I looked down to see a woman holding onto me. But there was something wrong. First, she was naked. Second she had three sets of arms. And third, instead of a body she had a really long tail-bone where her legs should have been.
What?
"What joy… What strength I feel….' It rasped.
Oh god, it talks too?
"Yes… My flesh returns to me…" It continued.
I looked down and gasped. Something was growing on her back bone tail thing. Flesh and shell was forming to create a long centipede body. I remembered finding centipedes under rocks back at my old home. They had always disgusted me. Now was no different.
"Get away from me!" I yelled, struggling in its grip. That didn't even faze her.
"You… Have it… Yes?"
I have what…? A late note definitely, but other than that…
"You freak!" I yelled at it (which is like the pot calling the kettle black, I know) "LET… Me… GO!"
I stuck out my hand and punched it in the face. I watched in horror as its head cracked. The arms holding me broke off and fell into darkness. The rest of her body started to fall as well.
"I… Will… Not…Loose it now… The… Jewel of Four Souls…" She disappeared.
"…Jewel of Four… What?"
Suddenly I started falling. Then my feet touched the ground and I stumbled and fell. I sat up to see that I was covered in dirt. My jeans were ripped at the knees and
My sweater was covered in mud. My hair was falling out of the pigtails I had done that morning.
Maybe I shouldn't go to school today…
I stand up and look around. I was standing at the bottom of the well.
Maybe I just fell in and hit my head? I have done stupider things after all…
I start searching for a way out. That's when I notice the arm.
Never mind… It wasn't a dream… My imagination isn't THAT creative.
I climb out of the well and look around. I wasn't in the shrine anymore. Instead I was standing in a beautiful old forest.
"Toto," I breathed, "I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore…"
I walked through the silent forest for a long time. I didn't see any people. After what felt like FOREVER I saw something familiar. It was the old God-Tree that was just behind the house!
Free at last! I can go and have a hot bath!
I ran toward the tree and around the other side. But something stopped me dead. On the tree was what looked like a boy. The tree limbs had grown around him, trapping him. There was an arrow in his chest. Mesmerized, I walked up to him. He seemed to be sleeping. As I got closer his features became clearer. He had long, thick white hair, a nose almost like a dogs and funny ears on the top of his head. He was wearing big puffy red pants and a long red shirt. I stepped closer and inspected his ears.
A headband…?
I reached up and tugged on his ears. They were REAL! What was this guy? I looked down at the arrow in his chest.
It doesn't seem right to leave him like this… I'll just…
I reached for the arrow.
"What are you doing?"
I heard something whizzing through the air and then the thunk, thunk, thunk of the arrows hitting the tree all around me. I whirled around to fight of my attackers… And found myself staring down the shaft of another arrow.
What is it with these people and their arrows? This is the twenty-first century!... Isn't it?
"This land is forbidden!" yelled the man holding the bow.
"Be you a stranger?" asked the second one as he began to tie me up.
"Um… I don't know?" I replied cautiously. These people were really frightened, but I had no-clue why.
With me tied up one of them slung me over his shoulder and began walking along a trail.
"You be a light lass…" muttered the guy carrying me.
Comes with the bird genes…
I sighed.
"Where are we going?" I asked, bored.
"Shut up!" yelled the guy in front.
Sigh… And now we wait…
I started to hum 'Sweet talk, Sweet talk' by the New Pornographers. The guy in front turned around to glare at me. I smiled my biggest 'I'm innocent' smile and continued.
"What is that song?" asked the guy carrying me. "I've never heard it…"
I mock gasped.
"You mean you don't know The New Pornographers?"
He shook his head.
"Well then I'll sing it for you!"
He began to look uneasy.
"Here we go!"
I started.
A mistake on the part of nature,
You're so fabled, so fair, just sit anywhere,
I've pencil-sketched the scene,
It's feeling byzantine
Mistakes on the part of nature,
The living proof of what they're calling love,
Uncertain sideways streets,
Where things that don't match meet
A mistake on the part of nature,
You are a tall glass, a blast from the past,
Where things were simpler then,
You ask exactly when
A mistake on the part of nature,
It's forgiven, moved on, won't wear my son,
They said to walk that street,
That would feel byzantine
Silhouette tell me a tall tale, go, shout it out,
Silhouette shout from the top,
Sweet talk, Sweet talk
Yeah, Sweet talk, Sweet talk
Amnesia becomes ambition,
Ambition becomes a new sort of,
Try name simplicity,
Like always byzantine
A mistake on the part of nature,
It's forgiven, move on, won't wear my son,
They said to walk that street,
That would feel byzantine
Silhouette tell me a tall tale, go, shout it out,
Silhouette shout from the top,
Sweet talk, Sweet talk
Sweet talk, Sweet talk
When I finished they both starred at me (although I didn't have my guitar with me so I couldn't do the awesome rift).
"Wow… You're good…" complimented the guy carrying me.
"Thanks. It's one of my favorite songs."
The guy in front kept walking, then stopped. He turned around.
"We're here."