Chapter 7

Escaping Renfield's World

When Skyler awoke, he found Claude's claw reattached to his arm. Excellent, he thought. He opened his eyes. The annoying hick pumpkin sat inches from his face. Skyler closed his eyes again. This was not something he wanted to deal with.

"Howdy, Skyler! How are ya?"

With an audible groan, Skyler opened his eyes and faced the pumpkin. His first thought: Where is Mr. No Head? He looked around, but couldn't find his arch-nemesis. Nervously, he scanned the room.

Skyler quickly concluded he was in some kind of haunted mansion. In an open closet on his left, a yellowed bride's dress hung torn at the seams. Dust floated up from the carpet without anyone even walking on it. Old paint peeled from the ceiling and walls. The walls looked haggard and old.

Skyler brought his attention back to the pumpkin. Irritating creature that it was, it hadn't stopped talking. Skyler opened his mouth as if to interrupt, but changed his mind. Instead, he hefted his claw menacingly. Renfield did not react, just kept blabbing. Okay, thought Skyler, this is pointless.

He reached forward, flipped the hick pumpkin upside down.

"My! My!" Renfield squeaked. Skyler thrust his claw into the pumpkin and ripped out all of the guts, which happened to be orange Jell-O. Before continuing his work, Skyler ate all of the Jell-O. Then, licking his lips, he caved out a hole large enough for his head. He placed the pumpkin over his head as a hat. When the pumpkin declined to comment, the amateur Peggler assumed he'd finally killed the country buffoon. He stood up to leave Renfield's World. But then the unthinkable happened.

Mr. No Head strutted into the bedroom.

"This is unthinkable," said Skyler, who had never had too much control over his mouth. Mr. No Head pointed at the pumpkin mask Skyler wore. Skyler grinned.

"You like it? It's actually really itchy."

Mr. No Head shifted into a battle position. He spun his silver platter threateningly. He sprinted toward Skyler. The Peggler, having overcome his aversion to fighting, sighed as if he were a pro and ran forward to face Mr. No Head.

Three blows later, Skyler lay face down on the floor. A slight dent had appeared in the platter Mr. No Head carried. Skyler rolled over. He stood up, straightened his shoulders and formed a deformed smile on his pumpkin mask.

Skyler charged forward, stabbing with his lobster claw. Instinctively, Mr. No Head used his platter as a shield. Skyler refused to be defeated. He began hacking with an intensity never before seen in Peggle World. Mr. No Head found himself forced to back up. He continued to defend against Skyler's blows, but found himself tiring.

Skyler swung his claw in a huge arc, aiming at Mr. No Head's stump of a neck. Somehow, Mr. No Head raised his platter in time to intercept the stroke. His shield shattered. Skyler was sure that if the man had a head, he would have looked surprised.

Skyler jumped forward, opening his enormous pumpkin mouth, and bit off one of Mr. No Head's arms. The headless man stumbled backwards, recoiling in pain. Skyler thrust the claw into his enemy's heart. Mr. No Head tumbled to the ground.

Skyler, exhausted, let forth a weak cheer. Then he focused his attention on his real enemy.

"Bjorn, I'm coming for you."