All posts tagged mermaid

Moving Forwards part 19

He marched back to the mermaids. The Flute Bearer was still playing. The Spiral slithered about gurgling and gesturing, sometimes looking into the sky.

‘Please,’ said Rodger, ‘can’t you make it go any faster?’

The Flute Bearer kept playing and the Spiral kept gurgling. Rodger sighed and marched off in front again.

During the day, the mermaids took turns playing their flutes. Rodger walked back and forth numerous times, but no matter how fast he walked in front of the mermaids and the tree, the tree did not move any faster.

When night came and the mermaids insisted on stopping, Rodger checked his watch. The Machine would do the next jump in about 37 hours. If it had just been him, it would be plenty of time, but now he was not so sure.

The next day was torture. As the sun raced across the sky, the tree crept forwards at a snail’s pace. He tried to push the Spiral forwards, but it just gurgled and pointed to the tree, and he did not dare touch the Flute Bearer for fear it might leave. It would probably only take even longer if there was only one mermaid to play. To top it off, all through the day his thigh burned and itched in equal measure.

When the sky grew dark and they stopped playing, Rodger went up close to the Spiral.

‘Look, I’m really grateful for your help,’ he said, trying to figure out how he would mime ‘grateful’, ‘but it’s very important that I get there in time.’ He pointed to his watch. No, they did not have those. He moved his hand across the sky from horizon to horizon. ‘So, please,’ he folded his hands, ‘please can we move on?’ He took he Spiral’s hand and turned to go, but the Spiral pulled its hand back.

‘Please,’ said Rodger.

The Spiral gurgled and pointed to the water.

‘Oh, come on.’ Rodger Grabbed its hand, yanked it forwards. The Spiral fell forwards and pain shot up Rodger’s arm as a stone connected with his elbow.

‘Ouch!’ Rodger let go of the Spiral and cradled his arm. The Flute Bearer slithered past him without looking at him, touched the Spiral on the shoulder and moved towards the water. The Spiral looked from Rodger to the Flute Bearer and turned to follow.

‘No, wait,’ said Rodger. The Spiral looked over its shoulder, but continued into the water.

‘Please!’

The mermaids disappeared beneath the waves. After an hour, they had still not returned with any seaweed.

 

——————————-

Read part one here: http://abolg.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/moving-forwards-part-1/

Leave a Comment
by W. R. Woolf on May 11, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Short Story, Stories
Tagged , , , , , , ,

Posted by W. R. Woolf on May 11, 2012

http://abolg.wordpress.com/2012/05/11/moving-forwards-part-19/

Moving Forwards part 17

The Spiral rose up slowly, stretched and slithered over to Rodger. He noticed that it now had its own flute around its neck.

‘What, are you alright now?’

The Spiral stretched and gurgled and pointed to the sun.

‘I’ll take that as a yes,’ said Rodger, ‘can you get your friend up?’ he pointed to the other mermaid. Even though the Spiral had a flute as well, he still thought of the other one as the Flute Bearer. ‘We have to hurry to the machine,’ he pointed the way that he wanted to go.

The Spiral slithered over to the Flute Bearer and tickled it with its tail. The Flute Bearer jumped up and threw itself at the Spiral gurgling.

‘Argh,’ Rodger stepped close to them, ‘we don’t have time for that,’ he grabbed the Spiral by the wrist and strode down the path dragging it along. The Spiral gurgled and resisted at first, but after a while it seemed to get his meaning and it slithered along beside him without him having to drag it.

Rodger felt bad about being such a killjoy, but he would feel worse if he missed the machine. He just had to get inside before the next jump.

Rodger made sure they kept a fast pace most of that day, but even so when night came, they had only just passed the spot where he slept the second night. Rodger wanted to press on, but the mermaids pointed very insistently to the water. When they came up with seaweed again, Rodger stopped them before they could throw it over him.

‘Do you really think that’s necessary?’ He pushed the Spiral away gently. The Spiral made a very convincing buzzing sound and Rodger let them arrange the cold seaweed camouflage.

The next day was not as cloudless as the previous, but it was still warm. When they reached the end of the islands, the hole in the sky was very clear. Rodger pointed it out to the mermaids with a laugh. It was all right, he was going to make it. The mermaids did not seem thrilled.

Rodger pointed to their flutes, to the nearest tree, to himself, to the hole in the sky. The mermaids stared at him. He went to the beach at one end of the island and drew in the sand.

First himself as a stick figure then a mermaid as a snake tail with the body of a stick figure. He added the hole in the sky and drew Frederick in the hole. Then he drew one of the trees in its curled state. He pointed to the Spiral’s flute and drew the tree with its branches stretched towards the sky. Then he pointed to himself and drew a stick figure in the branches.

‘You see?’ he said, ‘I just need you to bring one of these trees.’ Rodger pointed to the trees. The mermaids gurgled and gestured to each other.

‘Please,’ said Rodger.

The Spiral turned to him and made the buzzing sound.

‘I know, but it’s very important.’ Rodger stabbed at the drawing of the hole in the sky with one finger. The mermaids gurgled some more, their gestures became faster. Then the Spiral took the flute from its neck and put it to its lips. The Flute Bearer yanked the flute away while gurgling and gesticulating violently. The Spiral tried to grab it back, but the Flute Bearer held it out of reach.

 

———————————————————–

read part one here: http://abolg.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/moving-forwards-part-1/

4 Comments
by W. R. Woolf on May 4, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Short Story, Stories
Tagged , , , , , ,

Posted by W. R. Woolf on May 4, 2012

http://abolg.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/moving-forwards-part-17/

Moving Forwards part 14

Rodger backed away. One step. Two. Three.  And the leash grew taut. The mermaid struggled even more. Rodger glanced at the Spiral. It might be suffocating. He stepped close and fumbled with the safety harness. There seemed to be a low bussing in his ears. The Spiral pulled at the harness around its throat and scratched Rodger in the process.

‘Will you calm down!’ Rodger forced the Spiral’s hands away and loosened the harness to the point that he worried it might slip right off.

The buzzing rapidly grew in volume and made him look up.

‘Get down!’ He threw himself down on top of the Spiral just as the praying mantis swooped down at them. He glanced from the mermaid hyperventilating beneath him to the praying mantis above probably making ready for another swoop.

‘This is just my luck,’ Rodger slipped the safety harness over the Spiral’s head and rolled off it. ‘Run!’ He looked up again to see which way to dodge, but he could not find the praying mantis in the sky. The music stopped. Rodger looked for the flute bearer. It was lying on its side as if it had thrown itself down. The flute was about a metre away on the stones. As he spotted the praying mantis, he picked up a stone. The flute bearer twisted around and made for the trees.

‘Hey!’ shouted Rodger, ‘Hey! Here!’

Either the praying mantis could not hear him or it was ignoring him. Either way it swooped at the flute bearer. Rodger threw the stone with all his strength and hit the wing of the praying mantis. The praying mantis wobbled in the air. Rodger picked up two more stones as it straightened up.

Now at least he had its full attention. It made straight for him. He threw another stone which hit its belly and glanced off. Somewhere the music began again. He threw himself to one side and felt the whoosh of air as the praying mantis dived right past him. He stumbled backwards towards the island keeping his eyes on the praying mantis as it soared again and turned to dive.

He swallowed. Why had he suddenly felt the need to play the hero? Stupid. The praying mantis came for him and he rolled aside, but not quite fast enough. His thigh burned as it ripped through his trousers. He gasped and tried to scramble to his feet, but the praying mantis was already about to dive again. Rodger fell onto his side and watched as it began its descent.

‘Oh shit.’

3 Comments
by W. R. Woolf on April 25, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Short Story, Stories
Tagged , , , , ,

Posted by W. R. Woolf on April 25, 2012

http://abolg.wordpress.com/2012/04/25/moving-forwards-part-14/

Moving Forwards part 13

The Flute Bearer stopped right in front of the next island. There it turned around and looked Rodger directly in the face.

‘Ah,’ said Rodger, ‘good I knew you couldn’t ignore me forever. We have to go the other way.’ He pointed back over his shoulder. The Flute Bearer turned back towards the island and removed some of the white stones from where they rested against the earth. Rodger moved closer keeping the Spiral in front of him like a shield. The Flute Bearer dug down and cut the net with its claws.

‘What are you doing?’ said Rodger.

The Flute Bearer loosened the earth, moved a bit right cut some more net, loosened the earth.

‘Come on,’ said Rodger, ‘You could at least try to communicate with me.’

The Flute Bearer moved a bit to the left and did the same then took off the necklace carrying the flute.

‘How about you?’ said Rodger turning to the Spiral, ‘can you try to explain this?’ He pointed to the Flute Bearer and the earth. Scratched his head. The Spiral inclined its head. Rodger pointed again. The Spiral gurgled and gestured towards the island. Rodger shook his head.

‘I don’t understand.’ He pointed to his head.

The Spiral gurgled again and gestured to the Flute Bearer. The Flute Bearer straightened up and gurgled back at the Spiral. Then it put the flute to its mouth.

’Oh no,’ said Rodger as the lovely music flowed towards him, ‘you can’t trick me into the water with that again. I’m awake this time.’

The Spiral struggled and gurgled at him.

‘Heyheyhey,’ said Rodger, ‘stop that. You’ll just end up tightening it around your throat.’

The trees moved. Rodger froze and watched as they uncurled in slow-motion to the music. He gaped like a fish as their branches bent down and reached towards him.

‘Please,’ he said, ‘you can’t…’

The branches were like tentacles creeping towards him. He shook his head. But wait a minute, he was on the path and the closest tree was still quite far away. They could not possibly reach him here. He took a deep breath.

‘Alright, I can see you are just trying to scare me. Why won’t you just give me a -’

One of the trees moved closer. The roots were moving as if swimming through the earth. It was slow, but it was coming closer.

 

—————————————

Read part one here: http://abolg.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/moving-forwards-part-1/

Leave a Comment
by W. R. Woolf on April 20, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Short Story, Stories
Tagged , , , , ,

Posted by W. R. Woolf on April 20, 2012

http://abolg.wordpress.com/2012/04/20/moving-forwards-part-13/

Moving forwards part 12

Rodger spun around. At the edge of the water was another mermaid creature. Its build and face looked exactly like the first one, but the markings on its head were different. Where the first mermaid had a spiral in the middle of its forehead, this one had what might resemble a vine, creeping across the forehead and down one cheek. Also, this one was wearing a necklace with a flute.

It bent down and picked up another stone. Rodger sprang behind the mermaid with the spiral and pulled it close. The other mermaid lowered the stone. Rodger felt a twinge of guilt. He had to make them understand somehow.

The one with the flute said something; a series of gurgling sounds accompanied by violent gesticulation with the hand not holding a stone. The one Rodger had captured replied with more gurgling and much gentler gestures, but still with one hand on the safety harness around its throat.

The Flute Bearer slithered a bit closer, gurgling again, but with less violent gestures. Rodger looked from one to the other.

‘Look,’ he said, ‘I’m sorry it had to be like this.’ He took half a step away from the Spiral. ‘I never meant any harm.’ He showed his empty left hand and turned the palm up in what he hoped was a welcoming gesture.

The Flute Bearer stopped gurgling and stared at him with those pitch black eyes. Rodger swallowed.

‘But please try to understand,’ he said, ‘I just want to get back to the machine,’ he pointed to the sky. The Flute Bearer started and turned its head this way and that as if searching for something in the sky. Rodger looked up.

The clouds still had a little colour from the fading light, but there was nothing else up there. The Flute Bearer seemed to have reached the same conclusion for he turned his eyes on Rodger and gurgled while making curt gestures at him with one hand.

‘It’s not here,’ Rodger shook his head, ‘it’s back there.’ He pointed back to where he had left the hole in the sky and the machine behind. The Flute Bearer stared at him for another couple of seconds then it raised the stone.

‘Don’t throw those at me!’ Rodger jumped back behind the Spiral. Its target in cover, the Flute Bearer said something to the Spiral instead. The Spiral replied and the Flute Bearer dropped the stone on the path.

‘Phew,’ said Rodger, ‘thanks.’

The Flute Bearer slithered over the stones going in the opposite direction of where Rodger had pointed. It paused to gurgle something at the Spiral then slithered on.

‘Hey,’ said Rodger, ‘where are you going?’

There was no reply.

‘Please, you’ve got to help me. Hey!’ Rodger moved to follow then remembered his captive. ‘Err… could you just follow in front,’ he pointed after the Flute Bearer and pushed the Spiral gently in that direction. It did not need any more encouragement than that. It slithered off after the Flute Bearer and Rodger strode behind it trying his best not to let the leash grow taut. His conscience was bad enough already.

 

——————————————–

Read part 1 here: http://abolg.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/moving-forwards-part-1/

Leave a Comment
by W. R. Woolf on April 18, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Short Story, Stories
Tagged , , , , , ,

Posted by W. R. Woolf on April 18, 2012

http://abolg.wordpress.com/2012/04/18/moving-forwards-part-12/

Moving Forwards part 11

A scaly tail like a snake thrashed and twisted over the stones. The creature scratched his arm, but he gritted his teeth and held his head as far from it as he could, his eyes squinting. Something grazed his jaw and he tightened the safety harness around its throat. It struggled for a few seconds then went completely still.

Rodger opened his eyes properly. The thing was smaller than him. Not only was it shorter when it stood on its tail, its arms and torso were slightly built and gave it an almost child-like appearance.

Its skin was very pale with a bluish tinge and it had strange markings on its bald head which could be tattoos. Its chest expanded and contracted in short pants reminding him of a scared rabbit and as it clutched at the safety harness around its neck it looked very human. Even with the snake tail.

Rodger cleared his throat.

‘Err… I,’ he cleared his throat again, ‘I thought you were… I’m sorry I had to… I didn’t know how to contact you. Do you understand what I’m saying?’

The creature was still panting. Maybe hyperventilating.

‘No, of course you don’t,’ Rodger sighed, ‘how could you.’ He had not even expected to catch something, or perhaps it was rather someone, whom he would want to just talk to. Someone who was perhaps just as afraid of him at he had been of it. He loosened the safety harness a little. ‘Now, please don’t escape.’ He tried to keep his voice soft and calm and hoped the creature would catch some of the meaning.

It breathed a bit more slowly, but he did not know if it was because of his voice or because he had loosened the safety harness. It still seemed most likely that it would flee to the water as soon as he let go of it.

He fastened part of the safety harness around its neck as a collar and held the end tightly like a leash.

‘I’m really sorry, but I have to make you understand,’ he said, ‘and I don’t have time for you to run away.’ He turned the creature gently to look it in the face.

Even when he saw it from the front he had no idea of the sex. It had no breasts and he did not want to make it even worse for the creature by examining it too obviously. Its eyes were large and completely black. They made him feel rather uncomfortable when he looked into them. But that might just be his guilt working on him.

It still clutched the safety harness with both hands. The black nails on its fingers looked like claws. He glanced at his arm. His sleeve was torn and there was a thin line of blood where it had scratched him. He could not really blame it.

‘Don’t worry,’ he said, ‘I won’t tighten it.’ He reached out slowly and gently removed one of its hands from the safety harness. ‘Please,’ he said, ‘I won’t hurt you.’ He waited a few seconds then he reached out for its other hand.

There was a sharp pain in his shoulder as the stone connected.

————————————————

Read part 1 here: http://abolg.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/moving-forwards-part-1/

6 Comments
by W. R. Woolf on April 13, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Short Story, Stories
Tagged , , , , ,

Posted by W. R. Woolf on April 13, 2012

http://abolg.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/moving-forwards-part-11/

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 381 other followers

%d bloggers like this: