Darkness(Alex)
Never had she been so happy to see land before. After spending the last four months aboard an ever moving vessel, her legs seemed unwilling to walk properly on the rocky soil. Her traveling clothes hung loosely about her for she had lost a bit of weight due to the inability to keep any food down. If it weren’t for the galley cook’s fowl tasting concoction, she surely would have starved to death. As quickly as she could get her travel weary body to move she parted ways with the captain and crew of the merchant ship and headed in the direction of the only town on the island.
While following the well worn path that led to the centre of Antipodes Island, Alex took this time to observe her surroundings. There were large tropical trees surrounding the path with no hint of the foliage growing thinner. The girl was sure that if one strayed to far from the trail that they would get lost for sure. However, she was certain that the natives of this island could navigate within the dense forest quite well; as she had observed such confidence in the Indians who could navigate the vast wilderness of America. Several times she paused to allow strange animals the right of way across the path. Not being sure of which were poisonous, she thought it best to stay clear of all creatures. A heavy mist hung in the air with no sign of reprise blocking out the bright sun and leaving only a glow in the sky in place of its blinding light..
Without warning the trees vanished and in their place stood a town. Not just any town but a town that was all too familiar to Alex – it was her home from when she was a little girl. She stayed on the path, fearing to move onto the dusty road in front of her. “This has got to be some kind of dream and I’m still on that rickety boat.” She pinched her arm as her mother had taught her to do when having a bad dream but the vision before her eyes did not waver. Cautiously, she stepped out of the safety of the forest into the town’s street. Walking slowly as if there were led in her boots she made her way to the wooden slat sidewalk and as if on cue the town sprung to life.
Men on horse back rode up and down the street, tipping their hats at the ladies who bustled along the sidewalk to do their shopping and gossiping. There were carriages containing farm equipment and supplies. A few scraggly dogs barked and jumped around a group of children playing in a side alley. From one of the buildings a jovial tune was being played on a piano and without looking for it, Alex knew that a saloon was on the left side of the street smack dab in the middle of all the buildings. Further on down the walkway she found the little hotel with it’s name painted in big red letters across the front window “Alby’s.”
“Even the names are the same,” she whispered under her breath. She took a seat on a simple wooden bench that sat in front of the mercantile for she feared that her legs might give out from under her. As she watched the people going about their business she realized that the faces looked familiar. “There’s Mr. Frank… and Susie Bellars….” She followed the forms with her eyes, unsure of what was truly unfolding before her. When Mr. McCowin stepped out in front his shop to breathe a bit of fresh air, Alex reached out a tentative hand and touched his arm. Quickly she withdrew her trembling hand as if it had been burned for it was not thin air that greeted her touch but solid flesh and blood.
“Good day to ya, Miss Alexandra. And how are your folks doin’?” The red haired man gave her the same friendly smile that she had received a thousand times but instead of replying she could only stare with her mouth hanging open as if she were an idiot. “Are ya feelin’ alright there, lassy? Should I fetch Doc Backer?”
Alex shook her head “no” but the mercantile owner seemed none too convinced. “It’s this heat that’s got to ya. Let me get ya a cool glass of lemonade, the misses just made some not too long ago.” He disappeared within the store only to return with a glass filled with pale yellow water. “Here ya go, lassy, drink up.”
Her hands seemed to move of their own accord, taking the glass out of the puffy fingers. As if her soul had left her body, she could see the events taking place below her. She saw a young girl in pigtails drinking a glass of lemonade while the robust man looked on. Her breathing quickend as her brain fought the illusion before her. With a strength that seemed to come from someone else she forced herself to return to her body. Her spirit dove with such magnitude that it jolted the little girl causing her to drop her glass. Instead of the delicate thing splintering into a thousand pieces, it fell to its side with a thud and spun dizzily on the ground. The sound seemed to be as loud as thunder and shook the ground just as violently.
Alex startled jumbed from the bench, bumping her head on something but she couldn’t make out what for all around her was a deep blackness. She spun around, searching for the town in which she had just visited but the only thing she could see was darkness. She moved her hands carefully along the ground and was surprised to find that she was sitting on a straw mat of some kind. She willed herself to see but nothing would come to her. Panic seized her and she began to flail her arms about and scream as if she were a mad woman.
“There, there, child,” cooed a voice from within the darkness. “Lie back down. Your wounds aren’t yet fully mended.”
Alex looked in the direction from which the voice came and yet she could see nothing. “Why do you hide in the darkness? Show yourself.”
She could sense a presence standing next to her and felt gentle hands lying her back down upon the straw mat. “Do not fight the darkness child, it is here to stay. You must learn to embrace it – to move within it.”
Now she was more confused then ever. What did this gibberish mean? Where was she? But before she could ask her questions she felt the mist of the island still over her and she was once again in the strange town.
While following the well worn path that led to the centre of Antipodes Island, Alex took this time to observe her surroundings. There were large tropical trees surrounding the path with no hint of the foliage growing thinner. The girl was sure that if one strayed to far from the trail that they would get lost for sure. However, she was certain that the natives of this island could navigate within the dense forest quite well; as she had observed such confidence in the Indians who could navigate the vast wilderness of America. Several times she paused to allow strange animals the right of way across the path. Not being sure of which were poisonous, she thought it best to stay clear of all creatures. A heavy mist hung in the air with no sign of reprise blocking out the bright sun and leaving only a glow in the sky in place of its blinding light..
Without warning the trees vanished and in their place stood a town. Not just any town but a town that was all too familiar to Alex – it was her home from when she was a little girl. She stayed on the path, fearing to move onto the dusty road in front of her. “This has got to be some kind of dream and I’m still on that rickety boat.” She pinched her arm as her mother had taught her to do when having a bad dream but the vision before her eyes did not waver. Cautiously, she stepped out of the safety of the forest into the town’s street. Walking slowly as if there were led in her boots she made her way to the wooden slat sidewalk and as if on cue the town sprung to life.
Men on horse back rode up and down the street, tipping their hats at the ladies who bustled along the sidewalk to do their shopping and gossiping. There were carriages containing farm equipment and supplies. A few scraggly dogs barked and jumped around a group of children playing in a side alley. From one of the buildings a jovial tune was being played on a piano and without looking for it, Alex knew that a saloon was on the left side of the street smack dab in the middle of all the buildings. Further on down the walkway she found the little hotel with it’s name painted in big red letters across the front window “Alby’s.”
“Even the names are the same,” she whispered under her breath. She took a seat on a simple wooden bench that sat in front of the mercantile for she feared that her legs might give out from under her. As she watched the people going about their business she realized that the faces looked familiar. “There’s Mr. Frank… and Susie Bellars….” She followed the forms with her eyes, unsure of what was truly unfolding before her. When Mr. McCowin stepped out in front his shop to breathe a bit of fresh air, Alex reached out a tentative hand and touched his arm. Quickly she withdrew her trembling hand as if it had been burned for it was not thin air that greeted her touch but solid flesh and blood.
“Good day to ya, Miss Alexandra. And how are your folks doin’?” The red haired man gave her the same friendly smile that she had received a thousand times but instead of replying she could only stare with her mouth hanging open as if she were an idiot. “Are ya feelin’ alright there, lassy? Should I fetch Doc Backer?”
Alex shook her head “no” but the mercantile owner seemed none too convinced. “It’s this heat that’s got to ya. Let me get ya a cool glass of lemonade, the misses just made some not too long ago.” He disappeared within the store only to return with a glass filled with pale yellow water. “Here ya go, lassy, drink up.”
Her hands seemed to move of their own accord, taking the glass out of the puffy fingers. As if her soul had left her body, she could see the events taking place below her. She saw a young girl in pigtails drinking a glass of lemonade while the robust man looked on. Her breathing quickend as her brain fought the illusion before her. With a strength that seemed to come from someone else she forced herself to return to her body. Her spirit dove with such magnitude that it jolted the little girl causing her to drop her glass. Instead of the delicate thing splintering into a thousand pieces, it fell to its side with a thud and spun dizzily on the ground. The sound seemed to be as loud as thunder and shook the ground just as violently.
Alex startled jumbed from the bench, bumping her head on something but she couldn’t make out what for all around her was a deep blackness. She spun around, searching for the town in which she had just visited but the only thing she could see was darkness. She moved her hands carefully along the ground and was surprised to find that she was sitting on a straw mat of some kind. She willed herself to see but nothing would come to her. Panic seized her and she began to flail her arms about and scream as if she were a mad woman.
“There, there, child,” cooed a voice from within the darkness. “Lie back down. Your wounds aren’t yet fully mended.”
Alex looked in the direction from which the voice came and yet she could see nothing. “Why do you hide in the darkness? Show yourself.”
She could sense a presence standing next to her and felt gentle hands lying her back down upon the straw mat. “Do not fight the darkness child, it is here to stay. You must learn to embrace it – to move within it.”
Now she was more confused then ever. What did this gibberish mean? Where was she? But before she could ask her questions she felt the mist of the island still over her and she was once again in the strange town.
posted by duster | 21:05
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home