The Loch.

August 29, 2012 07:49PM

On the Wings of Eagles

The Loch

-With large wings, beating powerfully, the vision in white continued to hover in front of Sergeant Aveara, its words said over and over, as the leader stood, her knees trembling. (?)”Whatever you do….Don’t pay the ferry man…don’t even fix a price….Don’t pay the ferry man…until he gets you to the other side….” Private Pie is now pacing back in the pouring rain, throwing his hands up as he keeps blurting “PIE PIE PIE PIE PIE PIE…PIIIIEEE!” Up ahead the Privates, Benjamin and Ryan are both introducing themselves to the Hooded man, who stands with a tall staff, that is adorned with a glistening white skull. Tossing their backpacks and guns into the ferry, Private Benjamin is inspecting the inside of the ferry, while saying- (Private Benjamin)”Is this thing seaworthy? Dude…this boat looks like its been brought from the dark ages. Who was your boat builder? Noah?” – Private Ryan was trying to catch a look at the face of the Ferry man, by tilting his head to the left and peering as he said- “We need passage over this loch…Me, the Sarge, Benjamin….cloaked mystery man, and…*then he hears Private Pie screaming out “PIIIEEE!”, and shrugs*..maybe not Pie over there, so, how much?” It was as Private Ryan said this, there was a god awful shriek that came from the Sergeant  whose eyes were rolling back into her head, and all of a sudden, she collapsed onto the pebbled shoreline. Both Privates turn away from the Ferry man, and run towards the Sarge, who is having a seizure on the ground, muttering the same words, over and over, the fever and hallucinations picking up pace.

*

(Privates in unison) “SARGE!!” Both get to her and bend down to hear her words.”Don’t……pay….the….the…..ferrry…m…m….m…aaann” -she struggles to say, her face pushed against the stones from the weight of her backpack. The man who had all this time, kept pretty much silent, raised a hand out to them, and then removed the back pack and gun from the Sarge, handing them to the two men, as Pie seemed to be going mad, shouting about Pie….and death awaiting. (Hooded man)”I will carry her, you two lads, get her gear to the ferry, and then, one of you, sort out Private Pie. Private Benjamin didn’t need to be told twice, as he watched the hooded man lift up the Sarge in a fireman lift, and then grinned as he marched over to Private Pie, who was swaying back and forth, his eyes bulging. “Oh..hey Pie…check out what I found?”- When Pie looked up, Private Benjamin brought his fist round and king hit Pie, knocking him off his feet and out cold. He dropped like a sack of potatoes, hitting the pebbled shore with a crunch. “Well…no more pie for you.”- He reached down and picked up the unconscious Private Pie, slinging him over his shoulder and marching over with the others to board the ferry.At the ferry, the Ferry man stood silently, watching as all were attempting to board, Private Ryan getting in first, to assist the Hooded man in getting Aveara on board, as she seemed to have lost the power in her legs, her eyes wide open, and her mouth opening and closing, trying desperately to warn them of what she had seen, and been told. All of them were now drenched as the heavy rains did not let up. The clouds parted for a moment, revealing the dying moon, or so its seemed, for its rays had somehow lost its luster  Had darkness gripped the last of light, for only the lantern that swung off the mast offered any light or hope it seemed. Private Benjamin came up and tossed the unconscious Private Pie in the ferry where he would land on the pile of backpacks. He watched the Ferry man get on board, and make his way to the rudder, nodding his hood, to Benjamin and the Hooded man who traveled with them.

*

The signal to push the ferry out into the loch. Both men got up the far end and with exertion, they pushed and grunted, till the ferry was afloat, then both waded in and clamored over the sides. Now aboard….there would be no turning back, as the Ferry man looked back at a figure he could see through the trees and approaching. “You better get on board….my friend. You don’t want to miss this…”Laying on a wet blanket, her eyes staring up at the sky, Avaera was seeing another possible hallucination. A woman, her face marked with that of blood. Standing before a fire pit, a blade is drawn, and then the woman approaches Avaera in her dream state, a dream that is lucid, for she is actually awake. The woman then thrusts the blade into Aveara’s chest, and she cries out in agony both in the real time and in the hallucination. Stepping back, the woman is now holding her beating heart in her hand, whilst Aveara is grits her teeth, her face contorted from the unbearable pain. She was actually feeling this. Private Benjamin gets down beside her, trying to comfort his leader. She had brought them this far, and now he figured she had some sort of jungle madness. He tried to shush her, taking her up in his arms as her eyes were wide, a look of horror as the woman she could see was holding her heart over the open flames of the pit. The blade is dripping in her blood, held in the woman’s other hand. But the woman doesn’t drop her heart, she is standing still, and there is no look of malice or hate. Just staring at her, no sound, no voice. What was she waiting for? Is this how she would die? Is this real? The heart continued to beat, dripping upon the flames, as two more women approached the flame pit, wearing the clothing of Amazonian like warriors. Feathers in their hair, faces marked with the same blood symbols, and all three started to chant, as they raised their hands towards the beating heart, held by the Priestess. Aveara was lost to what was happening, while the ferry was now caught up in a terrible storm, the lightning more ferocious as it blazed across the night sky.

*

The howling wind, tearing at the sail that was driving the ferry forward. Private Ryan was now struggling to hold the ropes as a large wave crashed over the side of the ferry. It was then the Ferry man started to laugh and said.(Ferryman)”There is trouble ahead. So you must pay me now. (Don’t do it)….You must pay me now! (Don’t do it)”Aveara, who was in the throes of her crazed mind, was then screaming out for all to hear, as the ship was hit by something large, that had come up from the deep. A large purple flipper, slapping the side of the ferry. Private Ryan screamed. “IT’S THE SEA CREATURE OF THE LOCH!” The ship lurched violently, as the rain continued to come down hard, and the Ferry man hooted with laughter. (Ferry man)”YOU SHOULD HAVE PAID ME!! AHAHAHAHAAHA!” Private Ryan ran to get his las gun and picking one up he pointed it at the massive creature that was raising its head out from the waves, that were smashing against the ship. Private Ryan pulled the trigger of his gun, and…nothing happened. (Prvate Ryan)”NOOOOO…fire…fire…fire….AARGGGGHHH!” <3>