Stacy--Part Twenty-Nine

Splog # 109

Twenty-Nine

   Having come to rest there below her, quite out of reach, the feather seemed to Stacy to grow in importance and she knew that she simply must retrieve it. She thought she might be able to climb into the cauldron. But as she examined the interior with a keen eye, she found herself concerned about two things. Firstly, to get inside she'd have to hoist herself onto the rim and then jump or drop to the cauldron floor. But with all its tiny peaks and projections, the bottom looked as if it might be rather painful to make a landing upon. She figured if she could land on her feet, without losing her balance, and without touching her hands to the bottom, then her sneakers would hopefully be enough protection. Though most of the projections were somewhat pointed, they didn't look to be exceedingly sharp. And her second concern was whether, having climbed in, there would be anything about the cauldron that would hinder her from climbing out. It didn't seem as if there were, but she thought it better to consider the question before she put herself in a position in which it was no longer a question but a certainty. So she tried to envision what would be required of herself, physically. She placed both arms over the edge and hung on for a moment to get the feel of her weight pulling on her muscles. She imagined herself jumping up, bringing one knee onto the edge, then swinging her leg over, shifting her balance and letting herself drop inside. And she couldn't see how climbing out would be any different. If she was able to accomplish the one, then the other should pose no difficulties. She took another close look around the inside of the cauldron and then let her eyes rest on the feather which was leading her into such efforts. She smiled at the realization that she didn't even know what it was for or why she felt she couldn't just leave it there and go on. But she couldn't. She had to get the feather before proceeding any farther. There were children in cages waiting to be released. She took a step back from the cauldron. First, a few deep breaths and then she would launch her invasion.

   As she quietly stoked the fires of her determination, she found, to her surprise, that after all the antics the feather had put her though in its madcap journey, she was still clutching an object in each hand. The envelope was in her right. But what was in her left? On examination, it appeared to be a small silver coin, about the size of a quarter. It wasn't circled but hexagonal and seemed to be blank on both faces. She replaced it in the envelope and, when she did so, noticed again the folded piece of paper. She removed it, unfolded it and read:

The feather is the key .

- Keep a good grip on it.

You know what's good for you.

- Be good for it.

His name is Bones.

- Don't let his looks frighten you.

   Stacy read this cryptic message through about three times. The only thing she could make sense of was the part about the feather. It occurred to her that she hadn't kept a good grip on it but it was time to do something about that. She refolded the note (she'd explore its conundrums at a later point) and returned it to the envelope. Then she folded the envelope and deposited it carefully in her right front pocket. She stepped up to the cauldron and placed both hands on the rim.

   As she began to inhale deeply, she was startled to hear a drumming sound behind her. Ba-bump-bum. Ba-bump-bum. She froze with her mouth open and air halfway into her lungs. Ba-bump-bum. Ba-bump-bum. Ba-bump-bum. Getting faster and louder.