To Digitaldreamer: I'm glad you liked the camper parts (I worked my tucas off trying to make them good) and I'm working on getting an opportunity to show Vernon returning to his normal self after the traumatic revelation. Again, point taken on Nils. As for the forum thing, god, I look like a total prick now…I worded that terribly in the last chapter. Allow me reword that. I meant that I wasted to have a topic set aside to answer any questions people might have about the fic, you know, to help straighten out any confusion. Sorry about that XD. Thanks for the wishes of good luck and the review!
To Larissa: Wow…that's such a pretty name. I like it a lot. Thank you so much for the review! It made me blush like, well, me! A school girl! XD! Don't worry, this story still has a looong way to go. I won't stop anytime soon!
To Mindscape: Yay gossip! XD! I'm glad you enjoyed the camper scenes. Like I said, I worked my tucas off on them. Yes, my cliffhanger skills of evil have yet to fade! MWA HAHAHAHA! Thanks for the review!
To Farcie: Plot? Where? Has my brain-hamster been revising my work while I was asleep again? Drat… I really should sleep with earplugs so the little bugger can't get outta my noodle XD! I think your random humorous writing style is great! If you got it, flaunt it, girl; and you got it! Mad skillz! Woo hoo! I can't wait for your new chapters to come out! Good luck on them!
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Once Haunted, Imprisoned, Plagued, Controlled, Frustrated, & Frightened;
FredBonaparteALLSamOFGloriaVonGoutenUSLindaAREEdgarTegleeFREESheegor
Loyalties and Where They Lie
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"But why?" Gloria asked. Raz lifted his nightshirt a bit to reveal the bandages concealing the sword wound in his stomach. He began to remove the bandages carefully. Gloria and Sheegor tried to stop him, but he insisted that he knew what he was doing.
When the bandages fell away from his chest, everyone was amazed by what was revealed. The stab wound in his stomach had definitely improved.
"Fire is a part of every Aquato gypsy. I am the Noble of the Aquato clan. The power of fire is concentrated within me. By exposing myself to the fire, some of my strength has been rejuvenated." Raz explained.
"Incredible…" Sam whispered, taking a good, thorough look at the boy.
What Raz said had to be true. Much of the color had returned to his skin. His eyes, once dull, distant, and clouded with pain had brightened. A glitter of life stirred in their depths. He was obviously alert again; and thank god, his true self was shining through at last. However, he still had that look of weariness about him.
Gloria sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Well, that is a very helpful fact to know. Why didn't you mention it earlier, Greyson? Had we known, we would have set Razputin on fire long ago and things would have been much easier!" Gloria said, exasperated. Some of the children giggled from the sheer ridiculousness of Gloria's statement.
"Forgive me, Madame Von Gutten. I thought that that power was merely a legend. I didn't know that it was true. I wasn't about to set my son ablaze in the name of a story." Mr. Aquato said. He started to chuckle.
"Had I known it was true, I would have just set him aflame at the very start!" Mr. Aquato said. Raz smirked, seeing the smirk on his father's face.
"I love you too, Father. It comforts me to know that you would set me on fire without a moments hesitation. Such wonderful friends and family I have." Raz chuckled.
"I do what I can to be a good father." Mr. Aquato laughed. Sage laughed loudly and dashed over to Raz, hugging him with tears of joy in his eyes.
"You see? I told you! I told you! My big brother is tough and strong! I told you that he wouldn't die!" Sage cheered. He looked up into Raz's eyes, beaming with pride and admiration. Sage's expression told Raz that Sage was speaking honestly from his heart.
"Thanks for believing in me, Sage." Raz said softly.
"Of course I believe in you, big brother. I have never doubted you for even a moment. You are my hero, Razputin." Sage said simply. Raz smiled affectionately, truly touched by Sage's words. So much so, in fact, that he was at a loss of words of his own.
"Thank you, Sage. I will try to be deserving of such a title." Raz said, hugging Sage back.
"You already are." Sage muttered. Raz sniffed and tried to blink back the tears that were pricking at his eyes. He pulled back away from Sage and held him at arms length, smiling.
"Wow, look at you…look at all of you! It must have been, what, four months since last I saw you all…" Raz said, looking at each of his family members. Elizabeth giggled happily and executed a series of cartwheels, flips, and handsprings to convey her across the room to Raz. She dropped to her knees and hugged him.
"I've missed you, big brother!" She said. Raz hugged her back.
"I've missed you too…all of you…" Raz said. He took a good look at Elizabeth.
"Wow, you are growing up fast. Just look at how pretty you look in that dress. I'm going to have to follow you around with a club to keep the boys away." Raz said, chuckling.
"Me too, big bwuder! I gots a pretty dress too!" Maria said, running over to hug Raz as well.
"You sure do! Look how pretty you are!" Raz laughed, moving to hug Maria. Sure enough, her twin, Bryson, was right behind her. He too got a hug from Raz.
"And you're getting to be quite the big strong guy now, aren't you!" Raz said to Bryson. Bryson giggled. Vera stepped up to stand beside Raz. Vera had tears in her eyes. she shook her head with a soft giggle and hugged Raz.
"Six months." She muttered. Raz gave her a confused look. Vera pulled away from Raz and regained her composure.
"Six months, brother dear. It has been six months since last you were with us; not four as you have previously stated." She said, matter-of-factly.
"Oh. It would seem that you are correct. I amend my previous statement. I have taken an absence of six months." Raz said airily. Vera giggled.
"It's good to have you back, Razputin." Vera said. The triplets all rushed over to Raz at once, encasing him in an inescapable three way hug.
"I'm so happy you're awake! It's a miracle!" Jennifer sobbed.
"Come here, you little rascal!" Joseph laughed.
"You have no idea how worried we were!" Lyle sobbed. Raz chuckled and tried to hug his older siblings back. Jennifer started kissing his cheeks tearfully and squeezing him. Raz laughed.
"I missed you all too! Jennifer, cut it out!" Raz chuckled. Jennifer stopped and just stared at Raz, just happy that he was back to himself. Raz's expression suddenly shifted to one of anger.
"Just look at you!" He said suddenly, pulling away from Jennifer.
"Gloria, I assume you're responsible for this!" Raz accused.
"Father, Lyle, Benjamin, Joseph, Sage, and I have enough trouble keeping the boys away from Jennifer without you turning her into this walking manifestation of allure!" Raz said, pointing at Jennifer.
"I know! That's what we were saying!" Joseph and Lyle said. Jennifer giggled.
"What am I to do with you all?" She asked. Raz suddenly forced himself to his feet. His expression was unreadable as he made his way across the room to where Benjamin stood. Benjamin refused to meet Raz's eyes.
"Big brother?" Raz asked. Benjamin swallowed thickly and knelt down in front of Raz, taking Raz's hands in his own.
"Yes, Razputin?" He asked hoarsely. Raz hugged Benjamin tightly.
"I missed you, big brother." Raz whispered.
"Why am I suddenly 'Razputin' to you? Have I not always been called 'brother' or 'baby brother' or 'little brother' by your tongue; just as you have always called 'brother' or 'big brother' by mine? Never have we felt the need to speak to each other in such formal tongue." Raz said. Benjamin remained silent.
"You feel guilty for what has happened to me. Don't. It was out of your hands. I am still proud to call you my big brother and my hero." Raz whispered. A tear slid down Benjamin's cheek. He wrapped his arms around Raz securely.
"Truly, you are remarkable…brother." Benjamin rasped. After a few tender moments, Raz pulled away from Benjamin slowly. Benjamin was smiling again, just like he had always done before Raz had been hurt. Finally, Benjamin was at peace with himself again.
But Raz's smile was rapidly fading. Benjamin saw this. His smile faded as well as he observed his younger brother. Raz fingers grazed Benjamin's neck gently.
"You were hurt…hurt trying to protect our family…fire has ravaged your throat…" Raz said.
"It was worth it for the safety of my family." Benjamin rasped. Raz smiled. He closed his eyes and let his hand hover over Benjamin's neck. His hands glowed green, just like they had when he healed Sheegor's hand. Raz moved his hand in a circular motion over Benjamin's neck, and just like that, all the pain melted away.
"Better, big brother?" Raz asked.
"Much better. Thank you, little brother." Benjamin said. Raz sighed and quickly lowered himself to the floor. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall.
"Does something ail you, my son?" Mr. Aquato asked, approaching the two boys.
"I will be fine, I am just weary." Raz said softly.
"Should we set you on fire?" Gloria asked. Raz chuckled.
"That wouldn't be a good idea. I must have the spiritual strength to withstand the fire in order to draw strength from it. I cannot do that right now." Raz said. Raz jolted slightly when Benjamin scooped him up into his arms.
"Then you should rest now and try to keep your strength up. We have a long journey ahead of us." Benjamin said.
"Yes. It will be taxing on all of us to be out on the sea for so long. That is why I chose to act now and muster what little strength I could from the fire. I'll need whatever strength I can muster if I hope to withstand the sea in my current state." Raz said.
"Then stop talking and start resting." Benjamin chuckles, carrying Raz over to one of the beds. Raz smiled and closed his eyes, leaning on Benjamin's chest. Benjamin set Raz down on the bed and pulled the blankets up over him. Then, Benjamin began searching his pockets for something. He pulled out a small candle and set it on the nightstand.
"Does anyone have a match?" The fire eater asked sheepishly. Gloria fetched a pack of them out of a drawer in the kitchen. Benjamin lit the candle gingerly.
"Why was there a candle in your pocket?" Raz asked with a slight smirk.
"I always carry one of these. They are the special candles that mother used to make. They have medicinal properties. She would put one by my bed whenever I was sick, and it would make me feel better. I didn't use it earlier because the herbs might have overwhelmed your senses and made you weaker." Benjamin said. Raz took a deep breath.
"Thank you, brother. I am already feeling its effects." Raz said.
"You can't regain your strength with an empty stomach. You've had nothing but weak broth the last two days, and you didn't even keep much of that down. Let me make you something, dearie." Gloria insisted, bustling back into the kitchen. Sheegor approached Raz's bed shyly with Sam in her hands. She set Sam down beside Raz.
"Here. Lie down with Mr. Pokeylope. He's a magic, healing, talking turtle, you know." Sheegor said with a smile. Sam smiled.
"It's true." Sam said. "Not only are animals therapeutic, but I was mutated by psitanium. So, I've got some psitanium radiation coming off of me, and you're a psychic, so theoretically, that could be beneficial to you."
Raz nodded, seeing Sam's point.
"Not to mention I'm cute and cuddly." Sam said.
Raz smiled and chuckled and curled up, hugging Sam lightly.
"So, you get animal therapy and psitanium radiation therapy, and I get to snuggle. Everybody wins." Sam said. Raz chuckled.
"M'kay." He muttered. Raz dozed for about half an hour before Sheegor returned with a bowl of warm broth for him. Lyle entered behind her.
"Do you think you'll be able to handle this? I can weaken it if it's too much." Sheegor said.
"Mmm…smells good…I'm willing to give it a try." Raz said. Lyle sat down next to Raz and took the bowl from Sheegor.
"Let me help you, brother mine." Lyle said. He gave Raz a spoonful of the broth.
"This is really good…my complements to the chef." Raz said. Sheegor pressed her uninjured hand to Raz's forehead.
"Oh, my…you're burning up…" She said.
"No, Sheegor. He's alright." Lyle assured her. He took Sheegor's hand and guided it to his own forehead.
"See? He just seems feverish to you. All Aquato gypsies have abnormally high body temperatures. He's really just right." Lyle said.
"How unusual…" Sheegor said.
"I find it quite pleasant. Warm and toasty." Sam remarked, sticking his head out from under the covers. Raz chuckled.
"It's really good to see you again, Sheegor. Sam too. I've missed you guys." Raz said. He reached over and fingered one of Sheegor's neatly braided pigtails. "And I love what you've done with your hair. It's cute. You look great. So do Gloria and Edgar."
"How did you know Edgar was with us?" Sam asked.
"I spoke with him briefly while we were in the truck." Raz said. "I'm pretty sure I heard Fred and Boyd too while I was still out of it. I can't wait to see them."
"They'll be so happy that you're doing better." Sheegor said.
Raz wasn't able to eat much of the broth, but it was better than nothing. Once everyone had gotten some lunch, everyone decided to lie down and try to get some rest before the next phase of Boyd's plan started.
At about nine thirty that night, everyone got up and packed up their things.
"Hey, Razputin! Listen! Want to help me play a prank on Fred, Boyd, and Edgar?" Sam asked. Raz was all ears.
At around ten, Sheegor, Gloria, Mr. Aquato, and the Aquato children made their way down to the lobby of the Inn. Joseph, who was in on Sam and Raz's prank, volunteered to carry Raz. Raz feigned sleep in Joseph's arms. As they entered the lobby. Edgar was already there.
"Hello again, Mrs. Rosemary." Edgar said, bowing politely.
"Hello Manuel." Sheegor said.
"You certainly have quite a few bags…would you like me to help you get them to your car?" Edgar asked.
"Oh, I don't have a car. We're going to the bus stop." Sheegor explained.
"With all of these children and all of this luggage in the cold and the dark and the rain? Oh, that will not do. Why don't you hitch a ride to the bus stop with me? First Mate Boyd Cooper is coming to pick me up. I'll be working with him down at the pier on the French Milkmaid under the command of Captain Fred Bonaparte. They are both very kind. I'm sure they wouldn't mind. The bus stop is on the way there." Edgar said.
"Thank you, Manuel. We would appreciate that." Gloria said. Just then, Boyd pulled up in the truck. Edgar went out to talk to him.
"He says it's fine with him! All aboard!" Edgar called. Everyone loaded up into the truck once again. Since Fred was still down at the pier, Edgar rode in the cab with Boyd and kept Raz in his lap. Once the doors of the truck had closed, Raz opened his eyes and sat up, grinning from ear to ear.
"Hi-ya Boyd! Hi-ya, Edgar!" He said cheerfully. Both men jolted sharply. From his hiding place in Raz's blanket, Sam burst into laughter. Edgar and Boyd just stared dumbly at Raz.
"You two should see the looks on your faces! That was priceless, Sam!" Raz laughed.
"Couldn't have done it without you." Sam said, still laughing.
"B-but how? What?" Boyd and Edgar stammered. Raz chuckled. On the way to the pier, Raz explained his newfound strength to Boyd and Edgar.
Before long, they were at the pier. After making sure no one was around to see them, Boyd ushered everyone out of the truck. Raz was able to walk with some assistance from Vera and Sage. They made their way onto Fred and Boyd's ship, called The French Milkmaid.
"Is everything aboard?" Edgar asked.
"Fred's getting the last of the supplies secured." Boyd said. Fred was coming up onto the deck.
"All done here. Do we have everyone abo…." Fred trailed off when he saw Raz standing there smiling at him. The lanky man was so shocked that he tripped over his own long legs and ended up face down on the deck. Boyd howled with laughter, slapping his knee.
"Captain on deck!" He laughed. "The very picture of poise, discipline, an experience!"
Fred ignored Boyd. He was just staring at Raz.
"Aw, come on, Boyd. Stop teasing poor Fred." Raz said.
"Raz? Is that really you, or am I hallucinating?" Fred asked.
"Hi Fred." Raz chuckled. Boyd squinted to see down the other piers.
"Fred, I'll fill you in in a minute. Razputin, you, Sheegor, Gloria, Sam, and your family need to get below deck now. The shipyard guard is making his rounds. We need to get moving before he reaches our ship, or he might search it and then we're screwed. He's coming this way already." Boyd said. Everyone began filing down the stairs to get to the living quarters while Fred and Boyd started getting things moving.
"Hoist anchor, Boyd! Fred called. Boyd immediately ran up onto the deck. By the time the guard was at their ship, the anchor had been raised and The French Milkmaid was drifting away from the pier.
"Have a safe trip, Captain Bonaparte! First Mate Cooper!" The guard called, seeing that he wouldn't have time to check their papers.
"Thank you, sir!" Boyd called, saluting the man. Soon, Massachusetts was only a strip of lights behind them. Fred sighed.
"Alright. We made it out of port without arousing any suspicion. That's a good start." Fred said. A loud crash of thunder made both Fred and Boyd jump. The two turned toward one another. Without a word, they both got into their rain slickers.
"Well, tonight's going to suck." Boyd said.
Boyd was right. It wasn't long before things really started to suck for the crew and the passengers of The French Milkmaid. The storm was picking up quickly. At least now they were out in open waters where they didn't have to worry about hitting a rock or something.
But still, the wind was howling, it was pouring down rain, the thunder was deafening and the lightning was blinding. Enormous twenty foot swells knocked the French Milkmaid around on the water and some slammed right into her.
"This is bad…really bad." Boyd said.
"I know! I know!" Fred said, trying to maneuver the ship in such a way that another wave crashing into it wouldn't roll the ship.
"Boyd, would you go below deck and check on the others? Tell them to stay alert, because things are only going to get rougher." Fred said, checking the weather monitor.
"Aye, captain." Boyd said.
Down below, the Aquato family was already starting to feel the effects of the ocean. All of them were feeling seasick. None of them dared to go near the windows of the ship, for as soon as they did, the Hand of Galochio would begin to manifest itself just outside the window.
Raz was lying on one of the beds. Already, he felt what small amount of strength he had managed to maintain evaporating from his body just a little at a time. His body felt like lead. He couldn't even keep his eyes open.
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Once Haunted, Imprisoned, Plagued, Controlled, Frustrated, & Frightened;
FredBonaparteALLSamOFGloriaVonGoutenUSLindaAREEdgarTegleeFREESheegor
Loyalties and Where They Lie
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He was aware enough to hear Boyd when he came down the stairs.
"Sit tight down here, everybody. I'm afraid things are going to get worse before they get better. Whatever you do, stay below deck." Boyd said.
"N-no problem…" Sage grumbled, trying not to toss his cookies again.
"BOYD! EDGAR! GET UP HERE, HURRY!" Fred yelled frantically from above deck. Immediately, Edgar and Boyd started up the stairs. They were both tossed violently back down as the ship lurched almost all the way onto one side. A chorus of screams sounded from everyone below deck.
Raz felt himself tossed off of the bed. He felt a pair of arms encompass him, then he felt himself being jarred roughly as a sharp yelp sounded from whoever had grabbed him, then everything was still and Raz found himself lying on something soft and warm. Raz lay still, trying to calm his racing heart and gather the strength to open his eyes. He gasped as the ship tilted again.
Thankfully, this time, the ship tipped back upright. Boyd and Edgar instantly jumped to their feet and rushed back up the stairs to aid Fred.
"Is everyone alright?" Benjamin asked, helping Jennifer up. She had her hand over her cheek where it had quite abruptly hit the ground when she was tossed aside during the tipping of the ship.
"A little bruised up, but I'm alright." She said.
"Oh my gosh! Sage, your shoulder is bleeding!" Elizabeth exclaimed. Sage winced and touched the spot where his shoulder had scraped the edge of a table when he had fallen.
"Yeah, I must have scraped it…Aw, my shirt has a hole in it now…" Sage grumbled.
"Joseph, are you alright?" Vera asked, hovering over Joseph. He was sitting with his back propped against the wall, grimacing. Bryson and Maria were huddled up against him, sobbing. Benjamin and Jennifer took the twins from him.
"Uhn…yes…I am alright…just winded, that's all." Joseph breathed. "Gave me a hand, would you, sister-dear?"
Vera helped pull Joseph to his feet.
"Oh, thank you." He sighed, rubbing his back. He had been hurled backwards right into the wall when the ship had tipped, and the added weight of the twins in his arms hadn't lessened the impact.
Joseph stretched out his back and scampered over to where Sheegor was trying to untangle herself from the pile of extra blankets that she had been carrying just before the ship had tilted. Joseph chuckled and helped her to her feet.
"Are you alright?" Joseph asked.
"Oh, yes. I'm fine. Just a little shocked it all. But now I have to fold all these sheets again…oh my goodness! Where's Mr. Pokeylope?!" Sheegor cried. A muffled response came from under the pile of sheets where a little lump was wiggling around. Joseph laughed and helped Sheegor to dig him out.
"Good gracious!" Gloria cried from under the mass of pillows that had fallen off the bed and onto her during the chaos. She shook free of the pillow-y tomb and took a deep breath of fresh air. Mr Aquato helped her up.
"Oh, thank you, dearie." She said, pulling herself back together and smoothing down her tussled hair.
"Are you alright, Madame?" Mr. Aquato asked.
"Yes, quite. If I had to have anything fall on me, I'm glad it was the pillows." She chuckled.
"Though it would appear that you weren't quite as fortunate, Greyson." She added, motioning to the scrape running from Mr. Aquatos' hand and up his forearm to his elbow.
"Yes, I fell out of my chair…but it's only a scrape. Are the twins okay?" Mr. Aquato asked.
"Yes, papa. They're just frightened." Jennifer responded, soothing the two crying toddlers.
"Razputin? Where is he? Oh, no! Did he fall from the bed?!" His father's anxious voice called. Raz found it strange that whoever had caught him and broken his fall to the floor didn't respond…nor was the person seeming to move…
Finally, Raz managed to open his eyes to see who had rescued him. Fright seized his heart. He found his rescuer lying limp and still beneath him. Raz couldn't muster the strength to cry out or move.
"Razputin, are you…" Joseph began, spotting Raz from the other side of the bed. He scrambled over to aid his brother, only to find another.
"LYLE!" Joseph cried. He knelt down next to his brothers anxiously. Instantly, Mr. Aquato and Sheegor were at his side. Mr. Aquato carefully lifted Raz off of Lyle and set him back on the bed.
"Are you alright?" Mr. Aquato asked worriedly. Raz nodded weakly and lifted his finger to motion to Lyle, trying to convey that Lyle had protected him from harm.
Joseph leaned over and grasped Lyle's shoulder lightly.
"Brother? Brother, awaken!" Joseph said worriedly. Lyle stirred and groaned softly.
"Huh?" He muttered groggily, opening one eye. His eyes were slightly hazy. Joseph gave a relieved sigh.
"Are you alright, brother-dear?" Joseph asked.
"Where is Razputin?" Lyle asked, his speech slightly slurred.
"He is right here, my son. He is alright. Are you injured?" Mr. Aquato asked. Lyle stumbled to his feet and staggered dangerously before falling over again. Joseph bolted forward and caught Lyle around his middle. Lyle fell to his knees and slumped forward, stabilizing himself by firmly planting his hands on the floor. Lyle sat there slouched over with his head hung, trying to regain pull himself together.
"Brother? Answer me! Are you hurt anywhere?" Joseph asked anxiously. Lyle groaned and shifted his hand to touch the back of his head. Joseph gasped when he saw blood trickling down Lyle's neck. A trickle now streamed down his face as well. Joseph pulled Lyle's hand back away from his head to examine it himself. Lyle's hand was coated with blood.
"He has hit his head, papa!" Joseph said.
"Oh…Really? I was wondering why my head hurt so much! That makes sense." Lyle slurred with a dazed smile.
"If only you made sense right now, brother-dearest." Joseph said with an affectionate, but exasperated smile. Lyle gave an airy giggle.
"Brother, you are so silly." He said.
"Oh yeah. He has definitely hit his head. Hard." Sage said, sighing and shaking his head solemnly.
"Again?" Elizabeth asked, cartwheeling over to where Lyle was sitting. She leaned close to Lyle's face to look him in the eyes curiously.
"At least we know he's used to it by now." Sage said, rolling his eyes.
"You know, sooner or later, those concussions are going to add up." Benjamin said, smiling in the same way that Joseph was as he knelt next to Lyle. Lyle just looked up at him and grinned.
"For a graceful contortionist, he sure is a klutz." Sage said. Lyle sighed.
"It's true." He said. "This kind of thing seems to happen to me a lot...I think, anyway…I don't know! I can't remember any of them…" Lyle said.
"That's because you hit your head. Just now, and all those times you can't remember. You cant remember them because you hit your head then, and just now." Elizabeth explained.
"Well, can't explain things any more clearly than that…" Sage grumbled sarcastically under his breath.
"Oh, yeah…that's right!" Lyle said, smiling. "You know, this has probably happened to me so many times, even though I can't remember. I mean, it's happened…um…however many times it's happened before that I can't remember plus this time…however that many is…because I forgot what number comes after that one…"
Sage, Joseph, Bryson, Maria, and Benjamin snickered. Mr. Aquato, Vera, and Elizabeth tried very hard not to laugh at the poor, confused teen.
"Oh, dear…" Sheegor said, kneeling next to Lyle. She caressed his cheek gingerly.
"Show a little concern, will you!? Poor Lyle…" Jennifer snapped at her family, kneeling next to Lyle with a damp washcloth. She tilted Lyle's chin up so that she could see his face. She wiped the blood from his forehead and neck. Mr. Aquato did his best to banish the smile from his face. He cleared his throat.
"Jennifer is right, children. This is no laughing matter. Lyle has apparently hit his head rather hard…" Mr. Aquato said, his concern growing for Lyle as he wavered lightly. He had stopped responding to their comments and now was just staring at the floor in a daze.
Jennifer tenderly pressed the cloth to the back of Lyle's head where he had hit it. Lyle jolted and winced, trying to pull away from Jennifer. Jennifer winced sympathetically.
"I'm sorry, brother. I'm trying to be gentle." Jennifer said.
"Razputin, are you okay?" Lyle slurred, becoming less coherent by the minute. Raz gathered his strength.
"Y-yes, brother. Thank you." Raz said. Lyle muttered something inaudible and slumped sideways against Jennifer, his eyes slipping closed. No one thought that it was amusing anymore. Worry replaced their humor.
"Papa, I think he really must have hit his head hard this time…" Jennifer said worriedly, keeping the cloth pressed to the back of Lyle's head.
"I don't think it's any worse than any of the times that he has hit his head before. I believe it is the Galochio's curse that is affecting him in addition to the injury." Mr. Aquato said.
Lyle moaned softly, his expression pained. He could hear them, but couldn't understand them. He was too disoriented from the pain in his head.
"Oh, the poor dear…" Gloria said.
"I'll get the first aid kit." Sheegor said, scampering over to where the medical supplies were being kept. Joseph carefully lifted Lyle up into his arms and carried him over to one of the beds. He laid Lyle down on his side so that Sheegor could tend to his injury. Lyle opened his eyes and tried to get up, but Joseph lightly pressured him back town against the pillows.
"I'm sorry for jeering at you, brother. It was noble of you to gain injury while protecting Razputin from injury." Joseph said softly.
"But I though Razputin was the Noble…" Lyle muttered, confused. Joseph smirked affectionately.
"Never mind. Just get some rest." Joseph said.
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Once Haunted, Imprisoned, Plagued, Controlled, Frustrated, & Frightened;
FredBonaparteALLSamOFGloriaVonGoutenUSLindaAREEdgarTegleeFREESheegor
Loyalties and Where They Lie
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"Fred! Are you alright? What the hell was that?" Boyd asked as he neared the top of the stairwell. He found Fred trying to pull himself up off of the ground. He appeared to be in a lot of pain.
"Goddamn forty foot swell nearly rolled us." Fred hissed. He was bleeding from his forehead on the left side and was holding his left elbow.
"Are you okay?" Boyd asked.
"I'll be fine…the floor's wet and I slipped when that swell hit us…I just hit the ground pretty hard and fast." Fred said. He jumped to his feet and threw all his weight against the helm to avoid another massive swell. Boyd and Edgar rushed to help him. They were barely able to angle the ship away from another possible roll.
"How long is this going to keep up, Fred?" Boyd asked.
"Well, we're getting into the worst of this storm right now. It's a big one, Boyd. I need you to watch for possible waterspouts and whirlpools. The last thing we need is to be sucked up or down by either one of those. We're in the Bermuda Triangle now and this storm is only one in an entire line of monsters just like it." Fred said.
"The good news just keeps coming!" Boyd cried.
For two hours, Boyd, Fred, and Edgar fought the wicked storms. At last, the storm seemed to be calming down. The swells were shrinking and the winds were easing up a bit. The three men were bruised, battered, and bloody from being tossed around by the swells. All three men were sore all over from the beating they had received from the sea.
"Whew…that was one ugly storm." Edgar sighed.
"Believe it or not, it's not the worst one we've been through." Fred said. Edgar paled.
"I don't even want to think about it." Edgar said.
"Boyd, take the helm. Edgar, why don't you go below deck and check on everyone. Bring the first aid kit up here too. I'm going to go see if we have any damage down in the engine room and check our fuel." Fred said.
"Be careful going out there, Fred. Don't fall overboard." Boyd warned.
"I know, I'll be fine." Fred said. It wasn't long before Edgar returned with the first aid kit. Sheegor came up with Sam to help patch the men up. Boyd had pulled a muscle in his back from falling down the stairs and Edgar had banged up his knee pretty badly.
"I'm starting to get nervous. Fred's been gone a while." Boyd said. Sheegor scampered over to look out the window for Fred.
"He's coming. I can see him." Sheegor said.
"Oh, my gosh! He's covered in blood!" She squeaked. She threw open the door to help him.
"Hey! What's wrong, Sheegor?" Fred asked.
"What do you mean, what's wrong? Your shirt is covered in….not blood…" Sheegor said as she got closer.
"It's motor oil." Fred chuckled. "I had to do a little patching up down there."
"You scared me!" Sheegor said. She took Fred's hand and ushered him back into the safety of the control room.
"Oh, my…all three of you are pretty beat up…" Sheegor remarked, dabbing some of the blood off of Fred's forehead. Fred took a bandage wrap and began to wind it around his left elbow.
"Oh, goodness…that looks pretty bad, Fred…" Sheegor said.
"Aw, I probably just bruised it really badly. A sprain at worse." Fred said.
"Let me go get you some ice for that. I'll get some for your knee too, Edgar, and there's a hot pack for your back too, Boyd." Sheegor said, toddling back down the stairs. As soon as she had left, the three men groaned.
"Oh, my aching head!" Fred whined.
"My aching back!" Boyd whined.
"My aching everything!" Edgar whined. "How do the two of you manage this all by yourselves?"
"Fred was born to do this. I've just learned to get used to all of this." Boyd said. Fred was back over by the computer, coughing again.
"How does it look, captain?" Boyd asked.
"Considering the magnitude of the storm, pretty good. We're off course by a few degrees." Fred said, clearing his throat.
"Give me a heading, I'll fix it." Boyd said.
"Shift us two degrees south." Fred said.
"Aye, captain." Boyd said, adjusting their direction.
"What time is it?" Boyd asked.
"Six in the morning. Don't get too excited though. We won't be seeing any sunshine today. In fact, we'll be clipping another storm here pretty soon. This one isn't quite as bad as that last one, though. Look for rain and thunderstorms all day today and into tomorrow…yikes…" Fred hissed.
"What?" Boyd asked.
"We're looking at storms at least two out of four days that we'll be in the danger zone. Some of these look from moderate to severe." Fred said.
"Fantastic." Boyd grumbled.
"It's going to be a long couple of days." Fred said.
"Good thing we brought lots of pain killers." Boyd muttered.
"You said it." Fred said.
"No offence to you guys, but I'm never traveling by ship again." Edgar said. Fred's laughs quickly turned to coughs.
"Here you go." Sheegor said as she emerged from below deck. She tossed ice packs to Fred and Edgar and a hot pack to Boyd.
"And I figured you might be needing some more of this." Sheegor said. She handed Fred some cough medicine.
"Sheegor, you are an angel." Boyd said as Sheegor began to rub his sore back.
"Yeah, thanks, Sheegor. How is everyone down there?" Fred asked.
"Seasick." Sheegor said with a wince. "Poor guys. The Aquato's especially. Apparently, the curse slowly robs them of all of their strength when they are out on the water like this."
Sheegor shuddered.
"I actually saw the Hand of Galochio outside when Maria got too close to the window!" Sheegor said. "I can't imagine being in their position!"
"That thing was definitely creepy." Sam agreed. "And it's definitely starting to zap their strength."
"Even Greyson is having trouble." Sheegor said.
"I hope nobody got hurt while we were getting tossed around back there." Boyd said.
"Mostly just bruises and a couple of scrapes. Poor Lyle took a pretty bad knock to the head, though. He should be fine, though." Sheegor assured them.
"How's Raz doing?" Boyd asked.
"The curse really seems to be hitting him hard." Sam said. He paused.
"Say…is it safe to light a few candles down there?" Sam asked.
"Why? Is there not enough light?" Fred asked.
"No, the lighting is fine. The Aquato's have some special candles that seem to really help them." Sam explained.
"Well, it couldn't hurt to try. But, if things kick up with the weather again, the candles must be blown out. I don't want to have to worry about the ship being rolled, capsizing, and catching on fire." Fred said.
"Aye, captain." Sam said. Gloria and Edgar peeked out from the stairwell.
"Fred? Boyd? Can you come down here for a minute? Razputin wants to talk to you." Gloria said.
"I'll take the helm for a while." Edgar said, squeezing past Gloria.
"Thanks, Edgar." Fred said, following Gloria down the stairs. Fred knelt next to Raz's bed and took Raz's hand. Raz opened his eyes slightly. He and Fred smiled at one another.
"You wanted to see me, my lord?" Fred teased. Raz chuckled weakly.
"Oh, please don't call me that, Fred, unless you want me to call you Monsieur Captain Fredric Bonaparte. Raz is just fine." Raz chuckled.
"Alright, Raz, then. How are you holding up?" Fred asked.
"To be honest with you, not so well." Raz said softly. Fred frowned.
"Is there anything I can do?" Fred asked.
"You can get us across this accursed ocean." Raz said with a small smile.
"Well, what do you know? That's what Fred does best!" Boyd said, patting Fred on the back. Fred smiled.
"That's why I wanted to speak with you." Raz said.
"About sailing? What do you need to know?" Fred asked.
"About how soon do you think you can get us across this ocean?" Raz asked.
"I'm going to do everything in my power to get us there in seven days." Fred said.
"Is there any possibility that it could take longer?" Raz asked. "Be honest."
"Yes." Fred said softly. "Why?"
"At this rate, my strength will be gone from me before the passing of 3 days. I cannot hold this pace." Raz muttered. Fear rose to everyone's faces. Before anyone could speak, Raz raised his hand to silence them.
"Let me finish. Though it will greatly tax what little strength I possess, I can survive this voyage. To do so, however, I must withdraw myself back into the deepest recesses within the confines of the sanctity of my own mind and lock my consciousness away there; thus leaving my body in a state of deep sleep." Raz explained. This brought much relief to everyone.
"Once I have retreated into my mind, it will be nearly impossible to wake me. I will wait as long as I can get away with before I retreat into my mind. I cannot barricade myself within my own mind for very long, however. I can only tolerate being locked away in the dark like that for so long. I think that five days is as long as I will be able to endure. Hopefully, we will be on land by then. That's why I need your honest estimate of how long this will be so that I can channel my strength accordingly." Raz said. He looked into Fred's eyes.
"It is vital that your estimate is honest. If we should fail to reach land by the time my consciousness can no longer be confined by my own barricades, my strength will be spent and I will die." Raz said calmly. A wave of anxiety washed over everyone. Fred's face bore a look of determination as he straightened his captain's hat.
"Razputin, I will not rest until we make landfall. I will push this ship at full speed and man the helm night and day, storm or no storm until we reach our destination. I will get everyone on this ship to land alive and safe within seven days if I have to fight some conveniently placed ultra-powerful giant sea monster from some demented pirate movie with nothing but a rubber ducky and a paper clip to do it. Captain's honor." Fred said. Raz chuckled.
"I know you'll get us there in time, Fred. I have faith in you." Raz said. Fred's expression softened.
"Thanks Raz. I won't let you down. I'll get us there before your strength runs out. I promise. Just hang tough, little buddy." Fred said, grasping Raz's shoulder gently. Raz lifted his hand and put it over Fred's, squeezing it lightly.
"I'll make the strength I have last for as long as I can to bide you as much time as I can." Raz said.
"Nah, you just focus on resting and staying alive. I'll worry about getting us there in time." Fred said. Raz was silent for a moment. He looked up at Fred and Boyd with a weak smile.
"Thank you…all of you." Raz said. Fred and Boyd just smiled.
"Don't go wasting your strength on thanking us." Boyd said.
"Yeah. If it weren't for you…well…you can probably imagine the state we'd be in." Fred said.
"You saved us, Razputin. You didn't know a thing about us and you, at age 12, ally by yourself, a mere child and amateur psychic, went out of your way at great personal risk to help us. We're just showing you the same kindness that you showed us." Boyd said.
"You've touched all our lives, Razputin. You've always an available hand to help someone out. What goes around comes around. It's about time that you were allowed to rest easy and let someone be here for you for a change." Sheegor said. Boyd leaned down and whispered none-too-discretely to Raz.
"Plus, none of us have ever quite been playing with a full deck of cards, if you know what I mean. We didn't actually start really considering the consequences of our actions until we were on our way here." Boyd snickered.
"Well, it's too late to start having second thoughts now. We're past the point of no return, so, I guess we're all screwed." Boyd shrugged.
"Sorry, Raz. Looks like you're going to be stuck in this bin of loony toons for a while." Fred shrugged. Raz smiled.
"Well, the way I figure it, my family has always been a few marbles short of a set; myself included. I come from a circus, remember? I'm used to it. Besides, I find normalcy to be highly overrated." Raz said. Everyone chuckled.
"It's a good thing, too." Boyd said.
"Now, you just lie back and rest easy, Raz. We'll be on solid ground before you know it." Fred assured him.
"Aye, Captain." Raz said with a smile. Fred smiled back and turned toward the stairs.
"Come on, Boyd. We've got some serious work to do." He said.
"Aye, Captain. Goodnight, Razputin." Boyd said.
"Night, Boyd. Good luck and be careful." Raz said.
"Luck and caution? Who? Us? Poor kid really IS confused." Boyd chuckled as he followed Fred up the stairs.
Raz sighed and lay back against the pillows with a smile, slipping into a slightly more peaceful sleep.
Above deck, Fred stared out at the stormy horizon.
"Boyd, full speed ahead. We need to cover as much distance as we can between these storms." Fred said.
"Aye, captain. How far until we clear the Bermuda Triangle, captain?" Boyd asked.
"I expect to clear it by nightfall." Fred said.
"My, aren't we the optimistic one?" Boyd asked.
"We will clear the triangle by nightfall if I have to wrestle with the sea the whole way." Fred said, dead serious. Boyd felt a smile tug at his lips. He patted Fred on the back.
"You know, you really do shine when you're out on the sea, Fred." Boyd said softly. Fred smiled slightly.
"I mean it. You've found what you were born to do. You're a great captain, Fred. You've got the blood of a true Bonaparte running though your veins. We'll clear the triangle by nightfall, because I'll be wrestling the sea right along side you the whole way." Boyd said. A genuine smile spread across Fred's face.
"Thanks, Boyd. It means a lot to me to hear you say that." Fred said. There was a brief moment of silence between them before they both wrinkled their noses.
"Well, that's plenty of that." Boyd said, adjusting the speed of the ship.
"Awk-ward!" Fred chuckled. The two of them resumed their usual brotherly teasing, though under the false scowls and playful punches, an enormous feeling of relief had settled over Fred.
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Once Haunted, Imprisoned, Plagued, Controlled, Frustrated, & Frightened;
FredBonaparteALLSamOFGloriaVonGoutenUSLindaAREEdgarTegleeFREESheegor
Loyalties and Where They Lie
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I do so love Fred and Boyd. Don't you? If you REALLY love them, you'd review, because it makes them happy and keeps their ship running smoothly so that they can make it to shore in time to save Raz.