STITCH III

"Stop! We can't get out! We're trapped!" said the child pointing at the doorway.

"Nate?! What are you doing here?! You idiot?!" scolded Henry.

Armando slowly seated Henry on a chair.

Nate rushed to his brother and hugged him.

Henry was a bit taken aback then, he slowly returned his brothers hug.

Armando crouched down and checked on Sarah's pulse on her neck. It was still beating but, barely.

"She's still alive."

Henry pushed Nate a foot from him and asked,

"What do you mean we can't get out?! We're not safe in here!"

"An invisible strong barrier was just created moments ago. Sarah tried to get out but a terrible force exploded on her face sending her back." Said Nate casually.

"Impossible. I don't see anything."

"Dude, for what we just saw, anything is freaking possible. I only joined this cult cause they said I could raise some money, I didn't believe in their "old ones" shit, up until now." Said Armando.

Henry's breathing slowed.

"We'll at least, it's over now!"

"Actually, the show has just started." Said Nate.

A jumpy instrumental music started from somewhere. The lights flickered furiously and the tables and chairs vibrated restlessly.

The lights stopped flickering.

The light turned dim and blue.

The chairs and tables stopped shaking.

A silhouette of a two-feet tall creature bumped out of the kitchen double doors. It was a fuzzy creature. It fixed its bow-tie. It took off its bowler hat and bowed at them. It straightened up and started to tap its legs with the beat of the tune. It stopped then it jumped with its fingerless arms raised upward. Its face was black as night with its pupils a pair of shining moons. Something even eerily darker opened into a crescent moon. It snapped open then close, then open and close, and shiny pointy spikes went up and down as it does. Its mouth snarled then, growled then, it cleared it throat. It wiggled its round ears and sang these words with its American Gentleman voice,

"Welcome! Welcome! Welcome little kiddies! The Fries are jumping, the Pizza are dancing, and the burgers, oh, my burgers are singing! I've already fixed my Bow, let's go and dive under the Rainbow, because it is time for us to start the Show!"

As it sang, it swung its body, tapped its leather soles to the beat and playfully spun its cane that appeared from nowhere. Its choreography was reminiscent to Fred Astaire's grace and style of dance.

"Let me begin at the very beginning, When I was a wee boy I never had a single toy, I was an orphan for seven dragging long years, but my rich and famous oblivious Dad had to find me who never smiled, not even shed a tear..."

SMMMAAAAAASSSSSHHHHH!!!!!

"WATCH---OUT!!"

The creature's spiked ballooned arm smashed at them. The tiled floor exploded and shards flew everywhere.

They moved out of the way just in time as Henry pushed Nate and Armando far across from him.

"OFFF---."

They were all on the ground.

The creature's arm deflated and continued his tap dance.

"This madness of the child of scorn, for I was despised since I was born, the caregiver, the servants, oh, even my harlot mother, that makes me even forlorn..."

The creature impaled Armando's arm which tried to shield his chest.

"NOOOO!!! ARMAND!!!" gasped Henry.

The creature pulled out his elongated cane which slung back to normal.

Armando curled on the ground writhing, clutching his right bleeding holed arm.

He screamed.

"Oh, you're so lucky that I have missed, but listen kiddies it's time for the main gist..."

The dim light changed to different colors. From blue, green, yellow, pink, violet and so on.

Nate took out a roll of bandage from his bag and quickly spun it around Armando's arm.

Henry tried to ran towards Nate but, he stopped on his tracks.

The ground shook and broken up which paralleled the roof and ceiling. The dispensers, glasses, pans and plates, silverware and condiments and everything fell and bounced and broke everywhere.

The shaking and shifting of the ground stopped but in its wake were five pillars of crooked earth whose ends were obscured by the darkness of the massive crater. Lying on each of the pillar tops held one person, Henry, Nate, Armando, and even the unconscious Sarah.

A spotlight shone on the middle pillar.

He was still dancing.

A creature. A mascot. A toy. An innocent thing. A teddy bear with golden curls.

The bear smiled revealing his long sharp teeth.

"Well, well, as you can see, I'm now a cuddly little Stitches, but believe me I'm nowhere close to heavenly, I slice, dice, smash, squash, and wring too, I maim, pound, impale and burn my enemies to nothing, Oh, I like how they squirm and beg, and cry and scream and bleed, oh, the taste of vengeance, the fun it brings..."

The pillars shook.

Stitches laughed maniacally.

Everyone slipped on the tiled top. Henry grabbed the top edge of the pillar with both arms. Armando grabbed a pipe protruding on the pillars side. Sarah's foot got stuck on a metal bar and her arms were under her head. She was a rag-doll swaying in the air.

"HENRY!!!" screamed Nate.

"HOLD ON!!!" said Henry.

Nate's tall two fingers were the only ones able to stuck into a crack through a tile.

He tried to reach the edge a couple of times but he was too short.

"NATE!"

Henry stretched out his arm and Nate did the same. Though a few meters apart they're trying to reach each other.

Stitches chuckled.

"It's your fault, your family's fault, its everyone's fault. Enough about you it's time for me to end my revenge, the final act when your bloodline's beating stops after your painful cringe! Let's go little kiddies, it's time to dive and burn, all together now!"

Stitches jumped and dived into the crater and was swallowed by the darkness.

Armando looked down.

He gulped and looked up and breathed deeply. He was trying to shake of the idea of falling from that height. He tried to clear his mind from the fact that his arm was now sweaty mixed with it the grease from the pipe.

"Henry?!"

"Yeah?!"

"Remember the time we went to Disneyland and I chickened-out to ride the roller coaster?!"

"Yeah?! Why?! Don't tell me you're gonna chicken out right now?!"

They both laughed.

"Ha! You're a bigger yellow-bellied chicken that I' am. Scared of mascots!"

"Guys?! Really?! Right now?! Are you two having a "bro moment", right now?!" said Nate with a frown.

"I should've joined you guys on that rollercoaster! It clearly appears to sound better right now!"

CCRRRAAAAAAAACCCKKKKK!

A purple flame ignited below them. It hissed and it spiraled as it went bigger and bigger. The flames roared as its corrosive fingers tried to reach for them in hunger.

" Tik, tok, tik, tok, I want it well done, tik, tok, tik, tok, heat up the burger buns, tik, tok, tik, tok, crisp the fries and chicken, tik, tok, tik, tok, toast the cupcakes and muffins, tik, tok, tik, tok, strangle the sauce and spaghetti, tik, tok, tik, tok, shove the sharp edge of the sizzling pizza down the throat!"

The pillars' shaking became stronger by the minute.

"HOLD ON!!!!"

"I CAN'T HOLD ON MUCH LONGER!" said Armando, gasping for air.

The heat wave was burning their skins and it was even painful with all their sweat.

"So this is how it feels when you are baked!"

"Henry, listen to me!" said Nate.

"I don't approve it!" said Henry.

"I haven't said anything yet!'

"NO! END OF DISCUSSION!"

"I need to speak to him, I need to speak to Michael, he needs our help, but in order for me to do that, I need to dive into the fire!"

"NOOO!!!"

"Why, why can't you just let me go?!"

"I DON'T---I DON'T WANNA LOSE YOU TOO!" Henry said with his mouth quivering.

A trickle of tear rolled down Henry's cheek.

Nate smiled at his brother.

"You've always been protecting me. Now It's our turn to protect you!"

"NATE YOU IDIOT!" said Henry eyes widened watching his brother falling down into the fire.

The fire quickly embraced Nate and hissed in glee as he burned into nothing.

"NNNOOOOOOOO!!!!! NNNNOOOOOOO!!!!!!"