The Very Day

 

🤍🌸🤍

        The day arrived.  It dawned grey and drizzly.  Then the sun broke through. Water dripped out of the firs. Insects and small mammals woke. The forest air lit up with sound. Crows were talking. Mist dissolved and flew away. The sky’s profound blue appeared.

          A strange light searched in and out among the mighty trunks of the forest. A low vibration added to the ambient soundscape. If anyone had been watching they would have seen a sleek vehicle, a bit larger than a domestic SUV, longer by about six feet, flitting about. It was indistinct. Sometimes it vanished, but would come back, then search some more. It woke no one. No one knew it was there.

          Flying further, it examined the nearby mountain flanks and tops. A small metallic object, enigmatic, still searching, nosing, here and there.

          Our characters started waking, a bit after the animals and birds. The sunlight and birdsong signaled that a day had begun. The very day of Cherry’s birth party.          

        Not much preparation was needed at Ralph's home clearing, just some morning food and drink.

          It wasn’t a far walk from the clearing to the party house and backyard, with the stream running just behind the yard. Maybe it was a half mile. In that half mile, a person walked out of the deep forest and into a meadow surrounded by broadleaf trees, maples, alders and such. Ooog had cleared a lot of brambles and brush that would have been crowding the house except for his constant attention.

          This morning, he prepared his grill.  Then he went out to the garden with a large basket, made by Thaga, to pick some vegetables to grill at midday. For this was meant to be a midday gathering.

          On his stone counter he had a jug of olive oil, salt, pepper, a lot of rosemary that he had picked from his own garden, and garlic, of course. He had homemade wooden plates. He and Thaga were ready. It had been a long, long time since they had a party. But, they were ready!

          The airborne craft came near but hung back out of sight of the house. It waited, suspended and silent. Just watching.

          On the ground, people began to arrive.  Some were alone, such as Nikki Rosen. (She had been given a map on the back of her invitation.) Others arrived together, such as Sam & Dave who wanted to be early to scope the situation out and wait to meet Constance.

          Dr. Geoff got there somehow. We suspect Ralph and a portal had something to do with it. Not important. The doctor was keeping his mouth shut and his eyes open, like any good anthropologist.

          Millicent P. and brother Sean came together, on foot, after parking on the highway at least a mile away from Ooog’s place. Nikki was parked out there too.  Someone, most likely Thaga, had posted little arrows made of painted sticks marking the path to the party.

          Maurice and Folky Joe rode in on a “borrowed” horse. After they hopped off, she ran home. Remarkably, the mare knew the way.

          Thaga bustled around greeting, chatting and introducing guests who didn’t know each other. It was quite a crowd, for an occasion in the forest. Ooog was grilling.  People were talking and eating, and waiting for the guests of honor to show up.

          Nearby, at the far perimeter of the yard, was a large black rock, which no one noticed nor remembered seeing there. 

        But at last Ralph and family came striding up the well worn path to Ooog and Thaga’s house. Ralph was swinging his left arm just right, and in the crook of his left elbow nestled young Cherry, shining like a little platinum colored angel in the noonday sunshine. Right behind them came Ramona holding Twigg’s hand.

          All the young guys whistled and yelled, “Cherry, Cherry, Cherry!” Even the four who crashed the party, those being Melvin, Larry, the exquisite Ferdy and even taciturn York, cheered and hollered. Millicent, Sean, and Nikki applauded. Uncle Bob beamed and whistled.

          Maurice howled like the very devil!  Joe played some old Cream tunes on his battered guitar. 

          When Constance walked up behind the Ralph family all six young guys stomped their feet and whistled and whooped it up something terrible! Fortunately, she seemed pleased at the attention, rather than terrified.  She checked the personnel out and landed on Ferdy right away. You remember what a doll he was at the Olympiad.

          The Unknown/Unnoticed back at the back of the big yard began to unroll itself. Slowly it transversed the grass and the distance. It seemed to resemble a drift of small broken black objects or rocks or something, maybe charcoal.

          Ralph and family were seated on one of Ooog’s woodsy benches, being greeted and congratulated.  It was great!  But the black thing was slowly approaching, unnoticed, very slowly. It slid underneath the bench, unnoticed.

          Suddenly, Ramona saw it.  She didn’t know what it was, but she didn’t like it.  She started yelling, “Ralph, look!  What is that?  It’s after Cherry!”  And it was after Cherry! The thing started moving faster, but Ralph jumped up and backed off with Cherry. Twigg and Ramona moved way away from it also.  Everyone came running!  Mayhem!  Nobody knew what that thing was. But nobody liked it! The crowd opened up around it, just staring, all horrified and agog!

          However, you remember the silver airship waiting silently suspended in the air, just out of sight?  Hm?  Well, just about the time the Unknown/Unnoticed was noticed by one and all to a great deal of screaming, the ship approached.  It settled down right above the Unknown/Unnoticed. An area on its bottom side began to glow with a bright purple light which changed to white as a sharp directional beam formed.  The beam consumed the Unknown on the ground where it lay. It became just a drift of nasty ashy stuff.

          The ship settled down on the grass and a small hatch on its top surface opened. A little guy stuck his head out. How to describe him?  Well, he was about three feet tall. He looked a lot like a human child but was not a child. He wore a loose light blue jumpsuit of some kind. He had blond hair and blue eyes. He looked all around at the group, then he smiled.

          “I’m Mak.  I’ve been chasing that thing for a while. It was an eater of children. I admit to being nosy, so I knew about the party here today. I knew the Eater would try to catch the child here also.                 Don’t be surprised that I speak as you do.  I’m just causing you to think I’m speaking out loud. It’s quite mental.

          “By the way, the rain will wash away the ash from the Eater of Children.  Just let it lay.

          "In addition, greetings, congratulations and blessings from the space between the stars upon little Cherry!  That blessing will stay with her always.  I will buzz off now.  It was good to meet you all!”

          The ship rose peacefully into the air and zipped away over the tree tops.  Seeing all this in the last few minutes, Dr. Geoff fainted dead away and had to be revived with some of Ooog’s special hootch that he made himself, out of blueberries.  Very strong.

          The party continued late into the night.  Everyone avoided the dirty ashes near the bench the Ralphs had been sitting on. They ran out of beer and rootbeer also.  It turned out that Ferdy had brought some weed, so all the young things were happy and stoned and slept out on the grass until morning.  Constance and Ferdy got to talking and hit if off pretty well. They promised to meet again.

          They didn’t bother with contests or games.  When you are having that much fun, who needs the artificiality of games and contests?  Nobody!  Right?

          There were baby gifts. Uncle Bob’s was the best.  He carved a wooden jointed Big Foot baby doll, and he didn’t touch a bit of the weed. He didn't even seem to mind, being truly reformed, as he was.

          Next morning, the slightly stoned youngsters helped Ooog and Thaga clean up and then just like in A Midsummer Night's Dream, everyone drifted off home.

          Cherry had been well greeted, blessed and feted! A fine success of a party!

        After every one was gone the next morning, and Ooog and Thaga had gone to bed, Maeve and Dierdre carefully removed the little arrows from the trees. Then they flew off to wherever Ravens go.

The End

The whole crazy thing.