Locked Away - Book 1

Chapter 51

"You think Duncan can get it done?" I look over at Tyler.

"Yeah. He's got this. Don't worry."

"What am I supposed to do? Have fun at this carnival?" I look around at all of the innocent people having fun.

"Yeah. Exactly that."

"While looking for the evil god that was once in my body?"

"Exactly." I can't help but laugh. "Hot chocolate?"

"Sure." We walk over to the stand and I see Kinsey with Scott.

I find myself getting nervous as I look around and see Nina with Bode. Then Tyler grabs my hand. I look at him. Our eyes meet. Then I calm down.

"It's all good. The Savini Squad is keeping an eye on the perimeter. Kinsey, Scott, my mom, Bode, and the two of us have got the inside covered. We're good. The second we see it, we get into action. We'll corner it. We'll send it through a door to Key House. Then we'll use you to get it to the cave. Then we send it the fuck away." Sounds easier than it is.

Just then I feel this sudden chill in the air. My body tenses and I squeeze the hot chocolate until it breaks. Tyler looks at me and he can tell right away what it is. For whatever reason, I still have some sort of connection with this thing and I know it's here. I start turning my head around, looking at everything, at everyone. Tyler texts the group chat, putting everyone on high alert. I start walking, feeling this tension grow the more I move towards the Ferris Wheel.

"Ty..." I grab his arm.

"What?" He looks in the direction I'm looking but doesn't seem to notice.

"It's in him." Under the Ferris Wheel is a tall man in flannel and jeans. He's sweating a lot. There are faint black veins pooping from under his skin.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Stay here." I start walking forward.

"Wait. No way." Tyler walks up to me and I don't have time to fight it.

"Hey." I put on a smile as I walk up to the man, but he says nothing. "Having trouble in that body?" All I want to do is attack, but I hold it in.

"We know it's you."

"The sight of you repulses me." Seeing the anger in his face as it looks at me makes me happy.

"Good." I look him up and down. "You're not looking so well. Guess finding a host isn't as easy as you thought."

"Choke on your own vomit."

"Ouch. I'm hurt."

"What do you want?" He starts to cough, blood spitting in front of our feet.

"Come with me."

"So you can try and kill me?"

"You know we can't kill you. I just want to help." He coughs some more. "And it looks like you need my help." I put my hands in my pockets. "Coming?"

"You realize how well I know you?" All of the lights in the Winter Carnival begin to flicker.

"We'll see about that." At once all of the lights around us explode.

I take The Matchstick key out of my pocket. I step forward. His hand swings at me, but I sidestep and dodge. Then I slash the key against the upper leg. He lets out a giant screech, making everyone in the carnival cover their ears. I swing the key again, this time striking his arm. But this time he doesn't scream. He swings his arm at me, smacking me in the face. He sends me feet into the air and into the cotton candy stand.

"Eliot!" Tyler turns to look over at me, taking his eyes off Shlukos, giving him the chance to smack Tyler, sending him in the opposite direction.

"Ty! Shit!" I get up to my feet, aching. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" I look around for The Matchstick Key. "Fuck!" I see it on the ground and start running to it.

I look up and see he's no longer at the Ferris Wheel. Then, as I turn back to the key, he's standing there. He swings his foot and flips me onto my back. I reach for the key and grab it, but then he steps on my hand.

"Fuck!" He steps down hard until I can't hold onto it any longer.

He kicks me in the stomach. I turn to the side and cough up blood. That's when I look up at him, smiling.

"Fuck. You."

Crackle. Snap.

The pieces of broken wood from the cotton candy stand fly into the air and at him. I stab him in the leg, but the others he flicks away without any effort. I get up to my knees and grab the piece of wood in his leg, twisting it.

"Fuck!" It shouts before grabbing me by my hair and lifting me into the air.

As he holds me up I look around, everyone screaming and running away. Tyler's knocked out with Nina and Bode over him. Then I spot Kinsey only ten feet away.

"Go to hell." I bite the tip of my tongue off and spit it in his face.

"Ahh!" He screams as the blood starts burning his face.

His face burns and peels away, showing a greyish layer of skin underneath. Its eyes start popping out. Teeth changing. I reach down and put the Hercules Key into the belt. I step forward and punch him, sending him back. I look to Kinsey and nod. She runs over to the door of the nearby shed. She uses the Anywhere Key and opens it to the front of Key House.

I walk forward and grab the man by his shirt, lifting him up and then tossing him closer to the door. I step up to him again, looking down at him as he quivers in a ball. I reach down to grab him once again, but this time his hand lurches at me. His hand, now with claws, enters my stomach. It's like something in me shuts down. I feel his entire hand inside me. I start coughing up blood. Then he stands up, its eyes, teeth, and tongue all looking at me. It throws my body feet away. I can feel everything in me begin to dim. I look down and see the giant hole in me. Everything quickly starts to fade.