Tiger's Curse

by Collen Houck

  I took a step backward, feeling afraid. Then I froze and remembered Durga’s warning about staying together. I turned around and saw two other tunnels that hadn’t been there before. Two Rens were walking straight ahead with the gada in front, one in each tunnel.Which was the main tunnel? Which one was the real Ren?

  I heard running footsteps behind me and hastily chose the one on the right. I hurried to catch up to him, but it seemed the closer I got, the farther away he was. I knew I’d chosen the wrong path.

  I called out to him, “Ren!”

  He didn’t turn toward me. I stopped and looked in other tunnels for a sign of him. I saw Kishan and Ren fighting as tigers in one tunnel. Mr. Kadam was in a swordfight with a man who looked like my nightmare

  guy in another.

  I hurried from tunnel to tunnel. Several passageways flashed scenes of my life. My grandma beckoned me to help her plant flowers. My high school teacher was asking me questions. There was even one with my parents. They were calling out to me. I gasped, and tears filled my eyes.

  I screamed aloud, “No…no…no! This can’t be happening! Where’s Ren?”

  “Kelsey. Kelsey! Where are you?”

  “Ren! I’m here!”

  I heard my voice, but I hadn’t said anything. I looked in an-other tunnel and saw Ren running up to approach…me. Only it wasn’t me.I was me. Ren came close tome , or rather, thething that looked like me, and stroked her face.

  “Kelsey, are you okay?”

  I heard thething respond, “Yes. I’m fine.”

  It turned its head and looked straight at me while Ren kissed its cheek. The image morphed, and with a sharp, shattering noise, the face melted intodeath . It smiled insidiously at me, and I shivered with revulsion as I looked at a putrid corpse blooming with maggots.

  I approached the tunnel entrance and yelled at Ren to stop, but he couldn’t hear me. There was some kind of barrier blocking me so I couldn’t enter. The corpse snickered at me and waved a hand. The image became obscure, and I could no longer make out their forms.

  Infuriated, I pounded on the barrier, but it had no effect. After a few moments, the barrier disappeared, and I was staring into a long black tunnel lit with torches, just like the dozens of others that I’d passed by

  before.

  I gave up and moved on. I passed a Ren who was cowering on the ground, forlorn and self-deprecating.

  He was sobbing and bemoaning his losses. He spoke of all the mistakes he’d made and how wrong he’d been about everything. He begged for forgiveness, but he could find no absolution. The things he mentioned having done were ineffable, horrible, awful things. Things that I knew Ren had never done and

  couldn’t even imagine doing. His body was angular and broken, and it was indescribably heartbreaking.

  I was indignant. This was too much! It was so awful to see someone I cared about broken down into nothing that I became furious. Someone or something was playing games with us, and I hated it. What was worse was knowing that the same things were happening to Ren somewhere in these tunnels. Who knew how they were representingme !

  I moved on to another tunnel and saw an upright and proud Ren with his back turned to me.

  I called out cautiously, “Ren? Is that really you?”

  He turned around and smiled his beautiful smile, and then he held out his arms to me and beckoned me closer.

  “Kelsey!Finally ! What took you so long? Where have you been?”

  With great relief, I wrapped my arms around him as he pulled me close. He held me and rubbed my back.

  Puzzled, I inquired, “Ren? Where’s the backpack and the gada?” I pulled back and looked up into his handsome face.

  “We don’t need it anymore. Shh, now. Just stay here with me for a minute.”

  I moved back quickly and took a few steps away. “You’re not Ren.”

  He laughed. “Sure I am, Kelsey. What do I have to do to prove it to you?”

  “No! Something’s wrong! You’re not him!” I ran out of the tunnel and kept running until my lungs were

  about to explode.

  I got nowhere. I just passed tunnel after tunnel. Slowing to a stop, I breathed hard, trying to think about what I should do. Ren had the gada and the backpack. He would never discard them. So he still had them somewhere, and I had nothing. No! That wasn’t true. I did have something!

  I pulled the paper out of my jeans pocket and read through the warnings again.

  If you get separated, do not trust your eyes.

  Your hearts will tell you the difference between fantasy and reality.

  Do not trust my eyes. Well, that was obvious at this point. So my heart will help me tell the difference.

  Okay, follow my heart. How do I do that?

  I decided to just continue walking and keep an open mind. Each tunnel I passed, I stopped to watch for a minute and then closed my eyes and tried tofeel if it was right. Usually, whatever or whoever was in there doubled their efforts. They talked and cajoled, trying to tempt me to go in after them. I continued in

  this way, passing several tunnels, and none of the places where I stoppedfelt right.

  I came to another passageway and paused to examine the scene. I saw myself dead and lying on the ground with Ren kneeling beside me. He leaned over my inert body investigating.

  I heard his soft whisper, “Kelsey? Is it you? Kelsey,please . Talk to me. I need to know if it’s really you.”

  He picked my body up and cradled it lovingly in his arms. I checked to make sure he had the gada and the backpack, which he did, but I’d been fooled before.

  Then he said, “Don’t leave me, Kells.”

  I closed my eyes and listened to his voice begging me to live. My heart started thumping wildly, a different reaction than I’d had in the past visions. I took a step closer and hit a barrier again.

  I answered his query softly, “Ren? I’m here. Don’t give up.”

  He raised his head as if he heard me.

  “Kelsey? I can hear you, but I can’t see you. Where are you?”

  He lowered me, or the body that looked like me, to the ground, and it disappeared.

  I told him, “Close your eyes andfeel your way to me.”

  He stood slowly and closed his eyes.

  I closed my eyes too, and tried to focus not on his voice but on his heart. I imagined my hand on his chest, feeling the strong thump, thump, thump of his heart beneath my fingers. My body seemed to move

  of its own volition, and I took several steps forward. I concentrated on Ren, his laugh, his smile, how I felt being near him…then, suddenly, my hand touched his chest, and Icould feel his heart beating. He was

  there. I opened my eyes slowly and looked at him.

  He reached out a hand to touch my hair, but then he pulled it back. “Is it really you this time, Kells?”

  “Well, I’m no maggoty corpse, if that’s what you mean.”

  He grinned. “That’s a relief. No maggoty corpse would bethat sarcastic.”

  I countered, “Well, how do I know it’s reallyyou ?”

  He considered my question for a moment and then ducked his head to kiss me. He tugged me flush up against his chest, pulling me closer than I even thought possible. His lips started warm and soft, but quickly turned hungry and demanding. His hands ran up my arms, to my shoulders, and then cupped my neck. I wrapped my arms around his waist and luxuriated in the kiss. When he finally pulled back, my heart was pounding in response.

  When the power of speech returned, I quipped, “Well, even if itisn’t really you, I’ll take this version.”

  He laughed and relief flooded both of us. “Kells, I think you’d better hold my hand the rest of the way.”

  I smiled gaily back at him. “No problem.”

  Thrilled to havemy Ren back, I was able to ignore the calls and beseeching inquiries coming from the side passages.

  A light appeared at the far end of the tunnel, and we made our way there. Ren held my hand tightly until we emer
ged from the opening and stood well away from it. We stopped next to a meandering creek that curved off behind some trees.

  It felt like noon here, wherever here was. We decided to take a break and eat. Munching on an energy bar, Ren said, “I’d prefer to avoid the trees and stay closer to the creek bed. I’m hoping that if we follow it a little farther, it’ll lead us to Kishkindha.” I nodded in agreement and wondered what else was waiting for us around the next corner.

  Feeling refreshed, we pushed on and followed the creek. The water was running ahead of us, which, according to Ren, meant we were walking downstream. The bank was pebbly and full of smooth river rocks. Picking up a gray stone, I tossed it up and down as I walked and lost myself in thought. The weight and feel of the rock changed. I opened my hand and peered at it. It had transformed into a smooth, sparkling emerald! I stopped and looked down at the rocks underfoot. They were still gray and dull, but as they disappeared under the water, I saw shimmering jewels instead.

  “Ren! Look here! Under the water!” I pointed out the jewels glittering below. The farther out in the river

  I looked, the bigger the jewels were. “Do you see that? Out there? There’s a ruby the size of an ostrich egg!” I had just leaned over to pluck a large diamond from the water when I felt Ren wrap his arms around me from behind and pull me back several feet.

  He whispered against my cheek while pointing to the river, “Look over there. There, out of the corner of

  your eye. What do you see?”

  “I don’t see anything.”

  “Use your peripheral vision.”

  Right next to the diamond, an image glimmered slightly beneath the water. It looked like a white monkey,

  but hairless. Its long arms were stretched up, reaching out toward me.

  “It was trying to grab you.”

  I quickly tossed the emerald into the creek. The water swirled and hissed where it hit, then it quieted and

  calmed again to become as smooth as silk. When I looked directly at the jewels, that’s all I could see, but when I looked out of the corner of my eye, I could see water monkeys everywhere, floating just under the surface. It appeared they used their tails to anchor their bodies to tree roots and underwater plants, just like sea horses.

  Ren mumbled, “I wonder if they could be Kappa?”

  “What are Kappa?”

  “A demon from Asia my mother used to tell me about. They lurked in water, waiting to catch children and suck their blood.”

  “Vampire sea horse monkeys? Are you serious?”

  He shrugged. “Apparently, they are real. Mother told me about them when I was young. She said that children in China were taught to show respect for their elders by bowing. They were told that if they didn’t bow, the Kappa would get them. You see, the Kappa have depressions on the tops of their heads that are full of water. As long as they have the liquid there, they can come out of the water. The only way

  to save yourself if one comes after you is to bow.”

  “How does bowing save you?”

  “If you bow to a Kappa, they will bow back. When they do, the water spills out of the top of their head, which leaves them defenseless.”

  “Well, if they can come out of the water, why haven’t they attacked?”

  He pondered thoughtfully. “They usually attack only children, or so I was told. My mother told me that her grandmother used to carve the children’s names into fruit or cucumbers and then toss them into the water before bathing. The Kappa would eat the fruit and be satisfied enough that they wouldn’t hurt the bathing children.”

  “Did your mother follow that tradition?”

  “No. First of all, we were royalty and had our baths drawn for us. Secondly, my mother didn’t believe in

  the story. She just shared it with us so we would understand the point, which was that all people and things needed to be treated with respect.”

  “I’d like to learn more about your mother sometime. She sounds like a very interesting woman.”

  He replied softly, “She was. I would’ve liked for her to know you as well.”

  He meticulously scanned the water and pointed out the waiting demon. “That one was grabbing foryou , even though they’re supposed to attack only children. These might be assigned to protect the jewels. If you’d taken one, they probably would’ve pulled you under.”

  “Why pull me under? Why not just jump out at me?”

  “Kappa usually drown their victims first then take their blood. They stay in the water as much as possible

  to protect themselves.”

  I backed up to stand next to Ren. “So should we head for the trees again or stay by the creek bed?”

  He ran a hand through his hair. “How about we stay some-where in the middle.”

  He shouldered the gada again, keeping it ready for attack. “The Kappa seem content to stay in the water for the time being, but let’s try to avoid the branches of the trees too.”

  We were able to skirt both the Kappa and the trees, though they did try their best to reach out and grab us. We walked along for another couple of hours.

  The creek curved in a long bend that brought us a bit too close for comfort to the trees, but Ren had the gada ready, and a few blows on the close ones took care of any wayward branches.

  We came upon an enormous tree that was directly in our path. Its long, snaking branches stretched impossibly far out toward us, needles pricked forward. Ren crouched down, then, with an extraordinary burst of speed, ran ahead and leapt up toward the trunk. The tree’s leafy embrace immediately engulfed him.

  I heard a big thump, and the tree quivered and released him. He emerged all scratched and bloody. He walked up to me with a grin on his face that changed into a look of concern because my mouth gaped in wonder as I looked over his head. The tree had been blocking our view, and now that it had folded in on itself, I could see ahead the ghostly gray kingdom of Kishkindha.

  CHAPTER 21

  We moved past the giant needle tree’s reach and stared at the city. It was more the size of a medieval castle than a city. The river ran down to its wall and split off in two directions, circling it like a moat.

  The

  walls were built of light gray stone tinged with blue flecks of mica, giving it a sparkling smoky periwinkle

  color.

  “We’re losing our light, Kelsey. And it’s been a hard day. Why don’t we set up camp here, get some sleep, and enter the city tomorrow.”

  “Sounds good to me, I’m beat.”

  Ren went off to collect some wood and came back, muttering, “Even the old dead branches can scratch you.”

  He threw several branches in the stone ring I’d created and got a fire started. I handed him a bottle of water. Pulling out the little pot, I filled it with water and left it to boil. He went out for more firewood while I bustled about setting up camp, which went rather quickly because I didn’t have the tent this time.

  All I could do was clear a space of rocks and branches. After the water was hot, I poured some into both of our dinner packets and waited for the freeze-dried food to rehydrate and become edible. He soon returned, grumbling about the wood, and sat down next to me. I handed him a dinner, and he stirred it quietly.

  I spooned up a bite of my hot pasta, blew on it, then chewed and swallowed.

  “Ren, do you think those Kappa things will come after us during the night?”

  “I don’t think so. They’ve stayed in the water this whole time, and if the story is accurate, they’re also afraid of fire. I’ll just make sure to keep the fire going all night.”

  “Well, maybe we should stand watch. Just in case.”

  The corner of his mouth quirked up as he took another bite of his dinner. “Okay, who gets the first watch?”

  “I do.”

  His eyes twinkled with mirth. “Ah, a brave volunteer?”

  I glared at him and took another bite. “Are you making fun of me?”

  He threw a hand over his hear
t, “No, ma’am! I already know you’re brave. You have nothing to prove tome .”

  He finished his meal, then hunkered down by the woodpile and threw more of the strange branches on.

  The fire was bright. The flames licking the wood started burning with a greenish hue at first, then sputtered and crackled like fireworks. The flame changed to a bright reddish-orange tinged with green around the burning branches.

  I set down my finished dinner packet and stared into the strange flames. He sat down beside me again and picked up my hand. “Kells, I appreciate you volunteering to stand watch, but I want you to rest. This journey is harder on you than it is on me.”

  “You’re the one getting all scratched up. I just follow along behind.”

  “Yes, but I heal fast. Besides, I really don’t think there’s anything to worry about. Tell you what, I’ll take

  the first watch, and if nothing happens, we’ll both sleep. Agreed?”

  I frowned at him.

  He started playing with my fingers and turned my hand over so he could trace the lines of my palm.

  Firelight flickered across his handsome features. My eyes drifted to his lips.

  “Kelsey?” He made eye contact, and I quickly looked away.

  I wasn’t used to dealing with him when camping like this. I usually got to make all my own decisions, and

  he just followed me around. Er, or I guess I followedhim most places. But, at least when he was a tiger he didn’t argue back.Or distract me with thoughts of being wrapped in his arms kissing him.

  He smiled his amazingly white smile and stroked the inside of my arm. “Your skin here is so soft.” He leaned over to nuzzle my ear. My blood started pounding thickly and fogged my brain.

  “Kells, tell me you agree with my plan.”

  I shook myself free from the spellbinding fog and set my jaw stubbornly. “Fine, I agree,” I mumbled.

  “Even though youare coercing me.”

  He laughed and moved to look at me. “And howexactly am I coercing you?”

  “Well, first of all, you can’t expect me to have coherent thoughts when you’re touching me. Second, you’re too…good looking. Good-looking people usually get whatever they want.”