By Jeremy Ray Logsdon "One emotion, wrapped around me-ee-ee," Kimberly sang softly to herself.
"Kimberly," Adam chided. "Please don't."
"Huh?" Kimberly grunted, barely awake. "What are you talking about?"
"You were singing."
"Am I that bad?"
"You were singing country," Adam told her.
"You don't like country?" Kimberly asked groggily.
"Not really," Adam admitted. "Not at all. No offense."
"None taken," Kimberly assured him. She sat up in the airplane seat and pushed the headphones off of her ears. "I'm not really a fan. It's just that this is better than the other options. I'd rather listen to country than spend eternity in hell for listening to Marilyn Manson."
Adam chuckled in spite of himself, before asking, "Hard to believe what's going on, huh?"
"Tell me about it," Kimberly agreed. "I can't believe I'm on my way to Australia."
"Hope it doesn't take much longer," Adam thought outloud. "If I don't get to move around soon, I'm going to lose my mind."
"Definitely."
One row behind them, Trini and Angela were engrossed in their own conversation. "Right now, I'm thinking about him," Angela said, pointing to a wallet sized photo of an attractive African prince.
"You know this guy?" Trini asked.
"Kinda sorta," Angela said. "We've spoken a few times. He's really nice, though, and he's very understanding."
"He's not hurting in the looks department, either," Trini laughed.
"That picture does not do him justice," Angela agreed with a grin. "Not to mention the fact that the boy is a PRINCE. You can't do much better than that."
"You could always give Zack a chance," Trini suggested cautiously.
Angela cleared her throat and said, "I don't think so."
"You really don't like Zack, do you?" Trini asked unhappily.
"It's not that," Angela said, "it's just-... I can't explain it. If he would just try to be my friend instead of trying to get romantic with me, then we wouldn't have any problems. I just have absolutely ZERO interest in him the way he wants me to have interest in him."
"Want me to talk to him?" Trini suggested.
"If you like," Angela murmured. "I'm not really too concerned about it."
Two rows forward, Tommy and Zack were talking about women. "You?"
"As much as I hate to admit it," Tommy said, "no. I haven't."
"You mean, not even with-"
"Not even with her," Tommy admitted. "Or Kat."
"Wow," Zack said. "I am just ... amazed. Wow."
"It's not a bad thing," Tommy defended himself.
"Not at all," Zack told him. "I mean, I am too. I just didn't figure you were. Even before Kimberly you could have snapped your fingers and had a different girl in your bed every night."
"I think that's a bit of an exaggeration," Tommy told him with a wry chuckle.
"Even so," Zack sighed. "Man, Tommy Oliver is a virgin."
"Would you stop talking about it?" Tommy laughed. "I'm not ashamed of it but I don't like to advertise it either."
Their conversation was interrupted when the flight attendants told them to buckle up and prepare for landing.
"Is this yesterday or tomorrow?" Kimberly complained as the six of them gathered in the airport to collect their luggage.
"I think it is today, afternoon," Angela said warily. "Oh, here comes our bags."
"I'll get yours, Angela," Zack volunteered, as Angela was holding the chest.
"Thanks Zack," Angela said as warmly as she could manage.
"I think I'm going to get a haircut while I'm here," Adam muttered, more to himself than anyone.
"You should," Trini agreed. "You looked good with short hair." Kimberly cleared her throat loudly and scooped her suitcase up from the conveyor belt.
"Excuse me," a very elegant voice said. The six teens turned to see a man in a black tuxedo. "Are you Master Angela Watson and party?"
"Yes sir," Angela said.
"My name is Cadbury. Shall I send someone to help you with your things?" the man asked.
"Naw, we got it," Tommy answered for the group.
"Very well, sir," Cadbury said, never once breaking posture or tone of voice. "Please follow me. Your limo awaits."
"Just how rich is your grampa?" Kimberly asked Angela as they followed Cadbury out of the airport.
"Don't remind me," Angela groaned. "I've actually gotten to a place in my life where I'm not labeled spoiled little rich girl. And then this throws it all back in my face."
"I never knew you were rich in high school," Kimberly told her.
"That's because I went out of my way to keep it from being common knowledge," Angela said, shifting the Chest in her grip. "I just hope this doesn't take long. I'm sure we've all got better things we could be doing with our time."
"This is our limo?" Tommy asked in disbelief.
"That thing is longer than my house," Adam said.
"That thing probably costs more than all of ours houses put together," Trini added.
"Let's hurry and get in," Angela encouraged. "I wanna call Grampa. Cadbury, where will you be taking us today?"
"The six of you have reservations at Acura Lodge," Cadbury said.
"Sounds homey," Kimberly commented as she climbed into the back of the massive limousine.
"Grampa, why are you doing this to me?" Angela complained as the rest of them piled in. To the driver, she said, "Cadbury, any chance of taking us to a nice, cheap motel by any chance? Heck, even a normal bed and breakfast inn would be nice."
"I'm sorry, Madam," Cadbury told her. "Master Watson has rented the entire Lodge for you and your party. It was his direct orders that you stay at the Acura Lodge."
"He warned you about me, didn't he?" Angela asked, handing the Chest to one of the teens in the back of the limousine.
"Yes he did, Madam," Cadbury said, allowing a slight smile. Shaking her head, Angela climbed into the limo.
"Cell phone," Angela said, plugging the modem into the cellular phone, "lap top, program loaded, dialing, check. Camera. I need the camera."
"What does it look like?" Adam asked. "Triangular piece of plastic?"
"That's it," Angela said, taking it from him. She quickly placed the small palm-sized camera on a conveniently placed tripod and plugged it into the back of the laptop.
"What are you doing?" Tommy asked.
"I'm about to call Grampa," Angela said. Her computer beeped, and then Maxwell Watson's voice sounded from the laptop's small speakers.
"Hello Angela." The image of her grandfather appeared on the monitor.
"Hello Grandfather."
"I take it you all arrived safely."
"Yes we did. Grandfather, why did you rent out the entire Acura Lodge?"
"So that you could have your privacy in your quest, of course."
"Don't you think that this might draw a little attention to us?" Angela asked.
"Perhaps. The Acura Lodge is just a short fifteen minute walk from where the first spirit has seemingly taken residence. Tomorrow morning, the entire community of Acura will be evacuated."
"Couldn't we just try and blend in with things? There is going to be a public uproar, whether it is a direct result of us or your evacuation."
"No," Maxwell said. "I don't care how the public reacts. My only priority is keeping everyone safe and getting that demon back in the box."
"You are a stubborn old man, you know that?"
"You're an ungrateful teenage punk," Maxwell countered.
"I love you, Grampa. I'm going to log off. I'll call you again when we get to OUR lodge."
"Take care." His image flickered once, and disappeared.
"Tiger Eyes," Kimberly whispered suddenly as she was unpacking.
"What did you say?" Trini asked, turning from her own bureau.
"She said Tiger Eyes," Angela said happily. "Tell us more."
"I don't-," Kimberly stammered, shaking her head in disbelief. "I don't know where that came from."
"I bet that you are our Visionary," Angela told her. She hurried over to her laptop and quickly dialed the connection that would put her in contact with Maxwell Watson. "According to our Legends, every team has one."
"Visionary?" Kimberly asked.
"According to the Legends passed down by the Chest Keepers, whenever the demons are assembled, the forces of goodness designate to each member of the team a special ability," Angela explained as the computer began to make ungodly sounds in the process of establishing the connection. "There are a total of twelve abilities. I can't name them all, but I do remember three of the most important. The Chest Keeper, that's me. I am the only one who can recapture the demons. The Visionary, the one who gives an inside knowledge of the demons. And the Cutter."
"The Cutter?" Trini asked.
"The Cutter can extend our deadline," Angela said. "It's supposedly pretty rare to come across a Cutter, but the Cutter can give us extra time if we need it."
"Angela?" Maxwell Watson asked from the computer screen.
"I think Kimberly is the Visionary," Angela said.
"Tiger Eyes?" Maxwell asked.
"Tiger Eyes," Angela affirmed.
"Press her for knowledge," Maxwell said, "and show her the book."
"You think it really could be her?" Angela asked.
"I trust your judgment, Angela," Maxwell assured her. Smiling, Angela said goodbye and closed the connection.
"Tiger Eyes?" Kimberly asked again.
"My book," Angela said, scrambling across Trini's bed to reach her suitcase. She flung it open, literally threw her clothes aside, and pulled a dark blue leather-bound book from the bottom. It was rather thin, and it didn't seem at all out of the ordinary. "Shit," Angela suddenly cursed.
"Problem?" Trini asked.
Kimberly's mouth suddenly dropped open in awe, and she said, "We need the fourth Ability. The Reader. Only the Reader can read the book."
"Trini?" Angela said, opening the book and handing it to her. Trini delicately took the book. The edges of the pages were embossed in silver, and a decorative frame of silver print, complete with elaborately printed knots at each corner, was on every page. Other than that, the book was blank.
"I don't see anything," Trini admitted.
"We'll go ask the guys," Angela said hurriedly, grabbing the book from Trini's arms and bolting from the room.
"You don't see anything?" Angela pleaded. "Not even a little bit?"
"It's blank, Angela," Tommy said sympathetically.
"You neither?" Kimberly asked Zack.
"Not a thing."
"Ask Adam when he gets out of the shower," Zack said. "Maybe he can ... do whatever it is you want done."
"I need a Reader," Angela said.
The bathroom door opened, and Adam walked out, holding a towel around his waist. "Whoa!" he cried in shock, taking a step back at seeing the three women in his room. "Oh geez, I didn't think you'd be in here." A dark red blush rose to his cheeks at being seen in only a towel.
Angela, however, wasn't deterred by his lack of clothing. "Can you see anything on this page?" she asked, holding the book open before him.
Adam's eyes widened slightly in disbelief. "Yeah," he said slowly. "Why?"
"Get dressed," Angela said, giving him a firm but playful pat on the butt. "I'll explain later."
"You mean you all really can't see this?" Adam asked in disbelief. "It's as clear as day."
"Because you're the Reader," Angela told him.
"Tiger Eyes," he read from the first page. "Tiger Eyes is the first demon from the Chest. He was created from the soul of an Indian Shaman turned evil. Tiger Eyes, like most Demons, can change his form at will. However, as his name does suggest, he spends most of his time in the form of a tiger. He only moves after nightfall. He is named Tiger Eyes, because much like the myth of Medusa, a single gaze from his eyes leaves a Guardian incapacitated until he is recaptured... That's where it ends, guys."
"How do we find this thing?" Zack asked.
"It moves after nightfall," Trini said. "I guess we have to wait for the sun to set."
"We don't have to worry about finding him," Angela assured them. "That's not a problem at all. Kimberly can find him."
"Me?" Kimberly asked. "I thought I was just the psychic."
"Pretty much, and as the psychic, you can find Tiger Eyes," Angela said. Flipping open her trusted lap-top, she was able to announce, "The sun sets in four hours and thirteen minutes. We'll leave to find him then."
"Flashlights?" Angela asked.
"Check," Trini said, turning on the last of them.
"Warmed up?"
"Check," Zack answered, as he and the other martial artists finished stretching.
"Chest? And check," Angela answered her own questions. Picking up the Chest, she then asked, "We ready?"
"I don't know what to do," Kimberly said, walking down the front steps of the Acura Lodge. A full moon shone brightly down on them, illuminating the entire valley. The lodge was nestled between two mountain ranges, and a beautiful lake stretched out far before them. The moon shone both in the sky, and in the lake. It was beautiful, and almost hard to believe that a demon was somewhere out in it.
"Relax, Kimberly," Angela told her. "You're too worried. Just calm down; it will come to you."
Kimberly took a flashlight from Trini and walked out into the front yard of the lodge. "This way," she said, motioning for them to follow with the beam from her flashlight.
"Don't go ahead without us," Angela insisted, hurrying across the yard with the bulky chest in her arms.
"Are you sure he's around here?" Angela asked.
"Very sure," Kimberly said simply. Something deep inside of her which she had always had, but never known, had suddenly come to life. She could tell that Tiger Eyes was somewhere close, but she wasn't able to pinpoint a specific location.
"Well we've reached the top of the mountain," Trini announced as their path opened up into a clearing. A circle was worn in the clearing, as it had obviously been used for repeated campsites. A few boulders, worn by the weather, dotted the area, as well as a shade tree.
"Look at the view," Zack remarked, looking out over the valley. The Acura Lodge could be seen, far below them.
"Let's keep going," Angela groaned unhappily. Five of them started to walk down the trail, although Zack remained perched at the edge of the cliff. "Come on, Zack."
"Tiger Eyes is here," Kimberly said firmly. "He's here."
"Zack?!" Tommy shouted, hurrying over to his friend. He touched Zack's shoulder, and found that his entire body was ice cold.
"Tiger Eyes!" Angela shouted angrily. "Show yourself!"
The flashlight Adam was holding exploded, extinguishing the light. "What do we do?!" Kimberly cried. Suddenly, a black form leapt up from the ground. It landed directly in front of her, coalescing into the form of a thin man. Two amber colored eyes opened in the center of its face, and Kimberly was immediately immobilized, both physically and mentally.
Trini trained her light on the shadow of a man. He immediately vanished, returning to the shadows. "What do we do?" Trini asked, looking to Angela for support.
Angela could only shrug. She readied the Chest to capture the demon should she get the chance. Suddenly, the ground began to shake. An animalistic growling filled the air. A ring of fire appeared around the clearing, although the flames glowed an eerie honey-amber color. "TIGER EYES!!!" Angela screamed. "Show yourself!"
"With pleasure," Tiger Eyes rumbled. Four tendrils of the amber-colored fire rushed toward the center of the clearing and formed an amorphous ball of fire.
"Don't let him look into your eyes!" Angela demanded. She held the box, ready to capture Tiger Eyes within. Tiger Eyes suddenly took form. He appeared human, although he was composed of the amber fire. His entire body rippled and contorted as the flames that composed his physical body burned rapidly.
"I have waited long to kill one of your line," Tiger Eyes growled, walking toward Angela. She turned her head and opened the Chest. He quickly burned out of the way, not standing in front of the Chest.
"Help me catch him!" Angela shouted to her comrades.
"How?!" Adam shouted. As soon as he said it, Tiger Eyes fixed his gaze on him. Adam was immediately put out of action.
"Hey Tiger Eyes," Tommy taunted. "Betcha can't get me." Tommy placed one hand over his eyes, and stood perfectly still.
"Tommy!" Trini protested.
"I'm yours for the taking, Tiger Eyes," Tommy continued. "Do with me what you will."
"You will make a suitable avatar," Tiger Eyes said as he slowly began to walk toward him. Angela opened the Chest, but Tiger Eyes again burned out of the way. His face formed on the back of his fiery head, and Angela barely took her gaze away in time. "But I would prefer her." She opened the Chest again, but once more, he burned out of the way.
"Tiger Eyes," Angela said in a shaky voice.
"Yes, my dear?" Tiger Eyes growled as he walked closer.
"There's something you should know about me."
"What is that?"
Magically, six columns of blue fire burst from the ground in a circle of Tiger Eyes. With a panicked whimper, he spun around in confusion. The six columns of fire each coalesced into an identical form of Angela, each holding a chest. All seven Angela's shouted, "The Chest Keeper is EVERYWHERE!!!" All seven opened their Chests. Tiger Eyes was unable to burn away, and blue light began to shine from each and every Chest.
The light shining from the original Chest was pulling him closer, while the light shining from the other Chests were herding him in. A bizarre mixture of blue and amber light filled the air, as did Tiger Eye's screams of anger.
Then, he was gone. Angela was once again standing along, and she shut the Chest with a thump. "We got him," she said in awe.
"We just captured Tiger Eyes?" Trini asked.
Angela locked the Chest and sat down on the ground with a thump. "We just captured Tiger Eyes..."
Zack, Kimberly, and Adam slowly began to recover from being incapacitated by Tiger Eyes' stare. "What happened?" Adam asked in confusion.
"We caught Tiger Eyes," Angela explained.
"How did you make yourself... do that?" Trini asked as they walked back to the Lodge.
"See this ring," Angela said, nodding toward the golden ring on her right pinkie finger. A royal blue bead was set in it. "That's my Chest Keeper ring. Grandfather has a red one. It gives us abilities to help us in our fight against the Chest. That's the first time I've used the ring."
"That's how he teleported to us in fire," Zack muttered, nodding thoughtfully.
"And Tiger Eyes is really trapped in that thing?" Kimberly asked, looking at the Chest. It looked totally harmless, yet there was a source of pure evil within it.
"How will you keep him from getting out when you capture the other demons?" Tommy asked.
"They can only be captured one by one, and they can only be released in numbers of thirteen," Kimberly answered. With a shrug, she finished, "Don't ask me how I know."
"Let's hurry back to the Lodge so we can tell grandfather," Angela said with a smile. "He'll be happy to know we succeeded."
The six teenagers continued walking down the mountain, along with a captured demon. They still had a very long road ahead of them, as there were still twelve demons scattered all over the globe. But they weren't worried. Good always wins.
Doesn't it?
Looking for the feelings
That used to tell me
something's wrong
Like all the doubts
When love sent shivers
down my spine
But all I'm feeling
Is pure and simply we belong
And what's come over me
Are chills of another kind
One emotion
wrapped around me
One emotion
I can hold on to
Wherever it's going
Is exactly where I want to be
One emotion's got a hold
of you and me
There's nothing left
Of the useless things I used to feel
Only love now
As everything else just fades away
It's all around us
Thought you might not see it
It's just as real
as the wild horses
You would have to have to drag me away
One emotion
wrapped around me
One emotion
I can hold on to
Wherever it's going
Is exactly where I want to be
One emotion's got a hold of you and me