Hepkor stormed through the circle as soon as he reappeared. A dark and menacing music began to play.
HEPKOR
I reached out to humanity again
I sought your hearts
and guess what happened then?
I watched it fall apart
You see
What else did they want from me?
He gazed into a pool of rain that had formed in the center stone as it lay in the middle.
HEPKOR
And now I'll take their lives from them
At last they'll pay the price
When
You make a noble sacrifice!
Sos hid behind one of the outer rocks and watched from afar as lightning began to crackle up above. Hepkor swirled his arms around the pool of water.
HEPKOR
So, I laugh as your town will burn
I'll watch as your children squirm
Maybe for once you'll think twice
When you make a noble sacrifice!
He paced around the stone, slamming his cane down repeatedly. With each smack, the rocks around him cracked with more lime light.
HEPKOR
First, they say they want me
Then they choose to taunt me
At least they could have sought me
Then they could have taught me
And given me some advice!
But now they're just a noble sacrifice!
The lightning above shocked the pool of water and electrified, spreading shocks everywhere in the circle. Hepkor continued to rant.
HEPKOR
You know it alarmed me!
You know that it harmed me
So!
That mortals were wretches?
That they're all tetches?
How was I to know?
Hepkor bent on his knees as the pool spiraled up into a vortex.
HEPKOR
No boats will escape!
Their hope will break!
No sailors will be able to save them!
No cars will drive!
And their food supply will betray them!
So there's no one left alive!
A storm had formed from the pool, a giant cyclone that flew above Hepkor.
HEPKOR
And above all else!
They only think of themselves!
He looked at the storm and grit his teeth and shook his head in rage.
HEPKOR
So goodbye little mice!
Say goodbye to your town!
And let this monstrous horror surround!
If that's not on par,
Then I'll laugh as you starve!
You can't be saved!
You're depraved!
But be happy you made
And you gave
A noble sacrifice!
The storm floated towards Mousehole, thundering and booming, sucking in more clouds and currents as it went out onto the ocean, swarming in rain and wind, ready to obliterate anyone and everything in its way. Hepkor finished and gave a last shout as he watched it pass.
HEPKOR
After all! It's all you're good for!
The Boathouse
Tom rushed into the boathouse calling out for Wenna, only to run right into the wooden skeleton of a boat and strike his forehead, "Wenna! Wenna! Ow!"
He backed up and held his forehead as he looked around the small boathouse. The boathouse itself was cluttered with spare parts and wooden frames ready for use. Just beside the door was a reception desk that had a mailbox. Below the desk was a sign that said, 'Order forms here'. As Tom calmed down, he heard the tune of a radio playing some light strings.
He peered past the ship skeleton into the other room where Wenna was turning a large wrench connected to a set of pipes below a fully constructed boat. Tom clearly didn't recognize she was preoccupied, so he once again called for her attention. Sim leapt down from the ship above to lick a few fish guts that had spilt onto Tom. He continued to ask again, "Wenna!"
"Yes Tom?" Wenna grunted, exerting a good deal of effort into the wrench. She eventually hooked up one side of the metal pipe, then climbed down to the other side to connect it.
"Something happened at the cannery" Tom began. Wenna replied, "You went to the cannery?"
"Jacob dragged me there. I tried to leave but he just kept yanking me back in. Then this druid showed up." Tom continued. This raised Wenna's attention, "Druid?"
"Yeah. Big guy in white robes with a long beard."
Wenna hoisted herself up from the bottom of the boat to look at him like he was crazy. She didn't look dressed to deal with Tom's rambling, as she was wearing coveralls and was smeared with seaweed on her gloves and knees from cleaning out the scupper. She looked surprised and kind of spiteful, then repulsed. "Ugh! That smell. Yep, that's the cannery. What is a druid?"
Tom exhaled slowly then puckered awkwardly. "Druids were sorcerers that led people throughout the islands until the Romans came through. They could see the future through people's blood, sacrificed criminals to spirits, and practiced magic. It's like the one thing I remember from school."
"Huh. A lot of my school experience was about calculus." Wenna explained. Tom countered, "How is that even remotely useful?"
She groaned and crept to her feet, heading along the boat to a small ladder. Tom continued to follow along up onto the small fishing vessel.
"So, what did the druid say?" Wenna continued the story. Tom returned to the subject, "Well at first, he was open to us celebrating and even offered to join us. Bring all the workers down to spend the holidays with their families."
Wenna nodded slowly, opening a wooden hatch in the floor of the boat to look at a drain.
"Uh huh." Wenna kinda listened. Tom continued further, "Then Jacob spilled fish heads all over him and he got mad."
"Crab!" Wenna plucked a small crab from the drain and tossed it away, but Tom hadn't noticed.
"I know! That's what I thought too! And then his goons started to beat the guy senseless."
Wenna tried to turn something on but the water failed and nothing happened so she punched the boat.
"Ship!"
"I know! So now the druid's going to make us pay for what happened." Tom finished. Wenna closed the hatch then stood back up to look at Tom. She crossed her arms and sighed, biting her lower lip. Tom finally asked, "So…what should I do?"
Wenna scoffed, "You? That seems easy. You leave. This guy hates Mousehole, not you. Spend the holidays with your mum."
"Really?" Tom seemed surprised.
"I don't know. You were gonna leave anyway, right?" Wenna asked nonchalantly. She had expected it for a while. Tom looked betrayed, and a little hurt by the comment. Wenna didn't even stutter or flinch, like she already knew the outcome.
"I can't do that." Tom denied. Wenna didn't mind, "Why not? You don't have a reason to stay, do you?"
Tom looked at her with a piercing glare. She didn't care for it and corrected her, "Tom. You've known me for three weeks."
"But…you let me stay with you and your dad. You opened up to me. Kindness begets kindness." Tom insisted, but Wenna was still convinced to the wrong outcome. "You were out there all alone! I thought you needed help. You would have done the same if it were me or someone else, right?"
A deadly silent filled the air, as Wenna looked hopeful for Tom's response, "Yes, of course I would help."
"Then before you can learn to call this place a home, you have to make peace with your previous home. Reach out to someone else who felt the same way you felt. You need to go back." Wenna advised, but Tom was still a little scared. Tom gulped and opened his mouth to say something, but hadn't any idea. "I agree with you…but is now the right time?"
"It's the only time. If it doesn't happen now, you may never get that chance. Tom. Even if you think abandoning a problem is the solution, you can't run away from it. That's all the more reason you need to go see your mother." Wenna encouraged him, but Tom denied her, "I can't go back."
Wenna became frustrated. "You need to. As your friend, I am telling you to go back."
A rumble of thunder began to shake the boathouse. The lights above flickered lightly, as the storm neared the town and rain began to pour outside in waves. Tom stepped down the ladder by the boat and looked back at Wenna. She seemed afraid, but continued to encourage Tom, "Tom, you need to go."
Tom was too cowardly to reply, so he instead chose to rush out the door into the rain. He held his cap down over his eyes and began to walk down the street, Sim following behind, just under his coat.