CHAPTER 70: The Tunnel Leading to Death
I tasted blood in my mouth as I began coughing, then choking, then taking small gasps of air.
"Elyssia, open your eyes!" Peater instructed.
I opened my eyes and saw the lake. I pointed at myself, then at the lake, to indicate that the freshwater could be of help. I tried to stand, but the movement of my roots seemed to be stymied by the gas. With a groan, and black spots all over my vision, I slowly began to stumble my way to Lake Ontario.
"Wait, Elyssia! You're not going to be caught dead wandering away from us!"
Needless to say, I felt my arms being grabbed, and I was pretty much using the twosome as crutches for the rest of the long, arduous journey to the large, freshwater lake that bore Ontario's name.
Several hours later, we ran into a very, very, very huge hill. I was still coughing up and spluttering blood, and my skin felt tight, prickly, and just as itchy as ever. My lips felt puffier than the cheesecakes that I had every night for desert, and I was as mute as I was since the gas put me into this less-than-healthy situation. I pointed at the hill, and then I pointed up, to indicate that I wanted to climb the hill. Without waiting for anybody, I began hobbling and stumbling towards the hill, which seemed to be moving back and forth, up and down. Closing my eyes, and feeling more constricted than ever, I had pretty much miraculously crawled to the top of the hill, my breathing becoming short gasps and sputters. Losing my balance, I ended up tumbling and toppling down the hill, cutting my skin straight open. Regaining my balance, I resumed my stumbling and hobbling, until I literally fell straight into the waters of Lake Ontario. I let out several guttural, asphyxiated screams as my skin stung more and more. Finally, I saw blood and a yellow substance drifting into the water. I dunked my head into the water, and let my head sting and prickle all it wanted. I gulped down water, and coughed and sputtered, but my gasping turned into choking, which turned into coughing, which turned into desperate breaths. I looked up, and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that there were no more cysts on my skin. I looked on to the sewage plant, and felt relieved that I was able to live in order to face Zomboss for the umpteenth time.
At long last, we had made it to the Lakeshore Boulevard sewage plant, but there were heavily armed zombies guarding.
"Why don't we just face those zombies?" Elias suggested.
"Yeah . . . not happening. I mean . . . if we battle those zombies, we'll get Zomboss' attention. We need to sneak in."
After I had said that, I walked around, when all of a sudden, the ground underneath my roots cracked and gave way. I was falling, falling, falling . . .
. . . Until I hit the ground with a small thud, which sent a small cloud of dust billowing up. I was surrounded by pure darkness, with a bit of light coming from the little hole that was made when I fell.
"Elyssia, are you okay?" Peater called down.
"Yes, I am just fine! But you should come down here, so that we can enter the place through the underground!" I replied.
Needless to say, my compatriots were down in the pit with me in no time at all. I looked around, and saw a tunnel to my right. Without wasting a single second, I was going through the shadowy tunnel, leaving the other two to catch up with me. The journey was made in utter silence as the wind made noises similar to a hyena's howling. Finally, I saw a sickly white light percolating down around ten metres in front of us, which I knew meant that we had reached our destination. A few seconds later, we heard a booming, unassailable voice barking at somebody to wipe their shoes.
"That's Zomboss, all right." Peater said indifferently, before he made a jump for the overhanging rocks that probably served as footholds.
Soon, all three of us were mounting the wall with no problem. That is to say, we had no problem . . . until Zomboss decided to take a peek down the tunnel. As his head poked down, I stared into his mad, red eyes.
"Well, our paths have crossed for the umpteenth time, haven't they, Elyssia Antonia. Oh, well. There's always the opportunity to take you hostage yet again . . . isn't there? C'est la vie, you little coward . . . prepare for some revenge!"
A few seconds after making this avowal, Peater punched his face.
"You keep those dirty hands off her, or else this'll be war, you undeserving, ridiculous Donald Trump ripoff!" he threatened.
"Why do you care about her so much? Why do you think that she's so important? Why is protecting her your duty?" Zomboss goaded Peater.
"She's as hindering, stupid, and annoying as she can get, the little demon. She's the reason that I have not been able to achieve complete and total domination of eastern Canada, let alone the whole nation, brimming to the edge with beauty and riches!"
Peater looked taken aback, but only for a few fleeting seconds. Finally, he spoke up.
"I am protecting her because I love her and care about her very much. She is a wonderful girl, so full of talent and potential. That is why she is worth keeping alive."
Zomboss' mouth curled into a nasty little smirk.
"Aw . . . it's so? Well, do you see her as a friend? Or do you see her as someone to devour and ―" he mocked, hoping for a reaction, but all Peater did was cut him off.
"A very important girl is all I see her as, and that is precisely why I am willing and able to go to war with anyone and everyone just for her wellbeing!"
"Yeah, not happening, you little squirt. Nice try, though!" Zomboss sneered.
Just as Peater made a lunge for Zomboss, I felt the evil, undead person in charge of each and every one of the zombies in the entire world grab me by the throat.
"Look, Miss Coponeva Insuperabilis, you've broken the chains of fate time and time again, but I'm not having you and your antics get in my way any longer!" he snarled, digging one hand into his pocket and pulling out a needle.
"No!" Peater screamed as Zomboss jabbed the needle into my head.