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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

The sorcerer cat

    It was a lazy Sunday afternoon as two old men sat on their porch, smoked the last of their cigarettes and finished off their beers. Looking upwards, one could see nothing but a few stray clouds as they floated past the bright mid afternoon sun and seemed to blind the viewer with its light. Tilting the hat back and wiping the sweat off their brows, one of the men looked down the valley and saw a dust cloud approaching. Whoever it was, the dust cloud was just passing thru it seems. No one ever stops at this place as it seems all but forgotten unless it was hired help or if they wanted something from the Smith folks.


    The shrill cry of the hawks which circled over the corn fields ebbed and rose seemed never ending, yet seemed to break the deadening monotony of the silent field. The field was almost ready to harvest, yet the hired help hasn’t arrived yet. Shielding his eyes, Fred grumbled about the slim chance of rain and how it might ruin their harvest. Looking across the field and into the barn, they decided to check the harvester, tractor and the trucks to see if they were up to the task.

    Firing up the harvester was easier than the tractor which refused to cooperate. The starter coil needed to be replaced and pistons were worn out. After loading the truck with drums for diesel, they headed off to town to see what can be done. Driving down the road towards town excited both men since trips down there were rare and it gave them an opportunity to stock up on essentials and get in touch with other old timers at the hardware store. Time flew by and the huge farm fields came to an end and the truck soon started to follow a lonesome river. Looking over his shoulder, Fred realized that the river looked so cool and refreshing and he wanted to walk barefoot on the green grass. The river looked so free and untamed and it seemed to call him out so strongly that truck seemed to hesitate for a moment.

    Looking at the darkening sky, they resisted its call as a storm was heading there way and the wind pick up. There was a huge sand storm heading my way and lightning flashed in the sky and one could hear thunder all around. The sky had turned jet black as they started to drive towards some safe spot. As the truck rolled down the road, the wind died down and there was a growing darkness that did not seem good. There was utter silence all around and neighing of a herd of horses was heard as they galloped further into the valley and into the mountains.

    After travelling what seemed many long hours, the town lights grew brighter with each step. The valley below was bustling with activity as it was one of the main trading hubs. Fred began to wonder loudly why he even bothered to listen to Jim to get out of the house today knowing fully well how chaotic the traffic is at this time. The stop and go traffic was driving him nuts and the vehicular pollution making them dizzy. Pulling off to one side as the start/stop traffic was getting on their nerves and they decided to wait it out.

    Looking off to one side, they saw a cluster of houses on a slight rise which overlooked a park. A huge Maple tree near the park away caught their eye. It was an old one. Probably as old as the park in which it was situated and if it could talk, it might have a tale or two to tell the passerby. Looking at it with envy, they wondered how much their life would be different if they could leave all this behind and live in a house in the country side where there are no trappings of modern life.

    The cluster of houses, if they could be called a town wore a deserted look as if most of the people had gone to office and only the elderly and children were left behind. Most of the door and windows were closed and the white lace window curtains were drawn also in most houses. Only one or two doors were open where a small group of people could be seen sitting in small groups either chatting away, playing some game or simply enjoying the autumn sun. A huge forest was on one side which was far older than the town itself seemed to call one and all with its soft whispering of comfort and forgetfulness in the cool comfort of the dark forest.

    The town itself seemed quaint as if frozen in time. Both guys swore that they had never seen such type of houses anywhere and they resembled English houses from a bygone era. Getting out of the car to stretch their tired and cramped legs, they decided to walk down the dirt path and into the town as the life here looked so different from the city life which they were so used to. A soft breeze started to rustle the fallen leaves and ruffled their hair ever so gently, yet died down as quickly as it had risen.

    As they wandered down the dirt path which followed the town houses, they eventually found themselves at the end of the colony. There were dried leaves all over the place and a crunching sound was heard as they walked across the path. Nearing the faded bronze gate which has a lion head emblem, a gentle wind rustles through the dried leaves and opens the gate. Sitting down on a green bench under the huge maple tree in the park which was surrounded by a boundary wall, they finally noticed quiet neighborhood the neighborhood was.

    While looking around the compound, they noticed a cot on one side under a shaded area. A strange sight made them scratch their head as Fred asked out loud “Why is the cat staring at the wall?” The bearded cat seems to be seemed to be in a deep trance as bodiless voices whispered deep dark secrets in their minds. They called out and the voices died as quickly as they had appeared. No one could make out what was happening as total darkness still engulfed them. After what seemed like eons, the bodiless voices seemed to chase each other through the shrubs, weave through the trees and finally disappear some distance away. As the voices fade away, both men began to wonder how they escape it to find their way home.
    Hearing their voices, the feline slowly turned its head towards them and started to growl ever so softly. It slowly shut the old tattered leather bound book which it had been flipping through. A pair of greenish yellow eyes blinked and one of the thick hairy paws began to twitch nervously and it started to move forward as if on a hunt. They felt themselves being deeper into a vortex. There was a slight hum and one could smell ozone in the air. The reality shimmered and flickered in and out. The helpless duo kept looking away from the vision of the alternate earths would surely drive them mad. Slowly, they started to become unsure which was theirs and which wasn’t. Somewhere in the distance, a door creaked open and then slammed shut real hard. A strong earthy smell permeated the room and the sound of shrieking birds filled their ears. The ground shook a bit and they heard a heavy slithering coming towards them. The sound came closer yet they could not see what was approaching. They doubted that their senses must have been imagining and their eyes are playing tricks on them. The eyes wandered back to the steps and all they saw was a swirling black cloud intently staring at them before it started its rush.
    The shrill cry of circling hawks on the hunt and the sound of a glowing toad going Ribbid Ribbid on a bicycle wound its way through the dirt tracks broke the spell and the men realized that it was late in the afternoon. The dark sky with the sickly yellow moon was gone and the sun was burning away the last remnants of the dream they were caught in. Startled and badly frightened at the sight, they stood up suddenly toppling the park bench back and breaking the spell they were engulfed in until a few moments ago. The evil glint in the greenish yellow eye which was there a moment ago receded and upon rubbing their eyes they saw a cat hop off the cot, dash over the boundary wall and into the dense forest. Startled, they realized that they weren’t sitting in a lush, well maintained city park which in reality was an abandoned one surrounded by crumbling walls, broken gate and a rotting broken play ground by the corner.

    Not wanting to linger in this haunted area anymore, they traced their footsteps back to the car located on the main road. As they retraced their footsteps, they see the same houses and yet they seem more alive than the last few hours. They walked slowly back towards the houses and the sound of activity was evident even from a distance. The sound of children playing in the streets and smell of food was gently carried over to general area and lifting their spirits a little bit.

    The remaining journey was uneventful. The tank was near empty when they pulled into what seemed like another deserted gas station. Feeling famished, both of them wandered into the bar and a smoked filled dimly lit room greeted them and they could hardly see the crowd inside. The tiredness slipped out of them as they heard the boisterous sound emitting from one corner of the room. The smell of the food made their mouth water and the stomach grumbled demanding its share. Time flew by and the work wrapped up as quickly as possible. It was soon time to return home and they quickly wound their way through the dirt roads till their farm was in sight.

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