When daylight broke, I could hear the chatter of chipmunks even over my burning leg muscles. My clothes were cut to shreds from walking among the low-hanging tree branches. I decided it would be best to find a hiding place, assisted by the light of day, then rest until nightfall.
I found a large nest of coiled branches just above head-height in a tree. The nest was still warm, as if the occupant just left. There was no chatter of chipmunks in this eerily, silent place. Then I saw several three inch, triangular teeth lying on the floor of the nest. It was the nest of an Ichthusian Saw Worm! I decided to find a new hiding place.
Movement. I saw movement coming from my right periphery. Next there was movement from the left; a white cylindrical shape crawling along the ground. Another link of white cylinder crawled from a log just in front of me and the pieces were drawn to each other. It was the Ichthusian Saw Worm assembling into a whole! I darted before it could come together but I couldn’t make it out of the clearing before the great worm exploded out of the ground in front of me. Its brutal maw was a spinning buzz-saw of triangular teeth! The head split open longwise to make the shape of a bear-trap. The Saw Worm had seen the shape of a bear-trap and it was a master of imitating other shapes because its nerve net-of-a-brain had no creativity of its own.
It lunged at me then tumbled into a coil of white tubes, spitting and frothing it was so hungry and desperate for me. The mouth spun and shot loose teeth at me that hit the tree beside me with a THUNK-THUNK-THUNK! I looked for the best exit and I admit that I was in such a panic that I couldn’t tell where I was or which way to go. But the Saw Worm was back underground.
I took out The Abominate’s finger out of my pocket and was ready for the resurfacing worm when I felt a tap on my shoulder. When I turned around I was in such a shock that I stood in awe. The Ichthusian Saw Worm has reassembled into an image of my own likeness. It clearly was not me, but it was the best image the Saw Worm could pull off. Links of meat put together to build a frame stood there aping my posture. Its eyes stared through me like a dead man. It looked to hold a finger in its hand just like me. Before I could lunge at the creature its mouth ripped open and triangular teeth shot out at me THUNK into the wood beside me, THUNK in my shoulder and WHIFF off into the grass behind me. The Abominate’s finger fell to the ground, I don’t know where.
The beast leapt upon me and I put a hand on the top and bottom of its mouth as the saw blades spun and came down to my face. I reached up and felt the purple fuzz-ball… I turned my head away and everything went into slow motion. I was aware of dirt settling in front of me, my fingers reached out for an acorn and stuck the purple fuzz-ball against it then jammed them both into the Saw Worm’s face. The Saw Worm went limp as its being went into the acorn! I put the fuzz-ball away and held up the acorn in my hand. A chipmunk came out from his hiding spot sniffing the air. I tossed the acorn onto the ground and the chipmunk put it in his teeth, then scurried back into his hole. I picked up The Abominate’s finger.
Having left the Saw Worm clearing, I found a cool stream, and drank deeply from it. The chilling cascade satisfied my dry throat. I washed my face. A baptism.
When I opened my eyes, there was a green, female child standing across the river. I froze. She watched me for a moment with her huge eyes. She took a couple steps back, staring at me the whole time. A smile broke across her face. I realized that she was challenging me to catch her. I had heard enough fairy stories to know that one should not chase little green girls into a forest. It cannot end well.
"I am Tzurk."
I stood up, and she took a few more steps back, still watching me, still smiling. My instincts failed me. The right decision seemed to be the wrong one, and the wrong decision seemed to be the right one.
"Who are you?" I asked.
This time she scowled at me, her eyebrows coming down, her nose wrinkling up in anger. She shook her head and waved her finger at me. The motion of her waving finger produced sparkles that traced her every gesture, and momentarily hung in the air before dissipating.
She took a few more steps back, her smile returning. This time, I took the bait. I chased her. Laughter exploded from her lips, and she ran. Her laughter was so true and free, that my heart was lifted from despair at the sound of it. And for the first time in a long time, I laughed.
She was so quick. My feet struggled to keep up, let alone gain on her. Then my feet found the beat of the forest, like a rhythm in the woods, that my body had to match. And when it did, my feet moved all the more swiftly.
I lost the green girl in a thicket. Unsure which way she went, I stopped to listen for her footfalls. A pinecone hit me right in the forehead and I heard her giggle. I moved toward the sound of her voice. I caught sight of her foot sticking out from behind a fern. The fern was shaking with her laughter. I dove for her foot, grabbing it with both hands. My chest and face slammed into the rich, black soil. She screamed with delight, and the next instant we were both on the ground, rolling and laughing.
I helped her up. She smiled at me.
"I caught you!" She said.
"It is not you who caught me!"
I was surrounded on all sides by green people. They came out of the shadows of the trees and bushes, watching us. The men among them held bows or long spears. A shimmer of sparkles hung in the air around them.
I held my hands up in surrender. There were too many of them. I could not escape, even with the help of The Abominate's finger. The nearest of them motioned for me to lie down on the ground, which I did.
One of the men let out a laugh. I did not think the situation was funny at all. I scowled, which seemed to trigger even more laughter. The little girl got down next to me and imitated my position and scowl. More laughter.
All at once the laughter stopped. Glancing around, I saw that the people had all disappeared. When I turned back to the little girl, she too was gone.
I got up on my knees and called out, "Hello?"
A female voice not far off replied, "Did someone say, 'hello'?"
"It was me!" I answered.
Nearby, bushes were shaking. It sounded like she was having a difficult time making her way through them.
"Well, who is 'me?'" asked the stranger.
"My name is Tzurk! Who are you?" I called back.
Then she stepped out of the bushes and into the clearing. Her long brown hair parted and I saw her face. My heart stopped. It was Meva.