Chapter 2- The King
Ari stood there dumbfounded.
"That's it?" Ari groaned. "You had me all worried that Annie was gonna die and all it is is a stupid Pig Latin curse?"
"What do you mean 'that's it'?" Mom growled. "Annie will never be a beautiful princess! Now she has to be a comic relief girl!" She began to sob again. Ari rolled her eyes; her mother was the biggest drama queen in town.
Annie eyes began to flutter. Finally they opened wide.
"Istersay, atwhay isay oinggay onay? Ywhay maay alkingtay osay unnyfay?" Annie squealed in terror.
The Pig Latin curse, I used to play that as a boy. We used to have so much fun." Grandpa smiled.
"Uh huh, that's right dear." Grandma agreed.
"I used to play it too!" Dad grinned. "Owhay uchmay unfay atthay asway!"
Ari gaped at her family. Had they all gone mad? One minute they were freaking out about Annie, the next they were laughing like crazy people.
"Guys." Mom shouted. Everyone kept on laughing.
"GUYS!" Mom was angry, and when she was angry she got scary. "ANNIE IS IN TROUBLE! DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO CURE HER?"
"Actually I do." Dad became very serious. "But it requires a great sacrifice. Ari, would you be willing to sell your soul to save Annie?"
Ari gave him a funny look. "But it's just a Pig Latin…" she began.
"Good. Everyone, follow me to the basement."
All of the family, except for Annie, was crowded together in the tiny basement. On the floor was a strange symbol.
Dad stepped into the center of the floor. In his hands was the pink bottle.
"Listen up, this bottle is called Pollock's bottle. The being inside this bottle will be able to cure Annie. To awaken this being I must perform the sacred ritual. I drew up a magic circle a long time ago in case anything like this happened. But let me warn you. I don't know what will happen when this bottle is opened." And with that Dad commenced the ritual.
Ari stared in total embarrassment at her Dad. First off he was dancing around the room ala the chicken dance. Second, he was chanting some bad open-mike night poetry that sounded like some macabre kindergartener wrote it. This got Ari to start thinking: What was in that bottle?
When he ended in a heroic like pose nothing happened. Ari was skeptical that her father's "ritual" would produce anything. After a minute the bottle still didn't move. Ari was about to leave the room when something made her stop.
The bottle moved!
Slowly but surely it began to shake and gradually it shook harder and harder until…
POP!
Out of a cloud of smoke walked the absolute strangest thing Ari had ever seen.
It wore a bright baby blue tux with a little red bow tie. It stood at attention. And it had a skull with two giant horns for a head.
"Hello there happy family!" It grinned. "I am James, the evil butler."
"Hi James!" the family smiled in unison. Ari felt like she was going to scream.
"So how can I help you today?" James smiled.
"We need all the help you can give; you see my daughter is on her death bed." Mom explained.
"It's not quite that bad." Grandpa butted in. Mom gave him an evil glare.
"Anyway, we need you to save our daughter." Mom asked.
"You're going to need my master for something like that. Give me a moment; he's still asleep in the bottle." James bent over the bottle.
Ari watched in disbelief. There was still something in that bottle…
"Master." James smiled. No response.
"Master?" James poked the bottle. Still no response.
"Master!" James picked up the bottle and shook it with all of his might. He gently sat the bottle back down.
It groaned.
Ari heard herself let out a scream. There was something in that bottle!
"Aren't you going to introduce me James?" a low, evil sounding voice asked.
"Yes." James cleared his throat. "I introduce to you the greatest, most evil being to ever walk the planet: King Stanley Hihat Trinidad XIV!" A loud cheer erupted from the people in the room.
"Thank you, thank you," Stan smiled. "But let's get to the matter in question. You said you need me to cure your daughter?"
"Yes." Mom agreed.
"I will grant your wish. But I require payment in return. I will need one of you to be my slave, servant, and follower for the rest of your life. Any objections?"
"No."
"None here."
"Fine with me."
"Uh huh, that's right dear."
"What is wrong with you people?" Ari thought furiously. "You're all going to give up your souls to the thing in the bottle just so we can cure a Pig Latin curse?"
"Seeing that there are no objections let's begin. You see Master Stan has been trapped in this bottle for quite some time." James clarified.
"Three centuries to be exact." Stan added in.
"A long time ago he was a powerful man named Gohma." James began acting like he was teaching a bunch of school children.
"You mean Gohma, the man who destroyed half of the planet?" Dad asked.
"Right on, old man!" Stan smiled.
"But Gohma was killed by a man named Hopkins." James continued.
"A minor setback. But nothing to be overlooked." Stan explained.
"Master Stan is the reincarnation of Gohma. But being that he's been stuck in a bottle for three centuries, he's quite weak. He needs a vessel that he can possess so he can regain his powers. In other words, he needs a shadow." James sighed. "So! Let us begin the first ever Shadow Cup!"
Out of nowhere two ghosts floated into the room. "Alright! I need all of you to form a line right by this wall!" James commanded. "Hurry up!"
Everyone formed a line by the wall. Ari reluctantly walked to the end of the line. "Please don't let it be me." Ari prayed. "Oh please don't let it be me."
Ari was next. Mom daintily walked over to the judges. They deliberated amongst themselves.
"She's really close but…"
"She'd be perfect if it wasn't for…"
Both the ghosts and James stared at Mom's hips. Ari knew her mother had slightly wide hips but this was just ridiculous.
"I'm sorry but it was a near miss. There was a slight problem with your figure." James apologized. "If only you had been five years younger. But I think you're perfect."
Ari groaned. It was one thing for a man to flirt with mom, but it was an entirely other matter when a dead butler did.
"Next up is the family son, Ari!" James announced. Ari wanted to correct him but she was too tired to do it.
Ari walked up to the judges and stood motionless hoping her prayers would be answered.
"Oh my! He's perfectly overshadowed!"
"Yes, it's amazing!"
"It's unanimous folks! Perfect scores from both of the judges!" James grinned. "I give you the winner of the first Shadow Cup: Ari!"
Ari suddenly felt sick in her stomach.
"Yeah Ari!"
"You go kid!"
"Wait to go Ari!"
"Uh huh, that's right dear."
Despite the cheers from her family Ari didn't feel any better. It made her feel ten times worse.
The bottle began to shake. From out of the top a small black sphere floated out. Ari watched in terror as it hovered over to her shadow and flew right into it. Ari dropped to the floor in fear.
From out of the shadow the creature rose. It had two pointy ears and glowing yellow eyes. Across its face was an evil smirk.
It reminded Ari of her old teddy bear.
"This is just perfect!" Stan smiled. "From now on you will be my slave, servant and subordinate for the rest of your life!"
"Mr. Snuggles?" Ari mumbled. She felt herself begin to smile. Suddenly it became a giggle. Ari ran over to the corner to repress her humor.
"See! My slave shakes in terror at me!" Stan gloated.
"Your slave shakes in laughter!" Ari bit her lip hard to stifle the chuckling.
"Now let's go cure your daughter!" Stan ordered.
Inside Annie's room everyone watched as Stan analyzed Annie.
"It's just a crappy spell cast by a ghost, one of those lowly beings. Easily undone, now stand back and watch in awe as I free your daughter from this joke of a curse!" Stan snapped his fingers. Nothing seemed to happen. Ari swore she heard a little ping sound but no one else noticed it. Suddenly Annie sat bolt upright.
"What just happened?" she exclaimed.
Everyone in the room applauded in delight. Mom ran over and hugged Annie. "Oh Stan! I can't thank you enough!" she cried.
"Don't thank me! Fear my absolute power!" Stan steamed.
Annie jumped out of bed and did a little dance. "Tra la la la lah la! I can speak normal now, I can speak normal now!"
"Oh Annie I'm so happy for you!" Dad smiled.
"Annie, sweetie, you're going to grow up to be a fine woman." Grandpa began. "And I couldn't be more…huh? Annie what's wrong with your shadow?"
Annie looked down and screamed in horror.
Her shadow was pink!
"Oops…" Stan giggled sheepishly. "I seemed to have made a miscalculation."
"EEK! What did you do to her?" Mom shrieked advancing on Stan.
"Hey! I never said I wouldn't turn her shadow pink!" he argued.
"Oh no. Now she will end up being a comic relief girl!" Mom screamed and then fainted to the floor.
"Honey!" Dad ran to her side.
"MY SHADOW! IT'S PINK! NOW I'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO GO OUT WITH ANYBODY!" Annie wailed.
Ari hid her head in her hands. This was going to be a long night…
Ari ran as fast as she could. She knew it was behind her. Catching up to her every second. Getting closer and closer…
Finally she couldn't feel it anymore. She stopped and turned around.
AND THERE IT WAS!
SLAM!
Ari grabbed the side of her head. She had fallen out of her bed onto the floor. The one side of her body ached. But she smiled nonetheless.
It was all a dream.
On the floor was a very normal shadow. No yellow eyes or pointy things. No Stan. No Mr. Snuggles.
Ari sighed in relief. "Thank you God!"
She began to kiss her shadow over and over again. This was the start of a beautiful day!
Ari briskly walked downstairs humming a tune. She sniffed the air. Nothing was cooking. Maybe Mom overslept for a change.
Ari opened the front door. The bright, warm sunshine greeted her. Ari walked out and stretched her limbs. She might even go to Tenel today and confess her love for Jude. This was a good day.
"Today is such a beautiful day! I don't have to worry about anything. It was all a dream last night, right? That's what you're thinking." An evil, sinister sounding voice snickered. From out of Ari's shadow jumped up none other than Stan.
"Sorry to burst your bubble slave but it did all happen. Your sister's shadow turned pink, your mother fainted, and you became my servant for all eternity." Ari looked hopelessly at Stan. This was the start of a dreadful day.
"So tell me boy…" Stan instigated.
"Girl." Ari mumbled. If she was going to be this guy's slave for the rest of her life he might as well know her gender.
"I'm sorry slave I didn't quite get that." Stan leaned a little closer to Ari.
"I'm a girl." Ari stated simply.
For a whole minute Stan started blankly at Ari. Then he began to twitch. Finally he just let it all out.
"JAMES!" Stan bellowed.
In a poof of smoke James appeared. "It's such a nice fragrant morning. What do you need James for oh beloved Master Stan?"
"Explain to me why my slave is of the female gender. And do it in thirty words or less." Stan commanded.
"Master you must be joking, Ari's not a…" James looked a little closer at Ari's chest. He jumped back in surprise. "I seemed to have missed that little detail!"
"James, how many times did I tell you I do not, and I repeat, DO NOT want a woman for a slave?" Stan fumed.
"Please Master Stan; you must understand I didn't know." Ari felt like walking away. She knew she looked like a boy but she didn't need to be reminded by the dead butler guy.
"James, do you remember what happened three years ago? Do you want it to happen again?"
"Master! Listen to me. The girl's shadow is absolutely perfect. Do you want to go back into the bottle another three hundred centuries waiting for a boy to come along with a shadow as good as this? I don't think so. And another thing: Ari's quiet. She'll go along obeying your orders and never as questions. Plus, she's as thin as a twig! No fat parts on her. Just give her a chance Master. Pretty please?" James begged.
"You went over thirty words. But I see where you're going with this. I'll keep her, but next time James remember who you're talking to." Stan nodded.
"Of course, sir. James is always here to support your evil doings. OH! I just recalled what I was going to ask you. What are you planning to do today?"
"I plan to take the nearby town of Tenel and drive it into a mass of chaos and despair!" Stan answered. Ari was ready to defend her little town but she realized Stan could probably kill her on the spot if she did. So she remained silent.
"Sounds like a great plan Master. Have you had anything to eat?" James asked.
"James, I'm a shadow, I can't eat." Stan replied coldly.
"It's a shame, you're missing out. Madame's omelet is the best."
"James, I'll be in town." Stan rolled his eyes.
"And I'll be right there cheering you on. After I finish my omelet." James walked off and disappeared into the wall.
Ari wanted to warn James about what exactly Mom put in her Omelet Surprise but it was too late.
"Slave girl! I command you to go to Tenel so I can begin my world conquest!" Stan ordered.
Ari began the descent to the town. Somehow she knew things were going to get a lot worse than this.