Michael Griffo - Unafraid

“That leaves this hellhole to just us boys!” David bellowed. He was frantic to make it look and sound as if he were still in control despite the counterattack Michael and Ronan were putting forth. I promise you, Zachariel, I will not lose this time! David gave his wings one powerful flap, and both boys were sent hurtling in different directions. It was a crushing move, but it wasn’t enough to claim victory.

Wading in the frigid water that was now up to their waists, the boys saw that The Well had recovered, it had stopped shaking, even though the cave continued to tremble, and was back in full control. Enraged by The Well’s fortitude and spirit, David let out a growl and flew to the top of the cave, seemingly intent on diving into the belly of The Well to see what treasures he could find and annihilate on the other side. The Well had other ideas.

Just as David dove, the stones on the top ledge of The Well multiplied and spread out to create a lid, a barrier to conceal its precious contents from sight and seal itself from trespassers trying to gain unwelcome entry. David was descending so quickly he was unable to decrease his speed or switch direction and smashed into The Well’s new protective shell.

Dazed, but clinging to the top of the stone, David began to spin around as The Well burrowed itself lower and lower, plunging under water until it ultimately disappeared into the ground. “Nooooo!!”

David shrieked, “Looks like you’ve failed yet again,” Ronan jeered as David rose from the water.

His jet-black wings were fully outstretched and dripping with water that made each feather glisten.

But it was an illusion. His wings were actually starting to molt, and soon the water around him was sprinkled with feathers, making it look like he was standing in a pool of black rain. Noticing the change in his appearance, David fluttered his wings faster, which only made the shedding quicken.

What was happening? Was Zachariel playing some cruel joke? No, the fallen angel was just tired of backing a loser.

“Once again you have failed!” Zachariel said, his voice booming throughout the decomposing cave.

The voice was so thunderous and so hateful that Michael and Ronan had to cover their ears. David merely fell to his knees. “No!” he protested. “I’ve come so far. I beg you, Zachariel, do not abandon me now!”

“After all the power I’ve bestowed upon you, you are still nothing but a failure!” the livid angel roared. “David Zachary, you are on ... your ... OWN!!”

“Noooo!!” Wailing like a lost child, David rose as stones fell into the water with such frequency and fury that waves started to churn, and it was as if they were in the middle of the ocean. This couldn’t be happening; this shouldn’t be happening to him. No, there was still time to teach Zachariel a lesson. To teach them all a lesson that they should never underestimate David’s power.

Diving underwater, David disappeared. The cave wasn’t that large, but Michael and Ronan still couldn’t find him. They craned their necks, peered close to the water’s surface, and still no sign of him. They only saw David when he shot back up, one hand reaching out, not content until it wrapped itself around Ronan’s neck.

Startled, Ronan tried to pry David’s fingers from his flesh, but the man was determined to take him hostage. With one fist raised overhead David flew higher and faster, breaking through the rock, and into the sea above. He had turned his rage at Zachariel for deserting him into action. And not a moment too soon, because seconds after he broke through the rock ceiling, the cave was gone. It was no longer a safe haven, no longer The Well’s sanctuary, just another part of the ocean.

Michael felt the current swirl around him, swift and encouraging, as if trying to get him to follow them, but he couldn’t, he was frozen. It was as if he was locked in an iceberg, too frightened to move, just like in the vision he had had before school started where he was locked in a sea of ice and Ronan was just out of reach. Think, think! What had Ronan said in his dream? What did he tell him he had to do? “You must protect me.” Well, of course he would protect him. Michael didn’t need to be told to do such a thing. Oh really? Then what was he doing in the middle of the ocean while Ronan was being taken God knows where by David? As Michael swam closer to the surface he was more determined than ever to make his dream come true.

This Tri-Centennial Disaster was not the stuff dreams were made of. All Fritz wanted to do was hang out with Ruby all day, maybe sneak in a little private time, advance their relationship, but the earth was not cooperating. Why did it have to wait until his one day off from studying and schoolwork to go all wonky? Instead of holding Ruby’s hand as they strolled through The Forest on their way to St. Sebastian’s, Fritz was constantly sidestepping rolling rocks or dodging falling trees. It was downright apocalyptic. If the world wanted to end, why the hell didn’t it just do it already and stop pussyfooting around? Being greeted by Ciaran the second they set foot into the gym was further proof that the planet was against him. He wanted his end-of-the-world moment to be just him and Ruby. He didn’t want it to turn into some sort of group hug.

“Ruby, are you all right?”

Nor did he want Ciaran to steal any of his thunder. He had ignored his friend’s previous attempts to chummy up to his girlfriend, feeling rather confident, though not entirely certain, that if given the choice Ruby would choose him. But with the whole “sky is falling” fairy-tale thing coming true, he wasn’t about to take any chances. “Hey, mate,” Fritz said. “I think it’s time you back off.”

A deafening growl of thunder prevented Ciaran from hearing Fritz’s demand and made Ruby more eager than ever to sit as far away from the windows as possible. The earth was revolting. Now the sky was going to join in too? “I saved a space for us in the middle of the gym,” Ciaran said.

“Ain’t that just hunky dory,” Fritz groused. Another thunderclap, another missed opportunity to help Ruby lie down and rest her head on a rolled up sweatshirt.

“Sorry, I’m not used to so much running around,” she said. “Since I lost my sight I haven’t been able to be very active.”

All that was about to change, because Rhoswen had decided it was time to part ways with her host.

Ciaran wasn’t sure if the ghost rising from Ruby’s body went unnoticed by everyone around them because there was so much commotion or if she only appeared to a chosen few. Fritz was not happy to be one of the selected.

Staring in fright at the apparition who had just stepped out of his girlfriend’s body, Fritz’s first thought was that the guest monster of issue seventeen of Tales of the Double A had come to life. That was the issue in which Parasitico, the alien from another planet who has to take over people’s bodies to survive, first appeared. Fritz didn’t actually have a second thought because he fainted.

A bit more used to witnessing unexplainable phenomena, Ciaran was entranced by Rhoswen’s eerie beauty and not disturbed by the fact that she had been living inside Ruby’s body. Rhoswen couldn’t see Ciaran, but she could sense his presence. And his future. “Stay here, and you will all be safe,” she said. “And don’t worry, Ciaran. Before the summer ends, Ruby will be yours.”

Beaming, despite the tragedy he had recently witnessed, Ciaran sat next to Ruby and held her hand as she slept. He was greatly relieved to know that they wouldn’t need any help to survive the so-called celebration that was raging all around them.

Imogene didn’t need any help either. She had gotten what she wanted—her freedom. Standing on the other side of the rocky dunes on Inishtrahull Island near an inlet about a mile from the shore, Imogene, with Brania and Edwige behind her, waited for it to come. When they saw the boy walking toward them, they knew Imogene’s freedom had arrived.