Evils of the Night-Chapter 9

The Mud Queen

“Sylvia! Hurry up let's go!” Brett was impatiently sitting on his ATV, waiting for Sylvia to accompany him to the tree.

She burst out of the house in disarray. Her shirt was buttoned wrong, her hair was going every which way, and her makeup was a little smeared.

“What happened to you? Get attacked by a bear?” he asked, smoothing her hair while she tried to figure out which button went to what hole in her shirt.

“No. I got up late.” she said. “Sorry.”

“It's alright. I forgive you this once.”

Brett started the quad and they rode off to the cave. The ATV was parked there, and they changed into elves. Upon entering the tree, Sylvia and Brett were intercepted by Isa, Devon, and Fuchsia.

“Guys, everyone's in a tizzy. Have either of you seen Jayden?” Isa asked.

“Not since the party last night.” Brett said.

“Well, it's almost the full moon, and Frederick predicted that the third night elf would be changed. Preparations are already being made. All the night elves are required to be at the tree at least once every day just so we can make sure they're all safe, and Jayden hasn't been here.”

“It's still early.” Sylvia pointed out.

“He wasn't here yesterday either.” Devon argued.

“I'm sure he got tied up.” Brett reasoned. “He'll be here eventually.”

“I hope so.” Isa said. “Go check in with Frederick, Sylvia.”

Sylvia entered Frederick's chambers. Today, the wizard-like elf was walking around his room, looking at the silver stars and moons on the walls.

“I'm here Frederick.” Sylvia called.

Frederick jumped. “Ooh! Buttons and bubbles you gave me a scare!” he exclaimed.

Sylvia laughed. She never got tired of Frederick. “I was told to check in with you.”

“Yes, yes of course. With the full moon coming, we can't afford to lose you. Yes, the Mud Queen is on the prowl.”

“The who?”

“The Mud Queen? Oh, she rules the swamp creatures. And the owls.”

“And I'm assuming she's bad?”

“Very bad, very bad indeed.” Frederick quipped. “She is the Moon Queen's half-sister.”

“Didn't see that coming.” Sylvia muttered, sarcastically.

“She wants to end the reign of the Moon Queen, and by capturing the most powerful of the Moon Queen's subjects, she's pretty much guaranteed success.” Frederick said. “With the full moon coming, and the sixth night creature being changed, her plans are about ready to go into action. I have foreseen the destruction of our realm if she succeeds.”

Sylvia gulped.

“Now, run along so I may finish preparing the moon room for the moon's visit.” Frederick said.

Sylvia went straight to the night elves' level. Damian, Lucia, Cynthia, Alex, and Felix were already there.

“Jayden!?” Damian jumped up when Sylvia came up.

“No, Sylvia. Jayden's still not here?”

“No. We're getting concerned.” Damian said.

“You know what? I'm going to find him.”

“You probably shouldn't.” Felix warned.

“Nonsense.” Sylvia retorted. “I can do this. Besides, none of you guys, other than Lucia and Alex can be humans, and I'm the only one who knows where he lives. I'm going.”

Sylvia left again and changed back into a human. She rushed home and got out her quad. She turned the key and headed for town. Her phone rang just as she got up to the library. She parked the quad and answered it.

“Hello?”

“Sylvia?”

“Yeah, who's this?”

“It's Jayden.”

“Where the heck are you?”

“Look, I don't know how to ask you this, but, could you come over? I need some help.”

Sylvia heard shouting in the background. Jayden must have pulled away from the phone because she heard his voice too. “Jayden?”

The line disconnected, and Sylvia pocketed her phone. She started the quad again and floored the accelerator. It took twenty more minutes for her to get to the house.

She remembered Jayden's house, but this time it looked different. Broken glass was everywhere from windows that had been smashed out. The door was slightly out of alignment too. She decided to keep going and park the quad in the woods, then walk back to the house. When she returned, she crept up to the window.

When she saw no one, she crept in the door. “Jayden? Hello, Jayden?”

“Over here.” his voice was tired and weak.

She found him lying on the floor. She thought he looked fine at first, but when she reached him she found the opposite to be true.

“What happened?” she asked.

“I don't know.” he gasped. “This woman came. She was the weirdest lady I ever saw. Sadie, my sister, answered the door, and she wanted to see me. Sadie called Mom, and I guess Mom didn't like the looks of her, so she told her I was busy and couldn't see her. She demanded to see me, but Mom wouldn't let her in. So then she broke down the door and barged in. When I heard the ruckus I came upstairs, and when she saw me she attacked me. She shattered the window and tried to cut me with the glass.” he paused for breath. “She tried to kill me because I'm a night elf. She ransacked the place, killing anything she could.” he stopped again, tears now running down his face.

“The Mud Queen.” Sylvia said. “Frederick warned me about her today. She's trying to take over everything.”

“She killed my sister right there.” Jayden said, pointing to a little girl Sylvia had originally assumed was unconscious. “I was lying here, too weak to save her, and she slit her throat right in front of me.” he shuddered and tears of regret washed over his face. My Mom she stabbed in the kitchen. I didn't see that.”

“Where's your Dad?” Sylvia asked.

“He died after Sadie was born from cancer.”

“We've got to get you out of here. Come to my place.”

“No. Get your Mom and Dad away from there. Don't go anywhere near it. She's after you now. She thinks I'm dead because I passed out after she killed Sadie.

“We can't stay here.” Sylvia said.

“Yes, we can. You just have to get your Mom and Dad to a safe place. She won't come back here.”

Sylvia almost winced. “But you have to go to a hospital. You've lost so much blood.”

“No. There's no way that's happening. See, we don't have insurance, and there's no way I'm going somewhere I can't get out of.”

“Then let's go to the tree.”

“That's too far.”

“Jayden!”

“Stay here with me.”

“I'm not a doctor.” she said. “And we have to do something about your mother and sister.”

Jayden sighed. “OK. I feel a little better now. Go get your parents out of your house, and fast.”

Sylvia stood. “Can you stand up?”

“Help me.” Jayden said, holding up a hand.

Sylvia took it and pulled him to his feet.

“I think my shoulder is dislocated.” he said, grimacing.

“I'll pop that back in before I go.” Sylvia said. She grabbed a blanket off the couch. “Bite on this.”

“What!?”

“It's gonna hurt like the dickens, so bite on it so you don't scream or bite your tongue.”

Jayden glared at her.

“Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you.” Sylvia put one hand on the back of the offending shoulder and grabbed his bicep with her other hand.

“Ready?”

He nodded, bracing himself.

“One, Two, Three!” and she yanked his shoulder back; hard.

Jayden didn't scream, but he nearly fell over. A look of intense pain contorted his face.

“You alright now?”

He couldn't speak. He just nodded.

“Alright. I'll be back in an hour. Don't leave here or go outside. Just stay put.” and Sylvia ran to where her quad was parked. She pushed the speed to the maximum on her way back. Her Dad was still sleeping when she got back. She put the quad in the garage and ran inside.

“Dad!” she shouted, shaking him.

“What, what? What is it, Sylvia?”

“You've gotta get out of here.”

“What are you talking about? Am I having a nightmare?”

“No, Dad, someone's out to kill us, and you've got to get away from this house.”

“What in the blue blazes are you talking about? Who wants to kill you? Why?”

“There's something I haven't told you.” Sylvia said. “But when I tell you, I want you to leave this house and don't come back until I say it's safe.”

“Um, alright?”

“OK. I'm an elf.”

Her dad laughed. “You're a what!?”

“I'm an elf.”

“When are you going to the north pole? Seriously, Sylv.”

“Dad, I am serious. Watch.” she pulled her dog tags out and rubbed them together. Instantly she shrank down into her elf form.

Her dad jumped onto his bed. “Sylvia? Where'd you go?”

“I'm down here!” she shouted.

He still didn't see her. She sighed and changed back into a human.

“Ah!” her dad jumped when she appeared right in front of him.

“OK, so I'm an elf, and there's an evil queen who wants me dead so she can take over the whole elven world. She'll kill you too if she knows you're related to me. If she comes here, she'll kill us both. She just killed my friend's mom and sister because he was an elf. He only escaped because he blacked out and she thought he was dead. I have to go into hiding, and you've got to get out of here. Now!”