by Kim Petersen
She wiped at her chin with her forearm. ‘Thank you very much, frog,’ she smiled.
The frog’s sagging throat moved but no sound came nor did it acknowledge her.
‘Hmmm … well, I guess I should keep going. It’s going to get dark soon and I don’t want to get lost in the bush in the night-time,’ she said, rising to her feet.
She took a step and stopped abruptly when she heard rustling among the thick undergrowth of the rainforest. A flock of cockatoos glided overhead, screeching as their wings took them away. Her feet anchored into the moist gravel and her body stiffened as she waited for the noise of the birds to abate. She stifled a squeal as the rustling and the snapping of branches grew nearer.
He’s coming for me! She looked around furiously for a suitable hiding place as she caught sight of a looming shadow through the trees. I can’t go back to those witches! Her thoughts scattered as she eyed a big rock at the water’s edge and scampered behind it.
Panic gripped her like a terrified mouse awaiting discovery. She held her breath and listened over the sound of the flowing current. All was quiet. She spotted the giant frog leaping towards her.
‘Shoo! Go away!’ she whispered.
The frog’s legs jerked and it took another leap closer.
She was about to issue another warning to the frog when she heard the sound of footsteps in the clearing by the river. She clamped a palm over her mouth and her eyes almost popped out of her head.
A deep croak erupted from the frog and it sprang violently towards her, landing at her feet. Its bulging eyes looked up at her and it croaked again.
Arella’s pulse buzzed like a whirling bee as a pair of black boots tramped over mushy leaves and pebbles until they halted beside her. She squeezed her eyes shut, not daring to peer into her uncle’s face. She knew he wouldn’t be happy with her.
‘Oh Arella!’ her mother’s voice cried as she scooped her into her arms.
‘Mummy, it’s you!’ she wailed. She gripped Millie with a flood of relief and began to sob.
Millie smoothed her hair while she cradled her. ‘It’s okay butterfly. I’m here now; I’m here now,’ she crooned, wiping at her tears.
Arella looked up into her mother’s eyes. ‘How did you find me out here?’
Millie grinned. ‘I had a little help,’ she confessed, gesturing towards Bella and Damon who were waving at her.
Arella leaped from Millie’s arms and rushed to Bella. ‘I knew you would remember meeting me in the Golden World; thank you!’ She pressed her cheek against Bella’s.
‘Thank you for trusting me, Arella,’ Bella whispered.
They exchanged hugs and Arella looked wide-eyed at Damon.
She pulled away from Bella and turned to him with a shy smile. ‘You’re my daddy?’
He bent to kneel before her and nodded while drinking in her image. ‘You are just perfect,’ he choked. He cleared his throat and extended a hand. ‘I am your daddy; it’s so, so good to meet you, Arella.’
A cry billowed through the air as she ignored his outstretched hand and threw herself into his arms. ‘I have dreamed of you a thousand times!’ she whimpered, nuzzling against his chest.
Silent tears fell over his cheeks and he closed his eyes as he held his little girl for the first time. ‘I love you,’ he whispered in her ear.
‘I know,’ she murmured.
Ace pulled the Harley to a halt outside the cottage and burst through the front door. His eyes flicked back and forth as he took in the scene in the tiny living area. He could hear Madison busying herself in the kitchen while Selina had made herself at home on the sofa.
She casually looked at him as she lay languidly like a cat. ‘Well, well. Look who’s finally come back. Did you find your prey?’ she swung her long legs into a seated position.
He grunted at her and turned towards the kitchen.
‘Hey, I was talking to you, mister!’ she called.
He paused to look her way.
She smiled and pushed out her chest. ‘You didn’t mind giving me your attention last night,’ she purred, toying with the tips of her blonde hair.
He followed her fingers as they traced over her breasts. He noticed the strain of her nipples against the flimsy blouse as they responded to her touch. He felt the desire surging through his groin, and for a moment considered a rerun of the night before. He was beside her in a flash and reaching under her blouse for a nipple. He squeezed and bent his head for a taste while she groaned.
His mind felt numb and void as he began to gently suckle. When he closed his eyes, images of Millie and his mother burst into his consciousness. Rage skulked and stifled every corner of his mind while his suckling gave way to a savage fusion.
Selina yelped and pushed at his head. ‘Stop!’ she cried, shoving at him as hard as she could. She gouged a finger in his eye, forcing him to recoil.
Ace gripped her thighs and threw back his head, exposing sharp white fangs. He began to chuckle wildly before abruptly stopping, glaring back into her eyes with deep metallic blue orbs.
‘Maybe later,’ he sneered, standing up to cast an eye over Madison who had been watching the interaction from the kitchen threshold. ‘We have company. You two stay here.’
Madison’s face brightened as Ace stormed out the door, missing the grin that reflected his own on Selina’s lips.
‘We have to get Arella to the car and out of here.’ Millie grasped her daughter’s hand and tugged. She could feel her brother’s wrath circling through the rainforest. They didn’t have long.
Damon and Bella started for the track back to the arena.
Arella pulled her arm free. ‘Wait!’
All eyes turned to her.
She looked at Millie. ‘I can feel him too, and I know he’s not happy, but I know he’s not well either.’ Her dark hair tumbled over her shoulders as she shook her head. ‘If we go back to the arena and leave now, the dark force will consume him completely. He needs us, mummy. I love him and he needs you.’
Millie swallowed hard before releasing an exaggerated sigh. She knew Arella was right, and she wasn’t entirely sure they would make it back to the arena before he caught up with them. For all she knew, he could already be coming down the same track as they had.
‘Okay, which way then?’ she said.
‘Follow me,’ Arella said, slipping into the rainforest.
They tramped through the bush in silence, following Arella like a small army of ants preparing to find their prize. Millie’s heart thumped against her ribs while she negotiated the dense undergrowth. The emotions that coursed through her were not of the prize-winning kind. She was uncertain of what to expect and even more unclear of her abilities to banish the darkness from her brother’s soul. She took a deep breath as she began to focus her thoughts on Ace, initiating the cleansing process by envisioning him bathed under a stream of ultraviolet. The violet ray represented mercy and compassion along with forgiveness as she knew it was forgiveness his soul craved to regain its freedom.
Shadows loomed through the rainforest ahead, and the light was fast diminishing. A few more turns and they stepped from the thicket of trees and vines onto a huge sandstone ledge overlooking a deep gorge.
‘This is his special place,’ Arella said. ‘He comes here every morning and connects with his surroundings.’ Her arms spread in a wide gesture. ‘I think you will have a better chance of reaching him here.’
Damon skirted the edge and peered into the gorge. ‘Whoa! Are you sure about this?’
Millie came up beside him and gazed down at the steep narrow valley. The hard stone walls plunged down to the streaming river below. She might have soaked in the magnificence of the view and marvelled at its raw beauty any other day, but not this time.
A terrified shiver shimmied down her spine. ‘I guess it will have to do. The sun is about gone,’ she shrugged.
A high-pitched hiss echoed up through the trees and filled the valley. Arella gasped. ‘He’s coming!’
/> Millie spun around in search of a suitable hiding place. Her eyes settled on a giant cluster of shrubs to the far side of the sandstone and away from the cliff edge. ‘Take her away, and stay with her. Both of you!’ She pointed to the shrubs.
‘But …’
‘Millie …’
‘No, mummy!’
Millie remained firm. ‘Go! He’s my brother. He knows me and loves me. You won’t be far if I need you,’ she insisted, struggling to keep her voice even.
Another hiss issued from the rainforest. They flew into action. Millie hid behind a boulder on the opposite side of the shrubs where Damon and Bella had taken Arella. The last of the sun’s rays cast vivid blood-orange streaks across the horizon and she could barely make out the shrubs on the far side of the cliff now. Good, she thought, while attempting to calm the gush of blood rushing through her veins.
Leaves rustled and crunched from the bush behind her. She caught her breath as she felt the little fine hairs on the back of neck poise in alert. Her heart hammered as she turned her head slowly to come face to face with large slitted sapphire eyes glowing at her from a sea of darkness.
A raspy voice taunted her from the gloom. ‘Nobody loves me; everybody hates me. Think I’ll go eat … angels.’
Her teeth seized her bottom lip and every inch of her stiffened except the repeated blinking of her eyes. Was this her brother?
The serpent’s mouth widened in a smirk as he revealed himself. ‘Hello dear sister,’ he sniggered.
She backed away, bumping against the boulder behind her while her eyes shifted around, evaluating her options. He was so close she could smell the foul stench of his breath as a warm draft wafted over her with each exhale of his lungs. She knew she wouldn’t be quick enough to escape a powerful strike.
‘Ace, is that you?’ She fought the quiver in her voice.
A harsh chuckling issued from his throat. ‘Tell me, have I grown since you’ve seen me last? Have I changed that much?’ His laughter continued.
Clearly, he was amused.
‘Stop that!’ she fumed.
He chuckled louder, sounding like a crazed madman.
Millie stamped her foot into the earth. ‘Ace, this is not who you want to become. This is not the real you! I know who you are; do you remember me? Remember how close we used to be and the times we laughed together until we cried?’ Her eyes pleaded with him as she tripped over her words. ‘Remember how I made you feel? Happy. I made you feel happy. You can be happy again.’
Ace fell silent while he contemplated what she had said. ‘I remember how you betrayed me when you brought my mother back from death,’ he sneered, flaring his forked tongue at her.
She cringed as the tip of his tongue hovered in front of her face. ‘Ace, please … I love you,’ she whispered.
His fleshy tongue shrunk back. Mammoth fangs glistened like dripping icicles as he twisted his scaly head while his eyes devoured her as if she were a hamburger. Jaws the size of a great white shark thrust towards her and she squeezed her eyes shut as she flinched for a puncturing impact.
She felt her body jerk suddenly as Damon’s hands grabbed her arms and tackled her sideways. Together they tumbled in a tangle, bashing into the ground with a loud smack. She whirled her eyes around in time to witness the serpent’s jaws clash together with driving strength.
Ace adjusted his head to face them. His eyes gleamed with insane rage as his scaly wrapped muscles flexed fiercely.
Already on his feet, Damon gallantly stood between them while Millie scampered to regain her footing behind him. ‘Ace! It’s me, Damon!’ he yelled desperately.
A flicker of recognition sailed through his eyes. Ace paused for the briefest of moments before lifting his long body and violently thrusting himself through the air with a throaty roar. The back of his head smashed into Damon’s thigh and a loud crack sounded as he was flung like a ragdoll into the darkness of the bush.
‘Damon!’ Millie screamed, pivoting on her feet to run after him.
Ace lashed his tail, propelling himself between them. ‘You can’t escape me, Millie. No-one can save you now,’ he hissed.
Millie shut her eyes and forced herself to find her centre of consciousness. She levelled her breathing and began to summon the white light. ‘God! Creator of everything. Requalify his soul with your light until all darkness is consumed,’ she shouted repeatedly.
A subtle ray appeared and drifted over her like a luminous cloud.
Ace began to laugh. ‘Still as stubborn as ever, I see,’ he jeered. ‘I told you no-one can save you, not even the source of creation.’
‘Even God needs a little help from time to time, brother!’ Bella’s voice boomed between them as she joined Millie and turned to him.
Ace poised before them like a cobra. ‘I thought I could smell another … yet your scent is so like hers,’ he said.
Bella gave a half laugh and grasped Millie’s hand. ‘She is my twin and I am your sister,’ she said.
She shut her eyes alongside Millie and her chest rose visibly as she entered the white ray and became one with the shield of light. Pink, violet and golden hues interlaced above them as the divine healing rays bubbled and danced until they were fully bathed in them. Their opaque wings appeared and lingered behind them in a graceful poise while they directed the love-stream to their brother.
Ace squirmed and tossed his elongated body under the rich glow as Millie and Bella approached him. They stood to either side while their wings spread in a colourful spectacle to encompass his decrepit scaly form. Each of them directed a stream of celestial light into his heart, filling every beat with love and forgiveness until they could no longer feel the evil resistance lurking in his soul.
Arella’s petrified squeal shot through their consciousness like a cutting blade. ‘Mummy!’ she bellowed.
It took a moment for Millie’s eyes to adjust, and when they did she gasped when she saw Madison holding Arella with a knife blade against her throat.
‘Arella!’ she yelled, advancing towards them.
Madison tightened her grip. ‘Back away! Let Ace be, and you can have her,’ she cried. Her dark eyes nervously darted to Ace. ‘Come on, baby!’
Millie’s heart dropped when she glanced at her brother. He slowly uncurled his black body and his sapphire eyes glistened at her. Failure clutched at her soul and snatched her breath like a whipping tornado. It didn’t work, he’s still a serpent! Her eyes misted up.
Madison shifted on her feet and blew tassels of hair from her face. ‘Hurry up my serpent. Apepsis awaits you!’ she urged.
Millie took another step, freezing when she saw Madison twisting the knife against Arella’s throat.
‘Please don’t hurt my baby!’ she wailed.
Arella yelped as the tip of the blade cut through her flesh and blood trickled down her neck like an oozing fountain pen. She gulped visibly and the tremble of her little body stiffened. Her eyes became wide as saucers as she watched her uncle slither towards them.
Millie watched helplessly. ‘Ace, please … no!’ she begged.
Her body quaked while she dropped to her knees and felt Bella’s arms come around her. She clasped at her face and desperately called for her daughter.
‘That’s my niece, you dirty witch!’ Ace roared.
A high-pitched scream echoed through the night. Millie lifted her eyes to see Arella running towards her as Ace sunk his fangs deep into Madison’s flesh. He lifted Madison up in his jaws and flung her body off the side of the cliff into the gorge below.
Silence hung in the air like a heavy cloak while Millie’s racing heart matched that of her daughter’s as she held her close and squeezed tightly.
She turned to Bella, gently stroking her hand. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered.
Bella smiled. ‘Thank you, sister,’ she said softly. ‘I’m going to find Damon.’
Millie nodded and looked for Ace, yet he was no longer where she had last seen him.
‘Ace,’ she
called, rising to her feet.
She winced with the pain that began to swell through her joints while searching around the sandstone and calling his name. Her attention was momentarily captured by an iridescent light emanating from the bush. She grinned. Bella is getting the hang of this, she thought, turning around to peer into the inky shadows again.
A tall figure emerged out of the darkness, and as the figure drew closer, an electric tingle ran up her spine and drifted over her head.
‘Ace?’ she murmured.
‘Millie-pie,’ he said uncertainly.
Tears stung her eyes as he stepped closer and held her gaze. A smile spread over her lips as she recognised the sky-blue of his eyes had replaced the blazing sapphire of recent years. He smiled back at her before pulling her close and embracing her.
‘I love you too,’ he whispered.
‘Does anyone happen to have any chocolate around here?’ Bella piped, coming up behind them.
Millie laughed through her tears as she turned to look at Damon, Bella and Arella. She slung her arms around them all. ‘I love you guys,’ she said.
No-one noticed the two sets of slitted yellow glowing eyes watching them through the murky trees, nor Selina as she turned and quietly slinked away.
September 7, 1998
Dear Journal,
A lot can happen in three weeks. For instance, it was exactly three weeks ago that I had planned on introducing father and daughter over a special home-cooked dinner only to find she had been kidnapped by my brother, Ace.
Since then, my father was run over by a madman-driven car aiming for me, Craig was bitten by a demon-possessed snake itching to sink its fangs into my legs, and my brother revealed his shape-shifting abilities to me. Believe me when I say it wasn’t the most joyful of experiences, but at least my father and Craig are back home and on the mend.
I look back now and it all seems like a dream. And speaking of dreams, I have expanded my consciousness to allow the wonderful realm of the Golden World to flow to me. Its mystical gates beckon me and I spend a great deal of my dream world frolicking among ascended beings and playing with Arella and Bella. Samantha meets with us and continues to teach us as we negotiate our paths. She is pleased with the progress of my relationship with my twin, and my father. We have joyfully embraced Bella into our family.