A Bad Day for Voodoo

CHAPTER 29

I grimaced.

“What’s wrong?” Adam asked.

“My stomach hurts all of a sudden.”

“Like how? Like you ate a jalapeno?”

“Way worse than that. It’s like a battery acid capsule just broke in there.”

“That’s not good. So it’s an incineration-from-within kind of feeling?”

“Yeah. Ow! Crap!My stomach is sizzling!”

Adam floored the accelerator, driving even faster than he had when we outran all of those police cars.

“Please hurry,” I said. “I don’t wanna burn!”

“You’re not gonna burn. Just stay with me. Be a rock. We’re almost there. Life is good. Stay happy. Almost there. Almost there. Keep being a rock. Almost there. Damn, just passed it. Backing up.”

He stopped the cab. We threw open the doors and hurried to the back. My stomach gave another intense jolt of pain, and I fell to my knees.

“No! Don’t give up!” Adam shouted. “We’re almost safe! Look how close we.. .oh crap, the trunk is locked.”

He ran back to the front of the taxi and returned a few seconds later with the keys. I managed to stand up as we unlocked the trunk, threw open the lid, and frantically pulled out Mr. Click.

We lost our grip, and he fell onto the ground.

There was thin white smoke in the air, which I realized was coming from my nostrils.

“That’s not good. That’s not good, but just stay calm, stay calm,” said Adam. “Maybe they can come to us.” He rushed over to the door of the voodoo shop and turned the knob. “It’s locked! They closed on us!” He rapped on the door, then kicked it a couple of times.

Smoke was billowing from my nostrils and my mouth. My stomach felt like a little pyromaniac was inside there, lighting matches and giggling.

Adam ran back to the cab, reached inside the trunk, and grabbed a tire iron.

The smoke was starting to turn black.

Adam shattered the front window of the store. An alarm went off.

Esmeralda peeked her head out. I could see that she was holding my doll. “Why the hell you break window? I on my way!”

A flame came out of one of my nostrils. It was just a tiny flame, but still, fire was never supposed to come out of your nose!

Adam tossed Mr. Click’s doll to Esmeralda.

Esmeralda raised both dolls into the air. “ Uiptfjo dibshf pg tvdi uijoht, dbodfm uijt tqfmm jg zpv xpvme!” (I don’t know how she pronounced the words without vowels either.)

The smoke disappeared.

My stomach stopped hurting.

Mr. Click gave me one last sad look, and then he closed his eyes. “He at peace now,” said Esmeralda. “Doll’s power is gone.” She ripped off the head of my doll. “See?”

“1.1.1.hold on a second. Let me catch my breath. Okay.no, wait, haven’t caught it yet.” I stood there for a long moment, trying to regain my composure. Adam patted me on the back. “I don’t know how to thank you,” I said.

Esmeralda took me by the hand and stared deep into my eyes. “You have responsibility now. Serious responsibility. You tell tale of Chosen One. You write it so future generations know of glory of Adam Westell. You write it good, not mess up. Find publisher. This your destiny.”

“I accept,” I said.

“You no have choice, but is good that you accept.”

“So, about the corpse,” I said. “Do you need us to take it away and figure out what to do with it, or will you take care of it?” “We handle.”

“Thanks. Adam, any chance you could take me to the hospital?” “Sure thing.”