Feathers and big feet...
I think I had a nightmare, something about ravens, but couldn’t quite remember once I woke up.
Somehow I was in the forest. There was a fire burning close, a line tied between two trees. My overalls were draped over it along with my hat and the rest of my belongings. I was wrapped in the blanket Mrs. Knott had given me. The fire was warm; I was drying off.
“Someone must have saved me.” I thought. It felt peaceful there as I got warm by the fire... at least until I noticed it. There was something large sitting close to me on a dead tree trunk. Something big, something hairy. I couldn’t quite get a good look at first as I lay there as still as possible, I could hear it grunting as it chewed and ate.
What was it eating? “Hopefully not me!” I thought. It was in the shape of a man, “Maybe a gorilla?” I honestly had no idea what it was, all I knew is that I didn’t want to be its next meal. It seemed pretty focused on whatever it was eating.
“Maybe it won’t notice if I quietly crawled away.” I thought.
Slowly I crawled out of the blanket but before I could get more than three feet away a strange stubby little bird about the size of a turkey hopped atop a rock and squawked at me warning the large beast. The large beast gently grabbed me by my ankle. It was terrifying, I wanted to scream but I was so scared that my voice locked up and nothing came out. It dragged me back to where I had been laying.
“No go.” It said in a raspy deep voice. “You no dry yet. No go time, it rest time now.”
The beast was strong. Strong enough to hurt me if it wanted, but apparently it just wanted to help.
“No worry.” Said the beast. “I no eat people... everyone think I eat people.”
I now took a better look at the large beast. It was shaped like a man but larger. It was extremely hairy with brown fur. Though it was large and somewhat terrifying, it’s face was somewhat innocent. It had braids and colorful feathers in its hair and wore a loin cloth to cover its parts. It was eating the chicken that Mrs. Knott had packed for me while the bird watched in hunger.
“No Dodo.” Said the beast to the bird. “You no can have chicken. It made from bird. It no right for bird to eat other bird!”
But the bird still watched the beast wanting food for itself.
“Okay, okay, share.” Said the beast, then tossed a biscuit to the bird. The bird gnawed at it trying and failing to swallow it down in one gulp.
“What are you?” I asked
“I Bigfoot.” He replied. Then pointed to the bird. “That there Dodo, he last Dodo in all Boysenvale.”
The bird stopped gnawing on the biscuit for a moment and squawked at me again. Apparently greeting me then resuming the obstacle of eating a biscuit.
“Are there more Bigfoots out here?” I asked.
“Bigfoot my name. I Sasquatch. No more sasquatch no more, it sad story I no like talk about.”
“I’m sorry.” I replied.
Bigfoot had a strange way of speaking, it was like this was his second language or he was still trying to learn to talk.
“Who are you?” Bigfoot asked. “And why bad witch man want kill you in water?”
“You saw that?” I asked.
“Yes. Me and Dodo no let you drown.” Bigfoot replied.
“My name is Michael.” I said and shook Bigfoots giant hand.... It was greasy from all the fried chicken. “Thanks’ for saving me.” I added.
“It no problem, you want chicken?” Bigfoot asked.
I told him he could have all the chicken in my bag. He laughed and continued to eat.
We talked while I dressed, my overalls were a little damp but everything else was mostly dry.
“Where you come from?” Bigfoot asked.
“I don’t know.” I replied. “I’m trying to find out.”
“You have home?”
“I think so, but I don’t know where.”
“Oh you must be lost. I lost once as little Sasquatch, but small bears help me find way home.... You know little bears?"
“Little Bears?” I replied. “No I don’t know any little bears.”
“You sure? They wear things like you do. Little bears wear hats and shoes, girl bears wear dresses and other things too. Just like you, but they much smaller than you and they bears.... You sure you no ever see them?”
“Yes, I’m sure.” I replied.
“Yeah, me no see them either.... I think they scared now that I big strong Sasquatch, but I would no hurt them... not ever.”
Bigfoot continued to finish off the chicken from my bag.
“So how come you no remember where you come from?” Bigfoot munched with a mouth full of chicken.
“I don’t know.” I reluctantly replied. “All I know is that I need to find a man named Montezuma. I was told there is a chief here in this forest that can help me find him.”
“Oh you looking for tribe?!”
“Yes!” I replied.
“You know how get there? It no easy to find.”
“I have a map.” I said remembering where I had placed it, then reaching into the front pocket of my overalls, but what I pulled out was no longer a map, it was a paper lump of mush. The river had destroyed it.
“Well that’s that.” I thought to myself. plopping down on the tree trunk next to Bigfoot.
“Now how am I going to find the hidden tribe?”
“That no look like map.” Bigfoot laughed.
“It’s destroyed.” I said wadding it into a soggy ball frustratingly chucking it as far as I could. The Dodo chased after it. “I don’t know how to get there without it.”
“Yeah, tribe hard to find.” Said Bigfoot.
“You’ve been there before??” I asked.
“Yes many time.”
“So you know how to get there??”
“No… I no know how get there.”
“Well... that’s just great.” I sighed frustratingly then plopped down on the tree trunk next to him.
Bigfoot stopped eating the chicken. He could tell that I was distressed.
“It ok.” He said patting me on the back with his hairy hands covered in chicken grease. “You get to tribe; I get you there.”
“But you just said you don’t know where it is.” I replied.
“I no know how get there. But Dodo know how get to tribe.” He said with a smile.
I packed my bag back up while Bigfoot finished his chicken. Soon he was finished and crept to the river to rinse the chicken grease from his hands.
“Okay!" Declared Bigfoot. “We go now."
Bigfoot grabbed the Dodo and talked to it for a moment.
“Dodo, you find tribe now.” He said. Then tossed the bird to the ground. Dodo stumbled its way in staggering directions as we followed.
“Trust Dodo. He know the way.” Bigfoot exclaimed.
“Ok.” I replied following the two of them.
Hours went by in that forest, us following Dodo, but then I noticed things started looking familiar. The Dodo would continually eat insects along the way, he would stagger and sometimes the Dodo bird would begin to follow us instead.
“You know....” I said. “If I’m being totally honest. I don’t think this bird knows where we are going. This part of the forest kinda looks like we’ve been here before.”
“All forest look same.” Replied Bigfoot. “That why it mysterious. Trust Dodo, he know how get to Chief.”
“...Okay.” I reluctantly agreed. We continued to follow the Dodo and not too long after, it stopped again to eat more insects. This had been hours now and I was beginning to grow impatient. Eventually the Dodo bird began to nap.
“Dodo think we rest now.” Said Bigfoot lying directly on the bed of the forest.
At this point I was starting to get fed up, but I too was tired and decided to take a rest also.
The three of us napped uncomfortably close, and every time I would skootch away to get some breathing room the two of them would skootch even closer towards me. I decided to give up and ended up staying awake the whole time as the two of them slept. Eventually the Dodo bird woke up and we began to follow it again, but only minutes later the bird began to nap again.
“Dodo no finish resting.” Said Bigfoot beginning to lay down once again.
That was it! I had made it to my frustrated breaking point!
“This bird doesn’t even know where we’re going!” I shouted. “All he wants to do is eat and sleep!”
“Trust Dodo.” Said Bigfoot.
“No! I don’t trust Dodo.” I angrily replied. “Dodo doesn’t know where he’s going. And you don’t know where you’re going.”
“Dodo know where we go.” Bigfoot assured.
“Look, you’re really nice...” I said shaking Bigfoots hand. Bigfoot had a confused look on his large face. “...And I don’t want to make you angry because I’m pretty sure you could rip my head off if you wanted.”
“Yes I very strong.” Bigfoot replied.
“But I think I need to find this place on my own.”
“But you get lost in forest.” He warned.
“We’re already lost, so I think I’ll take my chances.” I said grabbing my things stubbornly heading into the forest alone.
“Ok we meet you at old chief lodge.” Bigfoot shouted as I left.
As I made my way through the forest alone I had an extreme feeling of relief. Yet almost immediately afterward I felt horrible for leaving Bigfoot and Dodo behind, so I decided to go back and apologize, but when I tried to go back I noticed that the forest looked a little different now, and the two of them were nowhere to be found.
“Maybe they’ve already gone on ahead.” I thought.
I still felt bas so I decided if I were to meet them at the Mysterious lodge I could apologize for leaving them behind then, and that it would be better to continue on before it gets dark out.
“Okay....” I thought to myself. “Can’t let myself get lost.”
I still had a few biscuits left over in my bag so I began dropping pieces along the way to mark my path in a straight line. Soon enough I noticed that each and every piece of biscuit I had strategically dropped was quickly and effortlessly snagged up by small mice. They were quick little things that began to follow me around waiting for me to drop more. Soon I was out of biscuit and they gave up interest scurrying away back to wherever they had come from. Those little mice had left me stranded without a clue of which direction to go.
Everything looked the same in this forest. After what seemed like a half hour I stumbled upon the camp site by the river where I had met Bigfoot and Dodo.
“Oh no, I’ve back tracked." I thought to myself. “Well let’s try again.”
So I entered the forest again, but only moments later I was back at that camp site. Frustratingly I re-entered the forest again and found myself at the camp site once more. No matter what direction I went it always led me right back to the camp site like a never ending loop. I knew there and then that I had made a huge mistake, I should have stayed with Bigfoot and Dodo.
Somehow the Dodo bird made it into the forest much farther than I could...but how? Finally, I gave up and began to lay on the ground by the camp site regretting my foolish choice to venture into the forest alone.
“What am I going to do?” I thought to myself. All I could think about was my wife. I couldn’t remember much about her but I knew her face and her smile. “I’m sorry.” I cried out loud. “I don’t know how to get back to you.”
I lay there thinking for a moment.... “How? How did that clumsy little bird know where to go?"
Suddenly as I lay there on that cold forest bed something crawled out of the leaves and up my arm. Some weird kind of Potato Beetle. Instantly I remembered that Dodo was eating insects along the way! So I decided that I would search for more insects.
“Hopefully I don’t have to eat these!" I thought to myself.
The first thing I found was a bush covered in more Potato beetles. The beetles were crawling off and heading into the rest of the forest. I followed them and not very far from that I found a trail of Ants that headed even further into the forest. I followed the ants far into the forest, the trail seemed to travel for a few miles. The trail ended where there were what looked like Tobacco plants with weird caterpillars feeding on them. I followed those plants as far as they led and from there I found what looked to be Honey bees flying above. I followed them too and eventually I came upon it. The mysterious Lodge hidden in the forest and there in front waiting for me was Bigfoot and Dodo. Dodo hopping up and down, trying to eat honeybees that flew by.
“You take long time; you trust Dodo now?” Bigfoot asked.
I couldn’t deny that the Dodo bird knew what it was doing. That if I would have followed it in the first place I would have arrived at the lodge with them and could have avoided wasting so much time in that forest alone in the first place.
“Okay.” I replied submittingly. “From now on I’ll Trust Dodo.”
Bigfoot and Dodo hadn’t gone inside the lodge yet. He said that everyone was gone. I asked him what he meant by that. He said that usually the whole tribe was out and about.
There were no doors on the lodge only a colorful painting that covered the entire face of the lodge, it looked like some kind of Native bird.
“Couldn’t we just go in?” I asked. But Bigfoot told me that trespassing was forbidden.
We could see smoke coming from the top of the lodge.
“I think we had better go in.” I said. “It looks like someone has a fire going, I don’t think they’d mind if we watched the fire so the place doesn’t burn down.”
“Okay.” Bigfoot agreed. “But there no door this time. How we get in if there no door?”
“Did you knock?” I asked.
“There no door to knock on.” He replied.
I knocked on the face of the lodge anyway. Slowly hidden doors appeared.
“It look dark inside.” Bigfoot whined holding Dodo tight.
“It’ll be alright.” I assured him. “We’ll go in together.”
Together we stepped through the doorway. Once we entered it took a while before things began to come into view. Finally, our eyes adjusted to the dark and we could see most everything.
From the inside the lodge was extremely large. A wooden tower was at the center of one wall. Different kinds of animal bodies and faces were carved into it. The carvings were stacked on top of each other. The final carving was a giant bird that rested atop the tower. I found it both wondrous and hair-raising. Wonderful because it was so life like and detailed, and hair-raising because it felt as though the carved faces were watching me.
A fire pit burned in the center of the lodge, Dodo curled up next to it and began to nap.
“Where Chief go?” Bigfoot asked. “He always here.”
“Your guess is as good as mine.” I replied, picking up what looked like a sturdy branch that rested near the fire.
That Chief walk stick!” Bigfoot declared.
I handed the walking stick to him. We decided to search the place and try to find out what happened to everyone.
Dodo continued to make itself comfortable in front of the fire, stretching its stubby little wings and finding a position to sleep.
Suddenly the fire began to grow larger, growing until its flames almost reached the ceiling.
The fire had caused the room to grow brighter. Bigfoot and I noticed the change in lighting and directed our attention towards the fire pit.
“What’s going on with that fire?” I asked.
“I not know.” Replied Bigfoot. “I no see nothing like it.”
Bigfoot saw that Dodo was extremely close to the pit and called out to the bird.
“Dodo, wake up!” Bigfoot shouted, but Dodo payed no heed to his warning, instead it turned over and ruffled it’s feathers while it continued to sleep.
The fire now began to change shape; four fiery legs began to form. From the legs a fiery body came followed by a large fiery head.... the fire had changed its shape into a large grizzly bear! The giant bear stood on its hind legs and roared! It was loud, loud enough to finally wake the Dodo bird.
“Run Dodo!” Bigfoot shouted and Dodo listened. The fire bear jumped out of the pit trying to pounce on Dodo, but missed. The bear began to chase the poor bird as it squawked in terror throughout the lodge.
Bigfoot tried to protect Dodo, attacking the Bear with the walking stick. I grabbed Dodo as the fire bear and Bigfoot continued to fight. Bigfoot smashed the bear in the face with the stick a couple of times, but on the third time the bears large teeth chomped down on the walking stick then ripped it right out of Bigfoots grasp before tossing it across the lodge.
“Hey?” Bigfoot shouted as he ran after the stick. “...Bad bear!”
The fire bear now redirected its attention to Dodo and I blocking us in the corner of the lodge. The only thing I could think of doing was use the boomerang. I held out my gloved hand, Dodo squirmed in my other arm.
“Boomerang!!” I shouted and the Boomerang appeared in my glove! I threw it as hard as I could. Once out of my hand the boomerang grew to the size of the fire bear, slicing through it and destroying its form. The boomerang slammed wedging itself into the wall at the other side of the lodge. What was left of the fire bear dissipated back into the fire pit.
Suddenly... an elderly voice emerged. “Oh it’s just you.” It said. “I’m glad that you are here.”
Out of the shadows appeared an old man, He had long silver hair and a red head band. He was dressed in native attire and covered himself in a warm shawl.
“I am sorry Bigfoot.” Said the old man. “I was only protecting myself.”
“It ok, we no hurt.” Bigfoot replied handing the old man the walking stick. I placed Dodo back on the ground and it crept by the fire to rest once again. I shook my head thinking that bird never learns.
“Who is your friend?” asked the old man.
“This Michael, he lost, need go home. Me and Dodo help find you.”
“Hello Michael.” The man greeted me. “I am the one they call Speaks with stories. I am... I was the chief of this tribe.”
I smiled and shook (speaks with stories) hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“I see you know how to use the boomerang.”
“Well, I guess so. I’m still getting used to it.”
Meanwhile, and to no avail, Bigfoot attempted to pull the now giant sized boomerang out of the wall.
“You made the boomerang grow in size.” Said speaks with stories. “How did you do that?”
“I don’t know.” I replied. “It just kind of happened.”
Speaks with stories Gave me a kind of examination, touching my arms and face then resting his head against my chest listening to my heartbeat. “You have a good heart, a strong heart.”
I have to admit this was somewhat uncomfortable and awkward, especially when speaks with stories knocked me on my forehead with his walking stick.
“But you have a hard head!” He scolded.
“Head harder than Bigfoot?” Bigfoot asked overhearing our conversation while still attempting to remove the boomerang from the wall.
“No.” Replied Speaks with stories, then rolling his eyes. “No one’s harder headed than you.”
“Good!” Bigfoot cheered. “Bigfoot have hardest head in whole world!”
The Chief asked me why I had come to him. I told him about my travels so far. And how I needed to get back to my wife.
“So you need to find Montezuma?” Asked Chief Speaks with stories.
“Yes.” I replied. “I’ve been told he can help me find my way home.”
“I see… He was here, but has come and left, headed to Calico in search of the final seal.”
“Where’s Calico?” I asked.
“Very far. On foot it’s a three-day journey from here.” He replied.
“It no use.” Said Bigfoot interrupting our conversation. “Boomerang stuck.”
“Call it.” Said Speaks with stories. “It will only listen to you.”
I held out my hand and willed the boomerang to me. It flew out of the wall shrinking in size and back into my glove.
“Wow you strong!” Laughed Bigfoot.
“How is it I can use the boomerang?” I asked.
“Because you are an operator.” Replied Chief speaks with stories. “A very strong one at that. Do you have any operator’s bands?”
“No.” I replied. “Mr. Knott’s son told me a little about them, and I’ve seen Some on
Surfside and Coast, but I don’t have any of those.”
“I’ve met the farmer." Replied Speaks with Stories. “he’s a good man, but who’s Surfside and Coast?”
“They too are operators, they found me on the beach and helped me find Mr. Knott.”
“I see." He replied. “Well, over the years many of these bands have crossed my path.
Montezuma can use them, but apparently so can you.”
Speaks with stories revealed his wrist and on one arm were three metal operator’s bands.
“These bands were meant to protect my tribe, but now they are of no use to me.” He took them off handing them to me. One was silver and had the words (Merry Go Round) stunningly etched in calligraphy. The other was copper and was also etched with the words (Perilous Plunge). The last was also made of copper. With the word (Riptide) etched into it.
“What do they do?” I asked.
“I don’t know.” Replied Speaks with stories. “I have never seen them work.”
“How do they work?”
“Wear them and speak their words."
Speaks with stories told me that if I wore them long enough the bands capability would come to me in my mind.
“Why not just try them now? I asked.
“They are much too powerful.” Replied speaks with stories. “Wait until you are in an open area alone where no-one can get hurt.”
Later that night we four, and that includes Dodo, sat by the fire as the Chief began to tell stories about his people and how they lived. He was able to manipulate the smoke coming from the fire changing it into different shapes, he used this skill to paint a picture of the stories he told. By now Bigfoot was laying on his back getting comfortable. Dodo hopped on top of his belly making itself comfortable too.
“Where is the rest of your tribe?” I asked.
“Trapped.” Speaks with stories replied. “I was hunting when the storm appeared. when I returned they were all gone. The storm had taken them. The storm of the dark one.”
“Who is the dark one?” I asked.
“Bad witch man.” Bigfoot yawned as he passed out by the fire.
“Nefarious?” I asked.
“Yes.” Said the Chief. “Nefarious the dark one.... He has taken my people, but I know they are still alive, not yet consumed by his hunger. The dark one comes with the storm. Have you seen him?”
“On my way here.” I answered. “I saw the storm twice. Once on the way to Mr. Knott’s farm, and the other on the river by here. There was something in the water that tried to take me under. A raven. A dark shadow.”
“Yes, raven is the trickster.” Replied Speaks with stories. “But not all ravens are bad. Only the dark ones’ ravens. He must know that you are powerful. That you can use the Boomerang, and the bands. He will want what you have. He will want to consume you too. It would be good for you to help Montezuma. Help him stop the dark one from awakening.”
“I can’t.” I replied. “I just want to remember everything so that I can go back home. I just want to be with my wife. She must be worried and waiting for me.”
“The dark one loves power.” Said Speaks with stories as he again painted a picture using the smoke from the fire. “If he awakens he will consume all of Boysenvale and everyone in it, but that will not be enough. He thirsts for power, thirsts for life. Even if you do find your wife, if you find your way back home, he will continue on and consume the other worlds and yours along with them.”
The Chief left me there by the fire. I sat there wondering what to do. I didn’t want to be in this place anymore. I wanted to go home and be with her. I didn’t want to worry about it anymore. I fell asleep by that fire.
That night My wife came to me in a dream. She was with me in a large field of boysenberry. She told me not to worry. That she had been dreaming about me too, willing me to remember her and our life together. That she would be okay and praying for my safe return. Far off in the field a dark storm appeared. Hundreds of ravens swarmed out of the storm piling themselves into a dark shadow in the grass. Out emerged a dark figure. My entire being knew that it was vile.
“Michael.” My wife said holding me close. “You need to stop that thing.”
“I just want to come back to you.” I replied.
“That thing is bad. Don’t let him eat us.”
“I won’t.” I replied. “I won’t let anything bad happen to you... I promise.”
The next morning, I remembered the dream, I remembered how scared my wife was... I knew what I had to do. I packed my things. Speaks with Stories was awake now too. He gave me a small sack of food for my journey. Bigfoot and Dodo were still asleep by the fire.
“Don’t wake them.” I said. “It’ll be too dangerous for them to go.”
“Where are you going?” He asked.
“To find Montezuma and help him stop Nefarious.”
Speaks with stories smiled and gave me a hug. “Good luck to you, young warrior.” He said.
“Bye you guys.” I whispered to Bigfoot and Dodo as they slept. “It was nice meeting you.” Dodo ruffled its feathers repositioning itself on Bigfoots belly. I think it may have been dreaming.
Speaks with stories led me through the mysterious forest rather quickly. Once out of the forest he pointed me in the right direction. Telling me that after a while I’d come upon train tracks that would lead me straight to Calico and if I could catch the train I’d be there in no time. So now I headed through the dessert on a new journey to find the town of Calico.