JC�s legs quivered. Justin held his breath in anticipation. Chris peered around Nalani.
All 100 Lost Souls turned angrily from their positions, blocking any view of Lance.
�Innocents�need�blood�need�life�destroy�must�stop��
Justin gulped. �I think we�re in major trouble.�
Nalani whimpered softly. �I�m afraid for my daughter. She must be so frightened.�
As their eyes glowed redder, the Lost Souls meandered closer.
Chris found himself at a loss for options. What good would fleeing do? They�d only get captured sooner or later. And what about Lance?
The crowd parted halfway. They guys and Nalani saw Lance walk calmly between the Lost Souls. While those monsters� heads bowed, chanting: �Master�master�master,� Kujaur placed a hand on his shoulder.
�Impressive,� he nodded approvingly, �For a second there I questioned your capability to carry out �the Process�.�
�Of course I could,� Lance (or the Master) replied defensively, looking rather pleased, �The old Lance proved to be an easy target, not to mention fun to toy with. I�ve always been fascinated with the human heart, how it can handle the mushy emotions like love and loyalty, when they really just hold a hollow existence. It�s enjoyable to destroy a good person. He he he, poor kid didn�t stand a chance against me and he knew it!�
Nalani sighed deeply. It�s too late. Sobs quaked inside JC�s chest, but he dared not cry in front of the demons. Chris, usually full of sarcastic humor, suddenly broke down in tears. It�s like we�re mourning at a funeral for our best friend. His body is alive, but the stuff that made our Lance who he was has died.
Justin, on the other hand, turned to furious fits of rage. �No! NO! NO! It�s not true!� he screamed, �It�s not true! You�ll pay for this! I swear I�ll make you pay!�
�Hmmm,� Kujaur grinned, �Interesting proposition.�
He turned to his followers, then hesitated. �Master,� he offered, �Since your spirit is rejuvenated, I trust you can also command my army.�
The Master laughed. �My pleasure.�
JC shut his eyes. He wanted to remember Lance the way he used to be, not the way he looked now. Lance�s eyes (no longer green, but blackened like 2 pools of ink) contained a cold-hearted, evil gleam that seemed to stare right into your soul. You felt exposed somehow, each dark secret surfacing clearer than the last. His face twisted into a creepy smile.
�My Lost Souls,� he declared, �Take care of these innocents. Tis time to celebrate my rebirth!�
***
Kaden flew through the forest, allowing his spirit to soar above the trees. Screams filled with terror and howls overflowing with malice drifted in the wind down below.
Emerald was flying too, chasing him to the ceremony site.
Kaden dove through an Aspen tree, racing towards the Lost Souls. Emerald shouted curses behind him.
When he reached the site, he faded his appearance to minimize notice. Kujaur would sense his spirit either way, but this bought him time.
5 oak trees stood in straight alignment. The prisoners, his wife and four of Lance�s band mates, were being tied to them. Joey relentlessly protested.
�Hey! Untie me! I helped you! I��
�Served your purpose,� Lance finished. Kaden�s jaw dropped open. Lance? My ancestor?
Then the truth of the matter dawned upon him. Oh no. It�s happened. It�s really happened. A demon claimed his body and soul.
Your initial response may have been to mourn. Kaden was wiser, for he�d learned in Celtic secret society that when an occasional possession occurred, it was plausible that it might be reversed.
In that case, we�ve only thirty minutes.
And the clock is ticking.
The hands of time are against us, Kaden realized, they�ll tick faster tonight.
Now, in the early hours before dawn, the final showdown had begun.
Tara ducked her head lower. She hid herself in a bushel of scratchy shrubs, keeping a sharp vigil on her mother.
Mommy? Mommy? What�s going on?
Another thing Tara didn�t understand was how come Lance gave the Lost Souls their orders. He�s the sweet one, she thought.
Tara could never begin to comprehend �the Process�. Nalani�s voice rang in her ears. �Some things are best left alone.� �The Process� was no exception.
�Why us?� Tara whispered. She spotted her father floating above the moon, his gaze fixated on Kujaur.
Twigs crunched behind her. Tara froze. Who�s behind me?
Footsteps crunched again. Cool wind blew across the back of her neck.
Bony fingers squeezed her arms.
Tara screeched as her body lifted off the ground. �Papa! Papa! Papa! They�ve got me! They�ve got me!�
***
Kaden zoomed furiously to the cluster of bushes near the ceremony.
Emerald proudly clutched Tara by her neck. �Now you know what it�s like to have something special snatched from your grasp,� she hissed, �I warned you years ago I�d avenge myself. This little brat��
Sweat beaded at Kaden�s hairline. Emerald had a diabolical mind, tarnished by revenge. These kinds of people held no tolerance for bargains.
�Why not call a truce?� he offered slyly, �My daughter in exchange for my life?�
�Be more specific darling.�
�I�ll fight you for Tara. If I win, she and Nalani go free. If I lose, they still go free, but�� he added, �You may enslave my soul for all eternity.�
Emerald spun rope between her fingers, tying Tara�s wrists behind her waist, then leaving a trail of rope long enough to cut her some slack from her tied ankles.
�Deal,� Emerald sneered. Kaden flashed her a smug smile, confident he�d win.
But nobody had warned him of Emerald�s secret power�
One, which not even Kujaur, was alerted of.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
Chris sagged against the tree, hopeless and defeated. JC stood crying softly on the next tree. Justin fumed, still unprepared to succumb to grief. Joey kept his head high, undaunted by the scene unfolding.
The Master seemed troubled.
He loved his new body. He fed off its youthful vitality and newfound strength. Considering the good shape Lance was in, the Master would enjoy a long reign of power for years ahead.
Except�after he�d possessed the other bodies, their souls died during �the Process�. Stealing someone�s life force is no small feat. But Lance�s soul still lived, weak, terrified, miserable, trapped inside the Master�s mind.
The Master, in his mind�s eye, could see a vision of Lance. His spirit was blue, transparent, levitating. Lance sat chained in a darkly confined cell. �Let me go,� he croaked, his voice echoing throughout the mind cell, �I�m dying.�
Yes, although Lance had survived �the Process�, without a body to reside in, Lance�s ghost would evaporate. Another 25 minutes to go.
�Shut up,� the Master mumbled.
Justin squinted. Was it just his imagination, or was the Master mumbling to himself?
Chris noticed it too. Maybe the guy�s schizo. Despite his tiny attempt at humor, Chris could find no amount of solace.
Kujaur spread his hands apart. The Lost Souls cowered to the sidelines, awaiting approval to mutilate their pray. Feasting upon souls was considered a treat.
�You, you innocents,� Kujaur proclaimed, �Have created enough problems for me to be sufficiently exhausted from handling you. I find the prospect of your friendship toward each other to be heartwarming (snickers), but I say we call it a day, huh? Lance is dead. His soul has been condemned, and his body belongs to my Keeper of Fear. What more have you got to fight for? Nothing!�
�My Lost Souls,� he commanded, �Kill them. Delight in the celebration following the Master�s conversion!�
Justin�s fingers scraped nervously at the bark. Devon, who�d arrived moments earlier, stood face to face with him.
�Care to become a demon?� he laughed. Justin glared. �Kill me and get it over with.� Devon shrugged. �Very well. Such a shame. You�ve got leadership abilities.�
JC chewed his bottom lip. Gandor�s fingernails sharpened. �I�m really going to enjoy this now,� he hissed, his fangs extending to his chin.
�Humph!� Joey snorted. �Good riddance to you all.�
Nalani fidgeted when she heard Tara scream. Kaden materialized and flew to her rescue, surprising Kujaur. �Didn�t realize an extra guest had been invited.�
�This one is quite welcome,� the Master commented, �There�s unfinished business to settle.�
A blade frayed the ropes tying Nalani to the tree. She grit her teeth, praying whoever was trying to save her would succeed.
�Turn invisible,� an old woman rasped, �No one�s watching.�
A wrinkled hand pulled her away until they were reasonably hidden.
�Why did you help me?� Nalani asked.
Sparrow threw her hands up in the air. �Because I�m your friend, remember? Oh, you mean that scene by the willows? That was just a fa�ade, a ploy to escape. Believe me, if I hadn�t of tricked the Lost Souls into sparing my life, we�d all be dead.�
Nalani shivered anxiously. �Why is it so quiet?�
�Kaden�s preparing to fight Emerald for Tara, but that must be your job. Kaden needs to fight for Lance�s soul. He�s the only guy who knows how.� Sparrow began shoving her in the right direction. �Hurry! In 23 minutes, our chances of restoring Lance diminish!�
***
Lance�s spirit squeezed his eyes shut, rocked back and forth, wanting to forget the freezing loneliness. Distantly, he heard the Master barking out orders.
He sounds exactly like me.
The cell produced an uncomfortable feeling of claustrophobic pressure. Lance coughed, becoming sicker.
Will I go to heaven when I�m finally released? Will I be an angel? I don�t wanna be trapped here in Whispers.
Another violent coughing fit hit Lance, doubling him over.
20 minutes in counting.
***
Nalani stared at Emerald. �This is something I should�ve seen in you a long time ago�but I was too trusting to believe it!�
Emerald shrugged. �Is that my fault? Anyway, you ready to fight? I�m becoming impatient!�
Truthfully, Nalani hadn�t a clue as to how she�d bail herself out of this mess. Her husband was better skilled in this, but Lance needed him more. Tara gazed up at her with teary eyes. �It�s okay mother. You can do it.�
Emerald grinned. �Hmm, we�ll see about that.�
Nalani lunged at her twin. Emerald pushed her hands out in front of her, sending Nalani crashing into a tree. Emerald slowly focused her eyes directly into Nalani�s, allowing her gaze to strengthen until her will overpowered her sister�s.
Nalani gasped, but it was too late.
Emerald took over her mind. Nalani faced no choice but to obey Emerald�s commands, making her a worthless pawn in their dangerous game.
CHAPTER FIFTY
Kaden tensed his body. He�d never been in a demon fight before, and this was of the most perilous kind. Lance, or the Master, took a deep breath.
�Let�s go!�
Laser beams shot out of the Master�s eyes, attempting to bore into Kaden�s mind, read all his thoughts, gain control. Kaden put up an imaginary brick wall, blocking the Master�s access.
The Master nodded. �Good.�
He picked Kaden up by the collar. Kaden kicked him in the stomach, but it proved worthless. He was thrown into Justin.
Dazed, Kaden watched the sky swirl above. Luckily, Justin saw the Demon forming a red mist in his hands, preparing a second attack. �Man look out!�
Kaden back rolled, jumping up.
�Hey!� Chris shouted. �You�re a ghost! You can fight demons! Use your freaking powers!�
The red mist surrounded Kaden, clouding him and choking him. In the mist, horrible visions played. Bile churned in his stomach. God help me! Gripping the cross tightly, Kaden willed the red trap to bounce back to the Master.
The red mist disappeared, unleashing its terror upon the owner. The Master screamed, �Stop!�
Kaden used this time to wrap his fingers around the Master�s throat, pummeling him to the ground.
Banging the Master�s head against the dirt, Kaden shouted, �Leave Lance, you demon of Satan! Get out! In the name of God, GET OUT!�
Lance�s body glowed. The Master shrieked as his greenish spirit started to resurface.
Yes! Kaden thought triumphantly. It�s working!
Lance�s skin quit glowing. His eyes opened. Still black.
�You think you�ve won?� The Master countered gleefully.
Lance�s ghost continued to hold onto a thread of hope. For a single second, the cell opened, revealing soft light. The pain faded. He felt healthier.
Then the cell closed up. Lance�s teeth chattered. Fever sent heat waves, followed by intense cold, through his muscles.
A voice echoed off the walls.
�Lance�Lance�Lance��
He frowned. Who was Lance?
�Remember who you are�remember who you are��
Who am I? He wondered. Could that be me? Is my name Lance?
The name did sound familiar.
Suddenly, a frightening thing happened. A flashback�
MAY 4, 2001
�Happy birthday!�
Stacy brought out a large birthday cake. Tons of friends and family gathered around Lance. Diane kissed him on the cheek. �I can�t believe my little boy is 22!�
�Mom,� he groaned. Chris shoved his gift across the table. �Open mine first!�
Justin rolled his eyes. �Didn�t we agree the youngest presented the 1st gift?�
Lance laughed. �Guys, stop.�
They ate, ripped open presents, joked around, and pretty much enjoyed themselves when the vision faded�
Lance�s ghost blinked quickly. Was that me? What�s going on? Why am I remembering this?
***
�Remember that Lance?� JC shouted. �Joey gave you that awesome cell phone and Chris creamed me with that slice of cake!�
�Lance! Lance! Lance!� Kaden yelled, shaking the Master�s shoulders, �Remember who you are!�
Kaden, along with the rest of Nsync, realized the only way they would be able to successfully drive out the Master was to restore Lance�s memory. Once he got a will to live again, the Master would have to leave. He had to!
The Master shoved Kaden aside. �I know what you�re trying to do,� he growled, �It won�t work.�
�Lance!� Justin persisted. �You�re in a band called Nsync. We like one of the greatest bands in the history of music! Millions of girls drool over you! We love you! You�re our brother! Don�t listen to the Master and Kujaur! They�re liars!�
***
�Don�t listen to�the Master and Kujaur�they�re liars��
Lance frowned. Liars? Yeah right.
Then again, they might�ve been lying. After all, I�d lost my memory, and I couldn�t tell what was real or not�
It hit him like a ton of bricks. Maybe life is worth living! Maybe those visions I experienced weren�t wishes, but actual flashbacks!
Another one hit him�
AUGUST 1993
Diane stood at the stove, cooking dinner for the family. Stacy painted her nails while watching TV in the living room. 13-year-old Lance sat at the dining table, trying to complete a homework assignment.
�Man!� He whined. �English essays aren�t required just because the school board says so. They were subtle torture advices intended to turn teenagers into mindless zombies��
Just then Jim walked through the front door. �I�m home everybody!�
�Hi dad,� Lance replied absently, doodling at the corner of his paper.
Jim bent down and hugged him. �Hey kid.� The flashback slowed and faded�
The hug looked real, full of love. Lance desperately wanted to see more flashbacks, win back more of the memories that were stolen from him.
A coughing fit hit, this one worse than all the others. Lance doubled over, unable to breathe. He felt as if he were suffocating� �Help!� He groaned.
10 minutes until it was too late for his soul.
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
Tara fumbled with the ropes chafing JC�s wrists. �You must help mother,� she whispered worriedly, �Aunt Emerald did something to her that�s making her act strange. Whenever Aunt Emerald tells her to do something, she nods and obeys.�
JC sighed. Not good.
He and Tara scrambled through the forest until they came to the river. Jumping over the rushing water, they made their route to the beach.
Salty air stung JC�s eyes. He could see Nalani marching robotically down the beach, Emerald demanding instructions.
�Mother!� Tara screamed, �Don�t!�
Emerald turned her head. �Oh, I see you brought JC,� she said sweetly.
JC sprinted towards Nalani. �Nalani,� he said urgently, �What are you doing?�
�Going into the ocean,� she replied in her trance, �Going under the water.�
Tara started bawling. �Mommy.� Emerald turned her head. �Shut your mouth child��
JC used this distraction as perfect opportunity. He yanked Emerald�s hair, jerking her head backwards. Nalani gasped, wobbled, and fell into the water, soaking herself.
Emerald reached back and grabbed JC�s neck, throwing him into the shallow water beside her twin.
Tara kicked her knees. Emerald slapped her cheek. �Disrespectful brat!�
�What happened?� Nalani moaned as the waves knocked JC down.
�Ah! She took over your brain, that�s what!�
Emerald fixated her gaze into JC�s eyes. �Now it�s time for you��
JC squeezed his eyes closed. No! No! No!
There had to be some means of disabling her powers. But how?
Salt water washed into his mouth. JC gagged. Emerald raised her arms. A huge wave crashed over JC and Nalani, filling their lungs up with water.
�Die, die, die, die, die,� she chanted in a sing-song voice, �Die, die, die, die ,die!�
Kujaur observed the sequence of events before him. He, Devon, Gandor, Sparrow, and the Lost Souls stood quietly in the circle, watching Kaden battle the Master as if it were a sort of sideshow. He�d also seen Tara cut JC�s ropes, but was curious to see how the battle between Nalani and Emerald would play out.
Those innocents are smart guys. Perhaps this will be more difficult than I�d anticipated.
Kujaur snapped out of his own thoughts and focused on the demon fight.
The Master appeared to be losing control over Lance�s body. What did this mean? Was Lance�s soul fighting for possession?
Kaden repeated the same demand. �IN THE NAME OF GOD, GET OUT! LEAVE LANCE ALONE! IN THE NAME OF GOD GET OUT!�
�Get out! Get out! Get out!� Justin and Chris chanted. Joey remained silent. �Who cares what happens anyway?� he muttered. �We�re all toast.�
5 minutes to go.
***
Lance curled up, too weak and miserable to fight.
�Keep fighting�Come on�Keep at it��
Chris doesn�t have a clue what it�s like in here, Lance grumbled inwardly. Wait a sec! He remembered a voice!
Suddenly the cell opened up to a tunnel. Hurricane winds blew at his body. Lance strained his muscles to keep from being sucked down the tunnel, but the mysterious illness that plagued his ghost complicated this.
2 minutes.
�No!� He screamed. �I wanna live! I wanna live!�
The Master�s haunting eyes appeared at the end of the tunnel.
Lance glared at them, no longer afraid. He�d had enough.
1 minute.
�Get out of my body! You can�t have my soul!�
30 seconds.
�No!� Lance screeched. �I won�t die! Leave me alone!�
15 seconds.
�I want to hug my family!�
10 seconds.
�I want to perform on stage!�
7 seconds. The Master�s eyes were glowing brighter. The winds were growing stronger.
�I want to have fun with my best friends!�
3 seconds.
�I want to wake up in the morning! I want to say my prayers and go to sleep at night!�
2 seconds.
�I want my life!�
1 second. Lance�s ghost zoomed forward.
�GET OUT!� was his final plea for mercy.
Time�s up.