“The young woman smiled at me, perched on top of the rock and dressed in a long black satin gown that was tied with a matching sash at her waist. The combination of her hair, eyes, and dress would’ve intimidated a lot of folks, I figured, but I felt strangely comfortable and unthreatened in her presence.
“‘Hello, ma’am,’ I said shyly, raising my voice to be heard over the river’s roar. ‘My name’s Jack.’
“‘I know all about you, Jack Kenney,’ she replied,’ and, I know all about your brother, Jeremy, and your grandfather, Marshall Edwards, as well.’ Her voice was strong and yet sweet as honey. For the moment, she remained seated upon the rock.
“‘How’d you know my last name, and my brother and my grandpa? Have we met before?’ I asked, surprised and now deeply curious.
“‘I know a lot of things, Jack,’ she replied. ‘You might say it’s a ‘gift’ I have. Just don’t let it frighten you, okay?’ The young woman chuckled lightly, the warm smile never leaving her face.
“‘What’s your name?’ I asked. I was already completely captivated by her.
“‘My name is Genovene.’
“‘And your last name?’ I asked, smiling sheepishly. ‘You do have a last name, don’t you?’
“‘No, I don’t have a last name,’ she laughed. ‘I’ve actually never needed one where I come from.’
“‘Where’s that?’ I asked her.
“‘When you were up on the hill, did you see the golden tower in the distance? That’s where I live. That’s my home, Jack,’ she said.
“‘Wow! It must be so-o-o cool to live there!’ I said. Suddenly, I thought about my promise to Grandpa and my reason for being there in the first place. ‘Maybe I can visit you again sometime, and you can show me where you live,’ I told her. ‘I need to get back home before my grandfather finds out I’m not at my friend Lee’s house. Besides, Banjo’s likely to run off again at any moment.’
“Genovene chuckled and pushed aside the willow’s branches closest to her. ‘He already has, Jack,’ she said, pointing to a large meadow across the river. ‘Banjo is playing over there as we speak!’
“Sure enough, when I turned around, Banjo was gone. I looked across the river and saw that he was playing with several other animals: a fawn, a rabbit, a raccoon, and a fox. I couldn’t believe my eyes! The animals should’ve had nothing to do with one another. A bigger concern, though, was how he ever got there without me knowing it.
“‘You see,’ she said. ‘Banjo’s having a good enough time, don’t you think? Besides, your grandfather’s been busy tending the garden on the north side of your house for the past ten minutes. As you know, he’ll likely be working in the yard until it’s time for your supper, Jack.’
“I thought about what she told me. I assumed she was using her ‘gift’ to give me this information, since it was true Grandpa often worked in the yard for hours at a time. But, what about my last words to him, when I said I was going over to Lee’s place? What if he found out I wasn’t there?
“‘Did you tell Lee you were coming over today?’ she asked me.
“‘Well, no,’ I said. ‘At least I don’t think I did.’
“‘Well, then, there’s your answer, Jack!’ She leaned forward, looking intently into my eyes, the deep blue luminescence of her own eyes glowing in sharp contrast to the lightness of her fair hair and skin. ‘Why not come and see my place today? It won’t take long to get there from here. You and Banjo will be back home before anyone misses you.’
“I thought about this for a moment, carefully weighing the pros and cons of taking her up on the offer. In the end, I found it impossible to resist her charm. I shoved my hands nervously into my pockets and tentatively nodded ‘okay’.
“She stepped down from the rock and straightened her gown. At that moment, a gentle breeze swept through the area, gently lifting and pushing the willow’s branches. She was slightly shorter than my brother, but still stood six inches taller than me.
“Genovene looked away from me, turning her attention instead to a nearby bridge. From the instant she stepped down from the rock, I watched her. I couldn’t help myself. Her figure was as stunning as her face, and the way she moved, so sultry and graceful, stirred something deep within me. I even thought for a moment my heart had skipped a beat. My grandfather would’ve likely described her as’ divinely endowed’. I didn’t think my brother would be quite so nice in his compliment, although his assessment would’ve roughly been the same as Grandpa’s. She would be the ideal female for Jeremy’s pet phrase of being built like a ‘brick shithouse’.
“She suddenly turned back toward me, raising her eyebrows in a knowing way as if to remind me that she could easily read my thoughts. ‘Men!’ she whispered in mock exasperation.
“I was so embarrassed. My face and the back of my neck immediately felt warm, and a ring of sweat formed quickly along my hairline. I looked down at the ground and for the moment wished I was a million miles from there.
“‘Don’t worry about it, hon’,’ she assured me, gently grasping my arm to pull me closer to her. ‘After all, you’re only human. Surely you’ve heard that every good boy gets his just dessert. Perhaps this could be your lucky day!’ She smiled and playfully winked at me. I smiled back, overwhelmed by the typical hodge-podge of emotions most boys that age battle with.
“‘You’ll have a great time, Jack, I promise you,’ she said. ‘Now, there’s one thing you’ll need. Did you bring your talisman?’
“I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. ‘What do you mean, a talisman?’ I asked.
“She studied me intently for a moment. ‘Why, of course,’ she said. ‘I suppose you might not know what a talisman is if you’d never seen one before. But, I do believe you’ve seen one, and I believe you’ve seen it very recently. It’s important that you have yours, Jack, or you’ll never make it through the gates to my home.’ She pulled out a golden object from a concealed pocket in her gown. ‘It looks like this.’
“My eyes grew wide. The golden object she had in her hand was identical to the one I had in my pocket. I excitedly pulled it out and showed it to her.
“‘That’s it!’ she enthused. ‘Go ahead and hang onto it for now, and let’s be on our way!’ She took my hand and led me out from under the willow tree and back into the bright summer sunshine. I noticed now that her hair wasn’t completely white after all. Instead, it was more like the color of white opals, with rainbow-like highlights that shimmered as she moved.
“We walked over to the bridge. The roar from the river grew louder as we approached the stone structure. The rushing water pounded the bottom of the bridge relentlessly, lifting the Spanish moss and thick green ivy that hung down along its sides. Each individual stone on the side of the bridge had intricate designs etched upon them, forming an ornate pattern that covered the entire bridge wall.
“The bridge was just wide enough to accommodate one person at a time, so Genovene got on first and I followed her. I found it hard not to stare at her shapely butt and slender long legs through the sheerness of her gown. If it hadn’t been for the brief glimpse I caught of something gleaming in the water next to the bridge, I might not have ever been able to pull my gaze from her lovely backside. As it was, I was just in time to see what looked like an extremely large snake moving under the bridge. It was bathed in a brilliant array of blue, green, silver and red colors.
Suddenly, a thunderous roar shook the bridge to its very foundation. Terrified, I turned to run off the bridge. For I knew there was no way in hell the roar I just heard belonged to some snake. Genovene reached out and grabbed my arm to prevent me from fleeing.
‘Please don’t let her scare you,’ she told me. ‘The serpent below is harmless. Her name is Vydora and she protects our land from any unwanted intruders.’
“‘That’s a serpent?’ I asked, still poised to flee at any moment.
“‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Perhaps your people would rather call her a dragon of sort
s.’ She chuckled softly as if this was a private joke, but I sure as hell didn’t think it was funny. ‘Oh, come on, Jack. Lighten up!’ she teased. ‘I swear to you that Vydora would never harm you!’ Her seductive smile quickly won my trust again. She moved up close to me, clasping my hand with hers once more while locking my gaze with her own. Right then, my fear and apprehension melted away. Still holding my hand, she turned around and led me to the other side of the river.
“Once across the bridge, we moved onto a smooth gravel path that divided the sprawling meadow into two large sections. On either side of the path stood a pair of small figures dressed in black cloaks covering their entire bodies except for their hands, which were ivory-white and bore long transparent fingernails. These figures looked a lot like small children hiding beneath the cloaks, and when Genovene talked to them, they spoke in animated high-pitched voices and in a language completely unfamiliar to me. After she’d finished speaking to them in the same language, they bowed before her and then retreated into the tall grass and wildflowers of the meadow.
“‘These are my servants, Jack,’ she said, ‘and I’ve just told them to take care of Banjo until you return from visiting my home. I assure you that he’ll be in good hands. Besides, he’s having a great time with his new friends.’
“She was right. Banjo did appear to get along nicely with his newfound buddies. He looked over at me briefly and then went back to playing in the meadow, the five animals frolicking together under the watchful eyes of Genovene’s servants. I couldn’t get over how ridiculous this scene looked, but I felt Banjo would be all right there.
“‘No offense intended, Genovene, but are your servants dwarves?’ I asked. ‘I mean, they seem like little kids.’ I figured they were deformed, since their clothing covered them up and their voices were so shrill.
“‘No offense taken,’ she said. ‘They are like children in so many ways.’ She laughed softly and then grew silent, as if seriously reflecting on my observation. ‘Actually, Jack, they’re very different from most people,’ she told me. ‘You might say they’re a unique race of mankind, and you’d probably be surprised to learn that they’ve been here in this region for many years. No, they’re not midgets or dwarves—at least not according to what you’re used to. The Indians of the southern nations call them ‘miahluschkas’, and for centuries they’ve guarded the sacred places throughout America.’
“I turned to look again at them as they stood in the meadow near Banjo and the other animals. They in turn, looked over at me. I knew instinctively they studied me, perhaps reading my thoughts and feelings just like Genovene could do. It was pretty creepy since their hoods completely shaded their faces.
“‘Come along, now,’ said Genovene as she gently tugged on my arm. ‘We need to be going so you’ll have enough time to see my home. There’ll be other things on the way to my village that I’m sure will fascinate you as well.’
“Just then, seemingly out of nowhere, a ball of brilliant light appeared less than a hundred feet in front of us. The light bounced back and forth through the air, thickening into a rainbow-like band as it drew closer. Once it was less than twenty feet away, the band spiraled directly toward us, and then changed into a swirling swarm of colorful butterflies.
“I couldn’t believe my eyes, stopping to watch the graceful insects circle above our heads and then speed off toward the bridge. I turned in time to see them veer skyward at the river’s edge, where the butterflies changed back into their light-like form.
“‘See what I mean?’ said Genovene, obviously pleased by my reaction. ‘We have so much here to delight you—many incredibly wonderful things that you’ll experience before this day is over. Just remember, there’s no need to worry about Banjo, Lee, or your grandpa. Everything will work out just fine!’
“We walked along the path through the meadow and talked about my carefree summer days and the upcoming move to Tuscaloosa. I could scarcely believe the beauty and wonder that surrounded me, for I’d never seen any place like this in Alabama before. For that matter, I’d never seen pictures of a place like this anywhere else, either. You’re probably thinking I should’ve known I was headed for trouble after what I’d already experienced up to this point. But my mind was already clouded by desire, both for Genovene and for an adventure any teenage boy would die for.
“We soon reached a large grove of enormous fruit trees standing at the western edge of the meadow. Almost all of the trees were at their fullest maturity, and each one stood between forty and fifty feet high. Their thick branches were nearly overloaded with purple fruit that looked like giant tomatoes.
“‘These are somila trees and have been part of my homeland for hundreds of years,’ Genovene told me and then motioned for me to stop walking. ‘Sh-h-h! Listen closely and tell me what you hear.’
“I did as she asked. Almost immediately, I heard something low and rhythmic, but it took me a moment to figure out what it reminded me of. ‘I guess it sounds like someone’s breathing,’ I finally told her.
“‘Very good!’ she enthused, and seemed surprised that I guessed correctly. ‘According to legend, the sound we’re hearing now is the collective breaths of all the trees at sleep,’ she went on to explain. “When I was a little girl, my brothers and sisters and I spent a lot of time in this grove playing hide n’ seek, or simply enjoying the peaceful environment that the grove provides.’
“Now that I was aware of the sound, I could scarcely believe I hadn’t noticed it when we first entered the grove. Not that I wasn’t already impressed with the unusual size of the trees. I couldn’t recall ever seeing fruit trees this tall, and definitely none that had trunks anywhere near as thick as these were. Every one of them was at least eight to ten feet in diameter. The trees lined both sides of the path and extended quite a distance in either direction.
“Genovene motioned for us to begin moving again, and as we moved deeper into the grove the trees grew closer to one another, eventually allowing only trickles of sunlight to seep through their dense foliage. We walked in silence, listening to the trees breathe while they ‘slept’.
“Before long, we reached the end of the grove, where the trees were much more widely spaced apart. Suddenly, I felt like I was being watched from all angles, like I did the previous day in my backyard. I even looked over my shoulder several times, but didn’t see anyone—not even the tiny miahluschkas that served Genovene.
“‘Are you okay?’ she asked, frowning slightly as worry crept onto her face.
“‘Yeah...I guess it’s just a little spooky in here,’ I replied. My male pride had been triggered by my aroused libido, and I didn’t want her to think I was a puss. So, I tried to change the subject by asking a question I’d been thinking about for the past few minutes. ‘So, Genovene, how many brothers and sisters do you have?’
“‘There’s two of each, actually’ she said. ‘I’m the oldest child, and therefore the most privileged. But, each of us have an equal role in ruling our village and the surrounding areas for our father.’
“‘Where are they now?’ I asked.
“‘My sisters and my oldest brother are visiting another grove,’ she said. ‘My youngest brother is presently at home in our village.’
“I nodded that I was satisfied by her answers. I then asked the question I’ve since learned most women loath. ‘How old are you, if you don’t mind me asking?’
“She started laughing again, apparently amused by my persistence to learn as much as I could about her. ‘Let’s just say I’m old enough, and wise beyond my years,’ she said. ‘But, I’m still young enough to thoroughly enjoy the companionship of someone like yourself.’
“I blushed as soon as she said this, and wished I could control my reactions better. She moved swiftly to ease my awkwardness by lightly massaging my shoulder.
‘Enough questions,’ she said. ‘Save them for later, sweetie.’
“I found that I truly enjoyed her presence and attention, as several times so far s
he had brushed up against me, her shapely form pressing up and lingering against my body. Genovene’s invasion of my personal space thrilled and excited me, even though the powerful and untamed emotions she stirred made me nervous.
“We exited the grove side by side, and the path took us downhill into another meadow. This one was even larger than the first we encountered. In the midst of this meadow lay a large pond, with two schools of ducks and geese swimming through cattails and lily pads near its shore. A number of weeping willow trees dotted the pond’s shoreline, and a long wooden bridge stretched across the pond from the path to its continuation on the other side.
“I could clearly see the immense gold tower looming majestically less than a mile away. The tower dominated the area so much that it reminded me of a postcard my uncle once sent me depicting Mount Rainier in Washington state, except in this case, the shimmering golden sides of the soaring edifice replaced the glistening snowcaps of the mountain. I was in such awe I slowed to a near halt. Only the gentle prodding of Genovene brought me up to the pond’s edge.
“The bridge over the pond was an unusual rope and wooden suspension structure. The roped portion was double-twined together and then interlaced through the floor and walls of the bridge, while the wooden portion appeared to be made from a sturdy grade of oak. The entire bridge was covered with intricate carvings very similar to the ones on the stone bridge we’d crossed earlier.
“Genovene stepped onto the bridge and I followed close behind her. The structure creaked and swayed noticeably as we traveled to the pond’s other side. When we were nearly a third of the way across, I leaned over the side and looked down into the water below. It was so clear I could see almost everything, including the very bottom of the pond. It was like looking down on top of a huge aquarium, as the pond was stocked full of fish in all sizes, shapes, and luminous colors. A few of the larger fish moved near the surface, their sides gleaming brilliantly as they swam. One of them eyed me in such a way that I grew quite uncomfortable and was forced to look away.
The Golden Talisman Page 10
