Not the harmless kind of noises, like your house settling at night. These were real scare-the-crap-out-of-you noises.

Ragged, uneven breathing. Something sharp dragging against stone.

What the hell was that?

Boo stopped walking and growled, the black hair standing up along his back.

Two yel ow eyes were staring back from the depths of the Tunnel.

Link was smart enough to know a Dark Caster's eyes when he saw them. Especial y after he had spent the better part of a year in love with one. But this wasn't Ridley. Al he could think about was Sarafine. He wasn't sure he had enough Incubus juice to face off against her. Boo growled again.

The figure stepped closer. It wasn't Sarafine.

He could see it now, but he had no idea who or what it was.

As Link's eyes settled on the smooth grayish-black skin, a part of him knew he was looking at a man, or what used to be one. Aside from the unnatural skin color and a head so bald it looked like it belonged in those alien photos, the facial features were completely human. Except for the enormous yel ow eyes—crazed and primal—like a rabid animal.

It was watching him, its eyes widening with anticipation as Link's widened with fear. The figure stepped out of the black mouth of the Tunnel, where it had been lingering, and for a second Link was sure it was a man. He was wearing ratty black pants that were too short, as if he'd outgrown them a long time ago, and nothing else. Shirtless and barefoot, his body was the same sickening shade of bruised black as his face.

But that's where the physical similarities between this thing and a man ended. As it extended its hand, reaching toward him, Link saw a web of skin that stretched from the bottom of its arm down to the creature's waist, like a deformed wing. It looked like something out of one of Link's comic books, but he couldn't turn the page and make it disappear.

He jumped back, banging into the wal next to him.

He smel ed the blood as it ran down his arm.

The creature's head jerked up. “Where is the boy going?”

A chil ran down the back of Link's neck.

The voice had a creepy quality that was always a sign someone was on the way to a padded cel , in the movies. It sounded like the thing was talking to someone right next to it, but there was no one there.

At least Link hoped so.

“I—I was just leavin', man. Me and my dog,” Link stammered. “Sorry to bother you.”

“The boy wanders away from home, and what does he see?” The voice rose and fel in the singsong rhythm of a terrifying and twisted nursery rhyme.

Link wasn't planning to stick around and find out.

He started to back up, and the creature reached out its broken and bent fingers, exposing tears in the winglike web of dark skin extending from its body.

It bared its teeth in a demented smile while singing the disturbing rhyme. “The monster in the mirror waiting to kil me…”

For a second, the thing stared at him as if it had presented a riddle for Link to solve and it was presented a riddle for Link to solve and it was waiting for an answer. Link didn't have one.

The smile twisted into a sneer and, without warning, the thing lunged at him.

Boo charged forward, but the creature caught the dog in the air as he jumped, knocking him against the exposed stone wal . Boo yelped, and Link felt his hands curve into fists.

Grayish-black fingers reached for Link, and his instinct took over. He lurched forward, and in a split second his hand was around the creature's throat.

The movement happened so fast that it surprised them both, and Link almost forgot to tighten his grip.

The thing lashed out, clawing at Link. “The boy is too far from home.” The voice was strained, a hiss more than anything else. A hand caught the side of Link's face, broken nails sinking into his skin.

“Don't touch me, you freak!” Link threw the mutated thing backward, and it flew at least ten feet, skidding across the dirt. Until then, Link hadn't realized how strong he was.

He watched the dark figure rise.

A smile spread across Link's face. That thing wasn't the only creature in the game. There was a Linkubus there, too.

Boo was back on his feet, stalking across the Tunnel floor and snarling.

Link held out his hand. He wondered if Macon was watching through the Caster dog's eyes. “Don't worry, Boo. I've got this.”

The yel ow eyes locked on Link, and he watched as the man-that-wasn't-a-man surged forward like he was running in slow motion. Link pul ed the garden sheers from the waistband of his jeans and waited.

The creature sprang, throwing itself on top on Link.

He felt the blades make contact and saw the creature's eyes widen.

It fel backward, hitting the ground hard. It wasn't moving, but its chest was stil rising and fal ing as Link sprinted past it, with Boo Radley right behind him.

CHAPTER 6

Apocalypse

Link didn't stop running until he made it al the way through the pitch-black Tunnel. But even when he slowed down, his mind was stil racing.

What had he done? It wasn't like he'd had a choice—that thing could've kil ed him.

What was it?

Did Macon know it was down there?

The farther Link walked, the more questions he had. His heart didn't stop pounding until Boo stopped in front of a Doorwel . Even then he stil didn't feel right—not that he ever did lately.

Was this what it meant to have superpowers?

Was it an unfair advantage in a fight? Did it count if you were fighting some kind of monster?