Queen of the Sandworms

Chapter 11: The Perolayx

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The huge, colorful leaves slapped against Beetlejuice's face as he sprinted through the small jungle, trying to keep up with Lydia. Even with her Sandworm disguise, she was able to run through the forest as if it were nothing.

Beetlejuice felt the alien bushes and branches slap against his face, and the round rocks try to trip him under his feet. His heart jumped around next to his lungs that felt as if they were going to explode. He was not used to running so much, except when he is about to be eaten by a Sandworm, then the laws change.

Beetlejuice slowed to a stop to catch his breath. He placed his hands on his striped knees as he bent over and caught his breath. His uncombed, blonde hair fell over his pale face. Now he really did wish he had his powers back. He could just transport himself from one place to the next in seconds and not even break a sweat.

Beetlejuice wiped the sweat that appeared on his forehead with the back of his pale head. His sharp tipped tongue had lolled out as he began to pant like a dog. He lifted his head up when he heard another Sandworm scream in the distance. He slowly straightened up and started to run again. When he got to the edge of the jungle, he looked out to the other small oasis clusters all around and noticed Lydia running across the sands to the next small oasis.

From his point of view, she looked like a small Sandworm head bobbing up and down along the sands.

Above, the Sandworms were looming over the oasis, their striped bodies stretched upwards, blocking out the sun. Beetlejuice stopped as he stared up at them in terror. They were being attacked. All over their bodies were these hideous, jet black leech-like creatures wriggling all over the Sandworms.

Their bodies were bigger then Beetlejuice, and their insides glowed a purple color, revealing their discolored organs. The creatures had multiple rows of sharp barbed teeth, and were seen drilling into the Sandworm's skins and digging deep into their flesh and eating their insides. They didn't look like they had eyes, but had strong noses that could smell Sandworm blood from miles away.

One Sandworm instantly froze in mid-air. Its two mouths opened in a silent scream as its red eyes instantly dimmed out and began to tilt. Beetlejuice noticed Lydia still running towards the Sandworms. She did not seem to notice that one was falling and was about to crush her!

Beetlejuice quickly moved forward and sprinted toward Lydia. "Lydia! Stop!" he shouted. Lydia stopped and turned around. She looked at him with a confused look on her face. "What, Beetlejuice? I can't help you right now! The Sandworms-hey!" she started, but stopped when Beetlejuice scooped her up into his arms and ran to the right. Just as he got to five feet, the Sandworm crashed inches behind him, making the whole ground shake.

Beetlejuice felt his feet leave the sand before falling back to the ground. He almost lost balance, as he straightened up and held Lydia tightly against his chest. Lydia looked over Beetlejuice's shoulder and gasped in horror at what just happened.

Beetlejuice gently placed her back down onto the ground. Lydia ran around him without mumbling a thanks and went to the fallen Sandworm's side. The Sandworm cried out weakly as its black and white striped body twitched and wiggled weakly against the sands. The black leech creatures had drilled so many holes through the Sandworm, there was barely any noticeable stripes to even call a Sandworm anymore. Sandworm blood and torn organs spilled out from the dying beast.

Lydia placed her hand on top of its' head as it slowly closed its red eyes and died a slow and painful death. The black, leech creatures slowly wriggled out from the dead Sandworm toward the two. Lydia and Beetlejuice took a couple steps back.

"Wh-what are those things?!" asked Beetlejuice nervously, placing his hands in front of his chest. Lydia pulled out her spear and began swinging it in front of her when the creatures came near. One screeched at her and revealed its round mouth full of thousands of needle like teeth.

"We call them perolayx, parasitic creatures that dig into the flesh of Sandworms and take over the body, eating from the inside out till there is noting left," she explained as she sliced one down the middle. The creature screamed in pain as shiny purple blood came out and a billion smaller leech-like creatures fell into the sands and wiggled like fish out of water.

"This one was a female about to give birth," said Lydia. Beetlejuice placed his hand over his mouth. "I think I'm gonna be sick," he said and turned away. One leech creature took a leap toward Beetlejuice. Lydia quickly reacted on impulse and stabbed the flying, glowing perolayx in mid air at lightning speed.

The creature screeched as it wiggled, snapping its teeth at Beetlejuice's striped back, who was inches away from it. Lydia quickly flung it back into the sea of squirming perolayx, then quickly grabbed Beetlejuice's sleeve and spun him around, pulling him closer to her side. "Use your magic to get rid of these creatures," she ordered him and continued stabbing and whacking the perolayx with her spear.

Beetlejuice blinked and looked down at his pale faced up hands. He hesitated. He wasn't sure if he got his powers back or not. It has been a while since he checked. Beetlejuice placed his arms out in front of him toward the leech creatures and concentrated. Nothing. He tried again, imaging all the leeches to turn into a pile of round rocks. Still nothing.

"What is taking you?" asked Lydia impatiently as they continued walking backwards from the perolayx. Beetlejuice lowered his hands in embarrassment. "Erm...I...think I lost my powers-" he started, but was interrupted when another Sandworm screeched its last screech and began to fall toward them.

Beetlejuice and Lydia gasped in horror before exchanging glances. "Run!" cried Lydia as she grabbed the ghost's arm and bolted. They both ran, just as the huge Sandworm crashed down inbetween the leech creatures and the two, causing the whole ground to shake.

Instantly, the black, purple glowing leeches leaped forward and began to feast upon the remains of the dead Sandworm. The Sandworm's tail whipped around till it gradually stopped and went limp in the sands.

"You lost your powers?! How could you lose your powers?!" Lydia shouted over the loud Sandworm screams above them. Beetlejuice didn't know how to answer her questions. He thought back to when he used all of his magic to create the scar shaped gap in the hole and fell into Sandwormland. He must have completely lost all of his powers when he did that. Beetlejuice winced at the horrible thought and decided to push it to the back of his mind.

Beetlejuice and Lydia slowed to a stop and turned, just in time to see a couple of the remaining Sandworms slither toward them. Lydia screeched loudly and gestured to them to head back to The Nest.

Edgar appeared next to them, unharmed as he lowered his huge head down to their level. Lydia and Beetlejuice climbed on. When they were on, Edgar let out a deafening cry before arching forward and plunging into the sands. The rest of the Sandworms did the same and tunneled back to their underground home.