Champions of Light: Gaëtano's Sword [Book One]

Chapter Fifteen

The Wrangler

"What's that smell?" Vikki scrunched her nose, leading the group into another large and dark opening.

"Oh no," Freddy said, after getting a good whiff.

"What is it?" Kim asked.

"I've read about this. I know where we are. It's the layer of the beast known as the Wrangler. Its pungently sweet odor acts as a strong hallucinogen, bringing his prey into their deepest nightmares. When his prey has been effectively scared into submission, he devours them slowly."

"We should turn back!" John cried.

"No! We're already at his mercy. He will mold our visions to draw us toward him. We have to stick together, we have to stay sane, and we have to kill him. Only then, will we survive."

"Okay, everyone, grab onto whoever is closest, and keep your eyes open. Keep conversation going so we know where each other is, and so we can help each other out of the nightmares." They obeyed, and crept along the path, wary of all the shadows.

"How was the myth started, Freddy?" Skylar asked, since she herself couldn't find a better topic to talk about.

"Apparently, the Wrangler was born a man, and was excommunicated into the Cavern Expanse for killing his father."

"Maybe we should talk about something less dreary," Charlotte whimpered, trying to stay brave and holding tightly onto Kim.

"Maybe you shouldn't have been born," a sinister voice whispered to Alice. She jumped and peered into the darkness. She had let go of Kim for only a moment, but that was all that was needed.

She was alone, all alone in the consuming blackness. She stood for a moment, helpless and unsure of what to do, when a small voice began whispering terrible things in her mind. She was alone. All alone, and no one cared whether she lived or died. She was worthless, helpless, no one was even looking for her. Sean didn't care about her, how could he? He was probably thanking his stars he wouldn't have to interact with a girl so timid and shy like herself. He wouldn't miss her; Kim wouldn't miss her; no one would miss her. No one would miss someone who barely spoke enough to be noticed. No one would care for a girl who couldn't even stand up for herself. Worthless, helpless, there was nothing left for her here. The world would be better without her in it. Their quest was hopeless. Everything was hopeless. There was only one thing left to do. There was only one thing that would fix it all. Sobbing, she slumped onto the floor and grabbed her knife.

Vikki stopped. She groped for her knives, but they seemed to have disappeared. When had it gotten so quiet? Where was everyone? In fact, where was she? She looked down a dark alleyway, the ground slick with rain, and piles of trash in her way. She knew this place.

There was a familiar voice crying out, and she knew exactly when she was too. Vikki ran into the alleyway, sending the villain away from her mother's bloody body. Vikki sobbed, her child-like arms struggling to hold her mother up. Her mother coughed up blood, struggling for air. Vikki felt so small, so helpless. If only she had been stronger, her mother wouldn't be dying in her arms. Tears rushed down her face.

Suddenly, her mother's face shriveled up and melted away to the bloody muscle, then to the bone, and Vikki yelled out for help as the blood had somehow risen to her chest. Vikki had been here before, had seen her mother die, had promised herself that she would learn to protect herself and others. Though this experience was far more gruesome and terrifying, she wasn't about to forget that promise now. With determination, she swam through her mother's blood, to find the others.

Charlotte whimpered down a tiled hallway. She hadn't realized she had let go of Kim, but it had already been too late. A distant familiar cry became louder as she walked into a distant memory. Her father's office room, walled with dark oak, and smelled of cigar smoke. On the floor, her mother lay limply, beaten and bruised. Above her was Charlotte's father, drunkenly furious, who looked up and saw Charlotte, who had reverted into a toddler, standing in the doorway.