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Part 3-6: Defenses
We drove to Bannerman Drive. I had to see the clock.
Based on the adventure in Fort Ticktock, it was possible that blasting the pearly things with wifi had caused the time to go backwards, or had generated a key. I knew deep down that I’d need to go back in there, find the key itself, and repeat the ugly process of opening another jail cell.
My heart rattled as we clattered up the stairwell to the fifth—strike while the iron was hot! Hesitation, death. I knew the rhythm now, and was keen to believe that Deluxe was right, and we’d unravel this situation soon.
“The manipulation of organic matter is troublesome,” Deluxe was saying. “Last we observed, it seemed Eden required a great deal of effort to destabilize simple, inert compounds.”
“That’s not entirely accurate, Prime,” I said. “Rare for you.”
She slapped her head. “Of course, of course. I failed to start at the origin.”
Dack shouldered open the door with the peeling five. “We’ve seen it mess with plants before?” he asked.
“Not plants,” said Deluxe. “People.”
“If it can get into Willy, it doesn’t surprise me that its friends can get into the trees,” I said.
“It was changing those trees, though. Those little plants,” said Fergus.
“And it didn’t change Willy?” asked Persi.
“I meant physically,” he said, avoiding her eyes.
We’d reached Eden’s room. I opened the door, strolled in, and was hit with the scent of pine and sap. The walls were tree bark. The floor, flush with grasses and twigs. The clock itself was wound up in those smooth, green tendrils.
“Okay. Troublesomeness confirmed,” I said, as the crew filed in after me. The vines obscured the clock face. I approached it, and they shivered and started to unfurl. I noticed one was running straight through the little ring that opened the latched door. I noticed something else as well. Something blue, a rectangle, lying in the middle of the floor.
“It’s the book,” I said.
Like snakes, the long appendages uncoiled, and the top of the clock face was almost visible. One of them peeled off and started prospecting its tip in my direction. I crouched, edging closer to the little tome.
“Alena, get away from it.” Deluxe grabbed my upper arm.
“The book, ‘Luxe.”
“It’s bait if I ever saw it, miss.”
“We need it.”
“Nope. We need to exit, post haste.” She pulled and I lost my balance, spilling backwards. I thudded into Deluxe and we both fell. The curious vine twitched like it’d been shocked, then snatched forward. It got me by the ankle.
“Shit!” I heard someone say.
The other clock vines uncurled faster, excited now. The one on my ankle pulled. I was too surprised to even be scared, at least at first. Then someone hooked me under the armpits, and I came up off the ground. I stretched, and my hip popped, sending a jolt of pain up my side. I started screaming then.
Fergus and Persi came round. He started wailing on the taut plant with his flashlight, and it slackened slightly. Persi moved slow, almost like this was routine, and pincered the vine’s tip with her fingers. She started to unwrap my ankle. I helped her out by flailing and screeching encouragements and cursing.
Two more vines poised, hovering, perhaps curious about Fergus. Then one darted at him and snatched his flashlight away. The other started to fight its brethren for it. Three new ones loomed.
“Hurry Persi!” Deluxe shouted. She’d peeled half of the vine off me. I twisted, and Dack pulled. Bones crackled in my ankle, and I squirted free.
“Go! Go!”
I half crawled, half ran to the door. We crashed into the hallway and Fergus threw the door shut.
“You okay?” he wheezed, chest heaving.
I couldn’t get any words straight, so I nodded instead. My leg and side hurt a lot, but I wasn’t plant food, so that probably counted as okay.
“I think it’s still upset with us,” said Dack.
“Enemy defensive measures implemented,” said Deluxe. “The room seems to reflect the possessed’s nature; in this case: nature.”
“We cannot let it continue. We have to go back to the woods and try again,” said Persi.
“I can’t get us back in right now,” I said. “Too tired.”
“Well, maybe this can help,” said Deluxe. She held up the book.
“You got it?” I said. “How?”
“Lobster-like reflexes. You better be right about needing it. It feels all wrong.” The Secret to Living landed with a slap in front of me.
“We must return to the woods as soon as possible,” said Persi. “The wifi must break the little demons like it did before.”
“I’m going in next time,” said Dack. “Suspension restrictions can eat me.”
“I can handle it, dude,” said Fergus.
“You’re driving next time. I’m not letting… you saw how fast those things are.”
Fergus looked like he wanted to say more, but instead sighed and walked towards the stairwell. The others got me to my feet and after a few limping steps, I was able to get going too. No serious damage. This time.
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