Journey to the West By Bert McKenzie Copyright 2010
Chapter XI
Night came on swiftly, the dull greyness changing rapidly to inky blackness. Akuta and Sharon had tried to back track their steps but came upon dead end trails time and again. They finally realized that they were hopelessly lost in the marshes. Akuta decided they would find a spot to spend the night and tried to find a dry placed where they could camp. The best he could do was a bit of ground that was less damp than the rest. The two sat down and curled up in their tattered and torn cloaks, trying to keep warm. This was no small task in the dark dampness with no way to build a campfire.
Sometime in the middle of the night Sharon woke with a start. She was dreaming again about Dave Strahan. As she woke she heard many sounds of crying and moaning. At first she wondered if she wasn't still trapped in a dream. "Akuta?" she said.
"I am here," he reassured her, giving her a gentle hug.
"That crying...it can't be the wind."
"No, it cannot," he answered.
"What did you mean by the edge of the world and lost souls?"
"The old tales tell of a great western marsh," the fairy began his story. "It was called the edge of the world because at one time that was what it was thought to be. The land is always shrouded with impenetrable fog and mist. In olden days the edge of the world was said to separate life from death, this world from the next. Since then it has been discovered to be no more than a very large marsh which is always shrouded in vapors."
"And the wind sounds like the cry of lost souls," she added.
"No. There is no reason for such sounds. The wind could not produce them and yet not disturb this thick mist that surrounds us."
"Then what are they?" Sharon asked hesitantly.
"It is said that when the spirits of the dead journey to the western islands they sometimes stop here. The legends tell that a spirit who has left unfinished work may be lost in the mist rather than journey on. The cries you hear are the lost souls grieving for who and what they have left behind."
The girl drew closer to her friend. "It's a very romantic ghost story. I only wish you hadn't told it to me right here and now." She sat for a while and listened to the soft wailing. "What do you think happened to Pardoo?" she asked, trying to get her mind off of the lost souls.
"I think he was telling us true when he said he knew the paths in this swamp. He somehow managed to double back and has purposely abandoned us here in hopes that we shall never find our way out," Akuta answered angrily.
"And will we?" Sharon asked.
"I know not."
They sat in silence, not knowing for how long. It was still pitch black. Suddenly Akuta sat up, a tense bundle of alertness. "What is it?" Sharon asked.
"Heard you not the voice?"
"What voice?" she whispered, straining her ears in the darkness, but all she could hear were the sighing moans of what she hoped really was the wind.
"I thought...I thought I heard my name." His response caused Sharon to shiver.
"Lord, what says this?" Rood asked as they waited at a corner for a light to change. He was holding a pink handbill that someone had given him a few moments before as they came down the street.
Scott was beginning to lose his patience as he realized the enormous impossibility of their search. He glanced at his friend, snatched the paper away and tossed it in a trash can by the lamp post. "Just ignore those people as we pass them. I don't care what they tell you. You don't take anything from anyone."
"But, lord," Rood said, and reached into the trash can for the handbill.
"Rood, what do you think you are doing?" Scott asked angrily.
"I wish you to translate these human runes for me," the man said, holding out a crumpled piece of pink paper.
"That's a parking ticket."
Rood looked at the paper in his hand in surprise. "This is not what I had," he said and reached back into the trash.
"Rood, get your hand out of that!" Scott said impatiently.
"Here; this is the one," the man said as he retrieved a larger piece of pink paper. "Interpret this." He handed the paper to Scott.
Rood waited excitedly while his friend looked at the crumpled sheet. "It says, 'Three exciting shows. The world's greatest female impersonators live onstage.' This is an ad for a drag show."
"Please explain this 'show,'" the fairy persisted.
"It's not like that other club. You wouldn't like it. Men dress up and pretend to be women. Now let's get back to work."
"But look at the small illumination on that paper," Rood insisted.
Scott glanced at the photo. "Yeah, she's very pretty. Now can we..."
"Look once more," Rood insisted. "Does she not remind you of anyone?"
Scott looked again, his anger building. He couldn't imagine why his friend was suddenly so interested in a female impersonator. There was something compellingly familiar in the photo of the girl on the handbill. She had a young, delicate face and hauntingly familiar eyes. The caption under the picture said, 'The Exotic and Amazing Danni.' "Danni!" Scott suddenly said as the familiarity clicked home. "Dannemel!"
"Then it is he?" Rood asked. "The likeness caught my attention so that I thought a spell must be on him to make him a female."
"No," Scott explained. "It's all just costumes and makeup."
"Tells this paper where this dragon show can be found?"
"Yeah," Scott said. "Let me call the girls at the hotel and have them meet us there. We should be going home within the hour."
Sharon jerked awake as Akuta moved. She looked around at the uniform greyness. "It's morning?" she asked and immediately felt foolish for asking the obvious.
"It has been for a short time," her partner said.
"What do we do now?" she asked, trying not to think of the gnawing hunger causing her stomach to growl.
"We must continue to wander in hope of finding a path out of here." The two stood up slowly. Akuta took her hand and they moved off into the fog. They stumbled on, coming upon more and more dead ends, their frustration growing until finally Akuta led them into a thick, boggy area where they quickly became stuck in the muddy soil. "We must accept defeat," the fairy said as he looked back at the exhausted woman. "This is futile. You have no strength to continue and I have very little."
"What are we supposed to do? Just sit here in the mud till we starve to death?" Sharon snapped. She waited for his answer, but received none. The girl look up to see Akuta standing tall, his whole body a picture of alert tension. "Akuta?"
"I heard it again," he said. "Someone or something spoke my name."
"All I can hear is the wind," Sharon insisted. "Your mind is probably playing tricks on you. It was just a hallucination."
"I heard it clearly," the fairy argued. "I cannot believe you heard it not."
"I wouldn't have heard it if it was a wind whisper directed to you," she theorized. "Maybe Pardoo is hiding out there and trying to trick you."
"Yes," Akuta said, thinking about her suggestion. "Yes, it is something the westerner would do." The fairy fought with all his strength to pull himself back out of the bog and onto drier land, and then he turned and tugged on the girl until the mud finally let go and the both ended up on one of the firm but soggy paths. "Can you continue on?" he asked Sharon as the two of them sat next to each other.
"Yes, I think so," she sighed.
"Then let us..." He cocked his head and then quickly stood.
"Akuta," she said as she climbed to her feet. "Did you hear it again? Is it Pardoo?"
"Where are you?" Akuta called into the grey mists. "I am here. Where are you?" He looked off into the fog. "Yes, yes, we shall follow."
"Akuta, what is it? If it's Pardoo it may be a trap," Sharon said.
The tall fairy turned and grabbed her wrist. "Come. He will show us the way to safety."
"But can you trust him?" she asked.
"Of course. Alex would never harm me." He pulled her after him down the path.
Now Sharon was really frightened. If Akuta lost touch with reality what hope was there for her? He was her only chance of getting out of this marsh. She followed along quietly, but the whole time her mind was in overdrive trying to think of what to say or do to bring him back to the here and now. As they journeyed, she had to admit they did not run into any more dead ends, but they turned again and again, leading deeper into the dense fog. For all she knew they may be continually running in circles.
Suddenly Akuta stopped. He looked around as if confused. "Where are you?" he called. "My love, I have followed as you instructed. Where are you now?"
"Akuta," Sharon said softly. "It was most likely just Pardoo..."
"I know my love's voice," the man replied angrily.
"I'm sure you do," she calmly answered.
After a minute of silence Akuta spoke again. "I apologize. I meant not to be angry with you."
"I understand," she told him. "It's just that you're under a great strain, and when that happens we all see things we'd like to...Akuta?"
The fairy's attention was focused elsewhere, off in the swirly clouds of vapor surrounding them. "Come," he said and dragged her along behind him. For a few moments they were literally racing blindly down the narrow path, and then Akuta stopped short, Sharon running headlong into his back. "Must we take this way?" he asked his invisible guide, then removed the remains of his torn and tattered cape. Methodically the fairy tore it into long, narrow strips of fabric. Next he reached out, tying one end of his makeshift rope to Sharon's wrist, and then fastening the other end to his own.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"This shall keep us from being separated," he told her. "Now come. We have but a little way to go."
He took her hand and slowly stepped forward. Sharon followed him until she felt the ground give way beneath her bare feet to the chill of cold water. "Akuta, what are you doing?" she gasped. "Where are you going? This isn't the path."
"This is the way out of the marsh," her partner said and continued to pull her forward. The smooth, muddy bottom quickly slanted down until the two of them were wading knee deep in the slimy water. She was very concerned and fearful that in his present state Akuta would lead them into another of the thick, muddy morasses from which they would not be able to extricate themselves. But she could also tell that he was not going to listen to reason. She could only hope that they would again reach dry land and climb back onto one of the soggy trails.
"The water grows much deeper here, my lady," the man said. Suddenly the bottom dropped off and Sharon plunged down into the cold, brackish water with a loud splash. She thrashed around a bit, trying to find a foothold, but there was nothing beneath her. Sharon quickly began to tread water and called to her friend. "We must swim now," he replied through the grey veil of mist.
"I can't," she shouted, feeling panic slowly rising from her stomach to her throat. "I can't see where I'm going! Where are you?"
She felt a tug on her wrist. "Follow the cord," a voice called back to her out of the fog. She began to swim in the direction of the pull. The movements made her feel a little better, helping her body to fight off the chilling effects of the cold water. Just as she began to feel a little hope, the fabric cord tied to her wrist jerked, then went limp. The girl grabbed for the cord and pulled, but only a short strand of fabric came back, the frayed and soaked material having given way and ripped under the strain.
"Akuta!" Sharon screamed and began to swim in the direction she was last headed. "Akuta, come back!"
Scott and Rood found a nondescript doorway on a dark side street just off Broadway. Over the door in red and green neon was the name of the club, the Boom Boom Room. Scott opened the door to see a long, narrow and dimly lit flight of stairs leading up. He and Rood began to climb. Coming down from above were sounds of loud music and laughter. At the top of the stairs was a little window on a small landing. A plump man in drag with a ton of cheap makeup and an ill-fitting wig asked them for a six dollar a piece cover charge. "This is getting to be expensive," Scott said as they opened the door and walked into the dark, smoky room.
"That was the ugliest human female I have ever seen," Rood commented to Scott as they found an empty table.
"That was no woman," Scott began. "That was a..."
"What'll it be, sugar?" an attractive black waitress in a very short cocktail waitress dress asked.
"Actually, we're here to see one of the performers."
"Sorry, there's a two drink minimum," the girl said with a smile. "House rules."
"I shall have..." Rood began.
"Two cokes," Scott interrupted. "And do you have a pay phone?"
The girl pointed to an alcove by the bar. Scott left to try calling the hotel again. "You sure you want to stick with coke now that your body guard is gone?" the waitress asked.
"He is not my body guard. I am his," Rood answered her.
She rolled her eyes. "I'll get your coke," she said as she turned and headed for the bar. Rood noticed the way her backside wiggled as she walked away, and wondered if this was because of the spiked high heels she wore. He had noticed this movement on other human girls. Strange as it was, he found it oddly intriguing.
"The girls aren't there, but the message was picked up so they must be on their way," Scott said as he dropped back into his chair. "I think we ought to wait until they get here before doing anything."
"Here's your coke," the black girl said as she placed the glasses on the table.
"When does the floor show begin?" Scott asked.
"In about twenty minutes," she replied.
"We wish to see Dannemel," Rood blurted out.
"Who?"
"Danni," Scott quickly covered. "We're old friends from out of town.
"Oh. You want me to tell her you're here?" the waitress offered.
"No, my friend Scott would like this to be a surprise meeting," Rood added.
"Oooh, she's not very good with surprises when she's onstage. Last week a drunk reached up and grabbed her and she totally freaked. Maybe you ought to let me tell her you're here."
Scott and Rood exchanged glances. "How about if you take me backstage before the show?" Scott asked.
"Well...I'm not supposed to but..." A man at the next table asked loudly as to the whereabouts of his drink. "Hold your horses, Charlie. It's on the way," she shouted back in a strangely deep register. "Let me get rid of this tray and I'll see what I can do." Again she wiggled off.
Rood watched her derriere appreciatively then thought again about his confusion with what had been said. He began to think that maybe he hadn't learned the human language as well as he once thought. Perhaps he should have used the magic chrism of communication again before coming on this trip. He turned to Scott. "I understand not this language. Is not 'she' the female term of name replacement? If so this Danni is not who we seek."
"When he's dressed like a girl they all refer to him as if he really is one," Scott tried to explain.
"This confuses me," Rood replied. "Why would he...she wish to pretend to be a girl?"
"Beats me," Scott answered. "Some reversals really get into it in our world. I never did."
"Then this indicated Dannemel is a reversal."
"Not necessarily," Scott said. "There are straight transvestites too."
"Trans...what?"
"Never mind."
The waitress returned. "See that door," she pointed to a narrow opening beside the little stage that took up half of the room. "Go through there and turn left. Tell them Carlotta said it was okay."
Scott stood. "Stay and keep an eye out for the girls," he told Rood, then crossed the crowded bar.
"So, I got a break. Mind if I spend it with you, tall, blond and handsome?" Carlotta asked as she slid into the chair beside Rood.
"May I ask a question?" the fairy said.
"Anything," she responded, leaning her body against him.
"Where are the dragons? My friend said you show dragons here."
"Well, we do serve a lot of trolls," she admitted.
"Trolls," Rood said and instinctively reached for his sword which wasn't there.
"It's okay, honey. I'll protect you," the girl said with a sly smile. Rood slowly returned her smile, realizing that she must be making some bizarre, human joke that he didn't understand. She snatched a couple of drinks from one of the other waitresses and in no time she and Rood were extremely chummy with Carlotta sitting on his lap and running her fingers through his hair. "What's this?" she suddenly asked, pulling his hair back and looking closely at his pointed ear. "You must really be a fan of Danni's. She wear's fake ear's like this in her act too."
"May I ask a question of you?" Rood said, his head feeling strange. He realized it must have something to do with the drink the girl had given him. It seemed to contain some sort of magical love potion. "Will I start a fight if I touch your merchandise?"
"No, but you might start a fire," the girl cooed as she pressed her lips to his neck while slipping a hand inside his sweater and playing with his chest hair.
"You have firm breasts," Rood said as he fondled the girl.
"Don't squeeze too hard, sugar, or we'll have an accident," she breathed in his ear.
"I am sorry," he said as his words seemed to slur. "I wish not to hurt you."
"It doesn't hurt, but I don't want you to pop them."
Rood laughed. He didn't understand her sense of humor, but he wanted to fit in. Just then he gasped as Carlotta reached down and began to stroke the bulge in his lap. "Ooooh, you're a big boy all over. How would you like to finish off the evening at my place? I'd like to feel a lot more of this."
Rood was growing rapidly more excited. "I cannot wait," he breathed in a tense voice and reached down to stroke her shapely leg through the fishnet hose.
"Oh, yes," she said. "You make me so hot! Higher, honey, higher!"
He slipped his hand under her short skirt and suddenly encountered something unusual. "What is this?" he asked in stunned surprise.
"Just the family jewels, sugar. But don't stop now."
Rood gripped the unexpected item firmly, eliciting a little shriek from Carlotta. "This feels not like jewels," he said. Before she could react, Rood lifted her skirt to get a closer look. He grabbed the thin nylon panties and yanked, exposing Carlotta's very male sex organs. The fairy jumped up, causing the waitress to fall to the floor. "You are not a female!" he shouted in embarrassed surprise.
"And you ain't no gentleman, asshole," Carlotta said in a much deeper voice as she jumped up and tried to quickly fix her clothing. She then grabbed her drink sitting on the table and swung around to throw it in the jerk's face who had embarrassed and exposed her, but he was gone.