Free Pyrus by Sean Watman Page B

take him a while to recover.
    I race right toward Lyra, hoping to get to her before he comes back, when I start to feel cold, . I look at Lyra, and her right hand is covering her mouth, her eyes widened in horror, and when I look down, I notice what the problem is.
    â€œIt is impressive that you are able to still channel so much magii.” The man spoke behind me. “It is a shame that I have to kill you; you could have been very useful to me.” He retracts Glace, passing through my stomach as it does so, but stopping half way. Already my heart's starting to slow down, and I'm beginning to lose the feeling in my extremities.
    â€œImpressive is she not?” the man says. “Glace, retract! This boy's done.” As Glace passes through my body, it freezes me more. Ice is pouring out instead of blood, and it's freezing my body in the process. My legs are frozen, and now it's almost at my head. All I can do is stare as the man approaches Lyra, about to give her the same fate.

Chapter 10: The Transformation
    For some reason I've ended up returning to my inner world to find the flaming walls replaced by frozen pillars. Even the floor is completely covered in ice. I wouldn't be surprised if it started snowing! I now know the basic drill whenever I come here, so I stand in my spot, waiting for my reflection to appear—only he's not showing up.
    Annoyed with waiting, I decide that I'm going to go and search for him. So, making sure not to slide and fall, I carefully begin to make my way across the floor. I never really realized how big my world was, but then again, I never really left the entrance spot. As soon as I start walking toward a pillar, I end up getting stuck right in the middle of a maze. Where's the entrance, or the exit? I have no clue. Using the techniques passed down through generations of movies, I place my hand on the left side of the wall and begin to walk. Either I'll reach the center or the end.
    My hand's beginning to freeze after about ten minutes of contact with the ice, so I have to pull it away, but I still continue following the wall. It wasn't until another few minutes that I started to hear voices. I'm now jogging, excited about finding the exit, and following the voices until they start to get louder.
    â€œYou are forbidden to enter this place!” a female voice says. “It is under my control now, so find someone else.”
    â€œJudging by what you just said, I do not think that Jack would appreciate being taken over,” the other voice replied. It was my reflection, my older self. I was getting very close now. I just needed a few more walls. Until then, it would be better to listen in and get a grasp on the situation.
    â€œThe boy is finished. If you have not already noticed, even his mental realm is now corrupted by my influence!” she continued.
    â€œBut have you actually finished him?” my reflection countered. “You can talk about it, but right now he is probably on his way to get his body back.”
    â€œUnfortunately, you will not be around to see him,” the woman replied in a nasty tone. As soon as I turn the corner, now at the source of the quarrel, older me gets thrown at me by a giant white snake. Frost came out of the snake's mouth, and she coated whatever she breathed on with ice. Black markings ran all the way down her back.
    â€œJack! Glad to see you have arrived. I apologize for the circumstances of our meeting, but I suppose that you already know the reason,” older me stated. I push him off of me—I think he may have almost broken a rib—and walk toward snake-lady.
    â€œI take it as this is your animal form, Glace?” I ask her, trying to sound more confident than I actually was.
    â€œI am impressed you recognize me,” she responded. “Too bad! I was hoping to hunt you down rather than have to kill you—it would have made it so much more amusing for me!” She instantly lunged at me, barely