Everyone stared into the box, unable to look away. A few of the men felt like vomiting, and others were fighting the urge to back away slowly.
At the bottom of the box was a large slimy toad, which was staring intently at them. It was repulsive, and several of the men scrunched up their faces in disgust. Its skin was gray, shiny, and covered in odd lumps. As they watched, it blinked slowly, and its throat pulsed as it swallowed.
"Why is everyone just standing there?" Clark asked. He bent down to pick up the scrolls, but Alex put out his hand and stopped him.
"Don't move," Alex said.
"It's just a toad," Clark said. "It's ugly, but not dangerous."
"I'm not worried about the toad," Alex said.
One of the men reached out and tried to grab the toad, which jumped away from him. Its movements triggered a pressure plate, and a hidden compartment opened, revealing a nozzle. Liquid sprayed out from it, hitting the man, who screamed and clawed at his eyes.
"Get back!" Alex ordered. "It seems to be some kind of toxin. Get some water to wash out his eyes and don't let him rub them. You need to keep rinsing his eyes until the toxin is gone."
Alex pulled out a pair of gloves and put them on. He edged around the open grave, trying to find a way through without being sprayed. When the toad had hopped away, Alex had spotted an odd wooden token engraved with a strange symbol. He could feel the dark energy coming from it, and he suspected this was the cause of Sarah's affliction.
The toad croaked at him from its place inside the box, seemingly unaffected by the toxin.
Alex darted forward, avoiding both the toxin and the toad, and he snatched up the token. He stepped back and took a lighter from his pocket. Holding the wooden token in one hand, he opened the lighter and held it to the wooden disc. Gradually, the edge of the token began to blacken, and then, finally, flames appeared. A dark, foul-smelling smoke arose from the disc, and he could feel the dark energy being repelled by the fire.
Eventually, the energy dispersed, and Alex dropped the blackened token to the ground and stamped out the flames.
Everyone gathered around him, looking down at the remains of the token.
"What was that?" Debbie asked. "And what was it doing here?"
"It was a receptacle for dark energy," Alex explained. "The evil is trapped within such an object, and it seeks out vulnerable people who pass too close to it, feeding on their souls."
"What was it doing here?" Clark asked, still not taking his eyes off it. "That was no ordinary grave, so I assume it was placed here deliberately."
"Most likely, yes," Alex said. "Someone powerful created it and then buried it here to prey on innocent passersby. That toxin was designed to prevent anyone from removing it."
They all nodded their understanding.
"Now, let's check on Sarah," Alex said.
**
As Alex helped Sarah, another patient lay in critical condition at Baltimore Central Hospital.
"Why aren't you doing something?" a young man called Michael Murdoch demanded. He was almost hysterical as he raged at the hospital director. "You're completely useless!"
Various items lay scattered on the floor, and members of staff were doing their best to stay out of the man's way. He had thrown a spectacular tantrum, and a few minutes ago, he had punched the director in the stomach.
The security guards and medical staff remained silent, worried about attracting his attention.
Michael turned to look at the patient lying on the bed, and his expression grew anguished. His sister, Louisa, was lying with her eyes closed, seemingly unaware of the surrounding commotion.
Michael had assembled a team of the top doctors in the world, but not one of them had been able to suggest a way to cure Louisa. All they could offer were ways to make her more comfortable while they waited for the end.
Louisa had been poisoned, and the toxin had spread into her internal organs. There was nothing the doctors could do.
Michael had spent a fortune seeking second opinions from many other experts, but it had all been in vain.
Louisa's survival had been due to a rare folk medicine, which had lessened the poison's effects for some time. But the side effects were dangerous, so taking the medicine was a risk. If overused, it could become deadly. Even worse, the medicine was becoming less effective at keeping the poison at bay. Louisa wouldn't live much longer.
"Hurry up and find me another group of experts," Michael insisted. "No matter what the cost, we must save my sister." He glared at the director.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Murdoch," the director said. "There simply isn't any more we can do. We have consulted with every expert on toxins we could find, and no one knows how to cure her. The Baltimore Chamber of Commerce has promised to help, and they have asked the Ghosts to send someone here. As the Ghosts are highly skilled in such matters, perhaps they will be able to suggest something we haven't thought of."
The director was careful to remain respectful because he knew Michael was the son of Jeremiah Murdoch. Jeremiah was the CEO of a network of hospitals in the area, so he carried a great deal of influence. It was his daughter who had been poisoned, and everyone had heard about it.
"All that money allocated to you every year, and you're still useless!" Michael raged, stepping into the director's space. "What is the point of a hospital that can't cure someone?" He narrowed his eyes. "So, when will these Ghosts arrive? If they don't get here in time to save my sister, I will hold you personally responsible!" The latter part came out in a roar.
His father had given the director his job, so Michael knew he could just as easily fire him again.
The director lowered his gaze and didn't dare speak. He prayed to anyone listening that Louisa would live. Otherwise, the consequences would be dire.
Louisa cried out from the bed. "Who are you? Don't kill me! Please don't kill me!" Her voice was full of panic, but she was still asleep.
Michael rushed over to comfort her. "It's okay, Louisa," he murmured, taking her hand. "I'm here."
Louisa opened her eyes and squeezed his fingers. "Michael, please help me," she begged. "I can't stand the pain."
Since Louisa had been poisoned, the toxin had run rampant throughout her body. She had been lapsing in and out of consciousness, and all her internal organs were being damaged. It felt like her body was trying to rip itself apart, and it was unbearable.