“Not only is the Universe stranger than we think, it is stranger than we can think.”
― Werner Heisenberg, Across the Frontiers
The cracking of granite along with the thundering of the avalanching rocks overcame Nathan’s other senses as he laid still behind the fallen tree in the thick grass of the meadow. Nathan waited for a long moment after the rockslide settled. After he determined that the bats would not return led by their menacing leader he rose and looked for the waterfall where he and his cousins had arrived from. Everything had changed in that during that chaos. Nathan saw that the opening where he and his cousins had plunged from had been altered. A landslide of rocks had been violently released from the angry mountain like dispersing dice on a board game. The path of the cascading water was likewise redirected. The water that had showered down from the cave from the opening of the world that Nathan belonged to sprouted vertically from a new opening, splattering on the ground like an open fire hydrant before the new source of water found the stream that Kyle had followed.
The opening of the cave was sealed by an immense pile of rocks. Nathan spotted something near him shining on the ground. He cautiously approached the object. He studied it before picking it up. It was the chain and pendant that hung from Zeborg’s neck. He looked back at the mighty heap of rocks, relieved that they entombed the terrifying creature and his army. He placed the chain and pendant in the front pocket of his pajama shirt. He immediately surveyed the separate paths where his cousins had fled to. He kept looking in the two directions presented with a new problem. Which cousin should he follow. “Kyle!” he screamed in the direction of the stream. There was no reply. He looked in the other direction just before Whitney disappeared through the opening of the trees. He concluded that finding Kyle would be easier as he would likely remain next to the stream. He hurried along in the direction that Whitney had run to. An intuition caused Nathan to hesitate again. He turned to the direction of the stream, “Kyle! Come back Kyle!” Nathan waited, he waited for as long as he could. There was no reply. He turned to follow Whitney trembling form the spine-chilling sensation he felt as if a spirit were running his bony fingers along Nathan’s back.
He sprinted through the meadow until he arrived at the darkening forest where the trees separated to reveal the path that Whitney had followed only a short time earlier. Nathan hesitated torn in conflict before advancing. His desperation, a branded expression on his face, made him appear the very portrait of sadness. He sighed very deeply and advanced under the cover of the forest.
He hadn’t journeyed very far before he spotted Shadow nervously pacing back and forth in front of the fallen tree nearly twenty feet in front of Nathan. Nathan stopped. He was as motionless as a monument. He feared that his pounding heart acted as an alarm to announce to every creature in the darkened forest that he was in their domain.
Shadow spotted the child. He raised his arms in animated exaggeration and scurried to Nathan with startling agile leaps until he was directly in front of the child. Shadow’s long black serpent tongue sprang from his open mouth and extended until it was inches in front of Nathan’s face. The child turned his face from the monster in fear. Shadow receded his tongue closing his mouth. Nathan, with one eye closed, slowly turned his head to confirm what he had observed about this sizable lizard. Spotting Whitney’s red cardigan that Shadow wore stirred Nathan’s emotions. Impulsively he kicked Shadow furiously on his right shin. The lizard leapt in pain. He hopped up and down on his his long wide foot before he regained his senses. He instinctively slithered with amazing quickness around the alarmed child. He studied Nathan unsure of his next move.
“Hssss. Hssss. Hssssssss.”
“Where is Whitney?” Nathan was surprised as the words sprang from his mouth.
“Hssssss.”
“What did you do with my cousin?”
“Sweet brown eye, me eats sweet brown eye,” Shadow rose above Nathan in a threatening display. Nathan’s reaction was understandable. Until now he had been able to block out the despair that had been clawing at him all evening. He was chasing hope so feverishly that he had not been able to contemplate any other consideration than to find his cousins. Tears now fell from his eyes and he moaned in agony understanding that Whitney had perished. Shadow, cocked his head to study the child. The lizard wore a curious expression.
This small creature, like Whitney before him, seemed helpless. Shadow extended his long neck alerted to a new danger. He struggled to form his words as was his way when communicating with anything. He waved his arms and hands excitedly. He turned away from Nathan to observe the fallen tree where Whitney had passed. “Brown Eye give Shadow red skin. She run over bridgsh,” Shadow explained pointing his finger to the fallen tree. “Do not be sad. Shadow fine Brown Eye. Fass now. You get on Shadow’s back. We move fass.” As he crouched low to the ground in order for Nathan to climb onto his body Shadow tried to communicate to the child his concern, “Dang–” Shadow paused challenged by his inability to communicate, “Dang–” Shadow paused again in thought, “Dang-er come, we move fass.” Left with no other alternative Nathan obediently wrapped his hands around the cardigan on Shadow’s shoulders. Shadow swiftly rose. In long leaps he quickly moved to the approaching fallen tree with Nathan on his back. Shadow agilely crossed to the other side. His progress was suddenly stopped when he recognized a distant thunder advancing on the trail before him. Shadow swung the child from his back placing him behind a thick growth of tall ferns just as the rumbling on the path ahead of him grew louder. Nathan crouched low to the ground anticipating a new threat. He was astonished as two Pantars appeared from a bend in the path atop their dragon steeds. They halted their steeds just ahead of Shadow. The pantars rose in their saddles as they sniffed the air. Immediately they looked in the direction of the ferns. Shadow slouched to a crouch. The bony knees on his long legs rose above his shoulders. He rested the palms of his hands on the cool ground.
“Step aside simpleton,” one of the pantars ordered. “The little creature is for our master.”
“Hsss, Hsssssss,” Shadow threatened narrowing his almond-shaped eyes.
The other pantar smirked at his companion, “The cretin wants the creature for himself.”
“Kill Gurga,” growled the companion.
The other Pantar hesitated, “But Master will–”
“Master wants the little creatures at all cost,” the alpha Pantar ordered.
Before the pantar could raise his spear to thrust into Shadow, the lizard leapt with stunning speed knocking the pantar with the raised spear to the ground. His force was unanticipated. The pantar lying on the ground was left breathless stunned by the strength of Shadow’s assault. The other pantar pounced on Shadow who avoided receiving a painful wound by agilely slithering from the pantar’s bite. Shadow wriggled in defense. His inherent quickness could not prevent the claws of the pantar from finding their mark. Shadow’s shoulders ached with pain as two wounds were exposed from the sharp claws of the pantar. The other stunned pantar regained his coherence pouncing on Shadow’s long thick tail.
Nathan was aghast by the battling creatures’ ferocity. The mayhem of the sight and sound of the battling creatures were astonishing. The pantars roared with excitement sensing their advantage over Shadow. The imposing steeds roared off as they galloped away from the battle. Desperately Shadow rose with an impressive display of strength. He bellowed a screech unlike anything Nathan had ever heard. His cry seemed to overwhelm the entire forest. The pantars were momentarily stilled. They had underestimated Shadow’s courage. Guided by instinct Shadow’s tail swept violently hurling one of the pantars over the embankment to his destiny far below in the river of lava. Shadow extended his neck in a brilliant manner and looked directly at Nathan. “Run lille one. Run!” On Shadow’s command Nathan rose from behind the ferns. He raced ahead gaining the path. The remaining pantar growled wildly attempting to snatch the fleeing child with his reaching claw. Shadow determinedly grabbed onto the scruff and stubby tail of the pantar yanking the wildcat toward him. The pantar screeched a maddening whine returning his attention to Shadow. The pantar’s claws moved violently striking the still air in an attempt to maim Shadow. Nathan hesitated, spying a quick glance back at the melee. Shadow was overmatched and wounded by the battle. He looked at the child one last time and roared a final command, “Run!” Nathan detected an encouraging smile from this remarkable creature before Shadow jumped over the embankment with the pantar firmly in his grasp.
Nathan raced on as Shadow had ordered. His mind was like a rapid moving beater spraying disorder from an overfilled bowl from the shocking developments that occurred since Kyle’s abduction in the backyard. He moved one foot ahead of the other. He came to the same fork in the path that Whitney had encountered earlier. Nathan did not alter his movement unknowingly heading in the opposite direction that Whitney had chosen. On and on he ran too afraid to stop. The instant that he faltered would require him to consider all of those ingredients: Zeborg and the bats, the waterfall, Shadow and the pantars, Kyle’s and Whitney’s well-being. He was sure that he could not overcome any other new turmoil. Eventually he was too exhausted to run further. He struggled to put one foot ahead of the other. As he attempted to crawl up an incline in the path Nathan felt a gentle familiar hand on his shoulder. A voice that seemed to come internally, like a voice in a dream, spoke reassuringly, “Stop.”
“Whitney!” Nathan exclaimed as he turned to embrace his cousin. Whitney was not there. In her place was a dark-eyed silver-haired sapient.
Mana appeared to Nathan to be elderly. Her thin arms and legs were likewise hirsute. Her sagging thin breasts and stomach were the only parts of her body not covered in hair. Her face too featured a wiry beard along with thin silver hair above her upper lip. She had a wide deep generous smile surrounded by ageless wrinkles. She communicated to Nathan in a reassuring manner. Her voice was inaudible, yet Nathan clearly comprehended her,
“You have had quite a journey little one.” Nathan stared at Mana. She conveyed a gentleness that soothed the child’s torment. Mana studied Nathan’s countenance. She read his expression like a navigator studying a map. “We will find your kind. Yes, we certainly will. You must first come with me to rest. You will need your strength. I will carry you to where I dwell.” Nathan was too physically and emotionally exhausted to protest. In such despair he surrendered to Mana. Mana wrapped a long arm behind Nathan’s back as she lifted him with her other arm resting against his thighs. Mana seemed uncommonly strong. She gazed once again into Nathan’s eyes with her encouraging expression before she began loping. Her long strides continued along the path that Nathan had followed. They turned at a bend at the top of the slope that Nathan had moments before struggled to scale. Tall yellow grass swayed in the breeze in a meadow to their left. Mana left the path as her long strides sank deep into the waist-high grass that parted with each step. A narrower less-traversed path was exposed. Mana moved effortlessly over a ravine of the tall grass steadily descending away from the main path.
Drowsily Nathan murmured, “The lizardman said stay on the path.” Mana’s expression remained unchanged. She did not acknowledge the boy’s words. Soon he fell into a peaceful sleep as Mana continued on.
The full bright sun of a glorious day was exposed as Mana strolled. The roar of distant waves was heard as the landscape began to change. A grove of tall ancient trees emerged in the distance, palmettos and date palms along with sturdy Sequoias, blooming crape myrtles and sand pines. Mana left the path before it was engulfed by the long-grassed sand dunes. She traveled parallel to the sea before she arrived at the base of a colossal Sequoia. The tree had a gaping arc at the foot of its exposed roots. Mana ducked with her guest beneath the arc as she disappeared into the tree. Mana’s home was inside of the sequoia. There was a long bench supported by four sturdy trunks at the far end of the entrance. Crude wooden bowls littered a driftwood table. The bowls were filled with aromatic herbs. Bunches of dried wild flowers tied with vines hung from a branch burrowed into the Sequoia’s soft inner belly of bark. The sheltered area that Mana brought Nathan into was nearly twenty feet in circumference. The room’s ceiling rose conically until it was engulfed by darkness. Over countless years the mighty tree grew in such a fashion leaving a cave-like structure beneath its trunk. Mana had discovered the anomaly when accounting for time was unnecessary and thus there was no way of describing how old the tree was. She gently placed the sleeping child in a large nest woven with thin sinewy limbs in the shape of an egg. Nathan laid on a comfortable mattress produced from tall grass and moss. The nest had been treated with lavender, bergamot, orange blossoms and patchouli inducing Nathan into a delirious peaceful dream during an earlier time in his life.
The surf, above all else, dominated the boy’s awareness. His father prodded him to join him in the knee-high tide. Nathan lingered just out of reach of the ensuing waves. He cautiously approached his father while the wave retreated from the darkened moist sand. As the next anticipated wave broke, the boy returned to the safety of the beach beyond the reach of the water. He pranced on the balls of his feet, leaving round imprints in the sunken sand. Each time the waves would fill the imprints, erasing their presence as if toying with the boy’s existence. The sun warmed the child just as the breeze cooled him. Back and forth he ran outdistancing the playful waves. Without indication one wave rose higher than the others and broke with such force that it covered the child’s ankles before he could outrace it. He immediately felt the cold ocean numbing his ankles. As quickly the wave retreated. The little boy’s heart raced with caution and excitement. “Come on little buddy. Join me out here,” his father urged. Nathan, growing bolder, moved further towards his father. The next wave rushed upon him covering his calves. Again, the child retreated.
Children on either side of him reenacted the same ritual of hesitation and daring. One older girl galloped aside him veering off diagonally attacking the oncoming wave before she joyfully collapsed to the wave’s overwhelming force. Her unrestrained expression confirmed to Nathan the coldness of the water, yet she broke into a squeal of excitement as the wave retreated. On she moved until the tide reached her waist. Encouraged by her progress Nathan too eventually reached his father. He jumped into his father’s arms. His dad held him close to his chest distracting him with conversation as he slowly moved deeper into the surf. A seagull fighting against the breeze caught Nathan’s attention. The bird’s wings forcefully flapped against the steady breeze. The gull shifted her direction in the sky using the wind at her back as the gull spectacularly raced out to sea propelled by the force of the wind to her nest on a distant barrier island. The father and son had advanced to a depth where the water reached the father’s waist. Nathan lifted his legs so that they embraced his father’s upper torso beyond the reach of the cold ocean water. The father looked lovingly at his son, holding him close to his chest before he collapsed to his knees bringing the ocean up to the necks of the pair. Nathan’s fingers dug into his father’s shoulders as his eyes grew big with the cool water’s swell. He studied his father’s gentle reassurance. The boy was safe. When they returned from the water Nathan collapsed next to his mother. She smelled of coconut lotion as her hands reapplied the white sunblock to her child. She brushed the pasted sand from the back of his legs. His body was dimpled with goosebumps from the cold ocean and sea breeze. He cozied up to his mother’s warm body resting his head on her shoulder. She stroked his blonde curls with her fingers. The boy drowsily stared at the abyss of the cloudless sky shading the sun’s glare with his hand resting on his forehead. A solitary kite danced in the breeze. The white rectangular midsection of the kite separated its brilliant red crown from the split green and yellow tail. The conversation of other families was muffled by the orchestra of the surf and wind. Nathan stared at the stunning blue heaven completely engrossed in nature’s tranquility. The kite climbed higher and higher as if attempting to break from the tension of the string that kept it anchored to its guiding hand far below. Nathan sighed deeply, satisfyingly. This was a day at the beach, the best day he ever remembered. He fell into sleep as his mother sang a familiar lullaby:
If I had a penny for every time you made me smile
I could place those pennies end-to-end for miles
I could stack those pennies into sky-high piles
If I had a penny for every time you made me smile.
When he awoke from his sleep Mana’s large ebony eyes and imprinted smile regarded the boy. He looked back at her curiously, knowingly. She seemed to be humming the tune of the lullaby.
“We can’t lay around. We have to find my cousins,” Nathan urged, his voice heightening with distress.
“Yes, we have a long journey today. You will learn that your rest was needed,” Nathan understood as Mana silently tilted her head.
“How long have I been asleep?” the boy demanded ignoring Mana’s advice.
Mana tightened her lips as her eyes looked upward in contemplation, “I do not understand your understanding of time.” She perceived that her response did not appease the boy’s distress. “You have seen when the stars appear in the dark sky,” Nathan nodded. “As the sky darkens more and more stars appear.”
“So?”
“Have you ever counted the stars?”
“There are way too many to count. What would be the point?”
“After you finished counting all the stars you would have a better sense of time. I have been here longer than some of those stars. Most of those stars have existed much longer than me,” Nathan regarded Mana in disbelief.
“I don’t know how long you rested.” Mana hesitated in order that Nathan could absorb her meaning, “As you expressed, ‘What would be the point?’”
Mana’s riddling explanation did not temper Nathan’s anxiety. Nathan was momentarily perplexed as his host’s name came to him, “Mana,” the boy protested.
Mana, anticipating his concern replied, “Come now, we are wasting your sense of time.”
“No offense, but you just don’t get it,” Mana patiently looked at the protesting child. “I have come into this strange place with all these strange,” he hesitated to gather his thoughts, “with all these strange creatures like yourself and I have lost my cousins.”
“I understand.”
“No you don’t!” Nathan could not conceal his agitation, “We were sleeping one moment and then, Kyle, well he, he,” the child searched for the words to explain Kyle’s disappearance, “he was snatched by a band of bats. One of those bats was huge and it had on this necklace.” Nathan reached into the pocket of his t-shirt to show Mana Zeborg’s pendant. Mana studied the pendant and the chain that it was attached to. She seemed to recognize the embossed orb in the center of the pendant, but her expression remained unmoved. “Then there was Lizardman and those mean cats, no lions, well maybe bobcats, yea that’s it, do you know what a bobcat is?” Mana remained standing in the entrance way of her dwelling inside of the sequoia, her thoughts, if she had any, were not shared with the boy. “Of course, you know what a bobcat is, this is your world and as you told me, well you didn’t actually tell me, but you let me know you’re really old. It’s okay, you seem to be trying to help me. Those bobcats were riding on some sort of,” he again searched for the word, “land dragon?” “Not the kind that flies, but these were like really big horses. Have you seen those too?” Nathan was exhausted from his explanation. “Well, what do you think about all that?”
Mana smiled pausing deliberately before her thoughts were translated to Nathan, “Little ones need to listen more and speak less.”
“I knew you wouldn’t understand.”
“You seem to be the one who doesn’t understand. You explained to me that you were in a hurry to find your kind and then you delay that search by expressing your confusion. We don’t waste time in that way.”
“I’m just a kid in this strange place. You’re right I don’t understand. Those bobcats didn’t like me one bit and Lizardman fought them, he saved me you know, before he went over the cliff with the last bobcat clutching to him,” Mana could not conceal her concern at this announcement from the child. “I’m sorry did you know Lizardman?”
“There is much you need to learn and the best way for you to survive here and to find your kind is to remember that you are in a land where every other creature finds you strange,” Mana explained as she headed out of the security of the Sequoia, “Come, we have a long journey ahead of us.” Nathan hesitated. He attempted to counter Mana’s declaration, but he understood the futility of his defiance. He quickly ran to catch up with her. He uttered once he was apace with Mana, “How long is a long journey?”
Mana’s reply was as fleeing as her pace, “That all depends on your sense of time.”