|
Author’s Note: This story the sequel to my other story, The Legend of Merriwillo
which can be found in Issue 124. I strongly suggest reading the first installment,
and then read this one. You won’t be disappointed!
********
Rollo, the shadow Kougra, and his owner, Konrad, walked
through the town of Merriwillo, conversing in hushed voices. They were arguing
about the choice that Konrad had made.
“I can’t believe you got to make this decision
ALL by yourself without even asking me!” Rollo groaned.
“Listen, Rollo, I want to stay here as much
as you do, but you know I need to get back to my job. Tell you what; we’ll visit
back here in a couple of weeks. Go for a vacation. How about that?”
“Well, I guess so if the dictator here won’t
change his mind. You are no fun!”
Konrad pushed playfully at his beloved pet.
“Cheer up, old boy. We’re not leaving forever. Besides, all our belongings are
at home.”
“Yeah, I guess so…” Rollo grumbled. The two
walked in silence after that. Both were very sad to leave the lovely town of
Merriwillo, but it had to be done, for now at least.
“Where are you going?” an Acara called out from
the street.
Konrad replied, “We’re leaving for now, though
we may return. We leave you with best wishes!” The Acara didn’t reply, but looked
strangely at them, and then smirked.
“That was odd,” Rollo whispered.
“No, it’s nothing. They’re just sad to see us
go.” But Konrad was wrong. Every pet or human they wished farewell either smirked
and laughed, or glared strangely at them, as if they knew something that Konrad
and Rollo didn’t. After a while, it began to creep them out. Soon the two were
practically sprinting to find the gate that the woman and her Gelert had greeted
them at only a week or two ago.
When they finally arrived at their destination,
Rollo noticed that the woman and the Gelert were standing in the exact same
spots as they had before. It was like neither had budged in weeks.
Konrad smiled at her as they approached, “Well,
it’s been a nice stay, but we’ll have to be taking our leave now.”
“What do you mean?” she asked with confusion.
“Well, we’re L-E-A-V-I-N-G. You know, going
home?” Rollo spelled out for her. Rollo laughed at his joke, but the woman remained
unmoved.
The woman then chuckled, mocking them as the
others had, “But why would you want to leave? Is this town not perfect?”
“It’s nice, but we have our own home. In fact,
we’ll be going now. Goodbye!” Konrad began to walk forward to pass outside the
gates, but the woman stepped in front of him. The Gelert did the same to Rollo.
“No one ever wants to leave here, for here it
is perfect. Every other town will not compare to this paradise. No, you will
not be going, for you have come. Therefore, you cannot leave. ”
“Yes, we will be going. Now I don’t even know
if we’ll ever return!” Konrad’s voice was rising in anger. “Who are you to tell
us what to do?”
“We,” she motioned to the Gelert, “are the gate
keepers of Merriwillo. No one leaves or enters without our consent. But I am
feeling good today. I will let you, as you call it, “leave.” But remember my
words. No one really leaves Merriwillo. No one really escapes. I will be seeing
you soon.” The woman and her Gelert stepped aside to let them pass. They both
began to laugh, an evil laugh. Hurriedly, Konrad and Rollo whisked past the
two, afraid they might try to stop them from leaving again. But even as the
two practically ran from Merriwillo, the woman’s laugh could still be heard
everywhere. Chills ran up Konrad’s and Rollo’s spine, afraid again for what
might happen to them. The woman had seemed so sincere. Could she be telling
the truth?
The thought was swiftly swept from their mind.
The sun was shining brightly, the clouds were puffy and blue, and the wind whistled
softly, brushing locks of shaggy hair against Konrad’s face. What a beautiful
day. Except for that laugh. Rollo could still hear it echoing, biting at his
mind. Finally, “Konrad, what do you think that lady meant about never escaping?”
“Don’t worry, Rollo. I’m sure she’s full of
bologna. Besides, as long as we stick together, we’ll be fine.” Rollo smiled
wearily at Konrad, trusting his every word. To get the laugh off his mind, he
started humming that ever-familiar tune,
“15 men on a dead man’s chest, Yo ho ho and
a bottle of…”
*******
“So, which way do you reckon we take?” Rollo asked Konrad timidly. The two
stared up at the creepy forest that they had once been lost in. He couldn’t
help thinking about his first encounter with it,
“The trees all stood extremely tall with sharp
branches protruding from the trunk all the way up to the think bushy part at
the top. Various weeds, small and large, smooth and prickly, dotted the forest
floor. Frightening bugs and wild petpets could be heard making noises or, from
the rustling leaves, simply just creeping around. No light was seen illuminating
the dark space, except for a few treeless spaces where natural skylights were
created. The forest boundary looked as to go on forever for no ending could
be sighted. It was almost as if they were looking in at a ghost-town.”
“Isn’t there another way around?” Rollo peeped
hopefully.
“I don’t think so. We’ll just have to try our
luck and hope for the best,” Konrad tried to lift Rollo’s spirits, but failed.
Konrad himself was feeling rather crummy and hopeless.
Rollo stared at the ground once again. All of
a sudden, two familiar paws were planted in front of him. Looking up, the Pirate
Kougra stood before him! Yes, the same Pirate Kougra that had helped them find
Merriwillo before. Rollo sprang to his paws.
“Yes! I wished so much that you’d come back!
You’re here to help us, right?”
“Hmm, mate… help may be seen in different ways.
But yes, I would say it’s helping,” Ezhno had a twinkle in his eyes that scared
Rollo. However, he called to Konrad.
“Konrad! Look who’s here to help us!” Konrad
turned around and looked at Rollo. From his point of view, Rollo was talking
and pointing to nothing.
Konrad rolled his eyes and sighed, “Aren’t you
a bit too old for imaginary friends?”
“What are you talking about? Don’t you see him???”
Konrad grew a bit angry. “Let’s not play games
now. We need to make a plan.”
“He can’t see me, young mate,” Ezhno spoke.
“Humans don’t see me.”
“Why not?”
Ezhno laughed, the same laugh as the lady’s,
“Hmm… none can truly say. But do now dwell on unneeded things. How about I get
ye out of the fix now?”
“Oh that’d be great! Please lead us anywhere
but through this forest!”
“As you wish. Just make sure your owner follows.”
“Sure thing,” Rollo clapped his hands in happiness
and turned to Konrad who was staring strangely at him, “Konrad, will you follow
me? Will you trust me? Remember, I lead you out of the forest. Trust me once
more. Somehow, I know I can get us out of this.”
Konrad hesitated but nodded reluctantly after
gazing deep into Rollo’s sincere eyes, “If you think you and your imaginary
friend can get us out of here, then I will trust you. You have never failed
me before.”
Rollo grinned, and turned to Ezhno. “Alright,
follow me then.” The Pirate Kougra began to glide away from the forest in the
opposite direction of Merriwillo. Rollo and Konrad began to run to catch up,
relieved that they were not traveling to Merriwillo. The woman would never find
them now, not with Ezhno to protect them. But, Rollo wondered, if Ezhno was
a legend of Merriwillo, why was Merriwillo such an odd town?
After about an hour of traveling, Konrad began
to yell at Rollo, who began to yell at Ezhno, “We need a break! Please, slow
down or stop! We are not as strong as you!” To their relief, Ezhno slowed and
soon halted. Both owner and pet fell to the ground. When they looked up, Ezhno
was nowhere to be seen. Instead… the woman and her Gelert stood in front of
them. Behind her were those gates, and through them was the town of… Merriwillo.
“Greetings, once again. Did I not tell that
you couldn’t escape? No, once you enter Merriwillo, there is not such a thing
as “leaving.””
Konrad and Rollo gaped. “Yes, I know it was
Ezhno who brought you here. For he is our guardian of Merriwillo. You see, when
Ezhno first came here and started a town with his family, they were soon besieged
by roaming pirates, and never allowed to leave. Eventually, he and his family
just sort of faded off. They weren’t fully alive, yet not fully gone. While
Ezhno’s family decided to leave here and roam the land, Ezhno decided to stay
with the town he had lived so long in. But not just stay, but also continue
its growth.
“He decided that any pet or owner to wander
into this town should stay and become like he himself. A ghost, almost, not
alive but not yet gone. Now, of course no one would want to live here if they
knew everyone was just a shadow, so Ezhno disguised it. To normal eyes, this
town would seem perfect,” as the woman spoke, she drew closer. Reaching out,
she touched Rollo and Konrad lightly each with one hand. Both boys shivered
coldly, for her touch was frigid, light, and creepy, almost as if she had not
really touched them, “But to those who are like shadows and reside in this Merriwillo
eternally, the disguise is unshielded.” She took her hand back, and stepped
out of their view to let them gaze upon the town behind the gates.
Rollo gasped in horror as his heart started
racing. This was not the merry town of Merriwillo that the two had taken refuge
in. It was like a… ghost-town. Everything was gray and broken. Spider webs caked
the windows of the crippled buildings. Cracks covered the once shiny roads,
and the gates were crumbling and dangerous. Worst of all were the other pets
and owners that had lived there, who had seemed so happy and charming. They
looked gaunt and faded, like shadows. No, this was not Merriwillo.
“Yes, now you truly see the secret of Merriwillo.
It is not for the faint of heart, but rather the ones who will live her for
eternity,” the woman spoke again. When Konrad looked back to her, she appeared
the same as the other shadowed pets. “Welcome to your new home…” She let out
a crackled snicker.
Konrad and Rollo shook their heads, “No, we
aren’t staying. We have to leave now.”
The woman’s laugh was cut off sharply, “Do you
not listen? No you cannot leave. Where would you go, looking as you are? No,
you belong here.” With that she took a giant leap to get behind Konrad and Rollo.
With a great heave she pushed them towards the hard marble gates. Both boys
shrieked, awaiting the pain that would surely come. Instead, they simply glided
through the wall without a touch of pain.
Gasping with shock, Rollo and Konrad looked
at each other, ready to express what magic had befallen them, but instead gasped
again. Each one had turned a transparent, light, fragile shadow, exactly like
the shadow pets that inhabited Merriwillo. Without a word, Rollo reached to
touch Konrad's cheek, but his hand fell through, touching nothing. With a sharp
swallow, the woman spoke once more, "Now you are one us. Now you reside in Merriwillo.
Now you are among the eternal..." As she stopped speaking the gates began to
close, locking Konrad and Rollo, a Shadow Kougra, into the dark streets of the
haunted town of Merriwillo.
**********
Author's Note: I hope you liked the odd ending. I happen to like this freak,
mysterious endings… for, yes, this is the end for it will not be continued.
Neomail me with any comments. Thanks and I hope you enjoyed!
| 
