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Authors: Cheree Alsop
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increased, echoing through the trees. He peered into the darkness, but couldn’t see what was making it.
“What’s that sound?” he asked.
“The frogs,” Adrielle replied. She looked around. For a moment, her golden eyes reflected the faint light, glowing in the darkness. She looked like a wild animal searching for prey. Her nose moved slightly as she tested the air. Her head swiveled to the right. “Look,” she whispered.
Everett realized he was staring. He shook himself and turned. A form he had thought was a part of the plants moved slightly. High, musical words almost too soft to be heard weaved through the hanging trees. The ground moved. Everett realized that he was looking at frogs instead of the mossy floor, hundreds of them. They made their little trilling sounds and when they croaked, ribbons of colored light surrounded them. Streamers of pink, blue, and green flowed in waves to the form that turned out to be a little girl sitting at the base of a vine-covered tree.
Her song grew louder. Everett took a step forward. He felt all of his other senses fade away until only the sound of her voice remained. It pulled at him, beckoning him forward like the tiny frogs. He took another step.
Adrielle set a hand on his arm. Her touch jolted him back to himself.
“Take it easy,” she said. “Sonia is a siren. Do you know what a siren is?”
Everett shook his head, unwilling to speak and break the sound of the beautiful voice.
“Sirens draw their target in with their voice. It’s beautiful, haunting, and deadly.”
At Adrielle’s last word, Sonia turned her face toward them. Her lips pulled back, revealing rows upon rows of sharp, pointed teeth like the pictures of sharks Everett had seen in his father’s books.
“Getting late, isn’t it?” Sonia asked. Her voice rasped, no longer the beautiful, lulling tones that filled Everett with rapture, but instead grating and rough like sandpaper on metal.
“Getting there,” Adrielle replied. “Goodnight, Sonia.”
“’Night, Adrielle,” the siren answered. She turned her face back to the little glowing frogs and began to sing again. Their voices lifted, their little trilling calls the perfect counterbalance to her song.
“Is she a little girl?” Everett asked, amazed at the contrast in her voice.
Adrielle pushed the vines aside and stepped into the cave beyond them that hid the next staircase. “She remembers the Ending War,” she said over her shoulder.
Everett stared back into the shadows, amazed that the siren he had thought was a child was more than seventy-five years old.
“And Kai?” he asked, following Adrielle up. “What is he?”
“A yacurun,” Adrielle answered. “Half man, half amphibian. He can breathe under water.” A small laugh escaped her. “Believe it or not, he’s in love with a yeti.”
Everett shook his head. He felt like he had stepped into another world and everything he knew about his life had turned upside down. The further they climbed into the Monster Asylum, the crazier his world was turning out to be.
Chapter Six
“Are you telling me that we’re going to meet an abominable snowman?” Everett asked.
Adrielle grinned at the amazement in his voice. “If they’re up for it,” she replied. “Yeti tend to be a bit grumpy. It’s probably because Dr. Transton hasn’t figured out how to keep the snow from melting every time someone opens the door. I told him we should rearrange the rooms, but he said too much work went into it to change everything now.”
She shoved the next door open with her shoulder. A blast of hot air nearly knocked Everett back down the stairs. Powerful light hit him, burning his skin. He ducked back through the doorway.
“Seriously, Jehlani, can you turn it down a bit? It’s night time for crying out loud,” she said.
“Sorry,” an accented voice called. A moment later, the force of the heat and light reduced almost completely.
“Thank you,” Adrielle replied. She
“What’s that sound?” he asked.
“The frogs,” Adrielle replied. She looked around. For a moment, her golden eyes reflected the faint light, glowing in the darkness. She looked like a wild animal searching for prey. Her nose moved slightly as she tested the air. Her head swiveled to the right. “Look,” she whispered.
Everett realized he was staring. He shook himself and turned. A form he had thought was a part of the plants moved slightly. High, musical words almost too soft to be heard weaved through the hanging trees. The ground moved. Everett realized that he was looking at frogs instead of the mossy floor, hundreds of them. They made their little trilling sounds and when they croaked, ribbons of colored light surrounded them. Streamers of pink, blue, and green flowed in waves to the form that turned out to be a little girl sitting at the base of a vine-covered tree.
Her song grew louder. Everett took a step forward. He felt all of his other senses fade away until only the sound of her voice remained. It pulled at him, beckoning him forward like the tiny frogs. He took another step.
Adrielle set a hand on his arm. Her touch jolted him back to himself.
“Take it easy,” she said. “Sonia is a siren. Do you know what a siren is?”
Everett shook his head, unwilling to speak and break the sound of the beautiful voice.
“Sirens draw their target in with their voice. It’s beautiful, haunting, and deadly.”
At Adrielle’s last word, Sonia turned her face toward them. Her lips pulled back, revealing rows upon rows of sharp, pointed teeth like the pictures of sharks Everett had seen in his father’s books.
“Getting late, isn’t it?” Sonia asked. Her voice rasped, no longer the beautiful, lulling tones that filled Everett with rapture, but instead grating and rough like sandpaper on metal.
“Getting there,” Adrielle replied. “Goodnight, Sonia.”
“’Night, Adrielle,” the siren answered. She turned her face back to the little glowing frogs and began to sing again. Their voices lifted, their little trilling calls the perfect counterbalance to her song.
“Is she a little girl?” Everett asked, amazed at the contrast in her voice.
Adrielle pushed the vines aside and stepped into the cave beyond them that hid the next staircase. “She remembers the Ending War,” she said over her shoulder.
Everett stared back into the shadows, amazed that the siren he had thought was a child was more than seventy-five years old.
“And Kai?” he asked, following Adrielle up. “What is he?”
“A yacurun,” Adrielle answered. “Half man, half amphibian. He can breathe under water.” A small laugh escaped her. “Believe it or not, he’s in love with a yeti.”
Everett shook his head. He felt like he had stepped into another world and everything he knew about his life had turned upside down. The further they climbed into the Monster Asylum, the crazier his world was turning out to be.
Chapter Six
“Are you telling me that we’re going to meet an abominable snowman?” Everett asked.
Adrielle grinned at the amazement in his voice. “If they’re up for it,” she replied. “Yeti tend to be a bit grumpy. It’s probably because Dr. Transton hasn’t figured out how to keep the snow from melting every time someone opens the door. I told him we should rearrange the rooms, but he said too much work went into it to change everything now.”
She shoved the next door open with her shoulder. A blast of hot air nearly knocked Everett back down the stairs. Powerful light hit him, burning his skin. He ducked back through the doorway.
“Seriously, Jehlani, can you turn it down a bit? It’s night time for crying out loud,” she said.
“Sorry,” an accented voice called. A moment later, the force of the heat and light reduced almost completely.
“Thank you,” Adrielle replied. She
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