Chapter 6: Danger!
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Artists: if this story inspires a piece of art, please share it and what it means to you. We'll share it here on the blog. Send to joycewycoff@gmail.com.
Sarana's GiftChapter 6: Danger!(Available here until 3/16/2016)
Dragon from fanpop.com Turtle Mother’s words grew dim and I was so tired only the breaking of the waves lapping at the shore filled my ears. I watched the turtle mothers crawling toward their nesting areas. Hundreds of heavy laden bodies moved slowly, trancelike, following the call deep within.
Inland, at the high tide line, turtle mothers sat by their nests, pink eggs glistening as the mothers tossed sand over them. Other nests remained empty, sand clouds flying as the mothers created hollows that would hold their clutches of eggs.
In an older nest, hatchlings frantically swam up the sandy mound, tumbling over each other as they started their daunting journey to the sea. Mesmerized, I watched one tiny turtle climb up and slide back time after time, gradually left behind by its nest mates.
Watching it slide back again, I held my breath and leaned in as if to give it strength to reach the top. When it finally scrabbled its way up the bank and slid down the other side toward the open water, I sighed. “Safe.”
My eyes felt heavy and I drifted as the sun rose and the sand warmed ...
Splash! Suddenly I was alert again. A mammoth creature with a spiked back undulated through the surf, moving quickly toward the nests. “Dragon!” I thought and stood up. Covered with blazing plates from its tail all the way to its enormous head, it shook the earth as it moved.
The gaping mouth was red, blood-red and horrible. The beast lumbered toward the turtle nests. I froze, horrified as I watched the savage claws scoop up a nest and shove a clutch of eggs into that vast, red mouth. The massive paw swiped for more. Faster and faster it plundered the nests until yoke-yellow drool dripped from that scarlet mouth.
Soon a horrible keening ripped through the air, rising above the chaos. The anguished sound of the turtle mothers swept across the beach in waves as more and more nests disappeared into that cavernous mouth.
Stunned, I was unable to move, unable to look away. I shook myself, remembering that one tiny turtle, struggling so hard to leave the nest and begin its journey. “I have to do something,” I thought. “But what? What can I possibly do?” The sound of the mothers mourning over their dying babies ripped through my heart.
Behind the sickening keening, came another sound, first a low growl, then a growing wail, sand paper coarse and primal, “hunger … hunger … hunger!”
On and on the growl pulsed in between the monstrous slurping as the beast filled its gaping mouth with eggs … "Stop," I whispered as I rose.
That monstrous blood-red mouth turned toward me and roared. I fell back as its fiery eyes locked onto me and blasted hot breath my way. It roared again, a terrifying sound that drowned out the wailing of the turtle mothers.
“Hunger! … Hunger! … Hunger!”
Louder and louder the beast roared as it stomped closer. The ground shook with every step. A rush of its putrid, sulfurous breath made me gag.
Frantically, I looked around for something to stop it. Nothing. There was nothing that would stop this massive beast. “I am too small, too powerless. It’s impossible,” I thought.
There was nothing I could do but run, run away from this terrible creature. I turned and ran as far and as fast as I could. With the beast still thudding closer and closer, I stumbled and crab crawled across the sand. The horrible keening of the mothers grew louder.
“The babies!” I moaned. Wildly, I scanned the beach hoping to see someone who could help. No one. Without thinking, I clasped the turquoise amulet and remembered that one baby turtle struggling to survive.
“I must do something,” I said and stood up. I took a deep breath and turned back, running toward the beast and the babies. “I have to save the babies somehow! But how? ... How?” The beast had stopped and was hulking over another nest, digging his paw under the eggs.
“voice ...”
I stopped and my head snapped around at the sound of that word, but there was no one there except the turtles and that beast. Again, “use ... voice ....” sounded and, as I heard more words, I recognized Turtle Mother’s urging.
“Use voice,” I thought, repeating her words. “That doesn’t make any sense.” But, still I moved toward the beast until it lifted that horrible head again. Those fiery eyes blasted me again and I stopped in place, glancing down the open beach. “I can still escape,” I thought.
A wave of keening spun me around, back toward the monster. I raised both arms as high as I could and yelled, "Stop!"
This time, my voice was so loud it surprised even me. I felt taller, braver. I was looking the beast directly in its hideous eyes while that violent red mouth kept biting the air and growling. Its teeth were boulders and its talons sharpened spikes.
“Stop!” I yelled again even louder. The beast was now so close a furnace of heat blasted my face. Abruptly another word sounded in my head … “sing.” Turtle Mother again.
"What?" I gasped as the beast lurched closer.
"sing ... winter daughter … sing."
“Sing?” I cried, confused. Sing to this beast? Sing what? I staggered backward away from it.
Lurching closer and closer, It was now just a few yards away from me. It rose up to its full height, towering over me.
“look deep … see truth.” The voice again.
Truth? I backed away as fast as I could. What truth could there possibly be in that blood-red mouth? Again I heard that ghastly growl and saw that murderous mouth, dripping egg as it stomped toward me …
Hun ... ger!”
I stretched up as tall as I could. Everything inside me calmed as I flung my arms wide, opened my mouth and heard words that I didn’t recognize: a song that seemed to come from another place. In a thin, hesitant voice I sang ...
Oh, great Maverna, born with hunger fierce,
I know your name and from where you came,
Your home, wind-scorched and barren,
Your fear rustles like dry, dusty leaves,
Words kept pouring out of me, words I didn’t know yet somehow seemed like my own. With each word, my voice grew stronger and the beast slowed, waving its fierce head from side to side.
Your mouth gapes wide, sucking, sucking,
Your fingers grasping, searching, digging,
Your eyes wind-blind. Oh, poor Maverna,
Searching forever for the Mother of your heart.
The beast stopped. It cocked its powerful head, listening, then shook it slightly as if to shake away confusion. The volcano-red eyes dimmed and I heard a mournful moan when I continued.
Oh sweet Maverna, bastard child of hunger,
Mother’s milk, unripe and watered,
Not enough. Not sweet enough,
Not nourishing enough; just not enough.
The massive head lowered and its eyes softened as it gazed directly at me. In spite of my fear, I felt a connection.
Oh my Maverna, caught between light and dark,
Struggling toward light, seduced by dark,
Come back to the light, let the gaping hole within
Be healed and overflow with honeyed joy.
The fire drained from the beast’s eyes and the growling became a whimper. I walked a few steps toward the mewling dragon. It turned its now carmel-colored, woeful eyes on me, and without thinking I touched its forehead. Immediately it began to shrink and those golden plates disappeared one by one down its back.
The beast gradually grew smaller and smaller until there was nothing left except a tawny, spotted, jaguar kitten that simpered softly and licked my fingers. I stepped back, shocked, “How could a powerful dragon turn into this tiny kitten?
The kitten mewled again and I heard words, “Your song set me free.”
I blinked but stood still, not sure what to do. “Don’t be afraid,” she said. “I will tell you the story. One dark night evil Xtabay, in a fit of lustful jealousy of my beautiful and graceful mother, turned her milk to water and then stole me away before my weaning. He cast a spell of endless hunger over me.”
Sadness sounded in Maverna’s voice as she gazed off toward the field of turtle mothers. “That hunger was an unquenchable fire that turned me into that evil thing. Now I am free to be my true self.”
She continued her story, “Because all spells must include a spell breaker, the evil ensnarer wove one he thought would never come to pass.
“The only way his spell could be broken would be if a singer whose courage was greater than fear sang my name in a song of compassion. With your courage, you have released me. Now it’s time to find my way back home and to my destiny.”
I watched as Maverna turned and loped toward the forest. My feelings were mixed
as the lithe, powerful body disappeared. I was still shaking, but proud that I stood up to my fear and released her from that horrible spell. I was happy that the turtle babies were safe, but I still didn’t know where I was or why. “How will I ever find ... ”
Suddenly, Maverna startled me. “You’re ... you’re back!” I gasped. She was so close to my face that I could feel her warm breath.
“Courage ... ” she panted, continuing in broken phrases. “... you faced fear ... you set me free ... .”
Maverna had changed. She was now almost fully grown and her eyes were bright and confident. “Now kin ... kin to jaguar ... Must find Tia. ... Find cave of bats. You will know fear ... your heart will guide you. I will be with you.”
Gone again before I could speak, I was astonished at her sudden reappearance and puzzled by her message. I didn’t want to go find some cave of bats. “Who’s Tia and why do I have to find her?”
I stood up and yelled to the jungle around me. “I don’t want more fear. I want to find someplace safe.” I scanned the beach for a long time holding the turquoise stone at my breast and looking for a sign about which way to go. I was tired and still dazed as I saw Turtle Mother crawl across the sand toward me. Her thoughts floated to me as she grew close. "good ... saved ... babies."
I sighed, "But, he took so many."
"many more come ... safe now."
Behind me the turtle mothers were tossing sand again. “That’s right,” I thought. “Stopping that beast seemed impossible, but I did it.” I frowned, still wondering how.
“turned ... fear ... around” breathed Turtle Mother and I wondered if she had heard my thoughts.
Turtle Mother gazed into my eyes, as if probing for something, searching, seeking. Then her slow words started, “true daughter ... .” She blinked her black, slanted eyes and more words came, "ix chel ... walk in rainbow … see right path … always."
"Ix Chel? What’s that?" I was confused by her words and tried to get her to say more but she only turned away. A few more words trailed behind her, "go … blue lost … ix chel knows."
I took a step after her. “Blue? Lost?” I called.
But, it was too late; she was crawling away. In the sand behind her, she left an iridescent trail imprinted by a cross-hatched pattern that reminded me of butterflies. When I reached down to touch the sand print left by her retreating claws, I realized it was a cloth, finely woven and opalescent.
When I rubbed the soft material against my cheek, rainbows danced all around me. Turtle Mother spoke again as she disappeared over a sand dune, "turn … fear … around."
Artists: if this story inspires a piece of art, please share it and what it means to you. We'll share it here on the blog. Send to joycewycoff@gmail.com.
Sarana's GiftChapter 6: Danger!(Available here until 3/16/2016)
Dragon from fanpop.com Turtle Mother’s words grew dim and I was so tired only the breaking of the waves lapping at the shore filled my ears. I watched the turtle mothers crawling toward their nesting areas. Hundreds of heavy laden bodies moved slowly, trancelike, following the call deep within. Inland, at the high tide line, turtle mothers sat by their nests, pink eggs glistening as the mothers tossed sand over them. Other nests remained empty, sand clouds flying as the mothers created hollows that would hold their clutches of eggs.
In an older nest, hatchlings frantically swam up the sandy mound, tumbling over each other as they started their daunting journey to the sea. Mesmerized, I watched one tiny turtle climb up and slide back time after time, gradually left behind by its nest mates.
Watching it slide back again, I held my breath and leaned in as if to give it strength to reach the top. When it finally scrabbled its way up the bank and slid down the other side toward the open water, I sighed. “Safe.”
My eyes felt heavy and I drifted as the sun rose and the sand warmed ...
Splash! Suddenly I was alert again. A mammoth creature with a spiked back undulated through the surf, moving quickly toward the nests. “Dragon!” I thought and stood up. Covered with blazing plates from its tail all the way to its enormous head, it shook the earth as it moved.
The gaping mouth was red, blood-red and horrible. The beast lumbered toward the turtle nests. I froze, horrified as I watched the savage claws scoop up a nest and shove a clutch of eggs into that vast, red mouth. The massive paw swiped for more. Faster and faster it plundered the nests until yoke-yellow drool dripped from that scarlet mouth.
Soon a horrible keening ripped through the air, rising above the chaos. The anguished sound of the turtle mothers swept across the beach in waves as more and more nests disappeared into that cavernous mouth.
Stunned, I was unable to move, unable to look away. I shook myself, remembering that one tiny turtle, struggling so hard to leave the nest and begin its journey. “I have to do something,” I thought. “But what? What can I possibly do?” The sound of the mothers mourning over their dying babies ripped through my heart.
Behind the sickening keening, came another sound, first a low growl, then a growing wail, sand paper coarse and primal, “hunger … hunger … hunger!”
On and on the growl pulsed in between the monstrous slurping as the beast filled its gaping mouth with eggs … "Stop," I whispered as I rose.
That monstrous blood-red mouth turned toward me and roared. I fell back as its fiery eyes locked onto me and blasted hot breath my way. It roared again, a terrifying sound that drowned out the wailing of the turtle mothers.
“Hunger! … Hunger! … Hunger!”
Louder and louder the beast roared as it stomped closer. The ground shook with every step. A rush of its putrid, sulfurous breath made me gag.
Frantically, I looked around for something to stop it. Nothing. There was nothing that would stop this massive beast. “I am too small, too powerless. It’s impossible,” I thought.
There was nothing I could do but run, run away from this terrible creature. I turned and ran as far and as fast as I could. With the beast still thudding closer and closer, I stumbled and crab crawled across the sand. The horrible keening of the mothers grew louder.
“The babies!” I moaned. Wildly, I scanned the beach hoping to see someone who could help. No one. Without thinking, I clasped the turquoise amulet and remembered that one baby turtle struggling to survive.
“I must do something,” I said and stood up. I took a deep breath and turned back, running toward the beast and the babies. “I have to save the babies somehow! But how? ... How?” The beast had stopped and was hulking over another nest, digging his paw under the eggs.
“voice ...”
I stopped and my head snapped around at the sound of that word, but there was no one there except the turtles and that beast. Again, “use ... voice ....” sounded and, as I heard more words, I recognized Turtle Mother’s urging.
“Use voice,” I thought, repeating her words. “That doesn’t make any sense.” But, still I moved toward the beast until it lifted that horrible head again. Those fiery eyes blasted me again and I stopped in place, glancing down the open beach. “I can still escape,” I thought.
A wave of keening spun me around, back toward the monster. I raised both arms as high as I could and yelled, "Stop!"
This time, my voice was so loud it surprised even me. I felt taller, braver. I was looking the beast directly in its hideous eyes while that violent red mouth kept biting the air and growling. Its teeth were boulders and its talons sharpened spikes.
“Stop!” I yelled again even louder. The beast was now so close a furnace of heat blasted my face. Abruptly another word sounded in my head … “sing.” Turtle Mother again.
"What?" I gasped as the beast lurched closer.
"sing ... winter daughter … sing."
“Sing?” I cried, confused. Sing to this beast? Sing what? I staggered backward away from it.
Lurching closer and closer, It was now just a few yards away from me. It rose up to its full height, towering over me.
“look deep … see truth.” The voice again.
Truth? I backed away as fast as I could. What truth could there possibly be in that blood-red mouth? Again I heard that ghastly growl and saw that murderous mouth, dripping egg as it stomped toward me …
Hun ... ger!”
I stretched up as tall as I could. Everything inside me calmed as I flung my arms wide, opened my mouth and heard words that I didn’t recognize: a song that seemed to come from another place. In a thin, hesitant voice I sang ...
Oh, great Maverna, born with hunger fierce,
I know your name and from where you came,
Your home, wind-scorched and barren,
Your fear rustles like dry, dusty leaves,
Words kept pouring out of me, words I didn’t know yet somehow seemed like my own. With each word, my voice grew stronger and the beast slowed, waving its fierce head from side to side.
Your mouth gapes wide, sucking, sucking,
Your fingers grasping, searching, digging,
Your eyes wind-blind. Oh, poor Maverna,
Searching forever for the Mother of your heart.
The beast stopped. It cocked its powerful head, listening, then shook it slightly as if to shake away confusion. The volcano-red eyes dimmed and I heard a mournful moan when I continued.
Oh sweet Maverna, bastard child of hunger,
Mother’s milk, unripe and watered,
Not enough. Not sweet enough,
Not nourishing enough; just not enough.
The massive head lowered and its eyes softened as it gazed directly at me. In spite of my fear, I felt a connection.
Oh my Maverna, caught between light and dark,
Struggling toward light, seduced by dark,
Come back to the light, let the gaping hole within
Be healed and overflow with honeyed joy.
The fire drained from the beast’s eyes and the growling became a whimper. I walked a few steps toward the mewling dragon. It turned its now carmel-colored, woeful eyes on me, and without thinking I touched its forehead. Immediately it began to shrink and those golden plates disappeared one by one down its back.
The beast gradually grew smaller and smaller until there was nothing left except a tawny, spotted, jaguar kitten that simpered softly and licked my fingers. I stepped back, shocked, “How could a powerful dragon turn into this tiny kitten?
The kitten mewled again and I heard words, “Your song set me free.”
I blinked but stood still, not sure what to do. “Don’t be afraid,” she said. “I will tell you the story. One dark night evil Xtabay, in a fit of lustful jealousy of my beautiful and graceful mother, turned her milk to water and then stole me away before my weaning. He cast a spell of endless hunger over me.”
Sadness sounded in Maverna’s voice as she gazed off toward the field of turtle mothers. “That hunger was an unquenchable fire that turned me into that evil thing. Now I am free to be my true self.”
She continued her story, “Because all spells must include a spell breaker, the evil ensnarer wove one he thought would never come to pass.
“The only way his spell could be broken would be if a singer whose courage was greater than fear sang my name in a song of compassion. With your courage, you have released me. Now it’s time to find my way back home and to my destiny.”
I watched as Maverna turned and loped toward the forest. My feelings were mixed
as the lithe, powerful body disappeared. I was still shaking, but proud that I stood up to my fear and released her from that horrible spell. I was happy that the turtle babies were safe, but I still didn’t know where I was or why. “How will I ever find ... ”
Suddenly, Maverna startled me. “You’re ... you’re back!” I gasped. She was so close to my face that I could feel her warm breath.
“Courage ... ” she panted, continuing in broken phrases. “... you faced fear ... you set me free ... .”
Maverna had changed. She was now almost fully grown and her eyes were bright and confident. “Now kin ... kin to jaguar ... Must find Tia. ... Find cave of bats. You will know fear ... your heart will guide you. I will be with you.”
Gone again before I could speak, I was astonished at her sudden reappearance and puzzled by her message. I didn’t want to go find some cave of bats. “Who’s Tia and why do I have to find her?”
I stood up and yelled to the jungle around me. “I don’t want more fear. I want to find someplace safe.” I scanned the beach for a long time holding the turquoise stone at my breast and looking for a sign about which way to go. I was tired and still dazed as I saw Turtle Mother crawl across the sand toward me. Her thoughts floated to me as she grew close. "good ... saved ... babies."
I sighed, "But, he took so many."
"many more come ... safe now."
Behind me the turtle mothers were tossing sand again. “That’s right,” I thought. “Stopping that beast seemed impossible, but I did it.” I frowned, still wondering how.
“turned ... fear ... around” breathed Turtle Mother and I wondered if she had heard my thoughts.
Turtle Mother gazed into my eyes, as if probing for something, searching, seeking. Then her slow words started, “true daughter ... .” She blinked her black, slanted eyes and more words came, "ix chel ... walk in rainbow … see right path … always."
"Ix Chel? What’s that?" I was confused by her words and tried to get her to say more but she only turned away. A few more words trailed behind her, "go … blue lost … ix chel knows."
I took a step after her. “Blue? Lost?” I called.
But, it was too late; she was crawling away. In the sand behind her, she left an iridescent trail imprinted by a cross-hatched pattern that reminded me of butterflies. When I reached down to touch the sand print left by her retreating claws, I realized it was a cloth, finely woven and opalescent.
When I rubbed the soft material against my cheek, rainbows danced all around me. Turtle Mother spoke again as she disappeared over a sand dune, "turn … fear … around."
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