them up, placed them in her hand, and ran back downstairs. She put a worm into each of the sandwiches that she would serve the boys. They would soon find out what she had done. They would want answers, and everything would be explained to them. Charlotte had just finished completing their sandwiches as they walked back into the house. Charlotte had put each of their sandwiches on Dixie disposable plates.
They were so hungry and eager to eat that they didn’t notice that Charlotte had not made a sandwich for herself, and she had begun to watch them. She watched as Tony took a bite, chewed, and swallowed. Then Grog took his bite, chewed, and swallowed. And she watched as Mike took a bite, Abbie was watching them too while she sat next to Charlotte’s feet. Nothing yet. Charlotte was not surprised. She had placed the worms near the middle of their sandwiches.
Tony was enjoying his sandwich when all of the sudden he tasted something a bit off in his sandwich, and he swallowed. Tony put his sandwich down and put both of his hands flat on the table; he saw it, and he felt it, the change came over him. Tony saw the many battles between them as they flew around outer space. He saw that they were constant battles between good and evil. He saw the crash landing to Earth and lying dormant in the ground for over 350 years until Tony and his friends dug them up. Tony’s vision had ended, and he knew it was the truth.
Tony, can you hear me? he heard Charlotte say to him. But she hadn’t spoken a word. He looked at her. We can hear each other’s thoughts. It’s a gift that the meteorite gave to us, Charlotte told him.
How do you know all of this? Tony asked her. Abbie told me. She told me a lot more too but… Charlotte trailed off as Grog suddenly put down his sandwich and placed both of his hands flat on the table.
Grog briefly looked like he was about to experience a panic attack. He started to breathe heavy and fast but then his breathing slowed, and he visibly relaxed. Tony knew that he felt it too.
Grog. Tony and Grog both heard a smooth adult female voice say. Tony knew that it was Abbie speaking to him.
Who is this? Grog asked.
Tony heard Charlotte laugh although all she did was smile slightly. So far, Mike seemed oblivious to what was going on around him.
We don’t have much time so listen closely, the voice said again, and Tony knew that it was Abbie. Yes, Tony. It’s Abbie. You can hear my thoughts, and I can hear yours. Grog shifted in his seat, trying not to panic.
Wha-wha-what the fuck is going on? What is happening? Tony heard Grog ask.
Shut up, Grog! We don’t have time for this! Abbie said, slightly panicked herself and looking at Mike. You both know the truth about those meteorites now. The dark red one is evil. The bright red one is not. Mike is under the influence of the Demon, that’s what I call it. It wants to use him to kill the world. You two, Charlotte, and I are now all under the influence of the Immortal.
The Immortal? Grog asked. Does that mean that we are—
Yes, Abbie interrupted. You are immortal for right now. You need to use it for Mike. The Demon plans to use Mike to kill or change every single person on this planet. It will completely destroy everyone and everything on this planet but not before using it to destroy every other planet, solar system, and galaxy that we know about. And after having spent all those millennia flying around, we are aware of many other planets besides Earth. There is life on those planets too. You must stop Mike somehow, and you must find some way to destroy the Demon. And you must destroy the Immortal too.
Destroy the Immortal? Tony asked. Why?
Destroying the Demon and the Immortal is the only way to go back to normal. You must—Abbie was interrupted by Mike suddenly loudly retching and gagging. He threw the sandwich.
“CHARLOTTE!” Mike screamed, enraged.
Tony looked at Mike and was terrified by his eyes. There was only one other time in his life that he saw eyes that had that look in them. The night his mother went after his father, the look that still gave him nightmares.
“WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO ME, CHARLOTTE?” Mike screamed at her. As Mike rose and slowly started moving toward Charlotte, his eyes turned completely black. He took off his glasses and dropped them on the floor.
Charlotte gasped in fear and started stepping backward. Tony and Grog stood but were unsure of what to do.
Oh no, Abbie said. He is completely under the influence of the Demon. He is going to rip you all apart, destroy the Immortal, and then the world. Do something! Abbie said.
Then Mike propelled himself toward Charlotte as she turned to run. Abbie snapped, growled, and leaped at Mike to attack him and protect Charlotte. Mike cried out in pain as Abbie’s teeth sank into his forearm.
“You bitch!” he screamed out at her as he punched Abbie in her head, gripped her collar, and ripped her from his arm. Then Mike lifted Abbie up by her collar with one arm and threw her across the room into the wall. Abbie slammed into the sturdy, thick, wooden wall and yelped in pain as she felt her ribs shatter and her front legs break.
“Abbie!” Grog cried out. That cry sent Tony and Grog into action.
Mike turned his head to look at Grog as Grog flung himself at Mike. Grog grabbed Mike’s shirt by the collar and pushed him back as hard as he could. Mike only took three steps back. He stood still, just looking at Grog. Then Mike moved toward Grog with the speed of a bullet and punched him in the jaw. The strength of that punch would have spun a person’s head around on their neck, but having swallowed the Immortal worms, Grog was only knocked unconscious. Tony pulled Grog out of the way and stood four feet in front of Mike.
“I’m standing between you and Charlotte now, Mike,” Tony told him, hoping to reach the real Mike. “And I’m not moving. Come on, Mike. You and I have been friends a long time. We don’t want to do this.”
Mike began to laugh an evil loud laugh. “I’m not Mike, and you are not my friend. You are my enemy. You have always been my enemy. You could never see the beauty of my plan. Destroy everything and everybody that is against you, then you are king. You become king of all the galaxies,” Mike said. His wide, black eyes stared at Tony with a crazy, maniacal smile on his face. He was so overstimulated by his fantasy that he didn’t notice the drool leaking out of his mouth and down his chin.
“Those who seek world domination only ever destroy themselves in the process,” Tony told him.
“This isn’t world domination. This is total domination over places that your small mind could never imagine. And in this body, nothing is in my way.”
“I’m in your way,” Tony said, taking a step toward him, challenging him.
Mike snarled. “Challenge accepted.” He spat.
Mike charged at Tony with the speed of a bullet just like he had Grog, but Tony was ready for him. Tony sidestepped out of the way and punched Mike in the face with the force of a sledgehammer. Mike’s head twisted completely around until he was facing behind him. Tony had heard the crunch of all of Mike’s neck bones breaking. Mike tried to turn his head back around with his hands; he stumbled and then collapsed to the floor at Tony’s feet.
“Charlotte,” Tony called out.
He started to walk toward the kitchen to find Charlotte. Then he heard a horrible noise behind him. It was the sound of a long gag and strangled breathing behind him. No. It couldn’t be. Tony turned. It
