Josephine Marlin and The Alternatives

by Karen Eastland

  I was tired, and hoping the outside wasn’t much further. I started to make good time by once again crawling as I swam when I came to a fork in the stream. I only knew it forked because I’d been moving so fast, I found myself wrapped around the centre rock.

  ‘Which way to go… which way to go?’ I was screaming in my head. The water was rising rapidly, and it was pitch-black. I’d begun to panic and could feel my breathing become shallow. ‘I’m going to run out of air at any moment, I just know it.’

  ‘I can’t breathe, Brain. I can’t breathe. What’ll I do?’

  Brain pulled me out of the panic places I was headed for by insisting I make a decision. Pushing my way down the left tunnel, rather than the right (I’d felt a few animal escapees brush against my right arm as they rushed past), the water was almost at the roof. If I’d taken the wrong tunnel, I was going to die… again.

  I’d been in the water so long, I’d had enough and just wanted out. Taking one last deep breath as the water reached the roof, the last thing I remembered was kicking my feet as fast as I could, while holding tight to the amphora.

  Then I recall swallowing a lot of water.

  Rise of Andoré

  I either died or passed out, because when I woke, I was caught up in a large piece of the embankment, that was edging a new creek bed by the look of it. There was moonlight above me, and for the first time in hours, I knew everything would be okay. I lay beneath a beautifully clear sky and took in deep breaths of fresh air.

  After my initial, thank fuck I’m out of there, breath, I felt panic begin to rise again when I couldn’t feel the amphora. Certain I’d lost it during my escape; my thoughts began to run away with themselves.

  ‘What if it’s still in the cave,’ I thought. ‘I can’t go back in there even if I wanted to; I couldn’t, could I? What do I do Brain, cause I don’t want to?’

  ‘Breathe Josephine,’ said Brain. ‘Look on the bank to your right… No Josephine, your other right.’

  ‘Oh,’ I’m sure I spoke when I saw the amphora, wrapped nice and neat in my blouse on the edge of the creek bed.

  Taking hold of a clump of spear grass from the embankment, I pulled myself out of the water to lie beside it. I picked up the amphora and lay it on my stomach. I unwrap my blouse to make sure it hadn’t broken, when I saw it catch in the moonlight. It was certainly a beautiful jug.

  I took my time, and lay on the grass, just watching the moon, clouds, and stars. It’d been so long since I’d seen them, I didn’t want to stop looking up. I felt the odd, creepy crawly climbing over me as I lay there, but I was past caring. After some time, I sat on the edge of the creek, propped the amphora up against a tuft of grass and dipped my blouse into the water. Then rung it out. Holding it by the shoulders, I gave it a good flick to remove those unwanted creases. I lay it out on the ground next to me then washed my face before putting it back on.

  You’re thinking, ‘Why would Josephine need a wash after escaping through a raging river?’ Right? You try swimming with snakes, doing the breaststroke in body fluids, and pretending a guano pit was a mud bath that was good for your skin, then tell me you wouldn’t still be washing!

  ‘What are we going to do with the amphora Josephine?’ asked Brain.

  He’s always butting in, isn’t he? We’ll talk later! I have to hide the amphora, then find the girls… it’s a whole thing.

  ‘I need to hide it somewhere so I can get it later, Brain. I think burying it some-place safe, or maybe finding something to hide it in, where no-one would think to look, would be the best thing to do. Then we need to make sure Pony and Dog got out okay.’

  Putting my blouse back on, I left the Amphora safe on the edge of the creek, but never out of my sight, while I looked for somewhere to hide it. I came across an old tree stump with a large hole at its base. It was ten steps inland from the creek and looked like it had been there for a long time. After a feel around inside, I decided the hole was big enough for a hiding place.

  Rushing back to get the amphora, I took stock of my position. Landmarks, such as trees, big boulders and of course the new creek. ‘You can see what I see Brain.’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Then please store in your memory all the landmarks we will need when we come back for the amphora.’

  Placing it into the hole was the easy part. I needed something conspicuous to mark the spot for when I came back for it, but not too conspicuous that someone else might find it.

  Walking a short way along the creek, I found a large white river stone. There were other stones too, but this one stuck out. Taking it back to the stump, I placed it in the hole, then picked up a few extra rocks and scattered them around the area. I lay an odd trail of stones back to the creek.

  Once happy with my decisions, I began to wonder what the best way would be to get back to the others. I had the moon and stars to guide me, but I’d never been to Millers Point before, and didn’t know how far the cave system had taken me from my friends. Suddenly, I could hear Pony’s wailing somewhere in the distance. I called to her, but I don’t think she could hear me over her cries.

  ‘Pony,’ I yelled several times, then laughed to myself listening to her wails. I thought I’d just follow her cries to find my way back.

  Walking for a while, and taking in the fresh air, Pony’s cries had neared. There was a sudden rustle in the bushes just left of the creek. I didn’t know what was coming, but before I knew what had happened, a large wooden club appeared in my hand. I was impressed. It was like the club pre-empted my need.

  With both elbows raised, I pulled the club back to rest on my right shoulder, ready to home run whoever, or whatever was coming at me.

  All of a sudden I heard barking, then Dog came running from the bushes.

  Relieved, I relaxed my grip on the club, then it disappeared from my hand in a waft of smoke.

  I’d just bent down to pat him when I heard Pony’s wailing, and the sounds of my friends were getting closer. Just as they reached us, there was an explosive noise to the left of us. We all looked to just in time to see the huge rock formation collapse in on the last of the caves.

  The ground shook, and the creek had built up a bit of a bow wave. I was glad I wasn’t in the tunnel for that.

  ‘Me too,’ said Brain.

  ‘What did you do?’ asked Deb in mock horror, as she and the others ran to me. They all leaned in and hugged me. I couldn’t even remember why I was so upset with them.

  ‘Why Deb,’ I said smiling, ‘whatever do you mean.’

  ‘Well, you walked into the cave, I presume, you’re not in there two minutes and the next thing we know, Pony’s screaming you’re dead, and the cave started to collapse. Oh, and Pony’s now a purple colour.’

  ‘Yeah, she’d changed colour not long before we all got separated,’ I said with a smile.

  ‘Did you get the Amphora of Souls?’ asked Ann.

  ‘Why yes Ann, I’m fine. Thank you for asking.’

  ‘Oh, sorry,’ she said. ‘Good to see you’re okay. Did you get the Amphora of Souls?’

  ‘Funny story that,’ I said. ‘Let’s sit here for a while before going back to the Man of the Trees. What’s he being saying anyway?’

  ‘Jo doe pop, Jo doe pop, Jo doe pop,’ I heard moments before Pony flattened me into the ground. I was just glad I was already sitting.

  ‘I’m happy to see you made it out too, Pony,’ I said, while she hugged me. She finally calmed enough to sit with us. Taking my hand in hers, I wasn’t going anywhere without her… again.

  ‘She really thought you were dead. It took some time for her to calm enough to say those three words. Why would she think that?’ asked Sue.

  ‘We got separated trying to get out of the cave,’ I said. Pony was lying against me, so I whispered “shush” in her ear. ‘I’m pretty sure the last thing Pony saw was the cave collapsing as a rock fall closed off the exit.’

  ‘What are you doing?’ asked Brain.

  ‘There’re thi
ngs I’d like to know about myself before I tell anyone else about me. Right now only Pony and Dog know anything. No-one understands ghoul yet and Dogs a dog. I’ll tell the others about the cave shortly, but not about me until I’m ready. I remember my visit to the We, Brain. There are certain things I can’t tell other people. Remember?’

  ‘Yes, you are right.’

  We sat on the edge of the creek for a while, and I told Ann, I told everyone that the amphora had been lost in the caves, that it’d been crushed in a rock fall.

  Dog looked at me in disbelief. I swear it! I’d never seen a dog with that look before… Oh no wait, I have.

  Daddy’s dogs are pampered pooches, and Cook hadn’t been to the store. There were only two doggie snacks left. So I took them both, a cheesy bone shaped biscuit and a small rawhide shaped bone. Knowing both Dramadese and Pytholigous preferred the cheesy bone shaped biscuits, I had to make a decision.

  Not wanting Pytholigous to see, I slyly slipped the biscuit into Dramadese’s mouth as I walked past to give him the rawhide. Sitting down next to daddy, I’d just got comfortable when I looked up to see Pytholigous lying on the floor with his rawhide between his front paws, and his mouth agape. He was staring at Dramadese eating the cheesy biscuit. Then he looked at me the same way Dog was looking at me. I felt so mean, but it was also too funny at the same time.

  ‘What do we do about Tiamat?’ Ann asked as I rejoined the conversation. I noticed Deb was looking nervous.

  ‘I think I might know how to find Tiamat,’ I said. ‘The banshee had the layout of the entire area on some old parchment. I got a good look at it before the cave began collapsing. I never want to do anything like that again. It was scary, wasn’t it Pony?

  ‘Scar bad Lady. Mak Jo dead.’

  I laughed it off and looked down at Dog, who was looking at me with those big brown eyes, showing off more of his whites than the brown.

  ‘Let’s see what the Man of the Trees has to say about the Amphora of Souls,’ I said. ‘I’m curious.’

  ‘Oh, before we go, how long has it been since Pony and Dog got back to you?’ I asked trying to gauge how long I’d been unconscious.

  ‘It’s been about an hour,’ Sue said. ‘I have to admit I also thought you were dead. Pony was very convincing.’

  It was a bit of a walk back, but I was okay with that. I was thinking I must’ve died again, because it only took fifteen to twenty minutes for me to hide the amphora and wash my blouse. It’d been a hell of a time, and Pony and Dog didn’t have such a great time either. I was angry that the Tree had lied and sent us on such a dangerous mission.

  It also took me a bit of time to reassure not just Ann, but also Deb, that I knew how to find Tiamat.

  ‘What time do you think it is?’ I asked after Sue had said it was still some way to the Tree.

  ‘It’s 7:56 PM,’ said Sue, who thankfully had a digital watch.

  ‘I’ve got 8:00,’ said Del.

  ‘Here’s something interesting for you, but let’s keep this between us,’ I said to the others while taking a break on a large rock. ‘We were in that cave for hours.’

  ‘What? No you weren’t,’ said Ann, ‘you only just went in, and it started to collapse. I’d say thirty minutes at max, because it took us that long to calm Pony down then we spent another thirty minutes trying to find you, So alright, maybe an hour.’

  ‘Thirty minutes? What’s she talking about Brain, no time should have passed for them at all?’ I said.

  ‘Just how long were we unconscious Josephine?’ said Brain. ‘We were out of the cave for some time, therefore out of the time barrier the banshee had in place. You spent ten minutes hiding the amphora.’

  ‘True,’ I said and rejoined the conversation. I had to convince the girls it was longer than an hour.

  ‘Hours Ann. When we walked in, we moved through an invisible time barrier. For you, we’d been gone minutes, but for us, we were in there for hours. I can’t say for how many, but I expected it would’ve been daylight when I finally made my way out. Pony, Dog and I, were separated more than three hours ago.

  Since then, I’ve been swimming with snakes, mole rats, spiders and anything else that could swim. I was also attacked by a big pig and a swarm of bats, and nearly crushed when the entire roof of a large cavern collapsed. Hours I tell you.’

  ‘What are mole rats?’ asked Del.

  ‘In my panic, I didn’t have time to decide if they were moles or rats,’ I said. ‘The Man of the Trees told me time would stop in the cave, but I’m certain we were taken to another plane of existence.’

  ‘C’mon,’ laughed Ann. ‘Another Plane of existence?’

  ‘Says she who’s just found out she’s a god,’ I said.

  ‘Oh yeah, right! Sorry,’ said Ann.

  ‘I say another plane of existence, because the pig that was attacking me, and even the bats, went straight through me. It was like I was a ghost. The animals could see me, but they couldn’t interact with me.’

  ‘What about the snakes?’ asked Sue.

  ‘No, those bastards could both see, and slither all over me.’

  ‘So, the banshee must’ve cast a time barrier around the caves, and only those animals already in the cave at the time of the enchantment could interact with you. Those animals entering afterwards, couldn’t,’ said Sue. ‘You’re right Jo, if the banshee was powerful, or old enough, the enchantment could’ve shifted the cave to another plane of existence. We’ve all seen cats and dogs looking at things we can’t see ourselves, so you must’ve been on a ghost plain.’

  ‘She was ancient,’ I said in agreement, ‘and that sounds as good as any description I could’ve come up with.’

  We began walking again, and I could see we were getting nearer the clearing.

  ‘What about the banshee?’ asked Ann.

  ‘Dead, we killed her didn’t we Pony?’

  ‘Yep,’ she said with a big glowing smile on her face.

  ‘Do we have to see the man of the Trees again?’ asked Del. ‘I really didn’t like him.’

  ‘I agree,’ said Ann.

  ‘Oh yes, we do. I want to see his face… or knot as the case maybe, and let’s face it, no adventure is ever complete until someone’s dastardly plan falls apart,’ I said walking into the clearing where the Man of the Trees was waiting.

  ‘You are back, I see. The amphora with the stone of black, give it to me.’

  ‘You’re never going to believe this,’ I began. ‘It’s like this, we found the amphora, but as I picked it up, the cave began to collapse, and we were running for the exit, but that collapsed, and it’s taken some time to get out, and I’m sorry, but it was smashed under a great boulder. I know it was precious, I could feel it. But I only just escaped with my life.’

  ‘What!’ The Tree bellowed as a branch swept down to grab me. Stepping back, I started to think he wasn’t who he said he was.

  ‘And the banshee?’ he demanded.

  ‘Dead!’

  ‘Dead?’ he asked in surprise.

  ‘Yes. That’s what I said. Dead.’

  I’m certain a look of fear, or was that anger I saw on the Man of the Trees knot.

  ‘Where are the souls?’ he bellowed.

  ‘I’m sorry, I don’t know what you mean. What souls? You said to me, and I quote, “This is the quest you must make. You will retrieve the Amphora of Souls and bring it to me”.’

  ‘The Amphora was full of souls,’ screeched the Tree.

  ‘Well, I can’t speak to the Amphora of Souls, but the banshee was wearing a… vesture I believe it was called, made of souls, and when she died, they were set free. We watched them leave her dying body; it was a beautiful sight. Anyway, when the last soul left, the banshee turned into a piece of petrified wood. So maybe she was wearing all the souls when she died?’

  ‘But the souls,’ the Tree almost cried.

  ‘I don’t believe you,’ he said angrily. ‘How did you kill the banshee? It is not possible.’

 
The tree began to tremble and shake. We all stepped back a bit because it looked as if it was about to explode.

  Just as we reached a safe distance, from out of the top of the tree, some type of spectre exploded from the main trunk.

  ‘I was not expecting that,’ said Brain.

  ‘Me neither.’

  ‘I am Ancharious, Stealer of Souls, and you have robbed me,’ he bellowed.

  ‘I never robbed you of anything,’ I said defiantly. I refused even to look taken aback by his big reveal.

  What’s he going to do, kill me?

  ‘The banshee was wearing the souls when she died. We found the amphora after she’d turned into a lump of wood. When it smashed, I didn’t see any souls leave it, and after watching them leave the banshees vesture, it’s a sight not easily forgotten. If you don’t believe me,’ I said in a sly tone, ‘look for yourself. You obviously deceived all of us, when you told me you couldn’t leave the tree to get the amphora yourself.’

  ‘But how? How did you kill the banshee,’ he demanded.

  ‘I used a golden lance and thrust it into her belly, just above the souls, and just below her chest. Well actually, I got her in the neck first, then I took out her eye, that was disgusting, but then I got her dead centre. That’s right isn’t it Pony?’

  ‘Yep, stab bad lady. Now wood.’

  ‘You’re not trying to back out of our agreement are you?’ I asked threateningly. ‘Oh, and of course, the last part of our agreement was, as you said, “Upon your return, You will tell me your name”. Well here I am, and thanks to the banshee, I now know my name, shall I tell you?’

  ‘What are you doing Josephine?’

  ‘It’s okay Brain. I’d never tell this cretin my true name.’

  ‘This can’t be true,’ cried Ancharious. ‘My souls, where are my souls?’

  ‘Alright,’ I demanded. ‘Now you listen to me. We had a deal. You have no freaking idea what I went through to get the amphora for you. It’s not my fault it was crushed, but feel I was denied valuable information about what would happen if I did have to kill the banshee, because that’s when the cave began to collapse. We were lucky to find it at all. I’ve completed the quest, and I know my true name.’