"Aren't you the cute couple," he sneered. "It's a pity I have to break this up."
From his belt, Pryde took out a flask and a clay bowl Wendell recognized from the native ceremony in the cave. Pryde filled the bowl with a red liquid that glowed like the fountain water. "Courtesy of our dearly departed friends," he said.
"What is that?" Prudence asked, tightening her grip on Wendell. "Some kind of poison?"
"Sadly, no. The reverend says this will 'purify your minds.' Whatever that means."
"He's going to erase our memories," Wendell said. "That's how he's done it all these years. The natives used this to wipe the memories of people after they put them into the fountain. They must have gotten the formula from that cave Joe found."
"I don't know anything about that. I was only told to give you kids your medicine and that's what I aim to do. Now you two can do this the easy way or the fun way." The beast took a step forward and growled to emphasize his master's point.
"I love you," Wendell whispered into Prudence's ear. As soon as he drank from the bowl, his head began to spin. The thoughts in his mind swirled around as if in a hurricane so that he had to scream his final words: "I love Prudence!"
With his last strength he kissed her a final time. A red glow erupted between them, blinding them.