The Tree in the Meadow

excerpt from novella I am developing. hope you enjoy.

She followed the shadow until it came upon the window in the shape of what was apparently a cat.

“Hello there.” The cat said “Would you mind letting me in, it is awfully cold out tonight.”

Slightly startled she pulled the sheets up closer to her face and slowly tried to turn away.

“Oh please, don’t tell me you’ve never seen a talking cat before.” She turned again to stare at him.

“Oh I suppose you haven’t then?” Asked the cat.

She slowly shook her head no.

“Well where I’m from it’s dreadfully common. Now could you please crack the window and invite me in? Don’t you know it’s rude to leave a guest waiting?”

She slowly crept out of bed with an air of obvious uncertainty, and made her way to the window.
As he found his way through she began to realize he wasn’t quite the ordinary house cat. He was rather large, maybe twenty or so pounds, yet lean and strong looking. He was all black except for a white patch on his forehead in the perfect shape of a star.

“Thank you very much young mistress. I was beginning to feel unwanted.”

She smiled a bit, however still unsure of what to say. As if in answer the cat replied quite boisterously

“Say nothing! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Theophrastus Bombastus, no relation, but you can call me Bomb for short. No particular reason, however  other than that Theophrastus is just too dreadfully long.

“Sshhh!” she made the gesture with her finger to her lips. “You don’t want to wake up my mommy and daddy. They just went to bed.”

“My apologies young mistress.” he whispered.

“Apology accepted, and my name is Anais” She smiled and crossed her arms in a very matter of fact manner.

“Now, could you please explain to me why it is that you are creeping around at night and bothering me?” She maintained her arm position and assumed a much more austere quality. Bomb’s expression took on a more serious tone.

“Again my apologies m’lady, however it seems there has been a bit of trouble, and it is time to learn why that is so important to you.”

“I’m listening.” she said

“As you may have surmised I am not from here, no, I am actually from a different realm that is not quite here, and yet existing simultaneously amongst yours.

She gave a very puzzled, very weary look.

“Hmmm. It made a lot of sense in my head.” he said

“Well nothing is making sense in mine.” she said

“Fair enough. Now picture if you will for a second, that this world that you know and live in, is only a piece of a much, much larger world...Ok…think of a large jar of jelly beans right? Now imagine that this world is just one of those jelly beans floating about in that jar.”

“So I’m living in a jelly bean?”

“No no no.” he said shaking his head. “It is a metaphor. You know, like comparing a smile to the sun.”

“I get what a metaphor is!” she said hastily. “I was only being facetious.”

“Ooohh.” He said.

“You are a smart girl.”

She thought she saw something of a smile stretch across his feline face. Bomb bumped against her leg in an effort to receive some attention. She gave in, and began scratching him behind the ear.

“So, explain to me how exactly this has anything to do with me?” She continued scratching him.

“Well.” He forced out through his purring drawing out his word.

“Something really bad happened not that long ago.” He stood up and began pacing the room.

“Anais my dear, have you never wondered why you look nothing like your parents? Have you ever felt as if you don’t belong here?”

She stood still for what seemed like five minutes. Bomb began talking again.

“Tell me m’lady, how have your dreams been lately?” That was when she turned toward him.

“My dreams…my dreams have been...my dreams have been just fine, thank you!”

She turned away hastily and lay back in bed.

“Oh sweet dear.” said Bomb

“I may not be a head doctor m’lady, but I can tell when you’re clearly lying.” He watched the covers move up and down with her breathing for a little while. he thought he heard a sound coming from the bed. “I’m sorry dear, what was that?”

“They’re called psychiatrist.” She said, her voice muffled by the pillow.

“Yes yes, I’m quite aware thanks. Now please Anaise, consider my words and weigh them against your intuition. This is a very important matter, and many lives are at stake here.”

“Well why don’t you get someone else to tend to your problems.” she said

“Because Anaise, there is no other that can.”

“Find one.”

“I can not.”

“You can.”

“Anaise, there is no other. M’lady, the truth here is of utmost importance, yes, you need to know who you are dear.”

“Well Mr. Bomb, please tell me who exactly I am then.”

“I will, first however, I need you to tell me your dreams. Only then will you understand the truth of the matter.” He pounced onto the bed, snuggled just under her chin, and lay there with her.

“Ok.” she began “In my dreams I am not seven years old anymore. I’m old, like really old, like maybe twenty-one or thirty, I don’t know, but I’m sitting on a throne that is on top of this huge tree. Only the tree is upside down and the roots are on the top. All around me is this ginormous kingdom that is really pretty. I can see lakes and rivers, forest and meadows, and I know that this is all mine, and without me it would fall to pieces.”

“Yes yes, go on please.” said Bomb.

“Well, all of a sudden, This huge dragon sweeps down and grabs me off my throne, and I’m being carried away. After a while he just drops me, and that’s when I wake up. I have this dream often and I hate it; it scares me.”

“ I see…” said Bomb “So then it is true I suppose.”

“What’s true then?”

“The rumors…Anaise, these dreams, when did they begin?”

“A year ago I think.”

“My mistress, these dreams you have been having, they are as real as I am talking to you.”

She got really quiet. For a second he thought she may have fallen back to sleep.

“Anaise.” He whispered. “Psssst.” “Ana….”

“Be quiet!” she said out loud.

“M’lady! I’m sorry I didnt mean..”

“You must think I’m some stupid to believe that my dreams are actually real life.”

“You must be some stupid to believe in a talking cat.” he said “I assure you it is all true. You m’lady are the long lost queen of a land called Beri’ah. The king made a deal with a dragon name Azureoth, and he’s taken power of the kingdom. Things are bad there my mistress; we need you now.”

“Well I can’t just up and leave you know. I have school tomorrow, and my parents will be worried sick about me come morning time.”

“First thing Anaise, they are not your real parents. When Azureoth abducted you he put you in this world as a child and took away your memories. Your parents are a construct of his dark magick; they are not real m’lady.” They both sat in silence for a minute, Bomb growing all the more anxious. Finally she spoke.

“ What about school?”

“These things do not matter now.” he said. “ Once you restore yourself to your former glory you will contain all the knowledge and wisdom any lady could ask for.”

“But won’t the people here become worried about me?”

“They will soon forget all about you m’lady. Once things are back to the way they once were their memories of you will disappear.”

“But I will miss all of my friends here won’t I? Will my memories be gone as well?”

“Anaise, please, all of those beautiful places you’ve seen are real as can be. The lakes and rivers have turned black; the forests have all withered away, and the meadows are inhabited by the nastiest little creatures….we need you...please.” Bomb stared her in the eyes for as long as she could stand it. Which was not too long since she was easily bothered by such direct attention.

“Fine.” she said “But how do I get there if it’s, as you say, not quite here?”

“Just go to sleep tonight m’lady. Just go to sleep and pretend none of this happened. I will get you then, and we will arrive before dawn has broken.” And with that he was out the window and gone before she could utter another word.

She fell asleep as normal, at least as normal would have it considering recent events and unveilings. As soon as she slipped into the dark of sleep her habitual nightmare returned; same as always, she was ruling her kingdom when suddenly she’s taken up by Azureoth and tossed over the side. Only this time she could hear a familiar voice.

“ANAIS! ANAIS! Can you hear me?!” It was Bomb for sure.

“I can hear you!” she cried. Suddenly he was falling next to her, and moving in closer.

“Got you.” he said as he wrapped what he could of his much smaller cat sized arms around her.

Before she knew they were standing on solid ground, and she was again just under four feet tall.

“I feel a little nauseous.” she said.

“ It’s normal, and it will pass. You did well for your first time transitioning.”

“Transitioning? Are we not still in my dream?”

“Oh no dear, we’re in a place much farther than your own noggin.” He smiled and began walking away.

“I don’t understand.” she said

“Of course not.”

“What’s that supposed to mean.” she said putting extra emphasis on each word.

“It means that since you were changed into what you are now, you no longer have an understanding of the many many worlds that exist, nor how they relate and interact with one another.

“Fine, I’ll give you that.” she said.  

They continued down a slightly visible path that began to ascend toward a cliff side. She noticed a crevice that lay in between two large boulders. Bomb pounced his way from rock to rock while Anais struggled up the ever inclining path.

“Where does that lead to?” she panted

“The other side.” he said

“And what exactly shall we expect to be on the other side?”

“The entrance to the kingdom. Other than that, to be honest, I’m not quite sure.”

“Did I happen to mention I’m scared of dark, mysterious caves?”

“It’s the only way through.” he said “Now please hurry along we have much ground to cover.”

“Don’t tell me to..Ah!” she cried as she slipped on a loose rock.

“Anais, careful!” He hopped his way carefully down to her side and helped her check for any wounds.

“I’m ok.” she said almost shamefully. “Thanks for helping.”

“It’s nothing m’lady. It’s part of my job to ensure you get to where you need to be, safe and sound.”

“So what exactly were you doing here before? Did we know each other?”

“Oh yes, very much so m’lady. I was the advisor to the king, I was his voice to the people, his scribe, his very word, and most importantly, his friend. After the coup d'etat I barely escaped with my life.  His memory washing only had a minimal effect on me. Ever since then I’ve been searching for you. Ah, here we are...

They stood together before the gaping hole in the mountain side. It was at least ten feet tall and six feet apart. There were a torch on each side lighting the hole, only one had a blue flame, while the other was a deep red. As the wind passed through it created a deep, almost inaudible, moaning sound.

“Uhm Bomb?” She said

“Yes my dear, this is the only way.” Said Bomb as if catching her undertone of uncertainty. “Tread lightly here. I am no longer sure what dangers can lie ahead, if any at all.”

With silence they proceeded in. Anais was taking very small, very careful steps, while Bomb made his way casually with the grace and balance of a cat. The tunnels were dark, but scattered every now and again were small torches to help light the way.

“Pfft, oh blech.” Said Anais while swatting away spider webs.

“Sshh, make silence here. our voices will carry very far in these tunnels, and we can’t be sure no one is listening.”

“Well I hate spiders!” she cried.

“Well I hate humans…”

The two of them froze as if caught in a spotlight.”

“And I care even less for little girls...or little kitties passing through our home.” said the disembodied voice.

“Oh no, sorry.” Whispered Anais. Bomb bumped against her leg in an effort to calm her in the dark tunnels.

“it’s ok m’lady, just keep quiet, and please, stop insulting the spiders.” he thought he could hear her gulp.

Slowly they began to see figures emerge, only a few, and they were the biggest spiders she had ever seen. The one who had spoken appeared in the front, and she thought it was as big as her next door neighbor’s great dane, only with more legs, and eyes, and giant sharp teeth.

The spider’s voice came out like a fork scraping on a dinner plate.

“Now if you could please share with all of us what exactly are the two of you doing here, if not to be our food.”

“My most gracious host!” cried Bomb. “I did not know that these were your quarters. It has been a time since before the great and terrible dragon Azureoth took the kingdom that I have passed through here. Had I not been so nescient I would have found another way around.” He tried to sound as convincing and sincere as possible, but only sounded like a robber caught red handed in somebody’s house.

“psst, I thought you said there was no other way around.” whispered Anais

“There isn’t.” Bomb whispered back harshly.

“Well no matter now.” interrupted the lead spider. “What’s done is done and our feelings are quite hurt. Besides, ever since Azureoth took over, our food supply has begun to dwindle. The spiders began to look more twitchy, and started scuttling towards the tunnel walls seemingly in an effort to block all escape.