“Suddenly, several streams of blood began to pour down the steps, splattering me where I stood. One member of the group, a male with long flowing white hair, threw something fairly large down toward me, smiling wickedly as he did so. I stepped aside just in time to watch the object slam against the steps nearby, splattering me further with more blood.
“The headless torso of a small child now rested carelessly across two of the steps. Sickened and horrified, I looked back up in time to see yet another object speeding toward me. The object splattered rain-like droplets of crimson upon me as I tried to protect myself. Once the object was within ten feet of me, I saw that it was the missing head from the child’s body.
“‘Jack, are you all right?’ asked Grandpa. ‘You look like you’re a million miles away. What are you thinking about, son?’
“‘Oh, nothing really,’ I replied. But, I was startled by his voice. The images were gone completely. I would’ve thought they were gone forever, but after I recovered from the concussion I received two days later, I eventually remembered them.
“‘Yeah, right, Jackie. I’ll bet you were thinking about that goddamn ‘Barney the Dragon’ thing from yesterday,’ taunted Jeremy. ‘I’ll bet you wonder if it wants to play with you again today, huh?’
“‘I wasn’t even thinking about the lizard.’
“‘You were so.’
“‘I was not!’ I whined, glaring at him.
“‘Boys!’ Grandpa shouted. ‘That’s quite enough!!’ He leaned in toward us both, and you could’ve easily heard a feather hit the floor at that moment—a truly rare occurrence at our home. He paused momentarily and then said, ‘I’d prefer strongly that we not start this day like yesterday ended. Now, I want you both to leave the issue of the lizard Jack saw yesterday alone for now, and to completely forget about that other thing he brought in here last evening. Is that understood?’
“Jeremy and I looked away from him and briefly at each other before giving him an affirmative nod.
“‘Good! And you can promise me now you’ll both be staying away from the woods. Right?’
“‘Yeah, Grandpa,’ Jeremy sighed sarcastically. ‘I can think of a thousand other things I’d rather do than battle a copperhead or whatever else is out there. You certainly won’t be catching my ass anywhere near the woods!’
“Grandpa nodded thoughtfully as he studied my brother, perhaps debating again whether or not to rebuke him for his smart mouth. Since he received the general response he wanted, he turned his attention to me. ‘What about you, Jack? I want you to swear to me that you’ll stay away from the woods, and out of the backyard until further notice.’
“‘I swear it, Grandpa,’ I promised. It didn’t seem like a big deal. I’d never visited the woods behind our home, and spent less time lately in the backyard.
“‘Well, I reckon we’ve reached an understanding then!’ Grandpa announced. He seemed quite pleased and resumed eating his breakfast. He motioned for us to do the same, so I returned to my cereal and Jeremy returned to his coffee and newspaper.
“After breakfast, my brother went to Demopolis to spend the day with Freddy Stinson. I helped my grandfather load up the dishwasher and then went upstairs to finish getting ready for my day. After combing my hair and brushing my teeth, I ran back downstairs and was about to run out the front door when Grandpa called to me from the kitchen.
“‘Where are you running off to, son?’ he asked.
“‘I’m going over to Lee’s house,’ I told him. ‘Is that okay with you?’
“‘That’ll be fine, son. Just make sure you’re back here by four o’clock. All right?’
“‘All right, Grandpa.’
“Lee Horne lived less than a quarter mile up the road from us and I hadn’t hung out with him for the past few days. I was really looking forward to spending the day with my closest buddy. I looked down at my wrist to make note of the current time and realized I’d forgotten to put my watch on.
“‘I’ll be right back, Grandpa,’ I told him as I ran back upstairs. ‘I forgot something.’
“‘What’d you forget, Jack?’
“‘My watch. I’m going to go get it and then I’ll go on over to Lee’s.’
“‘That’ll be fine, son.’
“I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten it. As I ran up the stairs again, I remembered missing it the previous evening as well, but forgot where I’d last seen it. I ran into my bedroom first, and after tearing my room apart, I checked the bathroom. Of course, the watch was nowhere to be found.
“I regretted not looking for it harder the night before. The watch was less than a week old, and was a birthday present from Grandpa. He’d wanted to give me something special that year since I was moving away soon. I’d had my eye on an expensive timepiece at a department store in Demopolis, so he bought it for me. The watch was loaded with all kinds of gadgets. My buddy Lee admired it and asked his folks if he could get one just like it when his birthday came around again in January. It’d be hard to replace and I prayed I hadn’t lost it.
“I’d given up looking for it and was on my way downstairs to tell Grandpa the bad news when I suddenly recalled jumping off the swing when I last glanced at my watch. I figured it must’ve fallen off my wrist somewhere between the swing and the sphere. Relieved, I ran the rest of the way downstairs. My grandfather was sitting in his recliner, smoking his pipe as he read the newspaper.
“‘Well, did you find it?’ he asked without looking up from the paper.
“‘Yeah, Grandpa, I found it,’ I lied. ‘I’ll be back later.’
“‘Four o’clock,’ he reminded me, looking up just as I moved out from his direct view.
“‘Four o’clock,’ I confirmed, and swung open the front door, letting it slam behind me as I ran outside. It was noticeably cooler that morning, as the previous day’s downpour had cleared much of the stifling heat and humidity from the air. I stood for a moment on the front porch, admiring as I often did the handsome beauty of the front yard. While the backyard was littered with a variety of junk, the front yard looked as if it belonged on the cover of some home improvement magazine. The lawn was perfectly manicured with several flower gardens, including two small gardens that encircled a pair of large maples set on either side of the long walkway that led from the front door up to Lelan’s Road, the main road that ran along the front of our property.
“I set out immediately to retrieve my watch from the backyard without my grandfather finding out about it. He’d normally expect me to take the walkway to the road, although it wasn’t unusual for me to occasionally cut across the lawn instead, going up at an angle toward the road. If I did that, it would put me near the southeastern corner of the Palmer’s property.
“I moved across the lawn as inconspicuously as possible. Once I neared our yard’s northernmost maple tree, I cut sharply over toward the Palmer’s house, staying low to the ground to avoid Grandpa’s detection. Once I reached the vegetable garden sitting adjacent to the Palmer’s front yard, I quickly worked my way over to the stone wall and wrought-iron gate that led into our backyard.
“The gate was nearly identical to the one in the backyard where the sphere sat. I quietly went up to it and lifted the latch ever so slightly, but it started to groan loudly. My only option was to climb over the wall itself. I quickly scaled it and quietly jumped down to the other side, landing in a clump of weeds Grandpa left for Banjo to nibble on.
“I crouched down as I surveyed the backyard. So far, so good. Only the birds and insects were with me at the moment—especially the birds, as they covered the oak and chirped just as loudly as they had earlier that morning. I ran over to the tree, and just as I reached its outer branches, the birds flew off in a squalling flock. I thought for sure their cries would pull Grandpa from the comfort of his recliner. Fearing he’d venture out onto the back porch, I searched madly around the swing for my watch. As soon as I confirmed it wasn’t there, I scrambled over to the side of the oak’s trunk facing
the woods. I peeked around the corner at the house, but Grandpa hadn’t stepped outside yet. Relieved, I intended to resume the frantic search for my watch.
“The birds continued their clamorous departure from the oak, and I watched their hurried flight toward the west. Once they passed over the woods, they suddenly veered to the north as if they’d ran into an invisible wall. I couldn’t believe it, so I continued to watch them, fascinated by their cries to one another as they changed direction in mid-flight. It amazed me that the tree, as large as it was, could’ve held so many of them just a moment ago.
“Soon, the birds were far enough away for me to start searching for my watch again. I groped through the weeds and grass near the tree’s base, and around Banjo’s food and water bowls, but there was still no sign of it. I was about to give up looking for it when I heard an animal whimper in pain near the sphere. I considered going back to the house for my grandfather, but knew I’d be in big trouble for breaking my promise to him. Even then, there was no telling if he’d feel the mysterious whimpering was worth looking into.
“The urgent cries of the animal told me I didn’t have long to decide what to do. Despite my fear of what would happen to me if Grandpa caught me back there, I took a deep breath and ran to the sphere. I’d only taken a few steps when I suddenly froze in my footsteps, staring in disbelief at the scene before me. The previously immovable object had been rolled away from the wrought-iron gate and Banjo was now stuck between the rusted rails, crying and kicking his legs frantically into the air. My concern for him easily overrode the part of me that was surprised and frightened by what I saw. Once Banjo recognized me, he calmed down a little. I tried to pull on his legs, but he was wedged in tightly. In desperation, I started pushing on his butt. He finally slid to freedom on the other side of the gate, leaving a small cloud of black paint and rust flakes spiraling toward the ground.
“He stared back at me from the other side of the gate. I immediately panicked, and worried even more when I saw the gate had a large, rusted and bent, steel padlock holding it securely shut. I needed to get Banjo back inside the backyard before he ran away. Since the gate was too tall and awkward for me to climb over, I dropped to the ground and managed to squeeze my body through a space underneath it just big enough for me to crawl through.
“Banjo stuck his nose in my face and began licking me eagerly. I stood up, grimacing as I wiped his slobber onto my shirt. Undeterred, he jumped up on my chest to lick me some more. That’s when I noticed the golden object from the night before. It was secured to his neck by several thin intertwined strips of leather, which I soon realized were the torn and frayed remnants of the wristband from my watch!
“Carefully, I removed the object from his neck, and as I did so I found my watch resting underneath it. I checked my watch thoroughly and was grateful it hadn’t been harmed in anyway. It was still running with what likely was the correct time of 9:20 that morning.
“Next, I examined the object itself, which started glowing the moment I removed it from Banjo’s neck. It certainly looked like the very same item Grandpa had thrown toward the woods the past evening. As I held it in my hands I soon felt dizzy again.
“Meanwhile, Banjo trotted away from me. I only caught a glimpse of this, but it was enough to shake me from the trance I was falling under. My heart pounded like a racehorse once I realized what’d almost happened again to me, and it pounded even heavier when I watched him push through the tall grass and weeds on his way to the woods.
“I shoved my watch into the right pocket of my shorts while I considered the fate of the golden object. It shimmered as if alive in my hands. I thought about throwing it deep into the woods where hopefully no one would ever find it again. But, since Grandpa had already tried to do that, I decided to hold onto it until I knew for sure what to do.
“‘God...please don’t let Grandpa find out about this!’ I whispered to myself, and then slipped the thing into the left front pocket of my shorts. The object’s weight threatened to tear the pocket. I had a hell of a time keeping it from bouncing out while I ran after Banjo.
“The grass and weeds rose up above my waist, and by the looks of things, no one had been in this area for quite some time. Only a weather-beaten washboard along with an exposed edge from its rusted tub was visible in the untamed field. This, along with the absence of any previous footprints in the rain-softened earth, made me wonder even more as to who had moved the immense sphere aside.
“Banjo hesitated just before disappearing into the woods. I ran as hard as I could to catch up to him, following the trail of broken weeds and grass he’d created. I tried not to think about the poisonous snakes and whatever else might be lurking about. By the time I reached the woods, Banjo was moving farther away from me, scaling the tree-covered hillside with ease. I was beginning to wonder if he was really worth it, but I pressed on behind him.
“‘Banjo, stop!’ I called after him. ‘Come here, boy!! Come here!!!’ He did stop, but only long enough to cast a brief glance at me before climbing further up the hill.
“‘Damn it!’ I hissed in frustration. I scrambled up the hillside, pulling up a few saplings in the process. I nearly toppled down the hill twice, grabbing onto a strongly rooted fern in order to steady myself. I could hear things slithering about in the thick underbrush near the ground, but I kept moving. To be honest, I was more concerned by what might come after me if I stopped than what I’d briefly encounter as I ran nimbly through the area.
“Before long, I reached the top of the hill, panting heavily as I glanced back toward the farmhouse. I was surrounded by the woods’ unspoiled beauty, and in the sparse light that penetrated the trees’ thick canopy, I finally spotted Banjo feeding nearby. I ran toward him, but once I closed in on the ornery animal, he scampered off again, moving deeper into the woods where even less sunlight could penetrate.
“I was clueless as to where he’d run off to next, and felt really nervous in the deepening darkness of the woods. I headed for the spot where I’d last seen his white-tipped tail. Suddenly, Banjo’s voice echoed shrilly from an area just ahead of me to the right. Not able to see very well, I tripped on a fallen branch and went tumbling down a small embankment. I lay there momentarily in the cool moist undergrowth far below the towering trees. I remember a strong breeze rustled through the treetops. Once I heard Banjo calling out again, I got up and followed his cries.
“After moving through this dim-lit environment for a few hundred feet, I reached a steep embankment. There wasn’t an immediate way around it, so I cautiously scaled it, praying to God Almighty that I didn’t grab anything that could move or bite me. When I reached the top, Banjo was feeding on a clump of moss nearby. I brushed off my clothes, all the while scolding him. But, he still didn’t respond. Instead, he moved even deeper into the woods.
“Mystified by Banjo’s defiant behavior, I ran after him, shouting every obscenity I could think of to get him to stop. As I ran, I began to hear the faint rush of water, which steadily grew louder and louder until it became a loud roar. Banjo finally stopped at the edge of a clearing, where the morning light poured through brightly upon the ground below. I caught up with him and instinctively looked down. Below me was a drop-off of a few hundred feet. Luckily, I was able to grab onto a nearby branch that kept me from losing my balance. Clinging tightly to the branch, I carefully peered over the cliff’s edge. A roaring river raged along its banks directly below me, crashing loudly against a series of large boulders as it made its way through a beautiful sprawling valley.
“I’d never seen anything like this, for the valley was filled with grove after grove of large fruit trees. Separating the groves from one another were huge meadows full of colorful wildflowers. The valley seemed endless, stretching for many miles in any direction.
“As my eyes followed the vast expanse of the valley, I was soon confronted with something massive shining within its midst, a mile or two away. I felt overwhelmed by wonder once I realized what I was looking at. A
n enormous spike-shaped tower of gold shimmered brilliantly in the morning sunlight. It stood majestically like a grand mountain and appeared to be encircled by a crystal wall, the top of which glistened just above the surrounding treetops.
“‘Wow!’ I whispered in awe. ‘Will you look at that, Banjo...Banjo?’ I whirled around. The goddamn billy goat was on his way down a flagstone path carved into the cliff’s side. I chased after him, but due to the steepness of the path and Banjo’s sure-footedness, he was getting away.
“‘Isn’t this just great!’ I thought grimly, moving as quickly as I could toward the river below, and wondering how I’d ever get us back home. ‘Banjo, stop!’ I yelled at him. ‘Hey, wait for me!!!’
“At the bottom of the cliff the path turned sharply toward the river. Banjo hesitated just long enough for me to catch up. I reached out to grab him, but he trotted off again! He was really pissing me off. I dove at his feet to stop him, but he still avoided my grasp.
“I scrambled to my feet and ran after him. I didn’t catch Banjo until he trotted up to an old woman sitting on a rock beneath the shade of a large willow next to the river. He wagged his tail as if he knew her, and she extended her hand to pet him.
“I walked over to the woman, wondering who she could possibly be. I stepped under the drooping branches of the willow and was greatly surprised to find she wasn’t old at all. It must’ve been her long white hair that at first glance threw me a curve. Now that I was within a few feet of her, I saw she was young—not more than a year or two older than Jeremy was.
“I soon realized I was staring at her, but couldn’t help myself. She was stunningly beautiful, as pretty as any female I’d ever seen. Her features were perfect, with the most striking feature being her eyes. They were as blue as the morning sky—so blue that they seemed to glow from within her head. In fact, when I first stepped into the willow’s shade, I thought her eyes were completely blue, without any trace of whiteness in them at all.
The Golden Talisman Page 9
