Grip of the Shadow Plague

Tanu tossed a small, unstopped bottle to Seth. Liquid sloshed from its mouth as he caught it. "Drink," Tanu said.

Seth upended the bottle and guzzled the fluid. It fizzed and bubbled as it went down with a sour, fruity taste. Newel rushed at Doren, who turned, planted his hands on the ground, and bucked his friend in the chest with both hooves. The blow sent Newel soaring.

"Run, Doren," Tanu urged. "Don’t let him bite you. Mendigo, help me back to the yard as fast as you can."

The limberjack dashed to Tanu, who climbed on piggyback. Mendigo did not look sturdy enough to carry such a large man, but he took off at a fast pace.

Seth felt tingly all over, almost as if the carbonation of the potion was now gurgling through his veins. Snorting and rising, Newel directed his attention toward Seth, pouncing with teeth bared and arms outstretched. Seth tried to run but, although his legs moved, his feet could get no traction.

Newel passed right through him, and bubbling tingles erupted through Seth’s body. As the effervescent sensation subsided, Seth noticed that his body was pulling back together. He was in a gaseous state!

"Newel!" Doren said sharply, backing away from his deranged friend. "Why are you doing this? Come to your senses!"

Newel sneered. "You’ll thank me later."

"Leave me be," Doren said gently. "We’re best friends."

"Won’t take long," Newel growled in his guttural voice.

Seth tried to say, "Come and get me, you goat-faced psycho," but, though his mouth could make the right shapes, no sound came out.

Roaring, Newel rushed at Doren, who turned and ran in the opposite direction from where Tanu was heading. Apparently Newel was more interested in chasing his friend than pursuing the Samoan, because he did not even glance at Tanu and Mendigo. Doren crashed away through the undergrowth with Newel in close pursuit. Seth noticed for the first time that a slender cord of shadow was connected to Newel. The curling black line wound out of sight into the trees.

Seth was left alone in the small clearing, hovering a few inches above the ground, wispy particles of himself steaming from his body without ever truly dissipating. He tried again to move, swinging his arms and legs. Although he did not generate any more traction than he had previously, Seth began to glide forward. He soon found that it was not moving his arms or legs that mattered. All it took was the intent to move in a certain direction, and he gradually began to drift that way.

Arms hanging at his side, legs dangling motionless, Seth slowly glided after Tanu, hoping to reach the house before solidifying in case Newel decided to return. In his gaseous state, Seth could have abandoned paths and traveled in a straight line through the woods, but the paths were fairly direct, and he didn’t particularly enjoy the sensation of dissolving around branches and other obstructions.

With his top speed barely matching the pace of a leisurely stroll, he remained anxious throughout the tedious journey. He worried about how Tanu was doing, and whether Doren had outrun Newel, and what to do if Newel reappeared. But Newel did not return, and Seth remained gaseous until he drifted across the yard and up onto the deck.

Tanu opened the door and admitted Seth to the house. Mendigo waited nearby, a deep split in one wooden forearm. Tanu looked worried. "Did Doren make it away?" he asked.

Unable to speak, Seth shrugged and crossed his fingers.

"I hope so too. I think my wound is going to be a problem. Look."

Tanu held up his beefy arm. There was no blood, but much of the forearm looked like shadow instead of flesh. "Oh, no!" Seth mouthed.

"It’s turning invisible," Tanu said. "Like what happened to Coulter, only slower. The invisible portion has been spreading. I have no idea how to slow it."

Seth shook his head.

"Don’t worry. I didn’t expect you to have the answer."

Seth shook his head more vigorously, making the particles of his face disperse with fizzy tingles. He drifted over to a shelf and pointed at a black binder, then pointed at Tanu’s arm.

"You want me to take notes about my arm? I’ll let you inform the others. You’ll solidify soon."

Seth looked around the room. He glided over to a window, where the light of the sun was making a flowerpot cast a shadow. He pointed at the shadow, then indicated Tanu’s arm.

"Shadowy?" Tanu asked. Understanding suddenly registered in his expression. "My arm looks shadowy to you, not invisible. Like how you see Coulter as a shadowman."

Seth gave Tanu a thumbs-up.

"I’d better go outside, in case I turn evil like Newel."

Tanu walked out to the deck. Seth floated along behind him. They stood together, silently staring into the yard. A frothy sensation surged through Seth, tickly tingles everywhere, as if he were a bottle of soda that somebody had shaken until it was wildly foaming over. After a fizzy hiss, the tingling stopped, and he found himself standing on the deck, his body solid once more.

"That was pretty cool," Seth said.

"Unique sensation, isn’t it?" Tanu said. "I have only one gaseous potion left. Come with me, I want to try something."

"I’m sorry about your arm," Seth said.

"Wasn’t your fault. I’m glad you avoided getting nipped."

They descended the stairs from the deck, passing from underneath the overhang into direct sunlight. Wincing and clutching his shadowy forearm, Tanu fled into the shade. "I was afraid of that," he growled through clenched teeth.

"Did it hurt?" Seth asked.

"Coulter said he couldn’t visit us until sundown. I think I just confirmed why. When the sunlight hit my arm, the invisible part burned with unbearable cold. I can hardly imagine how that would feel spread over my whole body. Maybe I should wrap my arm and go find a shady spot far from the house."

"I don’t think you’ll turn evil," Seth said.

"You have a reason?"

"Newel didn’t behave like himself," Seth said. "He was out of control. But Coulter acted calm. He seemed normal, except for being a shadow."

"Coulter may just be more devious than Newel," Tanu said. "He might have pounced on us if we’d given him the chance." Tanu held up his arm. The area from his wrist to his elbow was lost in shadow. "It’s spreading faster." Sweat beaded on his forehead. He sat down heavily on the deck stairs.

Across the lawn, Seth saw Grandpa Sorenson emerge from the woods. Behind him came Dale, and then Hugo giving Grandma a ride on his shoulder. "Grandpa!" Seth called. "Tanu got hurt!"

Grandpa turned and said something inaudible to Hugo. The golem picked him up, steadied Grandma, and loped across the lawn. Dale ran along behind. Hugo set Seth’s grandparents down beside the deck. Tanu raised his injured arm.