The Underground Palace

Chapter Three - The Beast

Alex slowly opened her eyes and immediately fear smothered her heart and refused to let go.  She was definitely no longer in Glen's bedroom.  It was cold, dark, below freezing temperature.  Trees: hundreds, thousands, maybe even millions of them stood all around the clearing she was standing in, they towered above her and threatened to swallow her up.  Alex looked up into the night sky and saw no stars, no moon and no clouds.  Nothing seemed welcome.  A huge bonfire at least two metres wide and high roared feet away from her, the tip of its flames danced and spat, as though it was daring Alex to come forward.  Alex shook her head and stepped back.  She was dreaming, she told herself, and anytime soon she was going to wake and ring the police.

Alex heard someone whisper and she spun round to see five children on their knees staring at the fire.  Three boys and two girls approximately the same age as her.  They all looked as petrified as Alex felt.  But they weren't they only ones in the sinister forest.  About twenty men all dressed in black stood behind the children at attention with their hands behind their back and their heads facing straight.  Alex recognised several of the men as the ones who had kidnapped Glen.  What the hell was she dreaming?

The children frequently glanced at each other but their attention was always focused on the fire.  What were they waiting for?  One of the boys at the end of the line was holding hands with the girl next to him and Alex could tell they were brother and sister – twins in fact.  They both had brown hair and the brightest set of blue eyes Alex had ever seen before.  The boy, Thomas, was wearing jeans and a jumper so massive that it couldn't possibly belong to him.  Every few seconds, he leaned towards his twin and whispered words of comfort into her ear.  The girl, Kirsty, was wearing skinny grey jeans and a red jumper that was two sizes too large.  She listened to her brother's words, but it didn't give her confidence.  Alex was puzzled; she got the impression that she had seen these two children before, on television or in the newspaper. 

To the left of Kirsty was another boy.  He seemed calm and collective at first glance but his hands were in the shape of fists.  He was dark skinned and his faded red shorts was nearly torn to shreds, caused though by wear and tear or self-defence, Alex could only guess. 

A girl kneeled beside him.  She wore a cream cashmere jumper that had been stretched to one side and her brown trousers was smothered with mud and pine needles.  Alex couldn't believe it, this girl, the one she was staring at was Holly Lake.  For three days now, news reporters on BCC One hadn't stopped reporting her.  Her full name is Holly Katherine Lake, she will be turning sixteen on the first of January and on Christmas Eve she had been kidnapped in the town centre of Washington DC.  Ever since she was born kidnappers had tried to take her for ransom but no one had succeeded until now.  A half a million dollar reward had been offered by her father for her safe return yet strangely, no ransom had been made.  Alex couldn't believe it, she was here. 

Glancing at the boy next to Holly, Alex's heart froze.  It was Glen.  Alex ran forward and dived to her knees to join Glen's side.

'Glen!' she cried.  However, Glen remained still and continued to stare at the fire.  Alex moved herself directly in front of her cousin and whispered, 'Glen?'   But it was as though he couldn't see her.  Alex reached out and went to poke Glen's chest but stopped.  It was incredible.  Impossible.  Arms outstretched, she looked down at her torso and legs and saw that her body was transparent like a ghost.  Alex cried out with shock and desperately thought back to Glen's bedroom.  That mad had knocked her head against the wall to knock her out, but had she died?  No!

Alex shook her head and stood to her feet upset.  She couldn't have died!  Alex spun round and took a deep breath, she couldn't stay there any longer, she had to get away and find help.  And that was when she saw him.