Olly, Olly, Oxen Frey

by Paul Manchester

  Finn heard Jack saying something behind him.

  “What?” Finn shouted.

  Jack yelled over the noise of the water. “We should go back!”

  Finn held up his hand and pointed below. He hollered over the roar, “I dropped my key! I’ll be right back up!”

  Finn carefully edged down a boulder strewn path beside the falling water till he was about fifteen feet below the path above. There the key sparkled in the pink glow coming from a cave behind the waterfall.

  Finn expected to see another phosphorescent plant - but the color was wrong. This was very pink. And in the blue-green environment, it stuck out. Finn half slid down a bit of loose rock to a spot near the middle of the waterfall’s drop just to see it a little better.

  * * * *

  Up top, Jack laid across the rocky ledge to see what Finn was up to. “What do you see down there?!” He yelled over the roar of the water.

  He saw Finn edge his way behind the fall.

  Pinkie sprawled out on the rock beside him. She almost looked – well not that he’d ever smoked marijuana himself – Jack didn’t do that sort of stuff, but he’d seen kids that were stoned before – and her eyes had that same spacey look.

  Then Pinkie’s eyes popped wide open and her outcry scared Jack half to death.

  “Ssomething’s coming!” she screamed. “Too sssoon! And Jacksy, I’m about to change!”

  “What?” Jack shouted over the water. He sat up and looked at her.

  She cried out, “Oh, Jacksy! I want to do sssomething important when I become a big wisssh. Through you! Remember me!” All at once – her eyes – wide and startled, Pinkie condensed in on herself in a strange kaleidoscope of color with a freakishly bizarre whoosh! Then that whoosh expanded and coalesced into an enormous fluttering ball of pure golden light that fluttered right in front of Jack. It was so bright he had to squint.

  “Pinkie?” Jack gasped, not sure what just happened.

  The golden ball shot straight into his open mouth and raced down his throat! He couldn’t breathe! His gut burned impossibly, then his chest! The fire spread to his limbs! He was overwhelmed with burning heat throughout his body!

  Jack had never felt such pain before.

  Jack was screaming when the Redduns arrived.

  * * * *

  The fearsome Redduns whirled to a stop and dropped the net full of fuzzy-wiggles which they had collected further up the tunnel. The Queen could always use more fuzzy-wiggles! They’d been prowling underground for days searching for this kid!

  Their stuffy yet accurate noses had led them to this half-conscious, gasping boy near the top of a waterfall.

  A fuzzy-wiggle stretched a fuzzy nose out of the net and looked at the writhing boy. It said, “George, I think we know him. But, humansss do look alike.”

  Another wiggled to take a look. “Burt, I do think you’re right, but he’s changed –”

  “Shaddup!” shouted the sniffling Rubette who gave them a swat - which rolled their net to face the other direction.

  The Redduns sniffed about. They only detected one human child. So, they pulled the oddly colored and delirious boy into their snotty embrace, and with a huff and a puff and a great deal of impressive hacking, their snotty storm magically sped up through a maze of cracks and crannies and reached the surface in a great blubbery sneeze.

  It was time to get back to the castle and do laundry.

  Chapter 13

  Changeling

  Their Ways

  The hospital sent the kids home on Monday evening. They opened their eyes on Sunday afternoon. They’d looked around their shared partitioned room rather stupidly, but other than their newly white hair and pallid complexion, and having no notion of who they were, they appeared to be in perfect health according to the hospital. The doctors mumbled something about shock, and amnesia, and perhaps an iron deficiency. They recommended bed rest and a return to normal surroundings as quickly as possible. They suggested a follow up appointment in a week.

  So, they returned to their respective homes accompanied by their hospital bills. As a foster kid, Finn’s health services were covered by the county, but Jack and Jenny’s coverage wracked up some serious co-pays which left their dad gasping. Even so, Mr and Mrs Saunders were happy to have their children home again – even if they did seem little different.

  Authorities checked out Mr. Saunders’ mushroom operation of course. But it checked out and the entire episode was filed as an unexplainable mystery with a happy ending.

  The children seemed to pick up on their identities fairly rapidly after that. But most folks noticed a distinct shift of personality as each began to navigate the world outside their rooms. For one thing - they now really loved their smart phones. Jack, Jenny, and Finn had each owned cell phones before this, but they didn’t spent a lot of time on them. All three kids had always been more inclined to explore the bumps, tumbles, and scratches of the non-digital world.

  But, the new Jack, Jenny, and Finn took to their phones like ducks to water, mice to cheese, or dogs to mud. They now spoke to their parents in grunts and indecipherable murmurs while staring at their phones.

  Finn’s parents liked the new Finn much better. They understood a boy who liked his smart phone. His parents each liked their own smart phones. The new Finn even went to Tuesday night bible study with no complaint - though he was glued to his phone throughout the lesson. The new Finn seemed more... normal.

  The Saunders had mixed feelings about the change in their children. The new Jack and Jenny were certainly simpler to have around the house. They made no mess. They hardly went outside. After a bit, they were even pretty dependable with their chores with not a word of complaint. Jack didn’t see Finn anymore, but they apparently texted regularly, so Mrs Saunders supposed that was all right. That’s what the kids did these days. It all seemed more comfortable in some ways she didn’t want to think about too much.

  Millie was the only one who was suspicious about the new versions of her old friends. She knew something larger was wrong, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on exactly what. Jack didn’t look at her like he hated her anymore, which was new. And Jenny took no notice of her – which was strange for a little girl who always hung on her every word. And Finn, well... Finn stared at her in quite a new way when she visited them in the hospital.

  Chapter 14

  The Nixies

  of Loot’s End

  The Wishermans and Jenny followed OrangeRock Canyon until it expanded into broad farmland around the Riddle River. Despite regular rest stops, they were all exhausted.

  From the top of a low hillock at sunset, Papy pointed to the right where the river entered a swampy forest before it reached the sea – which was sparkling in the distance.

  “Jenny, me girl, we be camping rough here tonight, but by tomorrow night, we’ll be right comfortable in that forest.” Papy Wisherman said with a big smile on his face.

  “Oh Papy, we ain’t be goin’ and stayin’ with the nixies agin! They ain’t no proper type fer a young girl ta be hangin’ ‘round.”

  “Who’re the nixies?” yawned Jenny.

  Papy pulled out his pipe and started inspecting the little glen behind them. “Oh, don’t ye mind Mamy. The nixies be all right w’me. Ah done ’em some good turns in me time.” He took a puff of his pipe and sent out two smoke rings. “We’re goin’ ta be needin’ a few things ta catch our big wishes, and they be havin’ what we be needin’.”

  From Mamy’s “Harumph!” Jenny deduced there was some disagreement on the creatures, which made her a bit curious. She wrapped herself up in her Swamp Witch cloak and pulled out her silver bowl and spoon. Mamy started organizing their dinner of scrumble-berries, while Papy set out their bedding a few feet away. After dinner the Wishermans went right to sleep. They snored. But she was used to it after two nights in the
ir company.

  She wondered if her parents and Jack were missing her. Of course they missed her. School would have started... yesterday? She’d been in Frey for three days. She didn’t want to go home till she helped rescue the Wishermans’ children. And maybe all the other children too? That’s what all the girls in the books and movies would do.

  She’d sort out her parents’ questions when she got home.

  Kids always went home at the end of those books. She didn’t have to worry... she hoped.

  * * * *

  Nedderlin Swamp was a tricky place to navigate. The Riddle River pierced its way through the center of the swamp like a needle piercing a gob of phlegm. It was an icky path and lacked purpose.

  But Papy knew secret logs and roots to travel by and they made good progress all things considered. By late afternoon, they were near halfway through the swamp and in sight of a strange tree village on the muddy bank of the river. “Welcome to Loot’s End” said a crooked sign.

  Jenny had never seen such a peculiar collection of trash assembled into a... well, it was colorful. And beautiful in its way. There were rainbows of strings and rope and twine that stretched from tree to tree like laundry lines. From these hung rows and rows of socks! Striped, polka dotted, cartoon covered, plaid, solid... all hung in sweeping rows back and forth throughout the village trees. She thought, so, that’s where all the missing socks go... Additionally there were round platforms sticking out from the trees like fungal growths, but they were decorated with bright magic-trick handkerchief awnings and... what looked like doll furniture?

  Closer to the ground were boxes piled into towering spirals that wrapped around the tree bases. Each open box contained little apartments which reminded her of nests - if the nests had been designed by a toy designer. She even saw little house boats that looked like toys. Everywhere she looked there seemed to be human trash that had been cleverly repurposed.

  Amid all of it, were small-ish fluttering creatures that moved very fast through both water and air. They were smaller than Barbies but bigger than Brats.

  “Are those nixies?” asked Jenny.

  “Yup!” Papy said with a smile. “Watch out, here they come!”

  “Hold on to yer val’bles!” Mamy whispered. “They’ll steal ya blind.”

  “We dinna steal!” A squeaky voice popped up near Jenny’s shoulder.

  “Not much-wise!” dismissed another voice down by her knee.

  “Ya gotta hat under yer hump! Do ya really want it?” said a third.

  “She not be usin’ it. I think it be fair game!” said the first and Jenny suddenly felt her pirate hat inching out from under her cloak.

  “Stop that!” yelled Jenny and shook her cloak till it was free of nixies. Then she grabbed her hat off the ground. “That is MY pirate hat and nobody else’s!”

  “Many pardons t’be sure!” giggled the one who might have spoken first, but Jenny now had lost track of which one it was as they moved around her so disconcertingly fast.

  “We’s just bein’ friendly!” explained another.

  “Do ya need this bowl and spoon?” asked a green one who started to float off with it.

  “Give that BACK!” shouted Jenny as she snatched it out of the small Nixie’s grasp who then went into a bit of a nose dive after it let go.

  Papy then got the nixies’ attention by hollering, “Me friends! It be so nice to see each of ya! Please don’t take anything from Jenny here, or me Mamy. They don’t yet un’erstan’ yer ways. But, ah’ve brought some gifts fer ya that ya can steal o’er and o’er as much as it suits ya!”

  At that, Papy opened a bag of small bric brac and the nixies swarmed it like bees.

  “I do hope ya understand.” piped up a wee voice quite close to Jenny’s ear - making her jump. She turned to see a Nixie fluttering there. “We be only takin’ from folk we like! That’s why it be fun! Birdle takes me stuff all the time!”

  Birdle zoomed past with a giggle.

  “But, ain’t people stealing your stuff kind of irritating after a while?” questioned Jenny.

  “But, it tisn’t really stealin’ if folks don’t want it. And we share everythin’ here, so tis more of a lovin’ game fer us! We be the very nature of lov-iness!” proclaimed the green nixie.

  A deep growl behind them surprised them both, “Neddy, I don’t think she’s goin’ ta understand ya ways.”

  Jenny turned quickly and shrank to see a big creature sitting amid the darkness of the winding tree roots. It was man-like with the head of a goat, and big curling horns on either side of its face. She instinctively recoiled from it... him. It was definitely male. He wore very little clothing beyond the tiny loin cloth that left little to the imagination. Its hairy legs bent sort of backwards like those of a goat.

  “Ah, shut yer trap ya big phooka!” Neddy shouted at the goat-man with a squeaky laugh and flittered off.

  Neddy’s rudeness softened Jenny’s attitude toward the strange monster, though she was still pretty uncomfortable with how naked the creature was.

  She pushed her nervousness aside.

  “I’m Pirate Jenny,” she stuck out her hand.

  The phooka looked startled and stared at her hand with confusion.

  “I’m sorry,” sputtered Jenny. “I was just going to shake your hand. Like a friend, see?” She reached forward and grasped his large, clawed hand.

  The phooka stared at her.

  “Jenny! Ya be gettin’ away from that thing!” hollered Mamy. “Ya can’t never trust a phooka!”

  “But, Mamy, what if he’s a nice phooka?” Jenny turned and asked.

  “Thar be no such thing as a nice phooka! It t’ain’t in thar nature! Those shapeshifters be more likely ta eat ya.”

  Jenny still had hold of the phooka’s hand and she caught a look in his eye. “Well, I don’t think you’d eat me.” She gave his hand a firm shake, and let go of it. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Phooka.”

  “Yar Mamy’s prob’bly right. Ya shouldn’t trust a phooka.” mumbled the phooka as it ashamedly turned to go.

  “But, you ain’t told me YOUR name yet.”

  Turning back, the goat eyes widened in surprise and then a curious goat smile spread across his face. “Ya can call me Footbe.”

  He stared at her closely for a moment longer, then he disappeared into a dimly lit cavern within the tree roots.

  * * * *

  After a feast (that Jenny couldn’t and didn’t particularly wish to partake in) the entire village of Loot’s End broke out into a wild party. At first she thought this was a celebration of their visit, but she quickly learned from Papy that the partying was a nightly behavior.

  She was tired from their travels, but from her high perch on a tree root at the edge of camp, it was fun to watch all the crazy antics that the colorful little nixies got up to. Each nixie would swipe stuff from other nixies, and it was a wild game to see them try to protect their hordes, but add to their hordes at the same time. None of the little creatures seemed to take ownership all that seriously.

  Jenny didn’t think she could live like that. She liked her stuff. But perhaps she now understood the nixies a little better.

  “They be silly wee mites, but it’s interestin’ to live among ‘em for a bit,” came a growly voice behind her.

  Jenny turned to again see the phooka sitting on a root slightly above her. His face was in shadow with only spark-like reflections of the fire in his eyes.

  “Hi Footbe!” Jenny hesitated. “They sure don’t treat you very nice. Why is that?”

  “Ah suppose ah’ve gotten used to it. Just part of bein’ a phooka. We aren’t too terr’bly trustworthy.”

  “But, I imagine you’re as trustworthy as you want to be ain’t you?”

  “‘Trustworthy’ – ‘tis a bit of a gray area – we all do what we gotta do...” He s
aid reflectively while gazing at the fire below.

  “I suppose,” Jenny murmured. “But you’re not evil like the Blue Queen is. She must be horrible.”

  The Phooka smiled. “Oh, but the Blue Queen can be nice when she wants ta be, an’ beautiful in her way.”

  “But how can she be nice if she’s as evil as people say?” Jenny wondered if maybe the phooka worked for the queen.

  “Evil can be very nice – when it wants ta be. Most evil folk don’t think they’re bein’ evil at all. It’s a gray-ish world. What be evil but selfishness run amuck?”

  “I’m selfish sometimes,” Jenny confessed. “Does that make me evil?”

  “Don’t know,” he shrugged. “Do ya try an’ think o’ other folk too?”

  “Well, I try but I’m not always good at it.”

  “Well then, ya might ha’ a little evil in ya,” he laughed. “Ya ‘lways ha’ the choice ah s’pose.”

  The night had grown quiet as the nixies started a game of hide and go seek. The swamp was filled with the sound of crickets and the occasional splash of an alligator. Some sort of night bird hooted above them. Jenny could smell wet tree roots and rich muddy pools of darkness. It didn’t smell good but it didn’t exactly smell bad either. It smelled like... life? Maybe it smelled like death. Or perhaps, Jenny thought it was a glass half-full or half-empty sort of thing. She decided the swamp smelled like life.

  “Mamy said that you’re a shape shifter? Can you transform into anything?”

  Footbe heaved a sigh. “Phookas can change inta anything ‘bout their same size.” Then he added bitterly under his breath, “And some can do more than that.”

  Jenny looked at Footbe with awe. “You can change your shape –”

  “Ah can’t do nothin’ of the kind,” he interrupted.

  “But–”

  “Most phookas can. But, ah can’t,” He whispered with finality, “My life be a bitter one.”

  “Oh,” said Jenny.