Key the Steampunk Vampire Girl and the Dungeon of Despair (9780989878531) Read Online Free
see them? No, of course not, and neither do I. They disappeared along with Margrave Snick, I fear.”
Key did not like the sound of this. Her parents would have never left without telling her goodbye. Why did they leave? Where could they have gone?
“This child is now an orphan vampire,” Mr. Fuddlebee continued. “She has no one to take care of her, except us and DIOS. And we must trust that DIOS knows what she is doing. She would not have led us here, to this very place, to this very moment in time, without having a very important plan.”
Key had never before heard the word “orphan,” or “DIOS” for that matter. And she did not like being called an orphan. Nor did she have a reason to trust this DIOS person, whoever or whatever she was.
Miss Broomble looked down helplessly at Key. Then the witch let out a long melancholy sigh. “I wish I understood the plan of DIOS. Then it would be much easier to accept it.”
“I share your feelings, my dear Miss Broomble,” Mr. Fuddlebee said, “but sometimes accepting that we do not understand is the first step in understanding.”
Key did not understand what he had just said, it sounded very much like a riddle to her, but that mattered little. She could not stay awake much longer. Her eyelids became too heavy. She blinked to keep awake.
But right before she fell asleep completely, she happened to notice another girl standing beside the giant wolf, whom the ghost had called “Tudwal.”
This other girl was clinging onto Tudwal’s monstrous leg. This other girl did not care that he had enormous teeth and claws. This other girl was lovingly stroking his thick brown-black fur. In fact, the more Key thought about it, the more she realized that Tudwal the wolf was this other girl’s pet.
Key thought this other girl looked very familiar, although her face was a little too out of focus to place.
The other girl let go of the giant wolf, stepped between the ghost and the witch, and she knelt before Key. Now her face came into focus, and as it did, Key saw that this other girl’s face looked like a mirror reflection.
This other girl was another Key!
This other Key had the same bright blue eyes as Key. This other Key had the same long thick curly red hair as Key. This other Key almost had the same smile, the same walk, the same everything.
But this other Key also had long fangs like Margrave Snick. And her skin was as pale as a porcelain doll.
Key had never seen herself look so beautiful – and so scary.
This other Key was wearing a very strange outfit, the likes of which Key had never seen before. This other Key had on a long dark green jacket over a white blouse. Around her middle was a copper bodice covered with gauges and cogwheels. She wore black fingerless gloves, violet shorts, and a pair of mechanical boots with lights and gauges and wires. Above her eyes were metal goggles with several swiveling lenses of various sizes. Holstered to her side was a brass-plated pistol. Clutched in one hand was a bronze rifle, much taller than her, and loaded with copper canisters and wrapped in glass tubes filled with blue and red ink.
This other Key seemed the same age as Key – nine years old.
But her eyes looked like the eyes of a much older woman. They were red with tears. They had seen too much Despair.
Am I crying , Key wondered, or is she?
This other Key wiped away the tears from her own cheek. Then she wiped away a tear rolling down Key’s cheek also.
They both smiled at one another.
The other Key’s smile did not look happy, but sorrowful.
Then this other Key spoke in a voice as gentle as a lullaby. “I wish I could save you from the suffering you’re about to go through. I wish I could save you from the Deadlings and the Necropolis Castle. I wish I could save you from Old Queen Crinkle. I wish I could save you from the Dungeon of Despair. But I can’t. You need to go into Despair so that I can come out of it. But I want you to know – because you
Key did not like the sound of this. Her parents would have never left without telling her goodbye. Why did they leave? Where could they have gone?
“This child is now an orphan vampire,” Mr. Fuddlebee continued. “She has no one to take care of her, except us and DIOS. And we must trust that DIOS knows what she is doing. She would not have led us here, to this very place, to this very moment in time, without having a very important plan.”
Key had never before heard the word “orphan,” or “DIOS” for that matter. And she did not like being called an orphan. Nor did she have a reason to trust this DIOS person, whoever or whatever she was.
Miss Broomble looked down helplessly at Key. Then the witch let out a long melancholy sigh. “I wish I understood the plan of DIOS. Then it would be much easier to accept it.”
“I share your feelings, my dear Miss Broomble,” Mr. Fuddlebee said, “but sometimes accepting that we do not understand is the first step in understanding.”
Key did not understand what he had just said, it sounded very much like a riddle to her, but that mattered little. She could not stay awake much longer. Her eyelids became too heavy. She blinked to keep awake.
But right before she fell asleep completely, she happened to notice another girl standing beside the giant wolf, whom the ghost had called “Tudwal.”
This other girl was clinging onto Tudwal’s monstrous leg. This other girl did not care that he had enormous teeth and claws. This other girl was lovingly stroking his thick brown-black fur. In fact, the more Key thought about it, the more she realized that Tudwal the wolf was this other girl’s pet.
Key thought this other girl looked very familiar, although her face was a little too out of focus to place.
The other girl let go of the giant wolf, stepped between the ghost and the witch, and she knelt before Key. Now her face came into focus, and as it did, Key saw that this other girl’s face looked like a mirror reflection.
This other girl was another Key!
This other Key had the same bright blue eyes as Key. This other Key had the same long thick curly red hair as Key. This other Key almost had the same smile, the same walk, the same everything.
But this other Key also had long fangs like Margrave Snick. And her skin was as pale as a porcelain doll.
Key had never seen herself look so beautiful – and so scary.
This other Key was wearing a very strange outfit, the likes of which Key had never seen before. This other Key had on a long dark green jacket over a white blouse. Around her middle was a copper bodice covered with gauges and cogwheels. She wore black fingerless gloves, violet shorts, and a pair of mechanical boots with lights and gauges and wires. Above her eyes were metal goggles with several swiveling lenses of various sizes. Holstered to her side was a brass-plated pistol. Clutched in one hand was a bronze rifle, much taller than her, and loaded with copper canisters and wrapped in glass tubes filled with blue and red ink.
This other Key seemed the same age as Key – nine years old.
But her eyes looked like the eyes of a much older woman. They were red with tears. They had seen too much Despair.
Am I crying , Key wondered, or is she?
This other Key wiped away the tears from her own cheek. Then she wiped away a tear rolling down Key’s cheek also.
They both smiled at one another.
The other Key’s smile did not look happy, but sorrowful.
Then this other Key spoke in a voice as gentle as a lullaby. “I wish I could save you from the suffering you’re about to go through. I wish I could save you from the Deadlings and the Necropolis Castle. I wish I could save you from Old Queen Crinkle. I wish I could save you from the Dungeon of Despair. But I can’t. You need to go into Despair so that I can come out of it. But I want you to know – because you
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