Chapter 34: Bad Dreams ... or Premonitions?

A camera moving in a forest. Deep green all around. The deep green of a temperate rainforest. Hot ... sweltering ... thick ... deep ... late summer evening, nearly night.

A path ... mist rising in the green, nearly black borders ... not billowing fog, not yet.

Soon ... with the moon.

On the path before the camera ... or is it me and no camera? am I following? ... a hurrying figure.

Frogs croaking ... peeps and cheeps ... the sound of silent slippers or bare feet on packed earth. A long dress, grey with washing, swishes above the hurrying feet. Several bats fly the path before the tall gaunt figure ... hurrying along.

Today had been especially bad in a late life of wretched days ... but she had a little food in a poke bag she hugged to her thin chest. With care it might last two or three meals and she had eaten well before they released her.

This was her path ... and not unknown to the people who lived in miserable squalor in the unpainted shacks and overturned packing crates they called homes. Not too many in one place, no ... no ... too many meant notice and the one thing everyone wanted was to be anonymous ... unheard, unseen ... nothing to see here, nothing to see ... move along, move along.

The men ... one was an electrician ... magician more like ... in a different life, a better place, a better time. All gone now, flown like a great horned owl from tree to meadow and back, a life clutched in a claw, now ripped open with with beak and swallowed. Soon to litter the floor beneath his tree ... a skull wrapped in fur. The men had nothing.

They had power and lights ... light ... thanks to the magician ... with wires so cleverly hidden in the roots and brush, some hanging like vines that had green leaves growing.

The children, solemn, bleak, so bent on thievery. Moving quietly, pacing the grey clad woman ... but she had a knife and she had used it before and would again. She was too aware ... too alert, they faded away looking for someone, or thing, a little less awake. She heard them go ... actually ... she heard them stop ... and smelled their going.

Old clothes stolen or looted but unwashed. In years to come they would learn to keep clean or the smell would stand them caught. Not the clean of soap ... the clean of water and herbs ... to blend in the forest and not stand out.

The path forked, she took the left. A hundred yards it forked again ... right ... then right and left. To forget meant slow agony and death in the pits hidden on the path.

A flicker of light from a folded back curtain ... gone ... fireflies are more noticeable unless you know who is looking. Looking to see if you belong and ready to tap out a warning if you don't.

There were square corners and straight lines in the gloom ahead. Nearly home. She hugged her poke tighter.

Once she was pretty ... courted ... loved. Gone ... all gone away, but not forgotten.

The door ... she fumbled with the wooden key ... inside. The small lamp lit with a pull of the cord.

She rushed to the sink, washed her face and wondered where her little dog was ... he usually rushed out ... doing back flips and dancing ... clowning ... he would jump ... she would laugh ... quietly ... and love on him ... then feed him some of what she had.

The lamp was dim and cast deep shadows in the corners...

There he was, in the corner under the three legged table ... Quiet but alert ... he whimpered and crawled on his belly to her as she stood by the sink ... she stooped and lifted him ... thin arms around his thin body ... she was ready for kisses and got none ... she looked ... there was black thread on the corners of his mouth ... his mouth was sewn shut!

Big black x's all across his lips.

He whimpered again, blood spots on each X.

He looked over her shoulder.

She turned ... terrified.

The light went out.

David woke up. Sat straight up and yelled ... something. He fell back on his pillow. Wendy instantly awake.

He started to speak ... Wendy put her finger on his lips.

"In the morning, dear heart. Tell me in the morning, after breakfast. You don't want it to come true."