Ben and Lucy: The Sunken Kingdom
Chapter 18 Sylvester

The wind howled about the air around Ben. The tree held firm against the high winds pounding the exposed roots. The new friends pressed against each other inside the roots of the massive tree. The air was filled with the smell of burning wood.

“Stay close together and whatever you hear do not attempt to leave this tree” ordered Baggy.

“I am not even thinking about that now.” replied Max.

“We need to make sure we all keep each other safe tonight. This is not a place to be alone at night.”

Just then the wind howled in the night. Ben thought he actually heard a scream.

“What was that?”

“Spirits, lost in the dark.”

The wind shook the tree. Ben and Max moved further into the roots of the tree. Baggy felt around in the dirt.

“What are you doing Baggy.”

“Your the dog here Max. Maybe you can dig a little bit, right here.”

“What? Dig now?”

“Yes! We need to get further underground. We don’t want to be caught too close to this tree if it catches fire. Underground will be safer.”

Just then the tree shook again and the scream seemed closer.

“Quickly, they are looking for us. They can sense we are near.” Baggy said with concern in his voice. The jovial bear was anything but on this night. Max began to dig, Baggy joined in with his claws. Ben struggled to help as well.

“No, Ben you need to keep an eye out. Stand near the opening but don’t venture an inch outside.

“Ok, I don’t think I have any desire to do that.”

“You can never tell what your heart will lead you to do next. Try to keep your wits about you son.”

Ben looked into Baggy’s eyes in the flickering light that was still available from the setting sun. Ben could sense the fear deep inside the bear. This filled Ben with dread as well.

“Lucky for us the sun still shines on this tree, but when the sun goes down completely we will be at risk.” Baggy finally said and then went back to his work.

Ben turned and peered out of the tree. In the shadows across the open field he thought he could see images moving. Another scream, now so close that it made Ben’s blood cold. He looked back at his friends feverishly digging and clawing into the walls of solid dirt. Ben looked back at the opening. Fear shook him as the sun was almost gone. Then a face across the field. No, that could not be! He focused harder on the image in the dark. He began to lean toward the hole. Now a voice called to him.

“Come out. Come out. We need your help.” Ben froze. Who was calling to him? He closed his eyes and remembered what Baggy said. Remain in the tree. He felt himself take a step against his own will. He was being drawn to the voice. A girl’s voice now.

“Ben, help me. I am here.”

Ben eyes opened wide. Could this be Lucy? Something told him to remain in the tree.

“No, I can’t come out.” Ben plead with the voice.

The voice screamed loud and long this time. The voice hurt Ben’s ears. He grimaced.

“Ben, no. Don’t respond to the voices. They will draw you out.” Baggy added.

Ben held his backpack close to his chest. He reached into the pack. He felt nothing this time. His hand searched the pack. Not now! Give me something. He thought to himself. How could the pack not have anything?

The voices called again. “Ben, come out we are waiting. Don’t trust the animals. They are not like us. We are humans. They don’t think like us. Ask yourself do they even have houses? Why if they could think for themselves? Does Max still live and pretend for the human man he lives with.” The voice was sweet and innocent. The voice sounded comforting and peaceful. Ben resolve began to falter. He took another step toward the opening, His foot was within inches of the opening. He could feel himself being pulled outward.

He closed his eyes. Images appeared in his head. Two small children like Lucy and himself. They were standing in a clearing. He heard voices. The children looked scared and frightened. The voices around them sounded loud and mean. Many were yelling at once. Ben could not make out their words, but through the tone he could sense anger and violence.

Suddenly the children fell to the ground. Stones were thrown at them from the shadows. The children tried to shield themselves but more and more stones kept coming. Blood starting flowing from the girls head. The boy cried out in anger. Still the stones keep coming. Anger grew in the boy’s voice. He looked down at the girl. She was not moving.

The boy screamed. The voice traveled around the darkness light a canon blast. Lightning filled the air. Ben could now make out the people surrounding the children. They were now the ones frightened. They began to run. More lightning struck out. Ben now could see the people exploding apart from the lightening itself. The power emanating from the boy. The lightning flowing out from his outstretched hands. Ben realized now that the boy was controlling the lightning strikes and he was the one electrifying the people around him. One by one the people tried to get away but each time the boy would look at them and then within a second the bolt would flow from his hands. A man here, a woman there. Old men, young men. Now Ben could see other children running trying to get away but it was no use. The lightning would catch them. Soon it was all over. Hundreds of people were burning in flames. Screams filled the air now. Ben shook and opened his eyes. The images were gone but so was the sun. Suddenly the voice gleefully yelled. “I see you now. You cannot hide from me.”

Ben shuddered. He could not move. The boy’s face from his images appeared across the open field illuminated by the same lightning bolt Ben had seen in his images. The boy’s face smiled at Ben. Not a peaceful little boy smile, but a devilish evil smile. The boy stretched his hand out toward Ben. The lightning flew across the sky toward him. Ben grimaced expecting to fell the jolt. Suddenly he was pulled down. The lightning scorched his hair.

“Now my boy quickly climb in the hole.” It was Baggy. Ben looked at what his friends had dug while he was occupied with his images. A tunnel had been dug. Ben quickly scrambled through the hole. Baggy pushed him from behind.

“Move!” Yelled Baggy. Another crash behind Baggy. Baggy yelled and then Ben felt himself falling down a shoot. He slid head first down the tunnel. He twisted his head instinctively to the left to protect himself. Suddenly he fell in a heap of leaves, Baggy fell next to him. A crash followed behind him. Then the loudest scream Ben had heard that evening. The voice went through him to his bones. The earth sealed behind them and Ben now was in total darkness.

In the still darkness even the outside winds could not be heard. Baggy soon coughed.

“Hey there, is everyone ok?”

“I’m ok, I Think.”replied Ben. Then there was silence.

“Max!” yelled Ben.

“Max, where are you?” Ben yelled louder. Panic set in. He did not want to lose Max in the dark. Ben reached around in his backpack. He hoped the pack would give him what he wanted this time and not some kind of object that he would have to replace the reason for. His hand searched the inside of the bag. Back and forth he went. Ben began to get nervous, had the magic worn off? Did he break the pack in the fall? He almost pulled his hand out empty but just as his hand started to escape the pack something pulled his hand back in.

“What the..”

The pack seem to be alive. It pulled Ben’s arm further in, all the way up to his shoulder. Then the pulling stopped. Whatever had grasped his hand had now released him. He pulled his hand back out of the pack, disappointed that there was nothing in the pack. When Ben’s arm got free of the pack, he felt something on his forearm. Ben took his left hand and touched the object that now wrapped up around his right forearm. It was smooth, tough but soft to the touch. He immediately thought of leather. He felt a design in the leather. Studs along the edges of the leather oval in shape outlining something in the middle. What was this thing? Why did the pack give this up, he wondered. Ben reached back into the pack but this time with his left hand. Again the bag grabbed his hand. This time Ben did not pull away. He had expected this. He waited until the pack released his arm. Again he pulled his arm free from the bag and as he expected there was more leather, now on his left arm to match his right. He felt the texture in the dark. Smooth leather with another set. Studs and another design in the middle. This time there did not seem to match his right arm.

“What’s going on?” a voice asked.

“Max is that you?” Baggy questioned.

“Yeah. Must have been knocked out when we fell.”

“So everyone is ok now?” Baggy asked.

“Yep, I think all is ok.” Max added.

“What were you doing Ben?”

“The pack gave me something new. Leather bands, one for each arm.”

“That is odd. What does that mean?” Baggy stated what all three were thinking.

“What we need is light.” Max chimed in.

“Who needs light?” A unfamiliar voice asked through the darkness. All three companions tensed up, ready to fight.

“Oh, no need to fear. If I wanted to cause you harm, would I really be talking. I mean you three are so clumsy and obviously day dwellers.”

“Who are you?” Ben asked trying to make out the figure in the dark.

“Shouldn’t I be the one asking questions? You are in my home by the way.”

Ben wondered what type of animal was this one, he was now used to talking animals and he knew this animal could be anything. A worm, a snake, even a mole.

“You are right.” Ben quickly responded. He didn’t want this thing to suddenly want to harm them. He knew this creature could see them as if it were day. The three were now at the mercy of this creature.

“We are three travelers on the way to see Eloise of the Sunken Kingdom.” Ben started.

“Eloise? MMM. Why do you seek her out?”

“My sister and I were told to go there.”

“Your sister? I sense no females here. Where is she?”

“We got separated when I fell from the mountain slope. We were being chased by something.”

“We were chased by the White Tiger.” Max added.

“Oh, the White Tiger? And you escaped? I hear that creature never loses its prey.” The voice said calmly.

“How do you hear about things down here?” Baggy asked defiantly.

“Oh my dear fellow. The earth is a great carrier of sound, but you have to be able to hear it properly. More like sensing it. I hear many things down here. Now will you tell me your names?”

“Yes, we are Baggy, Max, and Ben. Now can we know your name?”

“I am known as Sylvester”. The voice hissed the name. Ben suddenly got a chill in his body. He tried to move but he realized that his legs were unable to move. He reached his hand down to feel what was binding him. It felt dry and rough. His fingered ran across the top. His heart jumped. He knew what this feeling was. Back home Ben had a pet snake, but this was no pet. He reached for his back pack. He knew he had to get his sword back out. His hand found the opening in the pack. In the dark he felt around, as he did he began to feel his body becoming constricted. The snake was slowly winding itself around him.

“Baggy, can you hear me?”

“Yeah Ben. What’s up?”

“Can you move?”

“What?”

“Can you move?”

“Uh, no it seems I am stuck.”

“Max, how about you?”

“No, the same.”

“We are not stuck!” Ben yelled.

“Oh now, don’t get like that my new friends” hissed Sylvester.

“Remain calm.” Baggy added.

“Yes, remain calm. No need to struggle.” Sylvester hissed.

“What are you talking about?”

Ben paused, his hand felt something inside the backpack, but it was not what he was expecting. Instead of the sword, the object felt like a ring. He knew by now that the backpack was always up to something that he had to figure out. He slid his finger inside the ring, as he did the ring tightened around his finger just as the huge snake was tightening around him and his friends. The arm bands also tightened.

Max began to whine. Baggy was also struggling to breathe. The snake was making sure to take care of the bigger animals before working on him. This gave Ben the chance to work his hands. He brought his hand out of the pack. In the darkness an image came to him. He focused on the image on his arm. Suddenly the air began to get colder.

“What is happening?” Sylvester realized too late. The tunnel fell silent.

Ben was now totally concentrating on the image on his arm. The air was bitter cold now. Ben felt the pressure on his legs loosening. Soon the snake was silent and not moving. Ben wiggled out of its grip. In the dark he followed the length of the snake’s body and first found Max. Ben struggled with all his might to loosen his friend from the grip.

“Come on Max.” Ben said to Max as he shook him. The big dog began to breathe move and more. He coughed and began to move.

“Max, hurry up and replace Baggy.”

“I got him”. The two worked together to free Baggy. There was no movement. Max licked his face.

“Hey!” Baggy responding coughing and spitting.

“I don’t like it anymore than you do.” Max said disgustingly.

“Ok, guys we need to get out of here fast before our big squeezebox wakes up.”

“What happened?” Baggy asked.

“I was able to freeze him. Like all reptiles he is cold-blooded and needs warmth to keep moving.”

“Probably why he is down here in the ground.”

“Ok, we need to also be careful who knows if there are more of these things down here.”

“Good idea.”

“Hey Ben, can you get a light from that pack of yours?”

“Let me see what else I can replace in there.” Ben reached back inside. Nothing.

“Out of luck right now. C’mon.”

“Lot of good that thing is.” Max added his frustration.

“Well it did help me freeze Sylvester.”

The three felt their way through the dark. The tunnel continued to wind through the ground. As they traveled through the darkness, Max kept his keen ears aware to make sure if there was any movement he would hope to hear it first. The three continued throughout the next few hours. Nothing stirred where ever they moved. Suddenly Max froze.

“Uh oh.”

“What is it Max?”

“Move!!!” The ground began to shake. The three hastily pushed forward in the tunnel.

“I will replace you!” Sylvester was now awake and moving quickly toward them. The three came to a fork in the tunnel. Ben felt with his hands. Neither tunnel felt any different. Baggy stopped them both. He breathed in. His powerful nose had caught a scent.

“This way!” Baggy began to lead them down the left tunnel. Sylvester grew closer.

“I can feel you in my lair. You will soon be my dinner! Ha Ha Ha!” the large snake bellowed after them.

“I don’t think so.” Baggy replied. The three turned another corner and Baggy stopped.

“Go straight up!”

Ben climbed on the back of Ben and begun to reach for the ceiling of the tunnel. Ben’s scrambled through the dirt. Ben’s finger tore at the mud walls, ripping out chunks. His fingers hurt as he poked at the roof. Deeper into the wall his hands went. He could feel the ground giving way above him. The dirt was turning into mud. Water began to drip. Ben felt the cold icy water run down his arms.

“Stop. When I tell you to then drive your hands into the roof. Let’s wait for our friend to replace us.”

“What!” Ben exclaimed. He could not believe his ears. Why would Ben want us to stop when that giant snake was on its way to eat them all.

“Don’t worry. When the slithering fool gets here then we will give him a nice icy bath.” Baggy was almost laughing at this.

“Uh Baggy, where are we going to go when this bath takes place?”

Baggy was quiet. He definitely had not thought this completely through.

“Well we better be able to swim.” Max added. Suddenly the tunnel shook as the snake came closer. The water was now beginning to increase in intensity.

“Baggy what if this doesn’t work?”

“I guess we will be snake food then.”

Just then Sylvester spoke.

“Now I have you!”

“Now Ben!”

Ben turned and drove his hands up into the air. The water gushed through the opening, filling the tunnel with icy cold water. The icy feeling covered Ben, soaking through his clothes. The cold hit him with such intensity that it nearing knock him unconscious.

“No!!!!” Sylvester voice echoed through the tunnel.

Ben, Baggy, Max, and the giant snake were driven back through the tunnel. The water continued to flow, flooding every passage of the snake’s lair. Baggy grabbed ahold of Ben and Ben in turn held onto Max’s coat. The tunnel was smooth from Sylvester constant slithering through the tunnels. The cold freezing water affected the giant snake and soon the large reptile was rendered helpless. His blood unable to remain warm enough to keep his body moving. The snake was flowing out through his own fortress. The rushing water filled Ben’s eyes in the dark, soon he began to see light. The opening of the lair was coming near. The three friends and the enemy flew out of the tunnel. Light blinded Ben, as he could remembered being awaken each morning for school by his mother. His eyes hurt by the sudden change. He then realized that he was still flying in the air. He looked around, sky seemed to fill every direction. He looked to his right. They were falling down another cliff. Before he could brace himself he felt the impact. Darkness filled his senses.