IN THE MIDDLE OF NIGHT, HE WOKE UP FROM A WET-DREAM – that he ‘had’ re-visited Bella at her home. He felt icky under the covers, and laid on the bed in the dark -- with his eyes-and-mind half-open in-between-worlds…

… a sudden movement then startled his subconscious…

Lo’ and behold…

… Peter saw something subhuman with a long-tail crawling fast above his head, on the ceiling – it was chasing about a 100 little Asian house-lizards, that ran scattered in fear -- as the incubus was catching them, and stuffing the critters whole in its mouth.

“…takk-takk-takk…” the fleeing geckos cried…

The tween was startled but was ‘not’ scared -- as he had seen this entity before in Perthland – in the mirror, at the suite-room of Stamford Hotel…

‘… it’s that ‘X-men’s Nightcrawler’… what’s it doing here…?’

The incubus stopped chasing the lizards -- as it was ‘aware,’ that it was been ‘watched’ – turning its head 180, it greeted the one-armed boy below in his bed…

“… great, you’re awake – Greetings O’ Cursed-one…” 

The incubus leapt into the foot of the bed-mattress – now, Peter was scared – shrieked and coiled his body from the marooned toned furry creature, with gleaming yellow eyes…

… it pushed a fistful of the crushed dead lizards at Peter’s face…

“Eat! Good for you!”

“No!”

The incubus choked him with its other hand, and stuffed the dead critters, into the one-armed boy's gapping mouth…

“It’s good – you eat – ‘not’ like the desert Dhabb, but pretty-close…”

… Peter spat out violently all over his bed and floor – wiping his tongue repeatedly with his single-hand, to rid the foul taste of the cold-flesh, before he puked…

The incubus shook its head…

“You waste ‘good’ food!”

The teary-eyed tween protested…

“What!!? You call this bloody food!!? We humans are ‘evolved’ – we have fire and cook food we eat! What’s the bloody-hell with you and the bush-people eating dirty reptiles!!”

… in urgency, the entity responded…

“Supper-time over, WE MUST GO – come follow me…”

Peter leapt out of his bed – grabbed his Babolat, his weapon-of-choice – waving it…

“Hey-No, what you want with me – its school night!!? That what I told, the ‘other’ guy the last time – that ‘T’Challa,’ who rode the ‘buffalo-wing’… you know him?”

“Your father is calling – we must GO TO HIM, quickly follow me…”

“My dad?”

“Yes, Cursed-one – your Dada…”

The incubus sprung-out and grabbed Peter’s one hand, with the racquet – they leapt into an invisible portal, on the ceiling…

<><>

PETER DROPPED ON THE ‘OTHER-SIDE’ – sprawled on the hard ground of a dim-lit cave. The incubus went on a grabbed a wooden burning torch on the wall of the grotto.

“The ‘game’ would start soon – follow me…”

“What game…? Where are we?”

“You’ll see – come, O’ Cursed-one… follow me…”

He saw the entity holding the torch, entering a hollow dark cavern in a hurry…

“Hey-X-man, wait for me!”

Being fear of the dark, Peter ran-up to the incubus – and, he followed close to its rear…

… the last time he walked in a scary cave, was when blind-Janey who ‘rescued’ him from the upside-down crucifix in the dungeon of the Underworld – when they both the fled the hordes of demons chasing them – where Jane Wilson as StarGirl, had blasted their ‘escape’ to safety…

‘… is he taking me to the Underworld…?’

In the gloomy catacomb, the one-armed Peter held tightly to his racquet, as he followed the long-tailed creature bearing the lit-torch as it explored to the belly-of-cave. The tween took careful and cautious steps, eyes darting at every luminated corner…

… expecting something to jump-and-attack -- like the frog-like humanoid that ‘almost’ bit off his head – which he last encountered with Janey.

The confident incubus walked ahead in a dark surrounding like, its familiar path-of-walk – Peter too hurried to catch-up. They both walked into the narrow paths…

“Hey, where are we going?”

… Peter got no response from the lanky taller demon, who walked ahead -- as Peter too slowed down in the dark, so ‘not’ to step on its moving-pointed-tail, sweeping on the ground.

Peter heard the demon blowing a high-pitched whistle, and instantly the one-armed boy heard thousands of flapping wings and screeches from above…

“… what is those sound!!?” cried the frightened boy.

The incubus chuckled, and lifted the torch above to the ceiling of catacomb – Peter shrieked in fear to see thousands of vampire-bats awoken from their sleep – staring in ire, at the intruders below with their angry red-gleaming eyes and then screeched, in reaction to the light.

“… those are Popobawa’s ‘harmless’ pets…”

“Hell-No – I’m outta here -- they are dangerous!”

… Peter ran ahead terrified of the menacing critters that hung above…

Soon, they reached the end of the cave with a heavy metal door – Iskur the incubus held the metal lever handle to open…

-O-

Peter was astonished that the door led to a busy marketplace street with bustling sounds – he saw beastie-demons walking among Black-villagers. Iskur stepped out and turned to see the hesitant tween still resisting to come out…

“Come-follow…”

“Where are we?”

“We are in Hadesi -- ‘beneath’ the Continent of Africa – we make a ‘stop-over,’ first – before we meet you Dada…”

The incubus walked among the crowd of horrifying demons and local villagers mingling – Peter tagged and did ‘not’ make any eye-contact. Gripping onto his Babolat, and he was hyperventilating in fear, as he followed behind – Iskur then turned to him…

“Fear ‘not’ – you’re an in-betweener, no harm will come to you, O’ Cursed-one…”

Peter next walked and noticed a midget-demon who was a trader -- trying to sell a gigantic ivory elephant’s tusk to an arguing tall-cyclops, who was haggling…

‘… what the f-… it’s like the Mandalorian marketplace, in Star Wars…’

Iskur was delighted and ran ahead to a rackety stall that sold outdoor street-snacks – there were big glass jars of dead pickled-monitor-lizards soaked in crow’s blood-vinegar. Picking a dead-critter by its tail, the incubus swallowed it whole…

“You want one – these yum-yum Dhabbs are glorious…?”

Nauseated, Peter shook his head, in disgust…

“… your loss…”

In the next stall was a BBQ pit, that grilled living monitor-lizards on an open pit-fire – Peter heard the squealing critters burnt alive on kebab stickers… and the deliberate Iskur bought one ‘medium-rare’ kebab, and bit its head in front of Peter, who was appalled by the sight.

The incubus paid coins to the traders and snacked while he walked away.

-O-

The long-tailed incubus next stepped into a dingy reggae bar, during happy-hour that served imported Haitian rum. It was ‘not’ crowded, but murky to the ceiling was of locals' marijuana smoke, that the drunk demons were indulging-in – the jukebox playing aloud, the sway groovy tune of ‘Judgement Day’ by the Raging Fyah.

Peter stopped at the bar door-entrance, watching Iskur walking to the rear of the establishment, to a rowdy group of dreadlocked African demons. The one-armed tween ‘knew’ one of the demons – the one with a black-panther head…

‘… huh… what is ‘T’Challa’ doing here…?’

… it was the same-entity in the ‘other-Perth’ -- that gave him ‘disturbing’ nightmares when it visited his bedroom while riding a dragon-winged African buffalo -- and took him by-force into ‘other-worlds’ of terrifying journeys.

The medium-built built incubus surprised the Africans, as he demanded aloud… they spoke in ‘demonic-language’ which Peter doesn’t know-off…

“T’Maru where is the hag – BlackStar at?”

The burly, drunk panther-head was startled by the presence of the ‘unwelcome-visitor’…

“YOU! ISKUR-SON-OF-BAAL – WHAT IS YOUR BLOODY BUSINESS IN HADESI? HOW DARE YOU CROSS-OVER ‘HERE’ AND TRESPASS OUR DOMAIN?”

The aggressive T’Maru drew out his machete, and so did his 3 tribe followers in the table. The incubus shouted…

“Look, I want no trouble – I just came to see the witch!”

The panther-head saw Peter behind – it was further provoked…

“THAT ‘CURSED-ONE’ IS HERE TOO – THE IN-BETWEENER ‘SHOULD-PAY’ FOR THE I-PANTHER EMNYAMA-SPIRIT’S DEATH!”

T’Maru lunged from his stool to attack the one-armed boy – but the incubus got in-between and took the drunken beast down swiftly, by ramming his palm hard to its snout. The 3 accompanying assailants were shocked when their leader went-down on the floor…

“Hey, I don’t want any trouble with the Okun-police – so you fellers ‘better’ behave – I just want to see the Old-woman, and I’m off from here…”

With a bloodied snout, T’Maru pointed at Peter…

“HE IS THE ‘CURSED-TRIO – HE SHOULD PAY FOR KILLING OUR PANTHER-GOD, WHO CAME TO FEED ON THE HUMAN-SACRIFICE, THAT THE HIGH-PRIEST HAJJI HAD OFFERED IN PERTH.”

“Wrong T’Maru – the Blind-one and her counterpart ‘killed’ your Abonsam-spirit – ‘not’ the Cursed-one here – HE’S INNOCENT!”

… T’Maru was still ‘not’ satisfied…

“THEN, ‘WHY’ IS YOU COMING AND PARADING THE ‘GRAND-PRIZE’ OF THE ALL-FATHER ASMODEUS OVER-HERE IN HADESI? ARE YOU TRYING TO ‘SHOW-OFF,’ AS THE ‘NEW SUBSTITUTE’ OF MERCURY TO POSSESS HIM?”

The incubus countered him…

“But didn’t you were the one 'who' rumoured – to make a 'promise' to the traitor-Mercury, that YOU WOULD ‘CURE’ the Cursed-one?”

T’Maru was flabbergasted…

“… ERR… YES, I MADE THE ‘FALSE’ PROMISE -- BECAUSE MERCURY WANTED TO CHOP-OFF MY BLOODY HEAD, THAT’S ‘WHY’ I TOLD THE LIES -- AS TO SURVIVE DEATH!!!”

… the incubus scoffed…

“You coward – you should have killed that Red-demon that day!!!”

“WHY DON’T YOU KILL HIM YOURSELF – GET YOUR CHINESE DEMON COUNTERPARTS, THAT ASMODEUS FAVOURS MOST NOW -- AND YOU-ALL 'GO' AFTER HIM-THEN!!?”

“Hah, lazy excuses – I got no time to argue here – where is BlackStar?”

“MOTHER WENT TO CHINESE DIYU – SHE FOLLOWED KING ORULA, THE SUN-GOD WHO WENT TO 'SEEK' JUSTICE FOR HIS DEAD-SON PRINCE LIEU, KILLED BY THE BLOODY CHINESE FU DOGS!”

The incubus scoffed…

“What justice? Even Lieu WAS A TRAITOR -- for abetting Mercury – that Black-lion 'deserved' his death!”

“HOW DARE YOU INSULT A NOBEL AFRICAN ROYALTY, YOU BLOODY SUMERIAN!”

“Bah! I want no part in your African power-struggle with the Chinese, to gain favours and serve the All-Father Asmodeus – but one-thing, I can depart is that Asmodeus is a crude-business-man who hires those factions who serves his-best-purpose, so that he would walk on Perth-soon – g’day y’all – and T’Maru, tell BlackStar that I had stopped by, wanting to see her…”

The African demons saw the long-tailed incubus swaggering with confidence to the one-armed in-betweener. Peter saw him coming – since they spoke in demonic-tongue, he was curious…

“What was that all about? Did that T’Challa ‘tried’ to attack me just now?”

“No-worries, I’m your Guardian-demon – NO-ONE CAN HARM YOU -- in whichever world you go – because I’m ‘there’ for you, O’ Cursed-one…”

<><>

MEANWHILE AT THE SOUTH PERTH ZOO, Hajji fell seriously ill after the black panther was killed on Monday night, in the failed attempt to devour its human-sacrifice. In his staff hostel, he had a seizure...

... and fainted unconscious – and the zoo management called for an ambulance.

In the moving siren-ambulance, Hajji regained consciousness and was in convulsions, and his mouth was foaming. Since he was ‘not’ in restrains and -- he became feral -- attacked both the ambulance emergency staff…

… viciously and brutally, biting them like a rabid-dog attack.

The ambulance was in the centre of Perth City, on the journey to the hospital. The driver stopped when he heard the commotion in the rear cabin. He investigated by opening the door – and was horrified to see the Black-man had infected his fellow colleagues, as they too were foaming in the mouth and growling zombie-like…

… all 3 of them attack the ambulance driver and a cluster-of-busybody pedestrians present – soon the ‘infected’ -- were biting other people at the 'middle' of the city centre…

…thus, creating panic of a zombie virus outbreak.

<><>

THEY WERE WALKING BACK IN THE DARK CATACOMB – the incubus bore the flaming torch as it led the one-armed boy in the gloom. Sharp-edged gravels on the grounds of the narrow passages, that were a discomfit to step-in, and so was kicking on rocky stones, in the dark…

“My shoes are ruined – my Mom just bought me these new runners… hey, where are you taking me?”

“… to the Underworld, of-course – to see your Dada…”

Peter mumbled as he bitched...

“Why are we bloody going there through these caves… the last time I went over to see dad was ‘better’ – I rode on some big-assed rat with an elephant-god…”

Incubus chuckled…

“It’s good, you remember that DREAM-IN-A-DREAM – you need to ‘train’ your mind to remember ‘more.’”

“… to remember ‘what’ more…?”

“To REMEMBER ‘DETAILS’ when you went there, and when you ‘SUCCEEDED’ TO KILL your Dada?”

“What? I did ‘not’ kill my Dad!”

“… yes, you did – and you’re a hero, and YOU DID THE RIGHT THING for he was an apostate -- when he defected to be a Hindu – but YOU ‘SAVED’ HIS SOUL when you killed him – now, his soul is 'back' in THE ABRAHAMIC REALM.”

“huh… I killed Dad…?”

…Peter could ‘not’ remember ‘what’ transpired the moment he reached the Hindu-heaven where he killed Solomon Walker – but ‘what’ he did in the father’s BMW was still fresh in thoughts – no thanks for his cripple twin-Paul who constantly reminded that their father’s death – which was his ‘distraction’ in the car when he kicked the driver’s seat.

“O’ Cursed-one, YOU ARE A HERO who did well, hahaha – you put most demons in the Underworld to shame – AS EVIL AS THEY ARE, but they had ‘not’ killed their own-Dada themselves, hahaha!”

“Shut-up – don’t say like-that of my father!” replied the ‘guilty’ Peter.

… the incubus laughed mockingly…

“Hahaha, the All-Father is please with you, O’ Cursed-one – as YOU ARE FULFILLING THE PROPHECY of the Abrahamic, where in the Book of Revelation -- it is said that family would ‘kill’ among themselves, in this jolly-good end-times, hahaha!!!”

<><>

THE LONG-WINDING CATACOMB ENDED WITH A DEAD-END – where a red luminous portal awaited them. The one-armed tween followed the incubus, as they stepped in…

…Peter soon realised he was inside a fast-express elevator car that was shooting-up high -- moving rapidly – he felt nauseated, as it messed with his equilibrium – soon it stopped when they arrived…

The chime dinged, and the door opened and -- Peter was over-whelmed to the bright-sight of neon lights of sparkling huge-TV displays with tiers-floors of the activities of thousands of demons and humans who were mingling and gambling in…

THE ASMODEUS CASINO ROYALE

“Opps! Sorry, wrong floor…”

… the incubus said, as it pressed the elevator button again. The door closed, and the car shot up again briefly, then stopped…

… the demon-Iskur looked at the time on the tiny hour-glass pendant, worn around his neck – the fine red-glowing sand-grains in the glass were decreasing fast…

“Opps! We are running late…”

The elevator door reopened with a ding. Peter was looking over to an open lobby of an auditorium with hundreds of socialite demon and humans in their sharp-attire, who were served cocktails. The gathered were focusing their keen-attention on the gigantic TV-screen…

… all totally-engrossed over THE LIVE-EVENT HAPPENING inside the auditorium.

Peter followed the long-tailed incubus to the main-door of the auditorium among the crowd – who-they took notice of the ‘late-comers’ – whispers were heard -- and familiar words were said out-of-curiosity…

“It’s the Cursed-one – the ‘vessel’ of Asmodeus…”

Peter then saw scores of screaming gleeful-teenaged cheerleaders, dressed in pink glittering tennis-skirts, running over from both-of-his-sides…

“He is ‘here’ – our Champ is here!”

They swarmed and clawed their way, to get to kiss him – Peter was laughing and was aroused by the grabbing fans’ attention and their ‘probing-puppies’…

… soon, he was ‘posing’ for their cell phones’ photos, with his various ‘show-off-stance’ poses -- with a variety of Babolat movements of his single arm…

Iskur went-in, and grabbed Peter’s t-shirt and barked demonic-curses to the seductive-teens – they backed off, in fear…

“You-Cursed-one – don’t be distracted!”

“Hey, they are my loyal fans – don’t you-shout at them!”

“No, THEY ARE ‘NOT’ – for they are old and ugly demonic-witch-hags, ‘posing’ in the Underworld as sexy earthling-teens – just STICK WITH GIRLS-OF-PERTH earth, for they ‘got’ souls, which you can ‘feed’ – for I-my-self’s choice of ‘taste’ too…”

The incubus winked-and-chuckled, while it dragged the boy from the hate screaming sirens – as they both headed to the auditorium’s main-door…

… Peter turned his head to look at his ‘fans’ left behind, who were still screaming his name like he was a rock-star…

… and true-enough – he was horrified to see them as horrendous and repulsive ghouls, dressed in pink skirts, who were -- uglier than the ugliest girls on earth…

Peter spat in disgust -- that they have kissed him – and he was aroused by them.

-O-

“You are Late!”

… the door-man security said when the door opened to a dark auditorium…

From the side-entrance, Peter saw 3 tiers rows of seats -- which seated thousands of well-dressed opulent demons and humans who were -- witnessing a mini-dome ahead -- with a high-levelled poker-game stake, played by 2 skilful players ‘inside’ the bubble…

“Come quick…”

… urged Iskur, who led the one-armed boy to the front row, with rink-side seats that were ‘reserved’ for them…

Peter sat among the audience who were silent as the attendees of a church mass – watching, mesmerized into the big-screen of every facial-reactions of the 2 best-of-the-worlds shark-cards -- who were competing and pitting their stakes, against each other…

Lo’ and behold…

… it was his father, Solomon Walker competing with The All-Father Asmodeus -- inside the dome…

“… Dad…?”

“Shhh – he can’t hear you…”

… Peter saw many of the seated audiences were on their cellphones, placing ‘side bets’…

-O-

The big-moment came -- when the 2 players revealed the card-hands…

… the auditorium burst with loud cheers, inside-and-outside of celebrating joy and elation when the favourite – ASMODEUS DEFEATED SOLOMON…

The ailing old-man laughed aloud – saying something in his Sumerian mother-tongue…

… to which, his Head Nurse who was present – translated…

“Solomon Walker, the All-Father is pleased’ with your-defeat – he ‘now’ has your soul!”

The defeated Solomon looked glum, at his failed hand-of-cards at the table… Peter who was seated outside too, EMPATHISED WITH his father’s loss…

The Old-man spoke in hilarity – and the patch-eyed Head-Nurse translated…

“The All-Father Lord Asmodeus said to you, Solomon Walker, ‘IS THAT ALL YOU GOT?’ – and, He too asked, ‘IF YOU STILL ‘WANT’ TO PLAY…?’”

The gambling-addict Solomon responded…

“Yes, I want to wage you to LIFT THE CURSES that you have over my 2 sons – so that, they will BE ‘FREE’ BOYS ONCE again!”

The red-hooded Nurse further translated…

“Very well, the All-Father said – but ‘what’ are you WILLING TO ‘SACRIFICE’ for ‘their’ souls…?”

Solomon was gobsmacked in silence… as the nurse translated...

“What about the house you built in Perth – asked the All-Father – do you want to 'put' that to your-front stake – as He’s keen to 'use' it as A GATEWAY TO WALK-ON-PERTH, when the hour arrives?”

Solomon agreed…

“Okay – but ‘ONLY’ IF YOU LIFT the curse-spell of my boys – IF I WERE TO WIN…”

The whole auditorium cheered – Peter noticed that the audience of greedy-gambling demons-and-humans were placing ‘fresh’ bets…

Inside the dome…

… the house-dealer distributed the cards, at the table – and everyone outside the dome was back into their serious attention, by witnessing the 2 players in the huge TV screen…

… even Peter WAS ‘ROOTING’ for his heroic father as an underdog to win.

15 Minutes later…

… the 2 high-skilled players revealed their hand…

… Solomon opened with his ‘straight-flush’ – BUT HE WAS BEATEN BY the House, when Asmodeus’ show-of-hand of a ‘Royal-flush’…

The entire auditorium roared ‘once’ again -- to their Grand-Master’s victory…

<><>

THE ALARM CLOCK RANG – the one-armed tween sat-up dazed in his bed – recalling the fragments of the dream-in-a-dream…

… chuckling…

… Peter was relieved that it was ‘only’ a dream, where his father GAMBLED -- AND ‘LOST’ the Walker’s House in a card-game with the big badass-devil-himself…

… he laughed at it – as HE DOESN’T BELIEVE in the Asmodeus’ reality – unlike, his twin Poe and Janey -- who were ‘convinced’ of the Evil-One ‘does’ existence…

Getting out from his bed, Peter then prepared himself to go to school -- on that Wednesday morning.