Chapter 2
The moon shone over the lake, giving it a tight silver sheen. Two of Mother’s Arms were draped lazily across the horizon. Mother, The Sleeping Spider, the bottom of a spiral galaxy, was the most sacred artifact of the sky. The Shiny Jeweled center piece was sometimes even visible during the day. There were the Solar Legends, the stories that came after the Fall, the time before any stars; all shared a version of the story that the stars were given so people could find their way back from the dark. Just as they all shared a Great Flood story, they also shared the Gifted Stars story. And then there was the Mundane Theory: they lived on a planet that orbited a simple star that orbited a galaxy in an atypical orbit. There was a neighboring galaxy that had a halo, a stream of stars, going around it like a ribbon wound the wrong way over a spool. They were this, minus the stream. Maybe they were first to be streamed? Maybe they were first to be cast off from the Great Mother? Maybe they were fly about to get caught in the web? Maybe they were a glow worm that had gained its wings and was departing? Maybe they were a seedling star? Maybe they were rejected because they had so many falls from grace, cut loose like an unwanted meal… These were the things Kelly pondered while fishing at night.
Brothers Kelly, Mino, and Lint sat with bamboo poles fishing together. Mino and Lint were not fond of fishing, but they had been threatened with hunger if they didn’t participate. Behind them was the forest. Lint, the youngest, kept looking back at the forest for threats. There was smattering of glow worms in the tree; spider like creatures that spun webs, ate their fill of flying insects, only to one day cocoon themselves, metamorphose, and then, too, become flying insects. Kelly considered the metaphor of the great mother and glow worms again, wondering if people were prey, or glow worms struggling to wings. If the first, they were still in the era of the Great Fall- falling to their deaths because the mother had rejected them. Rock bottom was a liquid pool of stars where all was consumed by fire and light.
“What if a Walking Bear comes?”
“They don’t exist,” Kelly said.
“They’re in the book.”
“There are lots of books,” Kelly said. “We’ve read books without Walking Bears. There are more books without Walking Bears than there are books with Walking Bears, therefore, there are no Walking Bears.”
Mino looked at the elder. “That doesn’t follow.”
“There are no Walking Bears in our family book,” Kelly said.
“Clearly there are Walking Bears in our family book, or we wouldn’t be able to discuss them,” Mino said.
“The longer you guys talk, the longer we will be out here,” Kelly said. “Be quiet and catch fish. Stop looking at the forest, Lint. Focus.”
“I don’t see how talking will impede catching…”
“They hear you. They feel you. Sound travels through the pole, into the water through the string,” Kelly said. “They sense your fear, your hunger, your thoughts. Still your thoughts. Allow this moment to be.”
“Father said we shouldn’t be out after dark while he is away,” Lint said.
“The best catch is at night, in this full moon,” Kelly said. He observed the Emissary coming into light. “Look, there’s the truth of it.”
Mino displayed skeptical anger. “Emissary is a clock. You can’t just speak something and say it is truth because a clock ticks forwards.”
“Did you complete school?” Kelly asked.
“No, and neither did you,” Mino said.
“I went further than you,” Kelly said.
“Further into stupid?” Mino asked.
Lint tapped his brother’s arm.
“What?” Mino asked, aggravated.
“Is that a ghost?”
Mino looked against his want and paused. He saw something, but couldn’t make it out. He sat down his pole, stood and faced the thing.
“If you two don’t pay attention and catch, I swear you will go without meat tomorrow,” Kelly said.
Mino and Lint were transfixed, trying to figure it out. Kelly finally gave it enough attention that he put down his pole in frustration and got up.
“It’s just a broken tree,” Kelly said; he found himself unable to look away.
“I don’t remember a broken tree there before,” Mino said.
“Because you’re not as observant as I,” Kelly said. “The moon and Mother’s Arms are playing tricks on us.”
“Maybe it’s a tree ghost?” Lint said.
“It’s not a ghost,” Kelly said.
To prove it, he advanced on what he perceived to be a human sized tree stump. His greatest fear would be a raccoon would leap out. The closer he got, the slower he got. He became uncertain. He became angry in his uncertainty and his resolve to push through moved him forwards. When the perceived tree limbs moved as if to reach out to catch him, Kelly fell backwards, his breath taken. As he was falling, he was reprimanding himself- branches moving in the wind; another part didn’t believe that for a moment. What had appeared as a broken tree transfigured into a cloaked, silhouette of a human. Kelly scrambled backwards on his butt to get out of reach, without averting his gaze, still transfixed in disbelief. Kelly didn’t see his brothers flee. They moved so fast, it was likely no one saw them run away. Kelly could only see this thing advancing on him. Its shadowy form became less of an old beaten, bedraggled tree, and more human.
Kelly’s hand serendipitously fell upon a stick. He grasped it unconsciously and raised it in defense, pointing it at the ghost. The ghost ceased its advanced. It unfurled a hood and revealed a face that was human enough. The ears and long hair suggested elf. The smile that exposed teeth suggested vampire. The teeth in this moonlight seemed to be self-illuminated.
“Identify yourself,” Kelly said.
“You think that stick will save you?” it said.
Kelly shrugged. The creature was not advancing. Proof enough for now.
“What do you want?” Kelly asked.
“What do you think I want?” it said.
“You will answer my questions or depart this place forever,” Kelly said.
It laughed. “Do you think this is a child’s story? Do you really suppose creatures of the night are so rule bound they will respond to your expectations? Still, I like you. Such boldness should be rewarded,” it said. “My name is Dell. Prey, come closer.”
“No,” Kelly said.
“What is your name, Prey,” Dell asked.
Kelly struggled, wanting to keep it a secret. He found himself speaking his name.
“Kelly.” He found himself lowering the stick.
“Isn’t that a girl’s name?” Dell asked, coming forwards.
Anger. The stick came up, pointing. Dell stopped his advanced. He offered a palms up gesture that suggested harmless, innocence.
“This is going to happen, my lovely new friend,” Dell said. “There is no malice. I am patient.”
“What is your intent?!” Kelly asked.
“What was your intent with the pole on the lake?” Dell asked. “I am a fisher of men. I have you. I am patient. Relax. Allow it to be.”
The stick was becoming heavy, sinking. Dell took another step forwards. Kelly brought the stick back up.
“It won’t help you,” Dell said. “Your life’s blood is mine. The fish will dine on your corpse, and your spirit will return to the forest from which it came. That is a good thing. You will have a chance to be born again, or cease the endless toiling that humans are so hell bent to engage in.”
“I demand you leave this area and not return,” Kelly said.
Dell blinked at him, appealingly. “I could make your end really pleasant for you.” He transfigured into a female form. Accent and personality changed. It was bubbly and fun and sparkly, like some of the comics Kelly had read. “Hello, I am Della. Do you come here often?”
Kelly became aware of the stick trembling. He was confused until he realized his hand was trembling. He became very aware of being aroused. He had been aroused from the beginning of the encounter, but now, the evidence was painful.
“You want me,” Della said, she shifted her hips by alternating knee flexes.
“Go away,” Kelly said.
“Or what? You’ll slay me? I will allow you to penetrate me with your wood, if you would,” Della said.
Della unzipped her jacket revealing cleavage. It was as if undoing her jacket had allowed more of her to manifest. Her clothing tightened against her, accentuating hips and breast, as if her clothing were also a living thing, hugging her. Her inner shirt shrank, allowing her navel to be visible. Her skin shone with a reflected gleam of sunlight, as if she were freshly oiled. Her breasts grew. She pushed them together, accentuating the line, drawing his eyes towards cleavage. She was able to take two steps forwards. Kelly reinforced his gesture, pointing the stick at her- locking eyes on her eyes. If he knew anything about fencing, he would have turned his side to her as well, but he stood there, awkwardly, holding a stick at a phantom.
“I love a boy and his wood,” Della said. “I should have led with this form. You like red heads.” Her eyes flashed orange; she shook her head and launched a wave of silky, shoulder length hair- as straight as hard spaghetti. “Look into my eyes. Trace the constellation of freckles.
You want to kiss me.”
“No!” Kelly said.
She was able to inch forwards. “Lying gives me measure.”
“Yes,” Kelly said. “Fuck! You will cease your attack and leave me alone.”
“I cannot,” Della said. “I am fixated. In my desire to possess you, I have become possessed. I promise, your first time will be everything you imagined.”
“The first time will be my last time,” Kelly said.
She mused, nodding her head in agreement. “There is that. Can you think of a better way to die?”
“No more talk. Leave,” Kelly said.
“I will outlast you,” Della assured him. “This is inevitable. Come, allow me to ease your pain.”
“I have you figured out. You must do as I say,” Kelly said.
“Oh, I like this game,” Della said. “What have you figured out?”
“As long as I hold my ground, you are trapped,” Kelly said.
“Interesting premise. Or maybe I am just waiting you out,” Della said. “Both of your woods are getting heavy. Even now, you can’t hold the one in your hand. I would cradle the other for you.”
“You will cease with the innuendoes,” Kelly said.
“Okay. I want to fuck you, Kelly,” Della said. “I want my mouth on yours. I want…”
“Fuck you!” Kelly said.
“You want me to masturbate in front of you first?” Della asked.
“You’re trapped and desperate,” Kelly said. “Grant me three wishes and I will let you depart with your life.”
“I am not a Jinn!” Della said. She pouted, hands on her hip. “How dare you?!”
“Ah, you can be angered,” Kelly said.
She relaxed, chuckling. “Submit, and I promise not to eat your brothers,” Della said.
“You can have them,” Kelly offered.
Della was surprised. She couldn’t inch forwards. She tested, but got no ground.
“Interesting,” she mused. “Either you don’t care about them, or you realize if I wanted them you couldn’t stop me, and like any proper fish, it is upon the fish to avoid the hook…”
“I don’t think you can find them or trace them. I think this is random. I think the goddess will protect them or the village and, well, what are the odds of a person encountering two ghosts in a lifetime, much less the same ghost. Go fetch them if you like, but you will leave this area,” Kelly said.
Della sucked on her thumb, clicking her nail against an upper tooth.
“I am fixated on you. There is nowhere you can go that I can’t go. There is nowhere you have been that I can’t revisit,” Della said. “Preserve your brothers, your father’s lineage, by submitting to me.”
“Or never going home,” Kelly offered.
There was a hint of something in her face. Were they playing poker? Had she just revealed a truth to him? Was she young? What was he forgetting? How was it that all of his childhood stories and myth were suddenly lost to him the moment he needed those lessons most?
“You will not last the night,” Della promised. “I am patient. Still, there will be penalty. I will find your brothers.”
“You will not survive the dawn,” Kelly said.
“You will not make it to the dawn,” Della said.
“I will survive this trap. Can you survive the light of day?” Kelly asked.
“Oh, I love you. I have not met a man who can hold a wood without eventually submitting,” Della said. “How long can you keep it up?”
“The rest of my life,” Kelly said.
“Agreed,” Della said.
“Or until sunrise where I watch you whither,” Kelly said.
They stood there, quietly appraising each other. She smiled broadly at him. She pulled up her trousers and they magically became a skirt. Her legs shined in this light, like the rest of her.
She was bared foot. She teased by raising her dress, exposing upper, inner thigh, but if he wanted to see it all he would have to come forwards. He squinted, fiercely locking his eyes on her. She began humming.
“Stop that,” Kelly insisted.
“Stop humming?” Della asked. She started to sing. “Anticipation. It’s making me late.
It’s keeping me way way waiting…”
Kelly countered with a peppy song to stay awake, “We are the dark we are the light-We are the voice you hear at night…”
Della laughed and danced in place. “Strung Out! I love that song. And so it is, the battles of songs has begun.”
निनमित
The Captain of the guard yawned. He was not unhappy, just tired, and disinterested. He followed his man out where the two hysterical boys finally calmed enough to catch minimally coherent information.
“You were outside the city perimeters at night,” the Captain said. “Beyond the Circle of Elders?”
“We were fishing,” Mino said.
“With our brother when the tree ghost took him,” Lint said.
The guard laughed. The Captain looked at them and they hid their amusement.
“Where is your father?” the Captain asked.
“He took a shipment of lavender west,” Mino said. “He will be back in ten days.”
One of the guards volunteered to walk the lake. The Captain shook his head, looking out at the forest shaped silhouette made prominent by rising Mother.
“No,” the Captain asked.
“But our brother is out there!” Lint said.
“Maybe,” the Captain said. “Secure these boys. Three guards. Keep a light on them. Keep eyes on them.”
“Seriously?” one of the guards said.
“Did I stutter?” the Captain asked. “Give them food, drink, and blankets.”
“You can’t…” Mino began to protest.
“Son, you will stay in the protection of my guard, here, or I will have you in a cell,” the Captain said.
Lint took Mino’s hand. Mino stared at the Captain, but cooperated. When they were out of ear shot, the Lt. made himself available.
“You sure you don’t want me to take some men and…”
“No one leaves the watch,” the Captain said. “Wake up the spare shift, double our visible presence.”
“You’re a believer,” the Lt. Said.
“And you’re not,” the Captain said. “And that is why you’re still a Lt. Secure a corpse wagon. Have my horse ready to go for a morning outing. And stir up some coffee, I think I will wait up for Mother.”
निनमित
The Captain was on a horse. The corpse wagon had a horse and a driver. The boys walked. The guard walked in front of the horses in a line. They topped the hill first and one shouted out. The Captain shouted for them to halt and rode out ahead. He took a few moments ascertain the truth of it and came back.
“Sars,” the Captain said, addressing his lieutenant. “Take the wagon and three of your steadiest men down to the boy. You will find him holding a stick. Under no circumstances touch that stick, but get him in the wagon. Am I clear?”
“He’s dead,” Lint cried. “I told you he was dead!”
“He’s not dead,” Mino said.
“He is to you,” the Captain said. “It’s best you just forget you had a brother.”
“What?!” Mino asked.
The Captain climbed off his horse. He knelt down and looked Mino in the eye. “You no longer have a brother. You never had a brother. Am I clear? You will stay with my guard until you father arrives to take custody of you. Nolen, take these kids back and keep them safe and in light. Keep eyes on them until I have spoken to their father. Am I clear?”
Nolen actually seemed scared, but he didn’t pose his questions at this time. He and his shadows collected the boys and headed back.
The captain tied his horse to a shrub and walked down to where the boy was now loaded into the corpse wagon. The Captain removed a ring and handed it to the driver. He instructed the driver where to go and what to do. The driver nodded, got the cart going, and turned the horse around. The Captain surveyed the area and decided, based on pure guess, which was the tree stump from the children’s story. The stump was visible from the lake were two of the poles were. There was a pole floating in the water, likely drawn out when a fish took it. The stump was nowhere as large as the children had made it, but that wasn’t unexpected. It did seem to have a bit of a stubby arm. The stump was taller than the smallest child, Lint.
“Sars, go to the Elders, secure volunteers. I want this stump in a wagon, with as much roots as they can ferret out of the ground. I want every piece of it in a wagon. I don’t want to find a splinted left on the ground or in anyone’s hand, am I clear. Ask for Elder Gates to supervise. He will understand.”
It was clear Sars wanted to protest. All of this for a dead kid gripping a stick and stories of a tree ghost. He said the right thing. The Captain went to retrieve his horse and the two of them walked the perimeter of the lake. Once out of ear shot of his mean, he spoke to the horse as if it were a fellow human.
निनमित
Telmar heard the wagon approaching and was there to greet it. He was an older man, balding, a thin beard that was more white than black, but not absent of color. He didn’t recognize the driver. His dog barked at the wagon until he told the dog to be quiet. The dog, part blue healer and something not recognized, sat and breathed easy, tongue hanging.
“Where do you want the corpse?” the driver asked.
“Why would I want a corpse?” Telmar asked.
The driver tossed him a ring.
“Stay,” Telmar told the dog. The driver stayed, too.
Telmar came around the wagon, took inventory of its contents, and came back around to where the driver could see him. No words were exchanged. He went towards the house. A log cabin in the woods. He returned, four women accompanying him. One was older than him, her face wrinkled, her hair full white. The next was his age, plump, her hair still holding color. The other two were close in age, likely in their twenties. They were all wearing trousers and loose fitting, flannel shirts. The eldest viewed the contents of the wagon and she and Telmar had a private conversation. When that was done, the women fetched the body out of the wagon and took it away. Telmar handed the ring back to the driver.
“Was there anything else found with or near the boy?”
“I was just told to bring the corpse,” the driver said.
“Maybe a fallen tree?” Telmar asked.
“I saw no fallen tree. I just saw the corpse,” the driver said.
“Tell the Captain, I expect fucking better from him. Don’t soften my words,” Telmar said.
The driver got the cart going and turned it about. Telmar went around back. He was halfway to the house when he remembered his dog. “Come!” The dog flew to his side. He found the women attending the boy. He lay on a white marble slab of a stone table, supported by marble spheres, half of which were buried. The dog stopped at an invisible barrier and lay down.
A child, female came at Telmar. She greeted the dog first. “What’s wrong with him, Papa?” she asked.
“Nothing. He is just sleeping. Stay out of the circle,” Telmar said. “If it interest you, feel free to watch. Your mother will quiz you later on your understanding of things.”
“Are you going to kill him?” she asked.
Telmar gave her the most incredulous look she had ever seen. “Fuck, child. What is wrong with you? We don’t kill people.”
“Soldier kill people,” the girl said.
“We are not soldiers,” Telmar said. “What are we?”
“We are watchers,” the girl said.
“Go play. And take the dog. I am irritated,” Telmar said.
The girl ran off, the dog in tow. The eldest stopped beside him on her way back to the house.
“I am going to take a nap,” she said. “Keep your wives off his wood.”
“He’s still dreaming?” Telmar asked.
“As hard as a rock,” she said.
“Hards are wasted on the youth and dreamers,” Telmar said.
“Yours works just fine, son,” she said. “When you’re asleep.”
“I am robbed, nightly,” Telmar said.
“The price for dancing with ghosts,” she said. “Don’t wake me. I’ll get up when I get up.”
Telmar nodded. Mother headed inside and Telmar went to the circle, walked about the line, and entered at North Entrance. The boy’s clothes had been removed and he was sponged wash with water only. Water dripped off the table. He still clutched the stick.
“Withdraw from the circle,” Telmar said. “I want the canopy erected, so he doesn’t sunburned.”
“We could just throw a tent over him,” the plump one said.
“Go, now,” Telmar said.
They departed by south exit and orbited the circle before departing. Stone pillars arranged around the table were either chairs to dine on the table, or points on a compass. Only the pillars at the head and the feet of the table were close enough to actually dine on the table comfortably.
He sat at the head of the table, closed his eyes, and silently prayed.