Free Cadaver Island by Pro Se Press

mouth dropped open and his pink tongue dangled from between
his white, perfect teeth. A masculine, computerized voice spoke in
a clear, monotone voice: “The estimated life of the battery pack is
10 hours, 37 minutes, and 45 seconds.” The metal hooks slid back
into Razor’s back. Then the dog focused his eyes and exhaled a
shrill bark before he started chasing butterflies again. Dr. Stine
exhaled a sigh of disgust. Angelique stared at the ground and
frowned.
    “ I can’t believe it! Ten
hours isn’t much time!” she said. She paced back and
forth.
    “ Well, it could’ve been
worse. When your current battery pack is about to expire, I’ll
switch them out. Just let me know when you reach the one-hour
mark,” Dr. Stine said.
    “ Okay. But please don’t
lose it. I have a feeling I’ll need those ten hours. We should’ve
arrived at Mount Zahn a long time ago,” she said.
    “ I’ll protect it with my
life,” he said. He placed it in the deep, left pocket of his robe.
He wished they’d been able to save time and avoid the obstacles in
the forest and desert.
    Stanley flapped his wings,
descended from the limb of an elm tree, and hovered in the air. He
blinked his wide, yellow eyes while his white feathers molted and
drifted to the ground. Dr. Stine extended his left arm and allowed
the owl to perch on his shoulder.
    Angelique smiled at
Stanley. Then she said: “I should send a message to Zachary. He’s
probably wondering why I haven’t responded to his note.”
    “ I’m sure you can find a
pen and paper inside. I want to search the house anyway. I’ll come
with you,” Dr. Stine said.
    Angelique joined Dr. Stine
and Razor on the front porch. She reached for the knob of the front
door, twisted it, and pushed the door inward. Rusted hinges
screamed as they stepped onto moss-covered, beige tiles in the
foyer. Thick moss and intertwined vines covered the cream-colored
walls of the short corridor. Angelique glanced into a room to their
left and realized it was a den. On the other side of the room, next
to a dormant fireplace, was a large, mahogany desk. Cobwebs and
dust covered a flat-screen monitor, a Dell keyboard, and a printer.
Angelique strolled across the warped, water-damaged, hardwood floor
and approached the desk. She plucked a piece of yellow paper from
the printer’s tray and a blue pen from a green, plastic
cup.
    “ I’ll check the other rooms
and give you some privacy,” Dr. Stine said.
    She listened to Dr. Stine
and Razor stroll into a room on the other side of the foyer. She
sat down on a swivel chair and stared at the blank sheet of paper.
A tear slipped from the corner of her left eye and slid across her
cheek. Then she started writing:
     
    To Zachary, My
Love:
    I received your message a
long time ago, but I’ve been unable to respond due to circumstances
beyond my control. Xavier’s lover, Lysette, kidnapped Razor and hid
him from me in The Catacombs of the Dead. Dr. Stine and two knights
accompanied me into the catacombs and we rescued him. But then we
discovered that Razor’s abduction was merely a distraction to keep
us busy while Xavier stole a cache of battery packs from Dr.
Stine’s office! And to make matters worse, Xavier’s Eye-Bots
invaded Thyme!
    Dr. Stine, Razor, Stanley,
and I have embarked on a journey to rescue you from Xavier and
recover the battery packs. Dr. Stine’s hovercraft was destroyed
after something caused the motors to blow up. Our progress has been
slowed by obstacles in The Enchanted Forest of Sorrow and The
Calypso Desert, but now we have a swift, black stallion, which will
help us make up lost time. Something strange happened to me in the
desert, but don’t be alarmed…I am safe and sound! You don’t believe
in reincarnation, do you? After my close call in the ancient tomb,
I’m convinced that I might’ve lived during another time as a woman
named Kristina. It frightens me to consider such a
thing!
    Please take care of
yourself! I hope this letter