The Ball of Balls

Chapter 30

Rey had arrived in the dark basement of the Krenn Castle. The room was full of skeletons and cobwebs. There was nothing else in the room, except a big metal door. Troubled by all the skeletons, Rey grabbed the only lit torch from the wall.

''It isn't very cozy here, is it?'' the ring said way too loud and it echoed through the basement. Rey was too irritated to react and walked towards the big heavy door. She tried to open it, but it was locked.

''I think the fire is behind this door... well, I know that for sure, because I am the all-knowing golden ring from the Forest of Trees. I gave myself that name, but I looked it up and there is nothing else with that title, so I think I can give it to myself. I mean, I know, because I am the all-knowing ring. All is the name not officially established.''

''Goddammit, just tell me how to open this fucking door,'' Rey said.

''And why would I, the all-knowing golden ring from the Forest of Trees, tell you that?''

Rey rolled her eyes. She picked up a bone from the ground to stick it into the keyhole.

''That won't work. Nice try, but you need something more shiny. Oh, shit. I gave it away,'' the ring said.

''You don't know my lock picking skills,'' Rey said, while studying another bone. Rey heard soft footsteps and quickly looked for a hiding spot. She saw a thin man, with in his one arm a butterfly net, stepping down the stairs.

''U-uhm.. intruder... are you there? I-I have to ask you... to.. leave. And soon... If that's okay with you,'' Stuart said, while shaking with his butterfly net next to his head. Rey watched him from her hiding spot and thought that she could easily handle him, but that it would be better to stay invisible. Rey thought just in time to hide the ring in her fist, before it could betray her hiding spot.

''Would she be already on the other side of the door?'' Stuart asked himself aloud. Stuart got the key from his pocket and opened the heavy door.

''H-h-hello? Is somebody her-'' Stuart was knocked unconscious with a bone.

''Idiot...'' Rey said, while taking away his keys. She stepped over his unconscious body and entered the new room. There was an unlit campfire in the middle of the room. Curious ingredients lay around the campfire. A recipe was written on the wall. Rey passed all jars with ingredients and checked if all necessary items were there. On the bottom was written: 'A broken soul'. Rey thought about that for a moment and then lit the campfire with her torch.

The fire was a bright purple. Rey picked up one of the jars, that seemed to contain blood, and spilled the contents out over the fire. The fire suddenly became blue.

''Three ingredients to go...'' Rey mumbled.

''It looks like you're missing an ingredient,'' the ring said and you could hear it was enjoying it. Rey knew what it ment, but she had no idea where to get a broken soul from right now.

''I could break your soul, you piece of shit,'' Rey said, while picking up another jar.

''Wow wow, calm down. I know for a fact that you can't do that.''

Rey, frustrated, threw the content of the jar, children's teeth, on the fire.

The fire turned green.

Rey looked at the wall and determined what should be the last jar, before she needed a broken soul. She emptied the jar, full of black hairs, on the green fire. The fire now turned yellow.

''STOP!'' Robert said, next to the unconscious body of Stuart. Rey turned around and put the jar with hairs on the ground quickly. She held the ring above the fire and said: ''No step closer, or I will drop the ring in the fire.''