by Yossi Soika
For a long time I pondered my predicament, but suddenly, to my astonishment I sensed how my body was being released from its cocoon. After a while I was able to stand on my own feet and I shook my body clean of the rest of the cobwebs. What in hell is happening here and who are my rescuers? Now I began to take small steps, and feel the walls of the hole with my fingers. Suddenly I touched a soft substance. How interesting! I thought. Is it material of a curtain or textile? Do they have such things here?
“A curtain!” I exclaimed rather excitedly and moved it fast. I almost fell on my back. To my great marvel a narrow tunnel of about three and a half feet loomed in front of me, illuminated by thousands of miniature light bulbs. For long moments I stood with my mouth gaping open and marveled at the impressive sight, almost forgetting my troubles. How can such backward, tiny creatures create such sophisticated things? This sight caused me to delve into my thoughts and left me with many unsolved questions. After recovering from the marvelous scene I went into the lit tunnel and I advanced through it quickly on all fours. About 328 feet farther, I reached a spacious and high opening, and from there I succeeded to walk with only my head bent until I arrived at a large hall.
A quick glance showed me that it was an enormous food storeroom. On its walls I noticed many pupae that rested inside mud-covered niches. When will these pupae transform their shape? Was I meant to be their food? What do these animals look like? My unrestrained curiosity was piqued until I pulled out my sword and swiftly cut down the first cocoon I had grabbed from the nearest niche. I diligently cut a few slices into the pupa’s body until I was able to separate the cocoon from the large pupa and to take a glimpse of what dwelled inside it. What I saw was scary – a monumental wasp with spider legs, with two human arms joined to its head… I stood there marveling at length, all stirred-up. For a moment I thought the pupa was going to wake up. My whole body marched and jogged in place. I must move and fast! Who knows, maybe this scary monster is going to wake up and alert the entire nest. Such a monstrous hybridization – I must get away and quickly. I started to run and soon arrived at a spacious hall with many types of varied and weird pupae.
I could easily identify among them five pupae of the Bird People, and I was astounded to identify two pupae of the Elephant-Lion People. For a few minutes I stood motionless. My heart was full of admiration for those wasps and their incredible strength. Then I was able to acknowledge my fortune when my body was released from the binding cocoon of its cobwebs.
How revolting it must be to serve as a course in those dreadful wasps’ meal, the thought occurred to me and a shiver ran down my spine. Now the storage halls made sense to me, once I realized that they stored food for these buzzing terrifying creatures that made your heart quake. On the face of it, it was reasonable that these horrid things would return to supply the store rooms with new prey. Danger!!! Danger!!! Danger!!! All the warning lights in my head flickered. I must find a way out of here quickly! Is there an opening? Perhaps the only exit is the big opening through which I got here? I hastened my pace artfully while passing near many other store rooms that all looked the same; however the fourth one was different from the previous ones.
It was half lit and its temperature was higher than the others I had just passed. It overflowed with lustrous white niches, but I was taken by surprise when I saw the tiny creatures that gushed out of all these niches and swarmed into the hall. I lifted one of them gently and in the faint light I examined it with the utmost care. It was about the size of my palm, its wings transparent and wide like a bat’s wings, but I was most aghast at the sight of its head: a snake head, with human-like eyes, a nose, ears, and hair and all the more so abhorred at the twisted look of six tiny human hands waving on both sides of its body.
Even Lucifer himself could not have created such a ghastly creature! My body vibrated with excitement, is there any link between these creatures and the wasps? Appalling! I must get out of here quickly! I sprung up from my place and at a devilish pace jumped into the unknown. For a long hour I skipped between the endless store rooms until I reached a cave that was intersected by a fast flowing stream.
Great – what a surprise – an underground stream! I thought that it increased the chances that the downhill external torrent would lead me to its drainage basin outside. Should I follow it? And what if I don’t find any way out to ground surface and I am stuck somewhere in-between? There is no choice, I must go forth! For some time I advanced slowly inside the flowing stream until I reached a split. After a slight hesitation I took the stream with the stronger torrent. After walking in it for a while, the water reached my chest and I decided to swim. Although the darkness increased and I could hardly see I resolved in my mind not to turn back.
But what if I don’t find a way out of this damned place? The question remained constantly in my head – It’s better to drown than to serve as food for a monster. I shuddered once again at the option of returning to the food storerooms. For a long time I continued and alternately walked and swam with no idea where it would take me. Suddenly I froze on the spot. The sound of flapping wings reverberated like a distant echo.
What does this sound mean? Is somebody following me? The sound became louder and louder and I decided to fight until the very end. I must not be taken prisoner again. You have no idea how relieved I was when I realized that the flapping noise was produced from thousands of flying creatures that fled from me in panic. It was incredible to see that there were creatures who were afraid of me! I must keep on going! There is a way out. The winged creatures indicated an exit nearby. I then hurried forward and exclaimed aloud, “I’m on my way out!”
Indeed, after a strenuous hike I spotted a tiny flickering light that grew and gleamed from one moment to the next until I was at a wide open outlet. For some time I just stood at the opening of the tunnel with my eyes dazzled by the light after the long walk in a total darkness, but when I opened my eyes I noticed a strange and frightening scene: a pack of tigers and a pack of humongous lions lying down side by side. The fascinating scene both increased my curiosity and mesmerized me, and suddenly I felt like an ill-fated person who had fallen out of the frying pan into the fire. Where should I go now? I certainly can’t turn back, and there is no way to get through. So I stopped where I was, holding my breath, fearing what may come. Suddenly I noticed a strange-looking animal that strode slowly and fearlessly straight to the resting place of the beasts of prey. Stop! I thought to myself, Wait, there is something irrational about this – how come? Can’t that creature sense the lurking danger? Soon it will fall prey to the teeth of the carnivores. The animal just continued walking to their resting place, but nothing happened. That’s impossible – I have yet to hear a roar. Perhaps they devoured it so quickly that it had no chance to emit any noise, because how on earth could the animal survive such giant beasts? But before I even had a chance to mourn its unlucky fate, there in front of my eyes, emerged three strange-looking beasts from among the pack of lions and slowly walked away. The scene became more and more incomprehensible– how can three beasts pass among a massive pack of lions and stay untouched? Is it possible that these lions are not aggressive? Or are they just waiting a while until they devour them?
But the answer, as unexpected as it was, arrived sooner and differently than I figured it to be. A large pack of Turtle People landed next to the resting place of both packs of lions and tigers, and I stood on my feet with stark anticipation to see what would happen next. For long moments I was on my tiptoes, waiting to hear the loud roaring of the beasts of prey around me but nothing happened. After a short time the Turtle People just spread their wings and flew up into the air. I was unsure, as always, as to what exactly to decide; as to what I was going to do, until I made up my mind to advance at any cost. I pulled out my sword and walked down the road leading to the beasts of prey. When I was ten steps away from their resting place I heard an atrocious roaring sound.
“Here it comes,” I s
aid in a choked voice, and quickly held my sword as if I was going to thrust it into an approaching foe. I cannot tell you how the battle ended.
In front of the Tiger Cows and Lion Cows… I just stood for long time ashamed of my action and courage that were directed toward cows that lay peacefully in their resting place.
“Speckled cows with either a lion or tiger head, it’s an awful hallucination,” I said with relief.
I had not yet calmed down from my courageous feat and suddenly I heard the sounds of children’s laughter coming from a nearby grove. Children? Where did they come from? I wondered.
I walked briskly toward the grove, to the place where the laughing had arisen. After walking along a twinkling stream, that curved between tall trees and thick growth, I located the place. I walked carefully on the narrow footpath, greatly alerted by each rustling sound and whisper that surrounded me, but I could see nothing. I heard children laughing, but why could I not see anything? I cleared out the tall bushes that grew along the stream, but saw nothing. Then I took a few steps back into the forest, and suddenly I could hear the laughing, crystal clear sounds emanating from the overgrowth on the riverbanks.
I must see the laughing children! Are they afraid of me? Then I followed my footsteps back and sat a few steps away. For a long time I sat motionless but heard nothing. The laughing sounds were heard no more. I was disappointed by my failed effort and ready to set forth on my way, but suddenly I again heard the sounds of laughter coming out of the total silence that enveloped the banks of the steam. At an incredibly slow pace I got up and climbed a large tree next to me. From the treetop I could clearly hear the sounds of laughing voices, but I couldn’t locate them.
Suddenly I heard one of the voices saying, “Have you seen the new queen of the city? She is wise and witty and her name is Melanie.”
“Oh!” a cry escaped my mouth and I almost fell from the tree – Melanie is the new queen of the city…
“Melanie!” I called out with a gust of joy and quickly climbed down the tree. But the moment I stood on the ground again there were no more sounds. All my efforts to follow the children’s footsteps ended in futility. I couldn’t hear or see anything except an odd-looking school of tiny fish who hurried was away from me. Melanie is the queen of the city… it’s impossible, unbelievable – Melanie is the queen of the city – where is that city?
The City of Dreams
The echo of the children’s laughter faded all at once. Only one thing continued to reverberate in my mind, Melanie is the queen of the city… queen of the city…what way will take me there? Who will lead me there? For a long time I sat on the bank of the stream unable to make up my mind as to which way to choose. I was possessed with only one thought – I must find Melanie.
Suddenly I heard a tweeting sound next to where I sat.
“Gorilla-Man, what are you looking for here?”
I directed my eyes, astonished by the fantastic scene: it was an immensely tiny member of the Turtle People.
“Don’t worry,” I whispered to it. “I won’t hurt you. All I want is to know is where I can find Melanie the Queen of the City.”
“Beware of the Gorilla-Man, he will hurt you; he is dangerous!” a nearby Turtle Man warned his friend.
“Don’t, please, don’t run away – I will do you no harm.”
The Turtle Man turned his head to me and said, “I’m not afraid. He will do me no harm.”
“It’s the truth,” I repeated. “Take my word for it that nothing will happen to you! Please tell me how to find my way to the city?”
“Ape-Man! It’s really simple: follow the tiny stream to the City of Dreams.”
“City of Dreams?” I asked in surprise.
“Melanie is the Queen of the City of Dreams,” The Turtle Man answered in a squeaky voice.
I thanked him for his great help and followed the winding stream, jumping with great haste. All I wanted was to find Melanie, the Queen of the City of Dreams. After an hour of jumping and leaping along the stream that flowed slowly among trees and wild shrubbery, I arrived at an elevated hill. At the hilltop I noticed a beautiful ball-like structure with a glass top that shone like a diamond.
This structure requires a close examination, I said to myself, and walked with great care. My heart throbbed with excitement as I approached the bottom of the enormous structure. For a long time I stood awestricken and thrilled at the sight of the titanic structure. Who built it? And why is it a spherical shape?
I circled the structure for a long time and found no opening to it. I felt the walls but found nothing. Undoubtedly there must be an opening somewhere but how can I find it? I lifted a heavy branch and hit the wall of the structure, but there was no response.
“Melanie!!!” I roared in a throaty voice, but nothing happened – there was only the stillness of a lifeless desolation. All at once I lost my patience. I lifted a huge chunk of rock and thrust it against the wall. The bumping sound of its impact echoed loudly but nothing happened. “I’m wrong; this is not the city,” I said desperately. “Perhaps it’s not the city I’m looking for?”
The Turtle Man had not lied – of that I was sure. “Follow the stream to the City of Dreams.” The stream ended at the bottom of the hill. This is the city – beyond a shadow of doubt! But how can I get into it? After a long hour of roaming in circles around the circular structure, I felt a great weariness taking over my body.
I stood up, and shouted out angrily, “What else must I go through here?!” I felt very tired and lay there for a short rest, but my eyes closed and I fell into a deep sleep.
I was awakened suddenly by a sharp sting in the sole of my foot. Instinctively, I jumped up and rebounded, and noticed a drill-like black hole in my foot. Which creature was responsible for this? No explanation – why couldn’t I see the mysterious intruder? Where was he hiding?
I washed my wound in the stream, and covered it with a few leaves. After I calmed down, I resumed my search for the mysterious intruder, but in vain. Then I sat on the bank of the stream, but dared not close my eyes again; however the mystery of the invisible intruder was soon solved. It was an apple tree that fell down without any apparent reason.
How could this be? I wondered. There isn’t any wind blowing here, or any animals that could cause the tree to collapse, so why is it that the tree fell down?
With great caution I approached the fallen tree and examined it closely. Immediately I noticed that its trunk was hollow and dozens of holes had been drilled in it. Who, for God sake, has made holes like a sieve? I asked with great wonder. While I was pondering the possible answers I could hear muffled gnawing sounds from the trunk. So, the mysterious rodent seems to still be inside the trunk… and now it’s time to expose it. Without hesitating, I chopped a long branch and pushed it deep into the hollow trunk. I was surprised to see that it was immediately crushed in its middle as if it had been sawn in half. Good God, I was lucky not to have put my hand into the stump! I said to myself happily when I discovered the gnawed spaces within the tree. There is something powerful and scary here. I felt a tremendous urge to investigate the gnawing monster. I sat motionlessly next to the trunk and waited with excited anticipation to see what would happen.
Soon the tree trunk shattered and turned into a pile of tiny splinters. Amazing! What an amazing skill! Never before in my life had I witnessed such violence in a living creature! And then, to my great amazement I saw three tiny creatures with an indented and conch-like shape that sparkled like glass. It’s impossible, I repeated. I was agitated and full of excitement at the sight of them – are they living creatures or tiny -robots? The three creatures turned back while drilling with great speed and tearing the remains of the wood asunder, leaving behind them only a trail of tiny bits and pieces. These are not living creatures… it’s impossible. In a moment, after tearing up the tree they drilled themselves into the ground and disappeared, as fas
t as a wink.
Oh my, this is crazy – they can’t be living creatures! I mumbled again in amazement. Perhaps it’s a new, unfamiliar kind of species? Is it possible that there are animals made of unfamiliar solid materials? I was paralyzed with astonishment at this thought. Now I knew that I had to take unique measures of caution with every step I took – the traps here were just everywhere; even in my wildest dreams I would not have imagined creatures like these popping up from all over.
Before I’d finished thinking about the glass mini-monsters a loud roar made me jump. I turned around swiftly and within bowshot I noticed an awe-inspiring animal pacing straight in my direction. Danger! The alarm flashed in my head, Just flee! The ominous signs called me to run for my life, but something kept my feet on the ground like iron to a magnet and I froze in place. I grabbed my sword I waited for the unavoidable clash. Another roar rolled like a thunder but this time I realized it was mixed with rage and pain. Hesitatingly I opened my eyes and was shocked to see a huge flock of flying creatures that glimmered like crystal storming the Elephant-Lion from all directions. The mighty animal stopped and its movements were sharp and desperate, as if it had been struck by lightning. I wondered how it was possible; such a humongous creature shouldn’t retreat from birds. Maybe they were dangerous birds of prey? Then all my fears vanished and I was able to timidly approach the monster until I was standing about ten feet from it and could see it clearly. The mammoth of an animal stood in place, bleeding, beating its paws here and there, doubled over in pain, rolling madly on the ground. Some of its attackers got trapped within the orbit of its great punches and with a strong shrill noise they fell to the ground, whistling as if they were flying bombs.
