Raising my head, I caught a quick glimpse of the Agarthans milling about near the cave, then ducked down again, hidden behind the rolling hill of neatly cut grass. The hollow eye sockets in the seven skulls stared across their kingdom of weeds and shrubs, their multi-colored light casting bright-hued shadows from the monsters standing nearby. Sparkling embers of energy danced across leaves and thistles as the magic from the completed doorway spilled across the overgrowth. The combined hues from the skulls gave the forbidden area a harsh white glow, turning night into day.
“Well?” Karl glanced at me. “What did you see?”
“There are a lot of monsters by the cave.” I glanced up at the full moon. The smallest piece of its lunar face was cloaked in shadow as the eclipse took its first bite. “Everything is lit up like daytime near the cave entrance.”
“Do you wanna change your mind?” Karl’s voice was soft and compassionate. “You don’t have to do this. I could do it instead and—”
The angry hornets came to life in my mind as I looked at my friends. Beads of sweat formed across my brow as I imagined every possible negative outcome, the what-ifs and ANTs running rampant. But then Karl placed a hand on my shoulder.
I tried to smile, but fear surged through my mind.
Are we really doing this? There’s not enough of us. We’re just kids. No one will follow me into battle. What if . . .
“Cameron,” Elisa whispered. “List the adjectives again.”
“Adjectives . . . right.” I took a deep breath. “A – astonishing, B – breathtaking. C – cheerful, D – delightful . . .” I glanced at the football captain, a worried expression on Leonard’s face. “I’m distracting myself, so I won’t focus on my fears.” My voice shook a bit. “Fear has a way of making you put a magnifying glass over your worries, creating a larger and more menacing image in your mind. Well, I’m done feeding my fear. Instead of focusing on what might happen and getting more afraid, I’m making a list of adjectives that start with the letters of the alphabet to distract myself.”
“That’s smart.” Leonard nodded. “E – epic, F – friendly . . .”
“G – glad,” Elisa said.
“H – hopeful,” Karl added.
I nodded to him.
“I – ingenious, like me.” Bobby smiled.
“J – just,” Elisa said in a quivering voice.
“That’s not an adjective, Elisa.” Bobby thought for a moment. “Maybe J – jealous?”
Elisa shook her head. “First of all, just is an adjective if you use it to represent something moral, right, or fair. And second, all these adjectives have a positive meaning, and jealous is very negative.”
“That’s right.” I nodded. “I’m only using positive words as distractions from now on. So sorry, Bobby, jealous is out.” At that moment, I realized the buzzing had vanished. My anxiety had submerged into the dark waters of my psyche. I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Feel better?” Elisa asked.
I nodded.
Karl patted me on the back. “Don’t listen to those inner voices; listen to mine.” He gripped my hand. “You can do this.”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“You can do this because a friend will watch your back.” Karl winked. “I guess I found my wings. You’re my friend, Cameron; I won’t let you fail.”
A smile spread across my face, reaching up to my eyes. “I got this.”
“I know you do,” Karl said, patting me on the back. “Now, let’s get it done.”
I nodded. “Remember, wait for my signal.” I glanced past Karl. Elisa and Bobby lay on their stomachs, hidden behind the hill. Bobby smiled at me and patted the barrel of his ridiculous jelly-gun. Beyond them crouched the rest of the Camp Pontchartrain army, the students murmuring with what was either excitement or nervous fear.
I took a deep breath as if about to do an impossibly high dive into a pool, then stood. Raising my fist, I walked toward the stone wall separating the Crypt grounds from the rest of the school. I jingled a bit with the sound of tiny, muffled bells—tech bouncing about in my backpack. My dark purple shirt merged with the darkness, but the gold C.P. emblazoned on the camp t-shirt made me easily visible.
Bringing my fist down, I pounded my chest twice, then raised it into the air. I did it again, thump—thump, raise . . . thump—thump, raise . . . thump—thump, raise. The sound caught the attention of the monsters and Malphas, Demon Lord of Agartha.
The huge demon pointed at me, then said something to a cluster of monsters. A half-dozen vicious-looking gremlins with sharp stone weapons climbed over the rocky wall and charged.
A sharp rapping sound thumped the ground next to me. Glancing to the side, I found Mrs. Chakoté standing beside me, the stones in her cane glowing bright. She, too, pounded her chest in rhythm with me.
“What are you doing here, Mrs. Chakoté? You should get back.”
She looked down at me and gave a pleasant, grandmotherly smile. The gremlins were maybe twenty strides away.
“I couldn’t let you have all the fun.” The old woman chuckled.
The monsters were now fifteen steps away.
I glanced over my shoulder at my hidden companions, ready to shout for help.
Chakoté put a calming hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry. We can deal with this.” She held her cane high in the air, the Chakra stones blazing with intense color. “I haven’t been in a battle for maybe fifty years . . . this is exciting.”
The monsters were now ten steps away.
I swallowed nervously, my throat dry as a desert, and switched on my lightning-rope. The end danced with electrical sparks. Fear gnawed at the edge of my senses, taking bites out of my courage. But this time, I knew it wasn’t a lie. The approaching monsters, with their knives and whips, looked terrifying and dangerous.
I inhaled sharply as my heart raced, each beat sending waves of oxygen through my veins, feeding my muscles as my body prepared for battle. Every muscle coiled tight like a spring, ready to explode into action. The fight-or-flight response had taken over. Part of me wanted to run away, which I expected. After all, terrible monsters were charging toward me. But I knew fleeing wasn’t the answer. This time, I was choosing to fight.
A faint buzzing sound emerged out of the dark recesses of my mind, my anxiety building. What-ifs ricocheted through my brain like balls through a pinball machine.
“No,” I whispered. “The what-ifs are a lie. I refuse to give them power over me.”
Reaching for my quartz amulet, I rubbed the Chakra stone between my fingers. The feel of the smooth surface reminded me of who I was . . . Cameron Poole, master of my Beast, not a victim.
I pushed the buzzing hornets, ANTs, and what-ifs aside and instead focused on my strengths.
I can do this. Electricity and technology are my weapons, and these gremlins are about to feel my sting.
“I hope I remember how to fight.” Mrs. Chakoté laughed, then grew serious when she saw the look of confidence and strength on my face. She smiled a satisfied smile.
“Just stay behind me, Mrs. Chakoté and—” I never had the chance to finish the sentence.
With the gremlins closing in, Chakoté sprang into action, her cane flashing in the dim light. With a powerful spin, she struck the nearest monster. The stones embedded in wood ignited with a brilliant burst of energy. The gremlin flew through the air as if launched from a catapult.
But Mrs. Chakoté was just getting started.
With lightning-fast movements, she whirled from one monster to the next, her cane a blur of colored light as she struck with deadly precision. The Chakra stones flashed with each impact, sending gremlins tumbling across the grass. The old woman moved with the grace of a Kung Fu warrior, her weapon an extension of her body.
I just stood there, mouth hanging open, and watched with disbelief.
In a blink of an eye, the battle was over. Six attackers lay motionless on the ground, bruised and unconscious, painful wounds decorating their rough flesh. Breathing heavily, Chakoté leaned against her cane, her grey eyes scanning the scene with satisfaction. She brushed the wrinkles from her blouse and skirt, then smoothed out her hair and flashed me a smile.
“How did I do?” She smiled.
“What was that?” I asked, stunned.
“I told you I’ve been a warrior for the Order of the Stones for a long time.” She smiled at me. “I can do more than just run a summer camp for kids.”
“I guess so,” I said, astonished.
“Come on, child, let’s go meet our attackers.”
I glanced over my shoulder at the other kids. They still hid behind the curving hill of grass, waiting for their turn, but it hadn’t come . . . not yet.
We walked forward together, stepping over unconscious gremlins. I bent over and picked up their fallen weapons, then tossed them behind me for another kid to wield. Someone cheered for Chakoté and me but was instantly shushed; surprise was critical.
Mrs. Chakoté patted me on the back as we strode toward the waiting horde. Malphas stood atop the stone wall, his long claws digging into the rocks. I raised my fist high, then brought it to my chest again twice, thump—thump, raise . . . I did it repeatedly as we walked until finally, Mrs. Chakoté and I stopped.
“I see you’re still alive, Malphas.” Chakoté pointed her cane at the demon. “That is indeed unfortunate. My Grandmother, Izabella, told me stories about you; you’re much smaller than I expected.”
“Is this what’s left from the Order of the Stones, an old hag and a skinny runt? How pathetic.” Malphas flapped his midnight-black wings, sending weeds and grass into the air, making his monsters shield their eyes. Floating in the air for a moment, he settled back down onto the wall, his eyes glowing red, a faint buzzing coming from the glowing orbs.
“Look down,” Chakoté said.
I quickly lowered my gaze as the high-pitched whine filled the air. When the hum from the demon’s eyes finally dissipated, I looked up again.
“That was a pathetic attempt at enslaving us, demon. You’ve gotten sloppy in your old age.” Chakoté tapped her cane on the ground, causing the Chakra stones to flash with power.
“Pathetic . . . me?” He pointed at the old woman with a clawed finger. “Let’s see if you think my army is pathetic.” Malphas turned to his forces. “Monsters of Agartha, these two humans stand in our way. It’s time to destroy them . . . now!”
And then, like a tidal wave of claws and fangs, the monsters stepped forward, trampling through the tall weeds and tangled grass. They leaped over the stone wall without slowing, their burning red eyes fixed on their prey. They were coming for us, every last one driven by an unquenchable thirst for destruction. And all we could do was stand there and wait.