Invisible Terror Collection Part 35

"If you won't go with me," she said, "I'll go by myself." She started to rise from her seat, but she was a little shaky.

"Whoa." the Ascension Lady moved in to steady her.

"I'm fine," Krissi said, pus.h.i.+ng her aside. "I'm fine." Then turning to look at Philip squarely, she asked, "So are you coming, or am I going alone?"

Twenty minutes later Becka hung up the phone. She'd just talked to a very nervous and very worried Philip.

"I don't know what's going on," he'd said. "But ... we can't face this thing on our own. We need your help. Can you and Ryan come to Cougar Creek? Can you meet us there? We really need you guys."

Rebecca's first instinct was to say no. The last thing in the world she wanted was to face more spiritual warfare. It had only been a week or so since her last encounter. An encounter that had left Julie, her best friend, still in bed, recovering.

And if that cow, the burned gra.s.s in the field, and the destroyed trees were any indication of the power she would have to face ... well, who could blame Becka for thinking overtime to find an excuse not to go.

If only Philip hadn't sounded so ... frightened.

She finally managed to hang up, but not before promising that she'd run it past her mother. With any luck Mom would freak at the idea of her and Ryan taking a two-hour drive into the mountains, and that would be that. With any luck Mom would encourage her to avoid any more spiritual encounters.

Then again, Mom was always full of surprises.

"I think you should go, Beck."

"What?"

"I think you and Ryan and Scotty need to go up there and help."

Becka followed her into the kitchen. "But, Mom ..."

"I don't like the idea any better than you, but you said it yourself. They need you."

"But why ..." She struggled for the words.

"Why you?"

Becka nodded.

Mom turned to her. They'd had this conversation more than once. Her answer was gentle but firm. "I think you know the answer."

Becka looked down.

"You've known it for months. Even when Dad was alive, when we used to pray over you - even then we knew you would be called to something like this."

"But ..." Becka could feel her throat tighten. She looked up at her mother. "I'm really scared."

Mom paused, then nodded. "Me too, sweetheart ... me too.

Every time you get involved in something like this, it makes me go cold inside." She turned as though she was looking out the kitchen window - but Becka knew she was trying to control her emotions. After a minute, Mom went on. "Believe me, if I had my way I'd say no. But ... part of loving is letting go." Finally she turned to face Becka. "And part of trusting the Lord is letting go too."

Becka looked into her mother's eyes.

Mom reached over and brushed her hair behind her ears.

"He hasn't failed us yet, sweetheart. He won't fail you now." Before she knew it, Becka had wrapped her arms around her mother. She loved this woman with all of her heart. She knew this was as hard on Mom as it was on her. She also knew she had a lot to learn from the woman - especially when it came to loving and trusting G.o.d.

Now she needed to talk to Scott.

"No way."

"Scotty, they need us."

"I'm busy."

Becka stayed on his heels all the way up the stairs and down the hall into his room. "Listen, what's going on at that cabin is a lot more important than some stupid game." He snorted. "A lot you know."

Her voice raised a notch. "I know you've been like the invisible man ever since you started playing it." He turned on her. "Is that some sort of crime?"

"It's a crime when there are people who need help and you'd rather sit around and play some stupid game."

"Stop calling it that!" The resentful outburst surprised them both. Scott continued, obviously forcing himself to calm down.

"Listen, this is more than just a game, all right?" Rebecca simply looked at him.

"It's ... Beck, there's nothing like it. When I play, it's like ...

I don't know, it's like I've got this power, like I can do all these incredible things I could never do in real life."

"It's just a game, Scotty. Make-believe."

"I know, but sometimes ... sometimes it seems so real. More than real. Like I'm really there. Like I'm really this guy with all this power." He shrugged and turned to stroke the sleeping Cornelius. "I just don't feel like giving it up. Especially for some wild-goose chase up in the mountains."

Becka continued to stare. This was not like her brother. Not at all. He was always the first to jump in and help people. "Scotty, we're talking about real people here. Real flesh-and-blood people who need our help. Mine. And yours." He fidgeted. "You don't need me. You've done it before without me."

She shook her head slowly, her expression thoughtful, almost apprehensive. "This is different. This one is really different." She looked at him. "We need you there."

He glanced up at her. She held his gaze. He looked over to the computer, and Becka could see wheels starting to turn.

"Hold on," he said. "Wait a minute. Who says I can't do both?"

"What?"

"Sure. Darryl's got his laptop and he's out of the game."

"What's that got to - "

"There's a telephone up there, right?"

"Yeah, I suppose."

"I bet I could call in and hook up with the modem. Then I can play from wherever we're at."

"Scotty, I don't think that's exactly what - " She broke off.

Scott wasn't listening. He was picking up the phone and dialing Darryl's number. Becka stood, watching. She wasn't too sure this was a good idea.

Still, having part of Scott there was better than having none of him ...

She watched the excitement on his face as Darryl agreed to loan him the laptop, and a chill of doubt ran through her.

... or was it?

Shaking off her concern, she looked at her watch. It was 3:05.

As soon as Scott was off the phone she'd call Ryan. They could be on the road within an hour.

Chapter 7.

Scott knew something was wrong. Here he was, riding in the backseat of Ryan's Mustang, going up into the mountains for some sort of major showdown with some sort of major evil, and all he could think about was what Ttocs' next move would be in the game. Amazing. Part of him knew Becka was right when she said it was just a game. But part of him knew it went much deeper than that. Much, much deeper ...

For the hundredth time he shuffled through Darryl's laptop computer case to make sure he had everything necessary to call up on the modem. And for the hundredth time he asked Ryan about the phone situation. "You're absolutely sure Krissi's folks don't have a telephone?"

"Will you relax," Ryan chuckled. "The General Store is just ahead. I guarantee you, the owner will let you call from there."

"It can't be a pay phone. It's got to be a line I can plug in to the computer."

"He's cool. I'm sure he'll let you use the store phone just as long as you pay for it and don't take too long."

"It won't be long. Just a few minutes every half hour or so."

"Every half hour?" Becka turned to Scott from the front.

"How long do you plan to spend there?"

That was the question Scott had been dreading. Fortunately, Ryan slowed the car and was turning into the General Store's parking lot. A perfect time to change the subject. "Are we here?" he asked.

"This is the place."

It was an old-fas.h.i.+oned store with rough wood planking and a long front porch. The sun was just thinking about setting, and the warm glow of the lights inside looked inviting. Even more so when they stepped out into the cold.

"It's freezing!" Becka s.h.i.+vered as she fumbled with the b.u.t.tons on her coat.

Ryan grinned. White plumes of smoke escaped from his mouth as he spoke to Scott. "The cabin is just a mile or so up the road. There's this big orange trout for a mailbox, and the driveway winds up a little hill. You can't miss it." Scott nodded.

"Well, let's get you settled," Ryan said as he started up the store's steps. "How long did you say? A few minutes every half hour?"

Scott nodded, doing his best to avoid Becka's glare. He knew he was cheating. He knew by agreeing to come he'd led her to believe he'd help. Well, he would. Sort of. He hoped. He read-justed the computer strap on his shoulder and headed up the stairs after them.

"What a jerk," Becka said as they pulled out of the store's parking lot and onto the road. "He won't even stop long enough to help. It's like that stupid game's got a hold on him." Ryan nodded. "I had a friend that really got caught up into that stuff too."

"What happened?"

"He just sort of dropped out."

"Dropped out?"

"I still see him around school and stuff, but it's like he's not really there. Like, he's in a different world." Becka turned to look back at the store as it disappeared around the bend. Her anger and frustration had already turned to concern.

Becka and Ryan had barely left the store before Scott had situated himself in the back office and connected with Hubert's computer. The other players in the group had agreed to let him accu-mulate turns while he traveled, so when he finally got online, Scott was ready to give it everything he had. Unfortunately, the dice had other ideas.

On his first move Ttocs was attacked by a living corpse. The hideous creature began shredding his flesh and devouring it. Each time Scott rolled the dice for a counterattack, he lost. Each time he tried to defend himself, he gave up more and more of his power.

Things were not going well. Not well at all.

Finally, through a complicated incantation, Ttocs was able to conjure up a fireball. The light exploded in all directions, raining flames down upon the undead monster and sending it scurrying for cover. But the damage was already done. Ttocs was far weaker than when he'd started.

And still they came at him. This time it was one of the players. Ttocs had barely taken a step before the infamous Quantoz, an offspring of Satan himself, went in for the kill. It was unbe-lievable the way the dice kept rolling against Scott. Each time Ttocs tried to defend himself, he lost. And each time he lost, Scott grew more and more depressed.

Finally Quantoz's turn was over. Nearly half of Ttocs's armor had been depleted and almost all of his magic had been neutralized. It had been a b.l.o.o.d.y series of attacks, but at least for now it was over.

Scott leaned back in the office chair and rubbed his neck. His face was wet with perspiration, and he was breathing hard. "Just a game," Becka had said. Hardly. Not when he was fighting for his life. And it was his life. Ttocs was his creation. Ttocs was a part of him ... Ttocs was him.

But that was okay. His turn wouldn't be for several more minutes. He would have time to rest, to get his bearings and, now that he was so much weaker, find a way to stay in the game without being destroyed.

Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by another player signaling to attack him. It was obvious the player thought he might be able to finish Ttocs off. Maybe he could.

Scott took a deep breath and sat up at the keyboard preparing for another a.s.sault ...

"Here we go." Ryan turned left onto a dirt road and started winding up the steep, tree-lined driveway. The sun had just set and the temperature was dropping quickly.

"How do you know about this place?" Becka asked.

"Krissi's folks used to invite us up every summer. Me, Julie, Krissi, and Philip."