The chosen outsider awoke, his mind twisted and confused. Everything was fuzzy. His body felt weightless. Charlie looked down to discover he was he floating ten feet above ground, and glowing as well.
“He’s awake.”
The boy looked left. “Who said that?”
“And he’s curious,” said a female voice.
Pipes clanked, creaked, moaned and hissed as steam filled the air of the old fashioned boiler room. Stoked fires used to heat the hotel’s water added to the distraction. The boiler room was enormous, filled with maze-like piping, water tanks and suspended walkways skirted by hand railings. It was dark, steamy and filled with creepy noises. Randomly scattered wall lamps were the only source of light. Charlie squinted in an attempt to make out two shadows cast upon a wall thirty feet away. They were two familiar shadows with two familiar voices. “It’s…it’s you,” said the boy.
“Would you like a closer look?” said the voice of the female shadow. Raising her staff, she thrust it towards the boy.
Various pipes in all different sizes began to shake and squeak. Breaking free from the the walls and ceilings they bent, moaned and slithered like snakes suspended in air, working their way towards the chosen outsider. Rising upwards, the pipes coiled around the young boys body, tightened their grip, then carried him closer to the shadows on the brick wall.
“Ahhh! Why don’t you come out and quit hiding behind your shadows,” Charlie barked as he wiggled and kicked in an attempt to free himself from the the pipes deadly grip.
The queen let out a flurry of cynical laughter.
“What, too afraid to show your faces?”
“Afraid? Oh, we’re not the ones who should be afraid, child.”
Charlie’s ring lit up—catching his attention, it gave away his discovery.
“Ahh, it’s time.” The queen’s shadow thrust her staff again, this time towards one of the large coal-fed furnaces.
Instantly, the chosen outsider was released from the pipes and flew across the enormous room. Suspended in air, his body stopped mere feet from the roaring fire inside the mouth of the monstrous furnace. Charlie’s face began to bead up with sweat. His hair, melting around his face.
“Too hot? Give us the ring and I will make it go away.”
The boy’s limp body could barely move, as he struggled to muster up the simple reply, “No”. He floated helplessly in front of the raging fire of the giant brick furnace.
The ring continued to brighten, now glowing more than his body. Its radiance cut through all that surrounded it. So much, that the shadows cringed.
“No? No?” The queen snipped back. “Stupid boy.” Her shadow reached out with its left hand, and pulled back with a fist—jerking the boy within a foot of where her shadow was cast. She spun him around to face the wall with a quick-flick of her wrist.
Charlie’s ring continued to shine brightly, making the shadows on the large brick wall look taller and more prominent than ever.
“If you will not give me the ring, I will take it,” said the queen.
The limp-bodied boy slowly raised his head up to address the evil that was cast before him. “Ne…Never.”
“Have it your way.” The queen’s shadow skirted across the boiler room walls, ceilings and such until it came to rest on a wall near a large, rusty chain-link cage. “Horseman,” she shouted back across the room, “bring me the boy!”
The dark rider’s shadow pulled his sword. Casting it towards the boy, the blade transformed into a whip that extended outward. The whip coiled around Charlie’s body as the horseman pulled it tight. He took off like a shot on his evil shadow steed towards the cage.
Instantly, the boy regained his senses, his mind fully alert, as he was pulled towards a place he wished not be.
The evil queen’s shadow flicked its wrist, opening the cage door just as the dark rider spun round on his horse and slung the boy with his whip, throwing him into the cage with a CRASH.
The queen waved her hand, slamming the cage door closed and locking it.
Charlie jumped to his feet, grabbing the chain links with his hands he screamed out in fearful anxiety as he rattled the cage door, unable to get free.
“Calm yourself child. You are about to learn the consequences of your decision. Or should I say, your friends are?”
******
Near the service elevator, Charlie stood anxiously in silence against the cage door, wondering where the shadows of the queen and the dark rider had gone. Only the sounds of steam and dripping water could be heard.
Seamlessly, the sound of dripping water was replaced by footsteps, as the subtle noise of conversation slowly rose in the distance, peaking the boy’s curiosity.
The voices grew louder, Charlie began to smile. They found me, he thought to himself.
Staring across the room with hopeful intent, a group of moving shadows came into view from around the corner of a large stone wall—followed by six familiar faces. It was Michael, Frank, Ben, Midnight, Valerie and Oteza.
They’ve found me. Everything is going to be alright, Charlie thought to himself.
The chosen outsider rattled the cage, yelling to his brother and friends as loud as he could, “Hey! Over here. The queen locked me up and I can’t get out!”
Frank pointed towards the boy, leading them in his direction.
“Thank goodness, they heard me,” Charlie mumbled to himself as he stood eagerly awaiting their help.
Thirty feet, twenty, ten, Frank and the others walked right past the cage and into the service elevator as they continued to talk amongst themselves. But something seemed odd. Their voices were muffled. As if an invisible barrier separated them from the boy
“Hey!” Charlie shook the cage again and again. “Where are you going? I’m right here! Hey! Come back. I’m here. In the cage!” What are you doing? Can’t you hear me? You’re walking into a trap!”
The doors closed and the elevator started to ascend.
Dumbfounded by their actions, Charlie dropped his head and walked back towards the hard concrete bench in the dark corner of the cage to sit. Grabbing his hair with his hands, he put his head down between his knees. Not knowing what to do next.
******
The bell rang and the elevator doors opened.
Waiting for Frank and the others at the end of a long, dark hallway were three Dark Thorns.
Oltar reached back then cast his arm forward, sending a bolt of blue lighting towards the Patron group.
Frank attempted to block it with a light charm spell, but was too slow.
The bolt struck Valerie square in the chest—creating a flash of blue light that blinded the others.
When the light dimmed, nothing remained. Turned to smoke and dust by the wicked strike of Oltar, only her screams remained—echoing through the dim lit hall.
******
There was a flash of light, transporting Charlie from the cage to a dim, open space where he hung, suspended in air, restrained by a green, translucent force that made his body glow.
The floor far beneath him suddenly went clear—bringing into view his brother and friends, petrified at one end of a long hallway. While at the other end, stood the three Dark Thorns.
Charlie screamed out a warning to his friends, as he saw Oltar reach back with a ball of lightning forming in his hand. But again, there was an invisible barrier between him and the others. All he could do is watch as his brother and friends struggled against evil below.
Oltar struck down Valerie, who instantly was disintegrated.
Frank countered with a light burst. But Senkrad spun his arms in a circle, forming a black hole that absorbed the light.
Charlie screamed again, but to no avail.
An overpowering voice arose in the dark open space.
“Give me the ring and all this will go away.”
“No! Never!” The boy shouted in defiant tone.
An invisible force thrust Charlie downward through the air for a closer view, forcing him to watch as his friends struggled to survive.
Senkrad raised his left arm swiftly. The long hallway carpet rose and twirled, forming a giant python snake that quickly circled the remaining five members of the group and pulled them tightly together, rendering them helpless to escape and barely able to breath.
Charges of electric light danced around the translucent force encasing the boy’s body as the queen’s voice spoke again. “The ring boy, or your friends die.”
Charlie screamed in pain as miniature bolts zapped him repeatedly from multiple angles. Still, he refused to give up the ring, when suddenly, the sound of shattered glass followed by loud thunderous laughter at the far end of the hallway caught his attention.
The shadow horseman had broken through a stained glass window. Leaping over the Dark Thorns, the dark rider and his blue-eyed stallion came down with a mighty THUD on the hallway floor—blowing out much of the hotel’s structure and setting it a blaze. They took off across the narrow pathway, galloping towards the helpless Patrons.
Flames grew higher and hotter, spreading rapidly through the partially demolished hotel. Some formed a fiery coil that spun round the crumbling hallway floor remains as the dark rider closed in—sword out and ready to strike down Michael and the others.
Charlie, still watching with heart-felt anxiety, continued to fight for control of his body.
Senkrad clenched his fist and the snake’s grip tightened, assuring those in its coils would not escape the dark rider’s attack.
The chosen outsider could not bear it any longer—pulling his arms away from his body with all his might, he let out a mighty roar of frustration. The lion crest ring responded with a burst of energy—filling the boy's body with superhuman strength. He reached back and thrust his hands forward. BOOM! The glowing restraint exploded. Charlie dropped onto the narrow hallway remains in a 3-point stance—separating his friends from the shadow horseman.
The dark rider tugged his horses reigns, coming to a sudden halt.
Charlie slowly stood and turned to face the enemy. Beaming with radiant energy, he was ready for battle.
© 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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