Always Me - Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Unforeseen Circumstances
I spent two weeks at that circus. I had been stolen from my home, and introduced to a new one, but, as the old toad had warned me, nothing was going to stay normal anymore.
The witch appeared in my dreams again and warned me that something was going to happen very soon, and that when it did, I would have to run to the tallest mountain on the horizon, and not look back. I was not allowed to mention what she told me, and the secret was my burden for three long days.
Her message left me in fear and Ludme, who was began learning a few small broken English fraises from the teal bird, had noticed and asked me about it. I just shook my head each time he brought it up and he eventually stopped asking.
No one had seen the old toad in days, and she was refusing to take guests. There was always bright purple smoke coming from the small crack in the door, but otherwise there was no sign of life in the secluded boxcar.
An undertone of concern had nestled amongst the furs of the circus, and the unease grew stronger with each passing day. No one knew what was going to happen, and we were all a little edgy. Even the air seemed tense as the nice dessert breeze stopped. It was only a matter of time.
It all started one afternoon. After a performance, we all walked out of the tent to see the sky getting unusual dark. There was a strong wind blowing against the tent, and the worried confusion amongst the group was evident. We stood there silently watching the dark clouds twirling in the desert sky. The cooling winds picked up and the first drops of rain started to fall.
One fell on my nose as I looked down to shake it off. When I looked back up, I noticed that the old toad's car door was wide open, and the persistent smoke had stopped. I wasn't the only one who noticed, and everyone was whispering to each other.
There was a loud crack of thunder, and everyone jumped. The sky split and a white vein of energy rocked to the desert floor, and everyone rushed into the tent to hide. Inside, the toad was standing in the center looking back at everyone with an unmistakably serious and shaken look on her face.
She spoke, and everyone gasped. I saw someone faint in the corner of my eye, and the air in the tent got thicker. She explained more and pointed outside of the tent, and paused. There was no sound other than the wind whipping the side of the tent, and the muffled thunder. She began speaking again and the performers started moving once they got their instruction.
I watched as the crowd slowly thinned. With one more instruction, the last of them moved out with their job. I stood there in the middle of the room confused and scared, and the old toad walked up to me.
"Herb, there is a war coming. Do you remember what I told you to do?" she said seriously, her orange eye staring into mine.
I nodded. She patted me on the shoulder.
"Keep the whistle safe, and yourself safer. Now go, child, I don't want to you the middle of this."
I ran up and gave her a tight hug, tears forming in my eyes. She hugged back and pulled away. I wiped my eyes and started off.
I snuck under the back wall of the tent and gasped at how bad the storm had gotten. I could see the sheets of rain drenching the earth. The thunder cracked in the air and the wind threatened to rip the tent right off its foundation.
I peeked back under the tent, but no one was there to look at. I sighed and started on my way.
The rain pounded my head and shoulders as I walked, and the dry dirt formed to a slippery mud from the flooding rain. As I got out far enough, I looked around for the tallest mountain. There were two off in the horizon in opposite directions, but I couldn't tell which one was taller. I stood there trying my best to figure it out, but both looked the same. Fear ran over my heart, not knowing what to do, and I began to panic. I ran back to the tent and tried to find the toad. There was still no one in the tent, so I walked across the ring, listening to the rain and wind pounding the tent fiercely. The door to the tent had blown shut, but I lifted it open.
My eyes grew wide as I witnessed the entire circus lined up for a battle. The toad was wearing a large helmet with the red glass orb from the portrait on top and was standing on a large pillar of wood shouting instructions. People were holding sharpened sticks, other had rocks tied in slings. The once fun loving clowns were washed of their makeup and as serious as any other.
Someone yelled and pointed off to the distance and everyone followed. There was a large stripe of black coming between two large hills. The toad yelled something and everyone got into position with their weapons ready. The toad pulled out two of the sticks like the ones Ludme used and started chanting something in her load croaking voice.
I watched as the black stripe grew larger as it moved closer. My heart stopped when I saw what it was.
Spiders.
There were thousands of them crawling as fast as they could towards the tent. I yelped and dropped the curtain. I wanted to run, but I had grown attached to these furs and didn't want to leave them.
I knew that those spiders where there because of me, and because Ludme had killed the one to save me. My eyes welled up as I thought of what I had done. I wanted to sit down and cry, but I knew there was no time for that now. I sighed, lifted the tent again and looked at the faces of my new family. I saw Ludme standing amongst the ones holding the sharpened sticks. The rain water poured down his face and off his nose. His hands griped the stick tightly with his eyes intently watching the moving horizon. I knew what I had to do, and it was not what I would have chosen. I dropped the wall and ran. I ran across the dry tent floor and out the other side. I made it to the spot I had been before and sighed.
I looked at the two mountains and my brain rushed to which one to pick. I closed my eyes, and I saw the toads face. She told me that I knew which way was right and I opened my eyes and ran. I ran, and I ran, and I ran. I ran until the mud caked to my shins. I ran until I could not hear the fighting. I didn't look back, but the images of the toad and Ludme fighting for their lives would not leave my head.
My tears mixed with the rain and mud. I had no idea how far I had gone, and it seemed like the mountain never got closer. The mud was getting thicker by the minute, and I kept on getting stuck. But I pulled myself foreword because I knew I had to.
A grove of the scaled tree started coming nearer as I ran, but I was getting so tired. I made it my goal to make it to those trees before I could rest. The mud was so thick and deep that I didn't think there was any solid ground left in the world. I fell and covered my entire front with the heavy wetness. I clawed and struggled and cried until I was under one of the trees. I pulled myself closer and leaned against a trunk and looked back. There was nothing. I couldn't see a tent, or any war; nothing. It was behind me now, and there was nothing I could do. I sat under the tree letting the rain slowly wash me clean. I could feel my legs sink into the soft earth, but I didn't have the energy anymore to do anything. I stared off into the distance watching the storm swirl and the night take over.
I slipped unknowingly into sleep, and I hoped I would wake up again.
As I opened my eyed, I looked around. The storm was gone, and the earth was cracked and dry again. The sun was high in the sky, and a gentle warm breeze jostled the few patches of free fur. I lifted my paw and cracked it out of the mud it was sitting in. I pulled the other one, and then tried to stand up. With a few heaves, I broke free and I wiped myself off, watching the chunks of mud fall and smash against the ground. I looked off in the distance hoping to see something to let me know what happened, but there was only dessert and sky with nothing in between. I stepped out of the oasis and looked at the mountain. It was still so far away, but it was much larger then it was by the tent.
I looked around inside the oasis for anything to bring with on my long journey. I saw that there were fruits in the trees that looked like burnt-orange avocados. I found a stick and started whacking at the fruit patch until a few fell down. I picked one up and smelled it. It smelt sweet so I started to peel it. The inside what white and creamy. I stuck finger in and pulled some out.
I debated on wither it was poisonous or not and stuck it in my mouth. It didn't really taste like anything, but I decided to wait and see if it had any negative effects before eating more. I found a puddle between a few trees with water, and I took a long drink knowing it may be my last for a while.
My stomach didn't feel funny, all my fingers were still moving, and I wasn't dead from what I could tell, so I stuck as many of the fruits in my pockets as I could manage. I spent a few last moments in the shade before starting out again.
The earth was sharp and dry beneath my toes. The sun beat down on my back as I moved towards the mountain. It was much easier at night to move, but I didn't have time to stop.
My eyes rarely left the view of the mountain. It wasn't hard considering that it was the only thing to look at for miles. The sun reflected upward from the ground and I started to feel the heat deep inside of me.
I went to open my mouth, and my lips separated like they were glued together, and my tongue peeled from the roof of my mouth. I looked around but didn't see any oases nearby, so I pulled out one of the fruits.
My pockets must not have been a very good transport because the once orange skin was now bruised and covered in large brown splotches. Sighing, I peel of the top section and watched the off-white liquid poor down to the ground and splatter in a chunky star shape.
I held up the fruit and looked inside, watching the creamy goop slosh around. I held it up to my nose and took a whiff, pulling it back quickly. It smelled like rotting feet. But, I needed something to quench my thirst, so I plugged my nose and downed the thick drink.
I felt a little woozy as I chucked the empty shell as far away from me as I could. I coughed, and covered my nose as the smell erupted from my mouth. I debated about using dirt to clean out my mouth, but decided on just closing my mouth forever instead.
The taste lingered on my tongue and I took a few moments to spit out the fowl saliva that kept forming as I walked. The woozy feeling started to get worse with the heat, and I needed to find some shade. I stumbled to my knees and looked around. There was a grove of the scaly trees a few hundred feet off in the distance, and I stood up and made another goal.
The horizon started to warp slightly as I started to walk, and I felt my balance slowly leave me. I heard my stomach start to grumble and a sharp pain took over as I stumbled further. I knew that I had to get to the trees as soon as I could, so I started running.
The ground felt like it was falling apart below me as I wobbled and tripped on my own feet. The activity only made my condition worse, I started to pant, and I could feel my stomach start to heave. I covered my mouth and ran quicker. The little grove of trees was getting closer and when I could start to make out the details of the leaves, I just sprinted, feeling the liquid going up my throat.
I felt my foot catch on a crack of mud and I fell. The earth spun beneath me, scraping my back as it did. I landed on my bottom and hurled the white liquid between my legs in front of the trees. My stomach churned and emptied itself as I cried out in pain.
When it was done, I closed my eyes and collapsed backwards, feeling the world around me spin out on control. My claws dug into the dry earth as I waited for it to stop.
I heard something move in the trees, but I was in no condition to look up since it was probably just some small animal. I heard the noise again and then something coming closer to me. I felt a tap on my foot and I scrambled up and away.
Standing there was a scraggily looking figure looking at me.
I paused as I tried to figure out what he wanted. He said something in a language that sounded a lot like hissing, and I backed away a little more.
He tilted his head and said something else in another language that had a lot of whooping in it. I must have looked confused because we went through a few more strange languages, taking a step closer each time, with me scooting even farther back.
Finally, he smirked and said "Are you alright?"
I nodded, still trying to figure out what he was doing here.
"You took quite a spill there," he said pointing with his thumb over to the white splotch of vomit.
I nodded again.
He took a step closer and held out a paw. I stared at it for a long time and then decided to trust him and took the offer. He hoisted me up and I wobbled in place as I regained my balance.
"Did you eat one of those orange fruits from the trees?"
I nodded again, and he started laughing.
"I remember making that mistake. I'm Skippy."
"I... I'm Herb."
He smiled. There was something kind of off about him, but I couldn't tell what. I couldn't even tell what species he was. I blamed it on the fruit as he talked me into getting out of the sun and told me about his experience with it.
I chuckled a little, but grabbed my stomach from the dull pain. He noticed and moved over to an old dilapidated bag where he dug around. He pulled out a piece of cloth and unfolded it. Inside was what looked like pieces of bark or jerky. He ripped off the corner of a piece and gave it to me.
"Shlu bark. It'll settle your stomach a bit."
I grabbed the mysterious food and stuck it in my mouth. It was salty and rough, so I began chewing it.
Skippy chuckled as he watched me laboriously tackle the bark in my small jaw and leaned back against a tree. I quickly joined him while working at the soggy, stringy bark, and noticed that my stomach had started to calm.
"So, what brings you around these parts of the woods?" Skippy said giving a grand gesture into the small patch of trees.
"I'm on a jor..." I paused, not wanting to give too much information, "I need to get to the mountain."
"The mountain, huh?" he said scratching his chin. "What's up there?"
I didn't know, so I didn't answer.
"Ahh," he said nodding and smiling. "I understand. It's a secret." He leaned back further into the tree and closed his eyes. "Don't worry, little buddy, your secret secret is safe with me."
I laid back and started my much needed rest. I could feel my feet pulsing from the break, but I just didn't have the energy to care. I sat there silently for a long while.
"Well, if you are dying to know," he started with no cue, "I'm a drifter of the dessert. And the forest. And the ocean. And wherever my feet will take me. I've been all over this pathetic marble of a planet, and I've never found a place worthy of calling my home. But, I'm still searching, not that I would settle down if I found it. This life is just too fun to stop!"
I opened one of my eyes and peaked at him. He was still sitting there with a big grin on his face.
"You don't talk much, do you?" he said.
I shrugged.
"Pfft. You're the first living thing I've seen in months that I haven't regarded as food, and you won't even give me a decent conversation," he said crossing his arms in mock frustration.
"I'm eight, what do you want?"
"Well, where are you from?"
"My home."
"Well, where is that?"
"I don't know." I looked down to my lap. "This is the first time I've been away."
"First time?!" he said sitting up. "What on earth are you doing in the middle of the dessert on your own?"
"I... I don't know..." I started to tear up as all the frustration bubbled to the surface.
"Whoa, whoa, calm down. I didn't mean to make you cry."
His words didn't help, and the tears continued to flow. The uncontrollable feeing of hopelessness started to take me over. I was tired. I hurt inside and out. I had no idea what or where I was going. And I just wanted to be back home. I pulled up my knees and hugged them, burring my face and feeling my mud crusted pants dampen from my tears.
I felt a hand pat me on the back and I heard the drifter try to comfort me some more, but I was so far out of my league there was nothing he could do to help me. I started trying to tell him about everything, but the tears stole my voice and scrambled it into inaudible whines muffled through my legs.
"Now look here. If you don't stop crying, you are going to dry up like a raisin. Think I'm lying? I've seen it happen before." He made a loud silly sucking noise like a raising drying up quickly, and I giggled past my tears. "That's right, you'll just shrivel up and be no more, so you'd best stop crying, don't you think?"
I looked up at him and his warm face held a wide smile. I smiled back and started wiping away the tears and looking down at my muddy paws.
"Welcome to the dessert, kid. You're going to get that stuff in places you didn't even know you had. It's why I got rid of my mane."
I suddenly recognized him as a male lion. His mane had been cut down haphazardly, like he had down it himself. But I didn't see a tail. I decided it would be rude to ask, so I stayed quiet.
"How long have you been here?"
He put his fist to his chin and looked up in thought.
"Don't know." He smiled. "I don't keep time or calendars; I just go by what the earth tells me. But if I had to guess, I'd say a few years at least."
"Wow," I said, knowing that I had only been alive for just slightly over a few years.
"Ahh, it's not that bad. Once you learn where the food and water is, life here is pretty good. Well, the company is a little scarce, but you being here right now means it's not totally lonely."
"Why do you stay here?"
"Well, it's something you'll understand more as you get older, but some folks, like me, just can't stay in one place. There is like this great big call to us to go and see the world. And in my case, that big call has been calling me everywhere."
I nodded, not really understanding why anyone would give up a warm safe bed for a tree in the middle of the dessert.
"Something tells me that you have a similar call." He looked me over. "But I don't think you realize what it is or why you have it."
The memory of the words of the toad entered my head.
"And you wanna know something?" he smirked.
I looked up at him and nodded.
"I think I can hear my call, and it's somewhere past that mountain." He pointed off to the great red mound still seeming impossibly far away. "Kid, I'm coming with you."
I felt my cheeks lift up in a great big smile. That was the best news I had heard in a long while.
The lion looked off towards the mountain for a while, thinking to himself and I followed. He turned to me and I looked at him.
"We leave tonight! There is a lot we need to prepare, so let's get it all done before sun down!"