Excerpt
CHAPTER ONE
Multiple Personalities
The wave lifted it higher and higher in a clumsy upward tumble. Like an out-of-control garden hose, it flipped and flopped and sputtered in a series of awkward somersaultsthen suddenly stopped. For a split second it was poised high above the surface like a roller coaster balanced on top of a towering arc before a final plunge. Then it fell, plummeting like a dizzy brick in a wicked spiral toward the asphalt road. But a second wave of balmy air caught it like an invisible hand, hoisting it up above the street and treetops to again repeat the head-spinning process.
Belthasar wanted to scream, if only he could, caught like tumbleweed in a warm November breeze while trapped inside a mosquitos delicate body. He had managed to fly along the street at a good clip after escaping off that dog in a soapy stream of water. But a gust of wind severely tested him now and he wondered if he would survive his first flight.
As the breeze sent him plummeting toward the road one more time, its grip lessened slightly and Belthasar managed to sail straight ahead for a few yards, thinking he had regained control of the situation. Then when he saw a yellow delivery truck barreling directly toward him, he thought otherwise. A pair of unlit glass headlights looked like two huge deadened eyes, growing madly and eclipsing all else from view. Belthasar veered left at the last moment and flew between two trees along the sidewalk. The road below turned into a patch of green grass and Belthasar descended into the lush foliage for safety.
He alighted on a single blade to catch his breath, his tiny heart pounding and his ashen-gray eyes adjusting to this new perspective on life. He knew he had to get out of this bugs body soon so he could properly explore his new world. Though overwhelmed by the situation, Belthasar laughed to himself for outwitting his two greatest enemiesChristopher and Molly Jordan. He was in their world now, unbeknownst to them, and he could explore it at his leisure. What he would do here once he got his bearings, he still did not know. But Belthasar felt certain that his plans for domination and destruction would rival any he had made back in Endora and Solrin. He had gained much information from the thoughts of those individuals he had once inhabited who knew of this worlds existence, so that was a big help for starters.
But now was the time for patience. Time to study the ways of this culture and determine exactly how one goes about becoming a giant among men in an exciting new world. Its citizens would never know what hit them. Belthasar savored the moment, brimming with vile and disdain, yet he knew there was much to learn if he wanted to do things right. He couldnt wait to begin.
Belthasar flew across the lawn of the nearest house to escape the hectic street, heading toward the backyard. The steady drone of car engines and the excited chatter of children getting out of school were soon replaced by the occasional caw of a distant crow or the sweep of a gentle breeze through a carpet of dried leaves. Belthasar sailed with ease from one yard to the next, darting over picket fences and hedgerows and sturdy walls built of colorful stones. He started to enjoy this new way of traveling and wondered if it might suit his purposes when he spotted a small pond in the next yard. Hovering above it in a mad dance were dozens of mosquitoes enjoying the warm autumn weather. Belthasar joined the frenzied mob, several times allowing his spirit to pass into the other insects.
Theyre all the same! he thought disgustedly. They look alike. They think alikenot that theres much thinking going on here. Humph! Though their flying ability is superb, I need a grander host. Im better than a bug!
So Belthasar moved on, circling the crowd of mosquitoes one last time as they skated across the water. But he didnt get far. As he sped toward the grass on the opposite side, a dark wavy shape grew beneath him, growing larger and larger like a menacing shadow. Belthasar glanced into the water at the same moment that a large minnow jumped up, its eyes and mouth wide open as it swallowed the mosquito and splashed back underwater. Belthasar knew that he was doomed, and before the darkness completely engulfed him, his spirit passed into the minnow before it digested its mosquito snack.
Disgusting! he thought as he swam in the murky water. Both the meal and this dreary place. A school of minnows zipped back and forth along the stony bottom of the pond, a few of them occasionally surfacing to feed on the buffet of flying bugs.
But Belthasars disgust quickly turned into fear. He was trapped in this pond, only able to move from one minnow to another, doomed to swim in circles for the rest of his life. He wanted to scream or howl, but knew he couldnt do either. He sadly realized his dream of creating a kingdom in this world was about to burst like a soap bubble. Then all at once a dozen minnows brushed by, fleeing to one side of the pond. Belthasar wondered what had spooked them until he turned around and saw the disturbance.
Bubbles hissed and currents churned as something sinister roiled the water. A huge black shape was visible through the surface on the edge of the pond, its arm splashing through the water as if searching for something. Belthasar kept his distance but looked closer, not as intimidated as the other minnows. He was a tyrant after all, and had to keep up appearances, even if it was only among a frazzled school of slimy fish. Then Belthasar noticed the sharp claws and wet fur and knew what pursued them.
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