A Sign From The Depths — A Fruit of Hope
Chapter 2/3
It was dark and quiet. Darkness was expected but the silence was suspicious. She pressed her body closer to the rough surface of a very tall and a very old tree. She listened. Nothing. She looked straight up. The moon was new and the clouds were bright red. No wind and the evening was warm. Strange. This silence could mean several things and none of them was good. Those thoughts made her cold and she could feel the goosebumps on her arms and legs. With a little effort, she climbed the tree, jumped from branch to branch and looked around. Nothing. Only a big green parrot sat on a high branch completely silent and unmoving.
Then she heard the sound. Very subtle but frightening. A small stick being broken by an animal that can move quietly but is undoubtedly very big and very heavy. The parrot nervously tapped on place and looked somewhere down. She pressed herself tightly to the tree again. She was safe there. The Cat could climb the tree easily but its attention was elsewhere.
Of course, the wise decision for her would be to silently back away. But sometimes wisdom loses its battle with curiosity and stubbornness. And Janisse was indeed stubborn and none the less curious. She liked to test her limits. That’s why she was there, so far away, alone, while the others were still resting after a long hunt. As the intention to go closer to the creature slowly established itself in her mind, the heart reacted with a race. A sudden wave of heat and energy raised into her head, especially the tips of her ears. Her face went red with excitement but she still did not move. She waited for another signal. This time it was not a sound, it was a gust of wind that brought a scent of the deadly creature. She could not tell for sure, even with her heightened senses, but she felt a strange emotion in it, as well as caution. She also knew that if the wind decided to move the other way, the cat would surely know about her. She was on her feet for thirty hours already and her body did not hide that at all. There was not much time.
She jumped yet to another tree and switched to a lower branch. As she crouched and looked around, she finally saw. Her heart started pounding even stronger. Stalking a stalker was a very rare and a sacred experience. The Cat moved to a different tree again, hiding and sneaking. “What are you watching, Kitty? Why didn’t you kill it yet?”, she mumbled to herself. Now she knew she did not have to take so much care in being silent. The Cat’s attention was fully immersed in its prey.
Janisse had to drop to the ground. The forest was less dense there. She crouched and kept moving closer. Her heart nearly stopped. She did not encounter the cat, but its prey. The figure was standing only a few steps from her, leaning against a tree as if sleeping. It looked so calm and relaxed. Oh, you fool, what are you doing? When people say they want to die in their sleep one day, this is not what they mean. She checked the cat in the corner of her eye. She could see its pupils widen, its back legs twitch in excitement. Then the Cat rushed forward. The figure opened its eyes and jumped behind another tree as if being moved by a divine power. The Cat jumped from place to place looking around furiously. Even Janisse did not know for a moment where he was before she glimpsed the sight of him above between branches. He was climbing so badly, so clumsily. He did not have what the elders call Aranaraua — the feeling of being light as a feather yet standing firmly on your feet. You need to have Aranaraua or you don’t last long. The cat leapt almost over her and started climbing the tree. For some reason, it angered Janisse greatly. Without a thought, she jumped up the tree following the cat upwards. She climbed furiously fast. Without a thought, she pulled up her knife and cut into the cat’s leg.
Pain filled her whole body as she found herself lying on the ground. She saw the wide feline eyes staring at her again. She was surprised how calm she was. It was that type of calm that comes in situations when emotions get too strong so they turn themselves off. Facing death, she could think clearly and she knew the only chance for survival was a small wooden dart in a pouch at her waist. She reached for it and punched the cat as hard as she could. The cat frozen in horror and shock, its eyes grew red and a massive amount of drool started pouring on Janisse’s neck. The cat became an embodiment of pain and agony. She could feel the creatures struggle to keep standing, to keep breathing and to stay conscious. Her fury was instantly gone and its place was seized by anxiety. Guilt, even. The cat had fallen beside her.
Eluah jumped down and with the same expressionless face as before checked the Cat’s pulse. Janisse’s anger had started to build up again. Gratefulness for having a life saved was probably not on his portfolio of emotions. She kept watching suspiciously and she noticed that his right ankle was bleeding. Not severely but enough to get inflamed and infected. This fool will need further protection, she thought. She recognized he must have been one of the sea people. She used to watch them, hiding in the trees. But it was rare to meet them inside the forest.
“What brings you here?”, she spoke out loud, still lying next to the cat. Only then the stranger lifted his head and looked at her. And she froze. She was not surprised by his pale and hairless skin, bald head or oddly big hands. Neither by small lips and smaller ears. She already knew the sea people were different. She froze because she was completely struck by his eyes. Living in the forest for her whole life, she had seen many kinds of eyes — those of cats, monkeys, birds and many other creatures. Big, small, black, colourful, round, narrow. His eyes were different. Like a deep blue bottomless void. A place where time does not matter and where you get lost forever because forever and now mean the same thing. He did not respond and she had to look away.
“Eluah”, he said and broke the silence. She nodded.
“Janisse”
She had to leave him. He would slow her down and she needed to hurry to find Saiari. Saiari will give him strength and will allow him to heal and survive in the forest. It is possible she will not find Saiari in time. Or that she will but will not find Eluah again. Still, it was the best plan she could figure out. She was not sure he understood why she had to leave him, but he did not seem to be concerned. He never seemed to be concerned. Fool.
Janisse knew Saiari was not something you should be looking for. Sometimes you stumble upon it and you can consider yourself lucky but you can’t rely on finding it when you need it. It is a fruit of a parasitic vine. This vine does not favour any particular tree nor it tends to favour any specific conditions. Sometimes it grows in the sun, sometimes in the shadows. Sometimes it grows at the top of the trees, sometimes it even grows underground and it reaches surface only to produce fruit.
Yet Janisse was throughout her life quite lucky to find them. Even to that extent that the tribe started to suspect that she figured out the pattern and she could predict where the plant grows. It was not so but she could not persuade them. Sometimes she attributed her luck to some kind of sixth sense. Maybe she felt attracted to those parts of the forest that was in some strange way hospitable for the plant. After all, she used to find them when she was alone, not when she was with the others. If she would really know where to look for it though, she’d be ruling the tribe already.
Janisse knew how to travel fast through the forest, but speed always compromised safety. It was important to find the right balance. At some places she had to slow down, otherwise, she could be ambushed by a Cat, bitten by a snake or even kidnapped by Kalooris. Then there were places that had to be avoided overall. Dark places in the forest where trees produced poisonous pollen or a pollen that twisted all the senses and brought the victim to the world of Sahlia. And that for most meant a permanent loss of sanity.
Janisse had to slow down and be careful. The world of the night set different rules for the game of survival. And they were not particularly favourable to her.
Eluah waited. That’s what he was good that. Here in the jungle, it was less effective than in the deep waters though. He could be seen from afar, he could be smelled and easily heard. He knew he needed to be more like Janisse. Fast, moving in unpredictable ways and never be still. Basically the exact opposite of his own nature. He was lucky this time though. A frog leapt into a small body of water in the base of a Bromelia plant. Unfortunately for the frog, Eluah’s hand was also there. It got trapped.
He looked at it closely. From the ocean, he knew not to eat brightly colourful creatures. This frog only had a few small red spots on its back. Like a subtle warning. I may or may not kill you if eat me. Eluah quickly ended its life with his knife, removed the guts, rolled it in a big leaf and put it in his bag. If he ever gets dangerously weak, he’d try his chances.
Maybe it would be soon. He did not feel in control. He was still haunted by the sounds. He could not figure them out. He was overwhelmed. The constant lisp of tree leaves. The cracking of wood, the chirping of birds, hooping of monkeys, the rattle of dry leaves, the dripping water. And then many random sounds that he could not identify. Often they came from great distances but sometimes they were dreadfully close.
This uncertainty was the worst part of it. He felt his heart pounding strong and fast. Maybe ten times faster than when he was in the depths. Deep in the water, the beat of his heart was like a beat of a big drum. A helpful rhythm, an audible manifestation of his mental state, but also the passing of time. Here it was buried among the multitude of other sensations. As the chaotic sounds entered his mind, so were random thoughts and his mind wandered back to Janisse — to her slim figure, long bright hair and fierce eyes. Maybe it was because he needed to be like her to survive. At least a little bit. But he was not so sure. He admired the energy he saw in her. That energy that kept her alive here. A fire that kept burning but did not burn out.
It was often that he had to stop and wait. Wait for a long time. Until the strange sounds disappeared. Maybe he waited too long. Maybe it was just an excuse to rest. He was getting weaker. He lost a lot of weight and his ankle was inflamed. His reactions were slower and it was harder to find food and stay alert. A vicious circle that lead to no good. He heard strange sounds from many places. As if he was surrounded.
He felt like he could be dead long ago if they wanted. But they were playing with him. Watching him curiously. It was time to go back. Maybe they were giving him a chance. To return where he belongs. Willingly. For now.
He closed his eyes and the sounds intensified. Not only they were louder they also seemed more frequent. Somehow they were not so chaotic anymore, there was… order in them. A crack of a branch. A gust of wind somewhere above him. A flicker of thousand insect wings. A call of a locust. A crack of a branch. A crack of a branch. A crack of a branch. A fall. A fall somewhere deep. A fall into the depths. Into the abyss. Into despair. Into the world of Nakurus. Into a place of no return. Sharp teeth and big round eyes in the darkness. A great pressure that kept squeezing the air out. Strange shapes of darker darkness within darkness. Dark entities. Don’t breathe! You’re underwater! Just let go.
“No” he forced his eyes open.
He focused on the rough surface of the tree bark in front of him. Oh, how satisfying it was. So delicate. So complexly random. So strong to protect the flowing water inside. The inner flow of life. An elevation of minerals from the ground. A harvest of the light. An altruistic being. A great giver of gifts. A watcher of time. A mitigator of Entropy.
A feeling of comfort and warmth went over him like an evening oceanic breeze. He’ll be safe there. He started climbing. The tree seemed very welcoming and hospitable. Only sometimes the branches were far apart which challenged his strength and flexibility. He persevered. With each branch, he felt a little more relaxed, as if the anxiety could not keep up with him. As if the gravity hold it close to the ground.
It took almost two dozen branches to get near the top. He stopped at the last branch that was still wide and strong enough to fully support him. This tree was taller than most of the others and he could see far away.
The ocean was covered in gigantic grey clouds. Only the flash of a lightning lit them up from time to time. The sea people were probably all inside their wooden homes, waiting until the storm passed over. The wooden platforms could get very wild at those times and those who were unfortunate could have their houses severely damaged or entirely destroyed. He hoped Jarre is safe. Oh, how he wished to see his face at that moment — his kind eyes and honest smile. He wished to know he is fine. Fortunately, these storms did not last long. They moved on. He already felt the first gust of wind. He breathed it in deeply. There was salt in it — a trace of home.
When he looked the other way he was astounded that the forest spread for many more miles to the west. Different parts of the forest clearly formed different patterns. There were hundreds types of trees with different leaf patterns, height, bark and branch structure. The vast majority of them were of many different shades of green. Some featured yellow or red leaves in some places and a few of them were entirely in a different color. It was a subtle but profound diversity. Not as evident as it was with coral reefs but none the less impressive.
A flock of large red birds with blue tail feathers have raised from the tree crowns up in the sky. They flew above his head and right after that the wind became stronger. He could see small clouds forming in the lower parts of the forest. The air got damp, even this high up. But most of all, he could feel the suspense. The breathing of leaves, the little insects seeking shelter and various bigger animals migrating to different parts of the forest or to their dens and homes. This all resulted in change of patterns and a subtle hum, comforting but also alerting. Eluah huddled himself closer to the trunk of the tree and closed his eyes.
Janisse listened.
Piri piri piri. Pi pi. Piri piri.
Several small white beards flew by and in a moment they were gone. Something interesting was going on to the west. Something exciting. Arbis were curious little critters and they wanted to be nearby.
Ouu gua gua gua! Garr garr auga agua!
Monkeys were signalling caution and uncertainty somewhere in the north.
A sharp and strong sound of Gah Gah!, Ga Gah! Ga Gah! arrived further from northwest — darkness and danger. Janisse knew this was a Galoo and that it was warning others to fly away. These large black birds avoided any strange situations and they seeked calmer parts of the forest. Janisse also sensed many other signals, some consciously, some unconsciously and all of them together gave her a good direction where to go — the forrest sent her a chaotic mix of sounds and scents but after filtering and decoding them, she could uncover the underlying message. She shivered. He entered the darkest part of the forest. You fool, she thought again.
Eluah’s eyes were closed, but twitching.
Memories of things that never happened, nostalgia for unknown feelings. A wave that kept going, bringing water into the forest. The ocean inside the forest and a forest inside the ocean. A world of up and down inside out. The world of fluid noises and harmonious visions manifesting themselves through memories of injected realities. A breakthrough. A crash. The pattern of patterns. When you know that this is it. Yes. You. Or them. It does not matter. Breathing. Night breeze, morning chills, monthly tides. Stillness of the depths. Safe islands inside the tree crowns. Isolation and omnipresence. Again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and never before. Return to beginning. Tap tap tap tap — the march of thousands of little legs echoing. Hidden sentient complexity. Streams of water from great distances carrying insight of previous generations. Washing away anxiety and reason. Manipulated mystery. An omnipresent voice shouting You should have, you should have, you should have.
Eluah wanted to open his eyes but he could not. He was too afraid. The water was rising and soon it would reach the tree crowns. He could feel it.
Breathe! the voices said.
Or don’t. They added.
Keeping his eyes closed, he knew there was only the water and the tree. Nothing else occupied the empty world. The tree was his protector and his saviour. The rising water was an approaching and inevitable doom. The tree was standing alone while the body of water spanned into infinity. The sky was cold and detached. Tap tap tap — the ants kept scouting the tree. It was their duty to protect the bark. They were not afraid of the water. The approaching water was not part of their world and it was not their concern. They lived to serve the tree.
Eluah realized there was a puzzle in their steps. He kept listening. Tap tap tap. There was a pattern. They were marching either straight up or straight down. They were going to one specific place. When Eluah focused it was as if his mind travelled there. He would not see or hear, but he could smell as if he was there. And it was the most wonderful aroma of freshness, energy and earthness. It filled his heart with energy and hope.
He opened his eyes and looked straight up. He climbed to the very top of the tree and beneath a branch there it was — three bright yellow fruits growing on a vine that encircled the tree trunk. One of the fruits had its juice dripping on the bark and a swarm of ants were around drinking it.
The taste of the fruit was indescribable. It was infinitely tasty, but also infinitely refreshing and fulfilling. This was the real food and everything else he had ever eaten was only something that pretended to be food. The world lost its dark gloomy cover. It was shining, not brightly, like the sun, but it was shining with information. Everything — all the substances and patterns radiated their true meaning and intent. He noticed the small yellow particles flowing through air, getting deep into his throat and lungs. He sensed they tried to enter his blood and mind and contort him to their will, to the will of the forest. But they could not beat the clarity of Saiari.
Eluah’s calm nature fought with the excitement and empowerment.
He quickly climbed down the tree and when he turned away from the tree trunk he suddenly looked into Janisse’s eyes. Of course she was standing there. Of course she knew where he was.
“You found Saiari” she said, without emotion.
“Yes”. Eluah replied. Of course he could understand her now.
“You’re lucky to be alive”
“I know”, Eluah said, slightly grinning.
“It protects you from the delirious pollen, but I don’t have that luxury. We need to get away” Janisse said and Eluah would never tell her face could be that serious. Of course the forest there had an impact on her mind. It was visible in her eyes — all those little muscles that were cramped up gave away how uncomfortable she was.
“I can share” Eluah said, honestly worried.
“No, keep it. And follow me.”
Janisse was impressed how controlled Eluah was. Usually when people had their first bite of Saiari, they were completely overwhelmed. They felt ecstatic and they felt their possibilities were limitless. They could not tell what Saiari really allowed them to do, and what was only an illusion. Eluah clearly thought he could speak with her. He could not. He only thought so. But other than that, he kept his temper. Maybe because the state of Sahlia mitigated the effect of the fruit. Maybe Eluah was just resistant.
She went fast and Eluah barely kept up with her. She heard subtle signs of him struggling far behind. Thanks to the fruit he could sense her so far ahead, but still, she could go a little faster and loose him completely. Ideal. He needed to be pushed towards the edge of his abilities. Just like she was her whole life.
Movement was her escape. Moving meant surviving.
“Keep up!” she shouted, when she did not heard Eluah for a while, giving him a signal to follow.
“I do”, he replied from behind a tree, in her own tongue.
“You learn fast”, Janisse nodded, hiding her surprise and avoiding his deep blue eyes. “Let’s go”, she added and ran between the trees, this time not limiting herself at all.
As they ran, Eluah registered the different parts of the forest he saw from the above. He saw the strange red trees. Sometimes he saw strange marks in the tree bark and so he suspected Janisse was following some secret route. In a clearing, he could see great waterfalls somewhere in the south but he did not have time to think about their beauty. He could not think about all the strange animals they encountered. He could only focus on perfecting every movement, avoiding vines, avoiding hurting his feet and climbing trees when there was no other option. His whole body was drenched with sweat and all his muscles were cramped and hurting but he knew he had to keep going.
He did not know where Janisse was taking him but he had no destination and he trusted her. He only knew he needed to get out of the forest eventually.
When the night came, he ate another Saiari, feeling another surge in energy and hope, but even then he had a huge struggle keeping up with her. At many occasions she grabbed his hand — when a snake was nearby or when he nearly stepped inside a swamp — and at those occasions it was very hard for him to let go. The fruit enhanced the sensation and he could feel her warmth and her heartbeat.
“Follow”, she kept repeating, when he was losing it and the night and fatigue overwhelmed him. And he did, because as long as he heard her voice, he knew there was a reason to keep going.
“Follow, so they don’t find you” he thought he heard once.
Eventually his mind became so tired that he lost track of time. His entire consciousness consisted of the figure of Janisse always ahead of him and placing his legs in the right places. Maybe it all took minutes, maybe hours, but slowly the forest sounds calmed down and the sky became lighter. It went almost silent when the sky peaked in its red-orange color. He noticed there was more and more sand in the soil between his fingers.
The forest was less dense. Janisse enjoyed that moment and slowed down as if declaring victory.
She stopped at a tree that was marked, yet again, with a sign. With a triumphant look she nodded towards the tree.
“Go”, she said, kindly.
As soon as they reached a wide enough branch, Eluah’s legs and arms completely gave up. Janisse laid beside him, elegantly, clearly still having tons of energy left. He watched her with admiration and gratitude. She repeated his look. This time she endured the darkness in his eyes. She was curious and her eyes were full of questions, if only she could speak his tongue. Eluah grabbed her hand and fell asleep.
There were no dreams this time. He only remembered the deep desire to sleep forever. Sleep forever beside her.When Eluah woke up, it was light again, meaning he slept through a whole day and night. Janisse was gone.
Next chapter (3/3):
Originally published at www.inkitt.com on September 4, 2018.
