Whisperers

  I didn’t want Nia crying.

  She was too beautiful to cry like that.

  The only tears should be tears of joy.

  Tears of laughter.

  My sweetpea, must always be crying happily.

  “When I was faced with the choice to stay your friend or to sever all ties with you, I followed my heart, instead of my head.

  And I knew that that was wrong of me.

  I always knew you liked me.

  More than just a friend.

  And I ignored that too.”

  She slowly cried less.

  She wiped the tears from her cheeks and wiped her hands on her khakis.

  “I am a horrible person.

  I hurt you and you don’t deserve it.”

  I skipped over to Nia.

  Placed the oars to our right and took her hand in mine.

  “Nia, you’re not a horrible person.

  I understand.

  That’s the way you made me feel too.

  Like I was normal.

  You know you helped me deal.

  With the past.”

  Nia shook her head.

  “Still.”

  She looked away.

  “Those things… Giel… said.

  What I… said.”

  She looked at me.

  Smiled sincerely.

  “You didn’t deserve it.

  I’m really sorry.”

  I looked at her and squeezed her hand.

  “It’s all in the past.”

  Not forgotten.

  But in the past.

  May God help me to forgive.

  And in time, to forget.

  “Let’s not talk about this any further.

  That’s not important anymore.”

  I squeezed her hand.

  “Thank you for telling me.”

  We both smiled.

  I stood up and looked at the lake.

  The water sure looked good.

  I was sure it would help me to cool down.

  Without giving it another thought, I took off my shirt and dived in.

  Shoes and all.

  The water was great.

  Exactly what I needed.

  Though my head still pounded.

  My heart still on fire.

  The water quenched some thirst that was deep within me.

  Then there was a blur of bubbles.

  A face.

  Doe eyes.

  Wet.

  Nia.

  Immediately the water went mild.

  She swam around in circles

  Kicked against the boat.

  Went straight towards the bottom of the lake.

  Plants started blossoming.

  Their petals giving off a subtle glow.

  They were all different colours.

  The bright kind.

  Lighting Nia’s way.

  As she descended into the depths of Lake Tranquillity.

  Webbed-sock-feet.

  Umf.

  My sweetpea.

  A school of tiny blue fish sort of swam around Nia.

  Bubbles forming all around her.

  She put her head into the bubbles.

  She suddenly smiled wide.

  Then, as if she had renewed energy, she just swam further into the water.

  I had to get back to the surface.

  The water was now warmer.

  I kept looking to see Nia.

  I could see her clearly.

  All lit by the glow of the water flowers.

  She seemed to try and pick them, but they just disappeared right in front of her.

  Some burst into tiny pieces that glowed and then just seemed to swim away.

  Umf.

  Nia tried to catch the tiny blue fish too.

  They sort of let her close her hand around them.

  Slid away through her fingers.

  She seemed to be giggling whenever they did that.

  I swam back to the boat.

  Hung on the side.

  Made sure that I could see Nia.

  The blue shine, in the sky, was now almost gone.

  We were almost there.

  Protected-Dreams-Forest.

  *Peek-a-boo*

  The trees stood.

  Majestic.

  A rare sight indeed.

  Not like any trees I have ever seen before.

  These seemed to grow much bigger.

  They looked sort of ancient.

  The branches were what made them look odd.

  All sort of in particular shapes.

  Like they were not branches at all.

  Or perhaps just branches I have never seen before.

  Umf.

  I smirked at myself.

  Obvious.

  I suddenly felt a sting of hot water.

  First my feet, then my legs.

  My thighs.

  Till it hit my chest.

  Fused with my burning heart.

  I wanted to scream out in pain.

  A hand grabbed me.

  The touch of it burned my skin.

  It was Nia.

  She was trying to pull me into the water.

  She seemed to be smiling at me.

  I tried not to pull away from Nia.

  It took real effort.

  The touch of her hand scorched.

  When she realised I wasn’t going to give in, she swam fast to the surface.

  Her head emerged.

  She then pushed me down into the water.

  Holding my shoulders down.

  Her touch was like fire.

  But I could see that Nia was unaware of this.

  She was playing with me.

  She started tickling my sides.

  Fire, fire with every touch.

  I tried not to show the pain.

  She was touching me.

  I was bear chested.

  And all I could feel was fire.

  Sigh.

  I swam away from Nia.

  She followed me.

  “I’m gonna getcha.”

  She screamed.

  She must think I was racing her.

  Good thing too.

  Didn’t want her to think I was trying to get away from her.

  Out of the water.

  I could feel the earth beneath my feet.

  Nia right on my heels.

  She seemed to have decided against jumping me, when she saw the trees.

  Went completely still in the water.

  You could just see her head.

  Her pretty head.

  Doe eyes.

  Filled with wonder.

  Her hands gently playing through the water.

  She swims to the edge quick.

  Gets out of the water.

  Her clothes seemed to dry immediately.

  Nia noticed that.

  But the trees were what had her attention.

  Nia loved trees.

  She liked to climb them.

  Especially those on her dad’s farm.

  These left her speechless.

  I got out of the water.

  Soaked.

  Utopia was only here for Nia.

  Umf.

  It could have been different.

  No.

  It was different.

  But since that night.

  Things changed.

  I didn’t want to think about it.

  Nia didn’t seem to even notice me standing next to her.

  I was also left in awe.

  We seemed to be mere ants compared to these trees.

  It was dark.

  The Dark ever present.

  I hoped Nia would not go moody on me.

  Now.

  The mood swings.

  That would be a tragedy.

  Here we were not safe at all.

  “Have a little faith.”

  Nia was looking at me.

  “What are you talking about?”

  Could she read minds now too?
>
  “Hey.

  I know that face.

  Sher’s look of despair.

  Your grave face.”

  She smirks.

  I stifled a smile.

  Umf.

  “What’s that?”

  Nia stepped suddenly towards me.

  Touched my chest.

  I anticipated the heat.

  Prepared myself not to scream.

  But there was nothing.

  Just the soft touch of Nia’s hand.

  Gentle.

  It explored my chest.

  “Sherwin.

  What are these?”

  I turned away from Nia and put my shirt back on.

  “It’s nothing.”

  I walked forward.

  “Come.

  This way.”

  Nia didn’t argue.

  She just followed me into the forest.

  God help us.

  vi

  Tuesday, 22 January 1991.

  Georgie was holding his private parts.

  He started falling apart.

  I could see how the skin sort of peeled off his flesh.

  His flesh was like it was eaten away.

  It did not look normal.

  But I could not stop staring.

  I heard the squish of the flesh as it landed on the ground.

  Immediately it turned to maggots.

  No.

  The maggots started slithering from the flesh.

  Until all it was, was a heap of maggots.

  They started slithering towards Simoné very fast.

  The boy exploded.

  The dust started swirling and twirling towards Simoné too.

  The maggots and the black dust started intertwining.

  It was more that the maggots helped the black dust to take form.

  I could see him.

  Big and real.

  Behind Simoné.

  Georgie got up quickly.

  His nose and mouth still bleeding.

  With his right hand, he covered his right eye.

  With his left hand, he supported the small of his back.

  "Going... (spits blood)… to get you.

  Bloody whitey!"

  He ran away.

  Limping.

  I saw as Georgie passed right through it.

  The slime of the maggots smeared his whole body.

  His hair too.

  Worst was the black noose that seemed to form around Georgie’s neck.

  He did not seem to notice it at all.

  The noose snapped free from the rest of its body and seemed to stay with Georgie as he kept limping away.

  It looked at me.

  Those eyes.

  They were not normal at all.

  The left eye looked really dark.

  Pitch black.

  Almost like a huge, smooth, black pearl.

  No white at all.

  The right eye was grey.

  Like it was blind.

  It protruded like a grape.

  Its body had a strange pulsing red glow to it.

  Almost like it was on fire.

  It reached with its left hand for Simoné.

  Just as it was about to grab her around the neck, it gave a loud scream.

  It did not sound human at all.

  I heard it all the way to my bone.

  It left me with a feeling of absolute despair.

  I was now really scared out of my wits.

  It closed its mouth.

  Immediately the black dust started untwining from the maggots.

  The maggots all fell on a heap behind Simoné.

  Slithering in their own slime.

  The dust disappeared into thin air.

  Simoné came closer to me, but I moved backwards.

  The dust started spinning in front of me.

  Like it was trying to noose me too.

  I kept looking at Simoné too.

  She didn’t seem to notice a thing.

  Then I turned and ran in the direction of the train tracks.

  The black dust swirling and twirling after me.

  vii

  Nia was almost against me.

  I could feel her breath on my skin.

  She kept looking around.

  I could tell that she was afraid.

  “Hey,” I stopped walking and turned to face her.

  She let go of my shoulder, but still kept close to me.

  The soft light of the forest.

  Highlighting her short, white hair.

  Her pretty head seemed aglow.

  But that was all just the light of the forest.

  Her clothes all dark.

  “Don’t be afraid,” I tried my best to sound reassuring.

  More convincing.

  If I had to be really honest, I would have told her to be afraid.

  To be very afraid.

  But I could not do that to her.

  I had to have faith.

  Just like Nia said.

  My sweetpea.

  “This is Protected-Dreams-Forest.

  Don’t be afraid.

  All here is protected.

  Can’t you see?”

  I looked around.

  Nia did the same.

  She looked at me.

  I looked at her.

  Doe eyes.

  Confused.

  “I only see big, creepy trees.”

  She came closer to me.

  “At first I thought they were great.”

  She put her head on my shoulder.

  “Now they just seem weird.

  How can I not be afraid?”

  I stood away from Nia.

  I took her hand in mine and led her to one of the trees closest to us.

  It was huge.

  Definitely more than 10 feet at the base.

  There were many empty bird’s nests.

  All along the many, odd shaped branches.

  Towards the bottom.

  The bark was covered in dead moss and lots of spider webs.

  I positioned Nia in front of the tree.

  “Relax.”

  Nia seemed hesitant.

  But she seemed to try and do as I asked.

  “Now.

  Look.”

  Nia looked at me confused.

  I motioned to the tree.

  Nia looked at the tree.

  Doe eyes.

  Searching.

  Uncertain of what they are supposed to see.

  “I only see spider webs and dead plants!”

  She shouted.

  Frustrated.

  “What is it that I am supposed to see?”

  I went to stand beside her.

  I didn’t try to take her hand.

  She crossed her arms.

  “Relax and look.”

  I just repeated again.

  She almost seemed to want to shout.

  But instead just took a deep breath in.

  She slowly blew it out.

  Eyed me with slit eyes.

  Then back at the tree.

  She explored it.

  Doe eyes.

  Opening.

  More.

  Wider.

  She put her hand to her mouth.

  She stepped closer to the tree.

  Then she looked back at me.

  She wanted to smile.

  She also looked like she wanted to cry.

  Like something was stirring her to tears.

  She gushed out loud.

  Then smiled.

  Beautiful white teeth.

  Tears slowly flowing from her eyes.

  “Why are you crying?”

  She wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled.

  “Can’t you see?”

  She asked as if she was surprised.

  “It’s beautiful.”

  “What is?”

  She looked at me.

  Now more confused.

  “That.

  Whatever that is.

/>   The pretty thing.

  Holding the thingy.

  You know.”

  She looked as if she couldn’t believe she had to explain it to me.

  “Can you honestly not see it, Sherwin?”

  She turned to me.

  Doe eyes accusing.

  I stepped closer to Nia.

  “All I see are trees, Nia.

  The rest is only for you.

  The dreams protected in this forest are yours alone.

  I cannot see them.

  Unless you wanted me to.”

  She looked at me.

  Still confused.

  “The reason the bird’s nests are empty.

  The bark covered with spider webs.

  Is so that he, and the rest, can pass this by.

  They cannot sense the life that exists here.

  The dreams that are protected.

  While you are asleep.

  It all appears as an abandoned, dead forest.

  Though it is filled with life.

  Dreams.

  All the things you want or hold dear.

  Are protected here.

  This is Protected-Dreams-Forest.

  It protects your dreams.

  It protects you.

  Can you see it?”

  Nia looks at me.

  Then back at the tree.

  This time she steps back.

  Puts her hand to her mouth.

  Her eyes.

  Open wide.

  Those doe eyes.

  Seeing things that I could not describe.

  Umf.

  My sweetpea.

  More tears trickled down her cheeks.

  Sometimes she gasp-ed.

  Other times she gushed.

  Sometimes she seemed not to breathe at all.

  She was in a world of her own.

  My headache suddenly gave a hard thump.

  I cringed.

  This was out of my control.

  My eye sort of twitched.

  I fell against the tree.

  Nia didn’t seem to notice a thing.

  I leaned against the tree for a bit.

  My chest on fire.

  More and more I felt an impending doom.

  I tried to stand up straight.

  Slowly.

  The headache throbbed less.

  I gained control.

  Nia had started walking further.

  I followed her.

  When I was beside her, she looked at me.

  Surprised.

  “Sherwin! You’ll give me a heart attack!”

  She took a deep breath in.

  Laughed.

  “Sorry. I completely forgot that you were here.”

  She looked back at the trees again.

  She was no longer crying.

  She was smiling in awe.

  “Oh, Sher. I wish you could see it.”

  She said that, but really only to herself.

  “I can.”

  Nia jerked her head.

  Her eyes curious.

  “If you wanted me to.”

  She came closer to me.

  Stood right in front of me.

  We were inches apart.

  I could feel her breath on my face.

  Her eyes now more imploring.

  The soft light of the forest.

  A glimmer in the dark.

  “How?”

  She took my right hand in both hers.

  “Tell me.”

  She sort of frowned.

  “Well…” I tried to sound casual.

  With Nia so close to me.

  Holding my hand.

  It was hard to focus really.

  I never knew it could be like this.

  Was never prepared for this.

  That it would all seem so real.

  It was real enough to me.

  Umf.

  My sweetpea.

  If she only knew the things she did to me.

  Unaware.

  Of course.

  Or so I always thought.

  “It won’t be easy.”

  “I’ll try?”

  Like she wanted to know how.

  “It’s more complex than climbing into the small box. This part the connection can’t help you with.”