Josh opened his eyes and felt a bit light headed. He looked around and did not recognize where he was. It was not JJ’s old house. All he could see was black. He lifted his hand and he could see it. It was not dark it was just black. He looked to the right and to the left and saw nothing but black.
“Hello,” said a woman’s voice.
Josh turned and jumped and looked in every direction and could not find the source. He closed his eyes and tried to use his telepathy but he could not access his powers. He then said, “Who are you? Where are you?”
“I’m where you are,” said the woman. “I am just an egg.”
“You’re the Lurker egg?” Josh asked confused.
“Yes,” confirmed the voice. “I am the Lurker egg. Though I’m not just any kind of egg. I’m very special.”
“Yes you’re invisible,” said Josh. “I think that’s pretty special. Why don’t you show yourself to me? I like sexy women.”
“I am not sexy,” said the voice. “I might sound that way only because it’s pleasing to your ears. My looks will be an exact contradiction to how I sound to you.”
“You’re not born yet and yet you can speak,” Josh asked still trying to see if he could find the voice with just his eyes. He started to walk around with his hands out in front of him as if he was in the dark, even though he knew he was not.
“I am in control,” said the woman.
“What do you mean in control?” Josh asked growing annoyed.
“Do not get annoyed,” said the woman. “I can feel your annoyance levels rising. I am now in control of you. You are no longer in control of your own body unless I state otherwise,” said the voice.
Josh saw a woman in the distances. He started running towards her as fast as he could. She never seemed to get closer. He felt like he was running in place. He stopped and said as he breathed hard, “I demand to know what the hell is going on.”
She then all the sudden appeared in front of him and said, “This is not my true form. Again it’s to appeal to your liking. I’m accommodating to my hosts.” She had a nice tone woman’s body with long dark hair that was hard to see because of the black that surrounded them.
“Where am I?” Josh asked as he calmed down.
“You are exactly where you’ve always been,” said the woman as she walked around him and started to walk back to where Josh assumed he had run from.
Josh made a face and followed her. He said, “My own body?”
“Correct,” said the woman.
Josh waited but she did not say anything further. “Why?”
“Why what,” the woman asked as she lifted her hands and the area that was black filled with familiar faces. It was as if they were looking out through his eyes as Twelve, JJ and others were looking down at him. “They cannot see us but you and I can see them. You have friends that care a lot about you. You must feel special.”
“I do,” said Josh as he calmed a little more. He then said, as he turned around to look at everyone he could see, “Why am I here?”
“You’re here because I brought you here,” said the woman. “You have to make a choice.” She turned and looked at him. “You can save them from the danger that is brimming around them or you can let them die.” She pointed up. “I’m going to allow you to decide. I am not, however, going to make it as black and white as I just did.”
“What is it that I have to do to save them,” Josh asked sounding a bit nervous.
“I commend you on the try that you just preformed in seeing if I’d slip and say something,” said the woman. “But I know you better than you think.” She smiled.
“What is your name,” Josh asked.
“Queen,” said the woman.
“I’ve heard of Prince but never Queen,” said Josh almost giggling.
“Giggle if you wish,” Queen said, “but it’s not a name without merit.”
“You’re the Queen of the Lurkers?” Josh said astounded.
She nodded.
“Why?” Josh asked looking directly at her with astonishment and disgust.
“Because you’re special and I need that for what it is I’m going to accomplish,” said Queen. “My body is dying. This egg that is inside you has all of me in it. I’m to form a new body and your powers were perfect. I assure you the process is painless. But you will no longer exist. You cannot stop me. You can try. That is your choice. You try to stop me or you allow me to do what it is I have to do and you’ll save those you claim are your friends from the danger that is to arrive in mere moments.”
Josh pointed at her and said, “You said you wouldn’t make it easy.”
She shrugged and said, “I like you. I like them. This is a necessity for survival of my kind. You are to be sacrificed. It was the least I could do.”
“What if I fight,” Josh asked with more calm than anger.
“You will lose,” said Queen. “Not only the battle but all of them.” She pointed up at the ceiling where the familiar faces filled it. Their concern was apparent. They were trying to figure out what was wrong with him.
“What is it that I have to do,” Josh asked without a single stutter of fear.
“Are you sure,” JJ asked looking at Twelve.
“Yes.JJ.Josh.Has.The.Queen.Egg,” said Twelve. “The.Insignia.On.The.Egg.Is.Defiantly.
Hers.”
“Take it out,” JJ demanded.
Dub_ moved forward and said, “It’s not that easy. From what Twelve showed me that egg has integrated itself into Josh’s body and if we even attempt to remove it Josh very well might die.”
“Then what,” JJ asked. “We do nothing?”
“There are other problems,” Kel said. “Shawn, for instances, he is infected by the Bobo Virus and he is not fairing too well. We should cut our losses with Josh and let him go and fix what it is we can.”
JJ looked at Kel and gave him a face that could only be described as deadly. Kel took a step back in fear. He had never seen such a look.
“I’m only being practical here,” said Kel as raised his hands and shook his head.
“JJ,” said Dustin. “Let me be serious for a moment and say that if Twelve and Dub_ state they cannot fix Josh it is best we do move on. I understand that this is difficult to say good bye to someone, even if it is just Josh, but we cannot make emotional decisions right now. We do have other problems. I will make the death quick and painless.”
“What,” JJ asked as he grabbed Dustin’s arm. “No one is going to kill him.”
“Some has to,” said Dub_. “If he has the Queen inside him she’ll call the other Lurkers and you can bet your bottom that Josh will not be the only casualty of a Lurker.”
Dustin looked at Bat and Bat nodded. He walked over and grabbed JJ and led him away from the kitchen table. “Come JJ we can talk outside.”
JJ followed Bat mindlessly outside.
Dustin pulled out his sword and lowered it to mark an imaginary line on Josh’s neck. He lifted it and then lowered it and then lifted it again. He held it up and the dropped it swiftly and as it came down it slipped out of his hands and went into the wall on the other side of him. It was halfway in the wall. He looked at Meg.
Meg saw him and shook her head. “It was not me.”
Dustin pulled the sword out of the wall with all the strength he could muster. He then tried it again. When the sword came down this time the sword lifted and spun. It was then lowered back into Dustin’s sheath.
“Wow,” said Twelve. “Josh’s.Body.Is.Not.Going.To.Die.Quietly.”
“Or,” said Dub_, “we are too late and the Queen has taken over.”
“What do you mean taken over,” Dustin asked.
“She chooses a host that has power,” said Dub_, “and then when she gains control she has their powers plus her not so hot look. She’ll explode out of the body ready to feast. And we’ll be the feast.”
“Oh hell no,” said Dustin. “Someone find me some explosives. I’m going to shove them in all his holes and blow him up.”
“How logical,” said Dub_.
“I know,” said Dustin as he went looking.
“What is that smell,” Will asked as he lifted Kelly out of her portal. Then the portal blinked shut.
“It’s death,” said Lindsey as she looked around. The lights were flickering on and off.
Will looked around and said, “Gross.”
Kelly groaned.
Will found a table and cleared it. He helped her up on the table and lowered her down on her back. “Don’t worry I’ll figure out something.”
Lindsey looked and saw everyone tied in the back. She used their telepathy and found out they were still alive just paralyzed and not harmed. She turned and saw Aron and she was filled in by everyone who could not move what had happened.
“Who are you,” Will asked even though he was preoccupied with finding something that would help clean the wound and the close it off until someone could fix it.
“From
He found something and pulled it off the shelf. He grabbed cotton swaps and went back over to Kelly. He started cleaning off her wound and said, “Are you not going to ask who I am?”
Lindsey said, “No. I know who you are. I’ve heard rumors.”
“Rumors are nothing to go by,” said Will. He then grabbed a bandage and proceeded to place it on Kelly’s gun shot wound.
“We’ll see,” said Lindsey. “What happened?
“A run in with Daniel the power hungry fool and his pit bull Anarchist,” said Will. He then leaned in and said to Kelly, “That’s as good as it gets for now. I’m going to have to find Andy and get him in here to help out.”
The room rumbled a bit.
“The door is locked shut by magic,” said Lindsey.
“Then how did you get in here,” Will asked looking at the door and then her.
“My powers,” she said.
“Oh,” said Will.
The door slid open. Will saw everyone but did not care and just pushed through them to go and find Andy. Kurt was shoved into the room and he hit the floor with his face landing in someone’s flesh. He spit and rolled over.
“They are paralyzed because of Aron,” Lindsey said.
“What are we going to do,” Usul asked.
“Why was Will here,” Abby asked.
Lindsey pointed at Kelly. Abby nodded.
“You are going to do nothing,” said Kurt as he arms started to stretch out and wrap around them all.
“Watch out,” Bri shouted as her hair moved about to keep Kurt’s arms away.
All the sudden the room filled with a bright light and when it left everyone was turned to cold hard stone.
Cathy’s body just disappeared in a swirl of red smoke. They were fiddling with the door. There was some sort of code that was needed to get inside.
“If we get inside will he wake up,” said Anarchist.
“Nah,” said Daniel, “He’ll most likely snore loudly in irritation. Hopefully. It is his first nap like this. It won’t be his last. Well maybe it’ll be his last.”
He dialed a couple of numbers and it buzzed him and he hit the panel in frustration. Something fell out from behind the panel and hit the ground. He bent down and picked it up. He laughed.
“Either Jeff is an idiot or Andy is a moron who shouldn’t be alive for such a stupid atrocity,” said Daniel who then hit another series of numbers and the door to the chamber opened. There was the sound as fresh air was sucked in.
“What,” Anarchist asked.
Daniel handed over the piece of paper. Anarchist looked at it and there on the paper were a series of numbers written in haste.
Just like a pharaoh in his death the scepter was held in his hand. Daniel pulled and pulled and finally the death grip Jeff had let it go. Daniel lifted the scepter into the air and said, “It’s mine.” He accidentally bumped the chamber door and shut it. It ended up reactivating the slumber process.
A bright light filled the room and when it had left Anarchist was stone.
“It is for the best,” said Bat as he put his hand on JJ’s shoulder. “I know that you want no one to ever die but death is the process of life. It’s going to happen.”
JJ looked up into the sky and said, “It’s too early for Josh to die. It just really sucks.”
Bat gave JJ a hug.
Winds rushed around both Bat and JJ. The clouds formed a dark halo over his house. Thunder and lighting passed around like a baseball in a game of catch from cloud to cloud.
“James this is no time to play,” JJ shouted.
There was no response.
“James do you hear me,” JJ yelled louder.
Someone ran out from JJ’s house and said, “I’m not doing anything.”
JJ turned and there was James. “Then what is going on?”
Kel came outside and said, “You better get in here.”
They all went inside to the sight of Josh with his hands out stretched and fire forming around him in the shape of a phoenix.
JJ ran over to Twelve and shouted over the noise of Josh’s power, “What is going on?”
“He.Is.Not.Happy,” said Twelve as he continued to scan Josh.
Chris was staring on at Josh when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned and saw Kimmy. “I have to talk to you,” said Kimmy.
“Now,” shouted Chris.
“Yes,” Kimmy demanded and grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the living room down the hall to one of the bedrooms. She threw him on the floor and said, “You’re going to listen.”
Josh’s eyes opened and smoke smolder out of them with a bit of flame. He pointed his finger out and said, “Do not leave the house.”
Thunder and lightning ravaged outside. James looked out and felt uneasy and said, “I’ve got to calm down the storm. Something is wrong.”
“James stay,” said Tina. “Josh said to stay.”
James said, “No one tells me to stay.”
He ran the front door and called up on the wind to take him up into the air. It started to rain. He closed his eyes and tried to calm the storm. “Something is so wrong.” He looked out in the distance towards Jeff’s and saw a white light that zoomed towards them. He would run back inside but the storm was out of control.
JJ went running after James to bring him back inside but as he stepped out the front door he was yanked inside and the door slammed shut. He hit the ground creating others which he quickly absorbed and stood up angry.
“What is going on,” JJ shouted.
“This is my last gift to you all,” said Josh. A tear fell from one of his eyes and left a trail that soon evaporated.
JJ pushed his way up to get up close to Josh and said, “What do you mean your last?”
Chris just looked at Kimmy and said, “We never had sex.”
“I know,” said Kimmy who just told him she’s pregnant, “which is why I have to tell you who it was.”
“Who was it,” Chris demanded as he stood up and looked at her. “I need to know.”
“Will,” said Kimmy.
Chris eyes darkened and Kimmy grew afraid of what was to come next.
“Why?” Chris asked with an even controlled tone as his hands held her.
“He tricked me,” Kimmy said.
“How,” Chris asked.
“By pretending to be you,” said Kimmy.
Chris just stood there.
“Do something,” JJ said looking at Dub_ and Twelve.
Dub_ shrugged his shoulders and Twelve said, “There.Is.Nothing.Left.To.Do.”
“JJ it’ll be okay,” said Josh without moving his head to look down at JJ. “I’m going to be fine. What is important is that everyone here will be okay too.”
“From what,” JJ said as he looked up at Josh whose flame was dying and he was lowering.
“The on coming change,” said a different voice but it came from Josh’s body.
There was a bright light that encircled the house and shown in. It never reached inside.
Josh hit the table slowly. His body ripped apart wings split the opening further apart. Out flew an insect looking creature that was roughly 3 feet long. It turned and looked everyone and said, “You can thank me later.”
JJ jumped up and tried to grab the bug and she rocketed out through the window braking one of the panes.
Josh’s body lay on the table lifeless.
JJ looked at Twelve.
Twelve shook his head and said, “Nothing.”
Shawn coughed and continued to cough. “We have more problems to contend with,” Thomas said. “We need a cure.”
“He deserves to die,” said JJ.
“No he doesn’t,” said
Twelve moved over to Shawn and said, “I.Will.See.If.I.Can.Find.Something.Different.
With.Him.That.Will.Help.Find.A.Cure.”
Dub_ followed him.
Gray said, “What about us? Can we be fixed? I’m sick of walking around like a commoner.” He walked over to JJ and said, “Death is everywhere. We are not exempt.”
JJ just looked at him and said, “I’m glad you are taking this easily.”
“I am not,” said Gray. “I’m just accepting it and trying to move forward. Come let’s go out side and bring James back inside. He must have done something the clouds are gone and the sun is shining a bit.”
They headed outside.
Josh’s body lifted up and disappeared. No one saw.
James fell from the sky and hit the ground like a stone because he was transformed into a stone.
“James,” said a man who lowered himself to look at him. “Yes you look like James. Different than I last saw you. Very stoney. Though you’ve been stoned when I’ve seen you…just not this stoned.” He heard the door open and he turned and saw JJ and Gray walk out. “We’ve gotta go,” said the man He place a metallic circle on James and hit the button. He stood up and looked at JJ and Gray and waved.
JJ and gray saw the man who was pale with a black circle around his eyes. They were taken aback by him and then in a flash he disappeared.
“Who was that?” JJ asked.
Gray let out a half laugh and said, “Derek.”
To be continued…….
In the “Queen”.
