The Seeing Eye was a pool of water sitting in the adjacent chamber to the tower room. Request what you wish to see, and a vision would emerge in the enchanted water, like a movie screen.
�Let me see Justin,� Kujaur commanded. An image of Justin crying behind an iron desk emerged.
So far, Kujaur�s plan was set in full swing. He realized that when you combine 5 guys with one idea (to rescue Lance), then he might have a big problem. Using his generals, Kujaur would swiftly erase the compassion from their hearts. They�d be concerned only with saving their own necks, even if it meant killing each other.
�Why waste my Lost Souls� strength?� Kujaur mused, �Hmm, Joey and Michael were the first guinea pigs. Justin and Chris are next.�
�Soon, they will be dead, and nobody will be alive to break a sweat for Lance, making my job easier�not to mention much more fun!�
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
In a quiet master bedroom, accented by delicate shadows and pale moonlight, Lance lay on the bed. He lay in a coma, one Kujaur placed upon him after he staked claim to Lance�s soul.
However, disturbing dreams invaded his deep sleep�
Lance walked through his childhood home. Family photos showed Diane, Jim, and Stacy, but were devoid of his picture.
�Mom! Dad!� He shouted, running into the kitchen. His family ate dinner at the table. Except their faces were gone!
Suddenly, he was transferred to separate events from his childhood.
Working in school classrooms.
Playing various sports.
Dates and parties.
A big hand swooped down and scooped the images up. Lance fell down a long dark hole until he plopped on the concert stage. His brothers sang for thousands of adoring fans. They turned to face him. Lance screamed, but saw his legs were paralyzed to the stage.
Instead of seeing 4 familiar faces, Nalani, Gandor, Devon, and Sparrow leered at him.
�You won�t leave! You have forfeited your soul for the sake of your friends! Ha ha ha ha ha!�
The stage metamorphosed into a ring of fire. As the fire burned closer, Lance curled in fear. He didn�t wanna get burned.
�I don�t wanna get burned�I don�t wanna get burned,� he cried.
He seemed trapped. Trapped in the solitary confinements of his tortured mind.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Justin yanked books off the shelves. Dust and papers clouded the musty air. He flung a chair out of his path. Always, in black-n-white horror videos, a secret door lay behind the bookshelves. Unfortunately reality didn�t hand you favors like that on a silver platter.
This doesn�t feel like reality.
Part of him still wondered if something as incredible as this really existed. Lance�s screams were real. The fear must be real too. Oh stop thinking and continue looking! He chided himself.
Justin dominoed another stack of books. One particularly heavy volume hit his foot. �Ouch!� When he shook his foot out from underneath, a tiny silver object clattered out.
Justin rotated the pewter horse between his fingers.
�I believe that is mine,� a small voice announced behind him. Justin jumped. A cute little girl held out her hand.
Her loosely curled jet-black hair was tied back with a blue ribbon. Amazing green eyes gazed up expectantly at him. Her face seemed familiar. �My name is Tara Bass.�
Justin gave her the toy. Bass? �I�m Justin. Don�t worry, I won�t hurt you.�
Tears welled up. �Where is my papa? Mother forbids me to ever speak his name, but I just know he�s here! He�s come back for me, hasn�t he?! Hasn�t he?!�
The empty faith she displayed was heartbreaking. Justin brushed a stray curl behind her ear. Who�s her father? �Um, of course Tara. Hey, you�d better stay away from me. I�m a prisoner.�
Tara nodded. �Please be quiet, but I�ve decided to help you. Mother can�t punish me, so it doesn�t matter. Now that papa�s here, he�ll never let her hurt me again. He loves me. Mother just wanted to impress her demon friends with having a powerful daughter or something, but papa says demons are evil, so I listened to him.�
�Smart girl. And how old are you?�
�When I was brought to this house I was five�� she giggled, �Now I guess I�m 305.�
Justin took her pale hand. �Where is the exit?�
�There isn�t one. We�ll have to climb on the ledge outside and find an open window.� Justin unlatched the window. Cold fog swirling in the night sky hit his face as he climbed onto the ledge.
Tara was gone.
�Tara?� He whispered. �Tara? Where are you?�
�Around the corner,� she hollered, �Hurry!�
Justin pressed his back against the side of the house and moved sideways along the ledge. Each gust of wind made him stiffen. If he looked thousands of feet below at the rocks and ocean, he�d freeze. After slowly skirting around the right corner, he twisted his neck. Tara leaned out of an open window. �Come on!�
A raven flew past him. Justin held his breath and slid through the window, landing on the rug in the third floor corridor. �What happened here?� he gasped. Glass and wood littered the floor. Pieces of furniture overturned. Curtains ripped.
�The Master punished Lance for trying to escape,� Tara sighed. Justin�s heart sank. �Is-is he alright?�
�They�re preparing him for �the Process�.�
�The WHAT?�