Rhyme of the Ancient Winchester
Part Five: In the Eye of the Beholder
Venturing into the heart of darkness
Across the broken forest floor
I see bony prints, torn tracks, gems…
But Sam? I need to know more.
After my impromptu ocean swim
My jeans are torn, my shirt in threads.
The knife that's strapped to my leg
Is all I have left for self-defense.
A battered bone sentry sneaks up
Jumping at me. I was surprised
But not for long. The swashbuckler
Crumbles into pieces ceasing its battle cry.
No bird song, animal sounds, too quiet…
I kick at the pile of animated bones.
That can't be all that curses the isle…
The answers walk in and I'm not alone.
They drag him in kicking
Holding hum up by his hair.
"Oh ho!" Their leader chimes,
"Who else comes to rob our lair!?"
On his knees spitting curses,
Sam looks up in sudden shock.
He wastes no time- "The ruby controls-"
Everyone stops at the sudden squawk.
I look at the weathered parrot.
"You knew he was here." I say accusingly.
He regards me, his one jeweled eye sparkles.
"Wouldn't make a difference you see."
"This is my isle!" he waves his wings,
Ribs poke out of his patchwork corpse.
"I found the ruby! It's mine alone!
Two, or seven, sea scum won't undo my work!"
"Can we kill them now?"
Says the pirate holding Sam.
Others nod, tightening their grip
On the swords in their hands.
The parrot leered, "But of course."
Sam jumped to his feet, toppling the solider
As I began to fight through the fray
To get to the ruby and it's holder.
Them bones broke apart as they fought, but
They kept coming and we each took a blow.
Things looked grim as we struggled
But the parrot made his folly; swooping low.
Sam reached up with his long arms,
To grab at the beast's dull tail.
It fruitlessly fluttered as I
Grabbed his wing and let out a wail.
Sam let me cradle the bird, he
Swallowed back disgust as he saw
When I pulled out my large knife.
And I began to artfully carve.
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
With a squelching noise, the gem was loosed.
The wretched creature writhed in Dean's grasp.
The skeleton crew froze as it was smashed and
Then time caught up with their souls at last.
The blind and bleeding foul feathered fiend,
On whose services the skeletons no longer lean,
Scowled as they began to look at themselves mortified
As their bones turned to dust before their very eyes.
Sam stood next to Dean. They knew
It wasn't long before it'd all disappear.
They didn't want to admit, that
They still couldn't get out of here.
The jewels at their feet shook.
Trees quaked, sand began to travel,
The sky turned dark, the sun blood red,
As the isle in the storm's eye unraveled.
How did the poets put it?
The only thing we have to fear
Is fear itself that paralyzes.
I doubt the poets were ever here.
to be continued