Soul: Book 1 (DISCONTINUED)

Pure Insanity

The sudden flash of light made Mitch shut his eyes tightly. He blinked rapidly as he took in his surroundings. The first things he noticed were the ropes around his wrists and ankles that bound him to a chair. Mitch tried to shake off the ropes, but they wouldn't loosen at all. He was in an old log house which stank with the musty smells of mold and fish. Mitch saw a bacca crouched on the floor facing away from him.

"Jerome?" Mitch asked in confusion. "Is that you?" The bacca slowly stood up and Mitch realized that he was much larger and older than Jerome. He turned around and Mitch squirmed uncomfortably when he saw the crazed look in the bacca's black eyes. His paws clutched a sharp diamond axe which flashed dangerously in the torchlight. "S-Sorry," Mitch stammered nervously, "I, I thought-"

"You are a strange human, Mitch." the bacca said. "Normally my guests start screaming in terror when they see who I am. Are you not afraid of baccas?"

"One of my best friends is a bacca." he replied.

Surprise flashed across the bacca's face. "A bacca? Friends with a human?" he replied. "How odd."

"How did I get here?" Mitch asked. "I was out fishing when I saw you in the river. You almost drowned, but I'm glad I managed to save you. After all, it's no fun when my guests are dead."

"What's no fun? Why am I tied up?" Mitch swallowed nervously.

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough. But as your host, it is my duty to introduce myself, no?" the bacca asked. Mitch didn't reply. He was too busy wondering about Jerome. Mitch had managed to jump off the cliff into the river, but had Jerome escaped the blast? Had he been killed? "Do you like my axe?" the bacca asked, interrupting Mitch's thoughts. "I call her Helga. She's been passed down through dozens of generations in my family." he mused, tracing the green blade with a sharp claw. "Of course, she's been through several heads throughout the years."

Mitch's face turned as white as a sheet. "Several... heads?"

The bacca looked confused for a moment before cracking up. "Oh, you thought I meant-" His laughter echoed through the house. All Mitch could do was stare at the bacca apprehensively. "You are very funny, Mitch. I meant several axe heads, not human heads."

Mitch relaxed and sighed in relief. "You scared me for a moment there."

"Helga's been through far more than just several human heads." the bacca said, smiling fondly at the axe.

His breath caught in his throat as Mitch's amber eyes widened in horror. "You're crazy!" he yelled, sweat dampening his forehead.

The bacca laughed psychotically. "You're right! I am crazy! I'm as loony as a bat! But Helga here doesn't care, right Helga?"

The bacca lifted up his diamond axe and said in a falsetto voice, "I will always love you, even if you're crazy and can't remember your own name! I love you and you love me! We'll always be together no matter what!"

"Aw, Helga!" the bacca replied, reverting to his normal deep voice. "That's so sweet of you to say that!"

Mitch concentrated intensely and tried to summon his powers. Nothing happened. Why weren't they working? True, he hadn't used them for several years, but that wasn't the reason why he couldn't use them now. Mitch opened his eyes and realized that his dog tag wasn't around his neck anymore. Completely powerless, Mitch panicked. "HELP ME!" he screamed, hoping that someone could hear him. "SOMEONE HELP ME!"

"Be quiet!" the bacca yelled as he raised a paw and struck Mitch in the face, tearing four claw marks on his cheek. Mitch's cries quieted down to mere whimpers of pain and fear. "Do you know how long it's been since the last human I ate? One month. That was one whole month with nothing to eat except fish."