The Golden Talisman

by J. Stefan Jackson

  “Just as I was pinned to the ground, the stone in my outstretched hand touched the tiger’s chest. Instantly, it disappeared. I stood up in disbelief and looked around me, but the tiger was truly gone! I started to relax and smile until I heard the slithering noise of the cottonmouth moving through the ferns and thistles. I looked up in time to see the spider’s body cast its enormous shadow near the path’s fork and knew I wouldn’t likely fend off both of them at once.

  “In desperation I turned to the wall and waved the stone in front of it. It melted away, and by the time I scurried through to the other side, the snake and spider arrived. I heard a screeching whine behind me that abruptly ceased. When I turned around, the wall was intact again, without any sign of the snake and spider. All that remained was the serene beauty of the garden, resting quietly on the other side.

  “Gradually, the sound of the bustling plaza around me returned. I noticed then that I was bleeding. The tiger had torn a painful gash in my shoulder. I winced, but knew I had to keep moving. I was surprised Genovene and her cohorts were still congregated at the other end, facing the very spot from where I’d jumped down into the pool, as if time stood still while I was in the garden. Gingerly, I moved across the plaza to the steep incline of the golden road. In less than a minute I was on my way up the hill, but the steep grade of the road caused me to slip slightly. My sneakers squeaked, which alerted Genovene of my new location. I saw her grotesque head whip around.

  “‘After him!!!’ she screamed. ‘Hurry, he’s getting away!!!’

  “I scrambled up the hill, climbing it by hooking my fingers and the tip of my shoes in between the golden flagstones to keep from tumbling back down into the plaza. Once the road leveled out and I could stand up straight once more, I raced to the top of the hill. I looked back at the crowd following right behind me. They rapidly closed the gap between us, making weird clicking noises with their mouths as they scaled the hill.

  “Back near the plaza’s staircase, Genovene and her four siblings remained. They stood in a slight arc facing the statue called Morylan. She was performing some sort of ritual act or spell with her hands while Malacai pointed a long golden wand at the statue. The jets of water stopped and the massive warrior began to move, bending his head down toward the five monsters as if listening to them. The statue then turned his head toward me, drawing the golden sword noisily from the sheath tied to his side. Morylan raised the weapon high above his head and jumped down into the plaza from his pedestal, making a sound like thunder as he landed. He moved swiftly toward me, trampling and crushing the villagers in his way, and leaving a trail of gory footprints in his wake.

  “I knew he would be upon me in a matter of seconds. I started to run toward the large magnolia on the left side of the road. I changed my mind when I considered the likelihood of the stone warrior checking for me there first since it was the nearest refuge to the road. Instead, I sprinted to the closest shop sitting on the right side of the road and hid behind that building. From there I could clearly see the enormous crystal wall encircling the village, as it stood less than fifty yards away. The shops sat closer to the majestic wall nearer the entrance to the village, and I took comfort in the fact I was moving closer to freedom. My chances of reaching the main gates safely seemed better if I stayed behind the shops, contrary to my mother’s instructions to stay on the golden road. I prayed my close proximity to the preferred path would prove to be enough in the end.

  “I kept moving, darting carefully from shop to shop while staying low to the ground. I was thankful the areas in front of me were deserted so far. Even so, the thunderous footsteps of Morylan grew ever closer, along with the insect-like noises from the villagers in pursuit. The ground shook so badly I nearly lost my balance, and I was forced to stop and brace myself against the back wall of the closest shop.

  “The footsteps continued to grow louder until they stopped in front of that very building, which happened to be the one sitting directly across from the arcade. An enormous shadow loomed over the two-story structure and thickened as Morylan bent down toward me. ‘He knows I’m here!’ I worried to myself. “ What the fuck do I do now??’

  “I embraced the wall tightly in an effort to further conceal myself, trying to remain as calm as possible. One of the warrior’s giant hands crept around the side of the shop to the very back of it. Probing and searching, the hand began to feel the grass and finger through some bushes nearby, pulling them out by their dirt-clodded roots with the same ease I could employ on a small dandelion. Two of the hand’s fingers brushed noisily against the building less than two feet from where I was crouched in my attempt to merge with the wall. Absolutely terrified, I fought desperately to stay still and quiet, slowing my breath while my pulse throbbed in my chest and neck. The probing pair of fingers moved to within a few inches of me.

  “Preparing myself for the very worst, it never came. Inexplicably, the fingers pulled back and the hand lifted, disappearing from my view. A moment later, the shadow lengthened as Morylan stood back up. The ground soon shook and then shook again and again, decreasing in strength and volume as the warrior moved up the road toward the gates. The wound in my shoulder ached terribly, although it didn’t prevent me from using my arm yet. If anything, I reasoned the wound’s presence helped me stay focused in getting the hell out of there.

  “Listening to the fading footfalls of the warrior as it neared its new destination, I wondered what time it was and pulled out my watch. It was now 3:42. There were several hours left until nightfall, but I was going to miss Grandpa’s four o’clock deadline and knew I’d have to answer for it. It got me moving and just in time, as the shrill clicking noises rapidly approached my hiding place from somewhere close behind me. I glanced over my shoulder while putting my watch back in my pocket. With no one visible yet, I peered around the building’s edge where Morylan’s fingers had been only moments ago. The area before me sat deserted.

  “I ran to the rear of the next shop, quickly concealing myself behind a ledge. Cautiously, I looked back toward the spot I’d just vacated. I still didn’t see anyone, but I heard a lot more of their unnerving noises coming from the road nearby. I moved over to the far edge of the shop and saw the immense golden gates were less than a quarter mile away.

  “Morylan was already there, standing directly in front of the gates with his back to the entrance. He moved his head back and forth menacingly as he scanned the area before him, apparently looking for me. Small bands of villagers seemed to be also on the lookout for my whereabouts, and I knew it was only a matter of time before they extended their search behind the shops.

  “‘What are you all standing around for?? Tear this place apart and find him!!! NOW!!!’ Genovene was somewhere nearby, possibly in front of the arcade from the sound of her voice. ‘Whoever brings that fucking piss-ant to me will share the divine pleasure of tearing his heart out and eating it with me while he’s still alive!!!’

  “Nothing like a threat from her to get me going again. I moved away from the back wall of the building and quietly concealed myself within a small magnolia tree close by, the leaves and flowers were thick and reached down to the ground. No sooner than I did this, a small band of villagers suddenly came behind the shop looking for me. They moved over to my hiding place from a moment ago, and for the first time I noticed their skin was beginning to peel away. Each one was peeling in a different area of their bodies, some along their legs and others along their torsos and faces. The same pink and gray gelatinous substance I’d seen pulsing hideously on Genovene and her kin shined through the gaping holes in their skin as well.

  The group walked around my immediate area, making their god-awful noises and sniffing the air as they came up to the very magnolia I was hidden within. One of the villagers came up and directly faced me. I stood completely still, afraid to so much as blink until I realized the fucker couldn’t see me, even though it stared right at me while it sniffed the air in front of the tree. Nearly half of its face was gone, an
d while looking absently toward me, it pulled the rest of its face off by the hair first and casually dropping it onto the grass. The smell and the ripping sound of the skin detaching from the creature’s body were real nasty. It made me want to retch again.

  “At least I now knew what their real faces looked like. Their eyes were deep vacant slants and their real mouths were nothing more than small slits, which sort of explained the weird noises they communicated with. This was such an incredible contrast to the beautiful smiles and faces I’d seen earlier. Their bodies bore the same gnarled characteristics as Genovene, with that slimy goo and all. But they were nowhere near as tall as her, nor did they have long fingers and claws like her either.

  “I heard a sharp ‘crack’ from somewhere to the left of me, and the entire group moved swiftly in that direction. This was my chance to move out from my present hiding place and find another spot closer to the gates. A larger magnolia stood roughly a hundred feet away. Although it was less concealing than the one I was in presently, and it was a risk to get there undetected, I was certain I’d be discovered soon if I stayed put.

  “I quietly slipped out from under my protective cover and bolted for the new one, staying low to the ground and sliding under the bottom foliage of the larger tree. Luckily, I again arrived unnoticed. It proved to be a fortuitous move, for a second small band of villagers soon converged on my recently vacated magnolia. They peered within the leaves and flowers, and surely would’ve discovered me despite their poor eyesight. After poking and probing for a minute or so, they stopped sifting through the tree and soon left the area.

  “I knew I had to keep moving. About twenty yards away sat one of the last remaining shops I could use for cover and then reach the village gates. I remembered seeing the tall sign in front of that shop when I first entered the village. The candy store wasn’t far from it and would be the very last building separating me from my intended destination. I reached into my pocket to make sure the stone was still there. It was. Just then, two more villagers came around the corner. But they acted like they suddenly heard something behind them, and raced back to where they came from. I didn’t wait to see if they’d be back my way again. I sprinted from the tree’s protection to the back wall of the nearby shop.

  “The pesky pair soon returned. The branches of the magnolia were still moving near the very spot I had just been, which drew their attention. While they trotted over to investigate, I moved quietly along the back wall of the shop. Once I reached the other end of this building, I went ahead and moved past the next two shops.

  “I was now more than two buildings away from them. They looked casually toward the area I’d just left and then over to where I presently stood. I didn’t think they could see me hiding behind a thick shrub that grew hugging the wall of the shop that served as my current protection. I carefully peered through its leaves and branches at them. I even started to think they were no longer interested in finding me. But, I was wrong on both counts. They sniffed the air around them and looked over to my general spot. After a quick glance at each other, they sprinted toward the shrub. I scurried quickly over to the next building, which was the next to last one before I reached the village entrance. Rather than check on the pair’s progress, I kept moving until I reached the far edge of this particular shop’s back wall. From here, the candy store was less than a hundred feet away.

  “The area in front of me was clear and between the two buildings sat a beautiful flower garden. The plants were large and loaded with more flowers than I’d seen anywhere else in the village. I decided to make a run for this garden, hoping it would provide enough cover for me to rest and catch my breath.

  “Though I couldn’t see them yet, I heard my pursuers’ excited chirping and approaching footsteps behind me. I sprinted to the garden, diving headfirst between a row of chrysanthemums and large sunflowers, where I hurriedly concealed myself in their thick leaves and large blooms.

  “The ground was cool and moist, and felt really good against my scrapes and other wounds from earlier. Yet, the tear in my shoulder’s muscle throbbed with every heartbeat as it continued to bleed. I didn’t think I’d get an opportunity to properly care for it any time soon. Nonetheless, I was extremely thankful to be sheltered from the sun’s unforgiving heat, even if that relief was temporary.

  “I peered through the leaves and flowers’ protective cover just as the two villagers arrived in the area. They sniffed the air repeatedly as they approached my latest hideout. When they reached the garden’s edge, the pair separated and began circling it. They crouched low and chirped like cicadas looking for mates, and I knew they were determined to pinpoint my exact location. All of a sudden, though, they stopped. They stood back up and looked across the garden at each other, and then turned and ran away, chirping even more excitedly. I wasn’t sure how to interpret this. While I hoped they’d lost track of me, I worried they’d found me and were off to report my whereabouts to Genovene. Even so, I relaxed, for I was completely exhausted.

  “Once I regained my breath, I knew in all likelihood I’d been discovered and Genovene would soon be on her way. Time was running out for me, and it was imperative I reach the gates as soon as possible. While planning my next step, I laid down on my stomach, figuring it might be harder for anyone to see me if I stayed close to the ground. I was grateful again for the coolness and for the fact I had a clear view of the immediate area. At least for now I had the entire moment to myself without another living thing present, other than the various plants and flowers. I’d allow myself a few more seconds to regain some strength, and then resume my quest.

  “Suddenly, the ground began to shake violently and the moist earth began to crumble and break apart around me. Amazingly, the plants remained stable despite the fact their roots were soon exposed throughout the garden. The skeletal remains of several human beings began to rise up slowly on either side of me. ‘Oh shit!!’ I whispered, paralyzed by terrible fear. I was struggling to maintain my nerve and courage, when all at once my arms and legs were seized upon by the vice-like grip of four bony hands. I screamed.

  “I screamed as fucking hard as I possibly could. I didn’t give a damn if all the villagers and Genovene heard me or not, as I was petrified far beyond rational fear. I didn’t give a fuck if Morylan heard me either, even if it meant he’d come over and crush me into mulch for the garden. I was on the cusp of losing all sanity, my mind and spirit finally crumbling from the continual bombardment I’d endured over the past few hours.

  “More and more skeletons began to fill the garden floor, and as they quickly populated the area beneath the plants and flowers, a stranger thing began to happen. The bones began to take on the soft earth as flesh and even as clothing! I couldn’t believe my eyes, and for the moment ceased screaming, much to the relief of my weary throat and ringing ears. A warm breeze began to blow along the garden floor and I soon realized the breeze carried a sound with it as it circled throughout the area. It was melodious voices.

  “They were faint at first, perhaps on account of the damage I’d just delivered to my eardrums. But as I lay there listening, the voices grew increasingly louder and much clearer. They were speaking to me, or rather singing to me.

  “‘He is here! It’s Jack! The honored one! The anointed one!! Our sa-a-a-a-vi-i-or!!!’ The voices continued their strange song while the hands held me securely on the ground. Then, as the appendages became warm and fleshed out, they steadily loosened their grip, finally releasing me altogether once they’d completed their bizarre metamorphoses. I slowly sat up on my hands and knees, carefully surveying the garden floor as I did so. The entire area was now filled with the completely fleshed-out bodies of people from a variety of time periods, cultures, races, ages, and sexes. Their moist-earth faces were turned toward me anxiously as they sang their song. Rather than the stark fear I felt just a moment ago, I was now filled with bewilderment.

  “The earthen flesh and apparel of these people seemed so real—so much like normal skin,
muscles, eyes, lips, teeth, hair, and clothes! I looked down directly below me and watched as the skeleton of a young child transformed itself before me. Within the next minute, a little earthen girl dressed in pig tails and an embroidered nightgown smiled up at me.

  “‘Hello, Jack!’ she greeted me in a soft, sweet, surprisingly normal voice. The singsong din from the others began to fade as if they were all listening to her now. ‘We’ve been hoping you’d make it here so we could formally meet you in person!’

  “I was speechless. Here I was listening to a small child made from the soil beneath me. The fucking soil, for Christ’s sake! I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears. Yet, despite the calm demeanor of all the individuals surrounding me, I suddenly felt panicked, for I was certain my screams had alerted Genovene and the others to my definite presence in the garden. I started to rise up in order to take a peek through the flowers, fully expecting to find myself surrounded by them. The little girl grabbed my arm to stop me.

  “‘Don’t do it, Jack!’ she advised. ‘Do you really think she knows you’re here? I know, you think she heard all of your hollering a moment ago, and believe me, we’re all grateful you calmed down and gained some reason to your thoughts. But if Genovene had heard you, she would’ve been here long before now, I assure you of that much!’

  “‘What about the other two critters that were just here?’ I asked her. ‘I’m pretty sure they figured out I’m here.’

  “‘Perhaps they did. But, we sure gave them a good scare to send them scurrying away, didn’t we?’ She chuckled for a moment, and then looked up earnestly into my face. ‘Jack...aside from the help of her bumbling goons, the truth of the matter is Genovene hasn’t been able to keep track of you since you spoke to your mom back in that pottery shack of hers—.’