“My mom pulled out a small red satin bag with a leather strap from in between the laces of her dress near her bosom. She opened the bag and poured out a gold and gray colored dust upon my head, which disappeared the very instant the sparkling dust particles touched my scalp. ‘This mixture is made from the very gold of this village, along with the charred remains of its many victims,’ she told me. ‘May it reveal to you the deception and the truth about Genovene, for she is far more cruel and wicked than any other person you’ve ever heard or read about in recorded history. I pray you escape without feeling the fear and pain of her wrath.’
“‘Jaaacckk!! This is a very poor way to treat someone who has taken the time to arrange a feast for you, and as the guest of honor you are now way past rude!!! Come out from there nowww!!!’ Genovene suddenly shrieked.
“Although we couldn’t see her from the back room, I saw her shadow from the afternoon sun hitting the floor as it stretched across the doorway leading from the front room to the back room. Gone was the beautiful young woman from earlier. In her place was a tall gangly thing with what looked like a slender spine-like tail whipping back and forth behind her. I started to scream, but my mother covered my mouth and spun me around and over to the very back of the room. She opened the small door and quickly pushed me through to the outside.
“‘Remember, my son, stay on the path!’ she pleaded. ‘Be very brave in spite of what you’ll see. No matter what happens, we’ll all be with you—remember that!’
“‘Mom!!!’ I shouted back through the doorway. ‘Why aren’t you following me out here? You’re coming with me, right?? Hurry!!! Hey, come on, Mom!!! Get out here before it’s too—.”
“‘No, Jack!’ she interrupted me. ‘The immediate opportunity is only intended for you! I can’t be released from this place unless you make it out of the village alive! Now, go!!’
“I stood bewildered and confused just outside the chest-high doorway, but only for a moment. A loud crash suddenly came from the front of the booth along with the sound of a great struggle amid the breaking of the wooden shelves and the ceramics as they spilled onto the floor.
“‘Mom!!!’ I cried out, and then tried to re-enter the shack’s rear room in an effort to come to her aid and rescue. I was forced back out the doorway, as somehow she managed to easily push me back through it and out of the shed once more, slamming the door shut this time and locking it behind her.
“‘Run, Jack!!! Run, nowww!!!’ she screamed.
“Reluctantly, I obeyed her command to leave, for instinctively I knew I didn’t have any more time to waste. I offered a quick fervent prayer for her safety, and then ran along the row of juniper trees, trying to get to the staircase that led down to the plaza and the golden road beyond as quickly as possible.”
PART V
The Race Back Home
“Man, are you all right?” Jack asked Peter, whose eyes glistened again. “Seriously, I can stop talking about this shit if you want me to.”
“I’m fine, Jack—really, I am,” he said. “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 likely, then I’m left to conclude he’s dead.”
“Like I said, man, we can forget about doing this—.”
“No!” said the agent, interrupting Jack more forcefully than he intended. “We’re not going to forget about anything! I came here to learn everything you can tell me about what happened back then, Jack! I’ll be all right. Just keep on like you’ve been, and I’ll get through this just fine. If you can handle reliving it, then please go on.”
“All right. But if you change your mind, just tell me and I’ll stop,” said Jack, pausing until Peter assured him again he was ready to continue. “I ran as hard and fast as my wobbly legs could carry me. Once I reached the top of the grand staircase, I saw that the plaza below was still filled with people playing and laughing merrily as before. I started to go down the stairs, when I heard a roaring shriek behind me.
“‘Jaacckk!! Stop right where you are and proceed no further!!!’
“The voice was eerily inhuman and difficult for me to know exactly where it came from. Was it fifty feet? Twenty? Or, was it just a few feet behind me?
“‘Turn around!! Noowwww!!!’
“The intense rage in the voice was unmistakable. Slowly I tuned around, shaking very badly. What I saw next has stayed with me ever since. It will likely haunt my nightmares for the duration of my life. Genovene stood less than thirty feet away from me. She no longer was the beautiful young woman I’d spent the better part of that day with. What stood before me now was a hideous thing that must’ve been there all along, lurking dangerously behind the alluring disguise of her gorgeous hair, face, and body. The only thing about her that was recognizable were the eyes, as the two huge blue glowing orbs gazed contemptuously at me from where she stood.
“She was dressed in the lavender outfit she’d picked out earlier, which was just like the ones her brothers and sisters wore in the courtyard. The cape hung loosely from what must’ve been her shoulders, since her body had changed dramatically. She was much taller now, and her head and body were gnarled and skeleton-like, and 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. Her long arms and legs were almost insect-like, with hooked claws at the end of each one. All in all, she reminded me of a 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 she was about ten feet away, I noticed several deep-red splotches that glistened on her robe, and feared for what became of my mother.
“‘What have you done to my mom, you goddamn fucking bitch??’
“‘Shall I give you the details? It’d be so much better if I left it to your active imagination to give you a graphic ‘play by play’ instead, you ungrateful brat!!’ she hissed. She took another step forward and was within five feet of me. ‘You almost ruined everything, you worthless piece of shit!!!’ she shrieked, and closed the gap to a mere foot. I could smell the stench of rotting meat and decay on her breath as she spoke. She leaned down directly into my face and I thought for sure I would pass out or piss in my shorts.
“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!!’ she sneered, a blast of her nasty breath spraying my face as she bared her sharp teeth at me. “Which do you prefer?’
“Part of me—the brave part, that is—wanted to run back to the shed and check on my mother. If she were alive, I’d try to save her and get her to leave the village with me. But it was much too late for that. I figure even she knew the fate awaiting her for intervening on my behalf. All I could do now was tremble before Genovene, for I was too frightened to speak.
“‘Very well, then. I’ll carry you myself!!’ she snapped, and reached for me. Repulsed by her slimy touch, I jerked away from her. I lost my balance and tumbled down the staircase until I grabbed hold of a stair nearly fifteen feet down from the top. I was bruised and scraped up, but the pain shook me from my fear. I stood up wincing and ran down the stairs as swiftly as I could. Genovene screamed at me to stop, and I glanced over my shoulder to check on her progress down the staircase. She was having a hell of a time navigating the stairs, and the distance between us quickly widened.
“‘Stop him!!! He’s getting away!!!” she roared.
“I hoped to increase my lead once I hit the plaza. But, just as soon as I reached it, the crowd suddenly stopped and turned their full attention upon me. As a group, they cocked their heads toward her, as if waiting to confirm her command.
“‘Seize him, nowww!!! If he escapes, there’ll be hell to pay for every one of you!!!’
“They immediately organized themselves
into rows and marched toward me, their eyes completely black and their mouths contorted into menacing scowls. Genovene was now within a few feet of the plaza, along with her four siblings who’d undergone a similar transformation. I was nearly surrounded. Without anywhere else to turn, I spun around and ran over to the waterfall directly to my left, climbing onto the ledge that faced it.
“Below me was the pool that fed the stream which ran through the garden sitting opposite from the one Genovene and I visited earlier. ‘So much for sticking to the golden road!’ I jumped into the pool twenty feet below. The water was hard and bitterly cold, which left me gasping for air once I resurfaced. Shivering and determined to stay low to avoid detection, I let the water’s current take me down into the stream itself. After passing over some small rapids and then 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 was able to swim. I headed for the shoreline closest to the garden wall, knowing it was nearest the golden road. Once out of the water, I found myself standing in a jungle. It looked as vibrant as the other garden across the plaza, but there was something different about this place. All I immediately cared about, though, was no one had pursued me here.
“Moving along the stream’s bank, I followed what I hoped was the main path through this place. My plan was to walk along the path for a hundred feet or so, and then cross over to the garden wall and 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. There wasn’t any sound other than the steady rush of the stream. I’d yet to hear a single bird or insect calling from anywhere within the garden, and found the near perfect stillness unsettling. Not to mention every normally fragrant flower I’d encountered carried no scent at all. Other than plants, there were no other signs of life in the garden. On the edge of my memory sat something very important.
“All at once I figured it out and a new wave of panic swept over me. I remembered Genovene said this particular garden responded to a person’s deepest fears—the opposite of the other garden across the way. I immediately slowed my pace and glanced around myself warily. Just ahead of me, the path suddenly took a sharp turn deeper into the garden, next to where a clump of large sumac trees stood across from an immense lilac bush. Just as I reached this curve, I was greeted by the foul odor of rotting flesh.
“Cautiously, I took a step. No sooner than I did this, I was face to face with a series of giant webs attached from the lilac bush to the very last of the tall sumacs near the stream. The path was completely blocked. I tried to remain calm, but my fear had the upper hand. Aside from having to find another way through the garden, I worried where the maker, or makers, of these enormous webs 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. Instinctively I jerked my arm away from it. The sudden movement sent a tremor through the web and I heard a rattling noise above me that sounded similar to wooden blocks tumbling in a copper pan. I looked up and saw the skeletal remains of an unfortunate conquistador trapped between two of the webs just a few feet away. I was horrified! The remains were still clothed in full armor, which had long since turned green and black from oxidation. The flanks of the outfit displayed several large holes from the deteriorating affects of time, the elements, or something’s very large fangs. The victim’s bones were picked clean, and the skull was contorted to where it clearly depicted the last moments of terror this unlucky person endured.
“I stepped away, unable to remove my gaze from this gruesome sight. I moved closer to the sumacs standing near the stream’s bank. Here, the stench was worse and seemed to come from the trees’ trunks. I looked down and nearly hurled what was left in my empty stomach. Lying in a haphazard pile were the skulls of roughly another thirty victims. There was nothing left of their bodies, other than a stray femur and a few finger fragments. The only other items near the skulls were a Native American headdress and set of chest beads, along with a rusted musket barrel and the torn and tattered fabric of an early American officer’s coat and cloak.
“I was surprised I hadn’t noticed this scene when I first came round the curve. It was nearly impossible to miss, either by sight or smell, though partially concealed by thick cocoon-like webbing near the base of the trees. 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, which was the likely source for the noxious odor. This puzzled me, since if the remains were as old as they appeared, how could there possibly be any decaying flesh left on them?
“That question would remain unanswered as suddenly I heard the creaking and snapping of branches from high above my head. I looked up in time to see a massive black spider with glowing orange eyes and long gray fangs descending toward me. The giant arachnid landed with a heavy thud only a few feet to my right. I leapt from the path, running as fast as I could back over to the stream. I was about to dive back into the chilly water, and hesitated just long enough to notice an unusually large cottonmouth slithering near the shoreline by me. Once the snake saw me it wriggled swiftly to the shore.
“Meanwhile, the spider crawled swiftly toward the stream. It stood a lot taller than I did at the time, as its prickly legs were a good two feet higher than my head. It eyed me hungrily and suddenly leaped into the air toward the spot where I was. I tripped and nearly fell backward down the embankment, and I almost tumbled headfirst into the gaping jaws of the water moccasin.
“Somehow, my clothing became entangled in a scrub bush sticking up from the ground. I tried desperately to free myself while the spider landed just inches away from my left shoulder and stumbled a bit. It quickly righted itself and began to raise its head in order to take a tasty bite out of me, its milky venom dripping from its twitching fangs that were primed and positioned to puncture my trembling body.
“I really thought this was it. The end of my brief life, and the horrible failure of my efforts to not only save my own skin, but to try and fulfill my mother’s wish for me to escape the village alive. I was ready to give up and just let this goddamned duo have their way with me. As I prepared to die, part of my mother’s last admonition to me blasted loudly through my tired mind. ‘Be very brave in spite of what you’ll see! No matter what happens, we will be with you—remember that!!’
“With the cottonmouth slithering up the embankment toward me, I ripped the portion of my shorts snagged on the branch, freeing myself just as the water moccasin arrived and the spider was in the process of bringing its poisoned fangs down upon me. Encouraged by my mother’s words, I somehow managed to avoid both creatures by rolling away from them and quickly getting back onto my feet. I then noticed a small space between the webs near the bottom of one of the sumac trees. I ran and dove into the space, dragging a thick sticky strand of web with me.
“The snake’s jaws snapped madly at the empty air where my sneakers had been only a moment 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 was pulling my feet through to the other side of the web. The snake slithered toward the hole while the spider snapped off its embedded fangs to free itself from the ground’s hold, letting out a pained and angry screech as it spun around on its hind legs and set out after my ass in a rage.
“In its determination to get me, the spider knocked the water moccasin out of its way just as the snake reached the gap between the webs. It tried to squeeze its enormous body through the hole while tearing frantically at the only obstacle between it and myself. Fortunately, it only got its head halfway through the space while its body became wedged in tightly, gripped by its own sticky trap. For the present time, both menaces were safely detained.
“I didn’t dare squander this opportunity. Hastily I stood up and ran through the flowers and thick shrubs in the garden. It was only a
matter of time before the spider freed itself and found some other way to get to me. The snake was possibly on its way already, as I heard the rustling sound of leaves coming up fast behind me. Terrified, I picked up my pace, running harder and faster until I didn’t hear the noise anymore.
“Hoping I’d at least temporarily eluded the water moccasin, I moved back onto the path again and soon neared the end of the garden. I began to look for a way out and took a fork in the path that led directly to the garden’s wall some seventy feet away. The fork was lined on both sides with tall exotic ferns and abrasive thistles, which I tiptoed past quickly until I reached the wall.
“Once there I immediately tried to climb over it. As soon as I was halfway over, an invisible force threw me back into the garden. Surprised and a hell of a lot sorer, I struggled back onto my feet and moved back to the wall. I sought desperately to remember what Genovene had done earlier when she opened a passageway in the other garden. Tentatively, I stretched my hand across the top of the wall. I was barely able to push through the invisible barrier before my hand was violently thrown back, nearly knocking me down and sending a surge of sharp pain throughout my arm.
“I dropped to my knees and searched along the side of the wall for some kind of switch or lever, but didn’t find one. While doing this, I heard a low menacing growl coming from the area where the fork began. An enormous white tiger soon emerged from behind the ferns and ambled onto the path. It headed straight for me. When the tiger closed to within forty feet, it suddenly sprinted toward me with its sharp teeth bared.
“All I could do was shrink against the wall in terror, searching the ground with my hands for rocks or anything else to throw at the animal. Finding nothing suitable, I suddenly remembered the oval stone in my pocket. I dug it out and was about to hurl it at the savage beast, but it was too late. I felt the tiger’s hot breath and heavy weight crash down on top of me.
The Golden Talisman Page 18