That’s exactly how the passing seconds felt as Kujaur, his generals, and the rest of the Lost Souls waited patiently for the outcome of the demon fight.

No human ever won a demon fight before.

Kaden, Chris, and Justin held their breath.

Lance’s body stopped twitching. The Master’s deranged laughter ceased.

1……2……3……

Lance’s eyes opened. They were a shade of green! Kaden breathed a sigh of relief.

Suddenly Lance screamed. His back arched. Kaden watched the greenish spirit of the demon float out of his body. The Master shrieked, disappearing for eternity.

Justin looked stunned. “Um, what was that?”

“The Master is gone,” Kaden cried out happily, “I-we beat him! Me, Lance and you guys! Because we drove him out of Lance, the Master didn’t have a body to possess. Without a body, a demon can’t survive. Oh my gosh! We won!”

The Lost Souls resorted to panicky states. Their Master was really gone. What would this lead to? Kujaur’s face expressed no emotion.

Lance’s eyelids fluttered when he stirred slightly.

Justin tugged at the ropes, desperate to run to his friend. “Lance! Lance! We’re all here for you! Wake up!”

“Huh,” Lance moaned softly, “Am-am I alive…”

Kaden helped him sit up. “Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be fine,” he assured.

Suddenly it occurred to them that Kujaur and his minions were missing. The ceremony site lay barren. “Where did they go?” Chris muttered, “One second, they’re standing by gloating, and now that they’ve lost a battle, they disappear.”

“Very bad,” Justin agreed. He gave the ropes one final tug, and to his amazement, his arms flew from behind the tree. The ropes had been cut. “Chris! Chris!” he piped excitedly, “Move your arms.”

Chris, too, had been cut loose. Sparrow shuffled out into the open.

“Congratulations on kicking that butthead out of Whispers.”

Justin became hostile. “A demon!”

“Sorry to disappoint you pal, but I forfeited my demon status.”

Lance groaned, curling into a ball. “I wanna go home.” Chris hugged him tightly. “Trust me, we will.”

“Oh?” Kujaur’s voice boomed, “Not if I possess any say in the matter!”

Justin glanced around frantically. Kujaur was nowhere to be seen, but his presence remained clearer than glass.

“We…will…find…you…we…will…find…you…” Lost Souls chanted.

Chris and Justin put Lance’s arms around their necks and supported him on his feet. Kaden walked ahead.

“Hey!” Joey whined, “What about me?! Nobody untied me!”

Sparrow shrugged. “Because I need to deal with you first.”

“Excuse me?”

The survivors trudged into the deeper depths of the forest, leaving Sparrow to change Joey’s heart. It wasn’t safe to let him go until he turned good.

“We’re…gonna…kill…you…we’re…gonna…kill…you…”

Lance dropped to his knees. “…Can’t go on…”

Kaden pulled him back up. “Yes you can!” He insisted. “We’ll make it alive! But we still have to defeat Kujaur.”

Chris released Lance’s arm. “Pardon?”

“We won’t escape Whispers unless we get past him.”

“But-but…” Justin sputtered, “No! The Master was hard enough!”

“Do you want JC dead? Well, that’s exactly what will happen if we don’t stop Kujaur’s evil reign. Defeating Emerald is impossible, except if Kujaur dies. When Kujaur dies, the Lost Souls’ spirits will be freed, and the rest of the demons, meaning Gandor, Devon, and Emerald, perish.”

An owl hooted nearby. Daybreak remained two hours away, yet the night seemed blanketed by the stillness of a darkened terror hiding somewhere…near…too close…

Something growled in Justin’s ear. He gasped, whirling to the right.

Nothing.

A claw scratched Chris’s shoulder. He froze.

Nothing.

Chills prickled Lance’s neck.

Sparrow urged them to continue walking. Kaden paused. “Do you know where we’re headed?”

She nodded nervously. “Unfortunately so.”

“And that would be?”

“I cannot give you a name. The place is dangerous, and if you’re not careful, it’ll be your downfall and not Kujaur’s. But for your own information, be afraid.

Be very afraid.”

***

10 miles south of Celtic River and 3 miles east of Whispers, the gang came upon a foggy area almost barren with trees, but lush with plants and shrubs.

Chris’s feet ached. Justin’s hunger pains grew worse. Lance, still weak, still had difficulty walking on his own. Kaden and Sparrow found an outlet for their discomfort and fear through arguing.

“You don’t know where we’re going!”

“Shut up! Of course I know! I’ve worked under Kujaur for 300 years!”

“I seriously doubt he showed you the place where we’d have a slim chance at defeating him.”

“Buddy, I figured it out.”

“Right, so you actually aren’t 100% certain where we’re going!”

“Well, one thing I am 100% certain of is…”

“Yeah?”

“You are one big pain in the butt!”

“Guys, please,” Lance said quietly, “My head hurts.”

Dead leaves crunched under their shoes. The fog steadily grew thicker. Snarling sounded close by. The pace sped up.

Finally, the fog thinned. Because of the lack of sunlight, their first thought of what they saw was a huge hole.

To be precise, they were standing at the mouth of a small cave. Weird growling sounds grumbled from inside. Justin shivered. “We’re going in there? How? It’s pitch black.”

Chris frowned. “Since when do caves exist in Maine?”

“This cave,” Sparrow explained, “Is totally secret and completely secluded. This cave contains a special feature.”

Kaden rubbed his chin, apparently trying to second-guess Sparrow’s secrecy.

“All right people, one of you hold my arm, and the rest hang on to one another,” she instructed. Kaden latched on, followed by Justin, Lance, and Chris.

“Man,” Chris coaxed Lance, “Feel ready to pull through?”

In all honesty, he felt nauseous, but Lance agreed.

Soon, they submerged in terrifying darkness.

Once they stumbled 20 feet, the atmosphere metamorphosed into hot, humid, and damp.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

The ground consisted of wet leaves and soft mud as they descended a downward slope.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Occasionally tripping over rocks, the group veered left. Their noses caught a whiff of bat guano.

“Yuck, what smells?”

“Keep walking!”

“That’s tough when you can’t see your own hand in front of your face.”

Gradually the cave became colder. Strange sounds echoed off the walls.

Chris slipped, crashing to the damp ground and sliding down the cave. Lance tripped over Chris, falling on top of Justin, knocking Kaden over, and sending Sparrow with them.

“AAAAHHHH!!!!”

They gained excessive speed until Chris smacked into a huge stalagmite.

“Ouch!”

Oomph! Bam! Whack! For a few seconds nobody moved.

Suddenly, a dim light lit the entire cave. The guys shielded their eyes, unaccustomed to the light. Kaden and Sparrow froze.

Who did that?

The cave itself was large. Twisted stalactites hung in different sizes from the ceiling. Stalagmites poked up from the ground. Water dripped in various places, forming cool puddles. Grayish stone, accented by rust, lime, brown and yellowish colors, added a sort of grotesque beauty to the spooky scenery.

Chris lay upside down next to a wall patterned with holes. Justin and Lance were wedged between 2 stubby stalagmites. Mud splattered their clothes, but with the exception of minor cuts and bruises, no harm done.

Sparrow’s echoing voice startled Lance out of his reverie.

“We call this cave Devil’s Hollow, and for a good reason. At night, during this time, you hear growls, faint screams, and other spectacular noises trapped within these structures.”

“The main reason,” she added, “Is of what lies below. There is a huge pit, and at the bottom of the pit is a lake.

The lake is composed entirely of sulfuric acid.”

Kaden’s eyes widened. “An acid lake?”

“Temperatures at about 1000 degrees F, off-the-chart sulfur dioxide levels, pure acid…no other lake in the world like it.”

“How will that kill Kujaur?” asked Lance, “Demons like him are immortal.”

“Ever read Revelations 20:10 in the Bible?”

“Yeah.”

“It speaks of how when the day Jesus comes, Satan will be thrown into a lake of fire to be burned and tortured forever. Well, Kujaur is supposed to die the same way, and here’s our ‘lake of fire’.”

Justin, Chris, and Lance were stunned speechless.

The cave rumbled. Kujaur and his Lost Souls emerged from the air. The area filled with high-pitched squeaks. Dark flutters of wings zoomed through the cave. A bat landed on Chris’s shoulder. He shuddered, slapping it off.

“Nice meeting spot,” Kujaur commented, “Who’d think we’d all be joined in the same place? Perhaps not Joey or JC, but they’ve got their little problems.”

Devon stepped forward. “I see Sparrow’s told you about Devil’s Hollow and the Lake of Fire. Good.”

Gandor included, “We are extremely interested in your fighting abilities, especially since you destroyed the Master.”

Kujaur jerked Justin into an upright position and twisted his arm behind his back. “Follow us.”

Chapter Fifty-Three

Joey screamed in frustration. “I’ve gotta free myself!” he complained under his breath.

As if by mental request, the ropes loosened. Joey massaged his sore shoulders. Emerald appeared, dragging JC, Nalani, and Tara with her.

“Heard there was a party going down at Devil’s Hollow,” she snickered, “Won’t miss it.”

JC and Nalani were soaked to the bone, teeth chattering and lips bluish.

Joey folded his arms. “A party huh?”

Emerald grinned. “Like to accompany me? I’m sure it will be a pleasant experience, watching those 4 losers from Nsync die.”

“Whatever.”

***

Lance balled his fists, determined not to tremble. He bit his tongue, determined not to cry or scream.

Kujaur led them to the deeper, center most part of the cave.

In the middle of the ground was a large widened pit 20 feet deep. Steam rose from the hole. He cautiously peered over the edge, glimpsing at the Lake of Fire.

Reddish water hissed and bubbled angrily. Smidgens of light came from the fiery heat, casting shadows across everyone’s illuminated faces.

Hands pushed Lance, forcing him to wobble over the edge. He yelled.

Kujaur laughed. “Skittish are we?”

Lost Souls secured Chris and Justin. The monsters formed a circle, leaving 5 feet of space between them and the Lake of Fire.

Kujaur shoved Lance to the ground. Kaden fought the Lost Souls’ grips, but couldn’t budge. Sparrow pressed her back against the wall.

“Nothing would give me more pleasure than to destroy you at this very moment,” Kujaur cackled, “However, we are awaiting visitors.”

Emerald waltzed in. JC, Nalani, and Tara, heads bowed down, marched over beside Sparrow. Joey sauntered next to Gandor.

“When the fight’s finished, may I take JC’s and Nalani’s souls?” Emerald inquired eagerly. Kujaur smiled.

Lance rose to his knees. Kujaur shoved him down and kicked him in the ribs.

“You destroyed my Keeper of Fear! You threatened to kill my power! You will pay!”

Lance kicked Kujaur, scrambling away. He wasn’t quick enough. Green beams shot out of Kujaur’s fingers, striking him in the chest and suspending him directly above the acid pool’s center.

“No!” Chris, Justin, and JC shouted simultaneously.

Lance fought and squirmed in mid-air, allowing his eyes to dart around for safety. Several jagged edges peeked out for the inside walls of the pit. He knew he was too far out to grab any of the ledges, so if Kujaur dropped him, he’d have to lunge.

If he missed…plunging into a pool of boiling acid would become his fate.

Man, I can’t think about that right now!

Kujaur chuckled. “Bye bye bye, Lance Bass!”

The green beams disappeared. Lance’s body zoomed downward.

Screaming and deliberately throwing himself to the right, Lance’s arms flailed while he blindly reached for an edge.

Steam enveloped him as he fell further downward. Panic closed his throat. I can’t see! It’s so hot! I’m falling faster!

Suddenly his body skidded down the rocky wall. Lance’s scratched and bloodied hands clutched a jutting piece of rock.

Yes! I made it!

Sweat dripped down his face. The heat scorched his clothes. Steam was suffocating. Acid hissed and water bubbled, forcing his heart to pound. His fingers began slipping.

“AAAHHHHAAHHH!!”

The guys (minus Joey), who’d succumbed into total shock, cheered when they heard Lance scream. “HE’S ALIVE!”

Kujaur smirked. He enjoyed a challenge.

JC chewed his bottom lip. There’s no telling what Kujaur might unleash next…unless a distraction occurred.

JC yanked Emerald’s hair and dragged her to the Lake of Fire, pushing her over the edge.

Emerald’s final shriek echoed throughout the cave.

Lance felt the whoosh of a body fly past him, straight into the water. The acid roared. Tiny flames danced across the surface.

Kujaur, meanwhile, squeezed JC’s throat. “How dare you destroy my Keeper of Hate!”

Kaden broke free from the Lost Souls. Nalani held Tara.

Kujaur released JC. Worry clouded his mind. He hated that. Nothing in thousands of years ever worried him except this.

Kaden held his cross high above the Lake of Fire.

“Our Father, who thou art in heaven, hallowed be thy name! Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven! Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us of our debts, as we forgive our debtors, and lead us not unto temptation but deliver us from the evil one!”

Light shined on the cross.

“CAST KUJAUR INTO HELL WHERE HE BELONGS!”

Kujaur let out a blood-curdling scream. White light exploded on all sides of his body. His frozen soul tipped over the edge, plummeting into the Lake of Fire.

Flames erupted from the water. Acid screeched. Inhuman moans and tortured shrieks sounded. Blue light shot up from the pit, flooding the cave.

Lost Souls howled, kneeled in misery, and watched their souls cast out of their monstrous forms. Ghosts floated up, disappearing soon after.

Gandor and Devon flew into the acidic lake, creating another explosion.

JC, Justin, and Chris trembled in fear.

Sparrow started flying upward. Silver light swirled around her. She waved. “Goodbye friends…”

Sparrow was gone in a flash.

The blue light vanished.

Justin, JC, Chris, Joey, Nalani, Tara, and Kaden remained standing in awe.

Silence.

“We-we did it,” Chris breathed happily. Justin and JC hugged. Tara danced in a circle. “We’re free! We’re free!” Kaden and Nalani in a lingering, romantic kiss.

“Help!” Lance hollered painfully, “My fingers are slipping! I can’t hold on!”

Joey gasped. “Buddy hang on! I’m coming!”

Kaden’s mouth dropped open. Sparrow must have broken the spell over his heart.

Lance choked for air. Must go on! The rock wiggled. Chips of it sprinkled into the water.

“Guys,” Joey instructed, “Lower me!”

Together, the survivors formed a human chain. Joey silently prayed JC wouldn’t let go of his ankles, and Chris wouldn’t let go of JC’s.

Lance seized Joey’s wrists.

Grunting and groaning, the chain slowly maneuvered out of the pit until they all collapsed in a heap. Joey burst into tears. “I’m so sorry Lance.”

Lance hugged him. “That’s okay Joe. It wasn’t your fault.”

Nsync embraced, happy to be alive, happy to be reunited, happy to escape…

Tara gulped. “Uh-oh.”

The cave rumbled violently. Acid rose up from the lake, spilling over the sides…

Everybody screamed, dashing towards the exit. Acid rushed at their feet.

“Run!”

“Hurry!”

Stalactites smashed into the ground. Stalagmites crumbled. The group dodged around hurdling rock chunks. Explosions and crashes deafened their ears.

The cave was collapsing!

Tara shrieked. Some acid splashed onto her dress, burning the fabric.

Lance snatched her and climbed up the slope. Mud caused their shoes to slip, but they refused to be trapped.

They jumped out of the Devil’s Hollow just as rocks showered down, blocking the entranceway.

At first, nobody spoke. Then Kaden extended his hand to each of the guys.

“Thank you for killing the evil that invaded Whispers.”

Lance smiled wearily. “My pleasure…um, I guess.”

Kaden scooped up Tara. She embraced his neck. He put his free arm around Nalani. She rested her head against his chest.

Blue swirls of warm light surrounded their glowing bodies as they drifted up into the sky, their spirits floating to heaven for eternal peace.

Thank you…thank you…thank you…

Nsync stood alone. Chris sighed, relieved the nightmare had ended.

“What’d ya say we go home now?”

Alex Rapports, police officer of Portland Police Department of Missing Persons Bureau, drove meticulously down a deserted highway.

24 hours after Nsync was reported missing, an elderly couple spotted a large vehicle’s skid marks veering off the highway.

Alex left to investigate.

The sun shone brightly in the cloudless sky. 8:15 am.

His patrol car halted as he saw 5 weary young men leaning on each other, trudging down the road.

One they saw him, they quickly approached the car.

Alex rolled down the window. Nsync! Halleluiah!

They seemed pretty beat up, covered in bruises, scratches, mud, torn clothing, and exhausted demeanors.

Gosh, what have these guys been through? Alex wondered.

He rolled down the window. “Need a ride fellas?”

Joey laughed softly. “Yeah, I guess we do.”

They piled into the car. Alex continued driving, turning west on highway 58, 30 miles to Portland.

“Any of you mind telling me what happened?”

Lance hesitated for a second. “Bus accident,” he replied.

Alex nodded. “You look it.”

The patrol car sped off in the distance, fading, and disappearing into the horizon.

After they’d left Whispers, Nsync made a silent vow never to tell a single person about Kujaur, the Master, Lost Souls, or any other details of their horrifying adventure in the forbidden town.

Because some secrets are best left buried.