The PriZin of Zin (3 page)

“What’s in there, Dad?” Hunter tried to peer over the edge of the forest.

“It looks like a garden. I see strawberries, and greens. I think there’s celery, lettuce, and watermelons.

“I’m hungry, Daddy.”

“I know, sweetie. Just hold on till I make sure it’s safe in there.”

“We’re going in?” Ian jumped. “Awesome!"

“But, Dad, Alistair said not to go in.”

Morgan looked at his daughter. “I know, honey, but we won’t touch anything. There’s a path that goes right through the middle. We should be okay if we stay on it.”

“Where does the path lead?” Hunter asked, still leaning forward.

“Looks like a giant tree right in the middle. I’m not really sure, Hunter. It looks a little odd.”

“Odd, how?”

“Can’t really tell. Everybody stay close to me.”

“That’s not a tree,” Ian said.

“It’s got branches like a tree.” Hunter reached out to touch the bark, but Ian batted his hand away.

“Careful, man. I don’t want to lose my best friend.”

“You’re not going to lose me. I just want to know what it is.”

“What kind of tree has a mirror in the middle of the trunk?” Aeryn was mesmerized.

“It didn’t grow like that. Someone, or something, created that.” Morgan stared at his reflection. “Something intelligent, and very, very creative.”

“Do not leave the path,” a velvety smooth voice cautioned.

“Ok, Dad.” The three kids all looked at Morgan.

“What?” Morgan turned around.

“We heard you,” Hunter answered.

“I didn’t say anything,” Morgan whispered, turning back to the tree.

Aeryn squeezed in front of her father and looked into the mirror. The sky twinkled and the mirror lit up, reflecting her beautiful, smiling face.

“Do you trust me?” It was the same calm, soothing voice as before.

“I don’t know who you are,” she answered.

“That is very true. I am here to help you, if you choose it. What do you need?”

“I’m hungry. Can I please have some food?”

The tree shook, flapping its branches almost like a bird. When it settled, the limbs were laden with food. Not just fruit, but food from home: granola bars, candy, apple pie, roast chicken platters.  There were bottled drinks of every size and flavor, and a water spout flowing at the other end. A rainbow of fruits and nuts covered every vacant spot in the tree. In the middle was a giant prime rib roast with all the fixings.

Aeryn’s eyes lit up. “How can I get it if I can’t leave the path?” The tree bowed low, and the branches came within her reach. She and the boys all helped themselves. When she uttered her ‘thank you’ the tree returned to its original height, shuddered, and the food disappeared. “You have done well, young Aeryn.”

The tree turned on its roots and looked at Hunter. “Do you believe in yourself?”

Hunter froze, unable to answer. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Palms sweaty and fingers shaking, he nodded unsteadily.

“You don’t have to go through life alone. There are others out there who can assist you, if you will only let them. The choice is yours. Have faith in what you cannot see.”

Hunter nodded again, seeing a tear at the corner of his eye forming in his mirrored reflection.

“What about me?” Ian jumped in, shoving Hunter to the side. “My turn now.”

“Ah yes, young man. Are you having fun?”

Ian nodded. “What’s next?”

“That depends on you.” Ian’s reflection in the mirror wavered and two paths appeared. “Two roads will show you two different possibilities. Learn to control what flares up inside, and the right path will make itself known.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ian’s face flushed and his fists balled.

The tree spun back around and faced Morgan again.

“I can’t believe this,” he whispered.

“Open your mind, and your heart to see all that life is truly about, Master Morgan.”

“How do you know my name - our names?”

“Look into your soul, Morgan. What do you see?”

In front of him, on the glass embedded in the impossible tree, Morgan saw scenes from his life flash by.  School as a child, playing, homework, graduating, college, getting married, holding his children. One memory flashed by, replaced by another, strung together with him as the center.

“What do you see?”

“Just me,” Morgan answered. “My life.”

“And so you shall remain. Until you can learn to see life as these young ones do, you will forever be a prisoner inside yourself, Master Morgan. Learn to see the impossibilities around you. Look outside of yourself.” The tree shook again, and the mirror disappeared. It blossomed one more time with a rainbow of fruit; peaches, grapes, apples, strawberries. Low-hanging branches offered fruit of every kind, albeit strangely colored for its type. Reds, blues, greens, yellows, purples, and oranges of all shades adorned the branches.

“Let’s go, kids. This was no help at all.” Morgan turned to leave, guiding the kids up in front of him. “He’s useless.” Stomach rumbling, Morgan turned back. He dashed from the path and circled the tree, grabbing fruit of every kind for his trip. “Who knows how long we’ll be down here, with help like that.”

“That was the most delicious apple I have ever eaten. I didn’t realize how hungry I was,” Aeryn said. She tossed the core off into the brush a few feet from the shore. Startled by a rustling and flapping sound, she turned back to see another small creature with long, slender wings swoop down and take off with the apple core in its mouth. “Look!” she squealed. “It’s a bird.”

“That’s not a bird,” Morgan said. “It’s got the body of a squirrel, but with wings.”

“It’s a squird,” Ian added, chuckling.

They smiled, watching the small thing fly away with its prize between its teeth.

Ian was next to try. Tossing his apple core off a short distance away, another squird swooped down from the treetops, scooped up the leftovers, and flew back up to its perch.

Morgan tossed his away and waited. No animals came. “I guess they didn’t see it,” he said.

“Maybe you need to toss it again.” Aeryn ran to the discarded core, bent over to pick it up, and froze. Standing straight up, she spun around and stared back at him, eyes wide and in shock.

“What is it?” Hunter asked, running to his sister’s side. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s purple,” she whispered.

“What?”

“It’s purple,” she said louder, her voice cracking and shaking. “Dad ate a purple apple.”

“What?” Hunter yelled. “Why?” he demanded spinning to face him. “You heard what the leprechaun said!”

“Relax,” Morgan said. “I wanted to taste it. I’ve never had a purple apple before.” He smiled, “and look, nothing bad has happened to me. The little runt didn’t know what he was talking about. I didn’t die.” 

Morgan looked down into his daughter’s tearful glare. She grabbed the arm of her big brother for support. Ian backed away as well, standing next to the other two. Huddled together in a tight group, they scanned the area, eyes darting every direction. Seeing their rising panic, Morgan tried to talk to them.

“Oh, come on, you guys. Look. It’s just an apple— and a very good one, at that. I’ve never tasted anything like it before. I might just have another one. You guys should try one, too.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea, Dad,” Hunter cautioned. “We don’t know anything about this world.”

“Well, I do know one thing,” he said, “apples are just as juicy and sticky down here as they are up there.” Morgan strolled back a few yards down to the water line and bent to wash his hands and face. Splashing the warm water on himself, he rinsed off the remnants of the snack, then stood and looked back at the others. “Don’t be such chickens. I told you nothing bad—”

A giant sea serpent burst through the water’s surface and hovered over him, showering Morgan with a sudden spray of saliva mixed with warm water. He looked straight up to see a long snout with giant nostrils breathing smoke and flame looming above him. A wicked snarl was wrapped across its ugly face, razor-like teeth protruding from under loose floppy jowls. The enormous snake had a red, diamond-shaped head with horns, and knife-like scales covering the length of its back all the way along the spine, disappearing into the warm tranquil water. It growled at Morgan, a low vibrating rumble that shook both the water and the sand on the beach where they stood.

Morgan opened his mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Wanting to run, but unable to move, Morgan, locked in time and fear, stared straight into the face of horror.

Striking like the wind, the serpent swooped down, snatching Morgan in its mouth and slithered back down into the water in the blink of an eye. The three friends stood terrified and alone on the shore.

The only sign that evil had even been there were the lapping waves on the beach and, in its wake, two empty footprints.

Chapter 3: SEARCH

Search
verb
\ˈ
sə
rch\ transitive verb: to examine in seeking something

Thunder boomed once again through the new world, and the sky went as dark as night. There was no lightning, but again and again the thunder roared around them. In the distance, the faint light from the volcano bottom shone. Rather than the crimson glow it offered just moments before, this was a dark foreboding phosphorescent light. Below the volcano, in the once tranquil pool, water caught in the raging turbulence of a violent boil, steam rising with urgent fervor, locked in by the stone ceiling above. Thunder boomed again, shaking the ground under their feet with all the force of the earthquake that landed them here just a short time before.

“How dare you!” the thunder roared. “You were warned!”

Hunter, Ian, and Aeryn all looked around for the source of the voice. They saw no one.

“Does your kind never learn?”

“Who are you?” Hunter asked, eyes darting back and forth for some signs of life.

“I Am.”

“You are what?”

“Silence!” the voice boomed back even more loudly, and more menacing than before. “I speak!”

Ian spun around. “There,” he whispered, “the food tree.”

“I am dead. Nevermore shall I bear fruit because of you,” the tree said.

Ian, Hunter, and Aeryn all looked up at the massive wooden monolith before them. It had grown four times in size, and now a giant green eye glared at them from the center of its trunk. The eye blinked at them, pupil moving from one child to another, and back again, splinters dropping to the ground with each motion. Its branches now dry and brittle, leaves dead and falling.

“Please,” Aeryn cried. “Where is my father?”

“Gone. You have foolishly unleashed the powers of those who will devour your essence; the ones who seek to extinguish your spark for all eternity. Only you now have the power to leash them again.”

“Where? Please tell me where?”

The eye crackled and blinked again. “Nowhere.”

All three stared in silence as the tree continued to grow and die at the same time.

“Your father is neither here nor there,” the tree said. “He is not lost, but neither is he found. He is nowhere.”

“Nowhere?” Ian asked. “Where is nowhere?”

“A place of nothingness. A barren wasteland with no future. He has gone to the wilderness.”

“Can we find him?” Aeryn pleaded.

“You can find him,” the tree thundered, “but escape is his and his alone. You can only lead. He alone must choose his path.”

“How can I lead if I don’t know the way?” Hunter tried to ask.

“Silence!” the tree boomed again. “Listen, and you will know. Hear, and you will understand. Seek, and you will find. You must all choose wisely from this moment on. To not choose wisely will mean certain death. You will all be sent to the place of no return. You will be thrown forever into the darkness of the Pit of Despair. It will then be too late. For now, there is still time. Knock and the door will open.”

Snapping sounds crackled and popped around them. Branches began to break off and fall to the ground like monstrous spears. The giant tree listed dangerously to one side. The more it leaned, the more the trunk broke, the fibers of wood giving way under the enormous weight. It slowly began to fall in one painful, final, death throe.

“Please! Please,” Aeryn cried, running toward the tree. “Where is my father? Where is the wilderness?”

“The prison,” the tree echoed as it fell. “Beware of the Spark Eaters!” it wailed, timbers snapping in two.

“What is this place called?” Hunter screamed.

Seconds before it hit the ground with an earthshaking roar, the tree uttered one single word.

“Zin.”

“I don’t think he’s coming back.”

“He said he’d come back,” Aeryn turned to Hunter. “We just need to be patient.”

“He’s not coming back.” Hunter snapped. “The little green monster left us here.”

“He’s not a monster. He said he was a leprechaun.” Aeryn looked around.

“I know,” Ian shot back from the dark shore. “He’s Alastair.” The sarcasm in his voice was unmistakable.

“Maybe we should look for him.”

“Where?” Ian screamed at Aeryn. “The bushes he disappeared into are gone, thanks to your father. That tree killed everything. There’s nothing here now. Everything’s dead here, including him.”

Aeryn burst into tears. She tried to speak, but couldn’t.

“Stop it, Ian, or else.” Hunter was at his sister’s side.

“Or else, what?” Ian squared off against his long-time friend. “What are you gonna do?”

Hunter turned and put his arm around his crying sister.

“Oh, you gonna be a chicken now? Gonna hide like a little girl?” Ian’s anger flared. “Come on, rich boy, don’t turn your back on me.” Ian shoved Hunter’s shoulder. At the lack of any response, he shoved again, harder.

“Stop it, Ian!” Hunter screamed. He wheeled around to face his friend head-on, and froze.

It was faint, but he heard it. The others looked around too. Hunter paused, waiting to see if he could hear it again.

Nothing.

“Push me again,” Hunter whispered. He looked at Aeryn. “Cry.”

Ian reared back and shoved Hunter so hard he fell to the ground. Aeryn wailed and threw her hands up to her face. Ian dove on top of Hunter and the two rolled around in the wet sand for a moment, while Aeryn, ever the drama queen, sobbed on the sidelines. Then, they all stopped.

There it was again.

Laughter! Someone was watching them. Watching, and laughing.

All three bolted toward the dead food tree where the noise was coming from. They split up to surround the trunk from all sides. Hunter was the first to clear the limbs. As they rounded the backside, there was the little green leprechaun, rolling in hysterics on the ground. Hunter grabbed the tiny creature, making sure he did not get away.

“Nnnnooooo!” he screamed, his merry little mirth changing to fear. “Ye can’t have me treasure.” He fought against Hunter’s tight grip. “Ye can’t have it, I sayz!”

Ian caught up and threw himself into the mix, pinning the old man to the earth.

“Nnnnooooo!” it wailed again. “I will not give it to ye! I will not!”

“Calm down!” Hunter yelled. “What are you talking about?”

“Treasure. The gold is mine. Ye can have the other, but not the gold. NOT THE GOLD, I SAY!”

“CALM DOWN!” Ian shook the little man to get his attention.

“Ye don’t have to get violent, laddie,” Alastair snapped back. “I didn’t hurt ye.”

“No, you just left us out here alone, that’s all.”

Alastair giggled again.

“You promised to come back,” Aeryn snapped. “What happened?”

“Never said when,” Alastair giggled again.

Ian threw the little creature to the dirt again and pounced on him. Alastair screamed and wailed until Hunter pulled him off.

“Stop!” Hunter screamed. “Everybody stop!”

They all froze and turned to look at the eldest boy.

“What is ‘the other’?”

Alastair looked stumped, aged little head cocked sideways. He did not answer.

“You said, ‘you can have the other, but not the gold’,” Hunter demanded. “What does that mean?”

“Oh,” Alastair said, standing and brushing the dust off his tattered green suit. “The legend,” he said, “and the wishes.”

“Wishes?” The children all looked at one another. “What wishes?” Aeryn asked.

Alastair sighed, arms dropping to his sides. “Everybody knows when ye catch a leprechaun ye get three wishes. Everybody but ye three dunces, apparently. Ye can have yer wishes, and the legend, but no more! Ye hear me? No more. Then ye’re on your way. The lot of ya… pain in my arse, I tell ye.”

“What’s the legend?” Ian asked, still holding Alastair by the coat tails.

“The rainbow. Do ye not know of the legend of the rainbow?”

“Rainbow?” Aeryn asked. She turned her head toward the sky.

“Yes, the rainbow, lassie. Ye do know what a rainbow is, do ye not?”

“Yes, I know what a rainbow is,” she snapped. “Do you get them down here?”

“Oh, aye, we do. Beautiful they are. Especially when He is there.”

“He?”

“Yes, He. The One.”

“He lives on the rainbow?” She looked upwards again.

“Aye, there, and other places at times.”

“Is that how we find Him?”

“’Tis one way. There are others.”

“How do we know when He’s there?”

“Look for that which is forbidden, and you will see.”

“What does that mean?”

“Have ye forgotten so quickly? Dense, yer kind. No sense. No sense at all!” Alastair huffed and pulled away. “I just told ye.”

“I wish you would just speak English,” Ian said.

Alastair smiled. “Aye, laddie. That I will. And that be one of yer wishes.”

“No, wait,” Ian protested. “I didn’t mean- - -”

“Too late, lad. One be gone and two to go. Use them wisely.”

“Everyone be quiet,” Hunter yelled. The group calmed down and stared at one another, then all three turned to look at Alastair. He stood smiling at them. Raising his little hand, he wiggled two tiny crooked fingers.

“We need some help,” Aeryn said. “We can’t do this alone.” The boys nodded.

“Would it be an official wish, then?”

“Yes,” Aeryn said. “I wish for help for us.”

“So be it. Ye shall each have a helper on yer journey.” One finger went down, and one wrinkled digit wiggled in the air.

“I wish I could understand what you’re talking about,” Hunter whispered.

“No!” Ian screamed and shoved Hunter again. “Now you’ve wasted the last wish!”

Alastair smiled. “Wisdom,” he said, impressed, “a fine choice, lad. And so ye shall have it, but only you. Now for yer warnin’.”

“Warning?” Ian asked. “Is he kidding?”

“Heed it well, child, or suffer all eternity because if it.” Alastair stepped back from the group. His voice took on a serious note. “The road is long and fraught with danger. Seek the one who will stand and fight, not he who will run and hide. Ye must each journey separately, but find the same road. What ye seek is the same, though a different path.”

“Why do we have to go separately?” Aeryn asked.

“Silence,” the leprechaun said, “time is short. Ye must complete yer journey by the time the sun rises on the third day. For then, it will be too late.”

“What sun?” Ian asked.

Alistair shook his head. One tiny aged digit pointed toward the bottom of the bubbling volcano. “Each time mother sun boils with anger is one morn. Aye? And each time she settles herself calm-like is what ye call night. Can ye grasp that, laddie?”

“Aye,” Ian snapped. “And what if I refuse to leave them?” he asked, feet planted hard, pointing at the Welch siblings. “They’re my friends.”

“Stubbornness will get ye nothing, if not killed, lad. Learn to work with the world, and not fight against it.” He turned back to the group. “Seek the great warrior, for only he can save ye when evil closes in. Listen to him. Fear the warrior. Flee when he tells you, and don’t look back. It will take the essence of all of ye together to defeat the evil one. Don’t hide yer spark. Let the world see it. It will be the only thing to save ye. If ye fail, then the lot of ye will be damned to die the living death – fer’ever.”