Off Word

Ripper's brown hair swayed lightly as she walked down the hallway leading to her room; her black knee-high boots clicked loudly against the white tile floor.  A foot behind her walked her faithful second-in-command, Lizard, who was dressed in his usual purple jacket, black t-shirt, navy blue pants and shoes, and neon blue belt.  His waist length blond hair was not restrained by the usual purple ribbon and cascaded down his back, giving him an angelic appearance.

Ripper unlocked the door silently and entered cautiously, as if expecting an attack.  Lizard closed the door and locked it before sitting on the bed beside his creator.  His reptilian purple tail materialized and curled around his waist to rest in his lap.  Ripper picked up the wireless keyboard to the computer before her and brought up Google.  “You have an idea, Sir?” he asked, breaking the silence.

“Yes,” she replied, typing “Stephen King off word” into the search engine.  She scrolled through the first page of results before scowling and changing the keywords to “Stephen King Richard Bachman”.

“'Off word'?  What's that?”  She began reading the new results and took a few moments to answer.

“There is a belief among some people that Stephen King accidentally brought the first writing under his pseudenym to life.  Events occurred after it was published that mirrored the ones in it.  Some say that it was just kids getting ideas, but some people think he accidentally caused the events by writing them.”  Lizard gave her a shocked look.

“So, it's like Raiden breaking free of your mind?”  She blinked, a sad look in her eyes.

“The year that Stephen King wrote From a Buick 8 he was run over, just like a character from the book.”  Lizard's tail flicked a bit before moving behind him.

“So, if he brought those two books to life, why haven't any others come alive?”  

“He...he did something, made an off word or motion or phrase.  Whatever it is, it shuts the character off, defeats it, controls it.”  She changed the terms again; this time to “bringing characters to life accidentally”.

“Then just create one for Raiden!”  Her hands clenched into fists.

“But...I can't...  He hasn't been defeated in anything I've written about him.  He's undefeated so far.”  Lizard's bright purple eyes widened.

“But he's been injured!  Remember?  Sasuke's sword cut him, as did Waka's.”  She turned towards him.

“You're right!  Perhaps we can use the name of a sword from Japanese legends against him!”  

“Oh, crap,” he said, taking his head in his hands.  

“What?” she asked, placing the keyboard on its shelf and running her hand through his hair comfortingly.

“The weather...  I completely forgot!  We're supposed to have bad storms all week ending in a huge horrible storm!”  Ripper gasped, horrified.

“Oh, no!  He's Raiden the thunder wolf!  He gains power from storms, and every major battle with him happens during a gigantic storm that forms a funnel cloud!”  Lizard sat up and embraced her, more for his own comfort than her own.  “Three days of storms...  Three days to prepare...  On the fourth day, he will come for me, won't he?”

“I fear he'll try before that as well.”  Ripper felt the cold air begin to seep down her throat again.  Her shoulder pulsed with pain and she felt a desire to cry.  She attempted to speak but stopped when her voice came out hoarse.

“Ripper, I'm sorry I can't cross over and help.  I've tried, but I'm not strong enough.”  He rested his chin on the top of her head.  “I'm trying to help Jerico materialize, though.  He's almost strong enough, y'know?”  

“Reverto ut vestri vinco...”

“What?”  

“It’s Latin...  And perhaps this could serve as a temporary off word...”  He realized she was thinking outloud and kept his mouth shut.  “Yes...  If I can get a set of rosary beads on him, then maybe I can keep him reined in until I decide on a final sentence.”  She sat up and opened her hand, summoning a necklace of purple beads and sharp teeth.  “Now, to get it on him.”

“I'll take care of that,” he said, taking the beads from her.  “I'm the Master of Illusions, remember?  His Demon Art Stroke won't affect me.”  His tapped his pink gauntlet.  “This'll make sure of that.”  Ripper nodded, but her face remained grim.

“I trust you.  Now, go, quickly, before he attacks my human world mother again.”  The blond nodded and disappeared, only to be replaced on the bed by a fifteen-year old boy with short, white-streaked black hair and orange eyes.  

“Master...  I shall protect you, as a guard dog should.  Your wish is my command, and I serve only you.  If that bastard wishes to harm you, he shall have to go through me.”  

“Shadow, thank you.”  Ripper laid down on the bed and motioned for Shadow to lay beside her.  He obliged and pulled her against him.  She ran a hand up his side before dematerializing his uniform shirt, jacket, and shoes, leaving his blue tie and gray pants.  “My faithful guardian, would you mind staying with me even after Lizard returns?”  The male nodded and blushed slightly as she pushed him onto his back and laid against his bare chest.  She smiled faintly and began to drift off into a dreamless sleep, his comforting warmnth the only thing keeping her from entering a dark world of nightmares haunted by Raiden, the black, red, and yellow demon wolf that calls himself the Sky God.