Max and Sebastian - Chapter 48
Contemporary Young Adult Horror Fiction
Dearest Penguin People.
This is the end.
Of my book, that is. A special thank you to everyone that did me the great honor of reading all the way through. If you are new to Max and Sebastian, please start here:
As always, a special thank you to P.Q. Rubin for the little guy up top that had one too many…
Geoffrey and Buttercup were mad. Not the usual mad. This was so much worse. They had been so close, only to have Max slip away into the insurmountable confines of The Gray.
Buttercup’s halves paced in two angry circles, shedding snakes and moldy fur as the last dregs of her glimmer faded. A child’s face, pouty and stout, with waxen skin that had never seen the sun, revealed itself atop a shriveled raisin body as the two halves reconnected.
Geoffrey looked away, not wanting to admit that her true appearance was creepy even by his standards.
She swiveled her pug-nosed baby head toward him. “I found her. I brought her to you, and you still managed to screw it up.”
Geoffrey tried to swat her away, but he was diminished as well, barely taller than the deviant child beast. Whatever mojo he had accrued had drained away. It would take years to get it back. He gave her a sideways glance. She wasn’t much, a nibble really, but it was a start.
A shadow fell over them both. Bidwell stood above them; arms crossed.
“Actually, you were both to blame.”
He leaned down, his face set in stone. “Did you two morons really think that idiotic plan would work?”
“Well, it could of,” Geoffrey said, digging a skeletal foot into the grass.
Bidwell closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, they gaped empty, black holes where only the damned could go. And his voice, that horrible voice, came from a hollow place, a deep well where dark things slept, and heaven forbid you wake them up. “Did either of you consider the consequences of your actions?”
Geoffrey shrank under Bidwell’s gaze but answered anyway, his tiny chest puffed out. “Consequences? For what, ruining your plan? It was you all along, killing Max. Leonard was your stooge.”
“That’s one way of looking at it.”
“But why?” Geoffrey raised charred fingers in air quotes. “You’re one of the good guys.”
Bidwell leaned back on his heels. He ran a weary hand through his shimmering hair. “She was getting too strong. We had to deal with her one way or another.”
“Tell me that’s not evil.”
Bidwell smiled. Above them, an unfortunate sparrow faltered, then plummeted onto the wet grass, belly up. Once again, Bidwell leaned in.
“Evil is what I say it is.” His empty sockets zeroed in on Geoffrey. “Now, what should I do with the two of you?”
Geoffrey cowered under his scrutiny, wishing the ground would swallow him up.
“We’ll just be on our way if you don’t mind.”
Bidwell pursed his lips, still staring at the two ghouls at his feet. Then he shook his head. “But I do mind.”
He bent down until his face was level with Geoffrey and Buttercup. “Both of you are long overdue for a sabbatical. You know that if you hang around long enough without a body, you tend to get a bit cranky.”
Geoffrey dug his toes into the grass. “You can’t force us to move on.”
“I know I can’t.” Bidwell looked up at the rising sun, “but she can.”
They heard the slow rumble of heavy feet. An elephant with a worried expression lumbered up to them.
Bidwell rubbed the wide space between her eyes.
She lifted a foot, revealing hundreds of resigned faces staring back at them from between her toes.
“Nicely done. You’ve been working overtime, my dear.”
Geoffrey shuddered. “She’s not our Collector.”
“Seeing how yours has been delinquent in its duties, I called mine.”
Buttercup backed up, tripping on withered legs. “No way. I’m not going.” Geoffrey was already running across the street.
“Now, Buttercup, you know that if too many of the grays hang around, things get confusing, messy even.” Bidwell glanced over at the fallen tree in the river.
“No!”
A massive gray foot came down, and Buttercup found herself wedged between Bitsy’s toes next to a ghost’s head. Bob turned toward Buttercup, an oily smile on his round face. “Fancy meeting you here. Did you find the girl?”
“Shut up.”
“Not cool.” Bob’s eyes floated to the left and to the right. “Did you find my body while you were out gallivanting around?”
“No, I have not seen your body, you simpleton.” Buttercup squirmed, trying to wriggle her way out from between Bitsy’s toes.
“You don’t have to bite my head off,” he said. “I just want my socks back.”
Buttercup glared at Bob. “You’re worried about a pair of socks?”
“Well, feet get cold, you know. Especially where we’re going.”
Buttercup gave him a look of utter disgust. She closed her eyes and curled up into a tight ball between Bitsy’s toes.
Meanwhile, Geoffrey was still running. Bidwell pointed after him with a radiant arm. “Sic ‘em.”
Bitsy raised her trunk and inhaled. Geoffrey’s arms flailed as he flew backward and disappeared into her trunk with a loud <POP>.
Bidwell grimaced. “I guess he’s going to come out the hard way.” He patted the elephant on the head. “Nice job, Bitsy. Now make sure they go to the right place. No detours. No Gray for them.”
Her trunk swayed, not answering.
“Did you hear me, Bitsy?”
She snorted and faded into the approaching sunrise.
Bidwell watched her go. It was so difficult to find good help these days.
Back at the bridge, he heard the growl of large trucks rumbling in. Half of the city’s fire and police departments were milling about and wanting answers. He tucked his wings under his uniform and began the stroll back to The Living. He could be persuasive when he wanted to.
But then, a faint rustle, a furtive movement at his feet. He looked down. A mouse with violet eyes stared up at him, its tiny teeth curved in a grin. Not possible. He lunged and met empty air. Spinning around, he found nothing.
In the distance, and he knew his ears didn’t lie, he heard Larry laughing.
The End
As a side note…none of this was written with AI and I kindly ask that no one use it for training purposes. Thank you :)
Amazing. Sad its the end, but I haven't read all the chapters yet so have more to look forward to.
Great job. Looking forward to the next one!