Chapter XIV: Fifth and Sixth

Pugsley Addams

"Finally," I said seeing the room where the treasures are kept. I walk down the final five steps and arrive at the steal door. "Hopefully," I said turning the bar to open it but it was locked. "I hope the combination is the same as in our old home. I slowly place my hand on the lock fearful of setting off some trap.

"You look like Alexander trying to solve that damned knot," a voice said as the three birds we saw on the way here appear. I tell them I need to get into room to find an artifact. "What are you waiting for then?" the leader asks me. I tell him that the wrong combination would spring traps. "Then I suggest you make like Alexander." he swoops down and snatches me. "You may feel funny," he said as they turned invisible and phased through door.

"Clever," I tell them as the leader sets me on the ground. "We need to find the Black Grail," the birds looked shocked. "You've heard it?" I asked them curiously. "My eight times great uncle Cardinal Merek Addams stole it from a reliquary and used in his Black Masses." The leader says he ran into Merek back when was alive. "How old are you?" I ask them.

The third one was about to speak when a glowing black chain shout out and wrapped around his neck. "Find the bekher and save the meydl before it's too late!" he says as he's pulled out of the room. More chains shoot from the walls but they dodge them.

I look around for the right box, "It has three argent reverse pentagrams on the front." They begin to help me search for it.

Maddie

"My head," I moaned as I slowly opened my eyes. All around me I could hear people scream and curse. "Where am I?" I stand up and find myself at the banks of a marsh. "The last thing I remember was Morticia warning me that potion of hers was hallucinogenic. "Could she have tricked me?" I walk closer to the water when I feel something grab my ankle.

I look down and see a soul covered in filth and mud trying to pull into the swamp. "How could you do this to us Madeline, marrying a Yankee!" the man spoke with a southern drawl. Through the muck I could see he had brown eyes with frizzled gray hair. I asked him if he was Anthony Davis? "That corporal Davis to you," he hisses as I try to free myself.

He was my three times great grandfather who fought in the Civil War He was known for his foul temper. Even his superiors were scared of him. "But he died almost a 160 years go." A grim realization hit me. I pull myself free only to land ass first in the mud. I tried to pull myself up but was stuck in the mire. More hands rise from the mud and seize me. "I have to get out of here," I look around for something to grab hold of. I see a rusty old chain nearby, "thank Heavens," I reach out and pull myself out the quicksand.

I crawl back onto the bank. I need to think of a way out of here. "That city...," the sound of a bell could be heard in the distance as a light appears on the murky water. At first I thought it was someone to rescue me until I realized that Will-o'-the-Wisps inhabit places like this. They are ghosts who lure the unwary into swamps where the disappear into the mud.

The light got closer and I could hear some cursing and swearing. It sounded like he was talking about the Greek god Apollo taking his daughter. I looked out and saw a small boat coming towards me. Finally a way out of this place.

Morticia Addams

"Just relax," I tell the unconscious Maddie. "Wednesday should be here with a pillow for your...," I sensed a dark presence enter the room.

"You look so peaceful my dear," Vlad's voice said as he stepped out of the darkness. "I will take over for..." he says reaching his hand out only to be burned by the potion's power. "Damn you," he hisses as I tell I already have a reservation set up. He snapped his fingers.

"What is it now Plasmius?" the voice of Reznor asked. I looked around trying to find the relic. I call out to Reznor. "I do not know you. I serve Plasmius," my ancestor said in a monotone voice. Vlad asks him to give himself something to penetrate the shield. "the sap from blackthorn bush can negate the potions powers."

"Is that so," he asked, "I am afraid I must go. Don't worry I will be back to collect my bride," he said vanishing into the blackness.

"I need to get a message to the others," I said taking a sheet of paper from the table. I write something down on it and turned on the stove. "Powers of the Air and Fire, take these words to whom I desire." The flames consumes the paper sending it away. "I just hope they can stop him."

Tucker

"Where does this lead," I asked Lurch as he placed a hand on the wall. He pushed revealing a secret passage way. "How did you know this was here?" He takes out a map from his pocket and shows me a secret entrance. "Mr. A really does his homework," I said amazed that he memorized the place before getting here.

We are about to emerge when I heard a screeching sound. Lurch pointed to the wall as a solider garbed in black armor astride a demonic eagle. I ask him if he's a friend of the family. The butler shakes he head and motions me to get behind him.

"You shall not enter here," a raspy voice came from the demon's helmet. Lurch looks around for something to fight with. "My master is in command here!" he said taking out a bow and arrow.

"Lurch, if you have a plan, now would be good time to use it," the immense creature rifles through his pockets and finds a salt shaker. He opens the shaker and spreads the salt around our attacker. The demon tries to advance but is burned by some invisible force.

The demon charges at us only to be vaporized.

"Grrrrr," Lurch said as I went give him a high five but decided now is not the time.

Skulker

"What in the name of Matlock is the meaning of this," the pitiful bird said as I hauled him in. "you know shef has an insurance policy out on us. If anything happens you are to going pay big time," he squawks until I shut him up.

"You're old news, Plasmius has new help. Better help," I grab the bird by the neck and ask what they were with that kid. He tells me to go to Hell in Yiddish. I laugh and tell him Hell will be pleasant compared to what Vlad will do to him. He glares at me defiantly. "If you don't cooperate I have others ways of finding out." The vulture looks around nervously and sighs in defeat.

I remove the ectoplasm from his beak. "These meshugoim they have a relic. One more powerful than that narish skull. It's like the Holy Grail, only evil." I laugh telling him the Holy Grail is only a story, "hinter yeder mitos es iz a kerl fun ams." I smile at the remark as Vlad teleports in.

"What do you think, boss?" I ask him trying to discern if this just a lie to save his skin. Vlad thinks for a second and says the skull did tell him that an ancestor of the family was a priest who made a deal with the Devil. "I thought that was just a story," I ask him curiously.

"That's the problem with this day and age. If science can't dissect it, it's relegated to nonsense" he said with a smile, "Ask me back in my college days if I believed Jack's silly invention would have worked? I would have laughed at you," he said looking into bird's eyes, "you are going to give me this Grail, understand,"

"hoykh aun klor," he says as Vlad orders me to let him go.

Uncle Fester

"You still shaken up about that lamia?" I ask noticing that Danny is trembling a little. He looks back and says he can't believe he almost gave into that monster. "It's not you fault, most men are helpless against them." He looks back and says what I meant by 'most' men. "There are stories of demigods actually slaying them and then there is me. I dated a lilin when I was younger."

"I've heard of them. They are night spirits in Jewish folklore that would prey upon men," I nod, "My friend Sam would often read stories to me about them." I tell him not to get involved with them. "Trust me after Snake!Paulina I have it with weird girls and...," he stops.

"What is it?" I ask him as he motions for to be silent. He says hears her voice. She is calling for him. "Be careful it could be another trap." He shakes his head saying it's not, he heard the voice when that creature was trying to seduce him. "That explains how you escaped. She was your guide snapping you back to reason."

"I just hope there is time," we come up to large ornate door. On the threshold was the saying Ut patet ab illis solum cor transiet!- Only those of clear heart may pass! Danny looks around for a knob but doesn't find any. "No problem we'll just...," he tries to go invisble but his powers aren't working.

"You're still drained from the lamia," I explain examining the door. There was something about that inscription. Below it was a picture of a skeleton holding a lens near his heart. "Danny do you something that is clear," he fiddles in his pockets until he finds a medium quartz crystal. He said Sam gave to him for luck, "Danny get behind me!" I tell him as I hear laughing.

"If it's the fruit loop, I am not scared," he says as a black portal opened up and a familliar figure emerged. "Okay that is definetley not Vlad," he said nervously.

"Fester," a voice called from the darkness. "I have come for what is mine."