“What did Frank mean by ‘it’?” Michael asked, as everyone watched the two owls fly across the valley.
“Unfortunately, young man I think he meant trouble,” Abigale replied.
“Trouble? Forget trouble, I need to find my brother,” the boy said.
Alfred tapped Abigale on the shoulder and said, “You mean like that kind of trouble?” Pointing towards the enormous beaming jack-o-lantern.
The entire group turned towards the orange beacon of hell. Standing beside it, their dark robes flapping in the breeze, stood the Dark Thorns.
******
“Our little friends are over there. Conveniently grouped together,” said Kunn.
“Easy prey,” added Tanion.
There was a sudden explosion! Shooting out of the flaming mouth of the giant jack-o-lantern like a cannonball, the shadow horseman and his black flew over the Dark Thorns, landing with a CRASH on the icy hillside—they streaked down the slippery slope, blazing a fiery trail across the jagged, frozen terrain towards the giant hole the glowing child, Frank and Alexios had faded into.
******
“That’s not good,” said Ben. “Somebody needs to warn Frank and Alexios.”
“But he told us to wait here and watch for trouble,” insisted Valerie.
“Well if the Dark Thorns and shadow horseman ain’t trouble, I don’t know what is,” Alfred replied.
Valerie and the others turned towards jack-o-lantern hill. The Dark Thorns took off into the dark clouds above as streams of purple smoke—then each swooped downwards into the fiery eyes of the giant jack-o-lantern.
The nearby mountainside where the Patrons stood began to shake and rumble, as the ice-covered jack-o-lantern hill started cracking, lava spurting through in every direction. Giant hands of lava-filled ice broke through the surface as the giant pumpkin head was set ablaze and began to rise—followed by broad, icy shoulders, then massive arms, torso, legs and finally, feet! All made of jagged, crystal-clear ice, and all filled with a blazing mixture of lava and fire! The enormous giant slowly turned its fiery gaze towards the helpless Patrons and the nearby mountainside and let out the loudest, most evil, roar anyone had ever heard.
“See! Now we’re really in for it!” Shouted Frank. “Those Dark Thorns have gone and given that giant pumpkin head a body that could crush us all! I say me, Clara and Henry head out to warn Frank and the owl, while the rest of ya stay here and protect Michael from whatever that thing is.”
A streak of terror overcame the young apprentices face. “But…”
“No buts about it, young lady. Alfred is right. Our best chance to find Charlie and get out of here would be to split up and deal with the immediate danger we face,” said Abigale. “Alfred, take your friends and go. Go help Frank and Alexios. The rest of us will stay and deal with, or at the very least, try to avoid as best we can, that giant monstrosity of evil.”
******
Charlie had reached the bottom of a dark, roughed-out, stairway made of lava stone, created by the jack-o-lantern’s fiery spew. Before him, its massive roots embedded deeply into the rocky ground, was a giant tree. Its trunk was thick. Its branches, twisted and many—filling the enormous cavern of the hillside’s core.
The chosen outsider took a step towards the ominous tree.
An unpleasant and disgusting face with jagged mouth suddenly emerged from its trunk as the tree’s branches began to move like tentacles of an octopus. “Who has come to threaten me?”
“Threaten you? I don’t even know who, or what, you are.”
“I am Barklinder, keeper of the Halloween crystal and sworn enemy to all those who try to take it.
******
Alfred and his counterparts, Clara and Henry transformed into arctic wolves then took off sprinting across the frozen terrain to warn Frank and Alexios about the evil that had just spawned from jack-o-lantern hill, while the others discussed their situation.
“Don’t worry young lady, we’ll do our best to keep you and Michael out of harms way,” said the pumpkin fairy, as the group looked in terror upon the giant monstrosity headed their way. Their faces, streaked with frozen tears, the chilling breeze blowing through their hair.
“I think it may be too late,” the apprentice calmly replied with no emotion whatsoever.
Abigale, surprised by Valerie’s cold reply, turned towards the young lady. “What was that dear?”
The young lady turned her head slowly, her hypnotic green eyes, now possessed with evil intentions, pierced the pumpkin fairy’s innocent, and unsuspecting soul. Abigale stood in bewildered silence, unable to look away.
“I said…it may be too late.” Valerie flicked her wrist, and spiraled up into a purple streak of evil smoke that blended into the dark sky above.
Everyone jumped back in fear as lightning danced across the sky.
“The end begins now,” a dark voice called down from above. “Dark Thorns, wipe this pathetic band of fools from existence.”
“Wipe?” Wait…what?” Ben babbled to the group.
A bolt of lighting struck the distant hillside, leaving a faint purple cloud of smoke just outside the large entryway their friends had entered—the sound of evil laughter echoed across the frozen terrain before fading to silence.
******
“What was that?” Said Frank.
“I’ll go check,” the owl replied. “You keep going.”
Frank nodded then turned and continued down the dark lava stone stairway into the hillside core.
******
The arctic wolves sprinted up to the hillside entryway and immediately transformed back to human form.
“Did you hear it?” Asked Clara.
“Laughter?” Henry replied.
“Wicked laughter,” added Alfred.
“And that bolt of lighting…it looked like it struck close to where we stand now.”
“Matter of fact it did,” Alfred said, pointing. “Look, there’s char marks right over there.”
“I hope we’re not too late. Let’s head inside.” Said Clara.
Alfred was three steps down the stairway, when something suddenly flew past him from below—knocking the old man to the ground. “What in the blazes was that!”
Henry and Clara immediately took defensive stances, looking around for the attacker.
“Ahh! Somethings on my shoulder,” Henry gasped. “It has a death grip on me. This is it. It’s all over for me!”
Alfred began to laugh hysterically, as did Clara.
“I think you’re OK.”
“What? Alexios? Hugh, I guess I am OK” Henry replied with a sigh of relief.
“Where is Frank?” Alfred asked.
“Finding the boy,. I hope,” the owl replied.
“Did you hear the lighting strike the hill just a minute ago?” Clara asked.
“Lightning? So that’s what we heard. The sound was so muffled from down here we couldn’t tell what it was,” Alexios said. “But we most certainly felt it!”
“I don’t think it was any ordinary lightning strike, if you know what I mean,” said Alfred.
“No, it definitely was not ordinary, Henry added.
“We’d better catch up with Frank, I have a feeling there’s a connection between the lightning and whatever awaits us down inside this hill,” said the owl.
******
The giant pumpkin beast let out another tremendous roar as it closed in quickly on Abigale and the others.
The three sprites leapt off of the ledge onto the icy hillside and quickly skated out of the monster’s line of site. Abigale flicked her wand, encompassing the rest of the group in a protective bubble, just as the giant creature reached out and picked them up. The massive beast, reared back and threw them against the rocky, ice-covered hillside, bursting the bubble!
The Patrons tumbled through the air.
A set of wings sprung out of Midnight’s back. Quickly maneuvering through the air, the large black cat managed to catch Michael, and Oteza in a free-fall, before swinging upwards into the dark skies above.
"Whoo-hooo! Thanks,” said Michael.
The pumpkin fairy, banked around and flicked her wand, striking both Jolly and Ben. Instantly, they were turned into a pair of barn swallows.
“This is great!” Shouted Jolly.
“Isn’t it, though!” Ben added.
But the joy didn’t last long. The giant beast took a swing at the new-flying duo, nearly missing, its enormous icy fist struck the rocky hillside—breaking free massive boulders that tumbled downwards and shattered a large area of the icy terrain below.
“Boys, now is not the time,” Abigale scolded.
Ben and Jolly regained focus and soared out of the swinging creatures reach.
Abigale and Midnight followed suit, meeting Mayor Jolly and Ben at the highest point atop the frozen, snow-capped hill.
The giant orange beast dug its massive hands into the hillside and began to climb, tearing layers of ice and rock away as it ascended.
“This thing is really determined,” said Ben.
“I’m not really sure where we go from here,” added Jolly.
“Survival is the only option,” said the fairy. “We have to give it our best to find that boy and the third crystal.”
******
“You…you want the crystal. I can see it in your eyes,” said the large, twisted tree. “Do not lie to me, it will only make things more difficult if you do.”
“Yes, I’ve come for the crystal. And you, you’re going to give it to me, or I will take it from you, said Charlie.”
Barklinder snickered, then frowned upon the small glowing figure as its twisted branches continued to move and sway around in hypnotic fashion. “Your way with words won’t work on me, boy. The dark magic that created the crystal on Halloween many years ago is the same dark magic that runs through me. I am an unstoppable force of nature. Too strong for the likes of you.”
The radiant boy effortlessly rose off the ground, now eye-level with the tree’s face. “This dark magic you speak of does not deter me. I do not fear it, if that is what you are attempting, twisted tree. If you are so sure I cannot take the crystal from you, then show it to me.”
The tree smirked, “Very well.” Its mighty roots dug deep into the rocky ground upon which it was anchored. There was a change in facial expression, as though it had just discovered something. Barklinder’s roots began to glow bright orange. The vibrant light traveled up into his trunk, then branches—still swaying to and fro. His eyes, temporarily closed, then opened back up, now burning fiery yellow, as was its jagged, wide-open mouth. One of the limbs reached in and pulled out the crystal.
Still suspended in air, the chosen outsider set his beaming eyes upon the hypnotic orange crystal. Instantly, he was spellbound by dark energy radiating from its core.
The deceitful tree slowly wrapped its branches around his body as another figure appeared from a dark recessed area to Barklinder’s left.
“Well done, my friend. Her highness will be very pleased.”
“Thank you shadow horseman.”
© 2024 Charles E. Zitta. Charles E. Zitta and Disney and the Wonder Within blog novels are in no way part of, endorsed or authorized by, or affiliated with the Walt Disney Company or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
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