As I squatted next to the side fence with the car keys clutched in my right hand and holding Mugsy in my left, I listened very closely for the right moment to move. I could feel my heart beating wildly out of my chest and thought that Earl could probably hear it too. I strained to hear a sound as everything suddenly went silent. The moment seemed to slow to a crawl and all I could hear was the beating of my heart pounding in my ears. This moment was going to last forever, I just knew it.
The quiet was suddenly split by Earl. I could hear glass breaking from what sounded like my sitting room. "I WILL FIND YOU DREAMCATCHER AND I WILL TAKE THE STORY RELIC I NEED!" Earl yelled as the destruction continued. "All my beautiful collectables!" I thought. "He better not break the crown of Aurastar." That was my favorite crown. I listened to what sounded like a fire being started in my living room and decided it was time to go. The noise of my bookshelves crashing and my chandelier coming down would hopefully hide any sounds I made.
I crept toward the car and unlocked it as quickly as I could. I threw Mugsy into the passenger seat and apologized as she yelped in pain. I took one last glance at the front door as I jumped into my blue Chevy Tracker. As I closed the door, the destruction noises stopped. I didn't want to start the car or even lock it until I heard some movement that would mask my departure.
Minor mistake.
A moment later a violet bolt hit my windshield, blasting the glass into a million pieces. Mugsy ducked under the passenger seat as the glass headed towards her. I wished that I could do the same thing. As the glass started to settle, I saw Earl in front of me wearing a ghoulish leering grin. At least the voice sounded like Earl; he was wearing different clothes...very different. He was wearing a ragged looking velvet red duster. Around his neck was a silver pendant in the shape of a lion. In his right hand he had a old staff split in half at the top. He laughed as he beckoned me to get out of my car and face him. I decided that was not a good idea and tried to make a break for it, but the car would not start. Suddenly, the glass ring started to make a pulsating "whirrr" sound and I noticed my fingers were tingling. I stepped out of the car, slammed the door, and never took my eyes off Earl.
"You want me, you got me!" I yelled unflinchingly. I may have sounded fearless but my mind was yelling something completely different. My thoughts went something like, "oh crap, oh crap, oh God, oh God. please help, please help! "
"What do you want?" I demanded "Oh crap, stop talking just stop talking"
"You knows what I want. Give me the chamber key." Earl demanded and moved forward.
"I don't know about any chamber key. Look I think you've got the wrong...person...um dreamcatcher." I stammered as I took a step backward. My plan was really simple...throw my keys at his head and run.
"Oh nope I don't, I can tell by that little glass ring that you're wearing. You think I wouldn't recognize the symbol of your people?" "Plus, you have a different...light about you, sews I could tell. I must admit you are not like I pictured you would be. you got a little.." he gave a mean spirited laugh "fat."
"That's something coming from a guy who looks like a Biggest Loser reject. what do you weigh under that velvet duster ? 425..450?" I criticized and took another step back. "what are you doing? stop making him mad. shut up shut up, shut up."
"Let's see how out of practice the little Taloa Dreamcatcher is." As Earl grabbed his staff with both hands and started chanting, a violet bubble began to rise out of the top. I rocked back and forth, not really knowing what to do, and hoped that I would soon wake up from this obviously terrible dream.
Earl gave a final yell and sent the violet bubble racing toward me. I instinctively moved to the left as it barely sailed past my face at a breakneck speed. As my driver's side mirror shattered, I caught a glint from a piece of broken glass. In this moment I felt my past returning to me. I knew what I had to do.
