Chapter Thirty-Five
Facing the Toothed Hurricane
Though it was still as ill-tempered and furious as a hurricane, the dragon seemed to be tiring a bit. It had slowed down, and its body was heaving with the exertion of the incredible display of power it had put on. Its nostrils flared, spewing black smoke into the air, as it panted to catch its breath.
However, even in this fatigued state, it was still quite unsettling to be caught beneath the beast’s eyes, which had transformed from their previous state of swirling blackness to a sharp green. It stared down at the sisters, studying them, and it became clear that they had somehow captured its interest.
In that moment, as they watched the panting Pan Gu, Maria and Sara realized they had a great, unexpected feeling of sympathy for this mysterious monster. They began to wonder how they would feel, had they awoken in such a strange place, imprisoned beneath a building, with weird gadgets and gizmos pointed at them.
Was Pan Gu’s rage simply an effort to escape this unwelcome confinement? And was it under the erroneous impression that the sisters were the ones who were responsible for its circumstance?
After several moments, during which Pan Gu heaved and grunted, its gargantuan lungs filling with air, it seemed to regain its breath. Its green eyes had never left the sisters, and now, it slowly began stalking toward them. Talons tore chunks of tile free from the floor as it advanced, and each step created mild tremors. Its presence was awe-inspiring – and quite unsettling.
Maria and Sara scrambled to their feet, protectively standing over Evelyn. As they gazed up at the approaching monster, they reached for each other’s hand, seeking comfort.
“Sara,” Maria said in a low voice.
“Yes?”
“I’m glad you’re here.”
Sara gave Maria’s hand a squeeze, as she kept her eyes locked onto the transfixing creature that approached. “So am I.”
Over the next several moments, they expressed their confidence in one another, subconsciously using humor to lighten the dark scenario. This was bad, but they thought they might yet come out of this okay… after all, they had each other, and they had been in tight spots before.
“If nothing else… it’s certainly been one heck of an interesting day, hasn’t it?” Maria asked.
Sara squeezed her sister’s hand tighter, and though her voice was not quite her own, her words brought comfort nonetheless. “That’s for sure,” she said, as she reflected upon the series of events that had brought them to their uncanny predicament. “It has been a most remarkable day.”
“Be that as it may, I don’t suppose you have any last second ideas, do you?”
Sara was mesmerized by the sight of the looming Pan Gu, and the beast was now so close that she could get a much better look at its teeth (not that she particularly wanted to). Resisting its hypnotizing effects, she managed to tear her gaze from the creature and look to the ceiling beyond. There, she saw the series of skylights that adorned the museum’s roof.
Something was tugging at her mind… the formation of some idea, and she desperately willed it to come together. Clouds… what was it about clouds? When Evelyn had been lying on the floor, out of sorts, she had pointed up at the skylights and murmured about the clouds.
Earlier in the day, Sara remembered how much natural lighting had poured in through those giant pieces of glass in the ceiling, helping to illuminate the museum’s interior. When they had been inside of Evelyn’s office, and they looked out to sea, they had seen that there was a storm on the horizon. Now, the dark cloud cover had moved in, blocking the sunlight and heralding the coming of the rain.
If only the clouds hadn’t moved in… perhaps Pan Gu would be drawn toward the illumination of the skylights, realizing it was a way to the outdoors. As it was, however, the skylights were darkened, and the upper regions of the museum were dim, particularly with the hovering smoke.
Sara glanced sideways at Maria and saw that the zipper of her backpack had begun to come undone, revealing the collection of school supplies and sports gear. Though it was a long shot at best, the idea that had been tickling her mind finally took form.
“I think this creature just wants to be free,” Sara told her sister. “It just wants to get outside.”
Maria’s mind had already been moving in that direction, and she quickly caught on. “So let’s point it in the right direction! Sara, you’re a genius!”
Maria began removing her backpack. She was excited, and nervous, and she knew that time was of the essence. If they couldn’t act quickly, Pan Gu might decide to devour them, or the building would collapse upon them, or the smoke and flames would overtake them. She moved as quickly as she dared, but she did not go too fast, for she feared that such movement might encourage the monster to pounce.
Without ever removing her eyes from Pan Gu, her heart racing in her chest, she carefully went about the process of removing the backpack’s straps from her shoulders. After what seemed a minor eternity, she finally had the backpack held before her, and she reached inside.
She could swear that the dragon was eyeing her with increased suspicion, its emerald eyes narrowing, but she had no choice but to continue. Withdrawing one of the dirty, grass-stained baseballs, she slowly handed it to her sister, trying to avoid any abrupt movements.
“This is up to you, Sara. You’re the best pitcher I’ve ever played with or against in my life. You can do this, I know you can.”
Without removing her eyes from the ceiling, Sara took the baseball. From force of habit, she immediately began working it between her hands. The routine was part of her life, and it instantly brought her comfort and increased her calm. As she massaged the worn surface of the baseball with her fingers, her eyes remained glued upon the ceiling, examining her target.
Though it would not be an easy throw by any measure, Maria continued to dial in her sister’s pitching power by speaking confidently into her ear, coaching her on the act.
“It’s a big target, you can’t miss! Throw it right down the middle. Dead center, perfect strike.”
With a final, confident breath, Sara began her windup. She knew that this motion might have undesirable effects and draw the wrath of Pan Gu, but she pushed this notion from her mind. There was no time for such worry, for the task at hand was far too important.
As she finished her pitching windup, her throwing arm came forward like a catapult. The baseball was released from her hand, rolling from her fingertips. Her action did cause a reaction in Pan Gu, and its head whipped to the side, tracking the ball that Sara had thrown. A growl rumbled in its throat as it did so, and a puff of smoke erupted from its nostrils.
Maria and Sara held their breath as they watched the baseball fly forth. Despite the difficult, unconventional angle, Sara had channeled all of her ability, and the pitch had plenty of velocity. The ball traveled up and up, closer to the ceiling. And with a solid thwack, it collided with the intended target, striking the skylight dead center.
But to their dismay… the glass did not shatter. The ball struck the big, ceiling-mounted window directly in the middle, but it did not break. A small crack appeared, but this was far from the desired result.
“No problem,” Maria said, never hesitating to express her confidence. She handed her sister another baseball. “You’re ahead in the count, zero balls and one strike. You’ve got this.”
Pan Gu had swiveled its giant, monstrous head back toward the sisters, and it leaned in even closer than before. It seemed to have been agitated by the motion of Sara, and it uttered a deep, rumbling growl. The sisters felt their faces baking beneath the beast’s breath, and their hair was stirred about, tickling their faces and necks. But they did not let this distract them from their mission.
Sara stared at the skylight with the intensity that she might focus upon a batter who she wanted to strike out with all her heart. Maria stood by her side, her support absolute and unwavering.
“Put some mustard on this one, Sara,” M
aria encouraged, and by “mustard”, it was understood that she meant velocity. “I’m talking about some serious, Grey Poupon style hot and spicy mustard. Bring the heat!”
In the face of the smoke and the fire and the unrelenting pressure, Sara didn’t even blink. “You got it.”
She once more went through her windup, focusing her power and ability. Her aim again proved true, and the second baseball struck at the center of the skylight… but once more, the glass refused to break. The ball had impacted with great momentum, and the crack that had previously appeared expanded, and then created a spider-web of similar cracks across the surface of the glass, networking this way and that.
Pan Gu became even more agitated. The heat of its breath made that of the Guardian Lion pale in comparison. Smoke spewed from its mouth and nose, making the sisters squint and blink with tears. At any moment, they worried, it might belch another one of its spurts of flame.
Maria reached into her backpack, shoving aside notebooks and erasers and her big catcher’s mitt. For a moment, she feared that she had run empty, perhaps having lost one of the balls earlier in the day. But at the very bottom of the bag, she found the third (and final) baseball.
Knowing this was their last opportunity, Maria felt some trepidation, but she never let it show. And the next words that she spoke to her sister were true beyond doubt. “There is nobody on this earth – not even a big league pitcher – that I would rather have make this throw. This is all you.”