The Caterpillarian

Chapter 7

The light emanating from the beehive lit up the hallway. I turned it left and then right. No Amatoshi in sight. There was no use sneaking—he already knew we were out. So there was only one thing for it.

"Oi!" I shouted, stomping to the top of the stairs. "Amatoshi! We're out of our room! Come and get us, then!"

I waited a moment. And then I heard a slosh and a creak.

I spun to my right, the light illuminating Amatoshi's face. That truly terrifying sight startled me, and I stumbled back. The beehive went flying out of my hands, as I desperately tried to grasp hold of the stair bannister. I managed to grasp it but only for a brief second. I tumbled down the stairs, my shoulder, back and arm pounding against the steps. Most painful was my left elbow scraping against the spiked wall. I eventually managed to halt myself by hooking my foot around a handrail. Despite the throbbing in my . . . well, everything, I heaved myself up with my leg, managing to take a seat on the stair.

My heart was pounding. I'd only ever fallen down the stairs once in my life. I must've been around five or six, and I had my laces undone. Typical.

I fruitlessly glanced down at my scraped arm. There was no way to tell if I was bleeding with no light. Coincidentally, the stairs lit up. I glanced up the stairs. A sunriken was blazing above Amatoshi who was down on one knee.

I acted quickly, bolting up the stairs. I reached out to grasp Amatoshi's sword, pulling it from the cord around his waist.

Alison and Jasper were just outside the bathroom. They must've run at the sight of the skeleton.

"Now, Alison!" I shouted.

She ran, leapt up into the air and delivered a spectacular flying kick.

Amatoshi's skull . . . remained exactly where it was.

Well, it was a long shot.

"C'mon!" I said, pulling the sword from its sheath. "Whoa, this is so cool," I said, mesmerized by the blade. I shook my head and began cracking the sword against Amatoshi. I almost lost my balance from the weight of it and so wrapped both my hands around it. My scraped arm screamed with every swing but I did my best to ignore it. Sparks emitted with each strike but seemed to have no effect.

Alison kicked and kicked, her purple locks waving as sweat sprinkled her brow.

Jasper held the spider mask over his face, launching web from his fingers. Perhaps when Amatoshi recovered, he would be completely encased, leaving him open for more attacks.

"How many sunrikens have you got left?" I asked Jasper.

He stopped spouting web to check. He held up a single sunriken.

So if our attempts failed this time, we had at least one more shot—if he broke out of the web. And then who knew what would happen.

"He's gotta have a weak point!" Alison said, halting her kicks to pant.

"Maybe it's his hat?" I guessed, slicing it with my sword. It split in two and fell over both sides of his skull. Why would his hat be his weakness? I rolled my eyes at myself.

Nothing happened, of course. Well, I shouldn't exactly say nothing happened—the sunriken burnt out and flopped to the floor. Before Amatoshi could even rise to his feet, Jasper tossed the last one, stunning him again.

"There is no escaping death!" Amatoshi said, his arms shielding his head. "I should know!"

"Just shut up!" I shouted back.

My eyes scanned his entire form, searching for something, anything, that could be a weak spot.

And then my eyes caught sight of something written on the tub on his back. But before I could read it, a familiar buzzing sound came from downstairs. I looked and wasn't surprised to see those fat flies from before heading up.