AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is what happens when I loop "Tubular Bells" on my iPod. For those of you who don't know, "Tubular Bells" (by Mike Oldfield) was the theme from the movie, "The Exorcist" (a movie which I won't touch with a ten foot pole). I've written some doozies before, but I think this one might just take the cake. This one has similar elements to a Camp Monkee Mallard story I wrote back in 2003 called "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," but this is NOT a rehash of that story. As always, the Impossibles and Big D belong to Hanna-Barbera. All other characters you encounter belong to me. Also, Big D's and the Impossibles' real names are ones I created, due to the fact that they was never given on the original cartoon.
It was late at night on the docks of Megatropolis. A cargo ship was coming into the docks, loaded with imports from India. On the boat, as a passenger, was an Indian teenager. His name was Sanjay Patel. The cargo ship was his only way he could afford to get out of his country. He carried a wooden box with him. An intricate pattern was carved into the wooden box. Only Sanjay knew what was inside of it, and he had to make certain no one found out.
Sanjay's grandfather had entrusted him with the object inside the box, telling him to take it as far away from their land as he could. The object in the box was a moonstone amulet, but no ordinary amulet. It was said that this amulet was possessed by an evil spirit named Maldour. Whenever anyone wore the amulet, they would become possessed by this spirit, and not even the most skilled exorcist can dispel it. It is said that nothing can stop the spirit in the amulet once a body has been possessed, until the spirit is finished with them.
But, thankfully, there was a way to keep Maldour from possessing someone. The amulet had to be locked inside the wooden box. As long as the amulet was in the box, Maldour couldn't get out, unless someone opened the box. And Maldour's spirit was a tricky one. He could be heard from inside the box, trying to get someone to open it. And there had been many people who have opened the box without knowing any better. Whenever anyone opened the box, Maldour's spirit would then entice them to put on the amulet. And once someone put on the amulet, there was no turning back for them.
Sanjay's grandfather would have made the trip to America himself, but he was unable to, as he was a victim of the wrath of Maldour's spirit. Sanjay had also lost both his parents, as well as his older brothers and sister to the wrath of the spirit of the amulet. Before he died, Sanjay's grandfather instructed his youngest grandchild to take the box far, far away, where no one would find it. He was told not to just dump the box into the ocean, where someone would likely dig it up somewhere, and the cycle would begin all over again.
As Sanjay walked along the streets of Megatropolis, wondering what in the world he was going to do with this box, he heard something knock.
"Who is there?" he asked, looking around, but he was alone. Nervously, he continued walking. The knocking continued, and Sanjay realized it was coming from the box.
"Let me out, Sanjay," a deep, ominous voice said. "It's awfully difficult to breathe in here."
"Augh!" Sanjay screamed, dropping the box. "Grandfather warned me about this. I must not open the box!"
"I can tell you how to open the box," the voice said. "It really isn't too hard. A smart boy like you can figure it out in no time at all, I'm sure."
"No! No, I will not set you free!" Sanjay shouted, picking up the box. "You will only use me to take over the world! I will not do it!"
"You know you want to, Sanjay. You know you want to open the box."
"I am not listening to you!"
Sanjay began running, trying to find an appropriate place to dispose of the cursed amulet. He kept running and running until he saw a tall building in the distance. He smiled once he saw it, greatly relieved.
"This must be the building Grandfather talked about," he said. "The American law enforcement agency. I am sure Grandfather's friend, Davis Dawson, will help me!"
Sanjay ran for the Secret Security Headquarters building as fast as he possibly could. It was late, and not very many agents worked the night shift. And it was almost positive that the chief of the organization, Davis "Big D" Dawson, wasn't there. He hardly ever worked the night shift.
In any case, Sanjay ran into the building, and was about to run for the elevator when he was stopped by the building's security.
"Hold it!" one officer shouted. "Sorry, kid, but you can't just barge in here, you know."
"I am sorry," Sanjay said. "But it is of the utmost importance that I speak with Mr. Dawson immediately if not sooner."
"He expecting you?"
"No, sir. But it is vitally important!"
"Important or not, kid, the chief isn't here anyway. He went home hours ago. He doesn't work the night shift. Go home and back in the morning."
"I can not go home. I came all the way from India, and I do not have anywhere else to go. If you will permit it, I will stay right here in this room and wait until Mr. Dawson arrives."
The security people looked at each other, and talked it over in a huddle. Once they were done, they turned back to Sanjay.
"What's in the box, kid?" the guard asked.
"Believe me, sir, you would not believe me," Sanjay said. "What is in this box is extremely dangerous. But I assure you, I do not intend on using it against Mr. Dawson, or America or anything like that."
"How about letting us see what's in it?"
"You mean open the box? I do not think that would be a very wise decision."
"We don't have to open it, we can just put it on the X-ray machine."
Sanjay agreed, and gave the box to the security people. They stuck it through the X-ray machine and found the amulet inside.
"What is that thing?" one of the security guards asked.
"It is the Moonstone of Maldour," Sanjay said. "And it must not be removed from that box no matter what the circumstances!"
"Oh boy," another guard muttered. "We've got a live one here. Just wait until the chief hears this one!"
"All right, kid, you can stay here," the first guard said. "But you'll have to stay in the lobby. Believe me, the chief won't like it if we let you run loose in the building. There's a couch right there. You can sleep on that if you want."
"Thank you, sir," Sanjay said. "I am very grateful. Do you have a safe I can store the box in while I am sleeping?"
"Yeah, follow me," the guard said.
And with that, Sanjay took the box and followed the guard to a strong, steel safe that only SSHQ agents were allowed to access. As Sanjay was waiting for the guard to punch in the access code to open the safe, he heard that same knocking again.
"You're willpower is strong, Sanjay, but can it last?" that deep voice asked. "You know you want to find out how to get this box open."
"I do not," Sanjay said. "After what you have done to my family, I want nothing more to do with you! I am only here with you because my grandfather's last request was to find a way to destroy you once and for all."
Sanjay then gave the box to the security guard who locked it up in the safe, and then led the Indian teenager back to the lobby. Sanjay stretched out on the couch, and tried to go to sleep, but it was difficult. He was worried the amulet would somehow get out of the box, and he had to do everything he could to keep it in the box until he got a chance to get rid of that thing for good.
