“Ardel,
let’s talk to the House about this?”
“O.K,” he says.
“Did
you hear our conversation with C-woo-ba?” I ask.
“Yes, what do you want to know?”
“How do the Demons walk into this area
from the vacant hole or whatever it is?”
“They know how to manipulate
frequency and enter through a small warp that opens between levels of
dimensions.”
I look at Ardel, lift my eyebrows in
question, “Can we learn how to do that?” I ask.
“Yes, but it will take study and
concentration. Until you learn, you will need help.”
“We don’t have enough information or
any idea how to help,” I say.
“You will,” we are told.
We say at the same time, “That’s good.”
Ardel
adds, “We’ll appreciate knowing more.”
“I’ll explain,” the House continues,
“you’ll need your transporter pods, an assistant will be with you. The Demons are
unpredictable and attack without warning.
Don’t go anywhere alone, you
don’t want to be caught and ripped apart for food. You must keep out of their
way.”
“I’ll
describe the Demons. They are twice as tall as you, with long brown hair
covering their bodies. They have narrow pointed teeth, long claws, and when
transformed from the Gentle Giants they once were, became night stalkers. The
Demons are only a foot long at birth, and grow slowly until they reach maturity.
When they are fifteen to twenty feet in height, growth stops. At this point their
bodies expand wider and grow heavier, eventually prohibiting movement and their
labored breathing stops. Gravity is cruel to them. At the end of their life
cycle, they look like a two-ton mound of soft furry mud, much like a cows’ plop
with fur or hair. When they are no longer able to fend for themselves, the
strong ones guide them to their final resting place where the younger members
take over, providing for their needs until death. They are settled in among others in the same
last stages, so do not suffer loneliness.
“Before
being called Demons they were plant eating Gentle Giants, and kind to everyone.
Outstar People came and experimented with living organisms. Some of the worst
damage was inflicted on the Gentle Giants. These travelers rearranged their four
molecule chemical compounds, which morphed into the creation of a carnivorous
monster.”
“Oh,
how sad,” Ardel says.
“The
tribe is correct; you were brought here to help.”
That stuns both of us. Ardel
squeezes my hand. The last statement raises even more questions.
“How is all this going to work?”
Ardel asks.
“You will be staying in Houses exactly
like this. Their exteriors differ, and will blend in with the surroundings. You
will see tunnels, caverns, unfamiliar forms, all depending on the areas you are
in. You will be given information on how to find each House. We’ll guide you in
your transporter pods around the planet. You’ll be kept safe.”
“Thank you. Since the two of us are
not used to conflict, we appreciate your assistance.”
“You’ll take three pods. One will
carry the two of you and an assistant. The
two empty pods shall bring back victims. You’ll be supplied a substance that
must be sprayed directly on the Demons. It’ll be inhaled and absorbed into
their skin, which will create the change necessary to return their original
chemical structure so they’ll simply be Gentle Giants once again. They now live
in conflict, confusion and frustration.”
“Only in peace can beings explore
their true potential.“ The House says.
--------------------------------
C-woo-ba shows up just past sunrise,
bringing a gentleman with her. He, too, is maybe 20 inches tall. He has dark,
thick curly hair, and sports a moustache. He wears woven dark grey slacks and a
green vest over a clean white shirt. We go into the House to sit down. Two
chairs appear that accommodate their diminutive size.
“Good morning, C-woo-ba. Who is your
friend?” I ask.
“This is Chi-vee, he is the maker of
fine shoes, hats, and baskets. He is also brave.” C-woo-ba shyly glances at him
with this last remark.
“It is a pleasure to meet you,” I say.
“I am glad to meet you, as well,” he
responds.
I
notice the look that passes between C-woo-ba and Chi-vee. I recognize that as a
loving look.
C-woo-ba
says, “I am returning your basket. We wanted to know what you eat.”
“We
wondered what had happened to our picnic set up. Thank you,” I take it from her
delicate hands.
Ardel
chimes in, “I’m pleased to meet you too, Chi-vee.”
C-woo-ba begins, “Our stories have
been shared of long ago. Our forefathers renamed the Gentle Giants to Demons. During
the reign of chaos, an opening showed across the meadow not far from here, and
the Demons walked into it en masse and vanished. They sometimes return so our
fear continues.”
“We have been told about the tragedy
that occurred across your lands,” I say.
Chi-vee responds, “The stories are consistent.
The Outstar People claimed to be scientists and promised a better life. Instead
they scrambled living genes. Our world as we knew it changed. We, as many,
returned to basic survival techniques. Some civilizations lost the motivation to
survive and starved to death. They’ve been found sitting in a thoughtful pose,
never to move again. Bones can be seen frozen in place. Once productive
villages have turned to dust. It remains a sad time.”
“Were all living beings affected?” I
ask.
“Humanoids and intelligent beings
were targeted. The Gentle Giants were changed the most. The Outstar Travelers
left the smaller critters and plants alone.” C–woo-ba said.
“How long were the Outstar People here
and what do you know about them?”
“They stayed fifteen full moon
cycles. One day they vanished, leaving our world in shambles,” C-woo-ba said.
“We worry they will come through the
same empty space as the Demons do,” added Chi-vee. “We never want to see them
again.”
“Thank you for your information. We
will do what we must.” Ardel says.
After we say our good-byes, I walk
into Ardel’s open arms and we stand awhile, hugging in silence.
-----------------------------------------------
Ardel
is out getting the three transporter pods loaded for the operation we are about
to begin.
I
stay behind to pack and ask the House what will be needed to take. The list is
short. We will first be going to what will be referred to as our home base. Everything
necessary will be there, I’m told.
Last
night we were shown images of the Demons and whatever else would be useful for
us. Ardel and I watched hologram highlights of the assault perpetrated by the
Outsiders. It was as if we were right there. What the Outsiders did was a
violent assault on the innocent and was tragic. They wore a coating over their humanoid
shaped bodies that looked pliable and we noticed ‘pockets’ that first seemed hidden.
This gave easy access to the implements they used in surprising their victims.
They attacked peaceful beings. We could see they are part human, part reptilian,
with rough pale green skin and cold solid black eyes, no lips around a line
barely noticeable for a mouth, two holes for nostrils. They don’t seem to have
ears, and their heads are bald and scaly. They have slender legs and feet, thin
arms with hands showing long fingers oddly out of place, since there are only
four and all the same length. They are
definitely not a robotic creation.
We
noticed when agitated, they ‘hiss’ at their subjects. That would render me into a useless puddle of
panic.
The
gentle natured Giants show they are thunderstruck and clueless. It’s not a fair battle. “Honey, I’m glad we
are going to help. This is so sad to watch,” I say.
“Too
bad the Outsiders couldn’t have been stopped before the tragic invasion caused
so much damage,” he adds.
---------------------------------