Well Beyond the World

You smile. You remember how it felt on that rooftop in Bremerton with Ryan, that young love burns hot and bright. The three of you arrange yourself in the Canoe, Aaron lying prone, you in the front and Kai in the back. As you sailed back towards the cove, the sun was beginning to set fire to the sky, providing cascading hues of orange, red, pink and purple. It really is a paradise here. Or at least it feels that way sometimes. Michael. You set your jaw and prepare.

Kai pulls into a discrete corner of the cove and you and her hop out. Staying low to the ground, Aaron paddles his way backwards, out to sea, or at least, out of sight. Kai leads you down the path towards the boathouse. You pass women with baskets on their head, full of friendly waves. You try your best to keep calm until you see her.

The older woman from the cave, full breasts and athletic thighs and a face that would be beautiful were it not pinched into a narrow frown. She holds out her spear blocking the two of your path.

"Hello Shoshanna." Kai says in a voice bordering on petulant.

"Where have you two been?" She asks. Kai juts out her hips.

"None of your business, 'Shanna. Where have you been?"

She arches her eyebrows. "Looking for an escaped unclean one." She taps her spear expectantly. Kai gives a look of surprise that was bordering on realistic.

"Oh no, was there a raid? I've been giving our newest member a paddle around the island." She gestures to you. You nod. Shoshanna gives you an appraised look.

"Queen Ona has asked everyone to gather at the bonfire tonight for the initiation."

"We won't be late, 'Shanna. I promise. Can't have Brenna be late for her own initiation, can we?" Kai gives an expectant pause.

"Well?" Kai asks. Shoshanna pulls aside her spear and the two of you brush passed. Kai mutters something under her breath, you can't hear but it sounded unkind.

"What is the initiation like?" You ask.

"It's a vision quest. You take the White Death salve and it opens a door through to another time and another place. To the land of the spirits. Queen Ona acts as your guide as you receive your blessing of the ancients and then are returned to the village as a full member."

"What was it like?" She laughs. "I haven't had mine yet, you need to be at least twenty-three seasons old. Two more seasons and I will get to walk through the spirit realm. Although last year, I was the lead drum maiden and helped Queen Ona prepare the ritual."

Hmmm - is that the escape hatch? A way to travel out of this well? Or is it simply what it appears, a hallucinatory religious experience? The sun is getting low. Kai turns and points up the left cliff face path.

"Straight that way, you should be able to catch Queen Ona before she leaves for the bonfire. I'll go to the boathouse and cut free all the boats." She pauses. "Queen Ona has always been kind, please don't hurt her."

"I don't want to hurt her." Kai thinks on this and then turns. "See you on the water!" and sprints off.

You make your way up the path, wishing you had something - a spear, a knife. Heck, even a sharp shell would be handy. Something to compel the Queen to be helpful. You shake your head, you will just have to be creative.

Her roost is quiet as you approach. You enter the audience hall where you met her earlier today - empty. You find the door to her back chamber, it was latched but you could reach through and pop it open.

Inside, there's an elaborate net . . . no, a bedroom hammock, hanging from the ceiling. Elaborate seashell chains hang from the ceiling, clothing, you muse? But it is a small device placed delicately on a whale bone table that draws your eye.

A Depression-Era Zenith radio sits perched in a space of reference next to the hammock. It has no chords visible but it lights up when you touch the top of the box. You turn up the volume softly.

Out pours a soft echoing melody, gentle as waves, with a tamber like whale songs. It pulls at heartstrings and tears spring from your eyes unbidden. You wipe them away.

Hello? Are you there, traveler?" A voice that is not a voice crackles out of the radio. A voice that you've heard but once before, in the belly of a pirate ship next to a fallen meteorite.

"Yes? Hello?" You answer softly, unsure of what to say.

"Please, help us. Help us return.". The voices plead, their plaintiff cries mingling with the melody, one and the same.

"I don't know how. Tell me, how do I help you?" The voices all speak at once, overlapping.

"Charge the engines . . . light the fire . . . bring the light . . . fill the cup." They all speak at once but you gather the meaning is the same.

"You know our story, you know that the Pale One holds us here, feeding us just a little. He gives us a taste and savours our hunger. Please. with enough fuel, we could return."

"But where, how?" You ask.

"Probably at the temple." Queen Ona stands at the door to her chamber. You jump up, startled.

"You are supposed to be down at the fire, preparing with the other villagers." Ona says matter of factly. She reaches up and pulls down an incandescent string of pearls from a hook in the ceiling and gently sets it around her neck.

The radio has gone silent. Your eyes flit around the space - she is blocking the door and the open air vista is quite a drop. You go to say something but she holds up her hand.

"I'm going to assume that it was you and Kai who set the fair skinned man free today?" You close your mouth but nothing comes out. The Queen nods. "I knew I should have had a firmer hand with Kai, but children . . ." she clenches her fist. "The harder you hold them, the more they wriggle through your fingers." She shrugs.

"So tell me, are you a spy for the unclean ones? What do you really want?"

You square up. "I want Michael." You declare.

"Who?"

"The man I was found with." Queen Ona nods.

"Yes, him. Shoshanna wanted to keep him but he tore through one of our nets - and I did not want that level of barbarity anywhere in the village, even restrained. So we tossed him into the Unyielding Pit."

"The Unyielding Pit?" You ask.

"The Unyielding pit." She corrects - obviously the translation is struggling with this.

"I'm afraid your friend is as good as dead. No one ever returns from the pit." You try to keep yourself calm, but it is almost time.

"Tell me where it is!" You demand. The Queen gives you a level look and then goes to a small table beside the hammock.

"Let me draw you a map . . ." You knew it was a dart and blow gun before she fished it out of the drawer and was already charging forward. You crash into her before it reaches her lips and the two of you go sprawling on the floor.

Lightning fast, she delivers a fast punch to your gut, driving the wind from your lungs as she springs up. You grab her muscular calf and pitch her over, as she goes tangling into her hammock net.

There! You grab the dart by the feathery end and stand up - just in time to see her come barrelling towards you. The two of you tumble out into her royal chambers, and mass of arms and knees and fists. Your fist connects with her temple as her elbow bruises your ribs. The dart. You stab at her with it but she springs back. The two of you circle. You see an opportunity . . .

You feint left, she twists right and leaps to her throne, pulling a long piece of bone, a tooth maybe, from the arm rest. You throw your arms around her as she pulls the weapon free. She bends your arm back, the dart clattering to the ground and pulls up the bone knife. You shove her to the side and she rolls off of you. You fumble along the ground. She kicks you, swift and hard, in the back of the leg as you try to scramble out of the way and jumps on your back, pulling at your hair to steady herself. You turn as jam the dart with all your might into her thigh.

She looks down in surprise, the bone knife falling out of her limp hand as she flops forward onto you.

You push her off onto the floor of the house and shakily, painfully, climb to your feet. You hear cries of alarm from down in the cove. Peaking over the edge of the queen's windows, you see the canoes scattered throughout the cove, cut free by Kai and battered by the waves.

Looking towards the bath down to the boathouse, you see Shoshanna with two other spear-wielding women, charging up the stone path towards the queen's roost. You have moments.

You racing back to the Queen's bedroom, you pull a simple wrap off the hook on the ceiling, tying it around your waist. You slide the bone knife into that wrap, looping some of the cloth around the hilt to keep it secure. You consider taking the radio but are unsure it would survive the exit. You return to the main chamber just as Shoshanna scurries up the steps and into the room. You perch on the edge of the window.

Shoshanna levels her spear at you. "What did you do to her?!"

"She'll be fine, unlike my friend." You glance behind you, down to the sparkling water and the two canoes gathering nearby.

.

"That pale one with the orange hair? That's what all this about?" She scoffs. "He was a decent fuck, I enjoyed his tears. Especially when he begged me for relief." she gives a shudder of almost orgasmic pleasure. "That was delicious. But he's not worth dying over, after all, he's just another cock."

Shoshanna inches closer with her spear, her body a taut mass of muscles. You give one more glance over your shoulder.

"Fuck you Shoshanna, I hope you get what's coming to you." and you leap.

You tried to remember playing in the pool, a million years ago. You arch your back and point your hands. The water rushes up to smash into you, crashing through the surface of the water like a plate of glass. Water swarms into your nose and your mouth as you claw your way to the surface - coughing and spitting. You doggy paddle, trying to get your bearings when you feel a firm strong hand grab your arm, still sporting the tattooed engagement ring from Angelica. Aaron hauls you up into the canoe.

"You okay?" He asks. You cough a bit more but nod. He gives Kai a wave in the nearby boat and then the two of them fiercely paddle the two canoes as fast as they can away from the cove.

###

By the time you make landfall, the stars are shining like a million sequins in a midnight blue dress, the milky way and crescent moon giving the sky a gaudy splash of light. The two of you pull the canoes into a sandy alcove next to the jungle trees. Kai had picked the location and the two of them quickly set about starting a fire and providing a meal - dried fish for them and fruit and coconut meat for you.

You are bruised, your gut sporting not one but two big purple bruises and your elbow hurts every time you extend it all the way. But looking down at your body, you notice a few changes in the soft light of the moon. Some of the stretch marks, the pride of your pregnancy, have vanished and you feel lighter, easily ten pounds skinnier than you remember.

How long have you been here? You try to count the days - at least three (the first night with Caroline, the night at the boys tribe, and this) but it feels much longer. A week maybe? How long did you sleep in the cove under the effects of the dart? Also, the sun set much faster than you expected and now the moon is already approaching the zenith. You take a ragged breath. Much like Aaron, the best you can hope for is that this is all a very lifelike dream, and that you have not spent a week apart from Silas and Ryan. No - you can't focus on that at all, that way leads to tears and inaction. You must find a way out. You must find Michael.

Kai has sketched out a small map in the sand using a bone knife almost identical to yours - the unyielding pit is only an hour's travel away through the jungle. She has never been but she knows the area and will gladly lead you there.

"I hope your friend is okay. I've never known someone to return after going to the Unyielding Pit." She says. "But if someone could escape, you two would make it happen." She gives a nervous giggle. "I can't believe you said that to Shoshanna. I have always wanted to say that!"

You grin. You glance over at Aaron, gathering the branches, leaves and sticks to create a makeshift bed and shelter.

"She hurt Aaron - he might not show it but he's hurting." Kai follows your gaze, staring lovingly at him as he struggles with a large branch forming the roof.

"I'll make him feel better. I promise!" You smile and squeeze her hand. "You already have." She lights up with a smile. Aaron waves you over to the pile of soft material and you are asleep.

###

"Oh OH OH OH!" You hear a wet slapping sound as you dimly struggle through to consciousness.

"Fuck yeah, fuck yeah!" Aaron's voice is whispered, urgent and demanding. You glance over. Kai is on her knees, eyes closed tight in an open-mouthed moan of pleasure as Aaron thrusts into her from behind. Her slim hips look so small in his large hands as he pushes himself in and out, in and out, faster and faster.

"So deep, so deeeep!" she moans, pushing back into him. Unwilling to disturb the lovers, you reach down and gently caress yourself, working your fingers within your wet folds, and bring yourself to a quick, breathless finish, not moments before Aaron groans - jetting spurt after spurt into her willing pussy.

She sighs and slumps forward. He curls up next to her, spooning her slender form in front of him. He catches your eye. Guilt washes over his face.

"It's okay" you mouth, soundlessly. He nods and kisses the top of Kai's head, the two of them curling up in the cool night air.

Your heart aches - you miss Ryan, you miss Michael, you miss . . being held and safe and normal things like chocolate and television and not having giant murderous creatures under every rock and behind every log. This was supposed to be a quick adventure into a hotel and here you are, days into it, longing for home.

You close your eyes and practice your breathing. You reach out into that cool dark sand underneath and pull down the starry celestial energy, grounding yourself in this moment, in this time. Wherever it is.

###

The unyielding pit seemed less like a "pit" and more like a "pool of grey sludge". It was held in what can only be described as the blasted ruins of a tower. All that remains aside from vines and a few toppled stone archways, was the foundation, a large circle of rocks holding a shimmering grey pool.

"Do you think it is the metal?" Aaron asks. Kai pokes at it with her bamboo spear, which vanishes beneath the surface and returns undamaged - and dry, leaving faint ripples behind in the liquid.

"I think so." You circle the pit but there is no deviation, just a grey sheen on the top.

"I heard the others talk - they would take captured unclean . . . uh. . . . captured men and throw them in." Kai said.

"And that was it? They just vanish?" Kai nods.

"I wonder if it works like the Cabin in the Sky." You muse. "Where they go on a vision quest or something and just none of them have returned."

I guess there is just one way to find out. "Someone is going to have to jump in."

You tighten your belt of shells and the bone knife secured in it. While it isn't much, you feel slightly more comfortable wearing something, having something than going in literally naked.

"Okay, I'm going to go in. I'm going to go in and find Michael and bring him out, and when I come out, we are going to rescue Caroline from the boys tribe, and all of us are going to go to that temple in the center of the island and we are going to get the fuck out of here. Got it?"

"Got it." Aaron gives you a grim nod. Kai touches her heart with her right hand, pulls back the elbow and makes a quick stabbing motion with the left.

"Fierce Stroke!" She shouts. A couple of brightly colored palilas take flight from a nearby bush. Aaron gives her a quizzical look.

"It's what we say when the War Canoes depart." she explained. Aaron turns to you, trying mightily to keep a straight face.

"Okay, Fierce stroke Brenna." You cough to swallow a laugh but give Kai a grin.

"Sounds perfect. Fierce Stroke!" You shout, the words shifting in your mouth like marbles. Aaron looks at you in alarm.

"Did I just . . ." you begin.

". . . speak their language? Yes, I think you did." Kai looks confused but you press on.

"Look, the two of you best find a lookout spot that isn't too visible. I imagine Queen Ona and Shoshanna will be hot on our heels. I wasn't exactly discrete about where we were going. If they show up - don't take any chances. Get out of here and we will meet up at the stone temple. When we get out, we can get Caroline and meet you there. And if we don't, maybe you can figure out how to get home anyway." The speech feels like more than you've said aloud in a while.

Aaron folds you and Kai into a big group hug. "You get your friend and we can figure it out together."

With that, you take a deep breath, and leap into the pool.

You smash through the . .

. . .frame . . .

of . . . .

. . . . the . . .

World.

. . ..

. . .

. ..

.. .

. .

.

. . . and come gasping through a wall of smoke.

You stumble but maintain your footing. Flattened stones make the floor and the walls and the ceiling. A castle? Iron sconces holding still lit torches. Yes, a hallway in a castle. Okay - behind you a solid iron gate - barred and locked. You tug on it but the door is fused solid with a heavy classic chain lock.

Okay, that's probably the way out - you just need to find a key.

You talk off down the hallway, your bare feet slapping against the cool stones. Yes, it is definitely cooler than the island as goosebumps crawl across your bare chest. A shirt would be nice soon.

You pick up the pace - but no windows appear. You come to a tee intersection. Pulling out your bone knife, you scratch an arrow pointing left. You move a few paces down that pathway and glance back to make sure no tiny muppets were rearranging the stone. Worth checking.

This passage continues for a while, slowly arcing to the left. Finally there's a hairpin turn and the ability to turn right or go straight. You mark the stones and continue, rubbing your arms to keep warm.

HUFF SNORT. A heavy breath, like a large horse echoes through the halls, coming from all directions at once. HUFF HUFF. Throaty breathing, coming closer. You pick up the pace. Not a horse, a bull. HUFF HUFF.

A minotaur. Okay, don't panic, find a spot to hide, a place to hold out. At the next turn, the wall folds creating a little alcove. You move to slide into the little gap but leap back.

There's a skeleton. The bones have been picked clean and it looks ancient. You try to breath through your mouth and push it out of the way, squishing yourself into the space. HUFF SNORT. The breathing comes closer.

Footsteps, heavy and dragging, come closer. You hold the bone knife close, waiting.

There! A broad shouldered man walks by. He's huge, easily 6'5 and incredibly muscular, his skin a dark mocha. From this angle, you can't see the front of his face, but you can see the two small bull horns poking up from underneath his hair. He wears a dirty wrap for his pants and his body looks human aside from the horns.

Human and familiar. Where have you seen him before? Those shoulders, the chest. Hmmmm.

You wait till he has passed and slip out of your hiding spot. If that's the minotaur, then the answer must be at the center of the labyrinth. You set off, working your way inwards.

###

In the endless tunnels of a castle, there is no way to tell how much time has passed but your legs ache and your body is thoroughly chilled. You have found several bodies, no more than skeletons, left at intersections like scarecrows. Some of them have shells amongst the bones, some have bamboo spears, none of them look fresh.