Chapter 42
Chevro Buffer’s cosmically charged Volkswagen bus roared through the dimensional portal and touched down on the lush Telosian field.
“Just swingin’ around- is that you, Norm?” Chevro asked.
Norm, wearing the Praesidium helmet, timed his leap perfectly and hopped in the purple bus. “How’d you know it was me?”
Chevro laughed. “Son, I’ve never seen a Praesidium or a Lemurian with your body or wearin’ a- I’m with stupid T-shirt. Where we off to?”
“Home, my home, where you picked us up. They sent a void after our friend, Lucy. I gotta save-Whoa!” Norm jumped as he sat on the sleeping baby coyote. “Oh! Hey, little guy.” Rocco hopped into Norm’s lap and licked his hand.
“That’s my new buddy. Dylan found him. He decided to keep me company.”
“You saw Dylan?” Norm asked, surprised.
“Yup.”
“Where?”
“On the mountain.”
“When?”
“I don’t keep a watch no more.”
“What happened?”
“No time for that.” Chevro shook his head. “Norm, if you’re gonna go be a hero, you need a few less questions and lot more focus.”
“I was just-”
“Kid, this is a time when you do what the universe, the voice in your head, tells you and you don’t ask questions. I ask only one. What do I have to do?”
“Save Lucy.”
“Right on, kid. I know a shorter way, but it’s a little rough.” Chevro pointed at a wormhole, like a slinky hovering in space. “Now I’m tellin’ ya, hold on.”
The bus shot through the wormhole like a meteor going through a water slide, twisting upside down. Norm’s cheeks flapped in the turbulence, his upper lip rolling into his nostrils. They came out the other side and instantly into the next rift before skidding on the A-field.
“Norm, this time you need to be the hero. Keep your eyes on the prize. Y’know?” Chevro smiled through his orange beard, his eyebrows dancing, the bus puttering into its return pattern.
“I get it. Thanks, Chevro. I won’t let you- her down.” Norm saluted Chevro and hopped out of the Microbus, already running.
“Be seein’ ya kid!” The bus lifted, Rocco’s h; bead hanging out the window as they blasted into the rift.
Norm sprinted toward Lucy’s house and dialed her number, permanently ingrained in his memory. The phone: 2:17am.
“C’mon, pick up Luce!” The phone rang three times.
“Hello?” Lucy answered.
“Lucy, it’s Norm! Listen-”
“Hello?” she said again, as if she didn’t hear him.
“Lucy! It’s Norm! You gotta-”
“Helloooo?” she said, waiting for a response.
Norm smacked the cell phone to improve his connection. “Lucy! Can you hear me?”
“Oh sorry, this is Lucy’s voice mail. If you want me to get back to you, you better start talking… now,”–Beep-. Norm swore at the phone before collecting himself to leave a message.
“Lucy! It’s Norm! You need to get out of your house. I can’t explain, but you need to get to Dylan’s! Now! Call me. I’m on my way.” Norm sprinted toward her house when the phone buzzed against his side.
“Lucy! Listen you gotta-”
“Wildman!” Weird’s voice blared through the phone. “You guys went dark after-”
“Weird!”
“Yeah, what’s up, bro?”
“I thought you were Lucy.”
“Yeah, I’m sure she just wakes up at two AM to call your sorry-”
“Weird, shut up and listen! You need to get to Lucy and get her to Dylan’s house.”
“Dude, why?”
“You said you weren’t asking us questions?” Norm snapped, crossing the wooden bridge.
“Ok! Ok! She’s only a few blocks away, but Dylan’s is too far for me to go on my crutches.”
“Just get to her if you want to see her alive again. Just get there!” Norm pleaded, his breath labored from running. “You always wanted to be a hero.”
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Inside Ward Weir’s frail frame, a desire burned like wildfire. A chance to do something he always dreamed of. “Never fear, Normy! The Weirdster is here! I’ll meet ya there.” Weird threw a pair of sweats over his bare legs and slid his feet awkwardly into his orthotic-design shoes. In a flash, he slipped his forearms into his crutches and ambled through his house as quietly as he was able. Grabbing his mother’s keys off the kitchen counter, he crept into the garage and climbed into his father’s SUV and hit the ignition when the door to the house suddenly opened. He fumbled with the garage door opener, anxiously pressing the button.
“Who’s in there?” Weird’s father aimed his gun at him. “Ward?” He asked and lowered the gun. “What the hell are you doing? Get outta the car, son.”
“Sorry dad, I’ll explain later!” Weird dropped the car into reverse and gunned the gas, taking half the garage door with him. “Whoooooooo!” He whipped the wheel. The SUV backed across the lawn and over a hedgerow. His father ran to the side of the car, banging on the window.
“Ward, get out of the car! Now!” Their eyes locked. Fear washed over Weird, almost paralyzing him.
“Sorry, dad.” Weird slammed the gearshift into drive. “It’s time for the world to get Weird!” He punched the accelerator, tires chirping as the car sped into the night. Weird’s father chased him for a few seconds before giving up.
Weird planned on learning to drive someday, but at thirteen, this was the maiden voyage. After taking out a garbage can and running over some curbs, he skidded to a halt on Lucy’s sidewalk.
Weird hobbled along Lucy’s side path, below her darkened window. He found a small rock and haplessly tossed it at her window. The rock missed by a good five feet, thudding against the side of the house, but it was enough. The light went on.
Cautiously, the window opened. Lucy peeked from behind the drape. “Who’s there?”
“Lucy, it’s me, Weird,” he whispered as loudly as he dared.
She pulled the curtain, wiped the sleep from her eyes, and stepped into view. “Look, Weird, this is romantic and all, but-”
“Lucy, it’s not like that. You gotta get out of here and get to Dylan’s! You’re in danger!”
“What are you talking about?” she asked, irritated. “My dad has a gun so-”
“It’s not like that! I just talked to Norm-”
“Norm? Norm put you up to this?” she said, fuming. “This isn’t funny, Weird. You’re scaring the crap outta me. Like a horror movie or something.”
“Listen, Norm and Dylan had something happen to them, something that they couldn’t tell me about. But all I can tell you is, there was some crazy freakin’ stuff that I could see from the phone I gave them. Norm’s on his way here to sav-” Weird’s voice broke and was suddenly gone.
“Here? Why is he coming here?” She became more perturbed until Weird clutched his throat and fell to the ground. “Weird? Weird?”
She rushed down the stairs and out the door. Weird writhed, gasping for air like a fish on land. “Weird? What’s wrong?” She fell beside her friend. “Can you breathe? What should I-” Then she felt the sharp chill wrap itself around her. Lucy turned, the creature’s crimson eyes boiling, burning, hungry. Weird twitched and shook, his eyes rolling back in his head, his body reacting to the void-effect. Lucy’s, however, did not.
Lucy glared at the void with hatred equal to its own. “You soooo picked the wrong girl to mess with.” The wind swirled around Lucy, blowing through her hair, her eyes clouded black as pitch, an ebony aura, different from the void, engulfing her entire body.
“Who is your master?” Lucy demanded, her eyes trained on the void. “Who is your master? I am the d-”
“Lucy!” Norm lumbered toward her, his voice a metallic hum.
She did a double take at the figure wearing a glowing helmet and the I’m with stupid t-shirt. “Norm!” Lucy looked at the void, then at Weird, and suddenly clutched her throat, gasping for air. “Don’t you touch her, you scum-sucking leech!” Norm squeezed the star-reaper, the whip pulsing like an electric snake. Norm snapped the reaper, getting a feel for its power and range. The first hit Weird’s car, tearing the door off its hinges.
“Crap,” Norm whispered, hoping the second would be better. The void leapt toward Lucy. Norm slashed the whip between them, blocking it, flaming chunks of turf flying into the air. The demon sprang again and grabbed Lucy by the ankle. It tossed her limp frame over its shoulder and disappeared into the shadows behind her house.
Norm chased them into the backyard. No sign of Lucy or the void. He scanned the area, using the star-reaper as a flashlight when- the void shrieked, carrying Lucy down the other side of the house. She’s dead already. He ran to the front yard and saw the outline of Lucy’s nightgown as it faded beyond the light of a streetlamp.
Norm sprinted after it, ignoring his exhaustion, the void, and Lucy pulling further away. No longer able to feel his legs, he saw the void turn the corner when a car skidded to a halt beside him.
“Get in!” Weird’s voice was never more welcome. Norm flung the door open and hopped into the rolling SUV. “Nice helmet, Wildman.”
“Thanks. How’d you know it was me?”
“I’ve seen your dumpy ass every day for the last eight years. The Silver Surfer mask ain’t gonna hide it.”
“It’s pretty cool, huh? When did you learn to drive?”
“I didn’t,” Weird gunned the gas pedal, accelerating the SUV onto the sidewalk.
“Sorry about the door.”
“It saved me about seven seconds getting back in the car. I still have ten to make up!” Weird punched the gas. The demonic beast tore through the park in the center of town, leaping through the Gazebo and on to the railroad tracks.
“The tracks!” Norm pointed. “It’s heading toward the cemetery.”
Weird crashed through a parking meter and onto the tracks. Bucking and bouncing, the SUV seemed like it would shake apart. He struggled to keep his foot on the gas when the demon made a sharp left turn off the tracks and crossed the road into the cemetery.
“D-don’t lose them! I g-got an idea.” Norm said, bobbing out of the seat.
Weird followed the void and plowed straight through the gates and into the misty graveyard. The void leapt between the headstones. Weird drove over them, closing on the energy vampire.
“Just a little closer. Closer.” Norm leaned out the window and cast the reaper like a fishing rod, striking the void’s hind leg. The beast shrieked and fell. Lucy tumbled across the ground and into a monument.
Norm jumped out, the star-reaper humming at his side. “Get away from her!” The void sprang toward Lucy, desperate to complete its task. It hoisted a fallen gravestone over its head, staggering toward her, ready to crush her tiny body when the reaper coiled around its neck like a whip. The void screeched, straining to get close enough to Lucy.
“Back to your hole, void!” Norm yanked the star-reaper, energy crackled and sliced through the demon’s neck. Headless, it trembled and exploded, the headstone crashing on top of its dust.
“Lucy! Lucy, can you hear me?” Norm said, kneeling by her side.
Lucy slowly opened her innocent eyes, blinking. “Norm, what in the world happened?”
“You’re alive!” Norm said, his eyes alive with excitement. “I thought you were dead!”
“That thing was like- sucking the life out of me, but I -” Lucy shrugged and smiled. “I really like your helmet.” She threw her arms around Norm, pressing her head into his shoulder.
Weird pulled up alongside them, leaning out of the doorless SUV. “Lucy, you’re ok. Hey, why didn’t that thing-”
“What was that horrible thing?” Lucy cut him off.
“We’ll tell you all about it.” Norm refused to let Lucy out of his arms. “Soon.”
“Whatever they were, you guys were so brave.” She kissed Norm on the helmet. Behind its glow, a hero smiled. She then kissed Weird on the cheek, his face turning redder than his hair.
Norm inspected the area one more time to be sure the void was dead when he saw the name on the fallen headstone. “I knew it!” Norm blurted. “I knew you were here!” He held the reaper over the headstone and ran his hand over the name Max Maximilian. “Thanks, Max!”
“Hey, aren’t you guys supposed to be camping?” Lucy asked, cocking her head. “By the way, where’s Dylan?”