Power (Book 1 in SRMTHFG Series)

9

"Skeleton King," I whisper. Looking up, he's standing right beside the car window.

"Window, up!" I command. It obeys. Skeleton King isn't able to reach me fast enough.

"They can't hear you now!" Skeleton King yells. "Your voice will do no good! Come with me, and we will make good use of it!"

The monkeys are in a trance. They heard me sing. Now there's nobody to-

Jinmay and Chiro. They didn't hear me all the way from here... did they? I don't have a communicator, and I'm pretty sure I don't even have the Power Primate. I remember they're able to use it to communicate.

My voice. I can order anything or anyone with my voice. I just need to come up with something.

"This wall between us doesn't matter
I'll serve up these commands on a silver platter
Skeleton King, you're no king to me
Now now down on one knee." He tries to resist, but falls to the ground.

"There's no resisting the power over you
You do what I say, what I say you do
You will stay frozen in place until I say no
You won't be able to go unless I say so."

I push the door open enough to where I'm able to be heard from outside.

"All of you monkeys are released from my song
You've been inside it far too long." They blink and move.

"What happened?" Nova asks.

"Skeleton King?" Otto says. "You're going down!"

"No, wai-" I start. "Uh oh..."

I said "no."

Skeleton King controls himself again. He stands up and cackles.

"Hey, guys," I say, "you know what we could use right now? A robot girl and a boy that can use the Power Primate to do that big green gorilla thing."

"Contacting them right now," Sparx says. "Hey, kid, there's some skeleton scum down here! Come over here and help us!"

I turn around and back away from Skeleton King.

"Chelsea? What are you doing? We can take this guy!" Nova says. I shake my head.

"No. I-I can't. I'm not a fighter. I can't fight. I'm sorry. I'm too weak." Sweat beads on my forehead.

"What? You had him under your control a minute ago!"

"It's me, you fools," Skeleton King snarls. "My presence forces fear upon the child; I've made my mark a long time ago. It still exists. There is no canceling it out."

"B-but when I was on Earth..." my voice trails off.

"My power exists anywhere and everywhere. There is no escaping it."

I start to hyperventilate.

"Nova, take her back to the robot! Now!" Antauri orders. The last thing I see is Skeleton King's smirk before I - yep, you guessed it - faint.