The DollMaker Returns

Chapter 25: The Ingredients

"Okay guys, let's see if we can find anything." Lisa said. After a few minutes of searching, Eloise announced, "Guys, I think I see something at the bottom!" "Okay, but I'm not seeing anything." Lisa protested. "Well, for those of you who can see something, what do you see?" Jackson asked.

"It looks like a bottle with some sort of reddish liquid inside it." Phil explained. "Well, what are we waiting for? Somebody grab the bottle and open it!" Amelia instructed, exitedly. Eloise grabbed the bottle before opening it and smelling it before finally gagging at the smell. "That's zombie blood alright." She said. "What's that attatched to the bottle?" Jackson asked. 

"Good question Jack!" Phil replied. "I don't know the answer!" "Why are you excited about not knowing the answer to an obvious question?" Lisa asked. "I have no idea!" Phil responded, still sounding excited for whatever reason. 

"NO!" Gavin yelled. "He will not be pleased if you read it!" "We don't have a choice Gavin." Eloise replied. "If we don't want anyone turning into a doll, than we have to do this." "I don't see what all the fuss about turning into dolls is all about." Mason spat. "It doesn't even sound that bad!" "I know!" Phil agreed. "It's like they're trying to keep master from taking over!" "Not you too Phil!" Caleb cried.

"It looks like we have to find a room full of paintings." Amelia said, looking up from the piece of paper she had grabbed off the bottle. "Caleb, Rachel, do you know where that might be?" "We have a room filled with nothing but sculptures and paintings in this place." Rachel responded. "Follow me, I'll show you where it is." Rachel led the group to the room that the clue was talking about. "Nothing but paintings and sculptures in here." "Okay, let's get searching." Eloise instructed.

The group the entire room, but it was Lisa who spoke up about a bottle full of green liquid. "Why is there a bottle full of green liquid in here?" She asked, pulling the bottle out of the base of the sculpture she was looking at. Jackson checked the spellbook and his eyes widened at what the green liquid was.

"Don't you dare tell them what the green liquid is. You know the master won't be happy." Gavin warned. "Just ignore him Jack." Lisa instructed. "What does the book say?" Amelia asked. "No!" Phil protested. "Don't tell them! Master would not be pleased!" "Master would disown you if you did." Gavin agreed. "You don't want to be disowned, do you?" Mason asked. "Well no." Jackson replied. "Nobody does. Kinda thought that was common knowledge."

"I mean, whatever you wanna do." Gavin said. "But just know me, Mason, and Phil won't be able to help you and give you advice if you tell them what the green liquid is. We also won't be on your side because of consequinces." "I don't think we want you three on our side while the DollMaker is controlling you." Amelia commented. "It's like having the DollMaker on our side and it's not as much fun as you three think it is."

"Thou is not very helpful." Mason disagreed. "Lighten up Mason!" Phil said, wrapping his arms around the older boy's waist, being the shorter of the two, even if by an inch. "Helpful was probably not what she was going for."

"What is the liquid supposed to be?" Lisa asked. "It's pretty gross if you ask me." Jackson replied. "If you're too grossed out, someone else can read it or you can just give the book to Lisa so she can read it and we all know what the green liquid is supposed to be." Caleb suggested. "Just give me the book." Lisa instructed. "This is taking way too long." "Okay!" Jackson threw his hands up as Lisa yanked the book from his hands. 

"Seriously Jack?" Rachel asked, giving him 'the look.' "What?" Jackson asked, giving her an expression that said, "why are you looking at me like that?" "Why are you grossing out over spider intestines?" She asked. "Because they're gross." Jackson explained, giving her a small glare. "How do you know what the green liquid is when Lisa hasn't said it out loud yet?" "We're soulmates." "And?" Jackson asked. "What does that have to do with our current-MMPH?!"

Rachel gave an exausprated sigh as she tightened the coils around Jacksons mouth to keep him from loosening them and breaking free. "Are men seriously this clueless nowadays?" She asked.  "We're soulmates. I can read your mind and therefore your memories via the fact that we're soulmates. It's how I know so many things about you even though you've actually never told me. I knew about Jason and Max before Lisa even mentioned that something had happened to them." Before they knew it, Rachel's power and the soft coils combined had completely taken over him and he was forced to stand there in complete relaxation.

"Ye shall never find the final ingredient." Mason hissed. "You will never solve the final riddle." Gavin agreed. "The DollMaker will win." Phil finished. Caleb swallowed hard and for good reason.

Phil was starting to transform. Just like Mason and Gavin.