Morsambula: The Plan

Isaiah knows now how he needs to end this monster that's been terrorizing on and off the reservation. It doesn't sound easy, but it's necessary. Kids keep going missing. But will he be able to defeat Morsambula, and all the Mors, and rescue the kids… all by himself?

**************

This is Part 5 of the Morsambula Series. The Final story in the series. Head here if you haven't read Part 1 yet.

Or if you need to read Part 2, head here.

Or if you need to read Part 3, head here.

Or if you need to read Part 4, head here.

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A sharp knocking at Isaiah's door surprises him. He fears it's Jessica again. But it's not. It's Adriel. He looks annoyed.

"What's up?" Isaiah tries to ask casually.

"I talked to Brandon." Adriel explains. "He's been acting strange. And every time I ask him about the bear attack, his story changes a little. Which made it sound less and less believable. So, I told him he had to tell me the truth."

Isaiah is worried. What would Brandon have possibly told Adriel?

"So, he told me the truth." Adriel continues. "A monster?"

"That bear was a monster…"

"He said it was an actual monster! He said it was all white! Last I checked, there aren't polar bears in Arizona!"

"Well, what with global warming…"

"Quit kidding around, Isaiah! Tell me the truth! I want to know what the hell is going on!"

"Okay." Isaiah breathes in deep. "You want the truth? Brandon told you the truth."

"A monster?"

"What more can I say to make you believe? Why do you think we didn't say anything before? You'd never believe this."

"Well, I want to believe it. I want to know what the hell is happening! Everything is so crazy right now. Kids going missing, your place keeps getting destroyed, that light in the woods, the cuts on your shoulders…"

"Okay!" Isaiah cuts Adriel off with force. "You want to believe? Then, I'll get you to believe. The best way to accomplish that is for you to see with your own eyes."

"See what? A monster?"

"Tell Nev you're staying over here tonight. And bring dinner."

Adriel does just that. In fact, he promptly leaves to get them dinner. When he returns, the two oddly hang out as if nothing is going on. As if children aren't missing and all hell isn't breaking loose around them. They watch a baseball game and eat and talk. But Isaiah makes sure to devote some time to explaining to Adriel in detail what has been going on. About Morsambula showing up, destroying his place, the light in the forest, how it leads underneath, how that's where Brandon was, and the other kids.

Adriel takes it all in, He's as receptive as his logical brain will allow him to be. He never questions anything other than to gain more information. He throws skepticism out the window and just listens.

But Isaiah can tell he still doesn't believe. Lucky for the two of them it's almost midnight.

Adriel is relaxed, but he keeps checking his watch. He's growing impatient.

"It's not exactly midnight, man." Isaiah whispers. "It's not like it has a watch."

"I know… I just…"

Adriel is interrupted by a loud thump in the bedroom. The two whip their heads towards the sound. They sit still on the couch, peering past the entranceway, towards the bedroom. A slight shadow moves across the floor, growing larger, and larger…

"Come on!" Isaiah whispers hurriedly.

He peels Adriel off the couch and they duck behind it, just out of sight. But they peek out… and they watch.

Adriel finally believes. As soon as he sees that massive, white beast stomp into the entranceway, snarling, sniffing, and grunting. Adriel is visibly shaking, but that doesn't stop him from capturing a video on his phone. Isaiah holds his hand on Adriel's shoulder, hoping that's enough to remind him that the beast cannot cross the threshold. Then again, Isaiah is far too nervous to make a sound, just in case he's wrong about that.

Morsambula sniffs the air rapidly. His head cocks back and forth, and then stops as it faces towards the two of them. Adriel lets out a soft gasp. Morsambula sniffs again, sniffs harder. He unleashes a massive roar that shakes the walls of the house. He swings his fist into the wall and blasts bits of dry wall over the place as he stomps back into Isaiah's bedroom. The light flashes… and then silence.

The two stand up. Adriel is in shock. His mouth hangs open. He turns around to face Isaiah just as a cool wind sweeps into the room and the Native American spirit appears. Adriel screams in fear and jumps back.

Isaiah ignores him and grabs the book, open to the pages about the Plane Stepper.

"So, the Plane Stepper is Morsambula." Isaiah says. "And I have to kill him twice?"

"Yes." The spirit answers plainly.

"Once up here… and once down there? It's the only way?"

"Morsambula is not easy to kill. It will take more than one attempt."

The spirit looks around in a panic… and vanishes.

*******

"You're not doing this alone!" Adriel yells.

"You're not doing it with me!" Isaiah yells back. "You have your family!"

"Everyone around here has a family and we all want this to stop!" Adriel yells back even louder.

"Not me." Isaiah drops his voice. "I don't have a family. It makes sense for me to do this."

It's quiet. Adriel stops at the stop light. The sun beams in through his windshield.

"If there are as many of those things down there as you said there were… you couldn't possibly do this alone." Adriel's voice is nearly breaking.

"I'm doing this so that families can stop getting torn apart." Isaiah responds. "This isn't a power trip. This is the most logical choice. I have every intention of returning, but if I don't, it's not anyone's father, it's not anyone's kid, it's just me."

Adriel sighs. The light turns green and he steps on the gas. They pull into the diner for breakfast.

"But it's all for nothing if you can't get the job done. And alone… you can't get that job done. You need help." Adriel says.

The two enjoy breakfast. Enjoy isn't the perfect word for this. They fill their bodies with food because their bodies need it. They enjoy each other's company but they hardly speak.

After breakfast, Adriel drives them… but not back to Isaiah's home. Isaiah is confused. First, Adriel collects Tommy. Then, he picks up Forrest. He drives off to an abandoned parking lot. Adriel tells Isaiah that they need to explain the situation to Tommy and Forrest. Isaiah is reluctant. He doesn't expect the two to believe this story.

But that's when Adriel shows the two the video of Morsambula on his phone.

After the cursing and terror and bewildered comments subside… Adriel puts Isaiah in the spotlight. Isaiah explains to Tommy and Forrest everything… everything that has happened thus far… everything they know… everything they know about stopping Morsambula.

Before Isaiah can even explain to Adriel once more that he shouldn't come… Tommy and Forrest both invite themselves to participate. Isaiah is trying to put up a fight, but he's losing to three stubbornly helpful men.

"This isn't a one-man job, this isn't a two-man job." Tommy explains. "Hell, this isn't even a four-man job, but we need all the numbers we can get."

"You guys have families." Isaiah tries to reason with them.

"And so does everyone else in the area." Forrest says. "Some of them are broken families. I've seen enough broken families."

So, it's settled. Isaiah didn't want this, but now he has this, and secretly he's glad that he does. Adriel, Tommy, Forrest, and himself.

"That legend said 15 days Morsambula could be up here?" Adriel recalls. "15 days from the full moon, from the first time he came up here… how long ago was that?"

Isaiah recalls the nights in his head. He counts the days. His eyes widen.

"What?" Adriel stares at Isaiah.

"I think tonight is the last chance we have… otherwise, we wait another 15 days." Isaiah speaks slowly.

"We're not waiting that long." Adriel says confidently.

"Then, we're doing it tonight." Isaiah scans each one of them, scans their eyes. They're all scared. But they're all sure. They're all ready.

*******

"Eat more potatoes!" Ray shoves the bowl in front of Isaiah.

Isaiah laughs. He looks up. Adriel and Nev are staring at him from across the table. They both nod.

"We made plenty." Nev says with a sad chuckle.

"Sure did!" Forrest says through a mouthful of food.

Isaiah scoops out more potatoes onto his plate. He's now piling onto his plate a third serving of potatoes, and subsequently a third serving of several other dishes. Here he sits with Adriel, Nev, Brandon, Ray, Tommy, and Forrest, eating a feast.

Adriel and Nev prepared this dinner and purposely made it to be extravagant. A plethora of foods. Massive portions. Like a pre-celebratory dinner for warriors before they head out into the battlefield. Serving two purposes. One, nourishment. Two, just in case it is anyone's last meal, best to go all out.

Nev knows what's going on. Adriel explained it to her. She hated it at first, but then she quickly accepted that Adriel had to do this. She's been fighting back tears all evening. She's such a strong woman. Isaiah admires her deeply. Brandon has caught on to what is going on even though no one has explained any of this to him.

Tommy and Forrest couldn't bring themselves to tell their wives or their families. No one blames them. So, this has all been painted as a guy's night. The four are "going to Isaiah's to play poker, hang out, and watch a baseball game."

Funnily enough, everyone at this table knows that's a lie, with the exception of little Ray. Little Ray, pushing the bowl of green beans towards Isaiah.

"Eat some more green beans Uncle Isaiah!" Ray says with a smile he hasn't flashed in days.

"Uncle?" Isaiah is taken aback. He stifles a tear.

Adriel opens his mouth. Isaiah has no idea what he's going to say, but before he can say anything he interrupts. "I like that. Will you always call me that, little Ray?"

Ray nods and gives Isaiah a big hug. Nev pulls herself out of her chair quickly and exits the room. She yells out something about her contact as she raises her hand to her eyes.

After everyone has eaten as much as they can, and after everyone has eaten more than they possibly can, Adriel breaks out a board game.

"Just a quick one!" Adriel says. "Before we go off to poker night."

They split up in teams. Tommy and Forrest. Nev and Adriel. And Ray and Brandon team up with Isaiah.

"Me and my nephews."

The games end and the men get ready to head to Isaiah's place. Brandon brings each of their jackets to them and gives each of them a big hug. He squeezes his dad tightly and stifles his tears. He squeezes Isaiah just as tightly and breaks. He leaves the room to hide his tears.

Ray hugs each of them goodbye. Nev does the same. One long, passionate kiss for Adriel. And the men leave.

*******

Isaiah, Adriel, Tommy, and Forrest sit in Isaiah's living room, waiting. They do indeed play poker to pass the time. They do indeed watch a baseball game to pass the time. But all eyes are trained on the entranceway. Everyone is equipped. Loads of sugar on them. Loads of sugar in the wagon in the kitchen. Sugar poured out onto the floor of the entranceway. Guns and knives strapped to each of their bodies, as much as they can fit on themselves.

And so they wait like this. Bodies heavy with their weapons. Sweat pooling up under the heat of the objects strapped to their bodies. Nerves causing more sweat. The four sit still, but they're drenched in sweat like four marathon runners.

Tommy throws his cards down on the table. "Four Jacks!"

"What the hell! You had four Aces last hand. Are you cheating?" Forrest yells with a laugh.

"Might be my last day alive, you think I'm going to cheat to win a poker game?" Tommy smirks.

"Yes. Yes, I do." Forrest quips.

"I'm just lucky. Always have been."

Smiles and chuckles all around. A low grumbling from Isaiah's bedroom disintegrates all laughter and sends every smile fleeing from the scene. Everyone readies their guns.

A thunderous footstep in the bedroom.

Another footstep.

Safeties off. Guns trained on the entranceway.

Another footstep.

Low growling.

And then the upper half of Morsambula emerges from the bedroom, staring out into the entranceway at the piles of sugar on the floor. He stops. Staring at the sugar, not advancing towards it.

"Does he know about the sugar?" Adriel whispers.

"I think so." Isaiah responds.

"Then, we should open fire." Tommy says.

He's the first to squeeze his trigger. Then, everyone follows. The bullets ring out across Isaiah's home, but Morsambula is quick. He ducks back into the bedroom, behind the safety of thick walls.

They stop firing and wait. Silence. Except for a low grumbling.

"He's not coming out." Forrest says.

"We have to go to him." Isaiah says.

Isaiah steps forward first, inching towards the entranceway. The others follow. Isaiah stoops down and scoops up a handful of sugar. He motions towards the sugar. Adriel and Forrest grab handfuls of sugar as well. Tommy doesn't grab any sugar, he motions with his gun, signaling he will fire first.

Everyone collects at the doorway of Isaiah's bedroom. They're now on the half of the house that's off the reservation. They can hear Morsambula growling, louder, and louder. With his fingers, Isaiah counts down from three, two, one…

He jumps into the room, locates Morsambula and throws his fistful of sugar at his face. Morsambula begins to lunge but becomes paralyzed. Adriel jumps in and throws sugar at Morsambula. Forrest does the same. Morambula is frozen. Tommy jumps in, pistol at the ready. He moves past the others, towards Morsambula, and begins firing. He unloads several shots into Morsambula's abdomen, several of the bullets barely pierce the skin. Tommy moves closer, still firing.

Morsambula grunts, suddenly twitching his neck, then his arms. Tommy's gun clicks. Empty. He tries to move back but Morsambula swings a heavy, porcelain-white arm at Tommy, cracking down onto his shoulder. A sickening pop rings out just before Tommy's screaming voice drowns it out. He drops to the floor in a crumpled mess.

Morsambula gets ready to attack again, but Adriel and Forrest take turns firing shots into his abdomen. Several bullets cause Morsambula to recoil back, many of them do about as much damage as throwing a screw at someone would.

Isaiah sprints out of the room, into the kitchen, grabbing a bag of sugar and a big knife. He races back, slicing the bag open. He runs into the room as Adriel and Forrests' pistols run out of ammo. Morsambula swings his arm out, Adriel lurches backwards, knocking Forrest over as he evades getting hit. They fall to the floor.

Morsambula roars in deafening fashion, hovering over Tommy. Isaiah flings the torn bag of sugar at Morsambula. Sugar grains pelt his body and embed into his many wounds in his abdomen… and he freezes.

Isaiah readies his knife and charges. He plunges the knife deep into Morsambula's chest. The feeling of impact reverberates back through Isaiah's forearms. He feels the life drain out of Morsambula. He yanks the knife out and Morsambula disappears in a blinding flash of light.

It's silent with the exception of everyone's panting. Everyone catches their breath.

"My arm is broken!" Tommy screams out.

Quickly, everyone drags him back out to the living room. His left arm is indeed broken.

"Can you pop it back in?" Tommy asks Adriel.

"I can. But don't ask if it won't hurt like hell." He responds.

"Just do it."

"You should go to a hospital. They'll do a better job than me."

"I don't have time to go to a hospital! I have to help you guys out down there!"

"There's no way in hell you're going down there like this!" Isaiah interjects.

"Three people won't be enough for the job." Tommy grunts through pain. "Even with me being half of what I would've been, it's better than if I don't go."

"You're in no condition!" Isaiah screams at him. "What are you going to do?"

"I'll have one good arm for laying down cover fire."

Everyone considers this. A debate opens up. As much as they hate to admit it, they realize Tommy is right. As it was, four people didn't feel like enough. But it was what they had to work with. Limiting themselves to three people is a massive hit. Three and a half? It's better. Tommy with one arm can fire at the beasts while the others are grabbing the children.

After wasting much time, they all agree. Adriel snaps Tommy's arm back into place. They put his arm in a makeshift sling. Tommy throws back copious amounts of bourbon to dull the pain. He readies himself with pistols and ammunition at the ready. He confirms he can reload in his state. Isaiah and Adriel take a plethora of guns. Forrest takes the big guns.

And everyone has knives.

"Were the bullets even doing anything?" Adriel asks.

"The last time I had to stab him twice." Isaiah explains. "This time, just once. So, the bullets must've been doing something. But I don't know… they don't work as well as a knife?"

"That doesn't make much sense." Forrest responds.

Tommy takes another big swig of bourbon, winces, and lets out a satisfied exhale. "What about this does make sense?"

"Okay, we wasted a lot of time." Isaiah rounds up his troops. "Everyone ready? Guns? Knives? Sugar?"

Silent nods all around. One last swig from Tommy who is approaching stinking drunk. He passes the bottle to Forrest. A swig for him. A swig for Adriel. A healthy swig for Isaiah. He leaves the bottle on the kitchen counter, hoping they'll be back to finish the bottle.

They march across the field in hurried fashion, wagon of sugar in tow. They leave Isaiah's house in their rearview, it's smaller and smaller in the distance behind them, the forest looming larger and larger as they approach it. The bright light shining up high.

"Forrest is returning to the forest." Tommy chuckles. "Do you feel like you're at home?"

"I have always been a lover of the forest." Forrest admits. "Maybe not so much now."

"We're going to change this." Isaiah says seriously. "The forest will be safe again."

The four reach the edge of the forest. They approach the giant beam of light.

"Are we all ready?"

Everyone confirms after taking deep breaths.

"Just stick to the plan."

Isaiah shields his eyes from the bright beam of light. He glances at the hole in the forest floor that the light extends from. There's that eight-foot drop. He jumps down into the hole first. As he lands on the ground in the cave below, he catches himself, only stumbling slightly. Adriel jumps in next. Forrest helps Tommy as he jumps into the hole. Isaiah and Adriel do their best to catch him on his right side, avoiding his bum left arm. Forrest tosses down their ammunition of sugar. Then, he hops in himself.

The four move away from the beam of light shining up into the forest and navigate into the house-sized underground room in the cave. They let their eyes adjust to the darkness of the cave, slowly able to view their surroundings. A plain room in the cave… but then… there's the doorway in the wall straight ahead of them, leading into the enormous room.

They inch towards the doorway slowly. The light from inside the enormous room grows brighter, the sounds of marching and grunting and heavy footsteps grow louder. They inch closer. Closer. As they reach the doorway, they all peer in, careful not to make any noise.

There it is. Just as Isaiah described. A massive underground room in this cave beyond comprehension. It is filled with these same large, white, upright, muscular beasts. Though, not a one has the same human-like eyes as Morsambula.

These are Mors. The beasts of this underworld. No hybrids with humans like Morsambula. But the same huge size, scary claws, sharp teeth. They march around in the room, doing work. Building. Forcing their slaves to build. Many of their slaves are spirits. Already dead, longing to head to an eternal resting place. Instead, burdened with endless labor until they wither away into enough nothingness for their bones to be consumed.

Adriel is the first to notice the four children. They're off to the rightmost portion of the room. A few of these Mors watch over them as they are helping to build structures. Sweaty, dirty, crying.

Adriel turns to Isaiah, tears in his eyes. "Is that where Brandon was?"

"No." Isaiah responds quickly. "He managed to hide back here, used his candy bar to fend off Morsambula. The sugar in it…"

"What a smart kid."

"Let's go get these other kids." Forrest says, readying his hands on his gun.

Everyone nods in agreement. Adriel wipes the tears away from his eyes. Isaiah counts down with his fingers. Three. Two.

One.

Isaiah and Adriel charge into the room, running down the sloped rock walkway. They each fling a bag of sugar into the air over the tops of the Mors. Tommy and Forrest fire at the bags from their perched position at the doorway, tearing the bags open and spraying sugar over several unsuspecting beasts.

The beasts freeze in their tracks and Isaiah and Adriel open fire at them. Several shots hitting into their abdomens. A few of the beasts fall to the ground and bleed out. A few others remain standing, blinking their eyes open as they awaken from their trance. As Isaiah and Adriel near, they rip their knives out and stab them into the abdomens of the beasts, dropping them to the ground.

Tommy heaves bags of sugar into the room. Forrest lays cover fire from the doorway. Shots ring out everywhere. The children scream. The beasts absorb bullets and roar in pain and in anger. Isaiah reaches for another bag of sugar first, tossing it into the air and yelling Tommy's name.

Tommy fires at the bag, tearing it open and spraying sugar everywhere, paralyzing more beasts. Adriel tosses another bag of sugar, Tommy pops it open. More sugar, more paralysis. The beasts watching over the children have been paralyzed. Forrest lays massive cover fire at beasts, both the paralyzed and those fully mobile and stomping towards them in anger.

Isaiah and Adriel grab hold of a child each and carry them back up towards the walkway. The other two children scream out to be taken.

"We'll be back in one second!" Isaiah screams out.

The children try to follow but a beast steps into their path, blocking them. Isaiah and Adriel carry the kids they have back up the sloped walkway, back towards the doorway where Forrest sprays bullet after bullet at the beasts.

He stops to reload. Isaiah and Adriel sprint past him into the other room and set the kids down. Meanwhile, Tommy opens fire on the beasts, taking out monster after monster. All of the paralyzed beasts have awoken again and have begun charging. Isaiah and Adriel rejoin and fling bags of sugar out. Tommy pops them open with his pistol. The sugar sprays out again. More beasts paralyzed.

"I'm out!" Tommy starts reloading his pistol with one hand.

Forrest has finished reloading and lays cover fire as Isaiah and Adriel run back down the path towards the two remaining children. Isaiah and Adriel continue to fire until they are out of bullets. From behind, Tommy begins heaving bags of sugar into the massive room, over the tops of the hundreds of charging beasts, Forrest is steadily ripping them open with bullets, and the sugar continues to rain down on beasts and freezing them in their tracks.

Isaiah and Adriel are reloaded, but begin stabbing and slicing frozen beasts with their knives. More massive, porcelain white bodies dropping to the ground, but hundreds more charge from the rear of the room.

Isaiah and Adriel continue to move back towards the two remaining children, still crying and screaming. But one beast still blocks them, he stares at the two incoming, puny humans with evil eyes. Adriel whips out a bag of sugar and throws it. Before either he or Isaiah can blast it open, the beast jumps up and swats it out of the air. He lands back on his feet, shaking the ground beneath them.

"Does anyone have any more sugar?!" Adriel yells out.

The beast stomps towards the two of them. Isaiah reaches into his jacket, feeling around for sugar, unable to find any. But then, his hand grips something solid and rectangular. He pulls it out. A candy bar. Brandon's favorite candy bar.

"Is this from Brandon?" Isaiah asks.

"That kid really is a smart little-"

Isaiah rips the candy bar open and charges at the monster. As the monster swings a meaty paw at Isaiah he blocks the impact with the candy bar. The sugary chocolate smashes in the beast's hand and causes the beast's entire body to shudder and freeze for just a moment. Adriel locates a candy bar in his pocket as well. He rushes towards the beast and does the same thing, jamming the candy bar right into the beast's mouth. The beast gurgles strangely and his body twitches and trembles. Isaiah and Adriel draw their knives and end the monster, dropping it to the ground.

They jump past the beast, grab the two remaining children, and bolt for the exit. As they sprint up the walkway, Forrest and Tommy continue swapping back and forth, one throwing bags of sugar, the other firing at the bags and firing at the beasts below. They pause for a moment to allow Isaiah and Adriel to run past them into the smaller room. They set the children down next to the other two who stare up at the hole in the ceiling with the magnificent light stretching out of it into the night sky.

Isaiah reaches into Tommy and Forrest's jackets and locates a candy bar in each one. He pulls them out and tells them to head to the hole.

Isaiah and Adriel stand at the doorway and lay down cover fire. They blast their guns at the beasts, dropping several, but the countless numbers of massive white monsters is too much. They keep coming. The crowds of them are coming closer and closer to the doorway.

"Hurry!" Isaiah screams out.

Forrest is in the process of boosting Tommy up to the hole. Tommy has gripped the edge of the forest floor with one hand and is pulling himself up as he is boosted up by Forrest.

"Out!" Adriel yells.

Forrest tosses his gun to Adriel and then jumps up, grabbing onto the edge of the forest floor. He lifts himself out of the cave.

"What about us?!" One child screams.

"That's your cue." Isaiah grabs the massive gun from Adriel after tossing his empty gun to the ground.

"What about Morsambula?" Adriel asks. "We have to kill him again. Down here."

"I have no idea where he is. We don't have time. We don't have ammo! Just go!"

Adriel listens to Isaiah and runs over to the children. One by one, he boosts the children up to Forrest, who leans into the hole, the magnificent beam of light shining right in his face. He grabs each kid by their hands and pulls them up to safety into the forest.

Adriel lifts the last kid up to Forrest.

"Isaiah, I think we got to go!" Adriel yells out.

"Go ahead! I'm right behind you!" Isaiah yells back, repeatedly laying cover fire at the beasts.

Adriel jumps up and pulls himself out of the cave and into the forest. Isaiah blasts the last of the bullets at the beasts… still so many more approaching. He takes out the two candy bars and rips them open. He smears chocolate all over the floor and walls of the doorway.

He finishes and moves towards the hole, Adriel is waiting at the top of the hole, ready to help Isaiah up. The beam of light is bright… but not as bright as before. It is slowly dimming.

"Hurry up!" Adriel yells.

Isaiah turns back as he hears the clamoring of the beasts at the doorway. They won't cross the threshold of the doorway, roaring angrily at the chocolate smeared on the floor and walls.

Just then, the light next to the hole flickers. Isaiah turns towards it… and there stands Morsambula… breathing slowly and heavily. Those human eyes, searing holes right through Isaiah.

"He's here! He's back!" Isaiah shouts out.

Adriel, Tommy, and Forrest stand at the edge of the hole, peering in. Morsambula is blocking Isaiah's path towards the hole, slowly stepping to the side as Isaiah does the same. The two circle one another. Morsambula breathes heavily through his nose. The Mors at the doorway are roaring in anger as they watch on.

A white fist punches the wall of the doorway, hitting the chocolate smeared on the rock and paralyzing the body momentarily… but then the beast regains mobility. Another beast does the same, hitting the chocolate covered wall, paralyzing itself, but smearing the chocolate off the wall. Another beast stomps on the chocolate on the floor. Temporary paralysis, but permanent removal of chocolate.

"They're figuring out that they can get in, Isaiah!" Adriel screams down from above. "You got to do something!"

"Do you have any weapons? Any sugar?" Forrest yells out.

Adriel and Tommy both respond that they don't. Morsambula's lips curl, almost as if he's smiling. He and Isaiah continue to circle one another, Morsambula still blocking Isaiah's path towards the hole. The light beaming up out of the hole is dimming more and more. The Mors are continually slamming fists and feet into the chocolate in the doorway, removing more and more of it.

"You need to come up with a move and come up with it now, Isaiah!" Adriel yells out.

Isaiah nods. He pulls his knife out. Morsambula stares at the simple blade and the blood stained on it, the blood of his brethren. Isaiah readies himself.

"You ready?" Isaiah says to Morsambula.

Morsambula's eyes light up in a way as if he understands.

"You got any more sugar?" Adriel screams out, unaware the beast may understand every word he speaks.

"I have no more bags of sugar to throw!" Isaiah yells back.

And Morsambula smiles.

The son of a bitch does understand.

Morsambula leaps at Isaiah and Isaiah leaps at him simultaneously! Morsambula's clawed hands extend outwards towards Isaiah, ready to slash right into him. Isaiah extends his arms, offering his forearms to the beast. Morsambula's claws tear right through the fabric of the forearms of Isaiah's jacket and dig in…

…and Morsambula freezes in place.

Isaiah rips his arms back, sugar spilling out on the floor. Isaiah reaches underneath the arms of his jacket and grabs the bags of sugar he taped to his forearms. He tears them off, massive holes in them. He throws them at Morsambula, sugar spraying out through the claw holes and cascading all over the completely paralyzed Morsambula.

Isaiah makes quick work of his knife. Into the abdomen, into the chest, into the chest again, again, again, again… he wants to make sure this thing is dead.

When it falls to the ground and the light takes it and it disappears… Isaiah knows it is dead.

The light from Morsambula's disappearing and dying body fades… and Isaiah realizes the room is so dim… the light shining up through the hole hardly exists. He turns around and looks up, just in time to see the rock ceiling above him closing up, and his friends' faces vanishing behind it.

Isaiah sprints towards the hole as it continues to close up. He jumps towards the sliver of an opening that remains. His hands grasp the forest floor… for just a moment, and it's the last moment he feels the living, breathing beauty of the dirt from his home. He never cared about dirt or soil before, but that fleeting moment touching it, connecting with something living, whether it was really living or not, it meant the world.

The rock ceiling quickly closes in around his hands and squeezes his fingertips, causing him to lose his grip and fall back down to the rock floor. The last glimpse he sees of the world above him before the hole in the ceiling completely closes up is the beautiful moon… and Adriel's terrified eyes, welling up. A lovely and saddening sight.

Isaiah pulls himself up off the rock floor, in near pitch dark, with the exception of the light coming in through the doorway to the enormous room… the doorway that has several gigantic beasts clamoring to break through.

For a brief moment, Isaiah hears the shouting of his friends above. But as soon as the Mors remove all the smeared chocolate from the doorway, the thunderous sounds of their footsteps and their bellowing roars is all he hears. And all he sees, in a pitch black room, is a sea of giant white bodies flooding the room, consuming all space… slowly… consuming…

*******

It's another Sunday in the forest. Everyone from the reservation is there, weeping, saying nice things about Isaiah. Adriel leads the ceremony but can never finish it without bursting into tears. Nev always has to finish for him.

People leave flowers at the headstone set down in the forest right where the hole was once upon a time. The hole has never opened up again. The light has never shone out again. Morsambula has never returned. Everyone has remained safe.

Forrest sets down a note that he wrote to Isaiah. Tommy pours a glass of bourbon, takes one sip, and sets it down next to the headstone.

Brandon and Ray approach in the small tailored suits that Nev picked out for them. Brandon sets his favorite candy bar down in the dirt next to the headstone. He and Ray place their hands on top of the headstone and say goodbye once again to the man who saved the community, the man they considered family, the man they called Uncle Isaiah.

**************

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