“
She’s a threat to everyone
right now. We did the right thing,” Angelique said.
The ground rumbled
unexpectedly. Huge boulders tumbled from nearby cliffs while
fissures formed at the base of Mount Zahn’s foothills. Men, women,
and children flocked out of nearby pagodas and raced into the
streets of Kamakura. Tall buildings swayed back and forth when the
earthquake intensified. Five minutes later, Amaya screamed and
pointed toward a stretch of ocean beyond Cadaver Island. Several
miles away, a huge tsunami reached high into the air and rolled
toward the coastline.
***
The fingers of Persephone’s
left hand touched her crucifix while the samurai escorted her
through the village of Kamakura. Beneath the mask of Beelzebub,
tears leaked from the corners of her eyes and snaked across her
face. Persephone’s hand dropped away from the crucifix when the
samurai shoved her through the open door of a leaning pagoda. They
guided her toward a narrow, cramped stairwell, spiraling into the
building’s sublevel. At the bottom of the stairs, Persephone’s eyes
adapted to the dim light of wall-mounted torches. Jail cells lined
both sides of a wide, short hallway.
“
You’ll be free to go after
we find a way to remove the mask,” one of the samurai
said.
“
Thank you for volunteering
to be isolated until then,” his counterpart said.
He inserted a metal key
into the rusted lock of a heavy, oak door at the end of the
corridor. When he yanked the door open, the hinges screamed and a
cloud of dust billowed in the stagnant air. Persephone wept while
the samurai shoved her into the jail cell. After they slammed the
door and locked it, she collapsed onto a cot and stared at the
metal grate of the room’s window. She listened to the footfalls of
the samurai fade as they strolled away from the jail cell, ascended
the stairs, and returned to the first floor.
Persephone swatted large
flies away from her face while she sat on the cot and cried. She
listened to the voice of Beelzebub reverberate in the mask. It
whispered to her in different languages, but she understood the
message: “You’re in prison, but I can use your shadow!” Persephone
trembled when she glanced at the floor. Her shadow established its
own independence and laughed. It pointed its left index finger at
Persephone and scolded her. Dozens of flies buzzed in the air and
formed a black cloud.
A swarm of spiders flowed
into the jail cell from dark crevices when the earthquake caused
the walls and ceiling to shudder. Persephone screamed when the
spiders crawled up her legs and scurried across her skin. A swarm
of wasps surrounded Persephone while the spiders invaded the eye
holes, mouth opening, and nostril gaps of Beelzebub’s mask. Before
the insects overwhelmed her, she watched her shadow pass through
the locked door of the cell. Then her screams blended with the
shadow’s high-pitched laughter.
***
The residents of Kamakura
screamed while they watched the tsunami climb into the sky and race
across the surface of The Dark Sea. Dr. Stine stared at the wall of
water and felt energy throb in his scepter, which emitted a dim
glow. When the western edge of the tsunami rushed across Cadaver
Island, Dr. Stine smiled. Plumes of water crashed against the
exterior walls and high ramparts of Thames Keep and caused the
drawbridge’s cables to snap. The heavy door dropped across a wide
moat and landed with a THUD. Dr. Stine focused his attention on
Reverend Stark’s ghost ship, which bobbed in The Dark Sea, slightly
west of Cadaver Island. Dr. Stine frowned when he realized that a
mountain range on the western side of Cadaver Island disrupted the
tsunami’s momentum, sparing Reverend Stark’s ghost ship. Waves
crashed against the side of the fast-moving vessel, but the ship’s
undead captain kept the boat upright.
“
Do something, Dr. Stine!
The tsunami is coming this way!” Alexander said.
Dr. Stine strolled away
from the center of Kamakura and walked across the wooden planks of
the village’s docks and piers. Stanley landed on his shoulder and
hooted. Angelique cowered next to him and gasped. Alexander
trembled and searched for higher ground. Razor whimpered and licked
his left hand. Dr. Stine raised his scepter high into the air and
plunged the tip of it into the water. Everyone gasped when yellow
light spiraled from the tip of the scepter and radiated outward
from where Dr. Stine stood. Moments later, a force field stretched
from the dockyard to the foothills of Mount Zahn. Reflections of
pagodas, statues, and gardens appeared on the smooth surface of the
force field while the residents of Kamakura pointed at the
protective barrier and smiled.
Arthritis throbbed in Dr.
Stine’s arms, legs, and back while he gripped the scepter with both
hands, closed his eyes, and concentrated on the potency of the
force field. His pulse throbbed in his wrists while his heart
thudded under his sternum. Stomach acid surged up his esophagus and
flooded his mouth. He grinded his teeth when he felt the tsunami
impact the exterior of the force field. He opened his eyes and
watched the wall of water bend around the protective barrier and
splash off to the sides of Kamakura. Seaweed, fish, dolphins, and
sharks flowed across the outer boundary of the village while the
force field redirected the stream of water onto the beach and into
the foothills of Mount Zahn.
“
It’s almost over, Dr.
Stine! Stay strong for a few more minutes!” Angelique
said.
“
I’m exhausted and drained!
I can’t do this much longer!” Dr. Stine said.
Dr. Stine moaned in agony
and dropped the scepter. It landed on the floorboards of the pier
with a distinct THUD. The force field flickered, faded, and
disappeared. Rivers of salt water flowed across the paths of
Kamakura. Seaweed clung to pagodas and the exterior walls of other
structures. Sharks, dolphins, and whales flopped on the white sands
of the beach. Dr. Stine used magic to lift them into the deep water
of the sea.
“
You saved Kamakura! The
tsunami would’ve killed us!” Amaya said.
“
You’re a hero, Dr. Stine!”
Alexander said. He cheered and thrust his fists into the
air.
“
But even heroes can DIE!”
a feminine voice hissed.
Dr. Stine whirled on his
feet. He gasped while he watched the dark silhouette of a woman
leap off the edge of a high cliff and land on the white sand of the
beach. She kicked a pile of seaweed into the surf and cackled
wildly. She held a scimitar in her left hand. She stepped forward
and thrust the scimitar at Dr. Stine, who dodged the
blow.
“
Is that you, Persephone? I
thought you were in jail.” Angelique glanced over her shoulder.
Amaya and the samurai whispered and shrugged their
shoulders.
“
My guards placed
Persephone in a cell and locked the door! Black magic is the only
explanation for this!” Amaya said. Her eyes widened and her face
went pale.
The eyes of Persephone’s
shadow turned red. A forked tongue emerged from her mouth and
wrapped around Dr. Stine’s neck. The shadow yanked Dr. Stine across
the ground while it raised the scimitar high above its head. Dr.
Stine reached into the satchel of potions and searched for a flask
of holy water. He listened to footfalls on the worn planks of the
pier. Angelique and Alexander rushed across the dock to help
him.
“
Read something from your
Bible, Alexander! Do it now!” Angelique said.
In the water beyond the
pier, huge bubbles of air rushed to the surface of the sea. The
residents of Kamakura screamed and searched for shelter when the
enormous bulk of a reptilian beast rose from the ocean. Seaweed and
barnacles covered the slimy scales of the seven-headed giant. Long,
slender tentacles spiraled outward from the creature’s upper torso
when the beast stood upright. The fourth head of the beast, which
bobbed at the end of a long, stout neck, shot forth and tried to
snare Alexander with its long, sword-like teeth. Alexander dropped
to the rotten boards of the pier and dropped his Bible. His fingers
scraped the cover of the Book while Alexander watched Persephone’s
shadow aim the sharp blade of the scimitar at Dr. Stine’s
neck.
“
She’s going to decapitate
him! Do something!” Alexander said.
Angelique jumped over one
of Leviathan’s tentacles, slipped on the wet boards of the pier,
and landed on her tailbone. She exhaled a shriek, grimaced in pain,
and rose to her feet. Razor ran next to her while she walked toward
Dr. Stine and Persephone’s shadow.
Dr. Stine watched the
scimitar slice through the air and glide toward his neck.
Persephone’s shadow cackled while her red eyes widened. Enormous
flies hovered in the air and formed a thick cloud around the
shadow. Dr. Stine peered at the satchel, plucked a flask of holy
water from a leather slot, and removed a cork from its opening. He
gasped for air and used all of his strength to walk backward. The
scimitar created a gust of wind as it sailed through the air and
missed Dr. Stine’s neck by a few centimeters. Persephone’s shadow
raised the weapon above its head again. Dr. Stine hurled the flask
of holy water at the doppelganger. White smoke rose from the
shadow’s essence while a sizzling sound increased in volume.
Persephone’s shadow exhaled an eardrum-rattling shriek of agony
that almost caused Dr. Stine to go deaf. He felt the forked tongue
slide off of his neck. Fresh air flooded his trachea and traveled
to his lungs while he watched the shadow flee from the dock and
retreat to Kamakura.
“
Look out! It’s trying to
get out of the water!” Alexander said.
Dr. Stine whirled on his
feet. Paralysis seized him while he watched several of Kamakura’s
villagers clutch their chests and drop to the ground when the eyes
of the Leviathan’s seven heads stared at them. One of the
creature’s tentacles wrapped around Alexander’s waist and lifted
him into the air. Razor ran across the pier, rocked on his
haunches, and barked at the beast. Angelique panicked and chased
him.
“
Come back, Razor! Don’t
get too close to the water!” she screamed.
One of the Leviathan’s
heads soared through the air and launched toward Razor. It opened
its mouth wide. Angelique screamed and Dr. Stine wept when the
beast’s mouth plowed into a wide expanse of Kamakura’s dock. Then
they looked on helplessly as the Leviathan shattered its framework
and support beams and swallowed Razor in one gulp.
Angelique dropped to her
knees and wailed. Dr. Stine rushed to her side and tried to comfort
her. When she tried to jump into the water and swim toward the
Leviathan, Dr. Stine wrapped his arms around her upper torso and
restrained her. She writhed in his arms and screamed: “Please,
don’t take my dog! Don’t take my little Razor!”
“
He’s gone, Angelique.
There’s nothing we can do for him now,” Dr. Stine said.
Together, they watched
Alexander beg for help while the tentacle of the Leviathan heaved
him into the sky. Dr. Stine scanned the dock and located the boy’s
Bible. He picked it up and wished he could somehow deliver the
Bible to the boy. The Leviathan scooted onto the beach and inched
toward Kamakura, eager to destroy the village.
***
Bright, yellow light shined
from Razor’s eyes while the dog slid across the enormous tongue of
the Leviathan’s cavernous mouth. The dog whimpered when dim light
illuminated the gnashing, sword-like teeth of the beast. Slimy
worms and mutated bacteria thrived on the inner lining of the
Leviathan’s pink, tumor-infested mouth.
The tongue twitched and
guided Razor toward the back of the beast’s mouth. The Leviathan’s
epiglottis dangled from the roof of the oral cavity. Huge glands
excreted streams of saliva, which soaked Razor’s fur and caused his
paws to slip and slide. Huge chunks of wood and jagged boards from
the ruined pier clogged the back of the Leviathan’s throat. When
the beast gulped and swallowed, Razor slid across the tongue and
dropped toward the dark pit of the esophagus. A compartment opened
in Razor’s chest. The grappling hook whirled out of the
compartment. Its rope wrapped around a large chunk of wood. The
hook slid into a jagged groove. Razor’s paws found traction on the
back of the Leviathan’s tongue while he climbed into the back of
its throat.
Another burst of saliva
flooded the beast’s mouth. Metal hooks extended from Razor’s paws
and penetrated the flesh of the Leviathan’s tongue. The beast
exhaled a wail of agony and opened its mouth wide, which allowed
Razor to see Angelique and Dr. Stine standing on a solid section of
the pier nearby. Before Razor could jump out of the Leviathan’s
mouth, the beast’s jaws clamped shut. The tongue rippled up and
down and tried to throw Razor off balance. Worms and bacteria
flocked toward the glow of Razor’s eyes and surrounded him. The dog
barked while he inched toward the front gums and incisors of his
captor. He sidestepped and dodged a surge of stomach acid after it
oozed out of the esophagus and covered a large portion of the
tongue.
Razor wagged his tail,
turned around, and stared at the rippling tongue and dangling
epiglottis of the Leviathan. He panted, opened his mouth extremely
wide, and vomited. Instead of producing regurgitated food, Razor
expelled a miniature bomb. Red numbers flashed on a display on the
left side of the tiny, black orb. The digital numbers read: five
minutes and forty-seven seconds.