It’s the lushest rainforest I’ve ever seen. If one could say Mother Nature had a life force it would be here, hidden within this vibrant foliage. For me green is the color of life and I think of the exotic creatures found here and I understand why environmentalists are vehemently protecting a forest full of wild animals and their habitats.
To imagine this brilliant life force gone would be painful. There is an ache in my heart picturing the dustlands of a destroyed forest, where nothing can regrow because of how horibly the soil has eroded, stripped of trees. Seeing this century old car buried randomly makes me curious of how the car ended up here; I imagine it’s a fabulous tale. But there’s no one here to tell that story, only me, and miles of greenery. Here in the womb of Mother Nature, one could disappear.
Timo and Erica had been stranded in the desert when their small plane crashed near Cairo. Sunburnt, exhausted, and thirsty, they were shocked to see an Oasis.
“An Oasis Timo, we’re saved. There’s water and even a chalice to drink from,” Erica yelled.
“You’re seeing things Erica, there’s no water and no chalice.”
“Really look, it’s only a few steps away — we’re here,” Erica said rushing forward to drink from a beautiful pale blue spring; however, whenever she tried to cup the spring water with her hands, it slide away.
“It won’t let me drink and I’m half-dead,” she cried.
Timo rubbed his eyes, finally believing the blue spring underneath a palm tree existed. A chalice made with a human skull sat in the middle of a stone alter as well. It gave him a feeling of dread.
“Erica, to drink the water you need the chalice but don’t do it. There’s something terrifying and evil about this cup.”
She turned to Timo, giving him a dark stare, “I’ll drink from the chalice if I want.” Erica strode to the alter, bowed mockingly and lifted the chalice to kiss the skull on the mouth.
Timo grimaced as she scooped it into the water and drank. It was an Indiana Jones’ movie come to life as Erica’s life force was sucked from her body which disintegrated until she was dust.
He decide to try drinking from the spring without the chalice. Timo drank all the water he could then sat down beneath the large palm tree in the shade. He wondered why cupping his hands worked for him and not for poor Erica as he drifted asleep.
When he awoke, Timo heard the blessed noise of rescuers in the distance and hollered for help. To his amazement the Oasis had disappeared along with the chalice.
He contemplated what he should say happened to Erica as no one would believe the truth.
Maizie stared at the neighbouring property to her parents cabin. For as long as she could remember, the property had been deserted.
Growing up, Maizie and her two brothers would create possible stories about what happened to the people who lived in the ruins of the old cabin.
“It was a shark, one as big as Jaws,” her younger brother Rupert said.
“It had to be bigger than a shark and fiercer,” said her eldest brother Richard.
The possible stories continue until they were all three, young teenagers.
“I dare you to go out to the haunted cabin,” Richard told Maizie.
“Come on,”Rupert teased her.
Maizie thought she would show, both her brothers, she wasn’t afraid. “Fine I’ll go, but you two have to come with me. Bring the flashlights.”
All three siblings crept out to the abandoned property at night. When they reached the cabin, a moaning wail made them all jump.
“What was that?” Rupert asked.
Maizie could feel her palms sweat in fear as the wailing continued.
At that moment, the banshee chose to sneak up behind them — a possibility which hadn’t occurred to Maizie and her brothers.
The banshee appeared to float, and a large black cloak covered her knotted grey hair. Her eyes were black coals piercing their souls and her skin felt like crepe paper as the banshee touched all their faces.
Richard said fearfully, “Banshees only come when a family member is about to die, what’s she doing here?”
The Banshee’s wails increased at Richard’s suggestion and she sucked the life out of all three siblings. Their young life forces were exactly what she required.
Her haggish appearance lifted and a beautiful woman walked out of the ruins of the abandoned cabin, smiling at her now youthful appearance.
