25. Chapter 25
Afork of lightning flashed through the night sky, illuminating the nightmarish figure who stood before Zoe. The tails of his suit jacket danced in the winds like wisps of smoke, while his slender fingers caressed the air, leaving a trail of darkness in their wake. As an army of machines assembled behind him, like a nest of spiders serving their master, his lips stretched into a thin smile. Charon had returned to the Underworld. And Zoe had led him here.
“Ah, it’s been centuries.” With a wave of his hand, Mr. Gravesend’s suit was replaced with a dark robe that billowed in the breeze. “There’s no place quite like home.”
“You…you’re Charon?“ Zoe shook her head in bewilderment at the sight of her boss. “When people told me you were a ghoul, I had no idea they meant it so literally. This entire time, you’ve been the ferryman of the dead!”
“A lousy job that never rewarded me for my toils and troubles. For centuries, I conducted my duties, patiently ferrying lost souls to these lands. And for what?” Charon’s lip curled in distaste at the sight of Shadow. “To be passed over for the boss’ son. No promotions. No raises. And you can forget about a dental plan. And so, I took matters into my own hands.”
Shadow’s jaw clenched as Charon’s raspy laughter echoed through the skies. “By trying to steal the Underworld’s magic for yourself.”
“That power should have been mine. A fitting reward for my lifetime of service. But thanks to you, I was left with nothing. I was discarded like trash, left to drift through the mortal world.” Charon’s eyes gleamed with a dark malevolence. “Until I had an idea that would change everything. An idea that would secure me enough power to one day seize the Underworld for myself.”
Zoe looked at the army of machines knowingly. “Chthonic Power Solutions…”
“The blind greed of mortals never ceases to amaze me. Your kind will trade your lives, your very planet, for your creature comforts. And so, as long as I kept your lights on, your cars running, your planes in the sky, I was free to plunder the magic of your world.” Charon inhaled deeply, savoring the terror he’d unleashed across the lands. “And in time, you signed your very souls over to me.”
Zoe drew a breath in understanding. “That’s why there are more lost souls in the world. Because of you?”
“Don’t look so hurt, my dear. Why, before you came here, you yourself were all too keen to sign your soul over to my cause. You were just like all the others. An empty shell, doomed to drift through life, unaware that you handed me your most precious resource. Your life.” Charon drifted closer, his spectral body leaving a trail of darkness in his wake. “With every site of power I plundered, and every lost soul I collected, I built an empire of power. And now, thanks to you, I shall collect the greatest treasure of all.”
“But why? Why would you do this?”
“Isn’t it obvious? To receive the promotion I should have been given. To obtain my reward for centuries of service.” Charon spread his hands as the storm raged in the heavens above. “To become a god.”
“Well, that’s one hell of a bonus.” Zoe narrowed her gaze as Charon drifted closer. “And let me guess, it doesn’t matter how many lives you destroy in the process? How many lost souls are doomed to wander the earth, all so that you can get what you want?”
“Zoe, why let your heart ruin a perfectly good business opportunity?” Charon’s eyes gleamed with an ancient malevolence, before his gaze lingered on Persephone’s Tree. “Now, stand aside. I have business to attend to.”
Charon drifted closer, only for Shadow to block his path. The two specters glared at each other with blind hatred, until Shadow’s hands balled into fists.
“I banished you from these lands once before. And I’ll do it again.”
With a cry, Shadow lunged at Charon in a blur of darkness. But a cruel smile flickered across Charon’s lips, until he clicked his fingers. At once, the machines sprang into action, blocking Shadow’s path and surrounding him like a pack of animals. He tried to strike them, but his blows drifted harmlessly through their bodies.
“I’m afraid my machines are ghost proof.” Charon laughed coldly as a humming sound reverberated through the machines, while his eyes gleamed with anticipation. “And they pack quite the punch too.”
An electric current burst from the fangs of the machines, before they leaped towards Shadow. He roared in pain as the voltage raced into his body, until his cries echoed through the heavens.
“I do hope you enjoy the new upgrade.” Charon laughed coldly as the machines pinned Shadow to the floor. “Their fangs have more power than Zeus’ thunderbolts.”
“Hey, that’s cheating!” Spooks readied his Spiderweb Slinger, while the other specters prepared themselves for battle. “And I’m the only one who cheats around here!”
With a cackle, Spooks fired a spiderweb at Charon. But the dark lord vanished into the darkness, before emerging unharmed, until a dozen machines surrounded the poltergeist.
“These critters sure are quite the nuisance!” Misty yelped as a machine sprang towards her, baring its fangs. “We’ll do our best to hold them off, darlin’. But you need to stop Charon, before it’s too late!”
Zoe drew a startled breath as Charon advanced towards Persephone’s Tree, accompanied by a vast machine twice the size of the others. It scuttled towards the tree on its spider-like legs, while its body quivered at the presence of the magic within. And as its drill whirred to life, Zoe knew she had no time to waste.
She raced towards the tree, and threw herself at the machine. But she cursed as her spectral body drifted harmlessly through it, until Charon’s cold laughter reverberated through the skies.
“You are quite powerless here, Zoe. Just as you’ve always been.” Charon approached the tree, his dark robes billowing in the powerful winds, until he barked orders at the machine. “Now, strike!”
The machine’s drill soared towards Persephone’s Tree like a javelin, until it pierced through its bark. A terrible scream of pain filled the air as the drill whirred to life, boring deeper into the trunk, until golden magic bled from the wound. Zoe turned to see Shadow roar in agony, feeling the Underworld’s pain as the drill bore deeper into the great tree. And she knew that if she didn’t stop Charon, she would lose them both.
“No!” Zoe cried out as the machine drained the tree’s magic with vast suction pipes, feeding on the life of the Underworld. “You have to stop!”
“Nothing can stop me!” Charon laughed coldly as the golden magic was drawn from the tree and into the chambers of his machine. “With this power, I’ll be unstoppable!”
Zoe watched in horror as more suction pipes emerged from the machine’s body, until it greedily gorged itself on the Underworld’s power. Tears bloomed in her eyes as the magic bled from the Underworld, until the light of the will-ó-wisps faded. As Charon’s cold laughter echoed through the skies, she felt her heart sink with the realization that she was powerless to stop him.
A buzz filled Zoe’s ear, as a will-ó-wisp called to her pleadingly. She watched the tiny creature as it danced beside Charon, where the tails of his robes billowed in the stormy winds, before it fluttered towards the machine.
“There’s no use.” Zoe looked at the will-o–wisp mournfully. “Charon’s right. Without a body, I’m powerless to stop him.”
The will-ó-wisp buzzed once more, before it darted through the sky. Zoe watched its strange dance between Charon and the machine, until she drew a startled breath in realization. As the frayed ends of Charon’s robes fluttered in the winds, she studied the arms of the machine, and watched as they greedily vacuumed up the magic of the Underworld. And as she returned her gaze to the formidable Ferryman of the Underworld, Zoe realized he might be powerful, but he was by no means unstoppable.
“With the power of the Underworld in my hands, never again shall I be forced into years of ferrying lost souls.” Charon cackled with delight as the winds howled across the Underworld. “Finally, I shall be the one in charge!”
Zoe drifted closer to the machine, and studied its control panel. Among the flickering lights, she guided the will-ó-wisp to a lone button, before it buzzed in acknowledgement. It was now or never.
With a shrill buzz, the will-ó-wisp zapped the button, until a golden light raced through the machine. At once, its drill came to a stop, while the arms slowly retracted from suctioning up the Underworld’s magic. The machine turned to face Charon, until its body quivered at the sight of the specter.
“Interfering with my machines will hardly be enough to stop me, Zoe.” Charon drifted harmlessly through the machine’s drill, as if to demonstrate the futility of her plan. “Soon I will have the power of a god! And I will be unstoppable!”
“Perhaps. But until then, you have the same weaknesses as every other ghost.” Zoe broke into a smile as the arms of the machine inched closer to Charon. “And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that there’s no greater threat to a ghost’s plans of world domination, than a vacuum cleaner.”
As the will-ó-wisp struck the control panel with a flurry of sparks, the machine whirred to life once more. Its arms reached towards Charon, until the edges of his robes were caught in the grasp of its powerful suction.
“No!” Charon desperately tugged his robes to free himself, while his eyes flashed with panic. “I am the true god of the Underworld. Nothing can stop me, you hear me! Nothing!”
But despite Charon’s roars of fury, his robes were swallowed inch by inch. He yelped in fright as the machine began to devour him, and his spectral body was pulled into its powerful currents.
“Make it stop this instant!” Charon turned to Zoe pleadingly. “I can give you power. I can give you riches. Everything you ever dreamed of will be yours, if you just release me…”
Zoe smiled at Charon’s offer. Once, it would have been everything she had ever wanted. But now, she knew that she didn’t want riches, nor power. She wanted magic.
“Sorry Mr. Gravesend.” Zoe watched as the machine’s engines went into overdrive, pulling him deeper into its pipes, until only his scowling face remained. “You can consider this my two weeks notice.”
With a popping sound, Charon’s face disappeared inside the vacuum. His muffled curses echoed from the machine as he was squished into the tiny chamber, while his eyes burned with a deadly fury. Zoe staggered backwards as the ground trembled nearby, until a vast vine erupted from the earth and ensnared the machine in its grasp. Despite Charon’s protests, it pulled the machine into the dark abyss of Tartarus below, like a kraken’s tentacle at sea. Zoe watched as her former boss was pulled into the depths of the Underworld, where the wails of the damned greeted him. And she knew that whilst it wasn’t quite the promotion Charon had intended, it was exactly where he belonged.
One by one, Charon’s army of machines powered down, until they clattered to the ground, lifeless and still. Spooks trumpeted cheerfully at the sight, while Misty fanned herself in relief.
“Oh, thank goodness. I thought that old ghoul was going to be the end of us!” But Misty’s smile faded as she turned to Persephone’s Tree. “Oh no, darlin’...”
Zoe drew a startled breath as she followed the specter’s gaze. A vast and bloodied hole lay in the trunk of the great tree, while the buds on its boughs now lay lifeless and gray. But what drew her gaze was the lone figure who lay slumped within a pool of the tree’s blood.
“Shadow! Shadow, it’s alright. It’s over.” Zoe drew a breath as she approached, to see his body grow faint and translucent. “Shadow?”
Zoe looked in horror as Shadow’s body began to fade. His breath grew short and ragged, while the magic that had once sparkled in his eyes ebbed into darkness.
“Shadow, no!”
“Persephone’s tree… it’s dying. And without its power…” Shadow drew a pained breath before he spoke once more. “The Underworld’s magic will cease to exist.”
Zoe watched in horror as Shadow began to fade into the darkness. She looked at the tree, to see the pomegranate buds wilt, while the light of the will-ó-wisps ebbed into the gloom. And she knew that without magic, the Underworld, and Shadow, were doomed to fall.
“No, this can’t be happening.” Zoe blinked back her tears. “There must be another way.”
But Shadow smiled, and shook his head sadly.
“Thank you, Zoe.” He held her gaze, his eyes distant and vacant. “For making me feel more alive than I have in an eternity.”
Zoe drew a shaky breath as Shadow dissolved into the darkness. She went to take his hand, only to find thin air where he had once lay. As a cold wind swept through the Underworld, she searched the darkness for any sign of him. But there was none.
“No! No, Shadow, this can’t be the end…” Zoe’s cries echoed through the Underworld. “Please… please come back.”
A low whine cut through the air, until Cerberus pawed the ground beside her. But rather than howl at his master’s passing, he nudged her side insistently.
“Not now, boy…” Zoe blinked back her tears, only to look in surprise as the dog dropped a slobbery item from its jaws. “What the…”
Zoe looked in surprise as the motel guest book lay before her, its gilded cover shining in the approaching light of dawn. She studied its blank pages before she drew a startled breath in understanding.
“That’s it!” Zoe took the guest book, and spoke to the darkness once more. “Before I came to the Underworld, I drifted through life. I was lost and alone, and no matter how hard I worked, I still felt empty. But you opened my eyes, and taught me how to see the magic in life once again.”
Zoe held the quill with a shaking hand, and pressed its nib to the parchment.
“You always said that the Underworld needed to save a lost soul for its magic to return.” Zoe drew a shaky breath, and gazed into the darkness where Shadow had lain. “I might be made of flesh and blood, but I too was another lost soul. But you brought me back to life, Shadow. You taught me how to live again. And you saved my soul.”
Zoe pressed the quill to the parchment, and signed her name on the blank page. Her tears mixed with the ink, until she spoke once more.
“Please, come back to me, Shadow.” She spoke in a whisper, until the winds carried her plea across the Underworld. “Don’t leave me in the darkness.”
A flash of light illuminated the guest book. Zoe watched as her signature glowed with a golden light that pierced through the darkness. It burned through the storm clouds, until a magnificent sunrise broke across the horizon, filling the Underworld with glorious rays of sunlight. The storm winds were replaced with a gentle breeze, while the drifts of snow and ice melted into raindrops that bathed the landscape in a sparkling sheen.
Spooks yelped at the strange and wonderful sight, as a warm spring breeze gently breathed life into the slumbering landscape.
“What’s happening?”
Zoe’s feet touched the earth once more, as the rays of sunlight returned her to her mortal form. But despite her magical transformation, her gaze remained on the guest book, which bloomed with a radiance that spilled across the Underworld.
“You saved a lost soul.” Zoe watched as the deep fractures in the earth slowly repaired themselves, while green shoots emerged from the barren landscape once more. “Which means magic will return to the Underworld.”
A beacon of light shot from the guest book, striking Persephone’s Tree in a radiant explosion of magic. Zoe’s vision filled with a blinding golden glare, while a rush of warmth flooded through the air. She gasped as Persephone’s Tree healed its wounds, while, nestled within bountiful leaves, ruby-colored buds burst to life. Everywhere she turned, life emerged in the Underworld. Shadow-filled valleys became luscious wildflower meadows, ice-filled chasms melted into riverbeds, and even the empty flower pots at the motel sprang to life with verdant blooms. But what drew Zoe’s attention wasn’t the light-filled displays of magic. It was the veil of darkness, where a lone figure emerged.
“Shadow!”
The two met in a glorious explosion of light and darkness. They kissed under the light of the will-ó-wisps, serenaded by the music of the Phantom Fiestadores. As life returned to the Underworld, Zoe gazed into Shadow’s eyes, marveling at the way they shimmered in the light of dawn. He smiled as he cupped her face in his hands, his touch a cool breeze that sent tingles to the base of her spine.
“You saved me, Zoe.”
“Well, I guess that makes us even.” Zoe returned his smile, and watched as Spooks and Cerberus merrily chased each other across the blooming gardens. “It looks like life has finally returned to the Underworld.”
As she marveled at the beauty of the landscape, her gaze lingered on the city in the distance. Shadow followed her gaze, until he stirred beside her.
“You might have saved the Underworld, but you still have a choice.” Shadow sighed regretfully. “I understand if you wish to return to the mortal world…”
“I’ve made my choice.”
Shadow blinked in surprise. “You have?”
“Of course. I want to experience life, Shadow. I want to know what it means to truly be alive…”
Shadow’s shoulders sagged, but he nodded. “I understand. I suppose it was always inevitable that you would want to return to your world–”
“Which is why I plan on staying here.”
Shadow drew a startled breath, before he turned to her in shock. “You do?”
“Of course I do.” Zoe smiled as a golden light bloomed in Shadow’s eyes. “Besides, I’ve found the perfect job for myself, right here.”
“And what’s that?”
Zoe turned, and watched as a vine emerged from the earth nearby. It pulled Swindleton from the darkness and deposited him back onto solid ground, before dismissing him with a disapproving flick of its tendrils. Swindleton gazed at the emerging beauty of the Underworld in surprise, until a will-ó-wisp fluttered before him, bathing him in its golden aura. As Zoe watched her former colleague’s eyes brighten in wonder, she smiled, and felt an idea form in her mind.
“I think it’s time we helped every lost soul see the magic in this world. Be they living, or dead.“ She laced her fingers through Shadow’s and smiled. “Now, let’s get to work.”