"Here we are sir" chimed the driver. Victor hopped out of the coach, while Andrew rather stumbled.
"Here we are!" Victor said. Andrew gazed around. They were at the edge of a bleak wood. In the distance was a small, grey, town.
"Home." Victor sighed.
"You grew up here?" Andrew asked. Victor nodded.
"Well, no time for sightseeing! We have work to do!"
"We need to find the corpse, right?" Andrew said.
"Right. Come on." Victor led Andrew deeper and deeper into the wood. Everything was dead, and Andrew wondered how anything could have lived there. The wood was silent, apart from the shuffle of the two mens' feet, and the occasional cawing of a crow. It seemed empty. Every now and then Andrew tripped on stray root. At one point Victor hopped over a thawing brook. Andrew managed to get his shoes very wet. Eventually they stopped at a small hill. Victor began pacing about, muttering to himself.
"Now how did I get down last time?" Suddenly, a crow decided Andrew made a fanciful toilet. Andrew yelped in dismay.
"Oh-!"
"I HAVE IT!" Victor cried before Andrew could finish his sentence. He grabbed Andrew's shoulders and uttered a single word.
"Hopscotch." The two men were enclosed in a cloud of smoke.
****
Emily, or rather the wisp of smoke that represented her, floated aimlessly around her bottle prison. She had tried countless times to escape, but to no avail. The Creeper and Barkis were on the other side of the room, plotting. On the table in the centre of the room lay the false body of 'Eleanor'. In the other corner of the room lay the sack containing Emily's real body. Emily tried to examine her surroundings, but all she could see was the menacing shadows the candlelight produced on the walls. Emily had tried to listen in to the Creeper's plan. They wanted Andrew, although she was oblivious to why. The 'Eleanor' body was displayed on the table as some sort of bait. The creeper had said something about revenge. What could Andrew have done? Andrew could not hurt a fly (even if he tried). It all remained a mystery to Emily. She tried to think back to what Elder Godknecht had said, but it was hard to think with your brain in another form. She remembered the feeding. She also remembered that the creeper had no form. He was merely a wisp of smoke, like her. Suddenly, Barkis trotted over to the glass and tapped it mockingly.
"Waiting for your little boyfriend? We are. He'll come for you, don't you worry. We'll make SURE of it." Emily glowered in her prison. As soon as she got out, IF she got out, she would get him. Unfortunately, she had only three days to escape.
****
As the cloud faded, Andrew and Victor found themselves in a dingy room, stacked high with musty books. Victor smiled.
"Where are we?" Andrew asked.
"Welcome to the underworld." Suddenly, an old, frail skeleton with a straggly beard. He gasped when he saw the two men.
"Victor"
"Elder Godknecht." The two men shook hands. Andrew stared, wide eyed.
"Who is your friend, Victor?" asked Elder Godknecht.
"That's Andrew. He's a friend of Emily's."
"I see," said Elder Godknecht. He turned to Andrew. "It's rude to stare, my boy." Andrew blinked and looked away.
"Have you seen Emily, Elder Godknecht?" Victor asked.
"Yes, but she ran off to goodness knows where." Suddenly a light came on in Andrew's mind. It was like something calling to him.
"I know where she is."
"How can you?" Victor said. "You've never been here before!"
"I just know. Follow me." Andrew walked off, with Victor following behind. Andrew had no ideaa where he was going, but it was like some invisible force was pulling him.
"Do you have any idea where you're going?" asked Victor.
"Not a clue" Andrew replied. "But it's like there's a little voice in my head telling me where to go."
"Oh." The men walked in silence for a little bit, every now and then turning as Andrew led them down several alleys. Eventually, they came to a dead end. But Andrew kept walking, straight on, right through the wall.
****
Emily jumped as Andrew stepped through the wall. He strode in, with Victor behind him. She tried to call to them. She yelled. She screamed. But it was no use. She had no voice.
"Ah, Andrew," cooed the creeper. "I have been expecting you."
"Who are you? How do you know my name?"
"I have known you a very long time Andrew. I know what you are here for."
"Where is Emily!?" Victor shouted.
"Shush!" The creeper cried. Barkis grabbed Victor from behind and held a knife to his throat. Andrew gasped. Invisible hands lifted Andrew into the air. Another pair slapped him.
"What do you want with me?" he asked.
"I want to kill you. You see, I have no body of my own, and a healthy, young man like you would be perfect. First, I am going to extract your heart, and consume your soul. Then you can be with your precious Emily." The creeper cackled. "I will then inhabit your body, and will be free to cause all the misery I want."
"NO!" cried Victor.
"I will kill you very painfully, but before I do, let me tell you a little story." Invisible hands began unbuttoning Andrew's waistcoat.
"Once upon a time, centuries ago, there was a man. His name was Alfred Ronalds."
"My name is Ronalds!"
"I believe you two are related. Now let me finish." The creeper's invisible hands tossed away the waistcoat and began to unbutton Andrew's shirt. "Alfred was a police officer. One day he came across a serial killer called Martin King. That was me. Alfred arrested Martin and had him thrown into jail. He later had Martin hung. Martin died in agony, but before he did, he swore he would have revenge on the Ronalds. You are my revenge. Isn't that convenient?" The creeper tossed Andrew's shirt away. Andrew was postponed in mid air, his chest bare.
"Now, let me test how sharp my claws are." Andrew screamed in agony, as something invisible, dagger sharp, drew a diagonal line across his face. Right from his forehead, past his nose, and to his chin, Andrew began to bleed.
"Ouch. Your going to have a nasty scar there." The creeper laughed mockingly. Emily slammed herself against the glass. She couldn't bear it.
"If I am to die, grant me one last wish," Andrew said.
"Go on" said the creeper.
"What happened to Emily?"
"Your sweetheart? Oh, she's in the room right now. She's here to see you die in agony." Sweetheart? Emily as confused. Did Andrew really feel that way? She had no time to think. Andrew's face was completely red. The blood covered his whole face like war paint, His hair now greasy with sweat. She thought she could see a tear in his eye. Emily now realised. He didn't care if he died, he just didn't want her to get hurt. Emily wanted to scream. Her friends were going to die and there was nothing she could do about it.
