lowered into the ground, Mort left the gravesite and headed toward the three. As he approached, he morphed slowly into the roped skeleton. He stopped two feet away and bowed his head. He stepped forward and put his head near Carl’s ear. “Don’t you hear Sylvia screaming?”