Fossil Lake II: The Refossiling Read online

  “Hey, you in there? Hello?“

  “Hello,“ someone answered, but it didn’t come from in front of Billy. It came from behind. Nor was it a girl’s voice.

  Billy cried out like a wimp and hated himself for doing so. He spun around and standing just two feet behind him was a tall, handsome, smiling man wearing an expensive suit. The man’s fine-lined face placed him at about fifty years old or so, but his full head of curly blond hair and his sparkling blue eyes made him look much younger.

  “Who are you?“ Billy blurted and then wondered to himself, and where the hell did you come from?

  “I could ask you the same question, young man. What are you doing here and why did you open that door?“

  “I didn’t open the door, it was already open, and I was just following someone.“

  The tall man looked down at Billy and smiled, “And whom would you have been following? There is no one here but you and me.“

  “It was just some girl, aight?“ Billy said, instantly on the defensive.

  The well-dressed man’s smile grew even wider as he said, “Well perhaps you should just come with me, then.“ He reached a hand towards Billy’s shoulder in a gesture that was eerily like Billy’s father. It both creeped Billy out and reminded him just how pissed off he was today.

  “Hey, back off, dick! I ain’t going nowhere with you.“ Billy did his best to sound and look tough while his eyes darted back and forth, looking for a way to dash around the creepy old fossil and get out of the little pocket of trees that hid him and the man from the nearby crowd.

  The man’s eyes continued to twinkle despite the shade cast from the trees overhead and he asked, “You don’t like it here very much, do you? This lovely park I mean.“

  “No man, I think it sucks!“ Billy said through one of his patented sneers. This dude is too close, I can’t run around him, Billy thought as he took a step back towards the open door.

  “I didn’t think so. Perhaps then we could help each other out?“

  “What, you a homo or something?“

  The man’s smile faltered, his bright eyes went dull and dead, and at once Billy was very sorry for making that last stupid joke.

  “No,“ the man said coldly, “I am certainly not a ’homo.’ I am an executive of the company that runs this park and that makes the movies I’m sure you’re aware of. Your obvious disdain for this wonderful place makes you an ideal consultant. Your opinions might be able to help us make this park more appealing to people like you.“

  “What you talking about?“ Billy asked, now intrigued. Despite his practiced gangsta ways, Billy was still just two years removed from being a middle school honor student. He was much smarter than he acted, and right now he could smell money in the man’s offer.

  “I’m talking about a few hours of your time. You answer a few questions for us, and in return you’ll get paid. How does two hundred dollars sound?“

  TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS! Billy’s mind shouted before calming down and remembering to play it cool. “How do I know you ain’t some perv who just wants to get me alone and fuck me?“

  The man sighed and shook his head, “Look if that was all I wanted, I could do it right here and now and I dare say there is little you could do to stop me.“ The tall man took a step forward, which caused Billy to back up into something behind him.

  Scratch that, someone behind him.

  Billy screeched like a pinch-tailed cat and whirled around to stare at the biggest, broadest man he had ever seen in real life. The slab of beef wore a blue security uniform that was stretched to the point of ripping over his muscled frame. He had on a blue baseball cap with the famous mouse on it and dark sunglasses. The big ass dude didn’t have a security belt or any handcuffs, not even a nightstick or pepper spray. Billy was sure that was because a man of his size didn’t need any of those things to protect him. Billy saw on the silver nametag pinned to the button-straining shirt that the guard’s name was Pitt.

  An unseen hand on Billy’s shoulder from behind made him yelp again before he heard the well-dressed man’s voice close to his ear. “Now come along young man, you have a security guard to accompany you, not to mention two hundred dollars.“ From over Billy’s other shoulder, a well-manicured hand appeared holding a small wad of twenty dollar bills. “For just answering a few questions. Surely you’re not scared, are you?“ The smile in the man’s voice at that last part sounded bigger than ever and it ate like acid into Billy’s heart.

  “Nah, I ain’t scared. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t no pervert, that’s all,“ Billy said, playing it cool again. “Come on pops, let’s do this thang.“

  With that, Billy used his practiced thug shuffle to stroll into the dark hallway, past the steel door and the huge guard who had stepped off to one side.

  The trio walked down the hallway for a length of just thirty feet before stopping at a set of closed metal doors. Mr. Pitt reached out a burly hand and pressed the only button in sight. Instantly the doors parted revealing a gleaming elevator finished with white leather, brass, mirrors, and soft muzak.

  “What exactly is this place?“ Billy asked as they all boarded the elevator and Pitt pressed a button that caused it to descend.

  “It’s the control center for the park, but really it’s far more than that,“ the smiling stiff in the suit said. “I guess you could say that it’s the heart of this Kingdom of Magic. It’s the place where the magic happens, or at least where it once did.“

  The man’s nearly continuous smile took on a sad twinge. It reminded Billy of how his father looked when he talked about his dead mother: a mixture of love, loss, and regret.

  “So what goes on here?“ Billy asked, but before he could get an answer, the elevator stopped, the doors opened, and Billy saw with his own eyes some of the behind the scenes magic that went into keeping this kingdom alive.

  The elevator opened on a well-lit hall that was nearly as crowded and busy as the tourist packed streets above it. All around, people dressed in blue walked back and forth carrying countless files, papers, and briefcases. In that regard it looked to Billy like any big corporation office he had ever seen on TV. However, that did nothing to explain the oddities that he saw. Most easily spotted was the fact that everyone down here wore the famous, and God-awful silly, mouse-ear hats. Billy could understand such forced cheerfulness going on up top where the happy saps that visited this place could see it, but why these somber-faced worker bees would wear the cheesy beanies down here, where no one could see them, was beyond him.

  Then there were the singular idiosyncrasies that would pop out of the crowd to catch Billy’s attention. Like the man walking two black goats through the hall on leashes, or the strange, low growling sounds coming from behind a door labeled ANIMATION UNDER DUBBING, or the large black dude with the skull-painted face that wore only a blue loincloth, a mouse-ear hat, and carried a long-bladed machete with red and black strips of cloth tied to its handle. When Billy was passed by someone dressed in blue doctor scrubs complete with paper mask, rodent-ear hat, and blue latex gloves smeared with wet blood, he once again thought about running, but knew it was too late for that. He would have to bide his time and keep his eyes open for now.

  “So like I said, what is it you people do here?“ Billy asked, trying hard to sound calm.

  “I told you, Billy, we make magic. We are the Kingdom of Magic, after all. What, did you think that was just a name?“

  “Magic, huh?“ Despite all the weirdness down here, Billy wasn’t about to swallow that one. “I thought your place in California was the real Kingdom of Magic, not here.“

  They passed a door that opened unto a room with a huge map of the theme park on the far wall. As Billy peeked in, he saw a series of red dots and lines superimposed upon that map by an unseen projector. The lines connected the dots and together they formed a pattern: a five pointed star, the star that anyone who had ever listened to a heavy metal CD or seen a horror movie knew was connected to witchcraft and the
devil.

  “Well yes, that is a Kingdom of Magic too, but then so is this,” the smiling man said while nodding to a woman passing them. She was dressed in a blue leather dominatrix outfit and carrying a bullwhip. She also wore the mouse-ear hat. “Both of our parks are located in lands that are connected to life. California, with Hollywood and its wealthy, beautiful people who go to any lengths to remain young and vibrant, is a nexus for the hopes and dreams of this great nation. California is more of a symbolic and empathic connection to youth and life to be sure, but a strong one nevertheless. While here in Florida, the connection to life is a far more tangible thing. Tell me, Billy, have you ever heard of the Fountain of Youth?“

  “Yeah, sure I did.“ His answer wasn’t really a lie because Billy had heard the name before even if he didn’t really know anything about it.

  “Well our Illustrious Founder,“ upon saying that, the well-dressed man and the hulking security guard both stopped, bowed their heads, and placed their balled up fists to both sides of their forehead. Once that latest bit of bizarreness was complete, they continued walking and the smiling man picked up talking as if he never stopped, “spurred on by His regretfully inevitable demise, and able to utilize nearly limitless financial resources, succeeded where Ponce de Leon could not. Unfortunately the mystical fountain did not live up to its overblown reputation, although it was proven that the power in its waters was greatly enhanced once crystallized.“

  “Crystallized? You mean frozen?“

  The man gazed down at Billy with an almost fatherly look of pride. “Yes, Billy, I mean frozen. Being that the fountain is in Florida, no one had ever tried to freeze the Waters of Life before we came.“

  Twin light bulbs suddenly lit above Billy’s head. One was about him and the other was about the mysterious “Illustrious Founder”, so naturally Billy asked about the one concerning him first. “Hey, that’s like the third time you said my name, how do you know it? I didn’t tell you or anything.“

  “Sure you did, Billy. You must have told me before we got into the elevator.“

  “Oh…well I don’t remember doing that. Anyway, this founder guy you were talking about, you don’t mean -“

  “Shhh,“ interrupted the older man with a wide-eyed look. “We don’t say His name, not since He went away. It’s not allowed.“ Once again both the executive and Mr. Pitt stopped, bowed, and put their balled up fists to the sides of their heads.

  Oh man, Billy thought as he suddenly understood what they were doing, they’re making little, round mouse ears with their hands on the sides of their heads. Just like how Dad would sometimes cross himself before Mom died and he gave up on God.

  From behind another closed door Billy could hear chanting in some weird language and the clucking of a chicken. The clucking soon became terrified chicken-screams that were cut short by the sound of something heavy chopping into wood and the chanters simultaneously letting out an almost orgasmic cry.

  Just keep Mr. Fancypants talking until you see an exit and then run for it. These crazy bastards can keep their two hundred dollars. Billy thought, then said, “So what exactly do you want me to do?“

  “We want you to help us get the magic back, Billy. You see, somewhere along the way we lost it. Ever since He left us, things just haven’t been the same. I’m sure you have noticed it in our movies.“

  “Not really. I don’t watch a lot of cartoons.“

  The well-dressed man looked surprised and perhaps a little sad. “Well nowadays I guess I can’t blame you too much. Gone are the grand days of Jumbo, The Sleeping Princess, and 102 Dachshunds. It’s as if we just can’t do it correctly without Him. Our audience is shrinking, people are ignoring the messages we put into our cartoons, and just look at what’s happening to the youth of America because of it!“

  The man stopped and let his smiling facade drop for a moment as he gave Billy a look of disgust.

  “Uh-huh,“ Billy replied, not really listening. His attention was focused on a disfigured, hunchbacked dwarf about three feet in height that was pushing a cart filled to overflowing with old, leather bound books. As the cart passed, Billy looked at the top book but couldn’t make out the title. It was called NECRO-something-or-other.

  “So it was decided by the Sacred Holders of the Stocks that we had to bring Him back.“ Again, both men made the mouse-ear gesture. “Even though it was not yet His time to return. So naturally we went to France.“

  “Huh, what… France?“ Billy turned to the young-looking old man. That was when he noticed the steam coming out of the man’s mouth. There was also steam coming out of Billy’s own nose as his warm breath clouded in the cold air.

  Man, when did it get so cold in here?

  “Yes, France, surely you have heard of the Holy Grail? No? Well no matter, France was a complete disaster. We lost billions, not to mention hundreds of followers. Damn Templars. It took every bit of power we had to survive that fiasco and keep things quiet, let me tell you.“

  A thought then struck Billy that caused him to stop. “So, why are you telling me this?“

  Pitt the guard continued walking. The hallway was coming to an end and two large, ornately carved doors awaited them. The well-dressed man stopped and turned to Billy. “We want you to understand just how important you helping us is, not only to the Company, but to the good old U.S. of A and the future of children everywhere. Things were so much better when He was with us and we know that He will make everything right as rain once He is fully awake.“

  Realization, like the frigid air around him, chilled Billy to the bone. Something really bad was about to happen to him, he was sure of it.

  “What are you going to do to me?“ asked the terrified little boy who once harbored delusions of being a badass.

  “What we have to do, for Him.“ The man beamed a radiant smile before nodding to the giant security guard at the double doors.

  Mr. Pitt grunted as he pushed the doors open and an arctic blast of air filled the hall. From the room beyond came the sound of squeaking, clanking metal and an eerie pale blue glow. Then into the archway stepped an all-too familiar silhouette backlit in cold blue. The long nose ending at a black bulb, huge round ears, big yellow shoes, and immense, four-fingered white gloves: the shape was unmistakable.

  Billy’s first panicked thought was, Holy shit, he’s real. Then he saw that it was just another guy in a mascot costume. He had seen fools dressed like that all day today. But that realization didn’t calm Billy down at all because this giant rodent also wore a leather butcher’s apron stained with years of spilt blood.

  “Oh fuck!“ Billy shouted and spun on his heels to make a dash for it, only to slam into a wall just inches behind him. The wall was brightly painted with pictures of all of the Kingdom of Magic’s famous cartoon characters on it and it appeared to be made out of patches of leather sewn together. When Billy saw that a nipple with a gold ring hanging from it was part of the patchwork wall, he let loose a long pent up scream of terror.

  “You see, we still have some magic left, but not enough I’m afraid, not by a long shot. That’s why we need you, Billy. Mr. Pitt, would you be so kind?“

  Billy glanced over his shoulder and saw the hulking guard reaching toward him. For the first time since meeting him, Billy saw Mr. Pitt smile, and the teeth behind those stretched lips were sharp and yellow.

  Billy tore at the wall of stitched-together skins but couldn’t even scratch its gaily painted surface. A huge hand clamped onto the back of his neck and Billy was lifted off of his feet and carried down the hall towards the cold, blue-lit room and the giant, blood-stained mouse.

  The room beyond the doors was little more than a large crater in the ground. In its center was a mound of earth and from that a huge crystalline column of ice rose up. White clouds of frost billowed all around the ice shard and the blue light that filled the room was radiating out from the frozen column. The flickering light gave off no warmth, whatsoever, and revealed someone or something frozen within th
e ice.

  Around the frozen fountain stood a ring of people all dressed in long blue robes with hoods covering their heads. On top of the hoods were the ever-present mouse ears.

  Overhead ran a complex line of chains, gears and pulleys. Dangling from the chains every two feet or so were long hooks. Billy watched the slowly rotating hooks as Pitt held him aloft by the neck. The man in the mouse suit took a knife from his belt and cut the clothes from Billy’s body, gashing him in several places as he did so. Then the cartoon butcher bound the boy’s hands above his head with thick rope.

  Billy felt little of this, his eyes were riveted to the chains overhead, specifically to one hook in particular that had something hanging from it. As Billy was lifted up and hung by the ropes around his wrists on his own hook, he got a good look at the dangling thing that captivated him. It was the dried, shriveled, nude corpse of a woman. The desiccated thing looked like a mummy and could have been a thousand years old or more if not for her long black hair with the bright crimson streaks in it.

  “Oh God no, please no,“ Billy cried. “You can’t do this to me.“ Then a glimmer of hope came to him. “Hey, what about my parents, huh? My parents will be looking for me, you can’t get away with this you son of a bitch! They’ll be looking for me.“

  The well-dressed man, who was now wearing his own mouse-ear hat, shook his head slowly and said, “No, Billy, I don’t think they will.“ He gestured into the crater below.

  Billy followed the pointing finger until he saw two of the blue robed figures pull back the mouse-ear hoods and smile up at him. It was his dad and his stepmother. Next to them stood two tiny robed figures with hoods still drawn up. They were swaying back and forth and giggling at him.

  “No! Dad, please, help me!“

  His dad looked a bit shaken by Billy’s outburst but he stood resolute. “Sorry son, but you’re a disappointment and you know it. I guess some of that is my fault, I could have been a better father, but well, it’s too late for that now.“