Chapter 21: Good People

If the cafeteria noticed the disturbance in the force that morning, the Creep Slayerz didn't. Mary, Darci, Claire, Steve, and Eli had all gathered at a back table, whispering their plans while sharing any data they had gathered the night before.

"Okay, I get there are trolls and that we need to get through that magic troll-portal to save Jim and Toby, but I still don't get what the Milk Carton Epidemic has to do with all of this?" said Darci, still feeling a little guilty about taking the information from her father.

"Well," said Eli, pushing his glasses up onto his nose. "I remembered an article, about one kid that got away when his brother had been unable to during the epidemic. The article mentioned that the two brothers were traveling under a bridge on their bikes and both were grabbed. The older brother showed up a few weeks later saying he only survived because he, 'Was pushed into a magical cave by a blue stone man.' Now, everyone just thought he made things up because he was too traumatized to remember who took his brother. They also believed that the perpetrator left town because the survivor finally managed to escape and knew his face. After all, the Milk Carton Epidemic officially ended after the survivor escaped."

"So …" said Claire, catching on. "The trolls were likely involved with all those disappearances back then. I still don't know how that helps us now Eli. Unless you are saying that Jim and Toby are the first kids to go missing in a whole new kid epidemic."

The excited smile on Eli's face slowly vanished and for a moment there was a somber silence amongst the Creep Slayerz.

"Well," said Eli, his voice wavering for a second before he tried to perk back up. "I don't think that's going to happen again, but that story makes me think of Jim and Toby. They both obviously saw trolls, just like the survivor boy, and they were likely pulled into the magical cave like the survivor was. The only difference is that the survivor … somehow got out."

"And that helps us how? Even if this kid was in the troll-portal and got out, you don't even know his name," said Steven between bites on his sandwich. Coach was the only one at home this morning and had made him lunch. There were a lot of things he disliked about his mom's new live-in boyfriend, but Coach could make a mean sandwich.

"Ah, but we do have his name," corrected Eli, revealing a folder so that the whole table could read it. Well, except Steve. He was too busy stuffing his face.

It was an old police report dated around the time of the Milk Carton Epidemic. There was a lot of jargon in there, but it basically told a sad tale of two brothers. The two boys were the first to go missing that year. The eldest boy had shown up at home weeks later saying that his younger brother had been grabbed under the bridge. He had also claimed that a 'blue stone man' had shoved him into a 'magical cave' under the bridge. When they went back to the scene, they found nothing new.

"See, it's the same bridge as last night, Holland Transit Bridge. So, it has to be the same 'magical cave'. And, now that I have this report, I know the name of the survivor: Jack Sturges. His name wasn't mentioned in the article to protect him from the 'kidnapper'. But, now that we know who he is, we can ask him how he got out of the cave. He might even know how to get in!" said Eli, so excited he was almost vibrating off of his seat.

The girls exchanged a look before Darci dared speak, "Okay, so we have a name. That was like fifty years ago. He could have moved away or be dead by now."

Steven, in return, mumbled something while chewing his food, the boy nodding at his sandwich in approval.

The three girls turned and stared at the blond.

"Care to repeat yourself?" said Darci leaning away.

"Muhmd thum hu ooolfeeel," he said again, his cheeks plump like a chipmunk.

"Eww, gross Steve. Swallow your food," added Mary, her lip upturned.

Swallowing loudly, Steve repeated himself, "I said that guy mows the football field. He's crazy and is like a doomsday prepper or something. He even has metal blinds that cover all the windows at night and everything."

"See. He's still here!" said Eli, nearly jumping out of his seat again. "Now, we just need someone to go and ask him how he escaped, and then-"

"And then what?" interrupted Darci, frowning as she waved her hand. "We just walk right into that magical cave entrance? Jack was missing for weeks on end, right? We'll probably go missing just like him. Are you sure we shouldn't just have the adults deal with it? I'm sure my dad would listen to me if we just told him."

Pushing his glasses up on his nose again, Eli shook his head, "Jack told them the truth all those years ago and no one believed him. I told you, we have to do this on our own or the government will just cover it up. And besides, we don't want this design going to waste, do we?"

Smiling from ear to ear, Eli then revealed a design of a monster costume. Wait, no, a troll costume.

Mary laughed, "Ha, troll fashion! When do we start?"

…

"Why do I have to go speak with the crazy survivor alone?" complained Steven as he stood in Eli's garage later that day, watching the girls and Eli jury-rig a troll disguise together. He was pretty sure that trolls didn't have headlights for eyes, but what did he know about all this supernatural junk. He honestly didn't even know why he was still involved.

"Well? Can you sew?" said Mary, standing on a step stool.

"No," he said with a shrug.

"Can you weld?" asked Darci in turn.

"You can?" said Steven, surprised.

Eli, taking off the first draft of the troll head, added, "Don't worry, Steve. I can go with you. I'm sure the girls can deal with the designs."

Claire, jumping off another stepstool because the costume was getting rather large, stepped forward, "No, you can stay here Eli. This is your design. I need to go watch Enrique anyway before it gets dark. Mom is using this whole thing to boost security in town and needs to be out there gathering supporters. So, Steve and I can go talk to this Jack Sturges guy and then drop me off at home."

"But we need you to help us finish the costume," argued Mary, lifting up the shag rug they were sewing together for the fake hide. "I can't sew this all by myself."

"I don't know if you can sew it at all," joked Darci, a stitch tearing suddenly, causing a whole wooly arm to fall to the floor in a puff of dust.

"Okay, okay," agreed Claire, her hands up in defeat. "I'll come by later tonight once my dad gets home. I'll just say I'm going to bed early and then sneak out the window or something. It'll be fine."

…

Jack Sturges was a complicated man. Angry some would say. Crazy is what the other half would state. And he was often torn about these descriptions of him. He didn't want to be bitter and he certainly didn't want to be known as crazy.

But, a heart is formed by the experiences of its youth, and Jack's was drenched in sorrow when his baby brother was ripped right from his grasp. He had tried to hold on. He had tried to hold onto Jimbo that day under the bridge, but he had been tugged right out of his grip by that hungry thing in the dark. Then, he hadn't even been allowed to chase after Jimbo's screams. He had been pulled away by another monster in the night, one that glowed blue.

'Don't make a noise. Stay behind this wall! Don't move from this spot!' had barked the blue stone figure before thrusting Jack into a stone room, the entrance closing behind him.

He wished he could say he beat his fists against the stone entrance until they were bloody, but the truth was, he had gone quiet in the dark. To this day … he hated the dark even though he didn't entirely remember what happened there.

Placing a hand over his eyes, Jack turned away from the landline phone on the kitchen table. He didn't know why he was doing this to himself, remembering all of this, but he knew it had to do with that smiling boy on the front page of the newspaper. Jim Lake Jr. His great niece's boy. He … had never met Jim. He was sure Barbara didn't even want to associate with him given his paranoia, and yet he sometimes wondered if she chose the name Jim in remembrance of his baby brother.

He doubted it, but it was a nice thought.

Looking at the phone again, he debated on calling her and asking if she wanted him to come over. Much like himself, he knew that Barbara really didn't have much family in the area anymore. None really … except for himself and they didn't have much of a connection.

His own fault, he knew. He should have made more of an effort to get over his fears and paranoia. He could have tried to be normal. He could try harder to forget that night with his brother Jim and those missing weeks. Then again … he should have tried harder to hold onto Jimbo's hand.

Maybe he shouldn't call her. He was in one of his moods it seemed and that wouldn't be of any help to her.

Suddenly, if only to distract him from his own painful thoughts, there was a knock on the door. He nearly jumped out of his kitchen chair, his eyes turning to the six deadlocks on the front door. He … never had guests.

Again, the door was knocked.

Frowning, part of his mind telling him it wasn't dark out so he should be fine, he rose and carefully opened the door, peeking out. On his porch, were two teenagers. They were too old for girl scouts –one of them wasn't even a girl- so it probably was the local high school trying to gather donations for the jumbotron or something ridiculously unnecessary.

Nonetheless, he opened the door.

"What do you want?" he asked, eyeing the two suspiciously.

"O-oh hello, my name is Claire and this is Steve. We … were … writing a history report … about our town. Weren't we Steve?" said Claire, throwing a look at Steve. Steve looked decidedly uncomfortable.

The girl stomped on his shoe.

Holding back a yelp, Steve quickly agreed, "Yep, yep. History report. Yep, because we lovvvve history."

Claire glared at the blonde for his sarcastic comment before stomping on his foot again. He whimpered, 'Why' but she merely ignored him, turning her smile back in Jack's direction. He didn't like it … it was a politician's smile.

"Yes, history. We were writing about … bridges …in town. Ones older than say the seventies like … the Holland Transit Bridge," said the girl, her smile forced.

'Jimbo! Don't let go of my hand!'

'I can't hold on! Jack! Jaaaaccckkkk!'

Jack blinked quickly, the memory flashing in his mind along with endless visions of glowing stones in the dark. That's where he had lost Jimbo … under the Holland Transit Bridge. These children … they weren't children, were they? No, no. They were those skinwalkers. They had finally decided they had had enough of him!

Grabbing an umbrella from the stand next to the door, Jack attacked. He jabbed the umbrella at the two tricksters causing them both to bark in surprise and trip backward. He then popped open the umbrella, driving the two of them even farther from the door and off-balance. Then, one hanging on the wall above the umbrella stand, Jack grabbed an iron horseshoe and threw it at the boy.

There was a dull thunk as it hit the teenager in the forehead, causing him to yelp and fall completely off the deck and into the grass. Claire immediately put her hands up in a show of surrender.

"We didn't mean any trouble. We-we just had some questions. We can leave and we won't come back," she tried to reason, her glance shifting between a groaning Steve to the aging man with the umbrella.

Shaking his head, Jack ground out, "Pick up the gaggletack. Pick it up now."

"Gaggle-tack. I-I don't know what you are taking ab-"

"The horseshoe! Pick it up!" he growled, stalking closer to the teenagers on the yard.

"O-oh okay," said Claire with a squeak, awkwardly shuffling over Steve. She then picked it up, stared at the strange carvings on it, before showing it to the madman.

Jack stared at her critically and then the horseshoe. He then nodded towards Steve, growling, "Poke him with it … just to make sure it touched him long enough. On his skin."

Blinking rapidly, Claire swallowed and nodded stiffly. She then leaned down and poked Steve in the cheek with the horseshoe, looking up at the man like he was crazy. God, Jack hated that look.

Sighing, he lowered the umbrella somewhat, "Okay, you two aren't skinchangers. That doesn't explain why you asked about that bridge though or how you know my history with it. Speak up and tell me what you know."

Cringing away, Claire relented, "We are trying to help are two missing classmates, Jim and Toby. We think they were taken by trolls. And then we found your police report and it mentioned what sounded like a blue troll and a secret passage and we … just wanted to help them. The adults won't believe us … Someone has to do something and that has to be us."

Where her voice was panicked at first, it gained a sense of steel and resolve. She was a fighter and Jack respected that. Afraid of the dark he might have become, but he still had searched that bridge for years afterward… looking for a sign of his brother in the daylight. He never found anything in the light, but the things he did find had given him a sense that there was another world below their feet.

Closing the umbrella, the greying man shook his head, "Come into the house. I'll grab some ice for the boy. We'll discuss this … away from prying eyes."

A bag of frozen peas later, Jack sat across the two teenagers at the kitchen table with a deep-set frown. Claire had told them of the troll chase through town and the troll fight in the canal … and how they thought Jim was still alive. Every time she said that, that Jim was still alive, he felt his heart clench for it felt like she was talking about his brother and not Barbara's boy.

He had little hope for their plan to get under the bridge in a troll disguise, and the adult in him wanted to tell them to stop, but another part of himself envied them. They would be doing what he never could. They were confronting the monsters in the dark. He had merely chosen to forget it. At least that was what his psychologist always said about his missing weeks.

"So, that's our plan. I know it sounds crazy, but we have to try. There is only one problem," continued Claire, ignoring Steve's groaning noise as he adjusted the frozen bag of peas on his face. "We don't know how to open the portal under the bridge. We were hoping that maybe you knew since … you were there. We think it has something to do with this glowing stone and were hoping you knew something, like a back way in or out since … you obviously escaped."

Clair then showed him a zoomed in picture of a glowing stone that was obviously drawing a circle under the bridge and opening the portal.

'Its so dark … I'm scared.'

Leaning back in his chair, blinking back the hazy memory of searching out glowing crystals in the dark, Jack sighed, "I didn't escape that night. I don't remember much of anything honestly after being thrown in the cave. I just remember the blue troll carrying me home right before sunrise and leaving me on my parents' porch. He was bleeding and panting. I tried to ask about Jim, my little brother, but he was already disappearing into the woods. They never found a trace of Jim and no one believed me when I told them about what happened under the bridge."

Eyes going wide, Claire sat back, eyes shifting back and forth as she looked for the right words to say. All that could escape her was, "I'm sorry."

"I am as well," groaned Jack as he rose to his feet, heading out of the room to only coming back a few seconds later with a small box, "I found this in the yard a few days after I was returned, near the woods where the troll disappeared. I suspected what it was, but … I had decided it was too late to even try. It was like a part of me already knew … Jimbo was gone."

With that, he opened the box. There were some oddities like a little red pointed hat, a stone tooth, and a little orange crystal. Its glow was the same as the one used to open the portal. It was barely the size of a rubber eraser and had obviously broken off of a large piece.

Pulling out the small stone, staring at its glow for a moment, Jack slowly presented it to Claire. "Here. Do what I never got the chance to. Save Jim. It might not be my Jim, but I don't want you to feel the same regret I have. It's best to have done something then to have done nothing at all because evil triumphs when good people do nothing."

Claire, accepting the stone in the palm of her hands, could only nod with the reminder of why they were doing this: they were good people.

…

Nomura kept finding her hand roaming up to her neck, feeling the bruises forming there while her lungs recalled how they had hungered for air. Bular had almost crushed her neck yesterday morning, blaming her for allowing the bridge piece to be taken. The only reason she was probably still alive was because he had thrown her into one of the crates … and she had shielded herself with the Fetch from said crate. Somehow, she had convinced him that they needed more changelings to get the bridge piece back.

She closed her eyes at the memory, sighing, knowing that she had basically condemned another baby to the fading light of the Darklands.

Changelings weren't supposed to love humans. They just weren't supposed to, but there was one human that all changelings secretly loved regardless of their standing or age. Everyone loved their familiar. How could you not? A changeling cut out their second heart and it was placed in that babe's chest. You could always check on them as well, watching them giggle and weep through any shiny surface. They were … innocent … and there was no doubt in any changeling's mind that that babe unconditionally loved them.

Releasing a shaky breath, she gathered herself before speaking with the goblins. They would have to grab the child and take him into the Darklands through the Fetch. The child's fate would then be sealed forever, to remain timeless in that dark place.

Pressing any traitorous thoughts away, blaming the reintroduction of Draal for such thoughts in the first place, she stalled in her lonely echoing steps across the museum's marble floor, right below where the goblins usually build their nest. It seemed all of them were still asleep. She'd have to send them tonight to grab the child when the parents went to bed.

Tilting her head towards the shadow, she saw a pair of glowing eyes and immediately knew it was Stricklander. Her words were barely above a whisper as she spoke and yet somehow, they echoed, "You could have at least verbally defended me."

Stricklander, limping out of the shadow, folded his hands behind his back. He stared at her for a moment, before stating softly, "And have us both die? How will that help the changelings?"

Frowning, grinding her teeth in her human form, she turned her head away, "It wouldn't … Do you at least have a plan for how to get the bridge piece back? A new changeling will be of help in time, but I doubt they will have the sway to get us the missing piece"

"Unlike you Nomura, I plan ahead," said Strickler, transforming into his human form as he stepped into the light of the setting sun. It would be dark soon.

"And what plan is that? Exposing our spy in Trollmarket? And what if they fail?" she asked angrily, crossing her hands over her chest as she shifted most of her weight to one leg. "If Kanjigar finds out there is even one of our kind down there, he will stop at nothing to check every troll that steps foot into that place. We'll never get another insider."

"Kanjigar is driven, but I know one thing that will get the better of him. One thing that can even get through Trollmarket's defenses," said Walter with a smirk, the changeling showing off a ring with a large yellow stone to the woman.

Zelda Nomura raised a brow. "I doubt tacky jewelry is going to be of much help here, Strickler."

Waving his hand away, a faint yellow light seeming to follow after the ring, Strickler smiled, "It's so much more than a ring, Nomura. It will get to the soul of the situation if you will. Now, I need to make a brief trip. I hope to not be gone too long."

And with that, Strickler walked away with a smirk on his lips leaving Nomura more than a little confused.

XXX

Paw07: Yay, an update. Also, I never intended to bring Jack into the tale, but I also liked the idea that he was the only survivor if the Milk Carton Epidemic. So, it's the exact opposite of the book where Jim Sturges was apparently the only survivor. Also, we get a huge hint of who'll be showing up next. I can't wait. ^.~