The Judgement of Houdini.
Houdini ran, sweat poured down his temples. He was exhausted. The forest gave him protection, he felt hidden within it's trees. He stopped and rested upon a tree, he gazed behind him, he saw nothing...'Nothing', he thought, 'Yes, there is nothing to see, only the dark...'
He sat down, and caught his breath, trying to figure out what to do, 'How long have I been running? God, I must've lost him, I must have lost him by now.'
Houdini peered around him, only the swaying trees could be made out in the dark. They swayed back and forth, as pendulums caught by the rhythm of the wind. Houdini could hear the whispers of the wind pass through the branches. He closed his eyes, a tree disappeared with him as he went invisible. He sat there listening to the trees, he didn't want to move, he didn't want to face that demon again.
Houdini slowly opened his eyes, only to see nothing. He sighed, "I must've lost him."
"My dear Houdini, you will never lose me."
Houdini was shocked at the voice, though it was calm, the voice reeked of putrid filth, Houdini felt like gagging every time he heard it. He began to panic, 'Where is he?' His eyes swept across the trees, he noticed the wind was still, as if it too were afraid to move. Houdini felt the hairs on his neck stand on end, and he whirled around to see the figure standing not two inches away from Houdini.
Houdini began to back away, "No...no, I'VE DONE NOTHING WRONG!"
Houdini could hear a chuckle echo from the dark cloak, then he heard a voice, "Ahhh yes, you think you carry no sins? You think your soul is clean?"
The figure began to advance on Houdini, Houdini stumbled backwards trying to get away, to make a break for the illuminated town, the figure continued to speak, "What of the lighthouse incident? Do you recall?"
Houdini knew what the figure meant, the time Houdini had aided Stitch with a disappearing act. Houdini grimaced, "I...have done...NOTHING WRONG!"
The figure stopped, a bitter tone entered his voice, "You tricked people! You, by merely being on this earth is a sin! An experiment, you sicken me! You are nothing but a worm!"
Houdini stumbled and fell, he began to crawl away, the figure's words reaching Houdini's ears, "Abomination! Thou art a plague upon this holy land, I will see you do no more harm here..."
The darkness around the figure seemed to waver, and then it seemed to take shape, the darkness formed into writhing tentacles, and they lashed out at Houdini. Houdini closed his eyes and went invisible, and quickly escaped into the forest. The figure watched him, and began to chase after Houdini.
Houdini opened his eyes and looked behind him, though Houdini was still invisible, he believed the figure could still see him. Houdini ran faster, his legs felt like rubber from running so long. Yet the figure showed no sign of fatigue, he chased after Houdini, his energy fueled by a rage he felt deep inside.
Houdini watched the front, dodging the trees. Suddenly Houdini felt the hairs on his back stand up once more. Houdini stopped watching where he was going, and tripped on a tree root, right as a great dark lance slammed into the ground. Houdini stared at the lance, protruding from where Houdini himself had once stood, the lance was wide, and comprised entirely of darkness, it wound all the way back to the figure, where it became part of the darkness at the figure's back.
The figure stared at his powers, and waved his arms in front of him, "Amazing isn't it? What I can do? These are the powers of atonement Houdini, you cannot escape from me."
Three lances shot from the figure's back, Houdini rolled to the side as they struck the earth, three craters were created from the force of the blows. Houdini picked himself up and launched into a frenzied run, yet all around him, the tentacles and shadow lances struck, trying to halt Houdini. Houdini blinked and a tree went invisible, Houdini dodged it and turned to see the figure running towards the invisible tree.
'That should hurt!' Houdini thought, a smile creased his cheeks.
Yet the figure produced a blade of darkness and cut aside the tree, laughing, "Pathetic! You will have to do better...not that it would matter..."
Houdini turned and continued to run, he didn't know what to do, he began to feel tears welling in his eyes. Houdini blinked them back, he was terrified, yet he wouldn't give that thing the pleasure of knowing.
Suddenly up ahead Houdini saw a break in the trees, he wanted to jump for joy! 'Finally,' he thought, 'I'll be safe!'
Yet when Houdini emerged from the trees, it was not the town he saw, but the drop off of a steep cliff. Houdini fell to his knees, the tears flowed from his eyes, he cried there, his tears fell to the ominous ocean below. Houdini heard a sigh, and wiped away his tears, and turned to face the cloaked man. When he turned, he saw the entire forest blanketed with darkness, he realized he had no escape.
The figure looked at him, then down at the cliff, then back at Houdini, "Come now. Enough of this, resign yourself to your fate, submit child, you know you cannot win. I promise to make it quick."
Houdini looked off the cliff, then back to the figure, "Why do you do this? What have I done that is so horrid?"
The figure balled his fists in rage, "You were born."
Houdini was shocked at the answer, but he regained himself. He stared at the figure, courage failed him, the only thing left in him was desperation. He balled his fists, and looked at his opponent, "I make my own fate, you have no damn right to tell me how I should die."
With that, Houdini charged, he extended his claws, the figure was caught off guard and Houdini raked his claws upon the unseen face of the cloak. The figure stumbled back, blood dripped from his cloak, he stared at Houdini, then with blinding speed, slammed his fist into Houdini's stomach.
Houdini felt the wind leave him, and he closed his eyes and went invisible. The figure watched and stood perfectly still, waiting. Houdini silently maneuvered away, and crept around the figure, and when Houdini was about to attack, a dark tentacle launched from the figure, and wrapped itself around Houdini's throat. Houdini began to panic, and then the tentacle slammed Houdini into the ground, all the time, the figure had his back turned. The tentacle lifted Houdini again, and slammed him into the ground once more.
The tentacle slithered back to it's master, and Houdini lay stunned on the ground. Houdini picked himself up, and spat blood upon the cliff rocks. The figure turned on Houdini, there was a quality of rage in the figure's voice, "Had enough?"
Houdini wiped the blood from his mouth, and charged once more. Houdini threw a flurry of punches and slashes at the figure, yet the figure proved to be too fast and dodged them all expertly. Finally, Houdini launched an attack at the figure's head, and the dark figure caught Houdini's wrist, and twisted it around. Houdini fell to his knees, pain exploded through his arm, he screamed. The figure watched him, then with a swift movement, broke Houdini's arm. Houdini screamed once more as he fell to the ground, his right arm twisted in an obscure position.
The figure stood over Houdini. Houdini glared at him, hatred gleamed in his eyes. The figure nodded, and the darkness began to swell behind him. He looked at Houdini, "Amazing, even a mouse backed into a corner will fight. Though you fought feebly, you deserve to be rewarded..."
The darkness fell upon Houdini and began to envelope him. Houdini watched as the figure began to remove his cloak head, and when the cloak cover came off, Houdini was at a loss. Houdini felt that now, he was entirely mad. That face...
"Wha...what? You? How can that-."
Houdini was cut off as the darkness covered him entirely, and Houdini disappeared into the darkness.
The man pulled the cloak over his head, and stared at the spot where Houdini had once lain. He pulled the darkness back into himself, breathing in as he felt it enter his body once more. The figure began to walk away, he turned and watched the sun rise. The bright aura warmed him.
"Atonement...above all things...sinners shall be punished..."
With that, the figure turned and walked away, leaving no footsteps nor sound...
The morning hit both Lilo and Stitch, as they awoke in their rooms so far apart. They awoke, and used the day to do their shopping. Both were naive to what had occurred over the evening. During the day, Pleakly arrived, and there was much celebrating at the Pelekai household.
Yet both Lilo and Stitch knew, that tomorrow, would be one of their greatest challenges. The day passed by without anything of importance, and the two waited, for the morrow to come...