Return To Primordial Island by Rick Poldark (namjoon book recommendations TXT) 📗

Their fingertips met, and the cavern around them melted away in Jason’s mind’s eye. Suddenly, they were in the woods of Alaska. The bare, rock walls morphed into the brilliant green unique to Alaskan flora. Snow blanketed the ground, and Jason saw his breath cloud up in the air in front of him with each exhalation. Yet, there wasn’t an icy bite in the air. In fact, the only cold he felt welled up inside him, emanating from the death orb.

*

As Peter edged across the ledge, carefully negotiating his way around a second and third statue, he heard that icy wordless voice in his mind. ‘Stop. Bring the life orb to me, or I will rend your friends limb from limb.’

Peter stopped where he was, pressing his face and chest against the cool rock. He turned his head, careful to maintain his balance. He saw Tracey and Mary held up by two massive ape mummies like rag dolls.

‘No,’ he answered. ‘If you don’t let them go, I’ll throw myself off this ledge, and your precious life orb will be lost. You’ll never escape captivity.’

Losing patience, Ghenga waved his hand and the mummies grabbed Mary and Tracey each by their wrists, holding them up in front of them. The women squirmed, trying to wriggle free. ‘I will rip their arms from their sockets.’

‘If I surrender to you, they’re dead anyway,’ said Peter. ‘No deal.’

In a trick of the shadows, Ghenga transformed into a wraithlike figure, the top half that of a humanoid woman and the bottom half that of a serpent. Her eyes glowed yellow; the pupils were vertical slits. She was beautiful and horrific all at once.

‘Let them go,’ commanded Peter.

‘You are in no position to give orders.’ Nazimaa’s eyes glowed brighter, and the mummies holding the women started to pull their arms apart slowly. Tracey cried out and Mary grunted, gritting her teeth.

He saw Jason just standing there, staring into space, hypnotized. He knew Nazimaa had already gotten to his friend.

Peter jutted his right hand out. ‘Okay! Stop!’

Nazimaa’s eyes dimmed.

‘What do you want?’ Peter asked the demon.

‘Relinquish the orb, and I will let you all go unharmed.’

He knew if he did that, she’d be free—free to roam the land, and free to leave this dimension and enter his. She knew that he knew that. She also knew, deep down, he wouldn’t allow Tracey and Mary to be harmed.

*

Jason watched in horror as the mummies, as well as Tracey and Mary, morphed into a pack of wolves and began to maul Joey. “No!” He stepped forward to grab his little brother, but the wolves snatched the boy first. They tore into him, savaging the poor kid all over again.

‘Help me, Jason!’ cried Joey, as the wolves sank their teeth into his small body, playing tug of war with him. Blood oozed out of Joey’s mouth as he cried out for his big brother, as his coat and the flesh beneath was torn to shreds.

Jason dashed forward to try to help, but the wolves pushed him back. He felt helpless to do anything to save Joey.

‘Use the orb!’ cried Joey. ‘Wipe them out in one shot! You can do it!’

Desperation and fury welled up inside Jason, just like when Susan was brutalized by the chimpanzees. It was all he needed to access the power of his death orb. He lashed out with his power, sending it out over the wolves in waves.

They recoiled from the dark energy, cringing and contorting. They whimpered and cried out in agony as Jason squelched their life forces. Simultaneously, Joey’s wounds began to heal and his torn clothing mend.

Jason felt the satisfaction of vengeful bloodlust as he barraged the wolves with his dark energy. It was something he had always wished he could’ve done, but was unable to do—avenge Joey’s death.

‘Keep going,’ pleaded Joey. ‘I’m feeling…better. I’m coming back…we can be together…keep going.’

Jason wasn’t going to let up. He didn’t just want to kill these wolves. He wanted to obliterate them. He also wanted to bring Joey back, and it appeared the only way to accomplish both was to unleash the full power of the death orb. He reached deep inside himself and released a tsunami of death. It washed over the wolves, and they vanished in its wake, as did Joey.

Terrified he had made a fatal error, he ceased the attack, but it didn’t matter. He felt the power recede, not just from around him, but from his own body. As the tides of death energy waned, Nazimaa stood in Joey’s place, soaking it all up like a sponge. Jason looked down to see the death orb floating out of his chest and over to Nazimaa.

As she was still incorporeal, she was unable to absorb the orb as yet. However, her eyes burned within their sockets, and the death orb illuminated in response to its rightful master.

Jason felt an illness deep within him—once paused by Nazimaa—re-ignite. Fever engulfed him once more, and he felt his life slip from his body on the wings of delirium. The screams and cries of Tracey and Mary grew distant as oblivion consumed him.

*

Peter successfully turned his body so his back was to the wall in time to watch as Jason fell limp into Nazimaa’s arms. She glared at Peter, her eyes flashing, and she tossed Jason’s lifeless husk into the chasm.

“Nooooooo!” he shouted, feeling distraught and furious, enraged and helpless.

Nazimaa pointed a long, bony finger at Peter. ‘Stay right there.’

With a wordless command, several of the Simian mummies bolted to Peter’s side of the cavern on all fours, using their long arms to help propel them. They swung out over the ledge with great facility, using the statues like tree trunks. They closed in on Peter, who clung to the wall on