B008IFNJZM EBOK (37 page)

             
“So how exactly does this work?”

             
“Khu tried to explain this to me.  It works on underground water being heated by lava creating pressure like a geyser.  You are going to be pulled along by a vacuum for a short time and pass through some kind of ‘one-way ‘butterfly’ valve.  That will put you into one of the pressurized tubes and then you will be shot to your destination at great speed.”

             
“But that means that water will be extremely hot.”

             
“That is what this board is for.  It stops the boiling water from reaching you and because of the speed you are traveling at, all the heat is behind you and the air around you is actually quite cool.  Look at this board as a big cork.”

             
“Amazing!”

             
“Khu told me they have an entire network of these channels that link this village to all the other continents of our world.  A Bigfoot could be seen in Wyoming and then seen a few hours later in Vancouver.  Now remember, from time to time you will be shot out like I was into a lake.  You then come ashore and Cinnet will then show you the next tube to take in order for us to continue our journey.”

             
“Kind of like a train station and we just switch trains?”

             
“Yeah, kind of like that.  Don’t worry, I’ll be right behind you and so will Cinnet.  The important thing is whenever you land into the water, move out of the way because one of us will be right behind you.”

             
“Okay, now what?”

             
Iolana smiled.

             
“Well now all you do is move your feet and your cork- like platform back on the stone gutter and over the hole.  The vacuum will pull you in and off you go.”

             
Jerrick hung onto the ropes and did as he was told.  There was a loud sucking sound and he shot into the stone opening.

             
Iolana got on next and shot into the opening as well a few minutes behind Jerrick.  Cinnet then mounted his board and followed the pair out of the light of the valley and into the stone tube.

***

             
Hadiya paced back and forth in front of the crate used as Shawn’s resting place.  The sun was now down and she kept glancing inside at the torn body of Shawn waiting for some kind of sign that he would be back from the dead.  She kept wondering how he would react once he awoke as one of the undead.  She wanted to see some reassurance that the third and final bite to induce his change to a creature of the night was in time before his heart stopped.  She had always been told that it took three bites on three separate nights, but this time, it was two vampires biting and she believed that because Chelsea administered the second bite, the transformation should work.
             
Chelsea’s coffin opened and she saw Hadiya and came over.

             
“How is he?”

             
“I don’t see any sign of a change.”

             
Chelsea smelled the air.

             
“He is going to change, I do not smell the rot of decay in the air.”

             
“I don’t know, we do keep it cool in here.”

             
Chelsea went over and picked up a high power halogen flash light and turned it on over the wound in his chest and it steamed.  She quickly turned it off.

             
“See he reacted to the light.  He is changing!”

             
Chelsea put the light down as the pair of women then shared a pint of blood and sat next to the wooden crate.  Hadiya looked at Chelsea.

             
“Isn’t Crosley waiting for you by now?”

             
“It is good to make a man wait every once in a while.”

             
“Do you think he is the one… your true love?”

             
“I feel like he is… when I am not with him, I long to be with him… And besides, I am not going to argue with the psychic that said the three of us would find true love during this adventure… How are your legs?”

             
Hadiya looked down at her legs in the soft dim light.

             
“They are healing quickly but it still hurts a little to put weight on them.”

             
“There is a full moon tonight, I wonder how Tom is doing.”

             
“I am sure the Meeratts will heal him.”

             
“If he does, Tom will really have no need for us or Iolana.”

             
“Like you say, never argue with a true psychic...  You know this is the most excitement I have had in centuries.  Even with my ankles banged up…”

             
Hadiya sat there while Chelsea took a shower and got dressed.  Still there was no reaction from the lifeless body of Shawn.  Chelsea came out drying her hair and sat back down next to Hadiya as her friend brushed it until it was almost dry.

             
There was a moan from the wooden box and both girls looked at each other and jumped up.  They immediately returned to the side of the crate and looked in.

             
Shawn opened his eyes.  Shawn’s eyes locked on Hadiya.

             
“How are you?   Are your legs going to be alright?”

             
Hadiya had tears in her eyes as she and Chelsea smiled down at the young guide.

             
“I am going to be fine… you saved me.”

             
Shawn could see the blood and damage to his chest.

             
“Am I dead?”

             
Chelsea smiled at Shawn.

             
“We like to use the term ‘undead’.  Your wounds were so great you were about to leave us forever.  Hadiya wasn’t going to let that happen to you.  She took the first bite, and I took the second and then Hadiya got the last draw of blood from you right before your heart stopped.  You had lost so much blood from your injury, it was just a matter of seconds before she and all of us might have lost you forever.”

             
“Are you mad at me Shawn?”

             
“No, I have finally found a woman who really cares about me.  I would be honored to call you my girlfriend.  I love what you have done and you.”

             
Chelsea looked at Hadiya who was smiling and crying at the same time.

             
“Well that does it.  Psychic three, nonbelievers zero!”

             
She looked into the box and Shawn’s wounds were disappearing.

             
“In a little while your wounds will be gone and you will feel stronger than ever.”

             
“Thank you Chelsea… then what happens?”

             
”Well I am going to see my Crosley and you are going to begin ‘vampire 101’ here with Hadiya.  I will return later and check on you.”

             
Chelsea backed up.

             
“How do I look?”

             
“You look good… You also look like someone who is in love.”

             
“Thank you.  I am out of here!”

             
Chelsea left as Hadiya continued to look at Shawn and hold his hand while his body continued to repair itself.  Shawn looked up at his savior.

             
“Finally, I am alone with you at last.”
             

             
In a dark chamber somewhere below the Pacific Ocean, a figure shot up into the air and landed in a pool of water.  Jerrick surfaced and did what he remembered.  He grabbed his board and dog paddled to the rock covered bank.  A few seconds later, Iolana came flying out and splashed behind him.  As he rested on the bank, Iolana surfaced and swam over to join him.

             
“I see why you keep your head down when you are being pushed to the next exit.  If you hold your head up it is almost impossible to breathe.”

             
“How are you coping with the darkness?”

             
“Well I am glad I am not claustrophobic.”

             
Once again the tube gushed and out flew Cinnet.  He belly flopped into the pool as the others got out of the water and dried themselves off as best as possible.  Water was running off of the Meeratt’s thick fur as he came over. Iolana shook her head as to tell him they are okay.  He pointed to the next tube and both shook their head.  They were already to fall down and then be pushed upward and onward closer to their destination.

***

             
Elizabeth walked out to the campfire and poured black coffee from the pot and looked over at Crosley and Chelsea making small talk by the fire.

             
“So how was my brother when you left?”

             
“Khu showed up and he seemed to be arranging a cure for him with the Meeratts.”

             
Elizabeth looked up as the full moon came out from behind the clouds.

             
“I’m sure Iolana or someone will be coming soon with an update.  If not, I will use my speed to go back and get you the latest on his condition.”

***

             
Nine miles north of Bristow Kentucky a white car pulled up to the one story office building at the Co-Op.  It was just after four in the morning and still very dark but the office was lit up.  Emma Parker pulled up to the door and turned off the vehicle as she does every weekday morning.  As she got out she looked down the gravel road at the rows of warehouses on both sides.  She could see a pickup truck down at the last pair and she knew coffee was on and smiled to herself.  Matt and Ernie were already down there getting ready for the farmers that would be coming in at five.  The boys would be all set to load them up with weed killer chemicals, fertilizer or seed. 

             
She opened the door and went in.  She was pleased to see a fresh pot of coffee that was still dripping its last few drops into the glass pot.  She filled her cup as well as Matt and Ernie’s cups.  She turned on her computer for the early morning invoices she would be printing and pushed her way out the door with the pair of cups for the men.  The road down between the warehouses was brighter than usual as she looked up at the full moon.  The boys had their truck down by the last warehouse that was used for storing straw.  She thought they must have known one of the farmer’s orders coming this morning.  She could hear the gravel stones crunch below her feet as she walked.  There was no breeze and no sounds. She usually heard the morning birds, but it was still dark and maybe they were not up and ready to sing just yet.  The dusk to dawn light above every set of double doors on every warehouse added to the brightness as she walked closer to the last warehouse on the right.  The doors were open.  She expected the boys to be measuring the straw round bales.  They had an instrument on the end of a pole which they would shove in the bales and get a reading of moisture at the center of the bale.  A low reading meant the straw was dry and ready to be hauled away for sale to one of their regular customers.  If the reading was high, they would paint a date on it and it would not go out because it was still too fresh.  She could see a shadow as she turned and entered.

             
“I brought you boys your coffee.”

             
No one answered and her eyes glanced up at the shadow.  There in front of her was Ernie hanging on a bale hook tool with a rope swinging back and forth.  His throat was cut by several gashes and blood was running down the front of him and into a puddle on the floor.  Ernie was dead.  Someone killed him and hung him up like a side of beef!  She screamed and dropped the cups.  She ran to the pickup thinking Matt or Ernie’s cell phone must be inside and she could call ‘nine one one’ without having to run all the way back to the office.  She placed her hands on the door’s window and looked on the seat.  Instead of seeing one of the company’s cell phones, she saw Matt covered in blood still holding the phone.  She knew he was dead too.  Her panic increased and now she was running for her life back to the office.  Her mind kept racing as she ran.  She knew the boys must have just got there because of the brewing coffee pot.  That also meant that whoever killed them must still be in the immediate area.  Could it have been a robbery gone wrong?  A few years ago several boys were arrested for trying to steal Ammonia to make the drug called ‘Meth’.  Maybe this time the attackers struck back at Matt and Ernie rather than run away.  Maybe they were on some kind of illegal drug that made them kill with such brutality.  Whatever it was, she was going to call the sheriff and report this as soon as possible and lock herself in her car with the engine running just in case.  Her hands trembled and fumbled with the door knob on a door she had opened thousands of times before. She got inside and picked up the phone and punched in the three digit code.  She froze as she heard heavy breathing behind her.  She turned and could not believe what she saw.  Standing in front of her was a creature she saw in many movies but never thought it really existed.  She was looking down the snout and into the face of a werewolf.  Her eyes locked on the beast’s deep yellow eyes.  She screamed only once and she too, was slashed repeatedly and her warm blood began to cover the office floor.