by Aiden James
“‘Wow! It must be so cool to live there! Maybe I can visit you again sometime, and you can show me around,’ I told her, thinking about my promise to Grandpa and my reason for being there in the first place. ‘I need to get back home before Banjo runs off again.’
“She giggled shyly and pushed aside the willow’s branches closest to her, pointing to a large meadow across the river.
“‘He already has!’
“Sure enough, when I turned around, he was gone. I looked across the river and saw him playing with several other animals: I think a couple of young deer, a raccoon, and a fox. I couldn’t believe my eyes, since the animals should’ve been naturally skittish of one another. A bigger concern, though, was how he ever got there without me noticing.
“‘You see,’ she said. ‘Banjo’s already having a good time, don’t you think? Besides, your grandfather’s been busy tending the garden on the north side of your house for the past ten minutes. As you know, he’ll likely be working in the yard until it’s time for your supper.’
“What makes you say that?”
“Her words startled me, since Grandpa often worked in the yard for hours at a time. And the garden she mentioned was his favorite one to tend.
“Don’t let it freak you out, Jack,” she told me, surely on account of the dumbfounded expression on my face. “Sometimes I just know things. I guess you could call it a gift I’m blessed with.”
“I nodded in silence, trying to figure out her trick. For some reason it made me think about my last words to Grandpa, when I said I was going over to Lee’s place. What if he found out I wasn’t there?
“‘Did you tell Lee you were coming over today?’ she asked me.
“‘Well, no,’ I said, freaked out a little more, never expecting her to read my actual thoughts. It didn’t seem like a trick anymore. ‘At least I don’t think I did.’
“‘Then, there’s your answer, Jack!’
“She leaned forward, unperturbed by my nervousness. The deep blue luminescence of her eyes so intense and penetrating….like she could see every thought inside my head.”
“Almost like an alien, huh?” Peter interjected, thoughtfully stroking his chin as if trying to fully picture the girl’s appearance and unusual talent.
“Yeah, somewhat, I suppose,” said Jack. “At least alien in the sense I’d never encountered anyone like her before.”
“I see.” Peter nodded for him to continue.
“She urged me to come see her place that day.
“‘Why wait?’ she asked. ‘It won’t take long to get there from here. You and Banjo will be back home before anyone misses you!’
“I thought about the offer from this stranger, this gorgeous girl, trying to smartly weigh the pros and cons. In the end, I found it impossible to resist her incredible charm. I tentatively nodded ‘okay’.
“She stepped down from the rock and straightened her gown. A soft breeze swept through the area, gently lifting and pushing the willow’s branches. Slightly shorter than my brother, she still stood six inches taller than me.
“Genovene turned her attention to a nearby bridge. From the instant she stepped down from the rock, I watched her. I couldn’t help myself. Her figure as stunning as her face, and the way she moved, so sultry and graceful, stirred something deep within me. I even thought for a moment my heart skipped a beat. My grandfather would’ve described her as’ divinely endowed’. I didn’t think Jeremy would be quite so polite with his compliment...something like ‘Built like a brick shithouse’.
“She looked back at me, raising her eyebrows in a knowing way, confirming again she just read my thoughts. ‘Men!’ she whispered, though the look on her face showed more amusement than disdain.
“Exposed, my face and the back of my neck immediately felt warm, and a ring of sweat formed quickly along my hairline. I looked down at the ground, wishing I were a million miles from there.
“‘Don’t worry about it, hon’,’ she assured me, gently grasping my arm to pull me closer to her. ‘After all, you’re only human… and every good boy eventually gets his just dessert. Could be your lucky day!’ She playfully winked.
“I smiled back, overwhelmed by the typical hodge-podge of emotions most boys that age battle with. Not to mention it took me a moment to get what she meant, and even then I wasn’t sure.
“‘You’ll have a great time, Jack, I promise,’ she assured me. ‘Now, there’s one thing you’ll need. Did you bring your talisman?’
“I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about, and she studied me for a moment.
“‘Why, of course,’ she said, her tone more coy. ‘I suppose you might not know what a talisman is if you’d never seen one before. But, I do believe you’ve seen one, fairly recent. It’s important that you have yours, Jack, or you’ll never make it through the gates to my home.’
“She pulled out an oblong object of gold from a concealed pocket in her gown.
“‘It looks like this.’
“My eyes grew wide. The golden object she held was near-identical to the one I had in my pocket. I excitedly pulled it out to show her.
“‘That’s it!’ she enthused. ‘Hang onto it for now, and let’s be on our way!’
“She took my hand and led me out from under the willow tree and back into the bright summer sunshine.
***
“Her hair wasn’t completely white after all,” continued Jack. “More like white opal, with rainbow-like highlights shimmering as she moved. At first, I thought she somehow colored it that way.
“We walked over to the bridge. The river’s roar grew louder as we approached. The relentless water pounded the bottom of the stone structure, lifting Spanish moss and thick green ivy that hung over its sides. Each individual stone was covered with etched designs, forming an intricate pattern along the entire bridge wall.
“Just wide enough to accommodate one person at a time, Genovene got on first and I followed. I found it hard not to stare at her shapely butt and slender long legs through the sheerness of her gown. If not for a brief glimpse of something shiny in the water nearby, I might not have been able to pull my gaze from her lovely backside. But I was just in time to see what looked like an extremely large snake move under the bridge, bathed in a brilliant array of blue, green, silver and red colors.
A sudden, thunderous roar shook the bridge to its very foundation. Terrified, I turned to run; for no way in hell what I just heard belonged to some snake. Genovene reached out to prevent me from leaving.
‘Don’t be alarmed, hon,’ she said. ‘The serpent below is harmless. Her name is Vydora and she protects our land from any unwanted intruders.’
“‘That’s a serpent?’ I remained poised to flee.
“‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Perhaps your people would rather call her a dragon.’
“She chuckled again, but I’m sure she could tell I didn’t think it was so funny.
“‘Oh, come on, Jack. Lighten up!’ she teased. ‘Vydora would never harm you!’
“She moved up close, clasping my hand in hers. So seductive the way she embraced me with her presence, easily locking my gaze with her own. And just like that, my apprehension melted away, and she led me to the other side of the river.
“Once across the bridge, we moved onto a smooth gravel path that bisected the sprawling meadow. On either side of the path stood a pair of small figures cloaked in black. Only their hands, ivory-white with long bluish fingernails, were visible. They looked a lot like little kids hiding beneath their robes…or little ghouls. When Genovene talked to them, they spoke in shrill voices and in a language unfamiliar. After she’d finished speaking to them in the same language, they bowed and retreated into the meadow’s tall grass and wildflowers.
“‘These are my servants, Jack,’ she said. ‘I’ve just told them to take care of Banjo until you return from visiting my home. I’d say he’s having a great time with his new friends!’
“She was right. Banjo looked at me for a mo
ment and then went back to frolicking with his new buddies under the watchful eyes of Genovene’s servants. Even though the animals’ playful romp looked ridiculous, I felt he’d be all right.
“‘How old are your servants?’ I asked.
I figured they were physically deformed, since their clothing covered them up.
“‘You think they’re like children, huh?’
“I nodded this was true. She grew quiet as if seriously considering my question.
“‘Very different from most people, you might say they’re a unique race of mankind,’ she said. “They’ve been in this region for many years. The Indians of the southern nations call them ‘miahluschkas’, and for centuries they’ve guarded sacred places throughout America.’
“I turned to look again at them as they stood in the meadow near Banjo and the other animals. They in turn looked back at me. I could tell they studied me, perhaps reading my thoughts and feelings just like she could. Pretty creepy since their hoods shaded their faces.”
“I’ve heard of these ‘miahluschkas’, Jack,” said Peter, reaching for his journal to scribble another note. “I’ll have to look into that when I get back to Richmond…. In the meantime, I’ve just got to ask you this: With all the weirdness going on around you, why didn’t you grab Banjo and run back home?”
He glanced at his watch while waiting for Jack’s response.
“Honestly, I’ve asked myself that question at least a thousand times over the years,” Jack replied, his tone subdued and somber. “Maybe things would’ve turned out better for me and my family if I had…or maybe not. To a degree, I believe my encounter with Genovene was predestined, if such a thing is possible. Regardless, I wouldn’t have left right then, if for no other reason than it would’ve seemed rude. Hell, I’d already accepted her invitation, and like I said earlier, I was quite infatuated with her presence.”
“Fair enough,” said Peter, nodding thoughtfully. “I’ll let you continue without interruption again, unless I’ve got something really critical to interject. Okay?”
“Sure,” said Jack, shrugging his shoulders. “So far, it hasn’t distracted me much….but some intense shit’s coming your way before too much longer.”
“I’ll be mindful of that…please continue.”
“All right…. Genovene tugged on my arm again. ‘We need to be going so you’ll have enough time to see my home…my magical village.’
“Magical village?”
“Just then, seemingly out of nowhere, a ball of brilliant bluish light appeared less than a hundred feet in front of us. The light bounced back and forth through the air, thickening into a rainbow-like band as it drew closer. When less than twenty feet away, the band spiraled toward us, and then changed into a swirling swarm of colorful butterflies.
“Amazed, I stopped to watch them circle above our heads and speed off toward the bridge. The butterflies veered skyward at the river’s edge, where they changed back into their light-like form.
“‘See what I mean?’ said Genovene, visibly pleased by my reaction. ‘We have so much here to delight you—many incredibly wonderful things that you’ll experience before this day is over. Just remember…there’s no need to worry about Banjo, Lee, or your grandpa. Everything will work out just fine!’
“We walked along the path through the meadow, talking about my carefree summer days and the upcoming move to Tuscaloosa. I could scarcely believe the beauty and wonder that surrounded me, for I’d never seen any place like it in Alabama. For that matter, I’d never seen pictures of a place like this anywhere else, either. I don’t blame you for thinking I should’ve known I was headed for trouble after what I’d already experienced. But my mind was already clouded by desire, both for Genovene and an adventure any teenage boy would die for.
“We soon reached a large grove of enormous fruit trees standing at the meadow’s western edge. Almost all of the trees at their fullest maturity, each one stood between forty and fifty feet high. Their thick branches were overloaded with fruit that looked like giant purple tomatoes.
“‘These are somila trees and have been part of my homeland for hundreds of years,’ she said, and motioned for me to stop walking. ‘Sh-h-h! Listen closely and tell me what you hear.’
“Almost immediately, I heard something low and rhythmic. But it took me a moment to figure out what it reminded me of.
“‘It sounds like someone’s breathing.’
“‘Yes!’ She squeezed my hand in response. ‘According to legend, the sound we’re hearing now is the collective breaths of all the trees at sleep. When I was a little girl, my brothers and sisters and I spent a lot of time in this grove playing hide n’ seek, or simply enjoying the peacefulness here.’
“Once aware of the sound, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t noticed it when we first entered the grove. Not that I wasn’t already impressed with the unusual size of the trees. I’d never seen fruit trees this tall, and definitely none with trunks anywhere near as thick. Every one at least eight to ten feet in diameter, they lined both sides of the path.
“We moved deeper into the grove where the trees grew closer to one another, allowing only trickles of sunlight to seep through their dense foliage. I listened to the trees breathe while they ‘slept’. When we reached the end of the grove, I suddenly experienced the peculiar feeling of being watched from all angles, like what happened the previous day in my backyard. I looked around me but didn’t see anyone.
“‘Are you okay?’ she asked, frowning slightly.
“‘Yeah...it’s just a little spooky here.’
My male pride triggered by my aroused libido, I didn’t want her thinking I was a puss. I decided to change the subject by asking a question I’d been thinking about.
“‘So, Genovene…how many brothers and sisters do you have?’
“‘Two of each,’ she said. ‘I’m the oldest, and therefore most privileged. But, each of us has an equal role in ruling our village and the surrounding areas for our father.’
“‘Where are they now?’
“‘My sisters and my oldest brother are visiting another grove, while my youngest brother is waiting at home in our village.’
“I nodded, and then asked the question I’ve since learned women loath.
“‘How old are you?’
“She laughed again, maybe amused by my persistence to learn so much about her.
“‘Let’s just say I’m old enough to do as I please,’ she said. ‘But, also young enough to enjoy your companionship, Jack.’
“I immediately blushed.
“‘Enough questions,’ she said, adding a seductive wink. ‘Save them for later, sweetie.’
“I really enjoyed her attention. Several times she’d brushed up against me, her shapely form pressing up and lingering against my body. Her invasion of my personal space thrilled and excited me, even though the powerful and untamed emotions she stirred made me nervous.
“We exited the grove, and the path took us downhill into another meadow. This one even larger than the first we encountered, in its midst lay a large pond. Two schools of ducks and geese swam through cattails and lily pads near its western shore. A number of weeping willows dotted the pond’s shoreline, and a long wooden bridge stretched across the pond from the path to its continuation on the other side.
“The immense gold tower loomed majestic less than a mile away. It dominated the area so much that it reminded me of a postcard my uncle once sent me, of Mount Rainier in Washington state. Except in this case, the shimmering golden sides of the soaring edifice replaced the glistening snowcaps of that mountain. In awe, I slowed to a near halt. Only the gentle prodding of Genovene brought me up to the pond’s edge.
“Like the other bridge, this one was covered with intricate carvings. Genovene stepped onto it and I followed close behind her. Though made of sturdy wood, it creaked and swayed noticeably. When nearly a third of the way across, I leaned over the side and looked down into the water below. So clear I could see almost
everything, including the very bottom of the pond. Like looking down on top of a huge aquarium stocked full of fish in all shapes and sizes. A few larger fish moved near the surface, their sides gleaming in brilliant colors as they swam. One of them eyed me in such a way that I grew uncomfortable, forced to look away.
“‘Did you know, Jack, that your mother and father once spent an entire summer with my family long ago?’
“She caught me completely off guard by this.
“‘Wha-a-at?? Th-they did??’ I immediately forgot about the fish. ‘When was that??’
“‘I guess it was ten to twelve years ago,’ she said. ‘I was just a young girl then, but I remember them both quite well.’
“‘Tell me about them...please!’ I begged her. I knew so little about them, despite the stories my grandfather told me.
“‘They were really nice,” she said. “Your mother was a pretty lady…sweet, and intelligent. Your father seemed very ambitious…a handsome man, too.’
“She turned and looked at me, slowing down her pace. Her smile compassionate, I couldn’t hide my hurt and sorrow given the fact I missed my parents terribly. I appreciated her gentleness in telling me this information about my folks. But, something in the way she looked at me—barely discernable in her eyes—told me she hadn’t revealed everything she knew about them.
“She reached back and gently took my hand again, picking up her pace. Nothing more was said between us until we reached the shore and stepped back onto the path. In the meantime, I let my thoughts drift back to the fish I’d encountered a few minutes before. More of a hungry look it’d given me, I decided. Very hungry.
“The gravel path lasted another hundred yards or so, steadily heading uphill until it ended at the foot of a grand staircase cut into the middle of a rocky hill. Genovene led me up to the staircase, pausing briefly at that juncture before continuing our ascent.
“‘Once we climb these stairs, we’ll be on the final walkway to my village,’ she said. ‘We’ll reach my home in the next few minutes, Jack!’
“Filled with enthusiasm, such girlish giddiness, she wrapped her arm inside mine. Lifting her gown slightly, she began walking up the stairs with me drawn tight to her side. Again distracted, I couldn’t think of anything else, including the fish, the recent mention of my folks, and the growing heaviness of the talisman in my pocket.