Soul Flyer

by Karin Raven Steininger

  Under an outcrop of rock, the steps levelled out. Ellie stopped by a seat and rummaged in her backpack for a water bottle. Rose uncapped a small aluminium thermos and filled a cup with lemon-iced tea.

  Ellie laughed in amazement.

  ‘What?’ asked Rose, indignantly. ‘I had a feeling you were going to come over and so I made us some tea. Is that a crime?’

  Descending further into the valley, they emerged at last out onto a dappled shadowy path. Fern Gully had been a favoured picnic area for walkers, and the remnants of wooded tables lay scattered between the trees. Rose was right - the air here was cooler, easier to breathe, as though the seeping dust hadn’t the energy to make it this far down.

  Ellie walked slowly, her head tilted back and her eyes trained up at the light cascading through the tall, moss speckled forest. Giant tree ferns fanned above, their wide delicate fronds protected from the heat, and hidden within this veiled, shadowed canyon.

  A flitter overhead, and a bird with sharp darting movements landed on the branch of a sapling.

  ‘Oh my God,’ Ellie breathed. ‘Look.’

  ‘Oh right,’ Rose sniffed, untying her hair and combing the curls out with her fingers. ‘A bird.’

  ‘No, you don’t understand, there hasn’t been a bird in the forest for months. I don’t even remember the last time I saw one.’

  ‘Except for that wedged-tail thing.’

  ‘Yes, but - oh Rose.’

  Ignoring her friend’s disinterest, Ellie hurried through the trees after the tiny wren. It flew along a snaking path and then, a moment later, it darted around a tall, sloping boulder and disappeared into the dry forest beyond. Disappointed, Ellie slowed to a walk.

  Here out in the open, and away from the protective shadows of the cliffs, the air pressed close and hot, speckling her skin with rusty flecks of dust. Sighing, Ellie brushed off her arms when, all at once, a shadow, fast-winged and high, dashed overhead. Whirling, trying to catch a glimpse against the glare of the sky, Ellie gazed up into the canopy. Branches creaked and a breeze dropped a handful of leaves to the forest floor, sending a pattern of sunlight dancing across the trees.

  ‘I love it here…’ She whispered out loud. Flinging her arms wide, Ellie twirled around and around, the surrounding forest blurring and shifting, flashing shards of bright and dark into her eyes. I love it here... whirling faster and faster, Ellie tilted her face upwards, losing herself in the sensation of light streaking across her vision.

  All at once she spun to a stop, her feet skidding on the path. Mortified, Ellie dropped her hands, bracing herself for a peal of teasing laughter from her friend. Around her it seemed the enormous forest held its breath. She could sense it, miles and miles of dense thick bushland - some so tangled and inaccessible that Ellie doubted a soul had set foot in it for hundreds of years.

  Wincing, she stole a glance behind, but with one arm flung carelessly over her eyes, Rose lay stretched out across a low picnic bench; she appeared to be fast asleep. Exhaling loudly in relief, Ellie slung her bag over her shoulder and turned to rejoin her friend.

  Then all at once, a whisper rasped, tight and close behind her. Followed by a footfall, and a sudden crunch of leaves, as though stepped on, once, twice-

  Ellie’s heart pounded.

  Her skin prickled, and her attention contracted to the sensation of being watched by a bright, hard gaze.

  Ellie warily raised her hands - in supplication or self-protection she didn't know. In the ensuing silence, the trunks of the surrounding trees - magnificent mountain ash - soared up towards the sky, tall and straight, and unyielding in the eucalyptus-tinged heat.

  ‘Is anyone there?’ Ellie whispered.

  Leaves swirled around her feet. A flash of movement skittered at the edge of her vision.

  ‘Stop playing around, show yourself!’

  A small rock rolled across another at her feet, until teetering it fell to the ground.

  Oh please, she begged silently, lowering her hands. Whatever you are, I can feel you’re here, I don’t know how, but please stop playing games…

  It was so strange. Ellie didn't know how it happened, but as she stood gazing into the forest her vision seemed to shift; it was like an inkblot test, or a 3D illusion picture coming suddenly into focus. One minute nothing, and then...

  A face...

  Ellie gasped. Emerging from within the pale bark of a eucalypt, a face appeared in the smooth wood, so close, just a handful of steps away. Its sharp features eyed her intently, and behind it the tree bulged as though the trunk held a baby pushing the limits of its mother’s belly.

  ‘I’m dreaming,’ Ellie whispered, scarcely daring to breathe.

  As she watched, the creature seemed to relax. Blinking, it adjusted its position in an unhurried fashion, and proceeded to slowly unfurl the entire length of its body. Ducking a shoulder through the very fabric of the wood, it stretched forth a long, sinuous leg, and stepped cautiously to the ground. Tall and straight, its wide feet splayed across the earth like roots - and its skin was as pale and smooth, and as speckled with grey, as the towering mountain ash behind.

  Ellie gazed for a long moment at the being, the faery, for that is what it seemed to be. She had seen pictures in a book - finely etched drawings and watercolours of nature spirits, fae beings, who lived within the cool of rocks, in trees, and deep within rivers. But that had been about magical creatures living in the hills and dales of England and Ireland. In stories. Not here and now in dusty, hot Australia.

  Whatever.

  The faery was taking no notice of her. By now it had edged away from the trees and was out on the open path, quivering in a direct shaft of light. Elongating its arms, it tilted its head back and breathed out a lilting trio of notes.

  It was so surprising, and so pure and simple, Ellie’s eyes pricked with tears. She didn’t move, not caring anymore if this was real or she had suddenly, completely lost her mind. A moment, and the song rippled out once more, rising in tone, higher still, before evaporating into silence.

  ‘Hey.’ A branch snapped, and Rose’s voice cut abruptly through the forest. ‘What are you –?’

  ‘Can you see it?’ Ellie hurriedly wiped her eyes. She had never seen anything so strange and beautiful before in her life. She turned.

  Rose didn’t answer. Around them the expanse of trees remained quiet, with not a flicker of wind disturbing the stillness.

  ‘Rose?’

  ‘See what?’

  ‘Look.’

  It had only been an instant, but when Ellie turned back the faery had vanished, leaving the path with only a few twigs and leaves fluttering in the sunshine.

  ‘Let’s go back.’ Rose grabbed Ellie’s hand. ‘I saw you twirling around before, what were you doing? You’re such an idiot.’

  Ellie flushed and in the embarrassed silence, a series of distant notes sounded through the forest.

  ‘Did you hear that?’

  ‘What?’

  They began again, this time the notes were more intricate, and they seemed to be moving further into the trees.

  ‘Oh.’ Ellie clasped her hands almost begging. ‘We have to see what’s going on. It could be magic...’

  ‘Magic?’ Rose snorted. ‘What are you on about, you big baby.’

  Ellie opened her mouth to protest, but she didn't get a chance as with a hoot of laughter Rose darted away. ‘Come on, you’ll wet yourself if we don’t check it out.’

  Smiling, Ellie ran into the depths of the sunlit forest. Ahead she could see her friend’s long dark hair in stark contrast with the paleness of the surrounding trees. Without pausing, Rose vanished into a stand of white giants. It was a grove, each tree grew tightly together, jutting up into the sky, edged by a wall of dark granite boulders.

  Ellie stopped, her breath dry and rasping in her throat. The notes sounded louder here, she realised. A constant, overlaying tone that seemed to vibrate up through the rocks themselves and out into the air.

  Everyw
here.

  The sound thrummed up through the stone beneath her feet. Rising from the ground, she could feel it spreading through the soil, and seeping into the very soles of her shoes. Frowning, Ellie tried to shift her position, but her feet wouldn’t budge; each one felt strangely heavy, weighed down solidly to the earth.

  ‘Hey.’ Ellie pulled at them again.

  A loud shout burst from the trees and she stumbled forward, her shoes abruptly coming away from the ground. Rose was standing by one of the boulders, grinning and motioning Ellie to follow.

  Ellie took in a long wavering breath. ‘What had just happened?’

  ‘Come on,’ Rose gestured, before rushing away through the trees.

  ‘Wait!’ cried Ellie as she scrambled after her, trying to keep up on the twisting, narrow path. A step later, and Rose disappeared.

  Ellie slowed, around her the air seemed to be shimmering, flashing, like sun-caught water. With each step she took, the shadows between the densely growing trees shifted, becoming lighter and lighter. Ellie’s heart pounded, gripped by a fierce elation she propelled herself past the last remaining tree and burst into a clearing.

  Music filled her senses. Low tones, as thick as water, brushed over stone monoliths.

  A tiny being flitted past, its eyes huge in its face as bright shards of sound streaked to the ground. The very rock itself seemed to shudder.

  Eyes wide, Ellie turned around, hugging herself in wonder. Above her, the sandstone cliffs spun in a blur of red and ochre and grey-green trees.

  Amazing, Ellie breathed, spinning. Just -

  A pebble whacked hard against Ellie’s hand.

  ‘What are you doing?’ Rose hissed. She was crouched low a few steps away by a large rock. In her hand she brandished a second, threatening projectile.

  Ellie rubbed her skin. Her head felt odd and strangely light, like the day had tilted. It felt hard to focus. Particles of grit irritated her eyes.

  ‘Why are you always so slow?’ Rose slapped the rock. Ellie blinked, jolted awake by the sound.

  ‘Check this out. You’ve got to see this.’

  ‘What?’ She crept across the ground to her friend.

  Grinning, Rose raised herself and pointed to the centre of the clearing.

  The sun had dipped behind a wedge of rock, sending a knife of shadow straight across the ground. Positioned around its tip stood a circle of robed figures. In a single motion, each one took a step back and raised a hand. As they did so, the wind shifted, scattering a flurry of leaves across the rocky ground, and out of the silence came a song as light as breath.

  Ellie shivered, the notes lifted, twisting, becoming a layered harmony rising into the ochre red sky. So beautiful...

  A snort, and Rose slapped her hand on the rocky surface. ‘Oh my God. It’s just people,’ she laughed incredulously. ‘It’s not magic. It’s just ordinary people in awful clothes.’

  Ellie stared at them, and the wonder vanished. Suddenly she felt cold, tired, and very stupid. ‘Let’s go back-’

  ‘No way.’ Rose grinned.

  In the centre of the circle stood a woman; she was older, but just how old Ellie couldn’t see. Her head was down, and grey-streaked hair cascaded down her back. Around her neck hung a loop of long, black feathers. The other voices stilled, and the woman lifted her gaze and sang out a single, powerful note. Shooting into the sky, it reverberated long and hard around the sun-warmed cliffs. The air itself seemed to quake and then, rising like shadows out of the stone, figures emerged out of the rock, tall and fine-boned with huge eyes, and skin the rich red of the cliff face.

  Ellie stared, her heart thudding, as with long graceful movements, the strange beings eased free and moved towards the women.

  All at once, Rose jumped to her feet. ‘Come on!’ She turned around, beckoning eagerly.

  She couldn’t see them. Ellie suddenly knew. Her friend wasn't aware of the creatures towering over the dark-robed figures.

  ‘No stop!’ Ellie motioned, frantically.

  ‘No stop.’ Rose mimicked. Pulling a face, she crept closer to the robed figures. A sigh rippled through the clearing.

  ‘Stop!’ Ellie called, suddenly panicked. The woman lifted her hands.

  ‘Stop!’

  Voices rose and Ellie jumped to her feet as the woman cried a single spoken word. The sound cracked like a gunshot against the walls of the cliffs. Rose fell to the ground.

  ‘No!’ Ellie ran to her friend.

  In the circle, the old woman glared at the two girls, her huge eyes piercing the shadows like enormous golden orbs. The ochre-red beings had vanished.

  ‘I’m okay,’ Rose laughed. ‘I just tripped.’

  Pulling away from Ellie, she climbed to her feet and gestured to the motionless figures. ‘You don't scare me,’ Rose shook her hair back, defiantly. ‘You’re all crazy, what do you think you’re doing? Huh?’

  Chortling wickedly, Rose grabbed Ellie by the hand and pulled her back across the length of the clearing. Ellie didn’t protest.

  After a long pause, voices rose once more from within the circle, like a pulse, quiet and sombre, pushing the intruders away.

  Dropping her grasp, Rose scrambled back through the gap in the rock.

  Alone, Ellie turned back. The sun had dropped over the cliffs and the entire clearing was now blanketed in shadow. She could hardly see anything save for the ghostly glimmer of the trees and the rock face glowing red in the setting sun. ‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered. ‘I’m really sorry.’

  Reaching into her bag, Ellie pulled out her water bottle and tipped the last of it onto the ground, at the base of one of the trees. It wasn’t much, but it was all she had to offer.

  ‘Come on!’

  Sighing, Ellie squeezed herself back through the wall of rock and hurried into the forest.

  ‘You’re always so slow.’ Rose hissed with her hands on her hips and a scowl marring her beautiful face. ‘They were weird. Who were they?’

  ‘I have no idea.’ Ellie forced out a chuckle.

  ‘And you! What got into you?’

  ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘You were scared. You thought they were going to kill us or something.’ Rose handed over her thermos of iced-tea.

  Ellie took a gulp of the sweet, cool liquid and closed her eyes. ‘Yeah well,’ she said at last. ‘They should’ve killed you. You deserved it. I thought you’d been struck dead.’

  ‘Oh, I was just pretending.’

  ‘Yeah, right.’

  ‘Who cares, they were nothing. They didn't have any magic at all.’

  FIVE

  A streetlight flicked on and then another. Overhead, the sky was soaked a dull, dark red. Ellie could see Rose just up ahead standing by the kerb in front of her house. It was eerily quiet, with not a child cry or hint of movement within any of the houses, each window closed tight against the dust.

  ‘Do you have any idea what the time is?’ Ellie caught up with her friend.

  Rose ignored her. ‘Do you have any water?’

  ‘No, I’d love some but-’

  ‘Damn, we’ll have to just use them dry.’ Rose pulled her scarf out of her back pocket and began wiping her face and neck with small meticulous strokes.

  ‘What are you doing?’ cried Ellie, grabbing her hand. ‘Can’t you see how late it is? I have to get home.’

  ‘It’s probably not as late as you think,’ said Rose. ‘You need to just sort yourself out.’ She glanced pointedly at Ellie’s clothes.

  Ellie looked down. Her t-shirt and jeans were smeared with the remnants of leaves and bark caught from the trees. That was easy to brush off - but sticking to her skin, mingled with a layer of damp exerted after the long climb, was a persistent covering of red.

  Alarmed, Ellie pulled out her scarf and quickly ran it over her face and hands and neck.

  When Rose was satisfied all traces of their journey were erased, Ellie stuffed the soiled cloth deep into her bag and hurried after her friend. Their footste
ps crunched as Rose and Ellie eased open the metal gates and slipped as quietly as they could on the gravel path, and down the side of the house. Here Ellie breathed easier. The air was cooler and cleaner, as though shielded from the grit of the day by the sheer weight of the stone walls.

  It was dark and hard to see, but turning the corner she stopped, momentarily dazzled by a single light, its beam trained on a figure at the bottom of the garden.

  ‘Hey Dad,’ Rose called out, heading along the patchy grass towards him. ‘We’re back.’

  Balanced high on a ladder, the Reverend Matthew Hopkins stood over the mass of ivy that fell from the roof of the summerhouse. A tall, fierce looking man with curly black hair, he was struggling to cut through the last twists of vine. Leaves tumbled to the ground and he turned, his pale blue eyes gleaming in a face that looked worn and bitter in the unforgiving light.

  Ellie suddenly felt spooked; Rose’s father usually seemed to be the same age as her own, but there were odd moments when he seemed ancient, soured, and beaten with age.

  The garden shears clattered onto the roof.

  ‘Do you two have any idea what the time is?’ His gaze locked on to Ellie’s. ‘Your mother has called twice. You were apparently meant to be home some time ago.’

  Ellie stared back, gripped by a sudden cold dismay. ‘Oh no, I can’t believe it.’

  ‘Wait,’ called Rose, grabbing Ellie by the hand. ‘What’s up, surely you don’t really have to go?’

  ‘I do,’ wailed Ellie. ‘They’re going out tonight and I promised to cook dinner. She’s going to kill me.’

  Rose took a step towards her. ‘Will your brother be home?’ She asked with a sly smile.

  ‘Yeah I suppose so.’

  ‘Well then, let’s get going. We’ll call her. Dad can drive us and between us we’ll be able to whip something up for the twins and anyone else who happens to be around.’

  A loud hand slap on the roof cut her off. ‘Not so fast, first you can tell me where the two of you have been.’