I levitate trough the floors, ascending toward the top of the tower. Passing by each floor, I see guards, cells with caged metas, labs where men in white coat are performing every kind of experiment.
I’m invisible, and nobody notices my passage. Yet, it’s impossible that with all this advanced equipment they have not yet tracked me. But even if it is a trap, I can’t stop. My son is up there, somewhere.
And finally I find him.
Little, and tender.
His little eyes marvels at my sight, a warm, incredible smile appearing on his teeth less mouth.
But he has many snakes sprouting out of his head.
And is an hideous, horrible reptilian monster the one who is holding him.
“Cicciotto, sssshow yoursssself! I know you are there!” hisses the monster. How can he know my name?
I turn visible, but still less denser than a normal human.
The eyes of the monster opens wide.
Fear? It doesn’t seems. What could…
…ah! The Santa costume!
“Oh oh oh! Merry Christmas, monster! Hand me my son!” I order, hoping to sound dangerous.
“Cicciotto! Thisss isss not your ssson, it’sss mine! Sssurrender now!”
“Knell! In the photo I saw, you were human. Physically, at last”.
The monster growls.
“And that’s my son, Knell. Blood of my blood. I don’t know what have you done to him, but I will find a way to take away those serpents. Now, hand me the kid!”
“No way, freak! You are trapped, don’t you underssstand?”
“I’m in ghost form, Knell. There is nothing you can do to me”
“But you can’t take the kid, without turning ssssolid. In that moment a dozen of lasssersss will cut trough your sssuperdenssse ssskin and will blow up your heart”.
I come close to him.
“I can put my hand trough your body, then turn solid and take your brain in my hand. If I die, you will die with me”.
“And Eddie will be orphan, Cicciotto”
It’s really an odd situation. I never tough that the kid would have been in Knell hands, him petting the kid like his own son. I can’t go back to my friends, bringing them here would only worsen the situation.
“There isss no really a way out, Eurossstar” hisses Knell, happy.
“I..I….” What I can do, really?
A dozen of reptilian monsters enter in the room.
“Thessse are my Leviathansss, Cicciotto”. The monster presses a button, and one of the steel wall opens, to reveal a larger chamber, filled with many more reptilian guards. Hanging from the wall, chained to their wrists, are my comrades, all in their elves suits, plus Naecken in the reindeer costume.
“Take your place in the wall, Euro. I bet the kidssss of the world will be very sssad, tomorrow, because Sssanta diesss tonight”
“How can you hope to chain me, monster?”
“We have stasssisss devicesss. Desssigned for another phasssing freak, but they will be good for you. Now, I repeat, take your place in the row!”
“Or?”
“Or I will kill one of your friends. Now!”
“Only the menace of killing myself would stop me, Knell. And you love him maybe as well as me!”
And I turn invisible and phase trough the ceiling, arriving out on the top of the tower. Outside, from the water an huge beast, like a marine serpents, is beginning to come out, to wrap itself around the tower.
A little flying shuttle leaves the tower, it’s easy to understand it’s Knell, with my son, leaving for place unknown.
“Merda!” I shout. But how could I have ever imagined that my son is treated by Knell as his son?!
There are cries and shouts coming from all the tower, and dozens of guards have just arrived on the terrace.
I phase back down. I have to freed my friends.
But when I am on the uppermost floor, all goes black.
And when I reopen my eyes, I’m hanging from the wall, along my six friends.
“Oh mamma!”
