Sophia knew some spells were nearly impossible. Not completely, but the cost was significant. For instance, a person couldn’t bring someone back from the dead without trading a life. And love it seemed, had deadly repercussions if spelled. Some things in the world shouldn’t be done using magic, Sophia reasoned.
It was weird to see the grounds of Happily Ever After College deserted like they presently were when Sophia was so used to seeing fairy godmothers and their students bustling around the idyllic campus. There was always laughter in the air as well as birds singing and squirrels chirping. It appeared that not only all the fairy godmothers and students vacated the grounds, but all the animals as well.
Sophia reasoned that the chi of the dragon made it so that only someone like her could stand to be in the toxic substance's vicinity. Still, Sophia didn’t believe that she could be around it long.
The smell was already making her lightheaded and the fumes burned her eyes as she approached the door where the green goo glowed like radioactive nuclear waste. Once at the door’s threshold, Sophia halted, disbelieving what she found.
The containment spell had worked to keep the goo from spreading, but it hadn’t stopped it from evolving. Left unattended, it had become something more.
It had come alive.
Chapter Ninety-Four
The toxic slime had resembled something alive before when it curled up from the floor like hands trying to claw their way up from a grave. The substance had movement the last time Sophia had seen it, making waves that licked up into the air. However, it had grown. Formed. Created itself into a blob-like monster.
The creature—which was a loose term for whatever it was—resembled a snowman-like being. Sophia realized as she blinked away the fumes wafting from it that it reminded her of the slime creature from the Ghostbuster movies but without the teeth. She half-expected for it to put both its hands to its head and blow a raspberry at her.
Remarkably, the thing had hands and a mouth and hollow sockets that resembled eyes. It appeared tethered to the floor where she’d put the containment spell, but that didn’t prevent it from growing into the air and wiggling in her direction, its large green belly jiggling like a bowl of Jell-O.
The green blob seemed to study her as it twisted its neckless head to the side while its arms waved around wildly. The creature’s midsection bent back and forth like one of those inflatable air dancers they used at car dealerships to attract attention.
Wow, that thing is cute, Lunis said in Sophia’s head.
She nearly laughed. She hadn’t expected the interruption, but realized that she should have. Mr. Ectoplasm is anything but cute.
I think he has nice eyes, Lunis joked. And mister, huh? How formal. No Fred or Don or Phillip?
Don is his first name, Sophia replied.
Don Ectoplasm. I like it. I bet he’s one of those types that if you call him Mr. Ectoplasm to his face he grimaces and says, Mr. Ectoplasm was my father.
Let’s find out. Sophia watched the thing move a lot while also thankfully staying anchored. It appeared he’d formed a solid mass but wasn’t going anywhere, although the hallway where he’d traveled from was destroyed.
“Mr. Ectoplasm,” Sophia began. The fumes were thick when she spoke, which made it feel like she was chewing the air. “It’s time that you find a new home. We need the college back.”
The thing didn’t seem to register that she’d said anything. It continued to wave around as though caught in a breeze.
Are you sure that we can’t keep it? Lunis asked. I’d take care of it. Maybe Don can live in my new bachelor pad.
He’s toxic waste, Sophia argued.
I once had a girlfriend I called that after I dumped her, Lunis joked.
Sophia laughed. You’ve never had a girlfriend.
You don’t know, he fired back.
I know. Well, say goodbye to Don. Sophia reached for the velvet ring box hovering right next to her.
The monster took note of this immediately. His mouth opened wide and showed a huge black hole. Don Ectoplasm’s cheeks caved in as it sucked and created a tumultuous wind that pulled at Sophia and nearly took her off her feet. The box slipped through the air a few inches, and she had to dive to grab it before the beast sucked it into its mouth!
Chapter Ninety-Five
Suddenly, Sophia felt like she was in a wind tunnel. Thankfully her hands cinched around the velvet ring box in time. The object’s weight worked in her favor and acted as an anchor when Don Ectoplasm nearly pulled her into its vacuum mouth.
The wind whipping by made her hair beat Sophia in the face and intensified moment by moment. Sophia felt like she was inside the propeller system of an airplane. Don’s mouth was the spinning blade that drew her and the ring box to it.
The monster’s mouth enlarged and took over most of its form. It went from a few inches wide to three feet in an instant, which would easily swallow her.
The wind blasting in Sophia’s ears was deafening, taking over everything. She could barely make out Lunis talking in her head over the rush of air around her—it owned her attention.
I can’t understand you, she yelled to her dragon and tried to focus as the monster pulled her and the ring box a few inches closer.
Sophia yanked her head down and noticed that she was only inches from the green sludge’s base. Any closer and it would touch her, and she knew that wouldn’t end well.
Don Ectoplasm’s arms were like the stretchy sticky hand toys that children throw through the air to attach onto walls. However, Don’s target was her and the box.
He reached for her as his wide hands expanded.
Sophia heard Lunis in her head again, but she couldn’t make out his words, and she realized that was because her mouth was wide open and she was screaming.
Objects behind Sophia raced by her and into Don Ectoplasm’s mouth. Without chewing them, he swallowed flowers and leaves, garden art, light fixtures, and whatever else was in the yard behind Sophia.
Many objects hit her in the shoulder or head, almost sending her forward with them. She was dangerously close now, and so was the ring box. If Don swallowed that she’d be out of options. If he inhaled her, she’d be dead.
When she looked over her shoulder, Sophia realized that she was running out of options. That thought occurred to her as Don Ectoplasm sucked harder, pulling Sophia off her feet and racing toward the blackness of the monster’s mouth.
Chapter Ninety-Six
In a flash, Sophia reached out, grabbed the door frame to the front entrance, and held on with all her might as her other hand clenched the ring box, which shot forward and nearly flew into the beast’s mouth.
Sophia instantly went horizontal in the air with her boots sweeping out in front of her and her legs waving like a flag in the wind.
She could again hear Lunis yelling in her mind, but it was crazy that she couldn’t hear his words even in her thoughts. That’s how loud the wind violently whipped around her as Don Ectoplasm tried to suck her into his darkness along with the ring box that was supposed to be its demise.
Now Sophia felt literally out of options. She couldn’t open the small box with one hand holding her in place. The monster still reached in her direction and gained a precious inch with each passing minute. Soon Don would grab her and would no doubt stuff her and the velvet box into its mouth.