by Aiden James
“Bewildered and confused, I stood just outside the chest-high doorway, but only for a moment. A loud crash came from the front, along with the sound of splintering wood and delicate ceramics crashing to the floor.
“‘Mom!!!’
“I tried desperately to re-enter the small doorway. But I was thrown out this time, landing on my ass as the door slammed shut.
“‘Run, Jack!!! Run, now-w-w!!!’ she screamed from inside the room.
“Reluctant, I obeyed her order, knowing I didn’t have any time left to wait. I offered a fervent prayer for her deliverance while sprinting along the row of juniper trees, trying to get to the staircase that led down to the plaza as quickly as possible.”
PART V
The Race Back Home
Jack paused once he noticed Peter sniffling across from him.
No, no, man…More tears?? Here we fucking go again, I guess…
“Man, are you all right?”
He hoped he sounded compassionate enough. Weariness beckoned him to rest…to find an exit from this winding tale, and let it die. But speaking like this had awakened lost memories and painful emotions he wasn’t ready to discard just yet. Irritated for being so agreeable early on, he knew he couldn’t wait long to continue. Either keep going or stop now. Keep it alive or quit….
“I can stop talking about this shit if you’d rather.”
“I’m fine, Jack—really, I am,” said Peter, pulling out an embroidered silk handkerchief from his breast pocket to dab his eyes. “I want you to continue telling me your story. If this Genovene and her kind had anything to do with Bobby’s disappearance, which seems more and more likely, then I’m left to conclude he’s gone. Dead….”
“Like I said, man, we can forget this—”
“No!” the agent shouted, as if his raw emotions from earlier had again been quickened. “We’re not going to forget about anything! I came here to learn everything you remember from back then, Jack! I’ll be all right…. If you can handle reliving it, then please go on.”
“Okay…. But if you change your mind, just tell me and I’ll gladly stop,” said Jack.
He hesitated until Peter assured him again he was ready for the story to continue.
“I ran as hard and fast as my wobbly legs could carry me, soon reaching the grand staircase. The plaza below was still filled with people playing and laughing merrily as before. When I began to go down the stairs, a roaring shriek startled me from behind.
“‘Jaacckk!! Stop right where you are and proceed no further!!!’
“The voice eerily inhuman, it was difficult to know exactly where it came from. Was it fifty feet? Twenty? Or, just a few feet behind me?
“‘Turn around!! Now-w-w-w!!!’
“I turned around, shaking badly. What assaulted my eyes has stayed with me ever since, haunting my worst nightmares. Something hideous stood less than thirty feet away. Gangly and malformed…the only thing recognizable was the eyes. Two huge glowing orbs of blue gazed contemptuously at me.
“Genovene!
“Dressed in the lavender outfit she’d picked out earlier, just like the ones her brothers and sisters wore in the courtyard, the cape hung loosely from what must’ve been her shoulders. Much taller, her head and body were gnarled and skeleton-like, covered with a pink and gray gelatinous substance that pulsed when she moved. A long snout and jaw protruded from her head, and her mouth was full of sharp pointed teeth. Long arms and legs almost insect-like, hooked claws protruded from the end of each one. Like some grotesque giant praying mantis.
“Her claws scraped against the marble floor of the courtyard as she moved toward me, quickly closing the gap between us. When about ten feet away, I noticed several deep-red splotches glistening on her robe, and feared for my mother.
“‘What have you done, you goddamned bitch??’
“‘Shall I give you the details? It’d be much more satisfying to leave it for your active imagination instead, you ungrateful brat!!’ she hissed. She took another step, to within five feet of me. ‘You almost ruined everything!!!’
“The gap closed to a mere foot. I smelled the stench of rotting meat and decay on her breath. She leaned down into my face and I thought for sure I’d pass out. The pink and gray shit on her face oozed and recollected itself as if it had a life of its own.
“‘Now, Jack...you can either come back with me of your own free will, or I can take you there myself in pieces!’ A blast of her nasty breath sprayed my face, her serrated teeth laid bare. “What do you prefer?’
“Part of me—the brave part, that is—wanted to run back to the shed and check on Mom. If alive, I’d try to save her. Much too late for that….. I figure even she knew what awaited her for intervening on my behalf. Too frightened to speak, I trembled before Genovene.
“‘Very well…I’ll carry you myself!!’
“She reached for me. Repulsed by her slimy touch I jerked away, tumbling down the staircase. I grabbed hold of a stair about fifteen feet from the top. Bruised and scraped up, the pain shook me from my fear-induced stupor. Wincing, I stood up and ran down the stairs. Genovene screamed at me to stop, and I glanced over my shoulder.
“‘Stop him!! He’s getting away!!!” she roared, her ghastly form struggling to navigate the stairs.
“I hoped to increase my lead once I hit the plaza. But the crowd waited, their heads cocked to one side as they watched me. They began to move closer, their eyes completely black and their faces expressionless. Genovene and her four siblings who’d undergone a similar transformation to her soon arrived. Almost surrounded, I ran over to the waterfall on my left, climbing onto the nearest ledge.
“Below me was the pool that fed the stream opposite the one Genovene and I visited earlier. So much for sticking to the golden road…. I jumped into the pool, roughly twenty feet below. The water hard and bitter cold, it left me gasping for air once I resurfaced. Shivering but determined to stay low to avoid detection, I let the current take me downstream. After passing over some small rapids and sliding underneath a thick moss-covered bough, the stream carried me into the very heart of the garden.
“The current slowed enough to where I could swim. I headed for the shoreline nearest the garden wall, since closer to the road. I climbed out of the water…the place looked like an Amazon jungle. Vibrant as the other garden across the plaza, something felt different. But at least no one pursued me yet.
“Moving along the stream’s bank, I followed what I hoped was the main path through the area. My plan was to walk along the path for a hundred feet or so and cross over to the garden’s wall, and then sneak behind the crowd in the plaza.
“I hadn’t walked far when it occurred to me what was missing from this tranquil place. It was too quiet. Nothing other than the stream’s steady gurgle. No birds, frogs, or insects calling from anywhere within the garden. The flowers carried no scent. Other than plants and trees, there wasn’t any other sign of life. On the edge of my memory sat something very important.
“When it hit me, the realization brought a new panic wave. Genovene had said this place responded to a person’s deepest fears—the opposite of the other garden. I slowed my pace and glanced around warily. Just ahead, the path took a sharp turn deeper into the garden, next to a clump of large sumac trees and across from an immense lilac bush. As I reached this curve, a foul odor greeted me.
“Cautiously, I took a step. An enormous web stretched from the lilac bush to the very last of the tall sumacs near the stream. The path completely blocked, I tried to remain calm. But fear again had the upper hand. Aside from having to find another way through this, I worried where the maker, or makers, of the web might be.
“I raised my hand to wipe a trickle of sweat from just above my brow, and lightly brushed up against the sticky web. Freaked out, I jerked my arm back. The sudden movement sent a tremor through the web and I heard a rattling noise above me, like wooden blocks tumbling in a copper pan. I looked up and saw the skeletal remains of an unfortun
ate conquistador just a few feet away. Still clothed in full armor, that had long since turned green and black from oxidation. The flanks of the outfit displayed several large holes from the deteriorating affects of time or the elements…or maybe something’s very large fangs? The victim’s bones picked clean, the skull’s contorted position clearly revealed the last moments of terror this unlucky person endured.
“I stepped away, unable to remove my gaze from it all. I moved closer to the sumacs. The stench worsened…. I looked down and nearly hurled what was left in my empty stomach. Lying in a haphazard pile near the sumacs’ twisted trunks were the skulls of maybe another thirty victims. Nothing left of their bodies, other than a stray femur and a few finger fragments. The only other items were a Native American headdress and chest beads, along with a rusted musket barrel and the torn and tattered fabric from an early American officer’s coat.
“Surprised I hadn’t noticed this gruesome scene right away, it seemed impossible to miss, either by sight or smell. Partially concealed by thick cocoon-like webbing, I bent down to get a better look at the skulls. A few bits of maggot-infested flesh clung to five or six of them, the likely source for the noxious odor. If the remains were as old as they appeared, how could there possibly be any decaying flesh left?
“That question would remain unanswered. I heard a loud creaking sound and then branches snapped high above my head. I looked up in time to see a massive gray spider with glowing orange eyes descend toward me. The giant arachnid landed with a heavy thud a few feet to my right. I leapt from the path, running as fast as I could back to the stream. Prepared to dive into the chilly water, I hesitated long enough to notice an unusually large cottonmouth slithering in the stream. Once the snake saw me it wriggled swiftly to shore.
“The spider crawled after me. Its prickly legs a good two feet higher than my head, it eyed me hungrily and leapt into the air. I tripped and almost fell down the embankment, where the gaping jaws of the water moccasin waited.
“My shirt became entangled in a scrub bush sticking up from the ground. I desperately sought to free myself while the spider landed just inches away. It began to raise its head while milky venom dripped from long twitching fangs primed and positioned to puncture my trembling body.
“I really thought this was it. The end of my brief life. Ready to give up and just let this goddamned duo have their way with me. But as I prepared to die, part of my mother’s last admonition blasted loudly through my tired mind. ‘Be very brave… No matter what happens, we’ll be with you!!’
“With the cottonmouth slithering up the embankment, I ripped the portion of my shirt snagged on the bush’s sharp branches, freeing myself just as it arrived and the spider brought its poisoned fangs down on me. I managed to roll away from them both and get back onto my feet. I saw a hole in the web near the bottom of one of the sumac trees. I ran and dove into it, dragging sticky strands with me.
“The snake’s jaws snapped madly at the empty air where my sneakers had been only an instant before, while the spider’s sharp fangs bore into the ground not far from the snake’s head. Both rebounded quickly and again set out after me just as I pulled my feet to the web’s other side. The snake slithered toward the hole while the spider snapped off its embedded fangs to free itself from the ground’s grip, letting out an angry screech as it spun around on its hind legs and set out after my ass in a rage.
“Determined to get me, the spider knocked the water moccasin out of its way just as the snake reached the gap in the web. It tried to squeeze its enormous body through the hole while tearing frantically at the only obstacle between it and me. Its body became wedged in tightly, gripped by its own sticky trap.
“I didn’t dare squander this opportunity, and ran through the garden’s flowers and thick shrubs. Only a matter of time before the spider freed itself and came after me. The snake was possibly on its way already, as I heard a rustling through the leaves coming up fast behind me. I picked up my pace, running hard until I didn’t hear the noise anymore.
“Back on the path again, I soon neared the end of the garden. Desperately seeking a way out, I took a fork in the path that led directly to the wall some seventy feet away, past a row of exotic ferns and abrasive thistles.
“I tried to climb over the wall. But an invisible force threw me back into the garden. Surprised, I struggled back onto my feet and tried again. I couldn’t remember what Genovene had done earlier when she opened a passageway in the other garden. Tentative, I stretched my hand across the top of the wall. Barely able to push through the invisible barrier, my hand was violently thrown back, sending a surge of sharp pain through my arm.
“I searched along the wall for some kind of switch or lever, but didn’t find one. A menacing growl suddenly resounded behind me, and an enormous white tiger ambled onto the path from the ferns. It headed straight for me. When it closed to within forty feet, the tiger sprinted, baring its teeth.
“Huddled against the wall in terror, I searched the ground with my hands for rocks or anything else to throw. Finding nothing, I remembered the oval stone in my pocket. I dug it out, ready to hurl, though too late. The tiger’s hot breath and heavy weight crashed down on top of me.
“Pinned, the stone in my outstretched hand touched the tiger’s chest. Instantly, it disappeared. I stood up in disbelief and looked around, but the tiger was truly gone! Smiling in surprise I started to relax, until I heard the cottonmouth slither through the ferns and thistles. I looked up in time to see the spider’s body cast its enormous shadow near the path’s fork and knew I couldn’t fend them both off.
“In desperation I turned to the wall and waved the stone. It melted away! Ecstatic, I scurried through to the other side, just as the snake and spider arrived. A terrible screech abruptly ceased behind me. When I turned around the wall was intact again, without any sign of the snake and spider. All that remained was the serene beauty of the garden, resting quiet on the other side.
“The noise from the busy plaza soon returned. I noticed then that I’d been hurt; the tiger tore a painful gash in my shoulder. I had to keep moving, regardless. Genovene and her siblings still congregated at the other end, facing the very spot where I’d jumped from earlier, as if time had stood still. I tiptoed across the plaza and began to climb the golden road’s steep incline. But then my sneakers squeaked, alerting Genovene to my new location, her grotesque head whipping around.
“‘Grab him!!!’ she screamed. ‘Hurry, he’s getting away!!!’
“I scrambled up the hill, hooking my fingers and the front edge of my shoes in between the cobblestones to keep from tumbling back down into the plaza. Once the road leveled out and I could stand up straight, I raced to the top of the hill. The crowd from the plaza chased after me, making weird chirping noises as they scaled the incline.
“Near the plaza’s staircase, Genovene and her four siblings stood in a slight arc facing the statue called Morylan. She performed some sort of spell with her hands while Malacai pointed a long black wand at the statue. The jets of water stopped and the massive warrior began to move, bending his head down to the five monsters as if listening. Morylan then turned his head toward me, drawing the golden sword noisily from the sheath tied to his side. He jumped down into the plaza from his pedestal, shaking the ground beneath him. He also chased after me, trampling and crushing the villagers in his way and leaving a trail of gory footprints.
“I knew he’d be upon me in a matter of seconds. I sprinted to the closest shop on the right side of the road and hid behind that building. The crystal wall stood less than a hundred feet away. My chances of reaching the main gates safely seemed better if I stayed behind the shops, contrary to my mother’s instructions to stay on the road. I prayed my close proximity to the preferred path would be enough in the end.
“I darted from shop to shop while staying low to the ground, thankful the areas in front of me were deserted. The thunderous footsteps of Morylan grew ever closer, along with the cicada-like noises from the
villagers in pursuit. The ground shook terribly and I hid along the back wall of the closest shop.
“The footsteps stopped in front of that very building. An enormous shadow loomed over the two-story structure and thickened as Morylan bent down toward me. He knew I was there.
“‘What the hell do I do now?’
“I embraced the wall tightly in an effort to further conceal myself, trying to remain calm. One of the warrior’s giant hands crept toward the rear of the shop. The fingers probed through the grass and bushes, pulling them out by their dirt-clod roots like I would a small dandelion. Two fingers brushed noisily near me, crouched in a vain attempt to merge with the wall. Beyond terrified, I stayed still and quiet, though my pulse throbbed angrily in my chest and neck. The fingers moved even closer…to within a few inches.
“Prepared once more for the very worst, luckily it never came. The fingers pulled back and the hand lifted, disappearing from my view. A moment later, Morylan’s shadow lengthened as he stood up. The ground soon shook, again and again, decreasing as the warrior moved up the road toward the gates.
“Listening to the fading footfalls, I wondered what time it was and pulled out my watch. Just after three-thirty that afternoon. Several hours left until nightfall, but I’d miss Grandpa’s four o’clock deadline. It got me moving and just in time, as shrill clicking noises came up fast from behind. I glanced over my shoulder and slid my watch back inside my pocket. No one visible yet. I peered around the building’s edge where Morylan’s fingers had been only moments ago. The area before me lay deserted.
“I ran to the rear of the next shop, concealing myself behind a ledge. I still didn’t see anyone behind me, but I heard a lot more chirps coming from the road. I moved over to the far edge of the shop…the immense golden gates stood less than a quarter mile away.
“Morylan was already there. He stood in front of the gates with his back to the entrance. He frowned while scanning the area. Looking for me? Likely. Small bands of villagers were also on the lookout. It was just a matter of time before they extended their search behind the shops.