CHAPTER FOUR

Veronica walks into the elevator behind Marguerite, finally ready to set out on their 'journey'. She glances at the unusually quiet Marguerite.

MARGUERITE: What!

VERONICA: Why didn't you tell the others what the shaman said about the talisman?

MARGUERITE: If they found out they wouldn't be able to keep their minds on the job at hand.

The elevator comes to a stop and they get out.

VERONICA: He has a right to know Marguerite.

MAGUERITE: Well what he doesn't know won't hurt him and if we get to the shaman in time he need never find out.

VERONICA: And if we don't?

MARGUERITE: Then you'll be the one who had to explain to them why they weren't told earlier.

Malone walks towards them.

MALONE: Told what earlier?

Marguerite shakes her head slightly at Veronica and walks past Malone to wait with Roxton and Challanger.

MALONE: What's going on?

VERONICA: She just feels a little nauseous…Don't worry it'll pass.

MALONE: Better not let Roxton find out, he won't leave her side for the rest of the day.

Veronica forces a smile.

VERONICA: Yeah, they'll drive everyone crazy.

ROXTON: Are you two quite finished? We need to leave, now!

MARGUERITE: Yeah, we didn't get up at the crack of dawn for nothing you know.

Roxton and Marguerite take the lead, with Challanger then Malone and Veronica behind them.

* * * * * *

ROXTON: So Challanger what do you think the shaman meant by "to where the sun fell"?

CHALLANGER: I don't know, I've been thinking about that but it could mean anything…To a culture like the Maena, falling sun could mean a shooting star, a comet, to them it could be how they explain the sun setting each night.

MALONE: He said where the sun fell that's past tense, the sun sets at the end of each day.

MARGUERITE: Why don't we just get across the water first, we can worry about the falling sun when we get past the mountains.

VERONICA: How can you be so calm about this?

MARGUERITE: There's nothing to worry about that's why…We get to the shaman then this'll be over.

ROXTON: Would that be optimism Marguerite? Coming from you?

MARGUERITE: Different attitude for the new me…

A T-Rex roars not far behind them and they hurry forward, Marguerite stops and turns to where the T-Rex charges through the trees.

MARGUERITE: (Whispers) how about a snack sweetheart?

Roxton runs behind her and grabs her by the arm as the T-Rex stops a few yards in front of them.

ROXTON: Don't move.

Marguerite laughs, her eyes glazing over as she looks at the roaring T-Rex.

MARGUERITE: He's about a scary as a kitten…

She walks towards it and it bows it's head sniffing the air, it lifts it's head abruptly in the air and runs in the opposite direction.

MARGUERITE: And twice as soft.

ROXTON: What the hell do you think you where doing?

MARGUERITE: One of the perks of having a demon baby, nothings tough enough to stand up to it.

ROXTON: Even if you weren't in danger you put everyone else at risk.

Challanger cautiously walks towards the angry couple.

CHALLANGER: We should get going.

MARGUERITE: You're safety isn't what concerns me, keeping me and my baby out of danger is!

She stalks past them and pushes in front of Veronica and Malone.

CHALLANGER: Alura is taking over her, every time she forces Marguerite to do her bidding she gets stronger.

ROXTON: We have to find out what the falling sun means Challanger, we can't waste time later on trying to figure it out.

MALONE: How is Alura taking over Marguerite so easily anyway?

VERONICA: Because she's growing weaker.

Roxton looks at her.

ROXTON: And what do you mean by that?

VERONICA: The shaman also told us that the mark of the talisman is killing her, if the chant isn't finished it'll kill her.

Roxton's face darkens at the sudden news he looks silently at Veronica and walks past her towards Marguerite.

MARGUERITE: Consider that as motivation to hurry this little journey along.

Marguerite turns to Roxton, her usual self showing through.

MARGUERITE: What were you four talking about?

ROXTON: Why didn't you tell me about the talisman?

MARGUERITE: Veronica told you!

ROXTON: She didn't have a choice after what just happened…

MARGUERITE: What just happened?

ROXTON: Well you stepped in front of a T-Rex and scared it off.

MARGUERITE: (Laughs) of course I did.

ROXTON: You don't remember?

MARGUERITE: I think I'd remember that.

Challanger, Malone and Veronica walk towards them.

CHALLANGER: What is the last thing you remember?

MARGUERITE: Leaving the treehouse with Veronica everything after that is a blur.

CHALLANGER: Alura's been controlling you for the past three hours.

MARGUERITE: That's absurd!

MALONE: We've all seen you're behaviour changing since yesterday.

VERONICA: We'd better get a boat and cross the inland seas as fast as possible before something else happens.

ROXTON: The sooner the better.

Marguerite smiles, a strange look in her eye.

MARGUERITE: I couldn't agree more…Lets get to this shaman, before something happens to him.

They watch as Marguerite walks ahead of them.

MALONE: I think we can assume Alura's back in control again.

VERONICA: But for how long?

ROXTON: At least one of will have to keep an eye on Marguerite at all times.

CHALLANGER: Of course, we never know what might happen to her.

ROXTON: Believe me George It's not Marguerite that I'm worried about right now.

* * * * * *

Malone, Challanger and Roxton row the small boat across the calm water, savouring the peaceful moment.

MARGUERITE: It was so nice of those villagers to just give us the boat, wasn't it?

ROXTON: You didn't give them much of a choice.

Marguerite lies back in the boat and closes her eyes.

MARGUERITE: How much farther?

MALONE: Not far, so nice of you to help us.

She lazily opens one eye.

MARGUERITE: I offered to help Malone.

VERONICA: Marguerite?

MARGUERITE: Yes, who else would I be?

They breathe a sigh of relief.

ROXTON: Good to have you back.

VERONICA: Did you feel that?

She holds onto the sides of the boat.

ROXTON: Yes.

MARGUERITE: So what the boat rocked, we're in water that's natural.

The boat sways almost turning over, water spills over into the side of the boat.

MARGUERITE: And that was unnatural!

CHALLANGER: It's a plesiosaur! Look.

MALONE: Marguerite? Do you want to scare this one away too?

The plesiosaur sticks its long neck into the air and speeds through the water towards them, it dives under and the water becomes still.

MARGUERITE: Has it gone?

CHALLANGER: I don't think so.

The boat catapults into the air and the plesiosaur dives down into the water, splitting the boat in two. Roxton swims to the surface and looks around, Challanger, Veronica and Malone…

ROXTON: (Shouts) Marguerite!

As he dives under the plesiosaur charges through the water and butts him in the back. He sinks towards the seabed. Marguerite watches in horror as the plesiosaur makes its way toward the floating man, she swims towards him and the plesiosaur turns around and looks at her before retreating into an underwater cave. She looks at the unconscious Roxton.

MARGUERITE: Roxton!

She doesn't stop to think how unusual it is for her to be able to speak underwater or to think how unusual it is that she's breathing normally. She grabs Roxton by the arm and pulls him to the surface, Challanger and Malone grab him and they swim towards the shore.

* * * * * *

Roxton splutters as he sits up leaning again a fallen tree.

CHALLANGER: Rest here for a while…That was quite a blow you took.

ROXTON: I'm fine, never been better.

MARGUERITE: Now whose lying?

VERONICA: We can rest her for tonight.

With the aid of the tree as support, Roxton stands up.

ROXTON: We've got plenty of light left.

VERONICA: An hour at most.

ROXTON: We could walk a long way in an hour.

MARGUERITE: You can start walking then but we're staying here.

CHALLANGER: If we run into trouble you're in no position to fight.

ROXTON: Like I said I'm fine.

MARGUERITE: Then you'll be even better in the morning..

He lowers himself to the ground.

ROXTON: Okay…But I'll keep first watch.

The others nod in agreement and set about making camp.

* * * * * *

Marguerite wakes up later that night and looks to where Roxton is lay against the tree, keeping watch. She quietly makes her way to his side.

MARGUERITE: Need company?

ROXTON: You should get some rest.

MARGUERITE: I couldn't sleep…

She sits down beside him.

MARGUERITE: A bullet wound doesn't feel as bad as this little devils damn kicking.

He raises an eyebrow and looks at her inquisitively.

ROXTON: Bullet wound?

MARGUERITE: Long story…Maybe I'll tell it to you if we get out of this mess.

ROXTON: We will get out of this.

MARGUERITE: You know I told you we shouldn't have trusted Alura.

ROXTON: Ah yes, the old 'I told you so'…I wondered when that'd come.

MARGUERITE: Well I would have said it sooner but I had my mind on other things.

ROXTON: I'm glad you said it actually.

She looks up at him in surprise.

MARGUERITE: You are?

ROXTON: It reminds me that Alura doesn't fully control you yet, my Marguerite is still in there somewhere.

MARGUERITE: Well as long as you're here to sort me out when I do go bad, I'll always be here.

ROXTON: I won't let this thing hurt you Marguerite.

MARGUERITE: I know.

ROXTON: As long as I'm here, I'll keep you safe.

She pulls away from him suddenly and hurries back to the burnt out campfire. She looks through her pack and takes out Veronica's knife, she throws it over to where the sleeping woman is, she then takes her gun from it's holster and quietly puts it in Veronica's bag, away from her each.

MARGUERITE: (Whispers) I won't let you take him away from me, not even you can make me hurt him!

The last thing she remembers before falling to the floor is the darkness engulfing her, trapping her in a suffocating void where all she can do is watch as Alura gains control of her, turning her life into a living hell.

TO BE CONTINUED…