“I don’t know, a bug maybe?” Mosquito came to mind.
Her angry glare seemed much more ominous then her petite frame. “Bird maybe?” I smiled.
“What is your name?” she snapped.
“Tali,” I replied, a little more concerned by her demeanor. “Tali Jacobson.”
“Tell me Tali Tali Jacobson, what business brings you to Green?”
“That’s the strange thing,” I said. “I don’t know how I got here or where here even is, but I’ve got to get back home to Lockhart because...”
“Lockhart, the city?” she interrupted and once again drew close to look into my eyes.
“You’ve heard of it?” I asked with a new sense of optimism.
“Heard of it? Of course I have heard of it! It is the city of the Maker!”
“The maker?” I repeated. “The maker of what?”
“The Maker of all things,” she replied, her brow furrowing as though any simpleton should know this.
“I’ve never heard of the Maker, unless you are talking about God? But, God doesn’t live in Lockhart as far as I know.”
“Hmmm, I fear the worst has happened to you. I have concluded from our short conversation that you must have bumped your head and have lost your mind completely,” she said. “Luckily I pity you, and shall therefore gift you with sleep so that you will wake feeling much clearer.” She then took a small leather pouch from her waist belt and before I knew what she was doing, she took out a pinch of grey dust, and flicked it towards my face.
“Quies sopor,” she whispered.
“Wait! No!” I quickly shook my head and ran my hands through my hair flicking off the dust. “I can’t sleep yet, I need to know how to get to Lockhart. I need my medication! Please, you don’t understand!” But as fast as I tried to explain myself to her, my eyelids grew heavy and I was already beginning to yawn.
“Don’t worry, everything will be clearer when you wake. Rest now and sleep.”
“Don’t go,” I yawned, reaching sluggishly out towards her, but she fluttered upwards and suddenly a team of lights approaching from over a low hill, filled the dark field of long grass in front of me. As Prospexi led the way, the low hum of hundreds of faery wings filled the air and the blur of their glittering wings flew swiftly past me. It was as though I were sailing across a starry sea. Then it was dark.
Chapter Six
The Craving Tree
Opening the freezer, I found three large cubes of ice in the tray and popped them into a glass tumbler. Snapping open a can of root beer, I sipped off the rim and felt the fizz sputter up on my nose, then poured the remains over the ice. ‘Mmmm,’ I salivated, pulling the frothy sweetness up to my lips.
“Um, excuse me!”
Having been jolted awake, I opened my eyes to find the root beer gone, and myself still stuck in the world of green, where the morning sun was already starting to warm the dewy air.
“Ugh!” I groaned.
The ground seemed much harder and the tree’s bumpy roots dug into my sore body. I was thirsty and probably dehydrated; my dry and splitting lips told me that much. My soiled clothes were damp from the dewy grass that stuck to my clammy skin, as I moved to stretch my tightened muscles.
“Excuse me!” A voice startled me and I jerked up into a sitting position. My hand blocked the bright morning sun as I looked around, squinting and trying to see who owned the voice.
“Hello?” I replied, not seeing anyone.
“Yes, yes, could you move little to left, you blockink side door,” said the strange voice.
I looked down at the ground to the right of me and found a short sandy coloured rodent with tiny ears, particularly large feet and long whiskers that twitched as he sniffed. He stood there on his hind legs, his hands fidgeting near his furry white underside, waiting for me to move.
It seemed surreal that an animal would have spoken, but then I remembered Prospexi from the night before, and I wondered whether I had somehow stumbled upon some weird alternate universe where myth mingled with reality.
“I no mean to startle you, but I have all taste bud I need, and I must get to side door,” he continued.
I shifted a bit to one side, and noticed that I had been laying on a small hole in the ground, quite close to the tree.
“Sorry,” I said. And not wanting to lose the company, I asked, “You’re a gerbil aren’t you?”
“Yes, yes my name is Yerik Guzalak, but my friends all call me Yeri.”
“Wow, I have a couple of gerbils back home, but...” Suddenly the thought of admitting I kept them in a cage might not be the best thing to tell a talking gerbil, I continued instead, “but the gerbils I have don’t talk.”
“Maybe dey don’t have much to say, no?” replied Yeri.
“I guess not,” I laughed. He seemed much more friendly then Prospexi had been.
“What is name?” he asked.
“Tali,” I replied. “You don’t happen to know how I can get to Lockhart do you?”
“Very very nice to meet you Tali.” He said, and unexpectedly hopped up onto my right knee. “You goink to Lockhart?”
I nodded.
“Is very, very far from here. Why you want to go dere?”
“It’s where I live,” I said. “How far is far?”
“Very, V E R Y far,” he said. “What bring you all dis way?” he asked.
I paused, and thought about the last moment I could remember back at the mansion. “Well, I was in this house, actually a really big house, more like a mansion, and my friends and I had to go into the basement, which was more like a cellar and we started going through a whole bunch of stuff when I found this book, and then...” I glanced down at Yeri’s blank face and realized that trying to explain my predicament would be more difficult than I thought.
“Actually,” I sighed, “I really don’t know how I got here, but I have to get back home. Do you know the way?”
“Yes, yes. First ting is get yourself to Tesqua.” He turned and looked towards the tree. “Is not far from here, but you much too big for side door. You must use back door, but big storm blow longk time. You sure you want to go?”
“Of course I’m sure,” I said.
“Aye-yi-yi, is long way south to Lily Palus, and den must find way across and get to forest. Very, very big tree and dangerous. Is better you go around. Very far, many mile...” he stopped, his whiskers flicking in deep thought. “Is long way for young girl with no help. Many danger. Very, very bad if I led you to trouble.”
“But I’ve got to get home!” I pleaded. “I need my medication. Is there a city nearby with a pharmacy or better yet, do you have a phone that I could use?”
“I do not know what is dis pharmetee you tell of?”
“Pharmacy! You know, where you buy drugs?”
Yeri just stared at me blankly and I got the feeling that he didn’t have a phone either.
“Do you at least know anyone with a phone?” I pushed.
“I do not know dese words you say,” he replied.
“Well I have to get to Lockhart somehow,” I said. “My parents have probably already got the police looking for me.”
“Yes, yes, is lonely beingk so far from family,” he sighed and looked back towards the tree again. Then, as though with regret he said, “I take you to Tesqua and we talk. Maybe you see how bad storm is and change mind, no?”
I knew I wouldn’t change my mind. I couldn’t! I picked Yeri up and placed him on my shoulder. “If you’re okay up there, we can make some good ground,” I smiled and he nodded. My tummy rumbled reminding me of how hungry I was.
“You wouldn’t know where I could get some food on the way would you?” I asked, wishing there was a nearby french fry truck or something.
“Food?” Yeri’s face leaned around to look in mine. Then he chuckled. “You no rec
ognize dis tree?”
I looked up for the first time that day into the sun-brightened branches, looking for some fruit that I might have missed seeing last night.
“A fruit tree?” I guessed.
“NO! No, dis is cravink tree.” He scrambled down my clothing and was in an instant up the tree pulling something out from between two leaves. Holding up a bright pink bud he said, “It make taste bud! You no have in Lockhart?”
“No,” I said. Then curiously, I reached up to the nearest branch and pulled back a few leaves that cupped around a soft pink bud. It was about the size of a large kidney bean, yet tender and velvety like the petals of a rose. I plucked it and several more, stuffing all but one into my back pocket. Bringing one bud close to my face I smelled it, discovering that it had no odour at all.
“It’s safe then? For humans to eat?” I asked, watching his face for any sign of deceit.
“Yes, yes, very good!” he said, as he took a small nibble of his own. “You try?”
I stuck out my tongue and let the very tip of it touch the bud. Instantly, a warm flavour rolled over my tongue, filling my mouth with what tasted exactly like french fries that had been dipped in the perfect amount of gravy. I popped it whole into my mouth and savoured more of the crispy potatoes with soft centres and a hint of deep fried oil, all smothered in salty warmth. I chewed the bud, relishing its taste. As I swallowed it down, a wave of sweet, foamy root beer rinsed over my mouth, washing down the taste of fries and perfectly quenching my thirst. It settled into my tummy, warm and full, as though I had eaten the perfect serving to satisfy my hunger.
“That was cool!” I laughed, wiping my mouth as though expecting food to be on my face.
“You cravink someting cool?” Yeri asked.
“Yeah! An icy cold root beer with warm fries and gravy and I could swear that’s exactly what it tasted like.”
“See! You want food, and cravink tree know what you want when you pick bud.”
Then something got his attention. “What is dis I see?” he asked, and scurrying up to a higher branch, he raised himself up on his hind legs. “Look like someone come find you.”
I turned around to see two figures walking towards us from a far distance - a girl with a large bonnet and someone in a helmet and goggles that I recognized in a moment.
“It’s Justin and Emily!”
Jumping up and down with my hands waving overhead, I yelled, “Over here!” I couldn’t hold back my excitement and ran out to meet them. My body still felt stiff and my feet were sore with blisters from walking so much the day before, but with my tummy filled and my friends in view, I ran full out across the open green.
Justin recognized me instantly and ran out towards me, his helmet bouncing up and down with each long stride. Emily trailed behind, holding tightly to her bonnet. Somehow she managed to maintain a sort of sophistication in her run. Neither of them could have had wider grins as the gap between us narrowed. It was the closest thing to home I had seen since I had arrived in this strange place, and I couldn’t wait to hear their voices. But then suddenly their eyes widened and their grins disappeared completely. They stopped dead in their tracks. Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong.
A cold dark shadow fell over the grass around me. My legs slowed and I spun around to see a huge bird the size of a small airplane soaring in towards me, wings outstretched. With only a second to think, I leapt forward and rolled down the grassy slope, and as I did the bird slammed his sharp talons down behind me, shaking the ground and grabbing a large patch of earth from where I had just been standing. Then in one fluid motion he was back in the air, climbing up into the sky with a high-pitched screech. Releasing his talons, the mound of dirt fell as he continued his ascent.
The sunlight bounced off the bird’s shiny black feathers, refracting luminescent flashes of purple, as though they were scales. His long tail and muscular talons trailed behind, steering his massive body like a rudder steers a boat. He circled around and was now soaring in with tremendous speed behind Justin and Emily.
“RUN!” I yelled, as I turned and started running back towards the tree. I wasn’t sure how the tree would offer us any defense, but there was nowhere else to hide. Yeri scrambled down the branches and stood on the ground in front of the large trunk.
“Come, come! Quick!” he hollered.
I was out of breath and worried about my heart, especially since I hadn’t taken any medication since yesterday, but I reached Yeri quickly and found him standing inside an opening near the base of the trees trunk that I had not noticed before. The opening was well camouflaged, but suddenly visible with him now standing inside. I quickly slid into the trunk’s cavern beside him and turned to wave madly at Justin and Emily to follow.
“Hellkite are very, very nasty bird,” said Yeri surprisingly calm. “You know, my papa was near eaten by one, but it much younger. Nasty dey are, with teeth sharp like razor and talon strong to lift whole human your size. Dey take you back to nest and feed you to...”
“Yeri!” I interjected. “I’d rather not know!”
“But Maker must find favour with you, for it get you not on first blow,” he continued, but I drew my attention to Justin and Emily who were screaming and running towards us, as fast as they could. Emily’s bonnet nearly strangled her as it flung around behind, hanging on by a ribbon knot around her neck. The little sophistication she had was gone, as she now ran in an all-out panic attack, nearly tripping with every stride.
“Hurry!” I hollered.
The bird swooped down close to the ground behind them, its dark shadow closing in on them fast. Justin, having gained a substantial lead on Emily, was nearly at the tree. I snatched up Yeri and dodged out of the way, as Justin careened through the entrance feet first, grabbing the top of the opening as he slid under to stop himself in what looked like a well-planned and highly impressive maneuver. We both looked back out at Emily whose face was filled with horror as she frantically ran to keep up with her own legs and was only seconds from being overshadowed by the large bird.
“Hurry Em!” shouted Justin, as he stretched his arms open to catch her on her arrival.
But suddenly, her wild run became contorted, as she tripped on uneven ground and was thrown forward. Over and over her body tumbled and somersaulted down the hill straight for us until she stopped flat on her stomach just outside the entrance. She looked up at us with the fear of death in her eyes. Without a second to lose, Justin reached out, grabbed hold of her wrists and yanked her into the tree with us.
WHAM! The loud sound of the bird slamming against the opening shook the tree and the ground echoed with a low resonating rumble. Having narrowly escaped death, we all sat quietly panting, deep inside the cavern of the tree, too terrified to move and hoping the tree would hold up against the massive creature.
A dark shadow flicked outside the entrance and suddenly a large red beak snapped inside the opening.
“SCREEEECH!” A hissing blow of steamy rage boiled from the bird’s nostrils and ripped down my spine like fingers on a chalkboard. We scrambled back as tightly as we could fit against the back wall of the trunk, and as far from the entrance as we could get. Red flashes of the bird’s beak cracked against the tree’s bark, making us scream with every strike as the massive hellkite desperately tried to get in.
“It’s going to break through,” Emily cried with her body shaking against me.
“B..d c..t...n!” The muffled voice made me realize that I had no idea where Yeri was in all the commotion.
“Be careful not to squish Yeri!” I said, looking frantically around in the small dark space for him.
“Who’s Yeri?” panted Emily.
My hands blindly searched around for a ball of fur. Then I felt him, twisted up within the material of Emily’s bonnet of all things.
“He’s a...” I gently untangled him and pulled him out.
“... a gerbil,” I finally said holding him up for them to see.
“Bird no get in!” huffed Yeri, as he gasped for air. “Tree too strong.”
“Ick!” shrieked Emily.
“It’s okay,” I said. “This is Yeri.k... Guza... Guzil...,”
“Guzilak,” Yeri finished. “But my friends, they call me Yeri.”
“Ew! A mouse!” squawked Emily, apparently not too happy about being stuck in the tree with him.
“Mouse?” scolded Yeri. “No, no. I very, very different dan mouse.”
“And he talks?” said Justin taking off his goggles to get a better look. “Cool!” He reached out to pet him.
“Blech.” Yeri batted Justin’s hand away.
Yeri was right about the tree being strong: none of the ground-shaking blows made a dent in its structure and soon the screeches subsided and the bird seemed to have given up and moved on.
“Hey, what happened to your glasses?” I asked, suddenly realizing Justin wasn’t wearing them.
“It’s the craziest thing!” he said. “I woke up here this morning and everything was blurry.”
“What do mean blurry?”
“You know, unfocused,” he said. “But when I took my glasses off I could see great!”
“I don’t understand?”
“It’s like he doesn’t need his glasses anymore,” said Emily.
“That’s weird,” I said.
“Yeah, but I kept them just in case,” he patted his front shirt pocket where I could see them folded neatly inside. He had worn glasses forever, or at least as long as I had known him, since way back in kindergarten. He had tried contacts a year ago, after Tina started calling him four-eyes, but he struggled with getting them in, and after losing one behind his eye and having to go in to the hospital to have it removed, he gave them up and regrettably went back to his glasses.
I couldn’t decide whether he looked better or worse without them, but here he was not wearing them, and I knew I needed some time to get used to him looking so different.
“What is this place anyway?” asked Emily.
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