by Tony Nalley
“Didn’t you once tell me that you’d seen a confederate soldier’s ghost in your mom and dad’s old barn loft out in your back field?” He asked.
I shook my head ‘yes’.
“That soldier might have accidentally discovered something here, and exposed their lair! Or maybe he’d even lived around here and had simply chosen to fight on the wrong side of the war!” Colby said matter of factly.
“If you turn away from the wolf pack, they hunt you down Toby!” He exclaimed. “They probably cornered him in that old barn loft like a pack of wild maniacal animals, and killed him!”
Colby jumped at me on those final words! And then he busted out laughin’ at me!
He was just ribbin’ me and tryin’ to scare me!
But this was NOT a jokin’ matter! It wasn’t time for sarcasm either! No sir!
I wanted to pick up the biggest piece of ‘whatever I could find’ and just SLAP him right across his big old head! I didn’t cotton to havin’ no foolin’ done on me, especially when I was bein’ serious and all!
And I was serious!
If these things were real, we needed to tell somebody was all!
Somethin’ had to be done about em’, right?
Colby just kept on laughin’ at me.
That little voice of reason inside my head told me that it was nothin’, to calm down and to forget about it. So I opened my canteen, took a long cold drink and sat down upon a big rock that jutted out of the canyons wall. The rock was shaped like that of an eagles head with wings that disappeared back into the mountain.
“…back into the mountain? Is that where they went?” I thought as my eyes wondered and surveyed the wooded areas, mountains and rock ways.
Colby entertained himself awhile by chasin’ a snake that had crawled out from underneath an overturned log, and then by cuttin’ weeds and brush with his sharpened machete. I watched from the shade as I sat upon eagle rock and scouted for further signs of last night’s entanglements.
There were writings on the floor by which we had walked; peace signs in spray paint, graffiti on stone.
I turned and looked behind me into the wooded backdrop and down into a green but albeit narrow ravine. Colby joined me and looked down into the crevasse as well. Hidden from the sun, the vegetation had held on to the moisture from the last night’s rain.
“Check it out!” He exclaimed as he slid down the hill!
He didn’t think about it! He just did it!
And he yelled all the way down! “Aiiieeeee!”
“Wahoo!” I yelled as I followed suit and slid down the embankment too! But it resulted in my bein’ covered in grass stains and becomin’ sopping wet!
I had to dodge a few trees and it was a bumpy ride down but it was still fun!
I hadn’t reached the bottom yet when I heard Colby scream out again!
“Hey Toby, come over here! There’s a cave!”
The cave stood hidden on the side of the grassy embankment like it had deliberately concealed itself from the world. I noticed right off that this weren’t any normal cave entrance. A wedge shaped stone locked others in place along an archway of smoothly likened to but otherwise rounder stones.
“That’s a keystone. I learned it at school!” I said as I rubbed my hand across it. “The Romans invented that like a thousand years ago or somethin’. This aint a natural cave entrance Colby, somebody made it.”
Great damage had been done to the cavern. Pedestals hewn from the rock now lay in pieces like unstructured boulders upon the ground. Darkness absorbed the light as we peered within its structure.
The passageway havin’ closed in upon itself gave way now only to penitent men or rueful beasts.
“There’s enough room for us to crawl into it!” Colby exclaimed.
“Are you crazy?” I yelled back at him. “You must be out of your mind!”
I wasn’t goin’ in there! He wasn’t gonna make me! That cave had fallen in upon itself and who knows if we could even get back out of it! Besides, what if this is the entrance to the ‘lair’?
“I’m not goin’ into a ‘werewolf’ cave!” I stated matter of factly. “Not even in broad daylight!”
By the light of the Harvest Moon, stories and rumors spread of the legend of the ‘werewolf’. Stories depicted em’ as targeting children: the weakest of their rivals. The most widely known story of the legend is the story of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’.
In this fairy tale, a werewolf converses with a young girl found wanderin’ alone in the woods. Charmed by this wolf the young girl is deceived. For a true friend to her he was not. The wolf learns of her destination and runs ahead of the girl through the woods and brutally kills and eats her grandmother! Then lyin’ in wait disguised in her grandmother’s clothin’, he attempts to take her by surprise! And feast upon her flesh!
There is often found to be a thin line between what truths are and what legends become.
For fairy tales it seems are often based upon true stories.
“Well, I’m going in!” Colby said and he smiled. “I’m not chicken!”
He knew how to push my buttons! He knew that I couldn’t just let that slide! And he knew if he said ‘them words’ that I would have to follow! I was sneerin’ at him now.
He had to go there, didn’t he!
And now I would have to prove him wrong!
On hands and knees we crawled into the cave; cold, damp and dark, with rocks protrudin’ from all sides and directions, leavin’ little room to navigate the maze unscathed. The granite above me had adverse effects on my thinkin’ as I bumped my head continuously and had the flesh torn from my arms along the jagged rocks upon each side of the tunnels walls. The depth was concealed by huge rocks and boulders that ran parallel to the fore way; flashlights exposin’ the path by which the darkness absorbed the light.
We could all but see the ceilin’ now as we reached the end of the tunnel. And as the cavern unfolded we stood up to find ourselves within a Grand Hall, painted as a cathedral with golden chalice aligning its dome! The name ‘Lystre’ spelled out at apex upon the whitened stone!
“Wow!” I remarked spontaneously as I rubbed my eyes.
“We’ve found it Toby!” Colby whispered. “This is amazing!”
It was as if we had uncovered a pirate’s treasure ship; with gold aligning its vessel!
“I wonder how long this has been here!” Colby questioned as he excitedly explored the dark.
No fear of bein’ discovered.
And forgotten was the pain endured through the narrow and jagged passageway!
But reverence soon replaced my elation, as my flashlight lit up the caverns floor!
***
Like unspoken whispers from ages past, words filled my spirit and I lost myself in the imagery depicted upon the rock! Time became nonexistent as I surveyed the void from on high, the room spinning uncontrollably as events carved into the caverns basin were set into motion!
Graven images embellished in stone …a plight in effigy on granite shown …of faith and chime …of vault in gold …a Stone of Blood and will foretold …a history writ beneath the sun …of puritan dress and brandished gun.
They ran now, pursued by hunters’ dogs; childlike images on the floors and walls.
“Run you accursed beasts!” an angry man shouted as rifles blazed, iron and smoke rising into the air! Men on horseback, houses burning!
Sought they refuge as they ran, from ones who desired to bring them harm!
And so the children ran in terror, making homage they escaped!
Back now ran the Chosen; back into the mountain where thy hearts be safe!
***
“I can’t tell where this tunnel leads, but I’ll bet ya it probably goes on for a mile!” Colby shouted bringing me back to reality as he explored! His words had brought me back from my revelation, a vision of ‘children, fires, a large church bell and a crystalline stone, I could tell that time for him had stood unchanged!
And
whilst I stood there in utter trepidation; havin’ been shown things that he had undoubtedly not seen, he had breached the darkness; findin’ the focal point with jeweled thrones at its heart!
Huge magnificent thrones sat nobly upon a pulpit. Adornin’ these seats of power were fine carvings in old wood, handmade by gifted artisans, with inlaid jewels upon their crests.
And at thrones origin, in marbled rock these words inscribed:
Gen 1:26 "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."
Words from the Bible I recognized; context yet unknown.
I caught my breath as a low deep wind blew through the openin’ to the caverns center.
And I read the words once more runnin’ my fingers over the indentions in the cold stone. What did this mean? This was the lair of the ‘werewolf’. Why were there words from the Bible here? Christian words in a sanctuary of an abominable beast. ‘Let us make man in our image.’ Were they meanin’ the image of themselves …the image of the ‘werewolf’?
I stood there now …lookin’ out from thrones sight by which this Grand Hall was focused, where a large wooden table faced inward as a crescent moon; a table for royalty with noblemen set in like fashion along chambers end.
“This is amazing aint it?” Colby asked as he continued to look around. “Did you see the footprint?”
“What footprint?” I replied.
“Over there!” He pointed over his shoulder. “Come on I’ll show you!”
Colby ran to the very core of the room. The floor was like cobblestone, smooth and meticulously set. Our footsteps echoed throughout the Great Hall as I followed closely behind him and suddenly stopped and looked to where his flashlight pointed.
A footprint carved into the rock lay at rooms’ center. Smoothly cut into the stone. It lay inside a circle of images aligned with geometrical formations. I knelt upon the granite floor tracin’ the footprint with my hand. Words written in a different tongue; I could not ascertain their meanin’.
“Des flames et le feu Oh bête vorace brûlera sur son site. Oh l’esprit du toucher liésessence qui marche au milieu de la nuit. En Lieue Tarifaire et de pied du roi par quatre-vingts chaînes Gunter, à la poussière de retour si l’automne l’ombre sans lui de s’abstenir. De peur que sera le retour du sang ou le nom de libérer tes os innocents, qui se trouvait entre un enfer inconnu, au sein de la pierre en martyr.”
Inaugurated as hordes of followers gathered before em’, Kings would place their foot in a hole to symbolize their union with the land. But this footprint was different. This was not human.
Coronations were held within this ceremonial chamber; humans transformin’ into beasts, exiting through the passageway the way by which we had entered.
“Look at the imagery on this floor.” I said runnin’ my fingers across the stones. “It shows a change in physical form!” I stated. “They leave as wolves through this passageway and then they return through it, back again, back into their human forms!”
Some say they are cursed beasts changin’ only by the light of a full moon. A time in which man and beasts have a magical connection.
“Real ‘werewolves’ change shape at will Toby.” Colby stated as I stood and surveyed the walls.
“Grandpa says that witches can change into animals!” I interjected. “Have you heard his story about the witches and the cats?” I asked. “Maybe these are really witches!”
“I’ve heard em’.” he said as he shook his head ‘no’, and leaned against a wall. “But those stories aren’t real.”
“Sure they were. They were real! My grandpa told me!” I thought as I gazed upon the Grand Hall once more attemptin’ to make reason of it all. But somethin’ was not right here. Someone was watchin’ us. I could feel it!
“How did we get in here so easily?” I asked. “Can you answer me that?”
This was a safe haven, a ritual chamber that no one was guarding.
“It’s like they wanted us to come here, just let us waltz right in!” I stated. “There’s no alarm or nothin’! It’s just not right Colby, that’s all I’m saying!”
“They’ve probably been here so long Toby they no longer feel the need to keep the doors locked!” Colby chuckled. “Grownups couldn’t fit through that passageway anyways. And we weren’t meant to see em’ last night! It was a fluke.” He continued.
“But we did see em’. We saw em’ and they know we saw em’!” I said.
“Yeah, they know we did.” He answered. “But they also know that we’re just kids Toby; and nobody will believe us. Only a kid could get in here.” He continued. “Anyways I don’t reckon they thought we’d be comin’ back after those scary looks they give us!”
He was right about all of it. No one would believe us. Just like the ghost in the barn, they would believe we saw somethin’, but would dismiss our truth as fantasy; believin’ our imaginations had taken hold of us again!
We weren’t a danger to the beasts, but they were to us. They knew our faces …I had even told em’ where I lived. I wondered again if they were my neighbors, and if they knew me by name.
“By day they lead normal lives.” Colby said. “You wouldn’t know em’ unless they told ya.” Colby spoke further as I sorted my thoughts. Or was I thinkin’ out loud? “This tunnel must lead to another way out!”
“You want to see where it goes?” He asked me.
I looked again upon the carvin’s, images and inscriptions refined and polished within the chamber, and I took a final look towards the jagged passageway that lead back again to the outside. Night would be falling soon. And the world would go dark. Mom would be wanderin’ where we were. But with the cavern unoccupied, we might never get another chance at this!
There was no other choice to be made! There could be no turnin’ back!
“We’ve already come this far.” I stated as I pointed my flashlight toward the darkened route. “Let’s see where it leads!”
***
From shadows on high, unknown sentinels watched as the two boys explored the hallowed chambers.
“Is he the one of the prophecy?” One sentinel asked the other. “We have been waiting for a very long time.” Without answering, the other sentinel turned and walked away.
***
Medieval torches aligned the corridor; once used to light the long, dark halls of this ancient citadel. They harkened back and to a time when man made use of raw fire. Now they sat unlit as we passed em’ on the walls, cold and dark with heavy hand-made chains connectin’ em’ like garland along the passage.
“Bread crumbs, we need bread crumbs to find our way home again.” I thought to myself. “But that’s only in fairy tales I imagine. We didn’t bring bread crumbs with us anyways. How stupid was that? Hansel and Gretel would have brought bread crumbs! Wait a minute, I think they did! Was that a fairytale about witches?” I could not remember at the moment.
The pathway here was graven, shaped with chisel, carved out of the hard surface. We walked carefully along its passage, flashlights castin’ shadows where they lie; contemplations of terror filling our thoughts, knowin’ the caste lights may fall upon faces of monsters lyin’ in wait at any moment in the dark!
The corridor twisted and turned then, within that underground chasm, opening at times into natural formations and underground pools of water. Stalactites and stalagmites set in enormous display and in contrast to the narrow but albeit tapered path by which we walked.
“This must be their prison.” I said as we passed a span of doorways with iron bars in place of wood; we found em’ empty except for shackles and chains for holding as we peered inside.
Quietly we ventured onward, roundin’ corners like catacombs; heavily locked wooden doors concealin’ rooms and passages along the way; that without keys we could not enter. From the main throughway we deto
ured very little, as we could easily get lost within this network of tunnels.
Colby ran ahead of me at times temptin’ me to catch him. But I walked cautiously nevertheless, keepin’ constant vigil of our surroundings all along our journey.
“Hey Colby?” I asked after we had walked for at least an hour maybe two or more through the tunnel. “What do we do if we run into one of em’?”
“Scream like little girls and RUN like crazy!” Colby replied without a second’s hesitation!
He laughed at me then the way he always did. Even in the darkened recesses of a ‘werewolves’ cave he could make me laugh! I wanted to kill him! But he could still make me laugh!
Colby took off runnin’ down a darkened corridor then! And I kept step and followed!