Chapter Three: The Sunken City

The Ghost Town, formerly known as The City of Aristotle, is only a skeleton of what this "blessed city" once was; deep within its sewers lies an ancient power yet to be awakened ...

It was a long and eerie pathway to The Ghost Town, and the only weapons Samson had was the Ghost Incinerator Deluxe and a lamp. While Samson walked, he checked out the machine he carried on his back and tried to see how to operate it. He discovered a thin, tiny lever on the side that he later realized was the 'on' switch. When he flipped it, the machine shuddered, hummed, and began to become very warm, although it was a tolerable temperature for his back. He dismounted the nozzle and found a button on it. He pressed it to discover that this was the button to press if he wanted to suck in the ghosts. He released his hold on the button and looked inside of the nozzle to discover that it was very hot. Oh, he thought, finally realizing what the name of the machine meant, Ghost ‘Incinerator’. But wouldn't the ghosts still be able to escape even though it is very hot inside of this thing? I wonder how my father managed to make such a machine that even the king would recommend it. Or, maybe he knows something about this machine that I don't know and that is why he was so quick to give it to me. Maybe this machine has had a malfunction in the past and the king is trying to rid himself of this liability. Immediately after thinking that, Samson dismissed the idea, But, if that was the case, he thought, he wouldn't have said that he'd expect it back. He would've let me have it, so maybe this thing might work…

While Samson was yet lost in thought, the same ghost that had bothered him on the Flame River Ocean returned but it was more vivid than before. He got in Samson's face and shrieked really loud and the sound bounced off the surrounding trees.

Samson crossed his arms, "And 'hello' to you, too," he said calmly, "Don't you have anything better to do than to bother me?"

The ghost was surprised, "You're not scared of me?" he asked, "But, I'm a ghost! Shouldn't you at least run away screaming?"

Samson shook his head, "No," he said, "Why? Because that's what you want me to do, that's why. And, you know what else? I'm not going anywhere."

The ghost looked at Samson, bewildered for a while. Samson stared back. This went on for a few moments before Samson broke the silence, "Who the hell are you?" he asked, "And, why do you look so much like me?" The ghost was a transparent blue but still had the same features as him such as the same hair, the same face, the same eyes, and the same shape.

The ghost gave Samson an evil grin, "Why, Samson," he said, "I'm you. Or, what you'll be in the future."

Samson blinked, shocked, "What the hell are you talking about?" he asked.

The ghost laughed, "Aw, come on, Sam," he said, "I'm just joking with you. It's me, your twin brother Simeon."

Samson was frozen in shock for a while before speaking, "I…have…a twin…brother?" he asked, "But, why would you want to kill my father? I mean, our father?"

The ghost sighed, "Mom blamed him for my death for so many years, now," he said, "She blamed him for her death. After she died, she became bitter: always pinning the blame on Dad. For some reason she hates him, now and she told me to burn him at the stake or to keep him in The Ghost Town until he turns into a spirit so that they could be together forever. 'Til death do they part or as I like to say, it’s a ghost reunion."

Then it suddenly hit Samson what that Oracle’s rhyme meant. It actually wasn’t a normal rhyme or a riddle at all. It was a prophecy. The first two lines about the Terrors of the Flame River had already been fulfilled and the last line had yet to be fulfilled: The couple that had once been divided will now merge as one. Samson knew what that meant and could not let that happen.

"But, if something were to happen to sabotage her plan, she always has a backup plan," Simeon continued, as if he was reading Samson’s mind, "And what's the backup plan? I can't tell you! I'm sorry bro, but you have got to go."

The ghost charged him and Samson's instincts got the best of him. He whipped out the nozzle to the Ghost Incinerator Deluxe on his back and pressed the button to start sucking. The ghost was wide-eyed with fear and shock and he fought to get away but Samson reeled him in. Simeon's ghost disappeared into the Ghost Incinerator Deluxe after five minutes of hard labor and Samson switched the machine to 'off', and replaced the nozzle.

"No, Simeon," he sighed, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you had to die the way you did, but it wasn't Father's fault. It was just nature's way."

Samson remembered his father telling him something about a still-born child that should've been his twin brother. He told Samson that if his brother was still alive, he would look just like him. He was 5 years old when he learned about his dead twin brother. Since it had been 13 years ago, Samson had forgotten that piece of information, but he never knew how his mother died. That was still a mystery.

Samson began thinking more deeply about the prophecy the Oracle told him the night before. He realized the first two lines had already been fulfilled in that the terrors of the Flame River Ocean were the ghosts from The Ghost Town that had returned from the depths of the sewers. The last line referred to Maqsedeth being possessed by Samson's mother's spirit and destroying the City of Aristotle and burning up Maqsedeth's body, turning him into a spirit in the process. Samson could not let that happen.

                                                        ****

Meanwhile, while Samson continued to journey towards The Ghost Town, Maqsedeth continued to call for help and spit and blow at the flames that were closing in on him at surprising speed. He finally got one hand a loose and was working on the other one when Mary Ann's ghost flew towards him. She was still very beautiful like she was when she was living, although she wore tattered robes: curly blonde hair, dazzling blue eyes, and rosy red cheeks and lips (she was the only ghost in color. The rest were a transparent blue), but she no longer loved Maqsedeth.

Despite that, she flew towards him with a bucket of water and extinguished the flames. She released Maqsedeth and when Maqsedeth was free and saw who it was that freed him, he fell into a trance and she carried him into the house. Once inside, she went on to possess his body while he was yet defenseless.

                                                        ****

Samson continued on the path until some weird thing stood in front of him. He took his lamp out and turned it on to see what it was and found that it was an arch. He founded a sign below it that said, "Welcome to the City of Aristotle". It was layered with dust and looked to be a century old. Well, Samson thought, It was once known as the City of Aristotle before it sank. He walked on a few more steps and founded himself at the Town Square (he was just going by memory. He remembered what the Town Square and the City of Aristotle arch looked like. He never read the signs because he can't read or write). Well, that's convenient, he thought, Made it to Town Square. The Cleopatra family's residence shouldn't be but a short 15…minute…walk from here. "D****t!" he said aloud, "I can't believe it. He was right." He put his lamp away and started to the right. He soon spotted a flicker of blue light that he later realized was a ghost.

The ghost smiled, "Hi, I'm Thor," he said, "And, I'll be hurting you today!"

Samson gave him an evil grin, "Nice to meet you, Thor," he said, "Do you know where your friend, Simeon is?"

The ghost frowned, "No," he said, "Where is he?"

Samson dismounted the nozzle from the machine on his back and switched the machine on, "Where you would be in the next 5 minutes if you don't get out of my face and let me pass through," he said.

Thor shook his head and laughed, "Sorry," he said, "I can't do that."

Samson sighed, "Then you leave me no choice," he said as he pressed the button on the side of the nozzle.

He sucked up the ghost as it tried to escape. It wrestled until Samson got the best of it and he finally sucked up the ghost in a little over 5 minutes. He switched the machine off and saw a dangerously bright light coming from the inside of the house behind him. Father! Samson thought as he ran towards the house. He tried to open the door and struggled for a while before finally kicking the door down. He ran through the Foyer and into the Living Room and was surprised with what he found.

In the Living Room, surrounded by a ghostly whirlwind, was Maqsedeth. But, he wasn't normal: he was floating in the middle of the room and he looked to be in a trance. When Samson came in, the door to the Living Room slammed shut and locked magically. The voice that came from within Maqsedeth wasn't Maqsedeth's voice, but rather Mary Ann's voice. "Hello, Samson, my son," she said, "I've been expecting you."

Samson was shocked to see that when his father spoke his lips didn't move, and his eyes were glowing yellow, and that his mother was speaking through him. He was too late: Mary Ann had already possessed his father.

"I had hoped that your twin brother would have done away with you by now, but I see you have your father's greatest invention on your back," she said, "It would be a shame to hear that the machine you possess is useless against me. It would take a great deal of power to defeat me!"

Samson gaped at the 'monster' before him for a while before turning on the machine on his back, "Oh, yeah?" he said, "We'll see about that!" He tried to suck the monster up but instead he got knocked into the door to the Living Room, busting it wide open. "Damn!" Samson moaned, "I don't have a great deal of power." But, the ancient power of old does, he thought.

Samson got up and ran back outside while Mary Ann used Maqsedeth's body to fly through the roof and shoot missiles at Samson. I can't believe I'm actually doing this, Samson thought miserably as he ran to the sewer where Devious the Deceitful Dragon was sealed. Samson didn't want to release the beast, but it seemed to be the only way since his mother has already gained enough power to destroy the planet as we know it.                                                                          

He knelt at the sewer and tried hard to remove the lid while his mother continued to shoot missiles at him. He found a crowbar nearby and successfully removed the lid to the sewer. Once it was off, there was a loud BOOM! and a cloud of dust rose from the depths of the sewer.

Samson quickly climbed down into the sewer and closed the lid over him so that Mary Ann wouldn't be able to follow him. Since she inhabits a physical body, she wouldn't be able to follow me into here, he thought as he ran through the sewers. He found out, later, that he was wrong because as soon as he thought that, there was another loud BOOM! and Samson heard an angry growl come from somewhere behind him. Oh no! he thought, She doesn't sound very happy! He picked up speed as he circled a corner, Come on, he thought, It has to be here somewhere! He finally reached a canal with chains on it, Aha! he thought. He tried to remove the chains from it, but found that they were very sturdy and rigid; built to last. "This is going to hurt," he said as he rolled up his sleeves. He grabbed the chains and concentrated. In a moment's time, he had broken them as if they were paper and the canal was clear. He stepped in, snapped his fingers and concentrated. The broken pieces of the chains flew back in place as though they had never been broken. I won't be going back that way again, he thought as he turned back around and ran.

He finally made it to a circle of prisons when he heard a loud noise. He turned around and found his mother advancing on him. "Your petty tricks don't work on me," she said, "I have more power than you can ever dream now that my honey and I are one." Samson closed his eyes and concentrated while his mother took her aim. Ancient Power of old, he thought, Whatever you are, where are you? Show me to you... As soon as he had made that request, a bright light shone around Samson and blinded his mother, "AHH!" she cried covering her face with her hands, "Where is that light coming from?" In a matter of seconds, the two strongest items, considered to be the Ancient Power, materialized on Samson. In his hand, he held the Xeroxygoniean Diamond Sword and around his neck he wore the Xeroxygoniean Diamond Sapphire. "Cool!" he said. His mother removed her hand from her face and grimaced, "Say good-bye, son!" she shrieked. She raised her hand to strike, a bright yellow magic projectile forming in her palm, at the same time Samson raised his weapon to strike. When her hand passed through Samson's sword, it disappeared.

"What?" she cried, "No!"

Samson grinned, "It's not so funny when it's you losing, huh?" he asked as he raised his sword to attack.

His mother became wide-eyed with fear and disbelief and shot out of the canal faster than any comet and Samson chased after her.

They ran for what seemed like hours until Samson finally cornered her in the Town Square. He backed her up into the wall, "Give up yet?" he asked.

His mother grimaced and shrieked. His father's image was distorted until he saw two faces on one body: one was his father's face and the other was his mother's face. His father looked to be hypnotized and he had the same yellow, pupil-less eyes his mother had. Samson could also see that there were four arms, four legs, and two wings on the form his mother forced Maqsedeth's body into. "In your worthless dreams!" she shrieked. Samson noticed that when the 'beast' spoke, he could hear both Maqsedeth's and Mary Ann's voice in unison. This freaked Samson out and he called out to his father, hoping he could hear his voice and maybe then he would snap out of it and try to fight back, "Father!" he cried, "Don't let her do this to you! If you can hear me, don't let her use your body for evil! It could burn you up, literally! Father, please!"

Maaqsedeth's conscious slowly returned, "S-Samson?" he asked, "Is that my son?"

Mary Ann felt Maqsedeth's conscious return and she pushed him back down, "Quiet, you fool!" she called to him. "And you," she said turning on Samson, "What is this you're trying to do to me?"

This made Samson angry, "Give my father his body back, b***h!" he called up to her.

"Never!" she cried, "He belongs to me and nobody else!"

"Then, you leave me no choice," Samson said as he readied his sword to strike.

The moment Samson did that, the jewel on his neck began to glow dangerously bright and this made Mary Ann nervous. "No!" she cried, "That light is too bright!"

Samson stepped in closer and backed his mother up against the wall. He pressed the Xeroxygoniean Diamond Sword closer to one of her necks, "Now, hold still so I don't make a mess," he said. Before his mother could react, there was a roar from behind Samson. This caught Samson by surprise and he turned to see where that roar came from, leaving his chest open. Oh no! he thought as he witnessed Devious climbing from the sewer, He's back.

"Ahh!" he cried as his mother knocked him down. Luckily he kept a tight grip on the sword.

"You won't be able to sabotage my plans with your little tricks, now, son!" she said, "Give up in despair and I may spare you!"

Samson gripped the sword tighter and stood up, "Not until my father has been released from your control!" he cried.

"So be it," Mary Ann said as Devious the Deceitful Dragon made his way out of the sewer, "Your fate has been sealed." She raised her hand to strike, another magical projectile forming in her palm.

Samson closed his eyes and concentrated, Ancient Power of old, he thought, lend me your power! Immediately, the jewel dissolved into Samson as the jewel's glow showered around him. Samson instantly felt like he could toss the planet 400,000,000 miles, run 1,000 marathons, and bench-press one hundred thousand 350 pound muscular men all at the same time. Just as Samson opened his eyes and was feeling refreshed, Devious the Deceitful Dragon stepped out of the sewers of The Ghost Town and elected to go to the City of Aristotle to finish what he started.

Before his mother could strike and before Devious could leave The Ghost Town, Samson had already made it to where Devious the Deceitful Dragon was and had already charmed the ground upon which he stood so that he couldn't go anywhere. Devious struggled to break free while Mary Ann made her way towards the area where Samson was. "Die!" she screamed, "Die! Die! Die!" She raised her hand to strike, but before she could, Samson snapped his fingers and said an incantation. Before long, the hold she had on Maqsedeth had dissolved and it was just Maqsedeth's listless body and her spirit. She tried to reenter, when Samson snapped his fingers and she disappeared back into her prison. "NOOO!" she cried. He then turned to Devious the Deceitful Dragon and forced him into an inescapable prison so that he wouldn't be a burden on the City of Aristotle ever again.

Then, Samson relaxed his body and gave up the power of the Xeroxygoniean Diamond Sapphire. He felt the strength the jewel gave him leave his body. It was hard letting it go. Imagine giving up a million dollars or the greatest gift you've ever received. It was sort of like that. The jewel reappeared around Samson's neck and Samson dropped to his knees.

Maqsedeth began to stir. He groaned and moaned before regaining consciousness, "W-where am I?" he asked as he turned on his back, "And why does my whole body ache?" He had no memory of the possession. All he remembered was hearing Samson's voice, "Samson?" he called, "Are you…still there?"

Samson rushed instantly to Maqsedeth's side, "I'm here, Father," he said as he helped him up, "Don't worry about a thing. I'm here for you. We have to get you out of here before sunrise. We only have thirty minutes."

Maqsedeth blinked and his vision came back into focus, "Oh, Samson," he said, "There you are, my boy. You wouldn't just so happen to know what happened here, would you?"

"I'll explain everything later," Samson said, "Right now, we have to move."

As Samson helped Maqsedeth up, he noticed that he possessed the two items known as the Ancient Power of old, "What do you have there, my son?" he asked, "Are those the Xeroxygoniean Diamond Sapphire and Sword? Where'd you get those? How'd you get those? And what are you doing with them?"

Samson sighed, "I'll explain everything later," he repeated, "Right now, we have to move."

Maqsedeth sighed, "Alright, son," he agreed, "Let's go."

Author's Note

I apologize if you find the language of this chapter offensive...
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