Under the Bell

The reverberations spread out across the courtyard, a metallic tolling wave swelling across a lake of tranquil sunlight, crashing onto the inner boundaries of temples pensive enclosing red walls.

Within minutes, there arose a sea of brown-robed monks, gathering from every corner of the temple.

Among them, several yellow-robed masters stood composed and tranquil; dotted points of lights among their dark-robed disciples.

One of the brightest points of lights was the stalwart, serene figure of her Grandmother, Su Dai Tu Liem.

"Man, Jasmine! What the hell's all this? How'd they know we were coming? Did you call and make reservations?" John whispered, scratching his protruding belly and looking around.

He looked awestruck by the calmness of the monks around them.

Jasmine shook her head. "No. But it seems like they knew in advance that we would be coming. They also know what they're doing, which is more than I can say for us."

Behind them, Blake grimaced.

Whatever it was the monks think they were going to do, he could almost guarantee it wasn't going to be pretty.

He knew how bad it could get if the monks had to fight the likes of Marvin and Maysie when their backs were up against the wall.

Luis tapped Blake on the shoulder.

"Don't you have Marvin in your pouch? Can't you just yank him back?"

"Nope. Marvin's been summoned by Anh Hai using the soul contract that Marvin gave him. I don't have the kind of power to go up against that Overlord."

"Man," Terry sniffed. "Didn't we get you some new weapons? What you got in your weapons bag?"

Blake looked at his pitiful weapons cache. It looked as if the weapons started off at level 1 and each time he used his weapons to maim or kill, it leveled up.

"I got a Level 2 karambit, a Level 2 ax, a level 4 wood board, and a level 2 bass guitar."

"You're pathetic, man. That's not how you win a system game." Terry scoffed. "Why would you choose a wood board and a guitar as weapons? Who you trying to kill?"

Blake sighed, glad that he hadn't told Terry about the oil painting of a naked Jazzie and the little ginger jar. He would have been laughed out of the place.

To Terry, all this was a game. It sure didn't feel like a game to Blake. The more people he killed, the larger his red number was getting.

It was all starting to make him sick to his stomach, but he just could not stand there and watch Jazzie get hurt by those thugs!

Terry began huffing and scoffing.

"Give me the chance to join this Demon System. Then you just watch me go out there and kick ass."

Luis coughed. "You really wanna be part of that Demon System?"

Before Terry could respond, Blake shushed the two of them as a silence signal was given by one of the monks.

Even though nobody could hear the ghouls talk, Blake wanted to find out what the heck was going to happen to his bandmate.

The three monks who were transporting Adam Stuart relinquished him into the gentle waiting arms of Su Dai Tu Liem.

Blake watched with awe as the frail old nun Dai Tu Liem carried the large, long-limbed unconscious Adam towards the bell with a strength that was super human.

She gently placed him in a seated position underneath the bell's mouth and then in one quick motion, ripped the hospital gown off his body.

Beside Blake, Jasmine averted her eyes as his naked body was exposed in full view of everyone, but nobody paid the slightest attention.

They were all silent, eyes downcast.

With the tip of her index finger, Su Dai Tu Liem wrote something on Adam's back.

The words she wrote looked as if they were being burned into his skin as smoke began to emit from the charred areas on his back and the odor of burned flesh began to emanate.

Jasmine wrinkled her nose and covered her mouth with both hands. The smell of burned human skin was terrible.

Su Dai Tu Liem leaned back as another monk lowered the bell until it covered Adam's upper shoulder area, hovering a few feet above the ground.

John leaned over and whispered into Jasmine's ear.

"What the hell are they doing?"

"They are putting him under the bell."

"I know that, Captain Obvious! But why?"

"I don't know."

John gave an exasperated huff and turned back to the sight before his eyes.

From somewhere among the rows of brown robes and bald heads, the steady toc-toc of a wooden mallet struck agains a hollow round wood temple block.

Toc. Toc. Toc. Toc.

As if in a synchronized dance, the monks eased down into a perfect lotus position, and with palms joined in supplication, began chanting the power mantras in one unison voice.

Beside Adam, a brown-robed monk raised the mallet again and began striking the bell in a rhythmic gentle beat.

Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong.

Immediately, there came a terrible howling coming from within Adam's body, fouling the tranquil sounds of the monks' chanted power mantras.

"You fuckers! Leave me alone!"

In response, the monk struck the bell even harder, as if trying to drown out the sound of the crazed man.

Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong.

The screeching got worse after each striking of the bell, causing Jasmine to grip John's arm in fright.

"You impotent freaks!" The voice squalled again. It came from Adam's throat, but it definitely was not Adam's voice.

The monks responded in unison with the toc-toc of the wood temple block.

Toc. Toc. Toc. Toc.

"If you fuckers think you can get rid of me by banging on some old bell, you are sadly mistaken!" The voice boomed from under the bell.

Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong.

Around him, the chanting grew in intensity.

Toc. Toc. Toc. Toc.

"Leave me alone! I didn't do anything to you!" A feminine voice called out in between the screaming and the cursing of the male voice.

Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong.

The chanting continued unabated.

Toc. Toc. Toc. Toc.

"Damn!" Jasmine breathed. "There are two of them."

"Two—two of what?" John asked, even as his jaw dropped.

"Two demonic spirits of the Shadow Realm."