Hundreds of miles away, across the Atlantic Ocean and in the vast grasslands of Kenya, there was a group of men who made a living through poaching and established themselves in an abandoned village. In the largest building in the village, which was well-furnished and classy-looking, lived the leader of these poachers, a heavyset individual in his late fifties with graying-black hair, a mustache that connected to his sideburns, and cold, dark eyes and wore a tan skirt, a chocolate brown vest, a red tie, brown pants, and black boots. This man was known as Clarence Monroe Slithers, and he was in the process of selling his most recent catch to a most eager client.
Slithers was an extremely deadly hunter and the most wanted poacher in all of Africa. Seven years ago, he was responsible for the murder of a woman, who freed a baby elephant he caught. The younger girl with managed to escape while Clarence ended up incarcerated and was to be executed; but he managed to escape prison and had been out on the lam ever since.
Seated at his mahogany desk, Clarence sat calmly yet impatiently as his customer studied the items he had been hired to acquire: the horns of a male white rhino he had taken down and sawed the horns from. Though the longer Clarence waited, the more impatient he grew to be paid the one thousand dollar fee he had been promised for his services.
"As you can see, the horns are completely genuine. The dried blood at the base of each one should be enough proof of that." Clarence explained.
Once the customer paid his fee and made his leave, Clarence slumped in his armchair in discontent, polishing his rifle. Many stuffed heads of animals hung on the walls, and their skinned hides covered the floor. He looked up at his prized collection, enjoying every moment of killing every animal that fell into his traps, to sell their organs and furs in the black market to earn a fair amount of profit.
"Once again, business has proven itself as profitable as ever...but I grow discontent," Clarence sighed tiredly. "Has Mother Nature no further challenge for me to overcome and mount on my wall?"
Then a massive bird flew through a window and perched itself on a bird perch on Clarence's desk. It was his pet African hawk-eagle, Percy. The bird was fiercely loyal to his master and made a cawing sound. Clarence stood up and picked up a piece of meat and the bird seized it in his beak, swallowing it whole. Then, a knocking from the door interrupted his thoughts and he grunted in annoyance.
"Yes, come in," he said.
A lean henchman came in with his superior's coffee and paper on a tray. He was dressed in a simple brown shirt, with suspenders, an olive vest, red pants, with black boots. His brunette gray hair, made him look a little older, despite being in his mid forties, and had hazel eyes and a mustache.
"Has the deal with Mister Slayers been successful, sir?" the henchman asked politely.
"Yes, August, but I cannot help but worry that there is no longer a beast on this globe who is worthy of being mounted on my wall" Slithers grunted. "It's as frustrating as thinking about that brat who ruined my career and stole my prize all those years ago. If I'd encountered her again, I'd like to have her head nailed upon my wall. But I digress. What major news is happening back in civilization?"
"Well, I believe you won't need to worry about finding fresh prey, sir. There's an article in the paper telling about a baby circus elephant in the United States who can fly thanks to his massive ears, along with a mouse and a human girl who are his friends. Sounds hard to believe, isn't it?"
"Hogwash!" Clarence huffed. "The mere thought of an elephant that flies sounds ridiculous."
"But if the elephant truly flies like the newspaper says, a catch like that ought to be worth a fortune!"
"Be that as it may, I would rather have the news told to me than being forced to read it."
He turned on the radio to listen. One channel soon caught his interest as the male announcer spoke up. Two more henchmen entered the room to listen to the news. The others were Katlego and Olaf. Katlego lived in Africa for all of his life and then decided to help Slithers with the poaching business. He had black hair with sideburns, dark skin, and dark eyes. He wore an orange turtle neck blouse, blue pants, a brown belt, and black boots. Olaf, who hailed from Norway had auburn hair, green eyes, tan skin, and a partially shaved face. He wore a teal shirt with rolled up sleeves, dark brown pants and black boots. Each of the henchmen were loyal to their boss,
"Right here in the land of the free and home of the brave, lives a famous baby elephant with ears so large, that they grant him the very power of genuine flight. Dumbo the Flying Elephant and his circus is currently making its way towards New York City as the first stop in their summer tour, along with his manager Timothy Q. Mouse and his personal trainer, trapeze artist, and Wiccan, Miss Sandra Williams."
The name of the girl made Slithers' head shot up in surprise. He pulled out the newspaper and scanned through and then saw a large image on the front page. The picture show a small Asian elephant calf wearing a clown collar, a pilot's hat and goggles, with a small brown mouse in red circus attire sitting on top of his head. Next to the elephant, was a girl with blonde curls down her shoulders and in her circus costume, giving a grin and a wave.
"Hmmm, that elephant calf's head would look lovely mounted on my wall, even with those gargantuan ears," he said to himself. August looked over his boss's shoulder and his eyes inched closer as he noticed the young woman in the paper.
"Isn't that the…" August asked.
"Shh! Be quiet!" he snapped and continued to listen to the announcer. His ears pricked up as the radio announcer spoke up again.
"Sandra Williams, or Sandy as she likes to be called, was not only considered an outcast in her first year, as her Wiccan heritage helps her understand animals. Almost like Dumbo, she has faced her own tragic moments, and one was of the death of her mother, Wiccan Priestess, Katherine Williams. About seven years ago in 1935, both mother and daughter were in Africa on a safari and freed a trapped baby elephant, only for Mrs. Williams to die at the hands of a poacher, in order to protect her daughter on that fateful day."
"Bloody Hell, it's her!" August exclaimed. "She's the girl who ruined your game and career!"
The poacher gave an angry growl as he looked at his scarred arm, which was carved with five lines that happened when a lion scratched him years ago.
"Aye, it's the same one from seven years ago, when I killed her mother for freeing my trophy. However, I sense an opportunity for revenge, and settle the score for what she did to me all those years."
"What kind of payback do you suggest we do?" Olaf asked.
"I'll explain later," Clarence responded curtly. He turned towards August, speaking in his formal voice. "August, tell the men to pack their bags and get us tickets to America. I think it's high time I pay that girl and elephant a visit they will never forget, along with your help of course."
"What are your orders, boss?" Katlego asked.
"It's about time that I get my revenge on her," he replied, getting up and grabbed his rifle and aimed it at the radio. Then a bullet shot and destroyed the radio to numerous pieces. His three henchmen flinched in terror, knowing that sometimes their boss could become obsessed when focused on a certain goal. They regained their composure and then Olaf spoke up and asked, "When will we start?"
"Before we get into things, we'll start off with careful planning, and once the time is right, we attack! We prepare to ship out for New York City at once!"
"Roger that, boss!" August saluted. He and the other henchmen went off to their other rooms and began to pack up for their destination. In the meantime, an evil grin grew across Clarence's face as he grabbed a knife and sharpened it up, glancing at his reflection on the blade while laughing evilly.
"Well, Williams, I always knew we will meet again someday. Only this time, nothing and no one will be there to protect you. I'll have your little elephant's head nailed upon my wall and your blood on my hands. I hope you relish every moment alive you have left, for once I find you, you will be mine!"
Thinking about his desire for revenge, gave him a maddening glare and he began to sing:
(Clarence):
In the dark of the night, I was tossing and turning,
And the nightmare I had, was as bad as can be,
He picked up his rifle and aimed it to a hyena's skeleton and shot it down. The skeleton's bones landed on the ground and tumbled around the floor. Percy flew up, jumping from the bones in fright and hopped onto his master's shoulder.
(Clarence):
It scared me out of my wits!
A corpse falling to bits!
Then I opened my eyes, and the nightmare was me!
Clarence looked at the paper with Sandy, Dumbo, and Timothy on the front and felt wrath filling his soul.
(Clarence):
"I was once the most powerful hunter in all Africa, (ooh ahh ooh)
When a family arrived, they made a mistake! (ooh ahh ooh)
My curse made the mother pay,
But one little girl got away!
Little Sandy beware Slithers' awake!"
Clarence's henchmen gathered around their boss and sang in a chorus:
(Henchmen):
"In the dark of the night evil will find her,
In the dark of the night, just before dawn!"
Clarence went to his wooden chest and opened the lid. He began to dig through to approve his appearance. He pulled out his cologne and a comb.
(Clarence):
"Revenge will be sweet,"
(Clarence and henchmen):
"When the curse is complete!"
(Henchmen):
"In the dark of the night,"
(Clarence):
"She'll be gone!"
The poacher went to a nearby mirror on the wall and began to comb his mustache. After combing, he reached for his cologne and sprayed it on his neck. The aroma made Percy gag and flapped his wings.
(Clarence):
"I can feel that my powers are slowly returning,
Tie my sash and a dash of cologne for that smell!
As the pieces fall into place,
I'll see her crawl into place,
Dasvidanya, Sandy, your grace!
Farewell!"
(Henchmen):
"In the dark of the night,
Terror will strike her!"
(Clarence):
"Terror's the least I can do!"
(Henchmen):
"In the dark of the night,
Evil will brew, oo-oo-ooh!"
(Clarence):
"Soon she will feel,
That her nightmares are real!"
(Henchmen):
"In the dark of the night,"
(Clarence):
"She'll be through!"
(Henchmen):
"In the dark of the night,
Evil will find her (find her),
In the dark of the night,
Terror comes true (doom her),"
(Clarence):
"My dear, here's a sign,"
(Clarence and Henchmen):
"It's the end of the line,"
(All):
"In the dark of the night,
In the dark of the night,"
After many years of disappointment and resentment, Slithers was now ready to even the score with Sandy and Dumbo. If any of their friends get in the way of their plans, he'll take care of them, the hard way. After getting outside of the hut, the poacher climbed up to a boulder, and held up his gun. August, Olaf, and Katlego followed him, and were looking forward to helping Clarence out with his revenge. The sky was dark with storm clouds, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. But the poacher didn't care what was around him.
(Clarence):
"Come my minions,
Rise for your master,
Let your evil shine,"
(Henchmen):
"In the dark of the night,
In the dark of the night,"
(Clarence):
"Find her now!
Yes, fly ever faster!"
(Henchmen):
"In the dark of the night
In the dark of the night
In the dark of the night,"
(Clarence):
"She'll be mine!"
