Chapter XVII - Whispers in the Woods

The gurgling noise, which he suspected was the swamp, quietened so Electro was able to sleep. In the morning, Electro woke up early at the same time as Dr Lazer, who suspected he might have been up to something.

Dr Lazer's eyes widened when he discovered that the casket was not inside the tent.

Assuming that Dr Lazer was going to ask about the casket, Electro commented, "Yes... although it was me who was asked to take the coffin inside, I didn't, and purposefully too. Why should I take the coffin inside the tent? - it makes no difference." Electro firmly placed his hand on Dr Lazer's mouth in an effort to stop him, telling the other Horror Hillians who were waking up. Dr Lazer wrestled his hand off his mouth and exited the tent in search of where he suspected the coffin was. Electro was thankful that the death of the Butler had remained a secret and that Dr Lazer was too afraid to pursue his theory about it.

"How could you?" Dr Lazer shook his head. He was questioning Electro as he dodged the boggy ground. Striding along the rocky path, Dr Lazer leapt over the bog's marshland. Electro growled and hurtled after him. A chill of anxiety slithered down Electro's spine, wondering if he had given too much away about the death of Butler Burns, although he was sure Dr Lazer already knew. Dr Lazer came to a halt and stared into the expanse of the forest, wondering where the casket may have been.

A hand clasped around Dr Lazer's wrist and dragged him back.

"You do not need to worry about anything... Lord Horror Hill will find the coffin, and we will continue our journey to the graveyard. I may be punished, but that is my problem, so stay out of it!" Electro quietened his voice.

The scared Dr Lazer pulled away from Electro's hand that was still clenched on his wrist and ran back to the tent.

By the time the two had arrived back at the tent, Viscount Phantom and Lord Horror Hill were awake. Almost instantaneously, Lord Horror Hill knew that Electro hadn't taken in the casket. No longer than a minute after he realised, Lord Horror Hill lined all the Horror Hillians up in a line and was ready to humiliate Electro.

Electro Von Poison stood in the line ready to take the blame, but a glimmer of hope lingered in his mind that Lord Horror Hill had a terrible memory which came with his old age, so he may have forgot who he had assigned the job to... but he was wrong.

"Electro Von Poison, I assigned you the job of bringing in the casket!" The Lord's countenance grew into a frown when there was no response, a face full of simmering fury.

Electro stuttered and put on a mask of confusion, "This can't be true! Why, I took the casket inside the tent when you asked me to. Someone else must have taken it outside again. "Electro stared around, confused and caught the eye of Dr Lazer, whose face was a contorted frown.

"Very well then... we will carry this on at home!" Lord Horror Hill avoided the inevitable bickering.

Electro was relieved. The Lord's ignorance to delve further into the situation had saved him from punishment, and no one knew it was him, aside from Dr Lazer who, Electro thought, was too scared to tell the truth.