" Major, I'm so glad you are here!" Trevor exclaims. "I might have found the antidote. If it works, it will reverse the impacts of the development spurt."
" What are you saying? That you can reverse this mistake?" James asks.
" That's exactly what I am saying."
" Then what are we waiting for? Let's give it to him."
" Well, there's a problem," Trevor says. "It has to be injected into the scalp, meaning somebody has to get on its head and put the injection needle in its brain. That's the only rational way. I am sure of it. The formulas all make good sense now."
" And how do you think we can do that, professor? It appears nearly impossible what you ask of us."
" Well," Trevor begins. "I made a strategy. I didn't expect this to be easy. The monster is so high that it would take a great effort to climb all the way up there. It bends over in some cases, but inadequate to time it perfectly. We just can't afford to take a chance on this."
" Then what do you suggest?" Major James asks strangely enough.
" Let's trip that thing. If we can extend a strong cord from one end to the other, we might be able to tangle its feet up and cover the cord around its ankles, causing it to fall. And that will give us a minute or more for someone to get on his head and inject the needle."
" That makes sense. Let's get to it."
Chapter 7: Defeat
Within minutes, James manages to get a big group of soldiers together and commands them to fetch some rope.
" The greatest and thickest you can find," he says. "And the 5 of you over there, keep shooting to distract the beast! We are going to set the trap on the other side of the town square. Set the clock at two minutes. After that, you'll run like your life depends on it to the destined location. We will meet there and span the ropes to trip it. Understood?"
" Affirmative."
" All clear, sir."
" Then move! Come on, teacher, you can come help set the trap."
Trevor pursues James and reaches the town square. Not too much later, a group of soldiers brings a big rope.
" Is that all you could find?" James asks.
" Sorry, sir. That's the best we could do."
" Fine, I think it will have to do for now. Let's hope it works. Hand me that needle, professor."
" You mean that you're going to jump on the beast's head?"
" Naturally. I'm not going to let one of my men sacrifice himself. If you want something done right, do it yourself. Besides, if I screw up, at least I'll have nobody else to blame."
" Okay," Trevor says, "Good luck."
The beast is coming closer. The 2 minutes are over. The guys in front of it are shooting in the air and screaming their lungs out, luring the monster into the rope trap the major and his guys set. Without hesitation, the beast follows these presumed lunatics and roars angrily at them while stomping behind them.
" Faster, much faster! Get over here!" James screams.
The running soldiers hide behind the wall of a close-by building and pant greatly.
" Now it's our turn, men," James says.
The soldiers span the rope. The monster comes closer, and closer, and trips over the rope, precisely as prepared.
Bam!
The monstrous giant falls on the town square, together with a couple of unfortunate houses.
Craaash!
Bits and pieces of the tiles, the roofings, and the monument are being bounced up from the accident. The monster is down, lying on its side, barely knowledgeable about what just occurred.
" It's just you and me now, ugly head," James says before he runs towards the beast's head. He jumps over bricks and pieces of the damaged monument, grabs onto the monster and gets on its head. The beast grumbles and whacks at him with his hand.
Whoosh!
It nearly got him, but as the major ducked, the hand missed him. James uses the beast's horns to pull him around the head, takes several steps to what he thinks is the center of its scalp, and injects the needle.
" Take that, you filthy monster!" he says with conviction, after which he slides off the monster's body.
In the beginning, it seems ineffective, but then, after about ten seconds, the beast starts to shrink. It becomes smaller and smaller. The soldiers, the professor, and the major stand by and watch as the beast gradually turns from a beast into a useless little pearl.
Chapter 8: Friendship
"Well, would you look at that," Professor Trevor says. "What a cute little Dark pearl we have here."
" Yeah, if I didn't know any better, I would ruin it right now," Major James adds.
The soldiers get around the area where the monster vanished, finding it hard to think their eyes. They look at the tiny pearl and stay speechless.
" Thank you for all you have done, major," Trevor says, holding his hand in front of him.
James shakes his hand.
" I'm sorry I got on you for your error, teacher. You are a smart addition to this army and to the city. It was an honor to deal with you. And thanks to you, I have progressed in my profession. My high rank will stay, due to the fact that you developed the remedy."
" Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go home to my family. Are you married, major?"
" Divorced," the major answers.
" I'm sorry to hear that. Why don't you come by for supper some time, just to have some fun? In fact, how about you just follow me to my home today? My spouse is an expert at cooking casseroles. Trust me, they are the best."
" All right," James says. "That seems like a great idea. I have to admit that the tomato plant a couple of hours ago already made me hungry. I do not know how you do it ... staying up so late and not even grabbing a snack or something. Do you think supper will still be warm? It's nearly midnight."
" I am certain it will be. And if not, we'll just warm it up. I've had many times when a warmed up dinner tasted even better than before. Speaking of which, did I tell you about the time I created food additive to boost the taste of it? It's a long story. I'll tell you all about it on our way home."
The two new good friends walk through the narrow alleys of the city, all set to eat a scrumptious meal.
THE END
Back in Time
Chapter 1: Out in Nature
This is Jace. I am 19 years of age ... well, I don't know how else to begin a journal, or journal ... whatever. This is the first time. I just want to write down what took place just recently. It was remarkable, and by that I mean that it would be hard to actually believe unless I clarify every part of that information, and even then there might be skeptics.
What I experienced with my good friends, surpasses the regular and the natural. It was supernatural; that was for sure. We actually didn't actually believe it ourselves in the beginning.
So let me just get to it, or I will just keep babbling about how astounding and odd it was.
All of it began when we chose to check out the environment. You see, our village is surrounded by stunning mountains, but we just never went there, partly as our mother and father were so busy and we didn't want to go by ourselves. My good friends, Alex and Karl, were about the same age at that time and were happy that their father and mother finally consented to let them go off on their own, with me of course. So we did. We prepared a camping trip.
Initially, we packed our bags, the tent, and some cooking equipment. It was amazing. My father took pride in me, since this would mean I would become more fully grown, being self-reliant and all. My mother was a little anxious, but she gave in and let me go. She knew that it would be much safer it there were three of us.
It was a hot summertime day. We met in front of my house and took off after striking each other on the shoulder (like guys do).
" What do you want to do initially?" Karl asked.
" I just want to go towards the mountains," I said. "When we get there, we'll choose what to do first. If we do all sorts of things first, it might be dark already when we get to a good spot. So let's find
a spot first. After that, we can have as much fun as we want."
" Sounds like a plan," Karl said.
" Maybe we can eat some rabbits," Alex said.
We both looked at him. That remark was totally lost. Karl was a pretty smart kid, but Alex ...? In some cases we questioned what was up with him.
" Uhm ... yes, maybe," I said.
We were all quiet. For some reason, we just didn't have anything to include, so all of us kept packing our stuff.
Chapter 2: The Campout
We put our backpacks on our backs. We said goodbye to our families and started our journey. As we walked towards the mountains, we went by gorgeous orchards, farmlands, and forests. At the foot of the mountain, we stopped briefly.
" That appears like a long way up there," Alex said.
" Not so," I said. "We're not going all the way up there, just halfway. It will suffice. That's where we'll pitch our tents."
We began climbing. We were lucky there was a clear path, but it was high. Every once in a while, we rested, being significantly fatigued after such a tough climb. But ultimately, after a few hours, we came to an area where the roadway wasn't so high anymore. We discovered a creek and some lavish, green bushes and trees.
" Let's move up a little more and after that pitch our camping tent near the creek somewhere," I suggested.
My good friends agreed it was a good idea.
After another half hour, we chose a spot and pitched our camping tent. It was difficult, and we saw how much clear communication mattered when you're interacting as a team. Alex was too awkward to put the pins in the ground, Karl was complaining about the wind, and I just couldn't find some of the small products that make a tent complete. When we were done, we put our backpacks there, set out the sleeping bags, and took a look at the creek.
" I bet you can't beat my record," Karl said.
" What's your record?" I asked.
" I can skip a rock 27 times on the water."
" No way!"
" It holds true. So what do you say, Jace? Are you up for a good challenge?"
" Bring it on." With that remark, I picked up some flat rocks and began skipping them on the water.
1 ... 2 ... 3 ... 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.
" Twelve!" I said. "That's not bad, is it?"
" But it's not 27," Karl said.
" Well, if you skip a rock 3 times 12, it will be 36," Alex added. "So all you have to do, is do it 2 more times and then you beat his record."
We both looked at each other and rolled our eyes while smiling.
" That's not how it works, Alex. It has to be with the same rock."
" Oh," Alex said. "Then perhaps you could get the rock from the bottom of the creek and use it again. You know, like recycling."
We couldn't stop chuckling. Alex and his basic logic ... often we actually learned something from his point of view. It made more sense than some of the complicated matters grownups come up with.
" Sure, Alex," Karl finally said.
After some fun skipping rocks, we got our fishing equipment out. "Fishing is one of the most dull things in the universe," Karl said.
" I could not agree with you more," I said. "But I heard there is some good trout in this creek, so let's just give it a try."
We broke up. I stuck with the fishing pole and the other two went to take some wood for a campfire. When they came back, I happily presented a huge trout I caught. They were amazed. I was very happy to see they made themselves useful too.
" Let's get this fire going," I said.
It was great. We roasted fish and marshmallows and hotdogs. Alex kept burning the marshmallows, even after we tried to show him how far he should hold them from the fire.
" Have you ever wished to perform some brave deed?" Karl asked when we were just relaxing at the fire.
" What are you aiming at?" I asked.
" Just ... you know, do something that you're proud of, something that means something to other individuals."
" Yes, I have," I said after a little thinking. "I once had a dream that I rescued some girl. She was being assaulted by shades and monsters, but I came to snatch her away and put her to safety. And after that I fought the opponents one by one. It was a pretty amazing dream, to be honest."
" Ha! And who was the girl? Olivia? Katherine? Sydney?" Karl asked.
" Oh, come on. Do I have to expose to you who I think is the hottest girl in our class?"
" Yes. Naturally."
" I type of like Sydney," I admitted.
" Oooooow!" the two boys yelled with a grin on their faces, teasing me a little. "Jace has a crush on Sydney!"
" Shhh ... I don't have a crush," I said.
" Sure. It's alright. No one can hear us here in the mountains."
" Well, what about you? I asked. Who do you like?"
Karl blushed a little but then he told me. We were just having conversations young guys have, about girls, about cool stuff, kids we despised, sports, and so on. When we were not hungry anymore, specifically with the tasty fish I caught, we entered into the tent and slept all night. It was serene, with the sound of the flowing water in the creek and the rustling leaves on the trees.
Chapter 3: Weird Things
The next day, we climbed some trees and cooked another meal. We all went swimming, regardless of the fact that the water was a little cold. And in the evening, we sat around another campfire.
Then I saw something.
" Hey, what's that?" I asked.
Karl and Alex came to look. It looked like another pebble, but it was purple. I had never seen a purple pebble before. I picked it up and held it in front of me.
" Weird," Alex confessed.
" Perhaps it is a dark pearl," Karl said. "I have heard of those. They're always purple and shiny. They can be found in the mountains and they make you do unusual things."
" Yeah, it looks like it," I said. "It's nearly like it is wonderful or something. Here, let me rub off the dirt."
I began getting it smooth by rubbing it with my T-shirt. Something took place. I do not know what. But before we understood it, we were at the campfire again. Everything looked the same.
" Have you ever wanted to perform some heroic deed?" Karl asked when we were just cooling at the fire.
" Wait, what?" I asked.
" Just ... you know, do something that you are proud of, something that means something to other people."
" Hang on ... what did you say?"
" Didn't you hear me? It's just that ... I thought about how cool it would be to prevent some disaster, or to do something that would serve humanity."
" No. That's what I mean," I said. "I heard you, but it just doesn't make any sense. You already said what you said."
He raised one eyebrow. "You're the one who is not making any sense," he said.
I was confused. Didn't he already ask that exact same thing yesterday? Why would he ask that question again? And why did it look like he was burning the exact same marshmallow in the exact same way as the day before?
" You asked me the same question yesterday," I insisted. "Have you forgotten that?"
" Okay, you're beginning to freak me out, Jace," Karl said. "I didn't even see you yesterday. So how could I have asked that question a day before?"
" What? But we were here, at the campfire! You were asking me this and then I told you that I liked Sydney, and we discussed other things."
" You like Sydney?" Alex asked. "Ha-ha-ha-ha!”
Karl smirked. "Well, thanks for telling us that, but we actually weren't here the other day. I think you're going a little nuts."
Then I looked at the dark pearl. Did I just go back in time? Maybe the magical power of this weird pearl was to go back in time. But how would I know for sure? I thought and thought while Alex and Karl were chatting away.
Then I had it.
" What's today's date?" I asked.
" Huh? It's the 23rd, obviously," Karl said.
There was my evid
ence. I had returned a day. When I rubbed the pearl, it pushed me back in time for an entire day. Our discussion changed. We didn't talk so much about girls or sports any longer. I revealed them the dark pearl I had found uhm ... well the day after actually ... and we attempted to figure out what it could do.
" Guys," I said in all severity, "This is a magical thing."
They both looked.
" Oh, I've heard about those. They're dark pearls," Karl said.
" Yes, and it sent me back in time."
" It did what?" Karl asked.
" It sent me back in ... stop! That hotdog is going to fall into the fire!" I alerted Alex. But it was too late. The hotdog fell.
" Hey, how did you know it would fall?" Alex asked.
" That's what I have been trying to tell you. I returned in time."
" Oh yeah? Then what am I going to do now?" Karl asked.
" Well, I don't know everything that's going to happen," I explained. "But I rubbed the pearl and returned a day."
" That's so cool," Alex admitted.
" Hang on. Hold on. Let's say you are right. What are we going to do with it?" Karl asked.
" Let me figure that out later. I am open to ideas, but let me just say that we have a very powerful pearl here, something we can use to change lives, including our own."
" Time travel ..." Karl said while rubbing his chin.
We talked some more, among which things about some of the possibilities this newfound power could give us. Nevertheless, we didn't come up with a lot of ideas that were both ethical and useful. We were going to keep it and think of it later.
Chapter 4: The Threat
Anthology of Horror Stories Page 6