by Cody Hyde
In a dark place known as the Lake of Souls, Muri and Joe James stopped at what appeared to be a dock for boats. The river around them was completely black. A man with a crooked stick appeared at the end of the dock, the one who would be guiding the boat through the lake to their destination.
“Follow me,” ordered Muri to Joe, and they both began to walk towards the boatman.
“Your destination?” asked the boatman.
“We must go to the Soulkeeper’s Passageway,” replied Muri.
Soon the boatman was guiding Joe and Muri through the lake, with all sorts of ghostly spirits reaching up out of the water to try and grab the boat, which they could not grasp a hold of. Muri’s sphere at the end of his staff was lit up, lighting their way.
On they went through the eerie, haunted waters of the Lake of Souls. More and more creepy zombie- looking ghosts would reach out of the waters to try and grab onto the boat.
The boat came to a stop at a dock leading up to a giant circular black platform with giant black pillars sticking up around the sides.
“Well, this is your stop, the Soulkeeper’s Passageway,” said the boat guide.
Shortly, Muri and Joe were standing in the center of the giant platform.
Muri stepped up to the center, where a cylinder-shaped stone stuck up. He placed his hands on the platform and immediately began to whisper something.
Joe had no idea what he was whispering. It was in another language, some sort of chant or something.
A few seconds later, Muri stepped back. The cylinder-like object then began to lower itself into the platform mysteriously. It took a few moments for it to completely disappear.
The waves of the lake around them then began to splash heavily, forming giant waves around them, growing higher and higher. At the same time, some sort of ghostly entity began to rise up out of the spot where the cylinder-shaped object was moments ago... a creepy dark figure with long dread-lock hair that flowed all around her with the wind. Her eyes were closed.
The spiritual entity’s eyes then opened. “Who has called upon I, the Soulkeeper?”
“It is I, Muri,” spoke Muri. “I was sent here by the Dark Master with one of your people. He claims to know where to find the Book of the Underground.”
The Soulkeeper’s eyes instantly grew wide. She looked over at Joe, who stood there eagerly awaiting to talk to her. “And who might you be?”
“I am Joseph James...the Dark Master has given me the opportunity for my soul to return to my body if I retrieve the Book of the Underground and hand it to him,” he answered.
The Soulkeeper looked back at Muri. “Is this true?” she asked.
“Every word.” The Soulkeeper grew a slow smile on her face. The smile then changed back into a straight face. “Then there is no time to argue...I must return to the lake, I have duties to take care of tonight... but tomorrow night, Joseph, your soul will return to your body.”
Joe couldn’t be more thankful. “Thank you,” he replied.
“Indeed.” The Soulkeeper then turned back to Muri. “Is this all that I can assist you of?”
“That is all,” he replied.
“Then the deed shall be done. Tomorrow night. Understand?”
“Yes, Soulkeeper,” replied Joe.
“Now go, Muri,” she spoke to Muri. “Joseph James, you will join the rest of the spirits in the Lake of Souls for now. I will call you when it is time.”
Joe nodded in agreement.
“Now I must return to the lake.”
And with that, the Soulkeeper swiftly disappeared into the center of the platform. The heavy breeze around them stopped.
Muri turned to Joe. “And I must return to the castle. I’ll be seeing you in the near future, Joe James.”
“Goodbye, Muri,” he replied.
Muri walked back to the boat where the boat man stood with his crooked stick and stepped in.
Joe watched as the boat took off back to the castle. He continued to stare off into the Lake of Souls, repeating the words that were said to him by the Soulkeeper in his head... the deed shall be done. Tomorrow night.
The following morning, Charlie, Ted, Rocky and Sheila were all sitting around the small wooden table in the center of Ted’s hut, eating what appeared to be the cooked meat of the Hunter for breakfast.
“Sheila, it’s been so long since you’ve come around,” said Ted, who appeared to still have a bandage wrapped around his arm. “I’m so happy you’re still alive.”
“And I’m happy you’re still here too,” she said. “I never would have thought you’d still be here, alive, in this world.”
Sheila looked really young for her age. She was supposed to be in her thirties since she entered the Underground twenty years ago when she was only thirteen at the time, but instead looked as if she was only about twenty-two.
That’s when Charlie noticed Ted looked a lot younger for his age as well... so he had to ask. “So how come you guys still look so young?”
Sheila turned to him. “That’s a great question.”
Ted answered for her. “Well, Charlie, one thing is certain in the Underground. Twenty years in our world is like ten years in the Underground. In otherwords, we humans don’t age as fast in this world.”
“Oh, well that’s great to hear. It’s not going to change my mind, though, I still want out of this place.”
Ted sighed. “You still have a lot to learn.”
Charlie just shook his head.
Ted turned to Sheila and admired her wings. “So how exactly did you end up with those?”
Sheila took a deep breath. “Well, I’ll tell you what happened, Ted,” she replied. She took a quick bite of her breakfast then began. “The night Sinister disappeared with the Black Ring, the witch cursed me, tried to turn me into a shape-shifter for her own benefit... that’s how I got these.” She then spread out her giant bat-like wings, which took up half the table and got in Charlie and Rocky’s way.
Charlie didn’t budge when her wings got in his face, which almost knocked him over.
“If only Sinister hadn’t betrayed us, it probably would have never happened,” told Sheila, who then noticed the unhappy look on Charlie’s face. “Did I say something wrong?”
“That’s my father,” replied Charlie.
“I’m sorry?”
“Sinister was my father,” he replied again but more clearly, looking down with a small feeling of guilt. “He was haunting my house right before I came to the Underground... wanted me to read the Awakening chant in the book.”
“You read the Awakening chant? Do you have any idea what could happen?”
Ted nodded his head. “Sorry, I haven’t gotten to that part yet, Sheila.”
“Oh,” she responded, feeling guilty. “You-you mean he’s dead?”
Charlie took this as if Sheila was unsure about how to react to this fact.
“Last time I checked he passed away mysteriously when I was three,” he told her.
“Oh, well I’m so sorry to hear that.”
“I’m over it, I didn’t know my father much and for all I know he was an evil bastard. He tried to drown me.”
“He tried to drown you?” questioned Ted.
“Yeah, it was all over the news,” replied Charlie. “The same night that that he died.”
Ted got up and put his hand on Charlie’s shoulder. “Your father tried to drown you because he knew something,” he said.
“And what’s that?” questioned Charlie as he finished up the last bite of his breakfast.
“Last night when you killed the Hunter with my sword...”
“Yeah?”
“Charlie...” Ted began.
Sheila and Ted then looked at him at the same time.
“You’re destined,” they said in unison.
“Destined?” Charlie felt a sense of power and hope that he will make it back home again.
“Destined,” repeated Ted. “Every time someone new enters the world of the Underground, the next person is given a higher chance of becoming the destined than the last. Legend has it that the time will come when the destined individual is given the power to put a stop to the Dark Master and become the new ruler of the Underground.”
Charlie couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It was too good to be true.
Ted went on. “Your father had tried to rule the Underground, and he became very close, especially after he discovered the Black Ring. We knew what his plans were, and we also knew we should have never trusted him… but soon after he escaped, somehow the power was given to you before his death. And you are given the option as to how you decide to use that power.”
Charlie went quiet.
“Charlie, your training starts now.”
“Training?”
“Follow me,” ordered Ted as he then began to walk outside, and Charlie followed him. He then turned to Sheila. “Sheila, I’ll need you as well.”
Chapter 13