Chapter Disappearances

Josh gulped dusty air into his lungs as he coweredbehind a twisted metal statue. Although he had not seen anything alive in thetower, he had been chased from chamber to chamber by screaming threats andjabbering promises of vile torture. The only way away from the hounding noisehad always been upwards. At every junction he had been forced to stumble up aflight of stairs or rush along a sloping corridor to keep his rabid pursuers atbay.

Now breathless and sweating, he had not heard hisghoulish pursuers for a while. He strained to hear any sign of them over hisown blood pounding in his ears. Gradually he felt his muscles unclenching andas he started to calm down, Geigerzalion’s strange ball almost fell from hisstiff fingers. He snatched his hand shut around it again, and then reverentlybrought it close to his face. Apart from the runic inscriptions on its surfaceit looked quite unremarkable. He traced the lines as closely as he could and hetried twisting and turning it, but nothing happened. The cold, heavy sphereremained staunchly mundane.

An image of Toby’s tortured and broken body flashedunbidden through Josh’s mind. The clarity of the vision stunned him and hefound himself stooped against the wall, fighting for breath.

“I see you Joshua Robson. You are coming to yourdoom.” The voice was too large and booming to be inside his head, and yet whenhe covered his ears there was no change in the volume.

Josh cowered against the statue desperately lookingabout for the source of the terrible voice. He forced himself not to answer,knowing that his own voice would betray how weak and afraid he was. He grittedhis teeth and forced himself to his feet. The iron ball in his hand had startedto vibrate.

“It’s pointless, you know. This isn’t some fairy storywhere you’ll be given special powers to defeat me.”

“Then why are you bothering to talk to me now? Whydon’t you just kill me?” Josh heard a steadiness in his own voice that hedidn’t feel inside, but he regretted his outburst as soon as he heard themalice in the laughter that rang throughout the corridors of the tower.

“It’s all part of the fun, Joshua. I’m surprised, tobe honest, that you had the nerve to come back into this Vrealm after yourfirst time. You have done me the favour of bringing some of the people whocould have opposed me into my clutches before they had any conception of whatthey would be facing. For that I am almost tempted to let you go.”

The iron ball felt immensely heavy now and itsvibrations were becoming more and more severe. Josh could barely keep it stillwith both hands clasped tightly around it. He arms began to ache with theeffort.

“Just give up Joshua. Go home. This is not yourfight.”

“Let Toby go.” He panted.

“I am getting bored with your persistence. Suityourself, bring yourself into my presence to meet your end. I will even let youwatch me destroy your friends.”

He clung on to the hope that he was only being tauntedbecause he had something the Doge wanted, or perhaps he was capable of hurtinghim in some way. He clenched his teeth and crossed the room to a tightlywinding stair, grasping the iron sphere so hard his fingers ached.

The stair twisted upwards for what seemed like milesand Josh had to clamber the final steps with the sphere clamped to his chest tokeep it still. His whole body ached with the effort of the climb and he hardlynoticed that he had emerged into the centre of the flat roof of the tower.There was nothing between him and the red broiling sky. Exhaustion pulled himdown and he collapsed, panting, onto the smooth iron floor.

Sitting on an elaborate throne atop a raised platformat one edge of the floor was the Doge. Creatures from Josh’s nightmaressurrounded him. The huge Minotaur dominated the group, but he was not the onlyexotic. A ravening wolf strained at a chain fastened to the foot of the Doge’sthrone; a vampire, its mouth dripping with glistening blood, leered from behindit; a woman with bulbous eyes and writhing snakes for hair knelt at his feet.All of Josh’s most feared imaginings and more were arranged before him.

His four friends were trussed to wooden stakes.Bandicoot’s simian head lolled forward, and DoomLord’s helmet had been removedto reveal a defiant, but battered face. Spokes sat cross-legged at the bottomof her stake seemingly asleep, and Toby stood, sobbing quietly into his chest.

“Ah Josh. You finally made it. You see I have arrangeda place for you.” The Doge indicated a fifth stake and Josh saw the kindlingand firewood at the foot of all of them. His leering retinue gasped and prancedat the cleverness of their master. “Burn them.” Some of them shouted out.

Josh could feel the fatigue threatening to overpowerhim. The iron ball strained against him, more concerted in its movements now,always trying to pull away from the Doge. But the plight of his friends fuelledan anger that strengthened his resolve. “Why are you doing this?” He managed tocroak.

“I thought I’d explained that to you Josh.” The Dogechuckled genially. “I’m not concerned about you. Why would I be? You’re just achild, but you’ve handed me some of the people who could have opposed my plansfor freedom.”

Josh pushed himself to his feet. “Why have you setthis up then? These theatrics.” He knew he was clutching at straws, but hedidn’t know what else to do. What else could he say to prolong his life and thelife of his friends?

“Well, burning hurts more than anything else we couldset up at such short notice. I do have significant powers in this Vrealm Josh,but sometimes the old ways just can’t be beaten.”

“That’s not what I mean…” Out of the corner of his eyehe noticed that Spokes was moving her left hand as if controlling a glovepuppet. Not overtly, but it was enough to make him think she was trying tocommunicate something to him. He felt sure that he had to keep the Dogetalking.

“I know what you meant, you dense boy.”

He wracked his brains for something to ask or say, butjust as he knew he needed to prolong the conversation he knew that he couldn’t.

The Doge regarded him for a few moments almost as ifhe was waiting for an interesting question from him, but when nothing wasforthcoming he sighed. “Seize him.”

His minions advanced slowly and warily and Joshthought this was strange. He was more tired than he had ever felt and he had nospecial powers of combat or magic, and yet these fearsome beasts approached himlike old ladies tackling a tarantula.

“Boo.” He ventured and the creatures stopped. Thesnakes on the woman’s head snapped and hissed at him. DoomLord was rewardedwith a swift backhanded slap across his face for sniggering at theirdiscomfiture. Apparently the seven foot tall warrior did not hold the same fearfor the creatures as a fourteen-year-old boy.

“Why are your servants so frightened of me?” Josh saidthe only thing he thought would hold the Doge’s attention for enough time tohelp Spokes with whatever she was doing.

“They are not frightened of you.” He stood up and pickedhis way through his suddenly timorous minions. He looked puzzled. “They arewary of what you possess.”

Josh squeezed the iron ball in his hand even tighter.

Then everything seemed to happen at once.

Spokes had somehow freed herself from the stake andwhirled through the creatures sending them toppling like toy soldiers. DoomLordhad also slipped his bonds and, taking the Minotaur by surprise, had buried themonster’s own axe deep into its chest. Josh’s friends pirouetted and came to astop with their backs to each other, crouching, ready for a fight.

The Doge’s creatures circled around them, hissing andcackling and roaring. The Minotaur had just seemed to realise that an axe hadbeen inserted into it, and crashed to the ground. The others did not evenflinch. There was no sign of the fear they seemed to feel for Josh in them nowand they closed their circle around DoomLord and Spokes without hesitation.

The battle began and from the outset Josh could seethat it was not going well for his friends even though they moved with blurringspeed. There were just too many enemies and Spokes and DoomLord also had to tryand protect Toby and Bandicoot from the more viciously intelligent of thecreatures.

Josh seemed to be protected by an invisible bubblethat the creatures weren’t able to penetrate. He tested this gingerly, byapproaching his friends. The fantastical monsters parted like water as hemoved. He became bolder and rushed to extend his protective barrier around hisfriends.

He reached them just in time. A centaur-like creature,but with a body of an elephant, was just about to gore Spokes with her tucks.Josh pushed all of them back, and found that he could keep all the creaturesaway from his friends.

DoomLord quickly freed Toby and Bandicoot with a swishof a stolen sword. Spokes helped the big monkey climb down from the stake, andgently laid him down on the floor. Josh’s protective bubble carried on working,but they were still surrounded by the furious crowd.

“Josh…” Toby’s face was lined with tears and his voicewas thick from crying. “I can’t believe it.”

Josh gave an embarrassed shrug. “You’re my friend.You’d have done it for me.”

“Oh please. You’re making me feel ill.” The Doge’svoice cut through mumbling throb of the creatures. “This should have been overlong before now. As you’ve probably guessed, Joshua Bennett. You do have somepower, but it is no match for my own.”

The Doge walked into the empty circle that surroundedthem. Purple sparks fizzled around his silhouette and Josh felt the iron ballin his hand shake and writhe even more energetically. The Doge had slowedhowever, and his face contorted inhumanly illustrating the effort he wasmaking. Step by slow step he advanced and one by one the creatures baying forblood faded out of existence.

Josh had to brace himself against one of the stakesand hold the ball between his knees now to stop if from flying away. He couldfeel a warmth beginning to emanate from it and before long it was almost toohot to touch.

“Give it to me, boy.” The sparks had become flames andwere licking around the Doge’s face now giving his skin a transparent look.“Give it to me now.”

Josh could feel his own skin burning around the ball,but he didn’t let go. The Doge took another step closer.

Spokes leapt at the Doge, but the blurring attack wasbrushed aside with a nonchalant wave of the Doge’s hand.

DoomLord swung his sword over his head and down in afatal arc that would have smashed a block of granite in two. The Doge merelyparried it with his arm. With a skeleton’s grin he grabbed the end of the swordand threw DoomLord out of his way.

He stepped forward again and a terrible wind began tohowl around the tower. Josh wrapped himself around the ball like a foetus,trying to exert as much leverage on it as possible to keep it still. The windtried to tear it from his grasp and Josh felt his fingers weakening.

The Doge took another step and another. He was almostwithin touching distance now.

Josh tried to back away, but it was too much effort tocontrol the ball and move. He felt a hot, bony hand envelope his and looked up,straight into the burning eyes of the Doge.

“You see, boy. Your trinket was no match for mypower.” The Doge’s skin had been horribly burned and he would have lookedpitiful if it had not been for the look of ferocious triumph in his eyes. Heripped the ball out of Josh’s failing hands and there was silence. Josh fell tothe floor clutching his burnt, empty hands to his chest.

“With this I will be invincible.” The Doge was hunchedover the ball, studying the markings as Josh had done. The wind had died downand the Doge’s terrible burns were healing unnaturally quickly.

Josh pushed himself to his feet and found Toby tryingto pull him away.

“Come on, Josh. While he’s occupied with that thing.”Toby whispered.

“My friends…”

“It’s too late for your friends and it’s too late foryou.” The Doge span around and spat the words at Josh. “You’ll never escapefrom here. Gaining this hurt me in ways you couldn’t understand, but now I haveit, I promise to recreate that very samepain for you.”

A jet of crystal blue light erupted from the ball andcurved around and around Josh and Toby, whipping around them until they werebound so tightly that Josh could not breath properly.

The Doge’s cruel smile tightened along with the bondsand he flourished the iron ball before them. Pain exploded in Josh’s hands andchest and he tried to scream, but his mouth was clenched shut against theelectrocuting agony.

Behind the Doge Josh saw Bandicoot rise unsteadily tohis feet.

“You must not hurt them.” Bandicoot wheezed, throughblood stained lips. “They should not even be here.”

“Oh, not more foolish heroics. Why can’t you justaccept the fact that you’ve lost, you stupid monkey?” The Doge turned andsneered at Bandicoot. “You don’t really think you can challenge me now do you?I mean look at you.”

Bandicoot was a feeble sight indeed. Both of his longarms were hanging uselessly at his sides and his fur was matted with darkblood. “Please don’t hurt them.” The monkey looked humble and did not meet theDoge’s eye, trying as hard as he could to deflect any cruel harm away from thetwo helpless boys.

“They can wait.” The Doge drew back his hand and drovehis fist down onto Bandicoot’s head. There was a loud crack and Bandicootslumped to the floor with a sad, apologetic look on his simian face.

“Pathetic.” The Doge turned back to face Josh andToby. “Now, perhaps, I can finish you off without any interruptions.” He raisedthe iron ball up in front of him and muttered something under his breath as ifcasting a spell.

Bright light shone out from the ball and Joshinstinctively closed his eyes expecting horrific pain to follow. He could stillsee the light, blood red through his eyelids, blazing before him. And then theDoge gasped.

Josh opened his eyes a crack, and saw the light hadfocussed entirely on the Doge. A corona of energy was pulsing around his robedshoulders and a look of fearful confusion had replaced his superior sneer.Suddenly, his mouth stretched obscenely wide and he screamed with the ferocityof a wounded wolverine.

There was a subsonic implosion and the Doge began todisintegrate before Josh’s eyes. Dark cracks began to appear on the surface ofhis face and the light started to dissolve into them. The screams started tofade along with the Doge himself and after a few more moments his empty robescollapsed to the floor, along with the iron ball.

Josh and Toby’s bonds disappeared with him and theyslumped to the floor.

“Is that it?” Toby panted after a while.

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s a trick.”

Neither of them had the strength to move untileventually Josh hauled himself to his feet and prodded the iron ball. It rockedheavily and he knew it had no power now. Its surface was melted and parts of itwere blackened. He picked it up anyway. It was still a warm.

“Thank you, Geigerzalion.”

Spokes had managed to rise to her hands and knees.“How did you do it?”

Josh twisted around, and without saying anything heran to her and hugged her. “Are you alright?”

“I’ll survive.” She said grimly.

DoomLord was not badly injured either and he limpedback to them, but Bandicoot did not move when they tried to wake him.

“We mustn’t move him, he may have a neck injury.” Joshsaid.

“It’s not like the real world, Josh.” Spokes lookedworried and sad. “If he does not regain consciousness for the journey back,then he’ll never wake up in reality.”

Josh’s mouth ached. “He tried to save us. Even when hecould barely stand. He tried to save us. He has to be okay.” He stroked themonkey’s furry neck and sobbed quietly.

A leathery finger brushed Josh’s cheek. “I am awake. Iwill survive.” Josh looked up and saw Bandicoot’s eyes open just enough to seethe glistening blackness beneath.

“Thank you, Bandi. You saved us.”

A noise made them all turn towards the trap door thatJosh had entered through and Josh’s heart sank as he saw the cowled figure ofone of the puppet people emerge from the hole. It was followed by another andanother. Josh saw Spokes and DoomLord wearily shift their weight into battlereadiness.

Before long, Josh and his companions were surroundedby hundreds of the puppets and Josh felt hopelessness wash over him. He realisedthat this nightmare was never going to end.

“Where is the Master?” One of the taller puppetsstepped forward.

“He has left you. You are free.” Spokes said the wordsclearly, so all the assembled throng could hear. Muttering rippled through thecrowd, and Josh could make out the word ‘free’ repeated over and over againlike a mantra. It grew louder and louder, until every one of them except forthe tall puppet-man were chanting it. He held his hand up for silence and thenoise died down.

“But what should we do?”

“You should create a society that the creators of thisVrealm would be proud of. Don’t let anyone take this away from you. You owe itto yourselves.”

The puppet-man lifted his wooden hands up to his hoodand pulled it back. A gasp ran through the crowd. “He is a puppet.” Someonewhispered and a few of the others near him backed away.

He bowed to the companions.

“We are all puppets.” He said when he straightened.“If we are to rebuild our city, then we must learn to trust each other. Let usnot cower under our robes, pretending to be what we are not. We dishonour ourMakers.”

To begin with none of the crowd moved. Then onestepped out of the crowd and stood next to the speaker. He removed his hood andmask, to reveal himself and the crowd reacted in much the same way as they hadto the taller puppet-man, but another stepped forward almost immediately anddid the same.

Josh looked at Spokes and she smiled.

Now the whole crowd were taking their hoods down andlooking sideways at their neighbours. Some of them were still wearing thewooden, painted masks, but they soon came off, and before long they were allstanding looking at each other. Drums and pipes had appeared and the roof ofthe Doge’s tower now rang out with raucous, bizarre sound.

Josh gazed at the dancing figures whirling aroundthem. They moved with the same stiff limbed clumsiness but their newly foundfreedom seemed to have given them a living vitality that had been missingbefore. He smiled, remembering how frightening they had seemed and watched themall disappear down the stairs to carry their celebrations onto the streets ofthe city.

“We’ll have to risk dropping out now. He’s gettingworse.” Spokes sounded worried. Bandicoot had not said anything since hiswhispers to Josh and his eyes were now tightly closed.

“Come on,” said DoomLord gruffly.” Let’s get a channelopen.”

Spokes nodded curtly and produced a short, black tubeseemingly from thin air.

“What’s that?” Toby asked.

“A microscope.”

“How’s that going to help?” Josh was puzzled.

“We need to find something to look at. Something thatthis place won’t know how to represent close up.”

“Of course,” Toby nodded eagerly. “It’ll try andconnect to another server or something to get the data it needs. Then we canride that connection out of here. Brilliant.”

Josh looked stunned and Spokes gave a surprised laugh.“You’re the brilliant one Toby. I’ve never known anyone to catch on soquickly.”

Toby beamed at her.

“Now, pay attention everyone. Anything out of theordinary could be the channel.” Sheknelt down and scraped a fleck of dried blood onto a slide from wherethe Minotaur had died. “Let’s hope it tries to connect to a hospital’s computersomewhere.”

She peered through the microscope at the blood.

They all held their breath.

Toby saw it first. An almost invisible eddy hadappeared behind Spokes’ shoulder. “There!”

“Josh, take Toby through. We’ll follow. Hurry!”

He didn’t need to be told twice. He grabbed Toby’ssleeve and they both dived into the vortex.

The top of the tower and evening sky dissolved intoshooting lights and they zoomed along a multicoloured tunnel. Josh felt hisfingers losing their grip on Toby and the lights disappeared.