Chapter Six
The next morning after his ordeal, Jake sat at the kitchen table looking over at Hunter, who had removed his helmet and Trickster. His only two comrades left after all of this mess.
"Pinhead, isn't there anything we can do? I mean short of turning myself over to him?" Jake asked rubbing at his red eyes.
Hunter simply hissed and whispered as Jake nodded his head muttering, "I know, I can't do that. It would mean eternal death for everyone."
Trickster had been moving his head from side to side, listening to the conversation between the two when he all of a sudden hissed something, just above a whisper.
If someone who was not able to understand the puppets had been watching, they would have been surprised at how fast both Jake and Hunter turned to look at him.
"What?" yelled Jake, "Dex, you can't be serious."
The little puppet nodded his head in reply.
"Number one, I don't understand your reasoning behind it, but two, I don't think there's any way something like that would work."
Looking over to Hunter, Trickster hissed and whispered for over a minute before Hunter slowly nodded his head, much to the surprise of Jake, whose eyes were widening more and more.
"You don't mean you agree with him do you?" Jake asked, not believing what he was hearing.
Hunter nodded once more at the same time Trickster did.
Standing, Jake turned his back on them, shaking his head, "No, it's way too dangerous for either of you. I won't do it. I've lost the others, I won't lose you two as well."
Trickster suddenly got to his feet and walked over to a fork on the table. Picking it up, he flung it at Jake's back, giving him a quick stabbing pain.
As Jake turned around rubbing at his back, he shouted. "What the hell? Dex, I should…"
But his words were interrupted by Dexter who began hissing loudly, louder than any puppet Jake had ever heard. His little hands moved violently around in the air as he hissed out and shook his head several times before stopping.
Slowly, Hunter's head turned from watching Trickster to Jake and simply nodded.
Jake's eyes were still narrowed, glaring at Trickster. He didn't like this plan, didn't like it at all. But, if he was going to be overruled by two puppets, then he would at least consider hearing more as he sat down.
"Okay. Give me more details."
In the burning depths of the Underworld, the family Toulon was still bound by the instruments of their individual tortures.
Andre lay there on a bed of spikes growing through his skin, while above him in a cage of barbed wire, sat an unmoving naked Doctor Hess, returned to his human form, no longer encased in his puppet body.
"Hess." Whispered Andre as he lay there staring up at his friend.
"I am here Herr Toulon." Replied the doctor as a small hiss from above caused him to look up.
The small figure of Blade, no longer a puppet, but a demonic little form stared down at him and bared its little fanged mouth.
"I am sorry. So very sorry for all of this. If it were not for me, you and the others would not be in this situation." Said Andre, tears welling in his eyes.
"Andre," said a voice from his right side causing Andre to look over.
Hans Seiderman, the soul and heart of Jester, was smiling over at him, though there was nothing Andre could see that he would be smiling about. The former bookkeeper was strung up like a marionette, with the veins from his arms and feet leading straight above him to where a demon sat, occasionally pulling the veins and moving him around like a doll.
Still smiling at Andre, Hands continued, "You did not force us to continue to be with you. We all chose this ourselves. When the retro puppets wanted to be freed from their shells, you helped that happen. I know inside that had we asked for the same, you would have done the same for us. We are a family though. We have been through things more hideous and grotesque than anything anyone should have seen. But through it all, we have stuck together and overcame the odds as we shall do again. We..."
His words trailed off as the demon began dancing his body around in a crazed manner, his arms and feet waving about as laughter echoed through the cavern.
From his cage, Hess nodded to these words, before moving his gaze from Hans' predicament. Look back down to Andre he said, "I have been your friend for many years now, Andre. I thoroughly believe what Hans said. We are a family, not simply puppets who do your bidding out of fear or repercussions. We do what we do to protect you and those we hold dear to our hearts. Such as the way you and your descendants have done for us."
Andre tried to nod, but the small spike slowly burrowing its way into the back of his skull prevented it.
"I only wish we had done a better job of protecting you and the others." Said a man in between pained screams across the cavern.
Andre recognized the voice of Joseph Sebastian, the man who had been forced by the Nazis to work the salt mines in his former life before becoming Tunneler.
Now, he was chained to a wall as little Totems with pick axes mined his body, thrusting the sharp ends of the axes into his flesh.
Although all of his friends, no, his family, were telling him it was not his fault they were in the predicament they were in, he couldn't help but feel guilty. Now, his own grandson and his wife were here as well as his grandniece, Tabitha.
Yes, Sutaketh had come to him personally and let him know of the things he was doing to them all, to add onto his mental torture.
Rick had been getting torn apart, forced to fight off hordes of Totems each one with razor sharp teeth and claws. He always lost, had his body ripped apart until there was nothing left but a carcass, yet, Rick was never allowed to die. No, instead, his limbs and body repaired itself slowly, painfully and then the process started over again.
Poor Suzie was worse off. Having to fend off predators far worse than Totems, demons masquerading as convicts; murderers and wife beaters. Each one wanting a piece of her flesh for their own. She always defended herself until the end, when fatigue would get the better of her, and she would lose. Then, as Rick, her body would slowly heal and it would begin again.
Now, Sutaketh had Tabitha and was forcing her to believe over and over that Jake was saving her only to find out it was Sutaketh. In addition, he delighted in telling them all stories about the cruel torments he was putting her through, the bondage, the tickling and the endless suffering at finding time and time again her rescuer was truly a demon.
He knew Jake would be trying to find a way to rescue them all, but in his mind, he saw no hope. No possibility than any of them could be saved from their situation. That, above everything else that was happening to him, was the greatest torture of all.
Back at the museum, Jake had finished talking with Sanjay on his cell phone and had been on the internet, researching what Sanjay had told him. Now, here it was, on the screen. The very thing he was looking for, yet so much hung in the balance if everything wasn't done precisely and in every detail.
Printing it out, he looked down at the blank Egyptian parchment left by Sanjay. Looking over to Hunter and Trickster, he sighed as he walked over and grabbed a pen, cutting off the end so the ink ran out into a small bottle underneath. Pen after pen was emptied out until the small bottle was nearly full. Walking back to his desk, he sat the bottle down before removing the dagger from his belt and cutting his right index finger, as droplets of blood fell into the bottle until it had filled completely, merging with the ink inside.
As he sat down, he pulled the parchment to him and grabbed the bird feather he had found outside, he used the quill to begin writing onto the parchment. An hour later, the contract he had written was finished.
Setting the feather down, he stared at the contract and muttered as he read it.
"I, Jake Myers, hereby offer….to the demon lord Sutaketh in exchange for the lives and souls…never again to touch the Toulon bloodline and …or other demon in the Underworld…the Demon Lord Sutaketh will also allow the souls and lives of the Toulon bloodline to remove…back to the living world with no harm or consequence."
He nodded as he muttered, his finger trailing along the words until he finished and nodded.
"Well," he said looking up at Trickster and Hunter, "It's done. Now all we have to do is the hard part."
Standing, he looked down at them, "Are you sure you want to do this?"
Both puppets nodded as Jake sighed. He still had many reservations about all of this, but, at this point, he really had nothing to lose. It was his fault they were all down there, despite what everyone else said. The only way Sutkaeth would free them is if he gave him what he wanted. So be it.
Walking over to the shelf beside the bed, he removed a small box and walked over to the desk, opening it and removing a small vial of green liquid. Setting it down, he removed the syringe and said, "Let's get to work."
The following night, Sutaketh appeared before Andre and the others, his demonic grin wide.
"Soon, you shall be joined by the so called chosen boy. I have always told you there is no hope. So shall it be done." And with that he vanished in flames.
Andre's eyes widened as shouts of "No!" echoed around from the various souls in their torment.
In the museum lobby, Sutaketh, surrounded by two Wheelers and several Totems appeared before Jake, Trickster and Hunter, who all stood in the center of the lobby.
"You wish to surrender?" asked Sutaketh, "To give in to the inevitable?"
Jake nodded and held out the rolled parchment.
Swiping it from his hand, a Totem grabbed it and ran over to its master, holding it up.
Unrolling it, Sutaketh's red eyes scanned the document twice before looking up at Jake who simply nodded before asking, "Well?"
Sutaketh's eyes glanced back down at the document then back up at Jake, "Impressive. You have done your research well. Should I sign this, you know I am bound to it. However…"
One last look at the parchment and he was about to speak when Jake said, "Sign it."
The tone of voice wasn't one of a person asking something. Rather, it sounded like an order.
From his side, he removed the bird feather quill and tossed it to the floor where a Totem grabbed it and handed it to Sutaketh.
The Demon narrowed his eyes as if trying to ascertain something before looking down at the parchment as a signature flamed onto the parchment before cooling revealing a set of Egyptian symbols and then handing the Totem the quill and parchment.
Taking it from the Totem, Jake looked down and read the symbols. He had learned enough from Sanjay and the internet to know what they read and was satisfied.
As he was about to sign it himself, Sutaketh asked something.
"Your professed love for these souls has been your undoing. Now you shall serve an eternity of pain and suffering in exchange for their freedom and the freedom of those to come after them. You are a fool, Jake Myers. You could have done so much more. But, we have entered into this contract now. There is no returning back."
"When I sign this, everything in it happens immediately. My parents return to their original bodies, Andre and Elsa return in their new ones. All of the souls of the puppets return to their puppet bodies and Tabitha returns intact, both mentally and physically. Then…you get what you want so badly, the soul within this body."
Sutaketh simply nodded, "An exchange I gladly offer. You are worth more to me than all of them combined. In truth, watching their suffering over your unwise choice shall be of great entertainment to me."
Looking down to Hunter and Trickster, he smiled once, "Thanks for everything guys. It's worth everything." Before signing his name on the parchment.
In that instant several things happened at once.
Bursts of flame began to appear all over the lobby. Andre and Elsa, in their Ginger and Brick Bardo bodies appeared by the fireplace. Rick and Suzie, in their human forms appeared by the door. Blade, Jester, Tunneler and Six-Shooter all appeared by the stairs. Tabitha appeared in the arm chair near the bookshelf. The empty shells of Decapitron and Leech Woman appeared by the couch as they fell motionless onto the floor.
"They aren't moving." Jake said glancing at them.
"They are aware of what is transpiring, though they cannot move." Explained Sutaketh, "I want them to see what is to happen, but not to interfere, as though they could do anything."
Jake simply nodded as he watched Sutaketh removed a green crystal and hold it above his scaly head.
Looking once to Tabitha, Jake smiled and nodded once before looking to Sutaketh, "Do it."
The gemstone glowed bright for a moment as Jake's body collapsed onto the floor. Before it hit, Sutaketh, the Wheelers and Totems had vanished in flames.
Suddenly, the figures in the room regained their movement as shouts of "JAKE!" and "NO!" echoed as everyone rushed to his body.
Rick held his son's head in his lap, tears spilling down onto his son's face as Suzie, Andre and Elsa all embraced one another over his fallen form.
Tabitha was still on the chair silent tears streaming down her cheeks. Blade and Jester remained where they were as if emotionally unable to move, while the other puppets slowly walked to their former Master's body and reached out to touch it, any part of the body they could.
In the Underworld, Sutaketh once again sat upon his mighty throne chair, overlooking a single flat rock below. Holding the crystal out, the soul within emerged and shot out onto the rock where he stood.
For a moment there was silence before Sutaketh's eyes widened, and a mighty scream could be heard, "What treachery is this?"
The figure of Dexter stood there, grinning back at him as he saluted him and said, "Congratulations you bastard, you've just been tricked by the Trickster! You should have read that contract a little better. It was for the soul within the body, not necessarily Jake's. But as you said, the contract is binding. You can't ever touch any of them again. For that, I'm willing to spend eternity here knowing what I've done is worth it."
The form of Sutaketh began to grow in size as he growled and yelled and screamed out because of the trick he had so foolishly fallen for. Screaming out, he aimed his hand at Dexter's form which quickly was consumed in flame and reduced to nothing but ash, then reformed, consumed in flame and destroyed over and over, all the while a single laugh being heard over and over. He he he…
In the real world, the crying over Jake's body continued as Trickster walked over to everyone and shook his head, trying to get everyone's attention.
When Andre finally noticed him, he began to hiss wildly as both Rick and Andre's eyes widened.
"What?" Rick yelled out, "How?"
Hunter began to rush over, pointing to the clock as Trickster began running toward the upstairs landing Rick grabbed Jake's body and began to follow as Tabitha gently caught Trickster and Hunter in her arms as they headed up the stairs. On their heels were, Elsa, Andre, Suzie and all the puppets.
Once in their room, Rick set the puppets on the bed as Hunter grabbed the bottle of green serum and the syringe, injecting Jake's body in the back of the neck.
Rick quickly grabbed another syringe and watched as Trickster rolled over onto his stomach. Injecting the syringe into Trickster's neck, he removed a full vial of yellowish liquid as he moved and injected it into Jake's heart.
Trickster's body shuddered for a moment and then was still.
Several moments passed as everyone watched Jake's body in anticipation before one eye slowly opened.
Tabitha flung herself onto her fiancé's body, openly crying as Jake whispered, "Let me revive please."
She backed up slightly, grinning down at him as he smiled back at her.
Questions hit him quickly.
"How did this happen?"
"How did you do the transference?"
"Why the hell did you scare us like that?"
Holding up a hand, Jake sat up and looked around them.
"Okay. Let me start at the beginning. When you had all been taken and it was just Dex, Pinhead and myself."
"Pinhead?" asked everyone as Jake pointed to Hunter who raised a hand and nodded.
"I'll get to that in a minute. Suffice to say, Dex came up with an idea. Make the contract that Sutaketh wanted. He wanted the soul in my body, so, give it to him. Only it wasn't going to be my soul, but his."
Tabitha shook her head, "I don't get it. Dex was willing to give everything for you? I mean, I know he cared a lot for us, but…"
Jake nodded, "I wasn't sure why, but he went on a tirade telling me that his entire life after losing his fiancé was all for nothing. He believed he should have died and that everything after was wasted time. He wanted to be held accountable for a lot of things and hoped that with his sacrifice to help all of us, that he could atone for at least a few of them. So, we began working on a plan."
Looking over to Hunter, he said, "Talking with Pinhead, we knew we could transfer a human soul into a puppet, but what about a puppet into a human? Well, the theory was sound enough, but we needed someone to do it. That's where Pinhead came in. It doesn't matter if the person doing the ritual is human or not, as long as they can speak the words and he could in his own way. So, we initiated the transfer. Dex's soul was extracted and placed in a vial while mine was transferred into Trickster. Then he was placed into my body. I think he liked being able to walk around as a human once more, even for a short time. First thing he did was go to the bathroom and exclaim how exciting it was to pee again."
Jake laughed here as did everyone else before Jake continued.
"We wrote up the contract and summoned Sutaketh to come. According to the contract, Sutaketh nor any other demon are allowed to come after any of the Toulon bloodline ever again nor the souls of the puppets. "
Tabitha couldn't help it as she leaned down and kissed him passionately. She was just so happy and relieved.
Jake knew that Sutaketh would have taken great delight in torturing his fiancé, so he had also included a stipulation that all of the memories of her torture would be removed from her mind.
A great celebration was held as a new body for Pinhead was constructed by Andre, Rick and Jake before his essence was transferred back into it, much to his approval. He had told Jake although the new puppet was extremely new and impressive, he had grown accustomed to his old body.
Jake and Tabitha's wedding was held in the lobby two months later, at the grand re-opening of the museum, attended by the press and all of the puppets from their own hidden locations.
In the end, Jake and Tabitha both knew that as long as the puppets were a part of their lives, it would never be normal. But then again, normal was so over rated.