JC collapsed to his knees, out of breath. His fingers gripped the cold earth. Bits of moonlight peaked between the scraggly branches. An ominous breeze chilled the night air.

He held his breath, listening for the slightest movement. Night animals scurried invisibly between the trees and along the ground. No footsteps hurried in his direction.

Did I lose them? Where am I?

As far as he could tell, there was no noticeable danger. Feeling the bark of a pine tree, JC slowly stood. Now that the coast seemed clear, he hadn’t a clue what to do next. Not so much as a single light was within distance, let alone people or buildings. Using his skills (or lack of skills) as an outdoorsmen, JC tried to determine north and south using the stars. Unfortunately a soft blanket of clouds covered the sky.

“Dang! With no phone, I have the survival instincts of a plant. Some emergencies have a knack for making you realize how useless you are without technology,” JC grumbled aloud. He needed to hear himself talk. It broke the unnerving silence.

JC froze for a second. Somewhere nearby, twigs crunched. “It’s just a deer,” he whispered. Sweat beads broke along his scalp.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

JC’s heart started pounding. He held his breath, careful not to make a sound.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

Should he call out? Or keep still, on the off chance that whatever was lurking in the woods was unaware of his presence. Camouflage might be his best bet. On the other hand, if it was one of the guys…

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

“Hello?” JC croaked. He waited for an answer.

Crunch…crunch…crunch…crunch…

The footsteps became louder and quicker. JC broke into a run, weaving between trees and slipping on wet leaves. Lower branches tore his clothing. Something hit him in the face.

CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH!

JC tripped over a log. Thud! His chin hit the ground, knocking his teeth together and shooting pain through his spinal cord. He didn’t have time to scramble up before he slipped again, rolling down a slope. Everything began spinning. Bright dots exploded before JC’s eyes.

Crunch…crunch…crunch…

The footsteps faded, circling around the left. JC finally slammed into a large boulder, temporarily stunned. A cloud drifted over the moon, drastically diminishing his ability to see.

CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH!

The footsteps were nearer, now to the right. Oh my gosh, JC thought wildly, It’s closing in on me.

The thing dashed toward him, its pace quickening with each step. JC was vaguely aware of ragged breathing noises.

Suddenly it pounced on him…

*~*~*~*~*~*~

(Ten minutes before the explosion)

Justin ducked behind a tree, about 100 yards feet from the road. Although difficult to make out in the darkness, he watched Lance dive under the car. Emerald’s army seized the opportunity to finish their job. The Lost Souls that had been chasing Justin paused to enjoy the show. Emerald’s body disappeared. Lance’s screams were carried by the wind.

Justin’s fingers chipped at the bark, nervous and wired. He fidgeted, bouncing from foot to foot. For the first time since leaving the gas station, heavy guilt weighed on his heart. Maybe I’m jealous him, but he’s still my brother. Brother. The word contained so many meanings that Justin found it hard to swallow. Lance is my brother. Angel or no angel, he is my brother.

The fear he’d suppressed for hours broke like a flood. Before he knew it, Justin was pushing his legs to run harder and harder. The Lost Souls standing on the grass whirled around in surprise. Justin sprinted past them, darting to the car.

Lance’s screams grew louder and louder. The Lost Souls, excited by his fear, continued to tear at the car, grabbing greedily at his arms and legs. “Need…want…need…want…die…die…” They chanted.

Justin narrowed in on Lance’s thoughts. A quick flash, and Justin’s vision united with Lance’s. He saw the claws, the tires, and the red eyes…

I don’t want to die! Lance’s brain cried, I’ve got to remember! If I’m an angel, I can save myself! Oh gosh! Somebody help! I don’t want to die! Not like this! Anything but this!

Justin’s hands curled into fists. His face grew hotter as he growled in uncontrollable rage. Obviously his only attack plan consisted of his powers.

I want to destroy those creatures! I want to destroy those creatures!

In his mind he pictured fire consuming each and every one of the hideous monsters. He wanted to reach out and touch the flames. Heat bubbled under his skin, traveling across his veins, to the tips of his fingers, and…

Justin focused his attention on a Lost Soul scratching the windshield. Reddish fire leaped from its fur. The Lost Soul howled in surprise, jerking toward Justin. Justin continued to attack, ignoring its agonizing wails. Another Lost Soul exploded in flames. It flung itself to the asphalt, rolling and twitching. Several of its comrades extended their talons in anger as they prepared themselves to seize their attacker. Two more beasts felt the fire singe their skin.

Smoke billowed around the car. Many of the Lost Souls scampered away, afraid of their new assailant. Their fear intoxicated Justin. He shivered despite the heat. Is that a good thing? Am I supposed to delight in their pain the way they delight in mine?

To be frank, he didn’t care.

Twenty or so Lost Souls continued to cling to the car. Below, Lance coughed from the smoke, feeling the asphalt for an opening to escape. One particularly vicious Lost Soul lunged for Lance’s hands, seizing his wrists and allowing its claws to sink into his skin.

Rage soared through Justin’s veins. More fire exploded from his fingers, forcing the Lost Soul to lose its grip on Lance.

Lance’s panicky thoughts clouded Justin’s mind, becoming louder than tom-toms.

PLEASE REMEMBER! PLEASE REMEMBER! I CAN’T HOLD ON MUCH LONGER!

Smoke rose high into the sky. Bright flames and red eyes peered from beyond the mist. Justin couldn’t see well enough to launch accurate attacks. A better option was needed. Unfortunately Justin gathered no options until an idea struck him…

Perhaps I can will myself to explode the car!

Sure, a koosh ball was a far cry from a car, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

Justin was fairly new at this game. Did he really possess enough ability to keep the fire under his control?

Time ran out.

Within three seconds, the car exploded into a fiery display of orange and black flames. The Lost Souls’ howls died with the blaze. Justin shielded his face from the smoke, praying he wouldn’t regret what he’d done.

The night stood still. All was quiet. Five minutes later Justin opened his eyes, viewing the aftermath. The fire had left a charcoal wreckage of the car. Tiny flames danced across the blackened road. Although no bodies were present, Justin knew his job had succeeded.

Score one for us.

“Lance!” He hollered, “Come out! You’re safe!”

No signs of movement. Terrible dread weighed Justin’s chest. “No,” he whispered, “I…I shielded him…no…I…can’t be…”

Afraid of what he’d find, Justin bent over to look under the charred metal frame of the car.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Ramona held down the shoulders of the quivering figure beneath her. She and Andrew had been wandering aimlessly in the woods when they came across another being. The darkness made it unclear as to whether it was a friend or foe, but Ramona took no chances.

Against Andrew’s advice, she chased it until it tripped, rolled, and slammed into a boulder. Ramona had no clue why she had pounced, considering it could easily tear her to pieces. But fatigue and stress compel people to do crazy things.

Andrew emerged from behind a tree. “Ramona!” He called, “What are you doing?”

The sound of Andrew’s voice encouraged Ramona’s captive to speak. “Get off me,” cried a muffled voice, “I’m JC…”

JC?! Oops. Ramona released her grip. Geez, where’s a flashlight when you really need one?

JC’s distinct voice erased any doubts. “Ramona?” He gasped. “Good grief! I’m glad it’s you. I thought I was mincemeat. Didn’t you here me talking?”

Ramona blew a piece of hair out of her face. “No. Would I have chased you if I had heard?!”

“That’s what I’d like to know!”

“Sor-ry. Speak louder!”

“I did too…”

“I’m not deaf.”

“Just paranoid to the point of insanity,” JC finished.

Ramona chuckled sheepishly. “Sorry. Guess it finally happened. I went spastic. I don’t know. I’m so anxious, and when I saw a shadow…dang it, I’m sick of being so afraid.”

Andrew helped JC to his feet, brushing wet leaves out of his hair. “It must be at least one o’clock in the morning if not later. Nobody’s fit to fight.”

JC protested, “How else are we gonna survive?”

“Yeah,” Ramona chimed in, “Tomorrow night the Master will be revived. There’s no time to rest and plan ahead.”

“So we fly in there blind and pray that luck is in our favor?”

“No, but…”

“We’ll rest,” Andrew asserted firmly, “Guys, think of time as a scale. On one extreme we can grapple with these demons till we wear ourselves out. On the other end of the spectrum, we become too relaxed and give the enemy advantage. Put the scale in perfect balance. We chill long enough only to rebuild our focus. Got it?”

JC chewed his bottom lip. “Where do we hide? They’re everywhere.”

Silence. That last sentence sharpened their fear and increased awareness of the fact that they were like mice crawling in a snake pit.

They’re everywhere.

*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tears stung Justin’s eyes. He’d blown it. He couldn’t bring himself to look under the car. He knew he’d killed Lance. The force field he’d tried to build around him hadn’t worked. Lance was dead.

Justin remembered the hateful words he spoke to Lance at the gas station. Pain tightened his chest. A salty tear trickled down his cheek No! Please! No!

Suddenly a frightened moan escaped from the charcoal. Justin blinked rapidly, wiping tears from his face. “Lance?”

Two scratched hands poked out, followed by bloodied arms, followed by a blond head…soon a beat-up, ash covered Lance slid out on his stomach.

Justin’s jaw fell open. He couldn’t believe it. Other than minor wounds, Lance’s body was in tact. No burns marred his flesh.

“Hallelujah!” He whooped, “I am a genius!”

Lance groaned, shaking his head. “What the…”

Justin pulled Lance up, wrapping him in a bear hug. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again!”

Lance weakly returned the hug. “What happened? How am I still alive?”

Justin explained his first winning battle with the Lost Souls. When he finished, Lance raised his eyebrows. “Thanks for saving my life. But why? You hate me.”

Justin’s eyes lowered to the ground. “Scoop, there’s something I need to tell you. Actually, I need to apologize. I’m sorry for acting so horrible. I don’t hate you at all. Just let me get used to the idea that you’re an…angel. But even with that, you’re still my brother. I didn’t realize how cruel I’d been until I saw those monsters corner you. Then I was scared…cause I thought I was gonna lose you.”

Momentarily Lance was able to forget the throbbing pain. He smiled gratefully. “Thanks Justin.”

Justin quieted, his expression becoming pensive. Lance frowned. “What?”

Justin concentrated harder.

Suddenly, Justin’s voice entered Lance’s mind.

Justin: “Guys? Guys! Answer me.”

Justin’s lips never moved. Yet Lance could hear Justin speaking. “Hey…” he began.

Justin smiled. “Relax, Lance. I did talk to you. Answer me back.”

“Huh?”

“Answer me mentally.” Lance shrugged his shoulders. It was worth a try.

Lance: “What’s going on here?”

Justin: “It’s mental telepathy.”

Lance: “There’s one problem. I’m not telepathic.”

Justin: “Sure you are. We all are. Me, you, Chris, JC, and Joey.”

Lance: “What makes you so sure?”

Justin: “We’re communicating right now, aren’t we?”

Lance: “I mean about the other guys?”

Justin: “Because I’ve been able to contact Chris and JC.”

Lance: “Wow! So even if we’re miles apart, we can communicate.”

Justin: “Pretty cool, huh?”

Lance: “Yeah. It’s amazing.”

Justin: “Hold on. Let me try to reach Chris.”

Silence. Lance felt lightheaded. Then…

Chris: “Hello? Justin, is that you?”

Justin: “Hi Chris! We’ve got Lance. Don’t worry. He’s okay. Come on Lance. Talk.”

Lance: “You okay Chris?”

Chris: “Lance! Thank gosh! Where are you two?”

Lance: “Standing in the road. Justin lit a bonfire.”

Chris: “I thought I heard an explosion in the distance. Sorry, but I can’t say where I am. I’m royally lost.”

Justin: “What’s the game plan?”

Chris: “Don’t ask me.”

Lance: “We’d better start heading to Cat’s Eye. The sooner we arrive the more lives we save.”

Chris: “Where is the town?”

Justin: “Since Lance and I are on the road, we don’t have any difficulty reaching Cat’s Eye. Look, we don’t have directions yet.”

Lance: “Keep walking. When you reach Cat’s Eye, contact us all. Justin and I can designate a meeting place. Eventually we’ll all be together again.”

Chris: “Okay. Sounds reasonable enough. Just out of curiosity, where’s JC?”

Justin: “I’ll get him.”

Silence.

JC: “Hey guys!”

Chris: “How are you doing?”

JC: “Good. I’m with Ramona and Andrew. We’re lost.”

Chris: “Listen to the plan.”

Justin mentally explained the plan.

JC: “That’s fine. Should I tell Ramona and Andrew?”

Justin. “No. I think we should keep this a secret.”

JC: “Our telepathic connection?”

Lance: “Yeah. Look, I think Justin is the only one of us who really possesses any telepathic talent, but we are able to communicate only with each other. For now, I think it should remain a secret.”

Chris: “He’s probably right. Hey, something’s been bothering me. You know how we have to kill Gandor before he revives the Master? Suppose when we kill Gandor, something goes terribly wrong. What would happen to Joey?”

Justin: “Well, Joey’s soul will be restored.”

JC: “Actually, because Gandor is manifested in Joey’s body, to murder Gandor would mean to do damage to Joey’s body too. And if Joey’s body is dead, then his soul will…”

Lance: “We get it. Please don’t say it.”

Chris: “We have to put this in perspective. We’re in a horrible situation whether we like it or not. Joey is possessed by Gandor whether we like it or not.”

Justin: “It rips me up to think about this…but it may boil down to two choices: either we’re too afraid of hurting Joey, so we leave Gandor alone, or we love Joey enough to do what’s best for him.”

Lance: “Are you saying we may have to…no, no way.”

Justin: “Lance, I don’t wanna do it either. I’d rather kill myself than kill him.”

Chris: “That’s how we all feel. But I guess Justin has a point.”

JC: “We all know how tortured the real Joey must be. How could we let him go on like that for eternity?”

Lance: “(sigh), we can’t. I couldn’t bear it to make him suffer.”

Justin: “Joey’s suffering. Look, I’m not even saying that we’ll have to kill Joey. But it is a possibility that we’d be dumb to ignore. Let’s sleep on it, okay?”

Chris: “So are we agreed?”

Lance: “Mmm-hmm. If we have to, we’ll remember how much we love Joey and we’re doing what’s best for him.”

JC: “I gotta go. Ramona’s asking me why I’ve been so silent. Bye.”

Chris: “I’ll keep in touch.”

Lance and Justin smiled at each other. They weren’t happy smiles.

Moonlight peaked between the clouds. Justin got a glimpse of Lance’s wounds. An ugly bruise was developing on his left cheek. Hideous scratches covered his arms, most of which were still bleeding. Gnarly teeth marks scarred his wrist. Tiny rivers of blood soaked his right shoe.

“Oh my gosh,” Justin whispered, “You need medical attention.”

“It’s nothing serious,” Lance replied quietly.

They began walking down the desolate road. Justin slung Lance’s arm over his shoulder. “That limp’s pretty bad. How much further to Cat’s Eye?”

“Not much if I remember correctly.” They picked up the pace. As in Whispers, to stay in one place for too long guaranteed certain death.

*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hypoglycemia is a blessing. At least in Chris’s case. The sugar from the cappuccino kept his energy levels high as he ran down a narrow dirt road in the forest. By pure dumb luck several signs indicated the path led to Cat’s Eye.

Within twenty minutes the wooded area cleared. Dirt turned into asphalt. Trees gave way to quaint little houses and yards. Concrete sidewalks lined the road. Street lamps burned at the corners. Chris noticed he stood in the middle of a small neighborhood.

He looked at the houses. The windows were dark. A wind blew through. Somewhere nearby a swing set creaked. As far as Chris could see, there were no signs of life. The neighborhood appeared to be abandoned.

Am I alone?

Chris’s sneakers slapped on the sidewalks. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, turning at the right corner onto April Street. This street was as deserted as the last one. Except, for a single, two-story house at the end of the block. Light floated from the windows onto the bushes. He faintly heard music and laughter.

Yes! Help!

Chris jogged until he stood across the street from the house. Children’s toys lay scattered in the grass. A swing rocked gently on the porch. Two of the upstairs and three of the downstairs windows were lit. Fuzzy flashes of a TV screen could be seen through the screen door.

Chris zipped his jacket, undecided on what to do. Should he knock on the door? Maybe the strangers were hospitable people. On the other hand, it might be a trick.

Steering away from the windows, Chris quickly scampered across the street, ducked as he moved across the yard, and climbed up the wooden back porch. He gazed over the fence at another house. It was as abandoned as the others.

Why this house? Why should it be the only one?

This fact gave Chris reason to be suspicious. He dropped to his hands and knees, crawling behind the side of the washing machine. He’d heard footsteps echoing on the other side of the wall.

Sure enough, the back door flew open. Chris pressed himself against the wall and curled into a tight ball.

A muscular man stood on the porch, staring at the backyard. He seemed close to 6 ft 6 inches. His fingers twitched peculiarly. Chris listened to his heavy breathing, watching the broad shoulders move up and down.

What’s up with this guy?

A low growl escaped from the man’s lips. “I’m ready…” He chanted, “I’m ready…”

A creepy mist gathered by the shed. Emerald stepped out from behind the lawn mower. Chris’s eyes widened. He stifled a scream. Should Emerald turn her head 45 degrees, he’d be dead.

Instead Emerald marched up the back steps. “Good,” she whispered eerily, “You are to do as I say. Go into the house. Bring your wife out. Next make a second trip, this time carrying your two children. Am I understood?”

Sweat beads broke on Chris’s forehead. His heart was pounding so hard he feared it would jump out of his chest. He buried his face in his knees.

The man disappeared back into the house. Emerald turned to leave, then paused, slowing turning her head. Her eyes landed on the washing machine.

Chris gulped. OH NO! SHE’S COMING TOWARD ME!

Emerald strolled by the washing machine, tapping her fingers on the metal.

Chris held his breath.

She came closer.

Emerald stopped in her tracks. She stood right in front of Chris, looking down upon his pathetic figure.

Chris froze. He waited for her to react.

But Emerald simply frowned, shrugged her shoulders, and left the porch, hiding behind the shed.

Chris was nothing short of stunned. Ay-yi-yi! What the heck? There’s no way she didn’t see me. I’m out in the open.

A young woman wailed inside the house. Crash. Bang. A baby started crying. “No daddy no!” A little girl pleaded. Crying. The man yelled. A woman shrieked in pain. Drag. Bump. A chair scraped along the linoleum. More muffled screams.

The back door flew open. The man, now accompanied by a very unhappy woman, reappeared. His hand firmly clamped over her mouth, she pounded her fists into his chest as he drug her off the porch.

The two struggled over the backyard. Chris noticed the man’s wife was beautiful. But the look of terror in her eyes ruined the effect. The man threw her behind the shed.

Emerald laughed. The woman let out a bloodcurdling scream. Green light rose behind the shed. Chris observed the unreal scene in horror.

Suddenly two hands seized his shoulders from behind. Chris didn’t have time to scream before his mouth was covered. He attempted to struggle with whoever had a hold on him, but he was helplessly dragged to the front of the house.

“Be quiet,” His capture whispered, “It’s me, Gabriel.” Chris’s shoulders slumped in relief. “Man, don’t sneak up on me like that.”

Gabriel huffed. “This is the thanks I get for saving you?” Chris shook his head. “Okay, you saved me. I’m still going to strangle you.”

Gabriel released Chris. “Let’s go into the house.” Chris threw his arms up. “Have you gone insane? Our buddy Emerald has paid this family a visit and from what I heard she has no plans to cut the outing short.”

“You forget that I still contain a few powers,” Gabe chided, “Once we’re inside, I’ll put a mental barricade over the doors and windows. There are children to rescue here. We’d be as heartless as those creatures to leave two children at the mercy of their father. As you see, he’s been transformed into one of them now.”

Chris agreed. They marched into the house.

The interior was modestly furnished. A wooden staircase was at the right of the living room. White couches, green and red pillows, hand woven rugs, antique lamps, and pictures made up the living room. The baby pin beside the TV was empty.

The coffee table was overturned, the rug beside it bunched up. To the left was the kitchen. Gabriel and Chris poked their heads inside to get a glimpse.

Several dishes lay shattered on the blue linoleum. Copper pots and pans had obviously been thrown in two or three different directions. Water dripped off the kitchen island from a smashed vase.

“Nobody here,” Chris concluded.

“So we check upstairs.”

They traveled down a carpeted hallway, searching the master bedroom, a girl’s room overrun by Hello Kitty memorabilia, and a baby room decorated with teddy bears and stars. One question remained unanswered: where were the children?

Chris hesitated in front of the towel closet by the kids’ bathroom. Scooting. A baby’s quiet whimpers. A girl whispered soothing words. Chris looked at Gabriel, nodding an affirmative. Gabriel motioned for him to stand aside. He carefully opened the door.

A bony redheaded girl was curled on the top towel shelf, holding a bundle wrapped in a blue blanket. Hair clung to her freckled face. Her eyes were puffy. She stared angrily at Gabriel.

Smiling kindly, Gabriel reached his hand to her. “It’s okay. I’m not a monster. Please climb down.”

She shook her head vigorously. “Why should I believe you?”

“Sweetheart, you’ve got no other choice. You can’t stay in this closet. Your daddy will find you eventually.” Fortunately this girl was smart enough to weigh the option. She lowered a baby into Gabriel’s arms and jumped down.

“He’s a beautiful boy,” he whispered, “What’s his name?”

“Adam. My name is Cricket.” Her breathing quickened. “Something’s wrong with this town! Strange howling wakes me up at night. People are vanishing. And then…Jeff Morris chased me in the woods, but he’s dead! I lost Jeff and came home, but daddy…”

Chris, feeling sorry for the child, interrupted the story. He stepped forward. “Hi Cricket. I’m Chris. We won’t hurt you.”

Cricket gasped, jumping closer to the closet. “Who said that?”

Gabriel handed Adam to his big sister. “Don’t be afraid. Wait a few minutes.” He shut the closet door. The expression on Chris’s face made it more than clear that he was confused. “What’s wrong with that girl? I’m standing here as plain as the nose on her face.”

Gabriel took him into the bathroom. “Chris, I know what one of your ‘special abilities’ is. Look into the mirror.”

“Pardon?”

“Humor me. Look!”

Chris did as he was told, although he didn’t understand what Gabriel was going to prove.

Chris screamed. “My reflection! Where is it? It’s gone! My reflection is gone!”

“Precisely,” Gabriel answered as though Chris had just announced that the sky was blue, “Chris, you are invisible.”

Chris took a few deep breaths, slowly reeling from the shock. “In-invisible?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“Obviously if you become terrified enough, you can will yourself into invisibility.”

Chris nodded slowly. “Like when I thought Emerald would nail me.” Gabe smiled. “Precisely. With time, and practice, you should be able to control it.”

“Wait a sec. How did you find me?”

“My senses are far more acute than that of a typical human. I sensed your aura, concentrated hard enough to get a vague outline of your body, and grabbed you.”

Chris rubbed his hands together. As a boy he always wanted to be invisible. Now that his wish had come true, he didn’t know how to make sense of it. “So…how do I restore my body?”

“It’s all mental. Will yourself to become visible.”

Chris squeezed his eyes shut, waited twenty seconds, and blinked. He stood beside Gabriel in the mirror.

“Gosh I look crummy. Maybe I’d better disappear again.”

“Oh no you don’t. Come on.”

As they pulled Cricket and Adam out of the closet, the lights extinguished downstairs. Like dominoes, the downstairs windows shattered. Chris scooped Cricket into his arms. With Gabriel cradling Adam, the four ran down the hall.

Footsteps pounded up the creaky stairs. Somebody was coming.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Exhausted, Andrew, Ramona, and JC had accidentally stumbled upon some kid’s tree house in the woods. The could spot faint glimpses of buildings in the far distance, of which they determined that after a few hours of sleep, it wouldn’t take them that long to reach Cat’s Eye.

They climbed one at a time up the rope ladder into the small fort. Luckily it was large enough for all three of them to squeeze in. Ramona had a queasy feeling, being so high off the ground. She predicted at some point that the tree house would collapse underneath their body weight.

They lay stiffly on the floor. JC and Andrew conked out almost instantly, but Ramona stayed wide-awake. The cricket chirping made it impossible to sleep.

After awhile she dozed for ten minutes, then woke. Soon her eyelids grew heavy again. Nothing’s going to happen, she told herself, We’re safe. Nobody can find us up here.

“Ramona!”

She bolted in an upright position. Somebody yelled her name down below. “Ramona! It’s me!”

She smiled. It’s Lance’s voice! She reached over and shook Andrew’s arm. “Wake up. Lance is outside.”

Andrew grunted but didn’t budge. Ramona rolled her eyes, attempting with difficulty to squeeze herself out of the doorway and climb back down the ladder.

Lance leaned against the bark. “Hey. Boy I’m glad I caught up with you guys.”

Ramona gave him a hug. “Thank goodness you’re alright! I…”

Hot breath swept over her neck. Growling. The arms tightened. Claws dug into her back. Ramona gasped, being held tighter by Lance.

Or was it Lance?

The arms grew furrier, the hug tighter…Ramona couldn’t breathe.

She’d been tricked. It wasn’t Lance. She was at the mercy of a Lost Soul.

The Lost Soul hoisted her by her arms. Ramona screamed, kicking at its abdomen. Its eyes were switching from green to red.

Ramona wrapped her hands around its neck. She tightened, not expecting to save herself but to stall the inevitable.

Icy cold sensations rushed up her arms. Ramona’s muscles quivered into jelly. She felt as if she were floating. Funny, but the icy sensations energized her.

The Lost Soul howled, loosening its hold. Excited and frightened by what was happening, Ramona grit her teeth and tightened her hands. Wind whipped her hair around her eyes.

Behind her the ladder shook. She paid no attention, because the Lost Soul acted as if it was dying. She, on the other hand, had never felt more alive.

Out of the blue, a golden retriever attacked the Lost Soul, aiming for its throat. Ramona let go, slamming into the ground. The dog viciously ripped at the Lost Soul until the last of its howls died away.

Ramona was sprawled on the ground. Her heart raced and temples pounded. Her hands were numb.

The retriever trotted off the corpse, licking Ramona’s face. There was such a dramatic change between the friendly mutt comforting her and the beast that destroyed the Lost Soul. She ruffled its fur, rubbed its ears. “Where did you come from, boy? My, you’re a handsome dog. Good boy.”

The animal barked, drooling onto Ramona’s shorts. She giggled softly. “Gross.”

Andrew scrambled off the ladder. “You okay?!” He shouted.

She stroked the dog’s belly. “Yeah.” She looked down at her hands. “It was so weird…”

Andrew gulped. “JC is gone.”

The golden retriever woofed, looking annoyed that Ramona had stopped petting him. Ramona blinked. “What do you mean?”

“I woke up, heard you screaming, and realized he was gone. Did you fall asleep at all?”

“I dozed for a few minutes, but where did he go?”

Unsettling dread hung in the air. The dog nuzzled Ramona, rubbed against Andrew, and barked five or six times.

Andrew ran his fingers through his white hair. “Something bad has happened to JC. I can feel it.” He allowed the dog to lick his hand.

The golden retriever flopped its ears from side to side, pawing the dirt. “Woof! Woof!”

An ominous breeze swirled around them. Andrew’s face twisted into agony. He clutched his heart, falling into Ramona’s arms. Ramona gasped. “Andrew! Andrew what’s wrong?!” The dog whimpered, sniffing Andrew’s forehead.

Andrew began choking. Panic swelled inside Ramona. Another breeze blew by, this one stronger than before.

The retriever’s ears flew back in alarm. Voice chanted nearby, chilling Ramona.

“Need…want…need…want…must die…ha…ha ha…”

continued